How smart is the Amsterdam-based publisher Meulenhoff to NOT publish Dutch helmer Paul Verhoeven‘s Jesus of Nazareth biography in English? The damn thing is apparently all science based and has been a passion project of Verhoeven’s for like 20 years. He wants to turn it into a movie and it says some things that are sure to get Jesus lovers up in arms and it won’t even be available in English when it releases in September.
The Hollywood Reporter carries the news story that points out Verhoeven was a regular attendee of U.S. scholar Robert W. Funk’s Jesus seminars, which call into question miracles and statements attributed to Jesus. Verhoeven claims to portray Jesus in the most realistic way in his book, co-written by his biographer, Rob van Scheers.
What does that mean? Well, one of his conclusions deals with the fact that Jesus was probably the son of Mary and a Roman soldier who raped her during the Jewish uprising in Galilee. Verhoeven also claims that Christ was not betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
I am not going to argue one way or another on this one because this is a dicey subject. Way more dicey than discussing The Golden Compass which is a matter of opinion more than fact. If you have some thoughts on the actual subject matter I would love to hear it below, but keep it nice. This is, after all, a site where I can say whatever I want and then hold you to moral standards.
Amen.
