seeking book recommendation about bible history

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[tasia]

I hope it's OK to ask here... I am looking for a book about how the New Testament came to be. I have Richard Friedman's Who Wrote the Bible? but that is only about the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, primarily the Pentateuch. I'd like to find something in the same vein about the New Testament—something neutral, seeking neither to disprove nor to affirm faith. Suggestions? Thanks.

[Journey]

I hope it's OK to ask here... I am looking for a book about how the New Testament came to be. I have Richard Friedman's Who Wrote the Bible? but that is only about the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, primarily the Pentateuch. I'd like to find something in the same vein about the New Testament—something neutral, seeking neither to disprove nor to affirm faith. Suggestions? Thanks.

Perfectly Okay to ask!  A quick trip to my bookcase and I found a few that you might find helpful:

The Bible as History by Werner Keller

The Historical Figure of Jesus by E.P. Sanders

Jesus A Life by A.N. Wilson

Lost Scriptures by Bart D. Ehrman

Lost Christianities by Bart D. Ehrman

The Jesus Mysteries By Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy  NOTE: *This one is biased* and you will have to overlook the over-use of the word "shocking". But it still contains a lot of helpful info on early Christianity.

I had a good book on Constantine that had a lot of information on the early formation of the Christian church, but I can't locate it. I will add it to my list if I can find it.

One thing that will add some illumination to your quest would be to do some historical research on the political climate of the times when Jesus started preaching. I have seen some wonderful documentaries on the History Channel on this.

Good luck!

[Star]

One thing that will add some illumination to your quest would be to do some historical research on the political climate of the times when Jesus started preaching. I have seen some wonderful documentaries on the History Channel on this.

I would not tend to trust History Channel documentaries as scholarly sources, though.  Yes, they're probably better than some sources, but in the end you have to remember that they are ultimately made to entertain, not to convey information accurately and impartially.

[Journey]

I would not tend to trust History Channel documentaries as scholarly sources, though.  Yes, they're probably better than some sources, but in the end you have to remember that they are ultimately made to entertain, not to convey information accurately and impartially.

True. I have seen a couple that were rather impressive though. At any rate, I think they are a nice place to start, sort of a springboard....at least that is how I react to documentaries on subjects I don't have a lot of knowledge on, they make me want to research certain points, but you are right, not everyone will want to do that.

Sometimes historical documentaries can be "bare bones" info too, that is, they don't overload on details that might not be that crucial to a "newbie" or someone with a light interest in a subject.

Not everyone is that geek shouting at the screen about the inaccuracies  (who me? - never!  )

[LyricFox]

The Jesus Mysteries By Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy  NOTE: *This one is biased* and you will have to overlook the over-use of the word "shocking". But it still contains a lot of helpful info on early Christianity.

I'd have to disagree with you on this one, I'm sorry to say. These two authors have an axe to grind and they spend a whole lot of time sharpening it. IIRC, I got so pissed off at the bad information on the Greeks that I threw the book across the room. This one is bad, I think, to recommend unless a person knows the pitfalls.

[Journey]

I'd have to disagree with you on this one, I'm sorry to say. These two authors have an axe to grind and they spend a whole lot of time sharpening it. IIRC, I got so pissed off at the bad information on the Greeks that I threw the book across the room. This one is bad, I think, to recommend unless a person knows the pitfalls.

I have to admit it is not one I have read cover to cover, (only about 1/3 of the way) and I probably wouldn't have caught Greek errors (not my forte).

It probably wasn't the best to recommend as beginning research, I was thinking more as an alternate view point, and I did stress that it was biased, HOWEVER, I just found out they also have a book out entitled Jesus and the Lost Goddess - Oh Pleeeease now! Scratching these two authors off any list of recommendations!

Thanks for the insight!

[LyricFox]

I have to admit it is not one I have read cover to cover, (only about 1/3 of the way) and I probably wouldn't have caught Greek errors (not my forte).

It probably wasn't the best to recommend as beginning research, I was thinking more as an alternate view point, and I did stress that it was biased, HOWEVER, I just found out they also have a book out entitled Jesus and the Lost Goddess - Oh Pleeeease now! Scratching these two authors off any list of recommendations!

Thanks for the insight!

LOL...it would make a lovely door stop.

I honestly can't remember why I picked up that one book of theirs. I don't know if it was something someone recommended to me because they knew it'd piss me off or if I just saw it and picked it up. The details are hazy, but I remember it being really bad.

[Journey]

LOL...it would make a lovely door stop.

LOL

[soulfire]

I hope it's OK to ask here... I am looking for a book about how the New Testament came to be. I have Richard Friedman's Who Wrote the Bible? but that is only about the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, primarily the Pentateuch. I'd like to find something in the same vein about the New Testament—something neutral, seeking neither to disprove nor to affirm faith. Suggestions? Thanks.

One of the books I read is "The Origins of Christianity and the Bible" by Andrew Benson.  I found it fairly dry but it seems not to have much of an agenda, like some of the others.

I have read the Jesus Mysteries, and although I recognised the agenda of the authors it did help me let go of the last vestiges of my Christianity which allowed me the freedom to find this path.

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