Customer Reviews

Complete Idiot's Guide to the Life of Christ

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Yes, something good can come from Nazareth, and here we have something good about the same thing, coming out of Complete Idiot-land. It's a little hard to get used to, since it's not really a Sunday school paper, but not quite a copy of the New Testament, either.

Includes sections on how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, and a section analyzing the Book of Revelation. Doing this explores the context of Christ's life, and this format ends up producing a refreshing new look.

The radical nature of Christ's message comes out clearly, as the author here boils it down: don't worry about anything; disregard hypocrites; love your neighbor.

The anaylsis of the four gospel books is pretty standard. For a guy who, according to the back cover, is on a teaching gig at St. John the Divine cathedral in NYC (home of ultra-liberals like William Sloane Coffin), the author is remarkably Orthodox in his approach. Althouth he's a Presbyterian, he's in touch with urban ministries and younger people, all of which comes out here.

The anti-scholastic tone achieved by the cover and packaging may also be more authentically Christ-like than most people would think. The author leaves room in his writing for doubts about who Jesus was, or is, which is also appropriate for this medium.

I found this book to be quite excellent.It is written simply, like most Idiot's guides. The information to my knowledge is quite accurate. I was actually surprised at the quality of this book. From the culture surrounding Jesus, to his birth, life, and death, this book covers it all. The book is packed with interesting facts. It is not overly complex, and won't try to "convert" anyone. It simply gives an overview of Christ. But even non-Christians will admire Jesus Christ after reading about his truly awesome life on this earth.

Unlike other books of this sort, "Life of Christ" actually manages to teach you something! Not only does it focus on the existence of Jesus, the greatest teacher and thinker of all time, but it also includes details about the patriarchs, the prophets, the related history -- all the information you need to fully appreciate the tragically inspirational story of Jesus Christ. The author is truly gifted and talented; his own attitude and writing style are something to marvel at! This is a definite must read for all who are curious about the world's most passionate teacher and savior!

This book goes into great detail of the life of Jesus Christ, and his teachings according to the Bible. One thing I resented was the author's belief that Jesus did not walk on water, the author refers to it as a figure of speech. He also denies that Jesus actually fed 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, again referring to it as a symbol, not as an actual occurence. Although meant in a good way, it still apalled me to hear this, as a Christian who believes the Bible is the absolute truth. If one can say those events did not actually happen, what else could be said about the credibility of the Gospels? I would recommend reading the BIBLE to study Jesus' life.