Jesus Books - Page 23

Guadalupe: Mother of the New Creation

Virgilio P. Elizondo

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Please note 2 out of 5 stars.
14 of 38 people found this review helpful.

While Mr. Elizondo obviously cares deeply about justice, readers should be aware that certain views expressed in this book are definitely not orthodox Catholic/Christian teaching, especially regarding Mary.

AS WE AGAIN APPROACH HER FEAST DAY READ THIS BOOK NOW FOR THE SERIOUS SEARCHER, FOR THE SEARCHING CATHOLIC, FOR A ROAD BACK HOME 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book from the greatest American Catholic publishing house Orbis Books, a division of the Maryknoll American Catholic Missionary Society, of which my uncle is a long time member, not only serves as an excellent introduction for the serious academic researcher of this American religious phenomenon, but also ably and consolingly accompanies any already knowledgeable and faithful and practicing Catholic on our long pilgrimage with Our Lady of Guadalupe, la Virgen Morenita, Queen of the Americas.

Twenty five years ago I was privileged while accompanying Mayan Indians fleeing the US supported right wing genocide in their ancient mountain homeland to visit several times the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe near Mexico City. The old and traditional Basilica visited by US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy had sunk into the swampy ancient lake bed which forms the Mexico City region and so the tilma had been removed to a new and larger and modern Basilica nearby, yet we still could visit the old Basilica and observe the votos left by past generations of pilgrims. I was also able a few times to climb Tepeyac to the chapel at the site of the apparition which came so early in the occupation by Europeans of this hemisphere, a generation after Columbus's first voyage. Upon descending from that hilltop I bought a bag of roast chicken at a stand, and following the instructions I had received did not share with a mother and baby who asked some of me, and disaster has followed me ever since. This Thanksgiving I have given two turkeys to poor families in Mexico and hope in this way to make at least partial reparation to Our Lady of the Poor at Guadalupe, for my past selfish and thoughtless failures, particularly that most painful one upon her very doorstep of Tepeyac. I come too late to learn, but we must ever remain on our pilgrimage to total conversion, and not turn aside in despair but ever move forward.

Thus within the first page and a half of this book, I could not read for my tears, as the Reverend Father Elizondo so faithfully recounts his own first trip to Tepeyac with his father as a small child, and his own communion of prayer with the poor masses within that ancient basilica, before the tilma graced by Our Lady. I felt after so many solitary visits there accompanied, understood, in communion of prayer with a profound and a Catholic and a prayerful soul.

And so is this book, a journal of Father Elizondo's pilgrimage and profound research of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Here we find a comprehensive Marian theological treatise of Gudalupe accessible to any reader, and especially useful as we approach the novena of her Feast Day December 12th.

These past years I have been fortunate to join in pre-dawn procession in my parish in Mexico bearing the image of Our Lady Of Guadalupe throughout the small village, praying the Rosary, the major Marian prayer, in union with my fellow parishioners of our Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our patroness, our protectress, our mediatrix, our mother, la Virgen Morena.

This book then recollects my memories and aspirations, informs my knowledge of this theology, and strengthens my resolve on our pilgrimage home.

Father Elizondo remarks at the beginning of this book: "The more I try to comprehend the intrinsic force and energy of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego in Tepeyac in 1531, at the very beginning of the Americas, the more I dare to say that I do not know of any other event since the Pentecost that has had such a revolutionary, profound, lasting, far-reaching, healing, and liberating impact on Christianity (p. xi)." This book is the welcome, comprehensive, rich and nutritious fruit of the Reverend Father Elizondo's efforts to comprehend, and here to report his contemplative, serious research.

His concluding thoughts include: "John the Apostle had a vision, which I cited earlier, of this type of newness breaking forth: And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head, a crown of twelve stars. And being with child, she cried out in her travail and was in the anguish of delivery. (Rev. 12:1-2) The conquest was killing off Our Lady's children. The new world order would soon seek to destroy all differences or enslave and exploit the weaker other. The mother of the new world order does not want this. She cries out to let her children be born and demands a caring and loving home for all the children of this earth (p. 134)."

Let this brief passage, built upon the firm foundation of all that precedes in this excellent work of Catholic spirituality, serve to whet your spiritual appetite for the substantial theological feast here within. Truly this book will edify and strengthen you, and let us thus pray in procession together though far apart in the week leading up to her Feast, that one day we may all walk together in her eternal warmth.

Please see as well the many excellent Catholic works by the prolific and the Reverend Father Virgilio Elizondo, including if you can La Morenita: Evangelizer of the Americas (Spanish/English) and his many contributions to the excellent Catholic periodical publication Concilium, including 1492-1992: The Voice of the Victims (Concilium).

