Official Review: Deciphering the Gospels by R. G. Price

[Allyseria]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Deciphering the Gospels" by R. G. Price.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Deciphering the Gospels is a non-fiction book written by R.G. Price. The author presents an analysis of the Gospels and with it, the case that Jesus never existed. The author concludes that the letters of Paul, Paul himself, and his teachings were used by the writer of the Gospel of Mark as a basis for Jesus’s character and his teachings. The book presents this conclusion after clear textual relationships are found between the Gospel of Mark and the biblical texts.

At first, I was unsure about how the author was going to tackle this subject. The book’s subtitle of ‘Proves Jesus Never Existed’ is a strong claim and could be offensive to the majority of Christians, especially as Jesus being real is still a wide belief today. If the author presented wild claims with little logic to their argument, the book’s credibility would immediately suffer. However, I quickly became impressed by the way the author approached the subject.

It became clear that the author did extensive research into the subject. The author first analyses the Gospel of Mark, Paul’s letters, the other Gospels, other independent accounts and finally, early Christian history. The structure is excellent with chapters clearly separated into different points, and with each point, the author successfully builds their case on how Jesus never existed.

The case is very easy to follow as there is little jargon used and the book doesn’t read like a dissertation. The author also clearly present their points along with corresponding evidence and when a lengthy quote with olde language that I did not quite understand is used, the author would immediately follow up with an explanation using simple language.

However, there is something to note. The author has ‘no formal training in ancient history, biblical studies, textual criticism, or even a background in literature’, as the author admits in the preface. Although the author grew up in a Christian household and has built their case on prior writers, researchers and credited scholars, the fact that the lack of qualification may be a big annoyance to some readers since they may feel that this impacts his credibility on the subject.

The author also sometimes reiterate their points a bit too repetitively within the same page and some readers may dislike how the author presents their conclusion as a concrete fact instead of an idea.

Overall, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars.

Deciphering the Gospels was a fascinating read and the arguments were clearly presented and logical. As the subject of whether Jesus was real or not is still an ongoing debate in today’s society, I highly recommend anyone who is interested in this debate to read this book. The author manages to present new findings to contribute to the debate and successfully presents their case in an easy-to-read and engaging way.

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Deciphering the Gospels
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Like Allyseria's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Britty01]

Thanks for the review. I do not think I shall need to read the book.

[kandscreeley]

Well, to me there is no debate. Jesus existed. He was real. Funnily enough, I think the majority of people believe He was a real person. It's more of a debate on whether or not He is actually God. Anyway, thanks for the review, but I'll pass.

[Cecilia_L]

I considered reviewing this book and after reading your review, I'm really glad I didn't. Though the book is not one I care to read, I do appreciate your informative review.

[melissy370]

I would contest that Jesus did and does exist. There are extra biblical accounts that can prove that. However, I am interested in seeing how the author thinks he can back up his claim. Thanks for your review.

[dopeking]

Well the truth about the fact is that Jesus did existed.

[NelyBarrios]

I believe Jesus exists. There are many things that prove it. The people that thinks Jesus does not exist, will believe some day. Life drives us to believe soon or later.

[EvaDar]

I recently read and reviewed a book called Misreading Judas, about the Gnostic Gospel of Judas. It wasn't intending to prove Jesus' nonexistence. The theory was that Jesus was but one in a series of great masters of that time, that Judas was never a betrayer of Jesus but rather succeeded Jesus as master. I really enjoyed it and was impressed by the original research. I suspect I would really enjoy Deciphering the Gospels. I do believe Jesus existed, but I am also interested in other possibilities. Thank you for a very good review.

[Jackie Holycross]

I usually don't mind reading things that contradict my beliefs, but this one might be a bit much for me.

[NelyBarrios]

I believe Jesus exists. There are many things that prove it. The people that thinks Jesus does not exist, will believe some day. Life drives us to believe sooner or later.

[blackheath7]

I am pretty sure Jesus did exist. However religion is very confusing. I will pass for now.

[Allyseria]

Thanks for the review. I do not think I shall need to read the book.

Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment

[Allyseria]

Well, to me there is no debate. Jesus existed. He was real. Funnily enough, I think the majority of people believe He was a real person. It's more of a debate on whether or not He is actually God. Anyway, thanks for the review, but I'll pass.

Thank you for leaving a comment! Yes, a lot of people do believe that Jesus existed. This book is just a view from someone who believes the opposite

[Allyseria]

I considered reviewing this book and after reading your review, I'm really glad I didn't. Though the book is not one I care to read, I do appreciate your informative review.

Thank you for leaving a comment I have reviewed this book in your stead!

[Allyseria]

I would contest that Jesus did and does exist. There are extra biblical accounts that can prove that. However, I am interested in seeing how the author thinks he can back up his claim. Thanks for your review.

Thank you for reading my review The author did only mention highlights in this book so a lot was left out. There may well be biblical accounts that was missed out.