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The Masks of Christ: Behind the Lies and Cover-ups About the Life of Jesus (Touchstone Books
From the gnostic gospels to the Nativity, religious mythology immortalized Jesus -- his personality, his actions, his words -- but what if they didn't tell the truth?
Although an entire religion is based on his teachings, Jesus himself did not record any written accounts of his life or faith. He taught his followers orally, and our only sources about what Jesus actually said and believed, the Gospels, were written long after his lifetime. But the Gospel authors had their own agendas to promote and most certainly altered -- even distorted -- their leader's message.
In The Masks of Christ , bestselling authors Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince peel away layers of mythology, canonical revisions, Church propaganda, and censorship in order to reveal who Christ really was -- and discover his true message to the followers of Christianity. Stripping away centuries of misinformation, Picknett and Prince dispel religious myths, unearth historical truths, and uncover the real stories behind some of the Bible's most famous tales -- including how Christ's long-hidden relationships with John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene shaped his beliefs and religious mission.
Drawing on objective research, Picknett and Prince present the living, breathing Jesus and provide a context for Jesus' teachings in the time and society in which he lived -- and, most important, guidance on what the life and lessons of Jesus Christ mean to everyone today.
Although an entire religion is based on his teachings, Jesus himself did not record any written accounts of his life or faith. He taught his followers orally, and our only sources about what Jesus actually said and believed, the Gospels, were written long after his lifetime. But the Gospel authors had their own agendas to promote and most certainly altered -- even distorted -- their leader's message.
In The Masks of Christ , bestselling authors Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince peel away layers of mythology, canonical revisions, Church propaganda, and censorship in order to reveal who Christ really was -- and discover his true message to the followers of Christianity. Stripping away centuries of misinformation, Picknett and Prince dispel religious myths, unearth historical truths, and uncover the real stories behind some of the Bible's most famous tales -- including how Christ's long-hidden relationships with John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene shaped his beliefs and religious mission.
Drawing on objective research, Picknett and Prince present the living, breathing Jesus and provide a context for Jesus' teachings in the time and society in which he lived -- and, most important, guidance on what the life and lessons of Jesus Christ mean to everyone today.
464 pages, Paperback
First published December 9, 2007
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December 2, 2015
Review: The Masks of Christ
By Dan Cooper
The Masks of Christ by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince is a work of speculative nonfiction that has particular value for those interested in the scholarly study of Biblical and Christian history but without the necessity for dry and lengthy dissertations so common to scholarly works. Make no mistake, The Masks of Christ is not in the category of scholarly (and dry) studies. But it is also not in the category of fictional romps such as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or even that of alternative nonfiction works such as The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln. Instead, it occupies a space midway between these popular explorations and those scholarly works so devoid of popularity. As such, it creates a bona fide segue between them, offering a legitimate path for further exploration for those intrigued by the popular works but put off by the scholarly treatments. The book's examination of the Bible's contradictory treatment of John the Baptist is the most interesting portion, and is indeed the main thrust of this book.
Even if the jacket copy did not make it abundantly clear that this is not intended for those fundamentalist Christians who demand allegiance to the notion of infallible biblical reference, the text explicitly does so at the outset. The first sentence gives us, "Incredible though it may seem today, in early nineteenth-century Britain it was illegal not to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God."
But as obvious as their point of view was, I still found the jacket text to be far too sensationalistic, detracting from, rather than adding to, the book's interest value. Some editor earned her paycheck by ensuring the book would be controversial enough to attract immediate negative attention from overly defensive Christian fundamentalists bent on deriding anything critical of the absolute infallibility of the Bible or the unwavering authority and truth of mainstream Christian thought. This reaction was guaranteed by the sub-title: Behind the Lies and Cover-ups about the Life of Jesus.
However, if you can get past the sensationalism and get into the book, you will find it has great value in the exploration of possible alternative interpretations of Christian thought, history, and overall relevance for non-believers as well as believers. If alternatives are too much of an intimidation, this book is definitely not for you. But if you are intrigued by possibilities and alternatives not presented in mainstream thought, then the resources this book offer will be of immense interest. There are, after all, many areas of disagreement among scholars who are deeply involved in interpretation. These differences are rarely presented for popular consumption. In The Masks of Christ, they are offered up for examination in language that is accessible and engaging.
