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Michael Berens

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Genre

Religion, Fiction

Member Since

January 2018

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/mjberens

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Michael J. Berens, M.S., Ph.D., is a freelance writer, editor, and researcher with more than thirty years of professional communications and publication experience in the areas of the interior design profession, aging, and management and leadership. He holds a Ph.D. in English literature and an M.S. in Organizational Development & Knowledge Management.

Apart from his professional pursuits, he has had a lifelong interest in the history of religion and the intersection of religion and culture.

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What are you currently working on?

Michael Berens I am currently working on a novel involving a mysterious fragment of an ancient scroll and the hunt for missing treasure from the Temple in Jerusalem.…moreI am currently working on a novel involving a mysterious fragment of an ancient scroll and the hunt for missing treasure from the Temple in Jerusalem. It's sort of a hybrid mystery-action thriller. It is not a religious book per se but is grounded in religious practices of the late Second Temple period.(less)

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Michael Berens The genesis for "Becoming Jesus" occurred nearly ten years ago during a holiday dinner discussion about Jose Saramago's novel, "The Gospel According t…moreThe genesis for "Becoming Jesus" occurred nearly ten years ago during a holiday dinner discussion about Jose Saramago's novel, "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ." Although I am a big fan of Saramago's books, there was something about the portrait of Jesus in that book that didn't sit well with me. It has more to do with the political and social environment in Portugal and Spain in the 20th century than with Galilee in the early years of the first century CE. That got me thinking what, in fact, caused Jesus to become a religious leader. Historically speaking, he didn't just decide one day it was time for him to reveal his divine nature to everyone. The more I read and researched the topic, the more I discovered that most biographies or histories of Jesus pass over the topic rather quickly, because there is not enough evidence one way or the other to make a case. Eventually, I began to formulate my own ideas, drawing not only the Gospel accounts but on the larger field of religious studies, and eventually came to set them down in the book, in the hope it may stimulate others' thinking as well.(less)

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Michael Berens’s books

Average rating: 3.13 · 16 ratings · 7 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	Becoming Jesus: The Making of a Prophet 3.25 avg rating — 8 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Scribe's Deceit liked it 3.00 avg rating — 8 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Michael is Currently Reading

Michael Berens is currently reading

Simplicissimus

by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen

bookshelves: currently-reading, fiction, history

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Sep 16, 2025 09:17AM

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Michael Berens is currently reading Simplicissimus by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 16, 2025 09:17AM · like
Michael Berens rated a book it was ok Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 14, 2025 08:07AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Berens rated a book it was amazing The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 29, 2025 11:38AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Berens rated a book it was amazing The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 24, 2025 07:53PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Golden Road by William Dalrymple. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Golden Road by William Dalrymple <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Berens is currently reading The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 16, 2025 08:57AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Berens started reading The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 22, 2025 08:23AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Golden Road by William Dalrymple. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Golden Road by William Dalrymple <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Berens rated a book it was amazing Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist (Routledge Classics) by D.T. Suzuki	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 21, 2025 04:53PM · like
Michael Berens rated a book really liked it Western Mysticism: Augustine, Gregory, and Bernard on Contemplation and the Contemplative Life by Cuthbert Butler	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
In regards to the topic, the book, although somewhat dated, definitely delivers as a compendium of the writings on contemplation of the three religious figures cited in the subtitle. I found the author's methodology somewhat off-putting, though. I re ...more
May 02, 2025 05:00PM · like · see review
Michael Berens rated a book liked it The Disappearance of Signora Giulia by Piero Chiara	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 27, 2025 07:42PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Disappearance of Signora Giulia by Piero Chiara. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Disappearance of Signora Giulia by Piero Chiara <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Berens rated a book really liked it The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Sōji Shimada	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 19, 2025 04:56PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Sōji Shimada. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Sōji Shimada <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">