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ISBN-10: 0-06-143070-6
ISBN-13: 9780061430701
Publisher: HarperOne
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Year: October 1, 2007
Size: 13.97 x 21.08 x 3.56cm
Number of pages: 272
Weight: 259gr
Binding: Hardcover
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description
In The First Christmas, two of today's top Jesus scholars, Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan, join forces to show how history has biased our reading of the nativity story as it appears in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. As they did for Easter in their previous book, The Last Week, here they explore the beginning of the life of Christ, peeling away the sentimentalism that has built up over the last two thousand years around this most well known of all stories to reveal the truth of what the gospels actually say. Borg and Crossan help us to see this well-known narrative afresh by answering the question, »What do these stories mean?« in the context of both the first century and the twenty-first century. They successfully show that the Christmas story, read in its original context, is far richer and more challenging than people imagine.
reviews
Exactly what I would expect from a blend of Borg and Crossan. One should also consider Spong's »Born of a Woman« for a more linear look at this topic.
Very good book. For those of you looking for a different perspective than what you are used to on the story of Jesus' birth then this is the book for you.
This book is very disappointing. I have hardly read in it anything that either Author has not argued before or writen about before. The text merges, without success a number of potentially interesting scholarly analyses of texts (Crossan?) with various low-quality parochial sermons (Borg?). It is a pity a theologians of the stature of Crossan contributes to such a perfectly dispensable and boring book, packed (mostly in its final chapters) with trivialities and commonplaces. Authors' arguments that this book is the perfect match for their interesting »Last Week« does not help much. Please think it twice before you guys collaborate for yet another joint book!
I read this book and then used it in an adult Bible study. It was eye opening. I was already familiar with John Dominic Crossan and knew I liked his work, but Marcus Borg was new to me. I have bought additional books of his and been very satisfied. If the whole concept of the »Jesus Seminar« is a turn off to you, don't buy this book, but if you are open to the power and legitimacy of metaphor, then you may love it as much as I did.
There's more to Christmas than shepherds, wise men and virgin births … This book puts Christ's birth--what it was--what it meant--to the people of that day and what it means or should mean to the people of our day into perspective … An outstanding piece of work in putting the Christmas story in context and perspective of the time in which it occurred, so we can understand and appreciate it better and in more meaningful ways. The story is far more meaningful and politically charged than even the most devout Christian might imagine. In dealing candidly with the inconsistences and contradictions of the gospel stories, one comes to the conclusion, as did the authors, that it's not nearly so important how it happened, but that it did happen. The last chapter alone is worth the price of this interesting, provocative and ultimately inspiring book.
keywords
- Bible.
- Biblical Commentary – New Testament
- Biblical Criticism & Interpretation – New Testament
- Biblical Studies – Jesus, the Gospels & Acts
- Christian Theology – Christology
- Church History
- Criticism, interpretation, etc
- Holidays – Christmas & Advent
- Jesus Christ
- Luke I-II
- Matthew I-II
- N.T.
- Nativity
- New Testament Commentary
- Religion
- Religion – General
- Religion – Theology
related products
Marcus J. Borg
HarperOne; 2008
Paperback
URL: http://www.book-info.com/isbn/0-06-143070-6.htm
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