Author's Note

The Author’s note is sort of Dr. Aslan’s background into why he is writing about Jesus and he also drops his religious history, as well as some technical details about how to read the book.   

As a teenage Persian immigrant to America, he found Jesus at a Jesus camp in Northern California. Despite the fact that his conversation was authentic with a “personal” relationship with Jesus, it also served as a way to fit in America, as Jesus is an archetype of America’s culture.   Of course, one side of America.  I certainly wouldn’t be his friend, as I belong to the other side.  The side that believes in religious freedom and that pluralism is what makes America a great.  Plus, it really helps our food culture.

What befuddles me is how, at camp in Northern California, he did not discover something more compelling—nature?    Sure, the feeling of belonging to it makes you a victim of natural selection.  But in terms of understanding the universe around you, it can’t be beat.    I would be giving rimjobs to banana slugs and tasting poisonous mushrooms hoping to get high, not concerned about Jesus.   Plus, I hated those people who had some special club where you had to believe like them to belong.   Fuck them.  Anyways, I digress...

As he developed and got into college, he begin to delve deeper into the actual biblical texts, and not surprisingly, began to question his beliefs.   Here I totally agree.  Nothing makes non-believers more than actually reading the Bible.   In fact, I find that if people were forced to actually read the Bible, or whatever religious text they find holy (the Qu’ran, the Vedas, etc.), they soon would discover the vast, uncrossed gulf between what they believe and what the Bible (or whatever holy text) actually says.   So, Dr. Aslan seems to have reverted to the cultural Muslim of his upbringing, which is fair.  I consider myself culturally Catholic.   I am not sure what that means.  I like the Pope Francis.   I don’t go to church or care, but whatever.

The Note also includes a disclaimer that every one of his researched points has an equally researched counter point.   For me, this lends credibility to what I am about to read, since its smacks his critics right in the ass.    Yes, in scholarly research and science, there is no certainty.   Everything is iterative.   New hypotheses can replace old ones, and the entire content can change with new information.   He could be wrong.   He says it right there.  And he is ok with it.  I think it is worth quoting.

For every well-attested, heavily researched, and eminently authoritative argument made about the historical Jesus, there is an equally well-attested, heavily researched, and eminently authoritative argument opposing it.  (p. xx)

Indeed.    This position flies directly in the face of Fundamentalism, in any manifestation.   

The Greek translations are his own with some help, but he had help with Hebrew and Aramaic.   At this point he doesn’t refer to where he is translating from, but I suppose we will learn that soon.     He references Q, which is the hypothetic source for Matthew and Luke, which we will talk about later.    

There are no notes on the Author’s note, so I am on to the Introduction. 

As for my note, this will probably be the slowest I’ve ever read anything.