The authors do not accept--indeed, are quick to dismiss--divine inspiration for the canonical books of the Bible. Among their reasons for this are the many inconsistencies and contradictions found there. This dismissiveness is, of course, the main point of contention for evangelicals who themselves have ironically always employed a similar dismissiveness of those same inconsistencies and contradictions. They have always claimed these problem areas are the result of subjective human perspectives and not the fallibility of divine intervention. But Picknett and Prince do not simply dismiss divine intervention, they systematically dissect biblical authority quoting the work of many scholars and, as they put it, "peeling away the layers" of obvious and not-so-obvious editorial changes that have occurred in the Bible's books.
Biblical infallibility is dismissed early on, with this summary statement. "It is important, at the outset, to dispense with the idea that the Gospels are the 'word of God' -- that the authors were divinely inspired and their writings little less than the unvarnished truth." An example of their thinking on this can be found in the synoptic gospels' citation regarding what Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives just before his arrest. Jesus goes off alone, praying to his Father.
"The 'take this cup from me' passage can be discounted simply on the grounds of common sense. The Gospels report that Jesus said this when alone, his companions not only elsewhere but asleep, so how can anyone possibly know what happened?"
Of course, defenders of the faith will point immediately to divinely inspired scribes who are told directly by God what occurred in the garden. But while believers have no problem believing this, Picknett and Prince are intent on textual criticism, which is (or should be) entirely independent of one's beliefs.
While there are some weaknesses to this book's appeal, its strengths are far more notable. It makes some firm criticisms of the mainstream Christian belief system. For instance, they attack the notion that early Jews were recruited into Christianity with rituals that included the drinking of blood--anathema for a Jew. Other weaknesses they attacked included the problem of Jesus' lack of a family. Jewish men were expected to marry and raise a family, yet for some reason we are to believe Jesus was unmarried and no one gave this a second thought.
Jesus was supposed to have a remarkable birth, but after this he had an apparently uninteresting early life during which somehow everyone, including his parents, "forgot" about his miraculous birth situation and had to be re-educated about his special nature later in life. And perhaps most damaging to the credibility of these stories were the two separate and conflicting human genealogies given for Jesus, offered as substantiation for his being in the line of David--fulfilling prophecy--while somehow also being virgin-born as a Son of God rather than by human intercourse.
Picknett and Prince do appear to get a bit carried away occasionally in their speculations. There are examples where they seem to claim certitude when mere probability would have been more prudent. While one of the more convincing sections deals with how John the Baptist was a more significant figure than convention now permits, the authors do skip to an unnecessary conclusion at one point. From prison, John the Baptist sends a question to Jesus asking him if he is, indeed, the Coming One, or whether someone else should be anticipated. It is rightly pointed out that on several levels this poses problems for Christianity, but our investigative authors then assume something. After Jesus responds somewhat ambiguously that he indeed is The One, John's further reply goes undocumented. The authors conclude, "…had [Jesus' response] mollified him, we certainly would have been told. As it is, apparently John went to his death still doubting Jesus."
Another example where the authors seem to take a bit too much for granted, is their characterization of a term applied to Jesus. The wording in question is where Jesus is referred to as one who is "called the Christ." They concluded that this "implies some skepticism." But even if it did, this passage is taken not from Biblical canon, but from Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus, so has little bearing on the veracity of the Gospels.
However, the purpose here was to examine Jesus, the person, and no limitations were imposed on what literature could be used to do so. And in fairness, the authors do question the validity of some points raised by other critics of Christianity's assumptions. For example, they point out the various logical weaknesses of the line of reasoning put forth by prominent scholar Burton L. Mack. Mack proposed that anything not found in the earliest presumed writings must have been later introduced and can be written off as mere myth making exercises. Picknett and Prince go into great detail rightfully rejecting this notion as lacking credibility.
Later they also quite fairly call into question statements that are known to be antagonistic toward Jesus' legend as it is accepted today, stating that "obviously, as they come from a hostile source they should be treated with caution."
And on the subject of caution, be careful how you approach this book. If you look for specific things instead of reading it cover to cover, you will be tempted to criticize the authors for assumptions or short cuts they only appear to have taken, since the book is composed in a defined sequence. You will miss some supporting arguments if you don't read it cover to cover.
