{"product_id":"book-fy4t","title":"Heretic","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"\"A brilliant book...illuminates a forgotten world.\"\" -\u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e, Best of the Year\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"\"\u003cem\u003eHeretic\u003c\/em\u003e tells a moreish intellectual story and shakes up your understanding of Western history. At the same time, somewhat improbably, it supplies at least one good joke per paragraph; you have to keep turning back to enjoy them again.\"\" ―\u003cem\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/em\u003e, Best of the Year\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom a celebrated classicist and author of \u003cem\u003eThe Darkening Age\u003c\/em\u003e (\"[a] ballista-bolt of a book\"-\u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e), a biography of the many, diverse variations of Jesus who thrived in early Christian traditions-and how they were lost until just one \"true\" Christ survived.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eContrary to the teachings of the church today, in the first several centuries of Christianity's existence, there was no consensus as to who Jesus was or why he had mattered. Instead, there were many different Christs. One had a twin brother and traveled to India; another consorted with dragons. One particularly terrifying Christ scorned his parents and killed those who opposed him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoreover, in the early years of the first millennium there were many other saviors, many sons of gods who healed the sick and cured the lame. But as Christianity spread, they were pronounced unacceptable - even heretical - and they faded from view.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHeretic\u003c\/em\u003e unearths the different versions of Christ who existed in the minds of early Christians, and the process of evolution-and elimination-by which Jesus became the singular figure we know today. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eHeretic \u003c\/em\u003ehas the mother lode of tales too hot for Christendom. Nixey has carefully wrung out a number of apocryphal texts for scandal.\" -\u003cem\u003eHarper's Magazine \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49351047250224,"sku":"BDfy4t","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio CD","offer_id":49351047282992,"sku":"ZEfy4t","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio MP3-CD","offer_id":49351047315760,"sku":"ZMfy4t","price":45.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio CD [XE]","offer_id":49351047348528,"sku":"XEfy4t","price":46.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/fy4t-Square-cover.jpg?v=1776503853","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-fy4t","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}