Reza Aslan was on Piers Morgan last night speaking about his book "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth." Dr. Aslan also appeared on Fox News where he was subject to a biased interview by reporter Lauren Green. The Fox News anchor questioned the religious scholar about his ability to write a book on the subject of Jesus because of his Muslim faith.
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Dr. Aslan appeared on Fox News with the intention of speaking about his book and the conclusions he drew about the life of a man we historically know little about. What ended up happening was Aslan had to defend himself as a Muslim and a scholar against what Piers Morgan called a "ridiculous" line of questioning.
Piers Morgan asked Dr. Aslan what he was thinking when Lauren Green asked why as a Muslim, he would want to write about the founder of Christianity.
"Well, look, I mean truly I was kind of embarrassed," Reza Aslan said to Piers Morgan. "I mean there's nothing more distasteful than an academic having to trot out his credentials. You really come off as a jerk when you do that."
On the other hand Aslan said he found it difficult not to keep mentioning that he is qualified to write a book about Jesus when he was being interviewed by FOX. Aslan said he had hoped Green would move on and allow him to talk about his book.
Piers Morgan asked Dr. Aslan the question Fox News did not, "What is the premise of the book and what is the conclusion that you reached?" Morgan asked.
"Well the book is a historical biography of a man named Jesus of Nazareth," Aslan said. "It tries to sort of separate him from the Christology that arose from around him in the generations that followed. And it's really an attempt to figure out what can we know about this man."
Reza Aslan goes on to explain that there is very little historical fact known about Jesus the man and that much of what we know does indeed stem from Christianity. But the book is not an attack on Christians or any other religion, Aslan reiterates. Aslan said his goal with the book was to place Jesus in a historical context and try and figure out who he was as a man based on the world in which Jesus lived.
"I just take what little we know about [Jesus], that he was a Jew, that he started a Jewish movement [and] that he was crucified as a state criminal as a result," Aslan told Morgan.
Aslan said the picture that arises about the life of Jesus the man is "far more revolutionary than the kind of detached celestial spirit that I think most people think Jesus was."
Piers Morgan then asked Aslan if after his experience with Fox did he think it will be helpful if more Christians read about the Muslim faith and vice-versa.
"Look I mean knowledge is the key to figuring out who we are and how we feel about each other," Aslan said. "I just want to say, I completely understand where Lauren Green is coming from I kind of feel bad for her. I mean the truth of the matter is that when you write about religion like I do, you're writing about something that people take very seriously."
"I understand," Aslan continued, "that a lot of people...feel sometimes that academics like myself are attacking their faith."
Dr. Aslan continued by saying he has no interest in attacking Christianity. For a while when he first came to the U.S., his PhD was in Christianity, but later decided to return to the faith of his ancestors. Aslan's wife and mother are also Christians and he said despite returning to his Muslim roots he never lost his fascination with Jesus. Aslan said that Jesus' life, charitable works and death are the reasons he considers Jesus to be one of his heroes.
The other point Aslan makes in defense of his book not being an attack on Christians is the fact that Jesus was a Jewish man who lived and worked with other Jewish people. The book explores more of the Jewish world Jesus lived in. Christianity did not begin really until after the Crucifixion and (depending on your belief system) the resurrection of Christ.
Since Reza Aslan's Fox interview, his book, "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth" has become number one on Amazon.
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