By Dan Cooper
The Masks of Christ by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince is a work of speculative nonfiction that has particular value for those interested in the scholarly study of Biblical and Christian history but without the necessity for dry and lengthy dissertations so common to scholarly works. Make no mistake, The Masks of Christ is not in the category of scholarly (and dry) studies. But it is also not in the category of fictional romps such as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or even that of alternative nonfiction works such as The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln. Instead, it occupies a space midway between these popular explorations and those scholarly works so devoid of popularity. As such, it creates a bona fide segue between them, offering a legitimate path for further exploration for those intrigued by the popular works but put off by the scholarly treatments. The book's examination of the Bible's contradictory treatment of John the Baptist is the most interesting portion, and is indeed the main thrust of this book.
Even if the jacket copy did not make it abundantly clear that this is not intended for those fundamentalist Christians who demand allegiance to the notion of infallible biblical reference, the text explicitly does so at the outset. The first sentence gives us, "Incredible though it may seem today, in early nineteenth-century Britain it was illegal not to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God."
But as obvious as their point of view was, I still found the jacket text to be far too sensationalistic, detracting from, rather than adding to, the book's interest value. Some editor earned her paycheck by ensuring the book would be controversial enough to attract immediate negative attention from overly defensive Christian fundamentalists bent on deriding anything critical of the absolute infallibility of the Bible or the unwavering authority and truth of mainstream Christian thought. This reaction was guaranteed by the sub-title: Behind the Lies and Cover-ups about the Life of Jesus.
However, if you can get past the sensationalism and get into the book, you will find it has great value in the exploration of possible alternative interpretations of Christian thought, history, and overall relevance for non-believers as well as believers. If alternatives are too much of an intimidation, this book is definitely not for you. But if you are intrigued by possibilities and alternatives not presented in mainstream thought, then the resources this book offer will be of immense interest. There are, after all, many areas of disagreement among scholars who are deeply involved in interpretation. These differences are rarely presented for popular consumption. In The Masks of Christ, they are offered up for examination in language that is accessible and engaging.
The authors do not accept--indeed, are quick to dismiss--divine inspiration for the canonical books of the Bible. Among their reasons for this are the many inconsistencies and contradictions found there. This dismissiveness is, of course, the main point of contention for evangelicals who themselves have ironically always employed a similar dismissiveness of those same inconsistencies and contradictions. They have always claimed these problem areas are the result of subjective human perspectives and not the fallibility of divine intervention. But Picknett and Prince do not simply dismiss divine intervention, they systematically dissect biblical authority quoting the work of many scholars and, as they put it, "peeling away the layers" of obvious and not-so-obvious editorial changes that have occurred in the Bible's books.
Biblical infallibility is dismissed early on, with this summary statement. "It is important, at the outset, to dispense with the idea that the Gospels are the 'word of God' -- that the authors were divinely inspired and their writings little less than the unvarnished truth." An example of their thinking on this can be found in the synoptic gospels' citation regarding what Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives just before his arrest. Jesus goes off alone, praying to his Father.
"The 'take this cup from me' passage can be discounted simply on the grounds of common sense. The Gospels report that Jesus said this when alone, his companions not only elsewhere but asleep, so how can anyone possibly know what happened?"
Of course, defenders of the faith will point immediately to divinely inspired scribes who are told directly by God what occurred in the garden. But while believers have no problem believing this, Picknett and Prince are intent on textual criticism, which is (or should be) entirely independent of one's beliefs.
While there are some weaknesses to this book's appeal, its strengths are far more notable. It makes some firm criticisms of the mainstream Christian belief system. For instance, they attack the notion that early Jews were recruited into Christianity with rituals that included the drinking of blood--anathema for a Jew. Other weaknesses they attacked included the problem of Jesus' lack of a family. Jewish men were expected to marry and raise a family, yet for some reason we are to believe Jesus was unmarried and no one gave this a second thought.
Jesus was supposed to have a remarkable birth, but after this he had an apparently uninteresting early life during which somehow everyone, including his parents, "forgot" about his miraculous birth situation and had to be re-educated about his special nature later in life. And perhaps most damaging to the credibility of these stories were the two separate and conflicting human genealogies given for Jesus, offered as substantiation for his being in the line of David--fulfilling prophecy--while somehow also being virgin-born as a Son of God rather than by human intercourse.
