Overview

New York Times bestselling books have taken the view that the oldest New Testament documents paint a very different picture to later copies. Others are of the opinion that the original gospel accounts were never intended to be historically accurate. Many people assume that the bias of the original NT authors distorted their recollections of Jesus, and Jesus' words were not put into written form for several decades. Echoes of Jesus - now in its second edition - is a Christian apologetic response to these issues. It presents evidence in an engaging manner, following a logical journey of discovery. It is accessible to both Christian believers and those who know little about Jesus. Questions for discussion and reflection at the end of each chapter reflect this welcoming approach. This highly readable journey of discovery considers gospel textual criticism, authorship of the Gospels, Christian historiography, literacy & more. See evidence for the reliability of the recounting of Jesus. After reading this book you will: understand the extent of literacy and historical awareness in ancient civilisations appreciate how it was possible for the first disciples to accurately record Jesus' life and teachings have a highly readable explanation of ancient New Testament documents and know what they have to say about accuracy in copying know the content and credibility of non-Christian ancient literature that comment on Jesus and the first Christians. Rev Dr John Sweetman, D.Min (USA); Principal of Malyon College, Brisbane: This is a book for those who like to question and think and who are not satisfied with pat answers. This is an excellent resource for theological faculty and students as well as for anyone genuinely searching for truth. If you have questions or doubts about the identity of the real Jesus or the reliability of the Bible, this is the book for you. Dr Bernie Power, D.Th, lecturer in Islamic Studies: Echoes of Jesus is a very insightful and much-needed book in the area of apologetics. I plan to use it as a text in Australia's only theologically-accredited Apologetics to Islam course run at the Melbourne School of Theology. Dr James M. Leonard, PhD (Cambridge), former Adjunct Professor (LSU, Notre Dame Seminary, Loyola University, John Brown University, Arkansas, US): This well written work on the biblical account of the historical Jesus exposes the reader to key issues that are often overlooked in popular Christian apologetics. It raises the believer's confidence levels in the reliability of the Gospels and the apostolic writings, and should be taken seriously by scholars.

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Rev. Dr. Bernard Low, former Associate Professor in Systematic Theology at Singapore Bible College; PhD (University of Nottingham): For anyone interested in the truth claims of Christianity, this book by Jonathan Clerke is a helpful and interesting read and an excellent resource. Based on extensive, robust and systematic research of primary and secondary sources, the author persuasively argues that the New Testament accurately and faithfully records what Jesus said and taught in his lifetime. Clerke's research establishes the following: (a) there was a high-level of literacy in the ancient world including Jesus'; (b) people in the ancient world were not as gullible as critics of Christianity have claimed; (c) ancient historians were both professional and credible in their task of recording history; (d) as a master-teacher, Jesus employed methods which facilitated the remembrance and easy recall of his teachings; (e) the autographs of the New Testament were faithfully transmitted despite variant readings and textual traditions; and, (f) extra-biblical sources like Lucian, Pliny the Younger and Josephus contain reliable evidences which attest to the veracity of the New Testament. Clerke has done a great service to the church in writing this book to defend the truth claims of Christianity. His research has also significant implications for Christian-Muslim dialogue.

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