Hard Sayings of Jesus (Jesus Library)

Frederick Fyvie Bruce

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An excellent book to determine personal dedication to Christ. 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.

I have used this book as the basis for more than one study on personal commitment to Christ. This is where "the rubber meets the road." Are you willing to accept Jesus' way of living, or are you content to offer him lip service and slog along in the muck of worldliness? As Bruce says, "Any attempt to soften the meaning of Christ's words is probably wrong" (my paraphrase). My only problem with the book is that it brings me up against myself,...and I am often found wanting.

Not the best for confronting cultists 1 out of 5 stars.
8 of 17 people found this review helpful.

If you are looking for "Short and Snappy Answers to Defeat the Cultist on your Doorstep", this is not the book you want.

While each Saying is considered in a brief page or two, the style of this book is to discuss and analyze the text very closely, but so closely that the discussion bogs down into such things as transitive vs intransitive verbs, etc. Yes, it explains the subtlety of the text but in such detail that the answer can only be appreciated by a Believer. Unfortunately, I find that it does not answer my questions about the Hard Sayings of Jesus very well either.

Nothing in this book equps me to answer the Hard Questions of the Cultist who stands on the street corner passing out tracts or comes to my door offering "The Truth". On such occasions, which often degenerate into a theological streetfight, I need to use the Word as a sword. Therefore, I want a big sword not a magnifying glass.

As a Christian, I appreciate this book as it requires me to ponder the depth and richness of God's Word. But this is not the book to present to a skeptic who needs simpler, more direct, less obtuse answers to his or her questions.

Editorial Review:

F.F. Bruce examines seventy of the hard saying of Jesus to clear away the cultural and historical difficulties which keep us from grappling with the real challenge of Jesus' message. Evident is Bruce's keen evangelical scholarship and pastoral insight.

The Pagan Christ: Is Blind Faith Killing Christianity?

Tom Harpur

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Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For forty years and in nine previous books, scholar and religious commentator Tom Harpur has challenged church orthodoxy and guided thousands of readers on subjects as controversial as the true nature of Christ and life after death. Now, in his most radical and groundbreaking work, Harpur digs deep into the origins of Christianity. What he has discovered will have a profound effect on the way we think about religion.

Long before the advent of Jesus Christ, the Egyptians and other peoples believed in the coming of a messiah, a madonna and her child, a virgin birth, and the incarnation of the spirit in flesh. The early Christian church accepted these ancient truths as the very tenets of Christianity but disavowed their origins. What began as a universal belief system based on myth and allegory became instead, in the third and fourth centuries A.D., a ritualistic institution headed by ultraconservative literalists. “The transcendent meaning of glorious myths and symbols was reduced to miraculous, quite unbelievable events. The truth that Christ was to come in man, that the Christ principle was potentially in each of us, was changed to the exclusivist teaching that the Christ had come as a man.”

Harpur’s message is clear: Our blind faith in literalism is killing Christianity. Only with a return to an inclusive religion will we gain a true understanding of who we are and who we are intended to become. Drawing on the work of scholars such as Gerald Massey and Alvin Boyd Kuhn, Tom Harpur has written a book of rare insight and power.

Christpower

John Shelby Spong

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Christpower; The next level 5 out of 5 stars.
21 of 25 people found this review helpful.

Bishop Spong,a lifetime student and authority on Biblical history, has a distinct talent for helping the layman clearly understand meanings and context of often misquoted and erroneously used scriptures. Christpower, however, goes to the next level. His capable use of poetic license to communicate feeling and intent exhibits his thorough understanding and his wish to communicate spiritually to his readers. 5/5 stars to my favorite author.

Invitation to the Jesus Life: Experiment in Christlikeness

Jan Johnson

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Invitation to the Jesus Life 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As a pastor I bought the book to see what Jan Johnson had to say about living a Christlike life. After reading only parts of it I thought this would be a great study book for our monthly Family Night get together. I plan to use this book for a monthly "soul school" for our church family as we gather for Family Night.

Editorial Review:

It's easy to learn a little something about Jesus, but to encounter him on a daily basis changes everything. No longer can we live with the same earthly behavior or attitude. Our focus becomes eternal.

Jan Johnson helps readers experience Jesus in such a way that his love-drenched, others-focused nature shapes their character. Readers of all types will find the spiritual practices in each chapter inviting and challenging.

The Training of the Twelve

Alexander B. Bruce

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Great Classic on Christian Discipleship 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 21 people found this review helpful.

