Schuyler Brown

I picked up the book because it was a deal at a used bookstore and wasn't expecting much. I really liked the book, much to my surprise. I don't have enough background in Bible studies to know about the scholarship, but this was just the right thing for a guy in my position. The book was well written so I didn't have to struggle to get through it, had enough of a narrative arc that I wanted to read more the next day, and covered a lot of ground.

When I finished I felt like I had gotten a thorough (though shallow) review of the historical context of the first century and how that influences how a historian reads the Bible. I was confidant enough after reading it to make my third attempt on _Jesus and the Eyewitnesses_ (Bauckham) and instead of sounding like "blah, blah, blah" it made perfect sense after reading this one.

So I recommend the book highly for dilettantes like myself, scholars will likely find it a little light.… (mehr)