Discussion date: February 9, 2003

What we thought:

The consensus was that this book suffered from lack of good editing. We all agreed it was twice as long as it needed to be, and most of us admitted to skimming through large parts of it. Another common criticism was the portrayal of Jesus, who, in this book, failed to communicate the charismatic quality that we all expected. We did feel that the history was well researched, but that its dramatic presentation was disappointing.

Although most people rated the book only 2 or 2-1/2 stars, this didn't prevent a rousing discussion -- which veered off into modern-day religious issues such as the present controversy over gay marriage in Massachusetts.

Links of interest:
Reading group guide