Crucified in the Media: Finding the Real Jesus Amidst Today's Headlines

by C. Marvin Pate and Sheryl Lynn Pate

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801065488
• ISBN13: 9780801065484
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Baker Books
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Contemporary, cutting edge, and controversial

Grab a highlighter and be prepared to underscore some myths about the Messiah! This book is brimming with information, which is presented in a clear and concise way. With the recent portrayals of Jesus Christ in Hollywood-style movies and best-selling books, some truths about the Son of God may have gone astray. The authors will lead readers back to reality, with a full disclosure of all the facts. The topics covered are contemporary, cutting edge, and controversial. The authors begin with an in-depth look at the Jesus Seminar, where a group of people from all denominations met to decide what Jesus actually said and did. In a perfect circle of thought, this book ends by asking readers who they think Jesus is. And that's the motivation throughout all these pages. The authors are not trying to impress people with what they know; rather they want to impress people to know the Lord. In many ways, reading this book is like going on an archeological dig. Each page uncovers pertinent and documented evidence on a variety of subjects. Discussions on the Shroud of Turin and the James ossuary take a look at the past, while examining the implications for the present. The successful elements in popular books like The Da Vinci Code and Beyond Belief are contrasted with Scriptural accuracy. Some of the information that is presented here may be debatable in certain circles. If anything, this should encourage readers in further study, using the bibliography as a starting off point. However, it's very clear that Crucified in the Media was not written to incite or inflame, but to inform readers. The authors are to be commended for doing just that. -- Joyce Handzo, Christian Book Previews.com

A Consumer's Guide to Media Portrayals of Jesus

Who is Jesus? What did he teach? And why is he important? Traditionally, people turned to the Christian church and its Scriptures for answers to these questions. Now, however, many turn to alternative sources of information: apocryphal Gospels, self-proclaimed Bible scholars, suspense novelists, blockbuster films, and popular magazines. Often, though not always, these alternative sources of information paint a very different picture of Jesus than that of traditional Christian doctrine. Are these alternative portraits more historically accurate and spiritually viable than the traditional ones? Marvin Pate and Sheryl Pate think not. Their new book, Crucified in the Media: Finding the Real Jesus amidst Today's Headlines, takes a critical look at the alternative portraits of Jesus and finds the traditional accounts to be superior in every respect. Their criticisms of the Jesus Seminar, Elaine Pagels, The Da Vinci Code, and scholarly rehabilitation of the Gnostic Gospels are on target and concisely stated. But the Pates also focus on portraits of Jesus that are not necessarily hostile to the traditional Christian message about him. They provide a reasonable evaluation of the James Ossuary, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, the Shroud of Turin, and the Christian message of the Lord of the Rings. The Pates' book is not one of disinterested scholarship, however. They are advocates of the Christian message, as their chapters on the resurrection of Christ and the issue of religious pluralism demonstrate. As a Christian and a pastor, I found myself in agreement with the Pates' conclusions on most issues, although I would quibble with a point here and there. Because I have read fairly widely on some of these issues-especially the Jesus Seminar, The Da Vinci Code, and historical arguments for the resurrection-I was familiar with and sympathetic to their arguments. To whom, then, would I recommend this book? First of all, I would recommend it to pastors who need a rough-and-ready guide to alternative sources of information about Jesus. Second, to college students taking a religion class, especially if the professor is overtly hostile to traditional portraits of Jesus. Third, I would recommend it to lay Christians and other spiritually interested people who want help sorting out the confusing and contradictory things they see and hear about Jesus in popular culture.

Jesus and the media

The Pates have taken an interesting look at how God, Jesus, and Christianity are portrayed in our current pop culture. More than simply a Christian rallying cry to the portrayal of religion in books like The Da Vinci Code, this is a fairly objective examination, backed up with sound research. Movies like Lord of the Rings are discussed, as is the Gospel of Thomas, the James Ossuary, and others. The Pates never fall into the trap of simply disputing something because it doesn't fit their beliefs, always looking for evidence, a science/religion marriage that is used very effectively. I'm not offended at all by items like The Da Vinci Code (which I couldn't put down), and I was a little annoyed at all the books written to refute what was nothing more than a simple piece of entertainment. So this book was a welcome one, and it's the best of its kind that I've read. I'd recommend it, especially to those confused or bothered by the media's portrayal of religion.