Making of the Messiah, The

Book Description

In The Making of the Messiah, skeptical investigator Robert Sheaffer applies the same rigorous analytical methods used to examine modern paranormal claims to the foundational stories of Christianity. Drawing exclusively from ancient sources familiar to biblical scholars, Sheaffer reconstructs a dramatically different narrative of Christianity's origins than traditional accounts provide.

Rather than accepting conventional interpretations, Sheaffer examines how early Christian writers may have deliberately altered historical facts to make their emerging religion more appealing to potential converts. His investigation reveals what he presents as a pattern of purposeful embellishment, tracing how stories evolved over time from simple accounts to elaborate mythologies.

The author challenges core Christian narratives by proposing that Jesus faced execution under Jewish law rather than Roman crucifixion, suggesting the Virgin Birth story conceals a more complex family situation, and demonstrating how Resurrection accounts grew increasingly detailed in later gospel writings. Sheaffer argues that Christianity emerged from social tensions between lower classes and Roman authority, developing through what he characterizes as systematic distortion of historical events.

This 192-page analysis offers readers an opportunity to examine familiar religious narratives through an entirely different lens. For those willing to question established interpretations and explore alternative perspectives on spiritual history, Sheaffer presents his case for viewing Christianity's development as a deliberate construction rather than divine revelation. The work invites readers to consider how religious movements form and transform over time.