IS JESUS HISTORY?
By John Dickson
The Good Book Company. 154 pages. £7.99
ISBN 978 1 784 983 659
In a world where fake news is common, people are questioning what sources they can trust. This scrutiny is being brought to the Bible, questioning its reliability as to something we can stake our lives upon. In this environment it can be easy for Christians to be accused of believing fairy tales or ancient made-up propaganda.
In this short, accessible book John Dickson takes the reader through the principles on which all historical investigation relies and then applies that to major historical characters such as Emperor Tiberius, Alexander the Great, Pontius Pilate and also Jesus. He is balanced in this approach, considering the studies of both Christian and non-Christian scholars, and leaving the reader with no doubt that historical study concludes that Jesus really did walk the earth. The biblical accounts of His life, death and resurrection are historically reliable documents.
True to his style, John Dickson manages to make this complex area of study very clear and manageable for those who don’t live in the world of academia. He shows the reader that Jesus really is history and the testimony about His resurrection is historically reliable, but he doesn’t force interpretation of these events on the reader. He invites them to investigate further. This makes it a great book to give to non-Christian friends who are sceptical about whether the Bible is just an ancient form of fake news, not really something we can read with any confidence today.
I would warmly encourage Christians to read it too. I am better equipped to talk to people who question why I base my life on a person who I believe lived 2,000 years ago. It has also personally strengthened my faith and deepened my love for knowing Jesus through the Bible.
