The Jesus Inquest

Foster, Charles.  The Jesus Inquest. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.

This book is Foster's attempt to present the case both for and against Christ's bodily resurrection.  Each chapter is divided into two sections, with X arguing the case against the resurrection and Y arguing for it.

This book is very detailed; the notes and bibliography at the back are forty pages long.  Each chapter covers a specific aspect of Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, drawing on a variety of scholarly sources.

I will have to admit that I did not find this book particularly interesting.  It was almost too detailed for me.  I got lost in the numbers and the references to obscure sources and the nitpicky details.  For someone who is interested in these details or the culture at that time, this book would be a fascinating read.  It would also be an excellent resource for a person attempting to write a research paper on this topic.  However, it is not a good "fun read" for those of you who are looking for something to curl up with in front of a fire.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purposes of review.