How accurate is Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth?

by [deleted]
[deleted]

"Accurate" is a word that can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Aslan made no strictly factual mistakes as far as I noticed, so in that sense it is accurate. However, there is far from any sort of academic consensus on much of the interpretation of those facts in the book, though I by and large found my own understanding agreeing with Aslan's more often than not. Sometimes he goes too far, as well. He calls Jesus a "nationalist", for example, an anachronism for an age without a modern understanding of nation. I don't know if that makes it "accurate" or not, but it does make it a worthwhile and thought-provoking read, something I don't often say about books published by a non-academic press.

You may find it helpful to check out our FAQ on the question of the historical Jesus here.

If you have any more specific questions, please let me know!