Picknett and Prince do appear to get a bit carried away occasionally in their speculations. There are examples where they seem to claim certitude when mere probability would have been more prudent. While one of the more convincing sections deals with how John the Baptist was a more significant figure than convention now permits, the authors do skip to an unnecessary conclusion at one point. From prison, John the Baptist sends a question to Jesus asking him if he is, indeed, the Coming One, or whether someone else should be anticipated. It is rightly pointed out that on several levels this poses problems for Christianity, but our investigative authors then assume something. After Jesus responds somewhat ambiguously that he indeed is The One, John's further reply goes undocumented. The authors conclude, "…had [Jesus' response] mollified him, we certainly would have been told. As it is, apparently John went to his death still doubting Jesus."
Another example where the authors seem to take a bit too much for granted, is their characterization of a term applied to Jesus. The wording in question is where Jesus is referred to as one who is "called the Christ." They concluded that this "implies some skepticism." But even if it did, this passage is taken not from Biblical canon, but from Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus, so has little bearing on the veracity of the Gospels.
However, the purpose here was to examine Jesus, the person, and no limitations were imposed on what literature could be used to do so. And in fairness, the authors do question the validity of some points raised by other critics of Christianity's assumptions. For example, they point out the various logical weaknesses of the line of reasoning put forth by prominent scholar Burton L. Mack. Mack proposed that anything not found in the earliest presumed writings must have been later introduced and can be written off as mere myth making exercises. Picknett and Prince go into great detail rightfully rejecting this notion as lacking credibility.
Later they also quite fairly call into question statements that are known to be antagonistic toward Jesus' legend as it is accepted today, stating that "obviously, as they come from a hostile source they should be treated with caution."
And on the subject of caution, be careful how you approach this book. If you look for specific things instead of reading it cover to cover, you will be tempted to criticize the authors for assumptions or short cuts they only appear to have taken, since the book is composed in a defined sequence. You will miss some supporting arguments if you don't read it cover to cover.
April 29, 2019
Un excelente libro que puede contribuir a un conocimientos. ¿Por qué leer este libro?. Si quieres saber sober los grandes errores que hay en la Biblia, en la historia de Jesus, los misterios de Juan el Bautista, el misterio de María Magdalena cómo señora esposa de Jesús, este libro es para ti.
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Le doy un 4 porque los últimos cuatro capítulos se me volvieron muy tediosos. Quizás porque ya no estaba tan conectado con la lectura de este libro como fue en el principio. Además, las últimas páginas tuvieron varias terminologías que me volvieron más complicada la lectura
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Le doy un 4 porque los últimos cuatro capítulos se me volvieron muy tediosos. Quizás porque ya no estaba tan conectado con la lectura de este libro como fue en el principio. Además, las últimas páginas tuvieron varias terminologías que me volvieron más complicada la lectura
September 5, 2022
Un muy buen trabajo investigativo sobre la forma en que se construyeron los evangelios, sus fuentes, inspiración, contextos y sobretodo, sus contradicciones. Si bien el texto parece en un principio más orientado hacia una mirada conspiranoica, esa impresión desaparece al instante cuando se sumerge en los trabajos de historiadores. Temas como el verdadero mensaje de Jesús, la forma como era percibido por seguidores y contrarios, y su posible filiación con movimientos nacionalistas, son temas que sin duda captan la atención en la lectura.
November 27, 2010
Questo ponderoso volume ti lascia completamente spiazzato.
A partire dal titolo, frutto d'una infelice scelta editoriale "scandalistica" che fa torto al contenuto, che tendenzialmente si propone come analisi storiografica e non come pamphlet dell'ateismo militante alla Gesù Cristo non è mai esistito (anche se il fatto di accreditare come studiosi di Gesù dei... teosofi lo fa crollare immediatamente nella scala dell'attendibilità).
E la perplessità cresce al leggere le pagine. Gli autori si sono fatti una gran faticata macinando decine e decine di opere (la sola bibliografia dei titoli delle opere citate riempie una decina di pagine) su Gesù, sulla religiosità ebraica della fine del Secondo Tempio, e sulla comunità cristiana delle origini.
Dunque ci sono interi capitoli che, se non brillano per originalità delle tesi sostenute, sono per lo meno una sintesi utile e pregnante di un dibattito storiografico che ha sempre bisogno di costanti aggiornamenti e sintesi.
