The Great Deception: And What Jesus Really Said and Did [Paperback]

Gerd Ludemann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999

Establishes the criteria by which it is possible to distinguish the inauthentic from the authentic sayings and actions of Jesus, and then shows which quotes and deeds can be regarded as factual. This book caused an uproar in Germany and nearly cost the author his job!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A few hundred years ago, the author of this fascinating volume would no doubt have been burned alive by the narrow-minded, intolerant, loveless Christian fundamentalists of that age. Thank God we are now in more enlightened times." -- The New Humanity

Product Details

• Paperback: 126 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 2nd edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573926884
• ISBN-13: 978-1573926881
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,236,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking through a glass darkly...., September 28, 2000

By 

Thomas J. Brucia "Tom B" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Deception: And What Jesus Really Said and Did (Paperback)

Dr. Gerd Ludemann has gained notoriety for being removed from the Evangelical Lutheran theological faculty of the University of Gottingen, Germany, after he decided to "renounce Christianity" in his missive "A Letter to Jesus". The American edition of "The Great Deception" includes a 14-page preface describing the background of his removal, as well as the text of the nine-page letter. Neither is directly relevant to this work's main topic, but both are fascinating background ---- Ludemann asserts that "the process of falsifying and over painting the man Jesus, his words and actions, began in earliest Christianity and is already at an advanced stage in the New Testament." He examines numerous sayings and actions of the New Testament Jesus in the light of his four criteria of inauthenticity, and five criteria of authenticity. His goal: to uncover the "historical Jesus." Most of his criteria are benign. But one of his criteria of inauthenticity would be objected to by many believers: "those acts which presuppose that natural laws are broken." Professor Ludemann makes the naïve eyebrow raising statement that: "Nowadays hardly anyone seriously assumes that Jesus in fact walked on the sea, stilled a storm, multiplied loaves, turned water into wind and raised the dead. Rather, these narratives were credited to Jesus only after his death or his supposed resurrection in order to heighten his significance." (Perhaps in academic circles in Germany, NOT in everyday America!) ---- Professor Ludemann clearly and repeatedly states that he sees theology as a scientific discipline based on solid scholarship. His book does not disappoint. He painstakingly documents his thesis. He not only highlights discrepancies between different accounts of the same actions of Jesus, but also shows how and why the later Gospel writers (Matthew, Luke, and John) elaborated upon - and changed -- Mark's account. He shows where all of them lifted, adapted, and inserted Old Testament passages and accounts into their accounts of Jesus' life. He explains the theological issues that caused the alteration of narrative, anecdote, parable, and wording. In short it this book is a provocative, and worthwhile read. If theology is merely apologetics under another name, this is merely scandal. If indeed theology is a scientific discipline searching for truth - then this is beyond doubt theology

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction to a Close Reading of the New Testament, March 12, 2001

By 

Bradley P. Rich (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Deception: And What Jesus Really Said and Did (Paperback)

This book is aimed at the general reader and is intended to give the reader an introduction to critical analysis techniques as they apply to the purported sayings of Jesus. Ludemann divides the text into four sections: Authentic Saying of Jesus, Inauthentic Sayings of Jesus Authentic Acts of Jesus and Inauthentical Acts of Jesus. In all four sections, Ludemann shares the critical tools that shed light on the authenticity of the saying. While it is clear that there is no absolute final answer to whether a particular saying or act is authentic, Ludemann's tools are actually quite compelling and allow the reader to acquire the critical tools required to make his own assessment of a New Testament passage. For the disbeliever, this will reinforce one's belief that much of the New Testament is propaganda; for the believer it will allow the reader to see Jesus through a new perspective, free of the "spin" of the early Christian church.

Because this book teaches you some of the elementary skills of the Bible academic, I found this book to be surprisingly thought-provoking. This will enable you to read the New Testament and form your own judgment about the legitimacy of the events and sayings recorded there.

I suppose I have made this book sound heavy and taxing, but it is an easy read, leaving you wanted to take on Ludemanns volumns aimed at a more academic audience.

Well worth picking up!

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Easy Introduction to the Search for Jesus' Genuine Words, June 29, 1999

By 

Gavin Rumney - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Deception: And What Jesus Really Said and Did (Paperback)

This is a small book, easily read in a couple of sittings if need be. Nor is the text impenetrable, as is the case with many German theologians. Ludemann explains why many of the sayings attributed to Jesus cannot be genuine. His work complements that of The Jesus Seminar.

Ludemann begins with "A Letter to Jesus" that sets out his personal journey away from the less questioning faith of his childhood. This is a powerful piece of writing in itself. Ludemann does not give in to the tendency to obfuscate. This is honest, direct writing.