Born Divine [Paperback]

Robert J Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

In this compelling study of the birth and infancy of Jesus, Robert Miller separates fact from fiction in the gospel narratives and relates them to stories about the miraculous births of Israelite heroes and of Greek and Roman sons of God. Born Divine analyzes the Christian claim that the birth and childhood of Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. The historical and theological dimensions of the virgin birth tradition are discussed with honesty and insight. This wide-ranging book also presents additional infancy gospels from the second century through the Middle Ages.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert J. Miller is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Juniata College in Pennsylvania. A Fellow of the Jesus Seminar since 1986, he was Scholar-in-Residence at Westar Institute in 2001. He is the editor of The Complete Gospels (1992), an anthology of twenty early gospels presented in Westar's innovative translation, the Scholars Version, and author of The Jesus Seminar and Its Critics (1999) and Born Divine (2003).

Product Details

• Paperback: 355 pages
• Publisher: Polebridge Press; First Edition edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 094434495X
• ISBN-13: 978-0944344958
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,056,204 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for fundalmentalist, November 6, 2004

By 

Karl Kronlage (Woodbridge, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born Divine (Paperback)

This is one of the best books I've read from the Jesus Seminar. However, it's important to note that this isn't for Christians that want their beliefs affirmed. Christians like to bad mouth honest scholarship of the bible if it refutes anything that's said in the gospel--and this book calls many passages into question. I'd be shocked if anyone who finishes it still believes that Jesus was born of a virgin. The gospel of Matthew is really called into doubt. There are two things I'd like to say though--if you buy this book, and I recommend it--make sure you read it in a quiet room with a highlighter. It's not an easy read. Second, I'd start with chapter 7 and read to the end and then go back to read the first 6 chapters. I say this because the first few chapters are kind of dense, but once Miller's point becomes clear, the earlier chapters are easier to read. An intelligent book for people who want to explore what Jesus was really all about.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite book on the infancy stories of Jesus, May 13, 2007

By 

bohemian theologian "Theologian, Sociologist,... (Saint Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born Divine (Paperback)

I am a seminary student writing a paper for a class on the gospels. I chose to write on the virgin births and I found this to be a great book to really dig into the details of this in an acessible manner. Its more detailed than Tatum's The Quest for Jesus or Borg and Wrights The Meaning of Jesus. (Although both are good resources for more basic overviews on the issue) and it is more acessible than Raymond Brown's commentary on The Birth of The Messiah (although that is a great resource for material with more depth if you are doing research on this kind of subject). It is easy to read and has good detail. If you are new to the historical crtical method of looking at the Bible, it may be a difficult book to start with. Consider taking a course or reading a more basic book as an introduction if you do not have a background iin this. However if you are a college or seminary student or a church worker in a tradition that honors the historical critical tradtion this is a valuable resource.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars scholarly, thoughtful presentation, December 3, 2005

By 

M. Smith "livepoet" (Adirondacks) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born Divine (Paperback)

The scholarly presentation has changed the way I think about the the Christian story. Professor Miller is a religious man, and yet this account is not an appeal to faith but to understanding of what it means, or rather what it meant, in the days of Jesus, to be a "son of God." Miller begins by reminding us that the Greeks believed Zeus had human children too and were unsurprised to learn of another son of a God. OOps, and I knew that, only I had not thought of what that means in this context. This is a wonderful book.