Dopodiché, all'improvviso, saltano fuori citazioni dal volume Il segreto dei Templari e allusioni al Codice da Vinci. E qui ti cascano le braccia.
Devo dire che ho letto questo volume con un misto d'interesse e sconcerto. Non riesco infatti a capire a chi possa essere utile un'opera del genere. Per i "complottisti" e tutta la genia appassionata di Templari, origine extraterrestre di Gesù, e codici da Vinci assortiti, non c'è assolutamente trippa per i loro gatti. Gli autori sono a tratti imprudenti, sposando con entusiasmo eccessivo tesi non condivise dalla massima parte degli studiosi (verso la cui ottusità in questi casi lanciano strali non meritati), però al tempo stesso non fanno mai atterrare nessun Ufo nella Palestina del primo secolo.
Adorano le tesi marginali, addirittura bizzarre, ma danno il giusto rilievo agli studi competenti e approfonditi (magari per estrarne le due o tre idee più "fuori dal coro", ma questo è un altro discorso).
Dall'altro lato, però, decine di pagine consecutive serie e affidabili possono essere interrotte all'improvviso da una pagina o due che si entusiasmano per le teorie più strampalate esistenti sul mercato. Dopodiché riprende la trattazione seria e posata, e così via.
In breve: questa è una sintesi della letteratura sulla figura storica di Gesù, da parte di due studiosi diligenti (anche se non so fino a che punto competenti), ma con la bizzarra caratteristica di voler dare "pari opportunità" anche ad alcuni sedicenti "studiosi" dotati molto più di fantasia che di un solido metodo storico.
Gli autori non sono portati di loro ai voli di fantasia. Nell'insieme, quando parlano in prima persona, restano coi piedi piantati per terra. Il loro limite è stato quindi non aver vagliato le fonti, e non per incompetenza, ma per una deliberata e dichiarata volontà di dare "finalmente" spazio anche alle voci che la comunità accademica "censura"!
Ora, se l'ottusità delle corporazioni accademiche, da Galileo in poi, è notoria, non basta essere condannati da loro per avere ragione. Dopo tutto, la facoltà di Salamanca che "ottusamente" negava che Colombo ce la potesse fare ad arrivare in India viaggiando verso ovest aveva ragione: la Terra era effettivamente molto più grande di quanto avesse calcolato Colombo. Che infatti non arrivò mai in India: scoprì l'America, e non perché i sui calcoli fossero corretti e quelli della facoltà di Salamanca sbagliati, ma solo perché scoprì per caso quanto era ignoto a tutti, incluso lui stesso.
Prendendo anch'io l'esempio correttamente citato da un altro recensore di questo sito, cioè la lunga disamina dei rapporti fra Giovanni il Battista e Gesù, noterò come essa sia effettivamente molto interessante, perché dimostra che il rapporto fra Gesù e il Battista non fu certo quello prefigurato dai vangeli, che invertono i ruoli storici fra Maestro (il Battista) e discepolo.
Ma tutto questo è interessante solo in quanto gli autori riassumono le conclusioni di alcuni seri studi monografici sul tema, impepandoli poi con bizzarre ipotesi su sette segrete a cui "forse" il Battista potrebbe aver appartenuto...
Chi non sapesse l'inglese e/o non avesse voglia di accedere direttamente a questi studi, trarrà di sicuro giovamento dalla lettura del riassunto che ne propone il presente libro. Ma correrà pure il rischio di portarsi dietro, per gli anni a venire, qualche idea bizzarra e non fondata, basata più sulla simpatia degli autori per le tesi "marginali" che sull'attendibilità intrinseca di tali tesi.
In conclusione, quest'opera non è poi tanto cattiva quanto il titolo lascia temere. Chi ha cognizione della materia vi troverà un'utile sintesi, senza essere infastidito più di tanto dalle parti bizzarre che, tanto, per la loro implausibilità gli/le si rivelano immediatamente per tali.
Aggiungo anzi che può rivelarsi perfino utile (per me lo è stato) leggere di alcune di queste tesi bizzarre, perché qui si apre una finestra su una serie d'interpretazioni (arcane, esoteriche, teosofiche...) di Gesù su cui altrimenti non verrebbe mai in mente di documentarsi, nonostante siano moneta corrente per milioni di persone. Scoprire - sia pure, magari, con raccapriccio - le tesi da loro sposate non è certo dannoso: "Humani nil a me alienum puto".
