" [What did Jesus Look Like? ] is a rich and lavishly illustrated adventure into a vexing historical question." -- Biblical Theology Bulletin "[A] fascinating book. 5*" -- The Sunday Telegraph "This instructive and superbly illustrated study is a joy to read." -- Times Literary Supplement "[Taylor] has an enviable eye for the practicalities of life in the New Testament''s world . It must be a promising sign, wishing a book did not end when it does." -- The Daily Telegraph "[A] wide-ranging, richly illustrated study." -- The Daily Mail "Joan E. Taylor holds a well-deserved reputation as an eminent scholar of the historical Jesus, and this book will increase readers'' appreciation for her perceptive analysis and research.
a beautiful and highly recommended book." -- Catholic Biblical Quarterly "In this beautifully written, lavishly artistic, and appealing book, Taylor (King''s College London, UK) challenges readers to reappraise their mental picture of what Jesus looked like . By tracing the artistic development of Jesus to the archaeological findings of the period, Taylor demolishes the customary and culturally recognized Jesus in favor of a more realistic picture of Jesus''s physical appearance. Summing Up: Highly recommended." -- CHOICE "Taylor''s gorgeous book can be recommended for university classrooms as a text useful for studies of Christian iconography, or the history of ideas about Jesus." -- Reading Religion " What Did Jesus Look Like? is significant for all who are interested in Christian history and faith [.] Each time I flipped through it and beheld the pieces of art, I was flooded with memories of my own experiences involving images of Jesus. Time and again, I felt like Holmes''s comrade, Dr.
Watson. With each turn of the page, I was astounded as Taylor took historical clues and transformed my confusion into clarity." -- The Christian Century "A well-illustrated compact volume." -- Church Times "Thought-provoking,informative and beautifully illustrated book . Although resting on plenty of solid scholarship, evidenced in the pages of notes and bibliography, this is a very readable study and encourages us to reflect on our own picture of Jesus and where it has come from." -- Methodist Recorder "I love this richly illustrated book, in which Taylor considers lots of evidence and presents a new and strikingly different vision of his appearance." -- The Bookseller "Thanks to her detailed historical reconstruction, [Taylor] was able to literally sketch out an image that stands as a more faithful representation of the most famous man in Western history." -- Aleteia "An exceptionally grand book .
a survey so rich in textual illustration and artistry that by the time the reader has made it through to the end of the book their only utterance is a quietly whispered ''wow'' breathed out in awe . This book is genius. A term I am not used to using of books, or most authors and scholars. But here it applies to both book and scholar. Pure genius." --Jim West, Zwinglius Redivivus "Compelling . [An] impressive piece of scholarship." -- Journal of Theological Studies "A terrific book [which] takes us on an intriguing journey into how people thought about Jesus.
" -- Psephizo "Scholarly and erudite." -- Art and Christianity "In this beautifully illustrated volume, Joan Taylor takes readers on a fascinating journey all the way back through mediaeval art and relics, catacomb paintings and basilica frescoes to the historical Jesus himself. With wide-ranging erudition and impeccable scholarly judgement, Taylor uncovers both his physical appearance and the clothing he most likely wore. Prepare to have your mental image of Jesus changed forever!" -- Helen K. Bond, University of Edinburgh, UK "A lucid, organized, and beautifully illustrated survey of the ways Christians have pictured Jesus through the centuries. Taylor writes with the erudition of a scholar and the passion of an excellent story teller. Highly recommended." -- Robin Jensen, University of Notre Dame, USA "This is a book I have been waiting for, could not put down and wished did not end when it did.
I recommend this book to those willing to embark on an intriguing journey to recover what Jesus may have looked like. It is a great resource for teachers, artists and preachers." --Kathleen Rushton, Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 227.