
The Great Deception
And What Jesus Really Said and Did
Gerd Ludemann(Author)
Prometheus Books (Publisher)
Published on 1. April 1999
Book
Paperback/Softback
116 pages
978-1-57392-688-1 (ISBN)
Description
It is widely recognized by New Testament scholars that many of the sayings and actions attributed to Jesus in the gospels cannot be factually traced to him. To a considerable degree, these stories have been influenced, or even created, by the early church. Despite this gap between the "Jesus of history" and the "Christ of faith," the contemporary church continues to represent the traditional New Testament canon as a generally accurate record of the life of Jesus.
The Great Deception exposes the dangers that accompany this disingenuous, unscientific approach and calls for a more rigorous treatment of the gospels. In a clear, straightforward narrative, Gerd Luedemann establishes the criteria by which he believes it possible to distinguish inauthentic from authentic sayings and actions of Jesus, and then shows which quotes and deeds can be regarded as factual. His radical conclusion is that the Jesus of history, who emerges after the falsehoods attributed to him are pared away, cannot support the traditional Christian faith.
Luedemann's historical analysis reveals, nonetheless, a Jesus who remains a deeply sympathetic personality and one of the great religious figures of the world. But it also shows that Christian leaders who ignore the results of sound scholarship are selling the faithful a "great deception."
The Great Deception exposes the dangers that accompany this disingenuous, unscientific approach and calls for a more rigorous treatment of the gospels. In a clear, straightforward narrative, Gerd Luedemann establishes the criteria by which he believes it possible to distinguish inauthentic from authentic sayings and actions of Jesus, and then shows which quotes and deeds can be regarded as factual. His radical conclusion is that the Jesus of history, who emerges after the falsehoods attributed to him are pared away, cannot support the traditional Christian faith.
Luedemann's historical analysis reveals, nonetheless, a Jesus who remains a deeply sympathetic personality and one of the great religious figures of the world. But it also shows that Christian leaders who ignore the results of sound scholarship are selling the faithful a "great deception."
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Amherst
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 227 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
213 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-57392-688-1 (9781573926881)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition

Book
09/1998
SCM Press
€35.30
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
By Gerd Ludemann