Martin says that this repeats 19th-century German scholarship which now is mostly rejected. Brandon gets only a cursory mention in the notes.') and for presenting early Christianity as being simply divided into a Hellenistic, Pauline form on the one hand, and a Jewish, Jamesian form on the other. Brandon in his general thesis as well as in many details, for a borrowing that should have been better acknowledged ('Mr. Reception ĭale Martin, the Woolsey Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University, who specializes in New Testament and Christian Origins, writes in The New York Times that although Aslan is not a scholar of ancient Christianity and does not present 'innovative or original scholarship', the book is entertaining and 'a serious presentation of one plausible portrait of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.' He faults Aslan, who follows the Anglican priest and historian S. The Atlantic noted that the book debuted at the second spot on The New York Times Best Seller List after the interview, a significant increase in sales. Aslan noted that he was 'a scholar of religions with four degrees, including one in the New Testament, and in biblical Greek, has been studying the origins of Christianity for two decades, also just happens to be a Muslim.' The interview was criticized immediately after gaining notoriety on the Internet after a post on BuzzFeed headlined 'Is This The Most Embarrassing Interview Fox News Has Ever Done?' While it was positively received by the general public, scholars with relevant subject matter expertise have been critical of its content, methodology and Aslan’s claims about his academic credentials.ĭuring an interview on Fox News by Lauren Green, Green frequently interjected, quoting critics who questioned Aslan's credibility as an author of such a work, since Aslan is a prominent Muslim. The book has been optioned by Lionsgate and producer David Heyman with a script co-written by Aslan and Oscar- screenwriter, James Schamus.

Aslan argues that Jesus was a political, rebellious and eschatological (end times) Jew whose proclamation of the coming kingdom of God was a call for regime change, for ending Roman hegemony over Judea and the corrupt and oppressive aristocratic priesthood.

It is a historical account of the life of Jesus that analyzes religious perspectives on Jesus as well as the creation of Christianity. Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth is a book by Iranian-American writer and scholar Reza Aslan.

Zealot jesus of nazareth review