The Firstborn of God : Resolving the Contradictions in the Bible [Paperback]

Gail Allison Evans (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

Throughout history our religious beliefs have been instrumental in shaping our social and political strictures. Whether we are devout or not, the fundamental philosophies of any give religion will dictate the way in which we interact with each other on a mental, social and political level. Most of the Western world is no exception and has based it’s theology on a text known as “The Bible”.

But what is “The Bible”? Is it a collection of scrolls written by a group of old men? Or is it the word of God as so many claim it to be? If the Bible really is the word of God, then it should follow that the chapters and verses will be clear cut, easily understood and lack ambiguity. But this is not the case. The Bible is ambiguous and many of it’s texts contradict each other, which in turn implies that the scribes who wrote them had differing views on the divine word of God as well as differing social and political philosophies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gail Evans has had a lifetime interest in religion. Her frustration with orthodox attitudes towards women as well as the Calvinist Church's support of racism during South Africa's Apartheid era led her to search for answers of her own. Her controversial conclusions are the result of 14 years of research.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Writers Club Press (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595096956
• ISBN-13: 978-0595096954
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,221,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very well researched and plausible hypothesis, June 9, 2001

By 

Stan Marut (Hampshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Firstborn of God : Resolving the Contradictions in the Bible (Paperback)

Gail Evans is to be commended for an extremely well researched book. To have spent fourteen years on its completion shows a singular devotion to this most fascinating of subjects. Over the last few years there have been a plethora of books dealing with the various hypotheses about Christianity, the person of Jesus Christ, Crucifixion, Resurrection and so on. This is not just another book, but an important contribution to research.

Part of Gail Evan's argument has been to show that the previous apartheid regime in her native South africa has used the Bible in a way that encouraged,".....a servile philsophy in order that those in power can maintain and suppress all those beneath them, not adhering to the laws of justice, but to their own laws of suppression and subjugation".

The book contains a whole host of examples from the Bible to illustrate the points that the author wishes to make. I believe this is an essential book for the serious student of Theology and anyone intersted in the Bible generally and in other explanations of events in the New Testament which modern scholarhip determines are not quite as they seem.

I am sure that this book will be controversial if read by fundamentalists, but to those with an open mind who ultimately wish to seek the truth unencumbered by steadfast doctrine and creeds, it will provide ample food for thought. Gail Evan's erudite scholarship is a credit to her.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars eager Bible study, April 30, 2003

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Firstborn of God : Resolving the Contradictions in the Bible (Paperback)

At no time does Gail Evans offer any disrespect or irreverence. THE FIRSTBORN OF GOD is the earnest & affectionate quest of a modern woman to not only discover the roots of our social & philosophical stances, it is her way of going back to the source so she may better understand today. That she found some peace in the study & that the answers she discovered make a lot of sense, is a credit to her ability to look at a religious icon & tell it like it is.

Her method is to take contradicting verses, research parallel texts, & then explain both what the original words meant & how we have interpreted them down the ages. It is a fascinating journey.

I am sure professional religionists could tear this author's findings into shreds, however, if you have ever wondered about why The Bible is so contradictory, in some cases from verse to verse, then Gail Evans' THE FIRSTBORN OF GOD is a lively & informative place to start.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating concepts nearly spoiled by terrible editing, January 27, 2001

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Firstborn of God : Resolving the Contradictions in the Bible (Paperback)

"The Firstborn of God" puts forward a challenging hypothesis as to how we can resolve the seemingly contraditory elements in Scripture. However, even more challenging is trying to get the author's meaning while wading through a sea of typographical and grammatical errors and run-on sentences. Only half-way through reading the book I feel compelled to warn potential readers of this problem and urge them to buy it in spite of its editorial shortcomings. It is unorthodox--especially in its views of who the "Lord" was in the Old Testament and the identities of Jesus and the Baptist in the New--but well worth careful consideration!