This book was a roller coaster.

Some ups: 

1) The first chapter was very well sourced and gave great information about how we get the Christmas story wrong. The quality of this chapter set my expectations for the rest of the book, but sadly that level of scholarship did not keep up.

2) The author quotes from theologians I'd never heard of, presumably because their works are not translated into English. I am DYING to someday read more from:

- D.T. Niles (from Sri Lanka)

- Matta al-Miskin (from Egypt)

- Ibn al-Tayyib (from Iraq)

I rather think this book worth the time just to learn from these men I don't think I'd have the chance to anywhere else.

Some downs:

1) This book is much more of a commentary by the author (a white American man who spent a good part of his life in the Middle East) than a well-sourced book on actual Middle Eastern Christian theology. The author does have some cool insights, and I was able to appreciate that once I realized that's all they were - his insights. 

2) While he is free to comment how he will on Biblical stories, it made me pretty angry to read his take on Bathsheba and on disabled people, specifically. I am not unused to their stories being interpreted in this way, but it's rather objectively wrong and awful. So. There's that. And I guess double upsetting because again, it's just his perspective, not even a credible take from Middle Eastern theologians. Why'd you have to say all that, dude.

Overall I'm glad I read this, but I'd recommend with reservation.