Did not meet my expectations

"I usually don’t write reviews on Amazon, but I felt compelled to share my thoughts on this book. In a public discussion with Alex O’Connor, the author stated that although he added context around the biblical stories, the words attributed to Jesus were left unchanged. Unfortunately, based on my reading, I strongly disagree with that claim. As I went through the book, I frequently found myself returning to the Bible to verify what Jesus actually said, and I noticed multiple discrepancies. Some statements attributed to Jesus do not appear in Scripture, and several stories seem to have been altered or embellished with details that are not present in the original texts. For example, the portrayal of the royal official who approaches Jesus regarding his son does not accurately reflect the biblical account. Beyond content changes, I was also disappointed by the writing style itself. The language feels very modern, basic, and conversational, which makes it difficult to believe historically. People living during the time of Jesus did not speak, think, or express themselves in this way, and the style does not reflect the tone or depth of language found in ancient texts. A more careful, historically grounded, and believable approach would have strengthened the book significantly. While the narrative may be engaging for some readers, I found it ultimately misleading and inconsistent with the author’s own explanation of his process. Overall, this book did not meet my expectations, especially given its claim to faithfully preserve the words and stories of Jesus."

— Juliet835 (2/5)