Per il lettore che si avvicina per la prima volta al tema, invece, questo non è un libro molto utile, perché rischia di confondergli le idee fra tesi storiche argomentate ed ipotesi bizzarre o screditate. Per esempio, il fatto che gli autori prendano per buona - e con veemente entusiasmo - la "scoperta" del Vangelo segreto di Marco, di cui è ormai dimostrato che è un falso (anzi, una beffa accademica!), la dice lunga sul loro (scarso) spirito critico.
D'altro canto, questo libro non è utile nemmeno come "manuale scettico". Ben altri e di ben altro spessore sono i temi e gli argomenti utili a chi si avvicini allo studio della religione con spirito critico. E barattare i Misteri del Messia con i Misteri Arcani dei Templari o con i Misteri Teosofici non è decisamente un guadagno, grazie.
Concludendo, un appunto. Gesù non mi avrebbe mai proibito di leggere questo libro. Ne avrebbe semplicemente riso, e lo avrebbe spostato nella sezione "fantasy" delle librerie.
I libri che m'avrebbe semmai impedito di leggere, se avesse potuto, sarebbero stati i Vangeli, che insinuano ciò che qualsiasi giudeo dell'epoca (inclusi i primi cristiani) riteneva bestemmia, ossia che un essere umano possa dirsi pari a Dio, anzi un dio egli stesso!
Ma questo è un altro discorso, che ci porterebbe troppo lontano.
Una nota finale: a questo prezzo (15 euro), un volume di questo spessore (426 pagine!) è molto conveniente, specie se si calcola che molti dei volumi che sintetizza, essendo testi specialistici, possono arrivare a costare trenta-cinquanta euro ciascuno.
Ma quello del prezzo è il solo aspetto totalmente positivo che riesco a trovare in questo libro. Pertanto, non me la sento di raccomandarne l'acquisto.
A partire dal titolo, frutto d'una infelice scelta editoriale "scandalistica" che fa torto al contenuto, che tendenzialmente si propone come analisi storiografica e non come pamphlet dell'ateismo militante alla Gesù Cristo non è mai esistito (anche se il fatto di accreditare come studiosi di Gesù dei... teosofi lo fa crollare immediatamente nella scala dell'attendibilità).
E la perplessità cresce al leggere le pagine. Gli autori si sono fatti una gran faticata macinando decine e decine di opere (la sola bibliografia dei titoli delle opere citate riempie una decina di pagine) su Gesù, sulla religiosità ebraica della fine del Secondo Tempio, e sulla comunità cristiana delle origini.
Dunque ci sono interi capitoli che, se non brillano per originalità delle tesi sostenute, sono per lo meno una sintesi utile e pregnante di un dibattito storiografico che ha sempre bisogno di costanti aggiornamenti e sintesi.
Dopodiché, all'improvviso, saltano fuori citazioni dal volume Il segreto dei Templari e allusioni al Codice da Vinci. E qui ti cascano le braccia.
Devo dire che ho letto questo volume con un misto d'interesse e sconcerto. Non riesco infatti a capire a chi possa essere utile un'opera del genere. Per i "complottisti" e tutta la genia appassionata di Templari, origine extraterrestre di Gesù, e codici da Vinci assortiti, non c'è assolutamente trippa per i loro gatti. Gli autori sono a tratti imprudenti, sposando con entusiasmo eccessivo tesi non condivise dalla massima parte degli studiosi (verso la cui ottusità in questi casi lanciano strali non meritati), però al tempo stesso non fanno mai atterrare nessun Ufo nella Palestina del primo secolo.
Adorano le tesi marginali, addirittura bizzarre, ma danno il giusto rilievo agli studi competenti e approfonditi (magari per estrarne le due o tre idee più "fuori dal coro", ma questo è un altro discorso).
Dall'altro lato, però, decine di pagine consecutive serie e affidabili possono essere interrotte all'improvviso da una pagina o due che si entusiasmano per le teorie più strampalate esistenti sul mercato. Dopodiché riprende la trattazione seria e posata, e così via.
In breve: questa è una sintesi della letteratura sulla figura storica di Gesù, da parte di due studiosi diligenti (anche se non so fino a che punto competenti), ma con la bizzarra caratteristica di voler dare "pari opportunità" anche ad alcuni sedicenti "studiosi" dotati molto più di fantasia che di un solido metodo storico.
