Heretic

Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God

By: Catherine Nixey

Narrated by: Lalla Ward

""A brilliant book...illuminates a forgotten world."" —The Times, Best of the Year

""Heretic tells a moreish intellectual story and shakes up your understanding of Western history. At the same time, somewhat improbably, it supplies at least one good joke per paragraph; you have to keep turning back to enjoy them again."" ―The Economist, Best of the Year

From a celebrated classicist and author of The Darkening Age (“[a] ballista-bolt of a book”—New York Times Book Review), a biography of the many, diverse variations of Jesus who thrived in early Christian traditions—and how they were lost until just one “true” Christ survived.

Contrary to the teachings of the church today, in the first several centuries of Christianity’s existence, there was no consensus as to who Jesus was or why he had mattered. Instead, there were many different Christs. One had a twin brother and traveled to India; another consorted with dragons. One particularly terrifying Christ scorned his parents and killed those who opposed him.

Moreover, in the early years of the first millennium there were many other saviors, many sons of gods who healed the sick and cured the lame. But as Christianity spread, they were pronounced unacceptable – even heretical – and they faded from view.

Heretic unearths the different versions of Christ who existed in the minds of early Christians, and the process of evolution—and elimination—by which Jesus became the singular figure we know today.

“Heretic has the mother lode of tales too hot for Christendom. Nixey has carefully wrung out a number of apocryphal texts for scandal.” —Harper's Magazine

Excellent exploration of the early Church

I enjoyed this book and it reflected perspectives that I recall from working under early Church historians when in graduate school. The story is fascinating and will certainly be fascinating for anyone who has never explored the history of the early Christian Church. That said, I felt that Nixey could have better structured the monograph.

Lalla Ward's reading was superb. I will confess to crushing on Lalla Ward when I was in high school and was thrilled to discover that she read works other than Doctor Who and Richard Dawkins. I would welcome some other fiction and non-fiction read by her.

Eye opener!!

So many interesting things. Highly recommended. The history covered was especially interesting. This book confirmed much of what I’ve learned in my research.

A powerful exposé

Oh my god! What a powerful exposé! I am an ex evangelical christian, and, like many formerly religious, I’m a very well read student of religion and especially the history of christianity. I have some familiarity with much of what this book covers but I have never seen it bound into such a clear and convincing case! A must read for curious christians and former christian’s alike.

My faith is restored

This book summarizes some of the valuable history that has been lost or pushed to the fringes.

The author is brave. I respect her strength and humor because it is needed now more than ever.

The voices that were silenced should be heard. The revisionist history should be untwisted. The suppressed wisdom of introspection should be taught and passed on.

We need more authors investigating and writing books like this.

Excellent scholarship

I found the book well researched and very engaging. It is about the beginnings of Christian beliefs and how quickly there were major differences and groups formed. The real question is can we identify what the original Followers of the Way believed?