The Secret Legacy of Jesus

January 15, 2010
This work is something of a sequel to Btz's "The Brother of Jesus and the Lost Teachings of Christianity", which made a convincing case for the suppressed primacy of James the Just, the blood brother of Jesus of Nazareth, and the subsequent loss of a Jewish emphasis in Christianity in favor of Paul's more global, "Gentile" focus. Btz, a Lutheran minister, attempts to follow the survival, through Ebionites, Elkesaites, Cathars, and Freemasons, of James the Just's tradition, down to the ideas that informed the founders of the United States. The hectoring title and presentation cynically try to remind the reader of certain best sellers and blockbuster movies, and while there is talk of turning Btz's "Brother of Jesus" into a feature film, his ideas deserve the attention of open-minded readers. VERDICT While evidence for an unbroken tradition is tenuous at best, Btz's book provocatively reminds readers of the persistence of non- and even anti-Pauline types of Christianity; for spiritual seekers, scholars, and open-minded Christians.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2010
Although the inclusion of the Founding Fathers in the subtitle plays to the books most sensational (and least convincing) angle, this is actually a well-researched look at the Jerusalem followers of Jesus and what became of them. Pauls mission to the Gentiles eventually overshadowed the Jewish Christian element of the church, but as Btz explains, this contingent did not simply disappear. He carefully follows groups known as the Nazarenes and the Ebionites and explains the effect they had on later permutations of Christianity, and he makes the case for a heavy Jewish Christian effect on Islam. The book goes further afield as it tries to trace this influence on groups such as the Knights Templar and Freemasons, which Btz claims affected Americas Founding Fathers as they shaped the country. Btz uses ancient writings, such as the Gospels of James and Hebrews, to make his case. Though its easy to differ with some of his conclusions (and his tendency to go along with fringe historians), this is a fascinating read for seekers of the historical Jesus.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)