Customer Reviews

Introducing Jesus

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If you are looking for a fast, simple introduction to Jesus and Christianity, this is a superb starting place. There is more comic-strip illustration than text, and it does try to cover all the basics in a very short space, from issues such as who Jesus thought he was or was not, as the case may be, who his followers thought he was, through to the early Church and on to phenomena such as liberation theology.

It could be used as a resource for groups wanting stimulating discussion.

The above question has stimulated debates and arguments throughout the centuries and still hasn't been resolved. Jesus For Beginners attempts to answer the question through exploring the Jesus of history, the Jesus of faith and the Jesus as seen through the eyes of the institution called the church.

Readers are given a clear and broad historical view of Jesus, the times he lived in and the context in which he preached his message. From there we are led into the theological developments of Jesus as interpreted by the Apostle Paul and finally we are given a sweeping view of how Christianity in the form of an institution (the church) dealt with defining the person of Jesus in order to stifle doctrinal dissent.

The material in the book is good as well as its presentation. O'Hear attempts to be objective but ends up in a quagmire of doubt in finally pinpointing who Jesus was. In many cases the author shows his ignorance about theological views that focus on Jesus by not giving them a closer examination. If anything, O'Hear keeps the debate going. Those who have theological training will appreciate O'Hear's attempts to introduce Jesus and his place in history. I picture this book as one for stimulating discussions about Jesus for those who are professional religionists (clergy, seminairians, laity in full time ministry) as well as someone who wants to know about the historical character called Jesus.

I didn't like this book too much. A little bit too simplistic...