"Killong Jesus" Pros and Cons

            I have just finished reading “Killing Jesus,” the well-publicized book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.  As many are aware, the book has already been praised as well as panned by many.  In my opinion, a little of both is in order.  Like “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy” before it, “Killing Jesus” is a great read.  It is captivating and flows easily from chapter to chapter.  The controversy surrounds “facts” used by the authors as a basis for the book.  Right up front they say that they make an effort to separate fact from legend, and then proceed to violate their promise. 

            I think the Christian community of faith will applaud the book, because it is full of background information on the times Jesus lived in, especially details on the Roman empire and its effect on Israel.  At the same time, the book follows the gospels closely in presenting Jesus as the Son of God.  This is clearly a book written by believers.
           As to the person of Jesus, critics have already been quick to point out that too much fluff has gone in to augment the meager facts as we know them.  O’Reilly and Dugard have a vivid imagination that is evident at all times.  That’s not bad, just creative license. 
            More interesting to me are the scenes in the Bible that the authors chose to include as well as the ones they chose to ignore.  The Last Supper, for instance, has the washing of the feet found only in John, while it ignores the consecration of the bread and wine, which is central to the Synoptics. 
            Other scenes as written violate principles of history writing, that is, they cannot be substantiated by witnesses, corroborating evidence, or plausibility.  For example, the authors report as fact the words Jesus spoke in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane as he prayed alone while the apostles slept.  There are many such scenes that rely on myth, legend, and Christian tradition.  For this reason, it is best, in my opinion, to call “Killing Jesus” a historical novel rather than  A HISTORY, as the subtitle says.
            All in all, this is a good book.  It is well-researched and engrossing at all times.  The description of Jesus' torture and crucifixion is riveting and likely to move believers and non-believers alike.  Flaws aside, I highly recommend reading "Killing Jesus."