Book Review: Zealot

"Zealot" by Reza Aslan contends that the real Jesus was more about insurrection than resurrection. He explores the non-biblical historical records of the time to take his best guess at what really happened.

When the Romans took over Jerusalem, Jews were furious. Several leaders organized rebellions. One social justice movement was led by John the Baptist, then Jesus of Nazareth, then James the Just. It was Paul the Apostle (originally named Saul of Tarsus), preaching in outlying areas, who portrayed Jesus as God. James disagreed with Paul and tried to restrict him, but after the Romans flattened the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, Paul's ideas gained popularity. The Gospels painted the Romans in a softer light, and the message became more obedient. By the time Roman Emperor Constantine convened two thousand bishops to codify Christianity, Paul's ideas prevailed, and it was mostly Paul's views that made it into the New Testament.

As I was reading the book, I conferred with my cousin John Munter, author of "The Samaritan Jesus." The two books share some common ground, but Aslan says that Jesus was a Zealot, while Munter says that Jesus was a Samaritan.