This book is a classic study of Jesus' teaching and training of his disciples (first published in 1871). When I first read it, I was fascinated by the light it shed on my reading of the Gospels. It is a very valuable study for any Christian who serves in any form of leadership capacity or anyone seeking to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The book's 31 chapters give an absorbing commentary on selected passages of the four Gospels, following in chronological order Jesus ministry and teaching among his disciples. The writing style will take a bit of getting used to for the average modern reader, but it's well worth the effort. There is also a table of Scripture references discussed in the book that make it useful reference work. Read it cover to cover first.

Essential Reading 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

After the Bible, The Training of the Twelve has been one of the most influential books in my development as a Christian. Using a loose "harmony of the Gospel" approach, Bruce uses all four gospel narratives to show how Jesus discipled His disciples. The book's greatest strength is that it is NOT a how-to book on discipleship or a 12-step program for leadership development. Instead, Bruce exegetes the passages showing what Jesus was doing with his disciples and leaves contemporary application to the reader. Written in the late 1800's, Bruce's use of the English language is outstanding, but many people used to USA Today type writing (monosylabic words, one sentence equals one paragraph) may find it difficult. It is well worth the effort. I find myself rereading it almost every other year. The first few times I read it as a disciple - what did Jesus want me to learn as His follower? Then I began to read it as a discipler - how can I be more effective in the process of making disciples? Now I also use it as a parent - how can I shepherd my lambs the way Jesus shepherded His? Transcending cultures, I have had the privilege of using this book to train small group leaders in the U.S. and around the world. Theologically sound, biblically true, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to obey Jesus's command to make disciples.

Editorial Review:

The monumental classic on discipleship and leadership training. A complete exposition of how Christ prepared His twelve disciples. (20040603)

The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus' Genius

David Flusser, R. Steven Notley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Historical Work 5 out of 5 stars.
26 of 26 people found this review helpful.

Table of Contents:
Forward, by R. Steven Notley
Introducing David Flusser's Jesus, by James H. Charlesworth
Preface
1: The Sources
2. Ancestry
3. Baptism
4. Law
5. Love
6. Ethics
7. The Kingdom of Heaven
8. The Son
9. The Son of Man
10. Jerusalem
11. Death
12. Epilogue
Chronological Table
Bibliography
Index of Subjects
Index of Scripture References

From Chapter 1 to the end of Chapter 12 it is 165 pages.

In David Flusser's own words, "The main purpose of this book is to show that it is possible to write the story of Jesus' life." This work is the conclusion of many decades of research and dedication to understanding the second temple period and Jesus. Originally, this was German book published in 1968. From that time, this book was translated into English in 1997. The content of the book has matured since the first editions in German and English through the archeological discoveries and maturing of David Flusser's own thinking. The first edition can be considered a mere beginning of his investigations and this edition is the culmination of his life's work. As such, this book should be treated more as a new work rather than a revision.

Some of Flusser's driving belief structures are discussed in chapter 1 and continue to be divulged through the course of the book. Some of these beliefs are 1) it is possible to tell the story of Jesus through the Gospel accounts 2) foundationally, Jesus functioned as a miracle worker and preacher; not a "kerygmatic" risen Lord 3) Jesus learned Judaism (thus was impacted by His contemporary teachers/movements) and revolutionized certain aspects of Judaism 4) the gospel accounts are based on one or more non-extant with Luke being the most accurate at preserving the early source of the historical Jesus.

Pros: David Flusser does a great job of combing through tons of second temple (and post temple period) literature and showing parallels between Jesus and other movements. Flusser did not set down all the technical details of those things which will ease the load for the average reader and provide a foundation for further research. Among varies literatures that the author utilizes, he most often went back to Essene for comparisons which is relatively new scholarship. Flusser also show examples of other people who were similar to Jesus, such as the Galileans Abba Hilkia and Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa. Flusser does a great job in highlighting what Jesus revolutionized: 1) "radical interpretation of the commandment of mutual love" 2) "the call for a new morality" and 3) "the idea of the kingdom of heaven."

Cons: I can't mention many cons for myself, but one I know would be important to others. Flusser does not accept that the so called "kerygmatic" is the actual Jesus. As such, he believes there has been some tampering to the gospel accounts to make a "kerygmatic" Christ. This would be the largest stumbling block for some Christians I know.

Conclusions: David Flusser has built the historical Jesus, and this book is well worth reading and studying. Even though David Flusser does not accept the full gospel story, it should not prevent the reader from making his/her own judgments on a great deal of material.

