The Life of Jesus

uitstekend boek, een plezier om te lezen, heerlijk Frans. Renan verdedigt hier de zeer geidealiseerde figuur van Jezus, maar vergis je niet: Renan is een antiklerikale atheïst. ( )

Really easy to read and considered a classic re-definition of the historical Jesus it is more difficult now to appreciate just how revolutionary Renan was considered in his day. His view is more typical of many today who view Jesus as the most sublime man who ever lived. Nonetheless, in his day, Renan was considered innovative and a new approach to the Gospels, Within his lifetime, Renan was best known as the author of the enormously popular Life of Jesus (Vie de Jésus). This book was first translated into English during 1863 by Charles E. Wilbour and has remained in print for the past 145 years. Renan's Life of Jesus was lavished with ironic praise and criticism by Albert Schweitzer in his book Quest of the Historical Jesus.

In light of more recent history his view of the "Musselman" is curiously anachronistic and he would now be considered bombastic in his dismissal of Islam.

This was considered the classic skeptical (or at least unorthodox) biography in the 19th century, but I must admit I have not read it yet.