Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ by Gary R. Habermas ISBN: 0-89900-732-5 Publisher: College Press Publishing Company Pub. Date: 01 June, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.88 (25 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Even-handedness Is Always Persuasive
Comment: Habermas provides evidence that a man named Jesus really did live in Palestine in the first century, using the ordinary canons of historical research (artifactual evidence, inscriptional evidence, and literary evidence). Because Habermas concludes that Jesus was a real person in history, many atheists will be offended by this book (as evidenced by the negative reviews). However, the evidence that Jesus lived is actually better than the evidence that Mark Antony or Cleopatra lived. In one long negative review of this book, the reviewer embraced many statements by skeptics and critics exercising much less critical discernment than he used in evaluating the book. Also, the reviewer made statements like "it is virtually universal" when the statement being made actually is not. Do not be put off by negative reviews. Read this book and make up your mind for yourself. Another book on the same topic is Josh McDowell, "He Walked Among Us." Try stacking up the evidence these two books provide against, say, whether Mark Antony ever really existed. (E.g., were the ancient people that wrote about Mark Antony's life either eyewitnesses of Mark Antony, or did they at least have access to people who were eyewitnesses? This kind of corroboration in ancient history is rare indeed, but that is precisely the kind of corrobation one finds in both the Gospels and Paul). Of course, there will never be a debate about Mark Antony because there isn't as much at stake. Keep this in mind when you read negative reviews. Neither negative reviews nor positive ones are completely objective, a fact that is clearly evident in both types of reviews for this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: Let's stick to the facts...
Comment: Habermas shows the difference between honest literary/historical investigation & bias proclamations. He's not afraid to take on skeptics, meeting their hypotheses head-on. He not only details opposing viewpoints, but provides heavily footnoted sources to back up his argument that Jesus is not a myth "created" by man, but a real man whose "historical" life is "reported" with so much evidence that it's hard to ignore.
In several other book reviews, I noticed skeptics (giving poor reviews) don't meet Habermas' facts head-on. Instead, they fall far short by countering his well-documented thesis with bold opinions they can't back up with evidence. For instance, one reviewer wrote "How can we evaluate the evidence for Jesus? Our best account is the Gospel of Mark, written thirty years after Jesus died. ... Once Christians started mourning Jesus, historians recorded the movement. Does that mean Jesus was real? Okay, but it doesn't mean the Resurrection was real, or that Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. All of these mythical touches were invented after Jesus died, so he could "predict" events that happened between the time he died and the time the Gospels were composed. All of this leads us to the conclusion that there is no real evidence whether Jesus actually lived or not. The story is what sold, and the story isn't true."
What he fails to see is his own account contradicts his claim, and proves false itself. According to his own words, Mark, our "best account" (of Jesus' life) was written "30 years after Jesus died;" thus putting Mark written c.60-63AD, since scholars (even skeptics) agree Jesus' death was around 30-33AD. The reviewer says that doesn't prove Jesus was able to make predictions, which he claims were "mythical touches" invented after Jesus died and prior to the written Gospels. But he fails to see the mathematically logical problem with his thesis; how is it that Jesus' prediction of the Temple destruction is recorded in MARK's Gospel, which was written years before the predicted event? MARK 13:2 "And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another which will not be torn down." Even the reviewer admits the Temple was destroyed in 70AD, a known historical fact not seriously challenged by anyone, but he fails to explain why it was recorded as prophesied by Jesus in Mark, which he admits is our "best source" written in 60-63AD, at least 7 years beforehand!!! Sorry--even reviewers must back up their claims with evidence!
This IS what Habermas does well. Don't just take bold statements as fact; compare it with the evidence and see if it can still stand up to the beating. Habermas confronts opposing hypotheses. He doesn't shy away from stating when the evidence is weak nor when it is overwhelmingly strong. Those who read Habermas' book with an open mind, will see and appreciate the honest research that went into this book, and maybe even come to see the historical truthfulness of Jesus. Don't let negative/skeptical reviews deter you; Read the book for yourself and decide.
Personally, I've added Habermas' book to my library with other great apologetic books, which I highly recommend: Jesus, The Great Debate by Grant Jeffrey, Letters From a Skeptic by Dr Gregory Boyd, and The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel.
Rating: 5
Summary: Great book! You must buy this one!
Comment: Wow! Great book, Great author! This man is awesome, I have seen some of his debates with top atheists, they can't seem to counter his arguments. I have read some of the more negative reviews of this book and they make me wonder if they read it at all. I don't think that Dr. Habermas would exactly tremble at any of the objections raised in these reviews! If you want to listen to some of these debates I was talking about paste this: http://www.johnankerberg.com/TV/ankjasrd.html Then look for 'Did Jesus raise from the dead' this particular debate is with one of the top atheists, Dr. Antony Flew. I must say, Dr. Habermas did quite well in this debate and after listening to him I think you might realize that some of the objections raised here might not have as much validity as you think, but if you do still cling to them I suggest mailing them to someone who is going to debate Dr. Habermas and see your objection lasts 2 minutes.
I'm sorry if I seem harsh,it's just that I'm sick and tired of people who don't know what they're saying, taking cheap shots in their reviews of books written by very smart men who could tear their arguments to shreds! PLEASE NOTE I'm not just talking to Atheists/Skeptics ect., but Christians, when you review, say, an Atheist's or a Muslim's book, do it honestly! I know this is should be a review, not a lecture. I'm sorry. But at any rate, read this book honestly and give it an honest review with your biases out of the way! God bless you all
 |
Title: The Historical Reliability of the Gospels by Craig L. Blomberg ISBN: 0877849927 Publisher: InterVarsity Press Pub. Date: 01 July, 1987 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
 |
Title: Jesus Under Fire by Michael J. Wilkins, James Porter Moreland ISBN: 0310211395 Publisher: Zondervan Publishing Company Pub. Date: 17 July, 1996 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
 |
Title: The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? by F. F. Bruce ISBN: 0802822193 Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
 |
Title: Jesus' Resurrection: Fact or Figment?: A Debate Between William Lane Craig and Gerd Ludemann by William Lane Craig, Ronald Tacelli, Paul Copan, Gerd Ludemann ISBN: 0830815694 Publisher: InterVarsity Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
 |
Title: Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig ISBN: 0891077642 Publisher: Crossway Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 1994 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