The Infinite Atonement

Tad R. Callister

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best book I've ever read on the subject 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.

I rarely rate religious books this highly - mostly because I lose interest faster than I should. (I guess my loss of interest says more about me than the subject matter.) I took just under 6 months to read this book, ponder its meaning, and research scriptural and other sources to see if it is correct in its teachings. And after spending a lifetime as a follower and admirer of the carpenter from Nazareth who is the Son of God, I can only say that this book did more for my understanding of the doctrine of the Atonement than any other book short of scripture.

The writing is clear and concise. The author has obviously distilled the study of a lifetime into this volume because it carries quotes from so many disparate sources that would have taken years to accumulate. From his background as a lawyer, the author is uniquely qualified to discuss justice, mercy and other related concepts. His main sources are scriptures - that is the Bible and also scriptures unique to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). C.S. Lewis and Joseph Smith are also two common sources.

The 300 pages of this book contain chapters on why an atonement is needed, what is the nature of the atonement, what it means, and how it was accomplished. The atonement is the central doctrine of Christianity and is so comprehensive and overwhelming in its scope that a guide such as this one is extrememly useful.

And besides the high intellectual content of this work, I found myself pondering over and over again the particularized question, "Considering what a failure I am, how is it possible that a Savior could care enough for me to suffer and die for me?"

I recommend this book highly to anyone.

Editorial Review:

The Infinite Atonement is rapidly becoming a classic, as it offers what may be the most comprehensive treatment of the Atonement in our day. With clarity, testimony, and understanding, Tad R. Callister teaches us rich and wonderful truths about this “doctrine of doctrines,” and elevates our spirits as we contemplate the perfect love of Him who gave us all that we might receive all.

The Magdalene Legacy: The Jesus and Mary Bloodline Conspiracy : Revelations Beyond The Da Vince Code

Laurence Gardner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the best-selling author of The Bloodline of the Holy Grail and Lost Secrets of the Sacred Ark comes an explosive historical detective story presenting secret archives on the mysterious life of Mary Magdalene, the hidden lineage of Jesus and Mary, and the real two-thousand-year-old conspiracy involving the entire history of Christianity.

Mary Magdalene is described in the New Testament as Jesus' close companion--a woman he loved and his financial sponsor. And yet, in contrast, the Church teaches that she was a prostitute who became repentant. Why the discrepancy between scripture and dogma?

Why does Mary appeal so romantically to artists who have painted her throughout the centuries as something much more significant than the Church traditionally portrays?

What is the secret of Mary Magdalene and how much do we really know about her relationship with Jesus? Were they married? Did they have children, and if so, who makes up the messianic lineage?

Laurence Gardner takes us on a detective trail to piece together the true controversial significance of the Magdalene story and its astonishing implications. These include the real da Vinci connection--the true meaning behind Leonardo da Vinci's paintings and why the Renaissance Church censored portrayals of the Magdalene--and information on the sacred marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Plus the truth about the enigmatic Templar society called the Priory of Scion and the underground stream that protected the sacred heritage of the messianic descendents. And much more!

* From the best-selling author of Bloodline of the Holy Grail.

* Dan Brown's smash hit The DaVinci Code has sparked a huge interest in Mary Magdalene, and Lawrence Gardner reveals the truth behind the Mary Magdalene mystery.

* Includes 50 color illustrations

Jesus the Jewish Theologian

Brad Young

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Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Jesus the Jewish Theologian establishes Jesus firmly within the context of first-century Judaism and shows how understanding Jesus' Jewishness is crucial for interpreting the New Testament and for understanding the nature of Christian faith. Insights from Jewish literature, archeology, and tradition help modern readers place Jesus within his original context. Particular attention is given to the Jewish roots of Jesus' teaching concerning the kingdom of God.

". . . this book illuminates anew how Jewish Jesus was. That should come as no surprise to Jews or to Christians, although it often does. Jesus grew from the soil of his people. In reading this book I was struck again and again with how Jesus' teachings were paralleled in my own tradition. . . . Dr. Young's book is not intended to diminish Jesus' teaching, but to show its roots."
—Rabbi David Wolpe, University of Judaism, Los Angeles

"Dr. Young . . . permits the words of Jesus to glisten within their own Semitic setting. . . . [He] has done his readers a great service in introducing them to Jewish theological thought. . . . What emerges, however, is not "Jesus the Jewish theologian" in any Western, systematic sense. Rather, in Jesus, Dr. Young presents an Eastern or Semitic theologian, one who employs a living, vibrant theology. . . ."
—Marvin R. Wilson, Gordon College