Randel Helms

A look at the thorny question of who wrote the gospels that are revered as the story of Jesus. The author makes it very clear that there is no evidence that they were written by the men who bear their names, and that they were not written by eyewitnesses to Jesus's life. This book benefits from a rather quirky hypothesis on the author of Luke, which while intriguing and thought-provoking, does not appear to me to be that convincing. Much of the "evidence" is pure speculation.

Helms begins his book by claiming that he writes as a literary critic of the four Gospels, not as a debunker … then he proceeds with a thorough debunking.

This is a good mix of original ideas and established scholarship. Helms’ message is clear: that the Gospels are artful, fictional variations of a common theme, individualized by each author’s motives. He treats separately the birth narratives, miracles, passion story, and resurrection appearances, showing how each is often related to show more the Old Testament in order to lend artificial authority, or derived from pagan myths or contemporary miracle claims.

I found the book thought-provoking, though a little disturbing in tone. It’s short, not meant to be an in-depth study. Recommended as a starting point for research in the development of the Gospels. show less

Literature has its critics, and they are necessary, I suppose (oh, just a minute DF, you are writing a book review here!), Randel Helms has penned a good biography of JRR Tolkien, and an informed critique of LOTR and the Hobbit.

The author explores the writing of the gospels, and the evidence that supports the idea that the writers were not eyewitnesses to the events they describe. As always, the author writes well, and it is easy to read and follow his arguments.