Gli autori non sono portati di loro ai voli di fantasia. Nell'insieme, quando parlano in prima persona, restano coi piedi piantati per terra. Il loro limite è stato quindi non aver vagliato le fonti, e non per incompetenza, ma per una deliberata e dichiarata volontà di dare "finalmente" spazio anche alle voci che la comunità accademica "censura"!
Ora, se l'ottusità delle corporazioni accademiche, da Galileo in poi, è notoria, non basta essere condannati da loro per avere ragione. Dopo tutto, la facoltà di Salamanca che "ottusamente" negava che Colombo ce la potesse fare ad arrivare in India viaggiando verso ovest aveva ragione: la Terra era effettivamente molto più grande di quanto avesse calcolato Colombo. Che infatti non arrivò mai in India: scoprì l'America, e non perché i sui calcoli fossero corretti e quelli della facoltà di Salamanca sbagliati, ma solo perché scoprì per caso quanto era ignoto a tutti, incluso lui stesso.
Prendendo anch'io l'esempio correttamente citato da un altro recensore di questo sito, cioè la lunga disamina dei rapporti fra Giovanni il Battista e Gesù, noterò come essa sia effettivamente molto interessante, perché dimostra che il rapporto fra Gesù e il Battista non fu certo quello prefigurato dai vangeli, che invertono i ruoli storici fra Maestro (il Battista) e discepolo.
Ma tutto questo è interessante solo in quanto gli autori riassumono le conclusioni di alcuni seri studi monografici sul tema, impepandoli poi con bizzarre ipotesi su sette segrete a cui "forse" il Battista potrebbe aver appartenuto...
Chi non sapesse l'inglese e/o non avesse voglia di accedere direttamente a questi studi, trarrà di sicuro giovamento dalla lettura del riassunto che ne propone il presente libro. Ma correrà pure il rischio di portarsi dietro, per gli anni a venire, qualche idea bizzarra e non fondata, basata più sulla simpatia degli autori per le tesi "marginali" che sull'attendibilità intrinseca di tali tesi.
In conclusione, quest'opera non è poi tanto cattiva quanto il titolo lascia temere. Chi ha cognizione della materia vi troverà un'utile sintesi, senza essere infastidito più di tanto dalle parti bizzarre che, tanto, per la loro implausibilità gli/le si rivelano immediatamente per tali.
Aggiungo anzi che può rivelarsi perfino utile (per me lo è stato) leggere di alcune di queste tesi bizzarre, perché qui si apre una finestra su una serie d'interpretazioni (arcane, esoteriche, teosofiche...) di Gesù su cui altrimenti non verrebbe mai in mente di documentarsi, nonostante siano moneta corrente per milioni di persone. Scoprire - sia pure, magari, con raccapriccio - le tesi da loro sposate non è certo dannoso: "Humani nil a me alienum puto".
Per il lettore che si avvicina per la prima volta al tema, invece, questo non è un libro molto utile, perché rischia di confondergli le idee fra tesi storiche argomentate ed ipotesi bizzarre o screditate. Per esempio, il fatto che gli autori prendano per buona - e con veemente entusiasmo - la "scoperta" del Vangelo segreto di Marco, di cui è ormai dimostrato che è un falso (anzi, una beffa accademica!), la dice lunga sul loro (scarso) spirito critico.
D'altro canto, questo libro non è utile nemmeno come "manuale scettico". Ben altri e di ben altro spessore sono i temi e gli argomenti utili a chi si avvicini allo studio della religione con spirito critico. E barattare i Misteri del Messia con i Misteri Arcani dei Templari o con i Misteri Teosofici non è decisamente un guadagno, grazie.
Concludendo, un appunto. Gesù non mi avrebbe mai proibito di leggere questo libro. Ne avrebbe semplicemente riso, e lo avrebbe spostato nella sezione "fantasy" delle librerie.
I libri che m'avrebbe semmai impedito di leggere, se avesse potuto, sarebbero stati i Vangeli, che insinuano ciò che qualsiasi giudeo dell'epoca (inclusi i primi cristiani) riteneva bestemmia, ossia che un essere umano possa dirsi pari a Dio, anzi un dio egli stesso!
Ma questo è un altro discorso, che ci porterebbe troppo lontano.
