Zealot

The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

By: Reza Aslan

Narrated by: Reza Aslan

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

From the internationally best-selling author of No god but God comes a fascinating, provocative, and meticulously researched biography that challenges long-held assumptions about the man we know as Jesus of Nazareth.

Two-thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher and miracle worker walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the "Kingdom of God". The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order that he was captured, tortured, and executed as a state criminal.

Within decades after his shameful death, his followers would call him God.

Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor. Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God. This was the age of zealotry - a fervent nationalism that made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews. And few figures better exemplified this principle than the charismatic Galilean who defied both the imperial authorities and their allies in the Jewish religious hierarchy.

Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction; a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves with swords; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity a secret; and ultimately the seditious "King of the Jews" whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his brief lifetime.

©2013 Reza Aslan (P)2013 Random House

Critic reviews

"In Zealot, Reza Aslan doesn't just synthesize research and reimagine a lost world, though he does those things very well. He does for religious history what Bertolt Brecht did for playwriting. Aslan rips Jesus out of all the contexts we thought he belonged in and holds him forth as someone entirely new. This is Jesus as a passionate Jew, a violent revolutionary, a fanatical ideologue, an odd and scary and extraordinarily interesting man." (Judith Shulevitz, author of The Sabbath World)

"A bold, powerfully argued revisioning of the most consequential life ever lived." (Lawrence Wright, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief)

"The story of Jesus of Nazareth is arguably the most influential narrative in human history. Here Reza Aslan writes vividly and insightfully about the life and meaning of the figure who has come to be seen by billions as the Christ of faith. This is a special and revealing work, one that believer and skeptic alike will find surprising, engaging, and original." (Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power)

Excellent insight, Great format, absolute must rea

If you have questions about validity of of the modern Christian religion, you need to listen /read this book.

Superb

Reza offers a fresh and entertaining look at the real Jesus. He equally skilled as a writer and a narrator. As someone who has been bored to tears by the New testament, I rather wish Reza had been there at the time because his book is anything but boring.

amazing historical account

this is an amazing historical account of the life of Jesus. I cannot claim to have reviewed all the sources but I do like the fact that the author points to where he throws in his opinion as opposed to historical facts. I also like the fact that he shows the logical chain of freezing behind said opinion so that you can examine the logic instead of just taking his word for it

A marvelous telling.

Reza Aslon has a voice that draws one into the early story of Christianity. He weaves together the many narrative threads dangling from the first five books of the New Testament, comparing the different accounts of important events, and adding what is known of the history of those times. The view I now have of Jesus is more richly detailed and enlarged.

What a fascinating listen!

Would you consider the audio edition of Zealot to be better than the print version?

One of the wonderful things about this audiobook is that it's read by the author, who has a fantastic voice that's very easy to listen to. Even when Aslan is imparting a lot of complex information, he remains perfectly understandable and makes those concepts seem easy.

What did you like best about this story?

Although 'Zealot' deals with a lot of questions and ideas that I have personally already encountered, there were a lot of concepts in here that were completely new and entirely engaging for several people in my life who downloaded it at my recommendation. It's an extremely accessible and engaging book, and even if these are ideas that you've grappled with before you'll still find yourself saying 'oh, that's just perfectly put'.

Which character – as performed by Reza Aslan – was your favorite?

It was so interesting to learn about Saul/Paul and James in particular, two religious figures I've never put much thought into

Any additional comments?

I listened to the whole thing in two days and didn't regret a moment of it! A fascinating listen, and one I very much recommend experiencing.

Great book!

I recommend this to both believers and non-believers alike. It paints a vivid picture of the time of Jesus.

An interesting perspective.

Not a great book to read for exegesis, but if one wants to understand the history around the time of Jesus and to better understand how a non-Christian biblical scholar understands Jesus this book is for you.

Interesting perspective.

Historical veracity questionable when built on numerous single assumptions. This book is helpful to those in understanding the rise of Islam and return to a religion of law.

Recovering Catholic Loved This Book

After 18 years of Catholicism, this book blew my mind...in a good way! I will never again utter the phrase "gospel truth," as I now know that is a contradiction in terms. I was absolutely captivated learning about the historical context in which Jesus existed and how the religious practice he espoused was born of Judaism. What is also incredibly interesting/shocking, is the number of times cities are anihilated in the name of religion and power. Given all the details and insights the book provided, I can only imagine the extent of the research. Mind-boggling!

Outstanding book

This book has been a tremendously addictive listening. Deep and thoughtful analysis of what the beginnings of Christianity might have been like. Regardless of your religious affiliations, if your are a person with intelectual inclinations, this book will captivate you.