“Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?”
Author: Chris Albert Wells
I was recently asked if I would be interested in reviewing the book “Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” With a title like that how could I refuse?
In “Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” author Chris Albert Wells puts together a sound argument of how our interpretation of the Gospels, which many of us have been taught to regard as the complete and unadulterated truth, actually ignores a battle of “intra-community conflicts and strategies.” Throughout “Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” Wells continuously provides us with his own personal thoughts and understandings; he shares with us the various texts that have influenced his beliefs and he encourages his readers to:
1) Take a closer look at the Essene Dead Sea Scroll Messiahs, and
2) Take a fresh look at Northern Syria where the first gospels were written in an Essene community before being labeled “Christian.”
It is Wells’ hope that that through his book “Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” his readers will discover what he feels is the true background that produced the Gospels and what he feels these Gospels actually meant to the people who wrote them.
“Jesus: God, Man or Party Label?” is definitely a thought provoking read. As a student of religious history myself, I’m appreciative of the substantial amount of writings, both past and present, that Wells has provided in an attempt to validate his viewpoint. By doing so, Wells has given his readers an easy to follow path, from start to finish, that will help him or her understand his deductions.
In summary I found “Jesus: Man, God or Party Label?” to be an intriguing book. While Wells’ views and beliefs are definitely not the Christian “norm” his writings should make anyone who reads this book reevaluate the accepted “blind faith” approach to religion. This seems to be the author’s intent and I would say that he has succeeded brilliantly. A five-star read but definitely not a book that one will finish in a single sitting. And while Wells writes in a very clear and concise manner because of the nature of the subject the reader may find he or she needs to read more slowly in an effort to fully grasp the complexities throughout.