The Christ Files with John Dickson

The Christ Files
by John Dickson

MasterLectures Video
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Source: Free month offer from MasterLectures.

Video Series Description:
In The Christ Files, historian Dr. John Dickson sets out to discover what we can know for certain about the life of Jesus. In a captivating journey across the globe, this series examines ancient documents and consults the world’s most respected historians and scholars. Filmed in seven countries, the documentary reveals the earliest and most important manuscript evidence for Jesus of Nazareth, including the writings of Josephus, Tacitus, the apostle Paul and the controversial Gnostic Gospels. The Christ Files provides viewers with a front row seat to the facts behind Western civilization’s most influential story.


My Review:
Each episode was 21-22 minutes long.

The Christ Files is a video series that examines the question of how certain we can be about the accuracy of the accounts about Christ in the Bible. The host went to different places around the world to talk with experts about this topic. The series examined ancient documents that mention Jesus and what we can learn from them about Jesus. We learned about writings from various cultures, and the host explained how cultural aspects further build assurance in the biblical account. For example, several sources showed that it would be hard to convince a Roman (among others) that someone who died on a cross was worth worshiping, yet Romans became Christians. The speaker was easy to listen to and understand. Overall, I'd recommend this series.

Session 1: Gnostics and Romans: How the ancient world viewed Jesus of Nazareth
Session 2: Jews and Christians: Jesus according to his own people
Session 3: Lost Sources and Oral Traditions
Session 4: Archaeologists and Artifacts: Piecing together the world of Jesus


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.