Type of bind: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Nan A. Talase / Doubleday
Manufacturer: Nan A. Talase / Doubleday
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 496
Printing Date: November 09, 1999
Publishing house: Nan A. Talase / Doubleday
Sale Popularity Level: 870284
Studio: Nan A. Talase / Doubleday
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In Desire of the Everlasting Hills, Thomas Cahill takes up his most daring and provocative subject yet: Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Western civilization. Introducing us very first to 'the people Jesus knew,' Thomas Cahill describes the oppressive Roman political presence, the pervasive Greek cultural influence, and especially the widely varied social and religious context of the Judaism in which Jesus moved and flourished. These backgrounds, essential to a complete understanding of Jesus, lead to the author's stunningly original interpretation of the New Testament--much of it based on material from the ancient Greek brilliantly translated by the author himself--that will delight readers and surprise even biblical scholars. Thomas Cahill's most unusual skill may lie in his ability to bring to life people of a faraway world whose concerns seem at very first to be utterly removed from the present day. We see Jesus as a real person, sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, but kind, humorous, and affectionate, shadowed by the inevitable climax of crucifixion, the cruelest form of execution ever devised by humankind. Mary, while not quite the 'perpetual virgin' of popular piety, is a vivid presence and forceful influence on her son. And the apostle Paul, the carrier of Jesus' message and most important figure in the early Jesus movement (which became Christianity), finds rehabilitation in Cahill's realistic, revealing portrait of him. The third volume in the Hinges of History series, this unique presentation of Jesus and his times is for believers and nonbelievers alike (for Jews and Christians, it is intended by the author as an act of reconciliation). With the same lively narration and irresistible perceptions that characterize How the Irish Saved Civilization and The Gifts of the Jews, Thomas Cahill invites readers into an ancient world to commune with some of the most influential people who ever lived.
Amazon.com Review:
Desire of the Everlasting Hills is another present from the pen of Thomas Cahill, author of How the Irish Saved Civilization and The Gifts of the Jews. In this third volume of the bestselling Hinges of History series, he knits together history, politics, sociology, and faith with contemporary insights that yield remarkable results.
After painting with broad brush strokes an entertaining picture of the Greek, Jewish, and Roman world, Cahill focuses on Jesus. With illuminating deductions and clever speculation, Jesus is seen though the eyes of his biographers in their Gospel accounts. Each of these authors' lives is reconstructed in such a way that the richness of their writing and their subject matter is wonderfully enhanced.
The section on Paul, detailing how his life and letters shaped the early church, should be required reading for every student of the Bible. From his beginnings in the cosmopolitan city known as Tarsus through his calling, like the patriarchs and prophets before him, he becomes 'the perfect vehicle for this moment in the development of the Jesus Movement.' His mix of Greek reasoning with rabbinical training casts the stories of the early church into a thoughtful theology. He is seen here as the earliest egalitarian who not only impacted the early church but all of western civilization.
Cahill challenges many traditional religious ideas while also taking on some of the more radical contemporary interpreters of biblical literature. As with the other volumes in this series, the marginal notes are filled with a wealth of interesting information. Combining his own fresh translation of many New Testament highlights with respect and humor, Thomas Cahill's book is for the believer and nonbeliever alike. --Tracy Danz
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Rated by buyers 
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Let me just start with the basics. If you believe Jesus to be the son of God, this book will not change your mind about His role in the world and in granting you salvation. If you do not accept Jesus as the son of God, this book is not going to change your mind either. What Thomas Cahill offers is a well written, if not particularly deep, take on Jesus, how the Gospels endeavor to portray Him and how the world changed due to His presence. In contrast to some members the Jesus Seminar, Cahill takes the Epistles of Paul and the Acts of the Apostles seriously in portraying Jesus. Cahill also offers fairly good overviews of the styles of the various Gospel authors and how they reflect different aspects of Jesus. Having said that, this book only barely touches the surface of its subject and that is what proves frustrating about it. You simply can not cover Jesus, the Gospels, and the world before and after Jesus in 300 pages no matter how well the book flows.
Rated by buyers 
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This book is full of quotations from the Bible which is what makes Cahill's theme easy to follow. That is what does it for me, a Christian interested in secular history; putting people, places, cultural norms and language together with verbatim quotations from the Word of God. Cahill knows how to give the average reader flavor in an otherwise dull subject.
Cahill refrains from over intellectualizing on this theme, a grand stroll through history that intersects with a history changing personality. I have been a Christian now 34 years. If I could have read a book like this early in my walk, it would have advanced my understanding of scripture by many years.
Beware of the snobby intellectual detractors of this book. They either are envious of Cahill's sucess as an author or do not enjoy reading the actual scriptures.
D M Murphy
Rated by buyers -
This book really casts a new eye on an old story. I think everyone will enjoy this book no matter what your background. Most of the book is pretty much a standard commentary on the gospels. The last part of the book is really outstanding. Cahill here as he does in all of his books provides exciting broad based description of the setting of the gospel story. He interrelates his comments, the scripture, and the historical events going on at that time to create an exciting new story. He also describes events in a very exciting way. He tells the story like you are reading it in a novel or the newspaper. That adds luster to the greatest story.
Cahill also interjects little stories about the power of the gospel in shaping modern values we have today. Any believe will draw strength from that. The only problem with the book is we don't see enough of those stories.
Overall everyone will enjoy this book.
Rated by buyers -
Thomas Cahill speaks about the beginnings of the Christian religion with so much passion, it's almost poetry. I was warmed and made better by reading this book.
Rated by buyers -
Not a theological book, this actually is cataloged as "Biography" in the Catloging-In-Publication data on the title verso. The title comes from Jacob's blessing of Joseph in Genesis 49:26.
So don't read for the theology, read for the language. One of my favorites is that the word translated "inn" in Luke's account of the nativity is actually a word that usually refers to a family homestead. The homestead would have been full--of Joseph's relatives, who as Cahill says, could "count to nine" and gladly consigned Mary and Joseph to the stable as punishment for their supposed sin!
Cahill's writing left me feeling that it is impossible to learn more about the historical character Jesus without holding him more and more in awe.
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