Source: The Huffington Post
“You’re a Muslim, so why did you write a book about the founder of Christianity?” Fox News’ Lauren Green demanded of religious scholar Reza Aslan, author of “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth,” on Friday.
Aslan responded, “Well, to be clear, I am a scholar of religions with four degrees, including one in the New Testament, and fluency in biblical Greek, who has been studying the origins of Christianity for two decades, who also just happens to be a Muslim.”
The answer did not seem to satisfy Green, so Aslan added, “Because it’s my job as an academic. I am a professor of religion, including the New Testament. That’s what I do for a living, actually.”
Earlier this month, Aslan told HuffPost Live host Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, “I’ve been obsessed with Jesus for a very, very long time” and his fascination inspired his latest book.
You can read an excerpt from “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth” here.
Watch the 8 minute interview in the Huffington Post
Additional Reading
65 Reasons to Believe Jesus Did Not Die on the Cross
Categories: Americas, CHRISTIANITY, Religion
Hmmm. Why do I get the feeling that the same incredulous attitude would not be displayed by FOX News interviewers toward a Christian author that penned a historical and cultural analysis of Islam?
I am not in any position to confront the author (Reza sahib). But I feel that author has not done justice to Jesus son of Mary that is a prophet of God. The author has disregarded (rather discarded) the gospels (and the Quran)and tried to wander into other fields (history) looking for Jesus of Nazarath.
The author says that he is Muslim. He has depicted Jesus (a.s.) as a political person, a zealot. That is very bad and very sad thing. Jesus being a prophet of God, how could he run after Politics. How could the author neglect Jesus’s Spiritual role and make him a Zealot! The person interviewing was also surprised how could Reza Aslan, being a Muslim, write such a book.
Author has put the blame of Jesus crucifixion on the Romans and absolved the elders of the Jews of that time. It is all against the teachings of the Quran. The Quran is shedding enough light on the pious non-political spiritual life of Jesus who had been calling his people to God. That is exactly the role of every prophet of God. Quran has also described the role of his opponents and who they were. They were some of his own people. (See last few verses of the Chapter 61 of Quran).
Of course, Jesus was abused and accused of many things including the political blame-game. But none of those things were true. They were only impediments put up in his way. He was accused of being the king of the Jews. It is in the gospel, he said, his kingdom is not of this world. That clearly shows that he was a non-political person.
Of course, the way Jesus (a.s.) was heading and trying to lead his people, they would have eventually got rid of the Roman rule; But not as direct conflict with the rulers. Jesus was very wise. He was moving properly. His mission was hampered by the Roman rule. He could not preach freely to every one. The non-Jews could complain about his preaching.
I am sorry to say that there are many mistakes in the book (I have read only the introductory part of the book). Wassalam.
I think we should forward Mr. Aslan a link to Ahmadiyya jamaat viewpoints on Jesus Christ AS. His contact info is available on his website: http://rezaaslan.com/
Please go ahead and communicate with him or read his book and then give him more specific points or ideas.
Generally speaking Sunni Muslims deny that Jesus was put on the cross, Aslan has at least crossed that barrier.
For example, you could share the following post with him, which has several additional links on this subject:
The Most Popular Video in the Muslim Times: Govt of India Documentary on Jesus in Kashmir!
From the sound of it there are much better books about Jesus from a non-Christian and more scholarly perspective e.g. Jesus the Jew or The Changing Faces of Jesus, both by the late Jewish Emeritus Professor of Jewish Studies at Oxford, Geza Vermes. It is also worth remembering that Christianity contained the seeds of State/Church seperation (“Rend unto Caesar etc”) , and the notion of basic equality between all : (“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”). Its core message was “Love thy neighbour”. All these themes (partly rooted in the Jewishness of Jesus) make the religion based on the teaching of Jesus, pretty well irreconcilable with the religion of the author of this work. But no book on Jesus is ever going to be accepted as objective. As He asked: Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? At least people are free to ask that question of the founder of Christianity, without, one hopes, any threats or reprisal.
It sounds like he’s stating the facts according to the biblical accounts about jesus the man, but as a muslim he too should know that according to the quraan jesus(as) said salamun alia the day I was born , the day I die , the day I shall be raised. he was born peaceful, died peaceful not killed or tortured to death as on the cross, and raised peaceful as in born again muslim(peaceful).
one other point the quraan mentions over 1400 hundred years ago and that jesus(as) was a word of God that was blown out of proportion. here’s another muhammadan(saws) prophecy fulfilled.That’s my understanding correct me if I’m wrong .