Overall rating and opinion of "Misreading Judas" by Robert Wahler

[Sahansdal]

I like theories that challenge popular belief systems. Blind acceptance of widely accepted beliefs isn't always healthy as these beliefs generally tend not to be based on facts. This book gives me The Davinci Code vibes, but it's such a shame it doesn't read quite as easy as that controversial Dan Brown novel. I believe it is a must-read for all churches, to foster a healthy debate on the subject matter.

I suppose I could try to write fiction as Dan Brown did, but I don't think I have the imagination.

[Sahansdal]

I read this book very carefully, and although my review has not been approved or published yet, I give it 2 out of 4 stars. It bases its conclusions on an area of Gnostic literature which has not been validated by physical evidence or scientific proof. It expects the reader to blindly accept the wild theories posed by the author, theories that become wilder as the book progresses.For instance, he casts doubt on whether Christ was himself or James. His asserts that James is also Judas, while at the same time, he also thinks that Jesus was Judas. These statements are more than confusing for the reader since, by now, the author has turned Jesus into James, and Judas into James, and then into Judas. It also claims that James was the source of the concept of the virgin birth. I was grateful for my extensive background of research and study in this particular subject. I needed every bit of it.
There is a reason that Gnostic writings weren't approved or included in the Bible, they don't cross-reference correctly with other proven biblical works and evidence. Although I won't be recommending this book to anyone, it is good that it sparks debate and interest.

Verna, I really believe I was more clear than you say on Judas and James and Jesus as Judas. James was a real person in history. Same with John the Baptist. They have a reliable presence independent of the New Testament, which is NOT a record, but a position. Neither Jesus nor Judas is historical. There is not a single iota of clear evidence for Jesus. There is abundant evidence for Judas as James, and even before the Gospel of Judas appeared. Dr. Robert Eisenman showed that before I ever did.

There is "proven biblical work" and no "evidence" for a Jesus Bible narrative. There is evidence, however, for a gnostic original which BECAME the Bible story. That is the Apocalypses of James mastership succession story.

[Dolor]

I have only read the first ten pages of this book, so I could not give my final rating yet.

I will read the entire story and submit my final rating after doing some important things which I need to do.

It's fascinating to read the different views of the readers of this book. I can't wait to add mine.

[Kelsey Fulton]

I have only read the sample so far, but I am already very intrigued by this book. I have very limited knowledge of Gnostic traditions and beliefs, which I feel are pretty central to the book. I still want to give it a read and approach the presented research. I'm interested in hearing all the different opinions on this one.

[Sahansdal]

I have only read the sample so far, but I am already very intrigued by this book. I have very limited knowledge of Gnostic traditions and beliefs, which I feel are pretty central to the book. I still want to give it a read and approach the presented research. I'm interested in hearing all the different opinions on this one.

Cool. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts on my book. I can answer most any question you may have. I practice mystic or 'gnostic' meditation every day.

[Shruti Banik]

I'm not a huge fan of religious books, but the reviews seem good for this particular book. I would love to understand and get a deeper understanding of a religion/faith I have little idea about. The book has mixed reviews, but I will give it a chance to see whether I can relate to it and if it is my forte.

[unamilagra]

I am not religious so I will be skipping this book, but I do kind of like the premise of it. I always like "conspiracy theories" or unique points of view when it comes to commonly accepted beliefs, especially about something like religion, where nothing is really based on evidence in the first place.

[Julius_]

I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. The author opens up new ways of reasoning and viewing this whole subject of betrayal. People had believed a one-sided story without giving a thought about judas' side.

[Sahansdal]

I am not religious so I will be skipping this book, but I do kind of like the premise of it. I always like "conspiracy theories" or unique points of view when it comes to commonly accepted beliefs, especially about something like religion, where nothing is really based on evidence in the first place.

The evidence is personally experienced. It is true it cannot be imparted. That's part of why I like religion.

[SavannaEGoth]

I myself am not a religious person, though I do find it interesting to get to learn more about other people's views and religions. In recent years I myself pondered over certain religious figures, primarily Satan and Judas, and have been considering the stories surrounding them in Christianity in a new light. An entire book analyzing Judas and his motivations is actually really intriguing. I, too, wanted to get a taste of the book but only found other people's reviews and thoughts on it so that was a bit disappointing. I might end up just buying this book to see what the author had to say on the matter.

I think my interest in learning about antagonistic characters stems from the idea that there's a reason for everyone's personality, everyone's actions. We're all molded a certain way by events from our past coupled with our own psychology. I enjoy occasionally playing the devil's advocate (literally) and attempt to better understand what a character did that led to them "becoming" evil or at least why others perceived them to be that way.

I haven't yet gotten to read it, but from an interest standpoint I'm tentatively giving it a three out of four stars so long as it's well-written and seems plausible.

[Chrystal Oaks]

My first impression of Misreading Judas is that it is a short dissertation. I liked all the sources Wahler included, and being introduced to terms and concepts that were new to me. What I disliked most was Wahler's arrogant attitude peppered throughout his book. We all have experiences (in respect to religion or spiritual) that can feel like this is the ultimate truth, but we have to respect each others' experiences without putting them down. This is what I felt like Wahler did. I would recommend this book to anyone who is questioning religions or wanting another perspective on Christianity. Wahler does offer some interesting and different views on the Bible and the Gospel of Judas. I will rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

[bauer_ve]

One word the perfectly sums up Misreading Judas...wow. I’m sure that the conclusions discussed are extremely controversial. Not only the fact that Judas was not a betrayer of Jesus, but that there were other successors after Jesus. I am not all to familiar with the ins and outs of the Bible so I like that Robert Wahler clearly explains his points and provides ample examples and quotations. I think this would be very interesting for the religious audience but I don’t know if they would necessarily like to read this book! It is well deserving of its 4 out of 4 star ratings

[OliviaLouise]

Love reading unique and new perspectives like that of this book. In addition to this book, I’ve reviewed a couple of religious books on here by now, and have noticed that the text is not always accessible to people who don’t have a background in the faith. I see a few other people have mentioned this as well. How do you think this can be rectified? Or do you think the target audience is just people who already have a lot of experience with this topic, and it doesn’t need to be rectified?

[Sahansdal]

My first impression of Misreading Judas is that it is a short dissertation. I liked all the sources Wahler included, and being introduced to terms and concepts that were new to me. What I disliked most was Wahler's arrogant attitude peppered throughout his book. We all have experiences (in respect to religion or spiritual) that can feel like this is the ultimate truth, but we have to respect each others' experiences without putting them down. This is what I felt like Wahler did. I would recommend this book to anyone who is questioning religions or wanting another perspective on Christianity. Wahler does offer some interesting and different views on the Bible and the Gospel of Judas. I will rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

I'm no putting down Christians! I'm calling out SCHOLARS whose JOB it is to know better! Getting tired of saying it.

[Sahansdal]

One word the perfectly sums up Misreading Judas...wow. I’m sure that the conclusions discussed are extremely controversial. Not only the fact that Judas was not a betrayer of Jesus, but that there were other successors after Jesus. I am not all to familiar with the ins and outs of the Bible so I like that Robert Wahler clearly explains his points and provides ample examples and quotations. I think this would be very interesting for the religious audience but I don’t know if they would necessarily like to read this book! It is well deserving of its 4 out of 4 star ratings

Thanks! I was beginning to wonder if I failed.