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Summary:
Jesus came preaching, but the church wound up preaching Jesus. Why does the church insist upon making Jesus the object of its attention rather than heeding his message? Esteemed Harvard minister Peter J. Gomes believes that excessive focus on the Bible and doctrines about Jesus have led the Christian church astray. "What did Jesus preach?" asks Gomes. To recover the transformative power of the gospel—"the good news"—Gomes says we must go beyond the Bible and rediscover how to live out Jesus' original revolutionary message of hope:
"Dietrich Bonhoeffer once warned against cheap grace, and I warn now against cheap hope. Hope is not merely the optimistic view that somehow everything will turn out all right in the end if everyone just does as we do. Hope is the more rugged, the more muscular view that even if things don't turn out all right and aren't all right, we endure through and beyond the times that disappoint or threaten to destroy us."
This gospel is offensive and always overturns the status quo, Gomes tells us. It's not good news for those who wish not to be disturbed, and today our churches resound with shrill speeches of fear and exclusivity or tepid retellings of a health-and-wealth gospel. With his unique blend of eloquence and insight, Gomes invites us to hear anew the radical nature of Jesus' message of hope and change. Using examples from ancient times as well as from modern pop culture, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus shows us why the good news is every bit as relevant today as when it was first preached.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
What?
Customer Rating:
The front flap of this book suggests that the Church insists upon making Jesus the object of its attention rather than heeding His message. It suggests that the book will tell us how to live out Jesus' original revolutionary message of hope.
The book then proceeds to meander from topic to topic in a negative and sarcastic tone, tearing down and criticizing conservative Christians, with no clear insight on how readers can put Jesus' words to practical use with the exception of redistribution of wealth and acceptance of homosexuality. It also states repeatedly that Jesus is not the only way to God. I thought that Christians should be united, not divisive?
If Satan is the author of confusion, then I'm not sure what spirit is behind this book.
Worthy to be read to complement understanding of the Bible...awesome richness in Spirit!
Customer Rating:
I have gleaned deeper comprehension of Bible themes and concepts by this book. I would say, "Buy this book!" to anyone looking for a guide to deeper comprehension of the Word.
Not For the Fainthearted Christian...What's More Important? "Worshiping" Jesus or Living the Life Jesus Said to Live?
Customer Rating:
Orthodox believers, the strictly Orthodox, don't need to go here. Or maybe you should--if you are willing to think--to do what the Bible said do, "Worship the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, MIND, and strength.
For those who want to think and aren't afraid to delve into new areas of thought in an effort to make the faith come alive, truly alive, this is a good book, a very good book. But for those who want to read more of what they already believe, for those who want to stay in the cocoon of their faith, never asking or considering the tough questions, this is not the book for you. For Job, yes; for you, no.
The premise of this book is simply this: Is the church--Christians of today--"worshiping" Jesus to the point that they ignore or forget His message, what He said do, the lives He said to lead?
Most likely Christians of today really don't want to hear what Jesus said, they would prefer to worship him as Christ and Lord without letting him really be Christ and Lord. For many Christians--I hope not most--the message of Jesus would be as scandalous today as it was when he first spoke it. It caused him to be put to death before and it would cause many church people, good, well meaning church people, to want to put him to death again today. The church might well lead the charge for his second death as the church led the charge for his first death...
It is a lot easier and a lot more comfortable to worship Jesus on a pedestal as "Christ and Lord" than it is to hear his message and lead the lives He said live.
It brings to mind words from an old country gospel song, "Sorry, I never knew you..." Most Christians "know" who Jesus is, but they don't want to really know him. It would be too difficult on their lives of comfort and ease..." It would be scandalous...
Perhaps we should remember what Jesus said about being "lukewarm...."
Quality Service
Customer Rating:
My book came promptly and in good condition, as promised. Impressive service. The book is typically fine Gomes fare.
Preaching Jesus
Customer Rating:
One of the great ironies of the past 2000 years is that the message(s) of Jesus have been lost and billions of people preach Jesus while ignoring his message. Peter Gomes deals with just this issue in a masterful manner, at least in the first four chapters. His historical scholarshiop is impressive as is the breath and depth of his knowledge. Part 1 of his book needs to be read by any serious student of Christianity.
Somewhere along the line, Gomes appears to get lost (Ironically, this is not unlike the story of Christianity itself). The bulk of the rest of the book is certainly a good read, but it hardly matches the promise of the first four chapters. Indeed, while interesting and informative (who can't like an author who enjoys Steven Seagal movies?), the remainder of the book seems to ramble. Individual topics are well done (e.g., "When is the End Coming?", "Whatever Happened to Sin?", "The Fear Factor"), but at some point the book deteriorates into a series of sermons/lectures, however well written and informative.
But the lack of focus shouldn't deter serious students from reading this book.
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