Una nota finale: a questo prezzo (15 euro), un volume di questo spessore (426 pagine!) è molto conveniente, specie se si calcola che molti dei volumi che sintetizza, essendo testi specialistici, possono arrivare a costare trenta-cinquanta euro ciascuno.
Ma quello del prezzo è il solo aspetto totalmente positivo che riesco a trovare in questo libro. Pertanto, non me la sento di raccomandarne l'acquisto.
August 14, 2020
Disturbing implications
What a wonderful and insightful book. A deep look into the mysterious and often confusing origins of Christianity and it's cult like foundations. The ambiguous and muddled Gospels are clearly riddled with spurious nonsense, hyperbole and ridiculous invention . Sadly it appears that Christianity as we know it is an absurdity of monumental proportions. However I still love Jesus.
What a wonderful and insightful book. A deep look into the mysterious and often confusing origins of Christianity and it's cult like foundations. The ambiguous and muddled Gospels are clearly riddled with spurious nonsense, hyperbole and ridiculous invention . Sadly it appears that Christianity as we know it is an absurdity of monumental proportions. However I still love Jesus.
September 5, 2011
An interesting read, gives a new perspective on who Jesus may have been, his motivations and
politics. - recommended reading which shouldn't turn off the casual reader as well as the biblical
scholars.
politics. - recommended reading which shouldn't turn off the casual reader as well as the biblical
scholars.
November 3, 2012
This book is interesting for history boffs and those that want to know more about the life and times of Jesus. Very well written and has inspired me to read The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English by Geza Vermes.
February 27, 2022
Material reciclado y repetitivo de otras obras del género y de los mismos autores de éste que nada abona a la temática, a no ser un resumen de las otras obras Plagado de peticiones de principio, suposiciones.
La escritura es sencilla y tiene indicios de de metodología
La escritura es sencilla y tiene indicios de de metodología
October 4, 2021
Very enlightening. Answers a lot of questions about his life and brings up tantalizing questions.
January 21, 2023
Llegue a este libro por el Código Da Vinci y me sorprendió muchísimo esta investigación. Agradecido de que cambiara mi manera de pensar sobre el cristianismo.
September 23, 2009
I liked the history behind the book, but the authors don't allow for the theory that it is possible that Adam and Eve had teachings from Christ (as the Old Testament says), then religions spread, each taking teachings, then when Christ came to Earth as man, he used many different parts of existing religions because he started it. Rather, they say that since some of his acts were pagan, then they didn't really happen, or because a Jew wouldn't do that, he loses credibility as a Jew. They sort of miss the point.
Otherwise, the historical context was pretty good.
Otherwise, the historical context was pretty good.
December 3, 2011
Good read. If your happy with the lies of christianity then this book is not for you. I have read better but still good evidence that exposes christianities lies. I was brought up in strict christianity and studied in a college and questioned many things and beliefs and inconsisitencies but couldnt prove it. Books like this condence the evidence and give answers to the gross inconsisitencies we deny and sweep under the rug to keep believing their religion. Has a very good bibliography to continue researching if you so desire.
April 10, 2009
I can't believe I am actually giving a mere two-stars to Picknett and Prince, since I usually admire their research and writing. Let me just say that I was extremely disappointed in this book - it's just a rehash of existing theories and speculations on the historical Jesus. No great new revelations and no secret findings. Same old info on Jesus being a follower of JB, Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene, etc. Ho hum. In reality this is just a summary of what we already knew.
April 1, 2018
Es un buen libro para descubrir todo el misterio detrás de la vida de Jesús, las invenciones hechas en el pasado y las que se siguen haciendo por parte de la iglesia.
Lo considero un libro mucho más académico y para gente que conoce y entiende del tema, no es recomendado para gente que conozca poco sobre el.
Recomendado leerse la biblia primero o tener conocimiento, yo estuve súper perdido en muchos temas
Lo considero un libro mucho más académico y para gente que conoce y entiende del tema, no es recomendado para gente que conozca poco sobre el.
Recomendado leerse la biblia primero o tener conocimiento, yo estuve súper perdido en muchos temas
September 16, 2015
Very disappointed. Many conclusions are based on assumptions and not facts. Furthermore, a lot of the evidence mentioned is well known already and therefore lacks any extraordinary discoveries.
November 20, 2013
A lot of interesting history and theories but ends abruptly and weakly.
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