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The author defines himself as closest to a Deist in his religious philosophy. He makes various controversial claims, but his arguments in favor of these are impressive in the sense of being well thought out and cogently presented via a process of comparing and contrasting all relevant evidence from literature and theological arguments. Thomas attributes some misunderstandings of scholars and believers to be sustained because "the evidence suggests that the outer form of the religion was merely an exoteric shell to protect the inner, esoteric doctrine of Christ." The more mystical and esoteric strands of Christianity are often deemed heretical, superstitious, and non-academic despite the important focus and application of these in non-Western religious thought, such as in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other spiritual paths.
One of the most important questions in Christian theology relating to the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, according to the author, is how did belief in the resurrection from the dead first originate? The text ultimately examines in great detail "the six possible theories to account for the paradox of Jesus Christ; namely, how and why the belief in his resurrection first arose." The author feels that the reburial theory is the only one that fully accounts for all the relevant facts and contradictions of the case.
This volume is a carefully written, scholarly treatment of the life of Jesus (as presented in the New Testament) from the viewpoint of an avid freelance scholar. The author engages in a systematic and thorough exploration of the life and times of the historical Jesus in sixty-three extensively notated chapters supported by a large bibliography. Readers of comparative religion and academic texts examining the life of Jesus will likely be interested in the controversies and discussions presented.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review