Phil's review
When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in the Last Days of Rome
by Richard E. Rubenstein
Phil's review
When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christ's Divinity in the Last Days of Rome by Richard E. Rubenstein
Phil's review
rating:
bookshelves:
history
recommended for: no one
This book is engagingly written. That's about the best thing I can say about it. The book's Preface gives the sub-text. The author (whose books, Aristotle's Children and Thus Saith the Lord I admired) conceived of writing this book over 30 years ago. Having researched it to satisfy his curiosity, he ought to have stopped there. Otherwise it is a re-hash of secondary literature and primary documents in translation.
The Preface tells us that Professor Rubenstein, as a Jew, had long been fascinated by the Arian Controversy that rocked the Christian world (and the Roman Empire by extension) during the 4th century. The book's dust jacket describes him thus: "he specializes in analyzing violent social and religious conflict." Clearly, the Arian Controversary would be grist for his mill.
But he also tips his hand when he openly alludes to the fact that had Arius and his view held the day, then the centuries of emninty and animosity between Christianity and Judaism would not ha...more
The Preface tells us that Professor Rubenstein, as a Jew, had long been fascinated by the Arian Controversy that rocked the Christian world (and the Roman Empire by extension) during the 4th century. The book's dust jacket describes him thus: "he specializes in analyzing violent social and religious conflict." Clearly, the Arian Controversary would be grist for his mill.
But he also tips his hand when he openly alludes to the fact that had Arius and his view held the day, then the centuries of emninty and animosity between Christianity and Judaism would not ha...more
