Miracles and wonder The historical mystery of Jesus

Pagels (Why Religion? 2018), an acclaimed religious historian, here asks the questions that have mesmerized both Jesus' followers and those who doubt. What is the truth? Was Jesus born of a virgin? Did he perform miracles? Was he resurrected, and if so, what does that mean? Of course, there is a whole cottage industry of books that examine both the spiritual and historical Jesus. But this title is notable not just for the depth and breadth of Pagels' scholarship but for the way she becomes part of the story. There is almost a yearning to her quest for answers that personalizes her writing. For each question posed, Pagels offers explanations, some from traditional sources, others from contemporaries, and later, skeptics who view events more critically. She concludes with a thoughtful examination of why Jesus' messages, though often contradictory depending on which gospel you're reading, still resonate. Part history, part mystery, all enlightening.

In this rigorous study, National Book Award winner Pagels (Why Religion?) digs into persistent questions about the historical Jesus. Devoting each chapter to a major sticking point, she discusses Jesus's virgin birth, suggesting that Matthew and Luke revised the gospel of Mark to deflect harmful rumors "ridiculing Jesus as a bastard," and gospel writers' efforts to blame Jewish leaders for Jesus's crucifixion and deemphasize Pontius Pilate's role--a framing that helped believers sidestep fears of being associated with a figure crucified for anti-Roman "insurrection." Elsewhere, she unpacks the debate over whether the resurrection was physical or spiritual (as Paul claimed). Pagels's analysis is most captivating when she's excavating the complex motivations of the gospel writers, who were often reacting to historical and cultural developments to formulate new ways of attracting followers. Less successful are her detours into personal anecdotes (in a chapter on the resurrection, for instance, she mentions being "shaken by" personally experiencing "the presence of people who had died" without elaborating further) and analyses of Jesus in movies and art. Still, curious believers will find much to chew on. (Apr.)

The enduring power of the Gospels, explored. Renowned historian and writer Pagels returns to the study of Jesus' life and teachings with a career-capping question: "What makes the stories of Jesus so powerful that countless people…continue to read and engage them, even stake their lives on what they find there?" In this latest work, Pagels struggles with this mystery but provides only half-hearted answers to her readers. Through parts of this book, Pagels goes back over the well-traveled ground of modern biblical critics. For instance, she sees the Gospels of Matthew and Luke as "propaganda" meant to quiet ancient rumors about Jesus (such as stories that he was born illegitimately). However, Pagels takes a nuanced approach to such critiques. She admirably relinquishes the search for the historical Jesus, which scholars have been engaged in for over two centuries, and instead wrestles with "the astonishingpersistence of Jesus, both rediscovered and reinvented." Recognizing that the Gospels were not meant as pure history, and cannot be judged as such, Pagels delves into the power of their stories and the timelessness of their morals. Jesus "envisions this world turned upside down, its values shattered, thestatus quo abruptly reversed," and this acts, in a distinct way, as a signpost for marginalized people from one generation to the next. The stories of Jesus are renewed continually because they offer hope in a way no other religious leader has been able to offer. Pagels sees in the stories of Jesus a consistently paradigm-breaking message, the "gospel," or "good news," for lack of a better term, which has appealed to believers and even nonbelievers alike across time and geography. However, Pagels hesitates to distill her conclusions much further. Intellectually mature, but demands a more well-crafted conclusion. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.