Jesus Mean and Wild: The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God [Hardcover]

Mark Galli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

Many Christians are used to the idea of a meek and mild Jesus, the stereotypical "nice guy." Countering these all too prevalent notions, Mark Galli offers a unique study of seventeen troubling passages from the book of Mark to prove we should be anything but comfortable with Christ. Highlighting the incontrovertible fact of an untamable and often militant Messiah, Galli gives readers a training manual in spiritual growth to awaken sleeping believers and transform them into devoted disciples. Hinging on the compelling nature of the love of God, he explains how this mean and wild Jesus shows us truer love than our pleasant construct ever could. Striking and bold, but always rooted in Scripture, Jesus Mean and Wild will put readers on the road to true discipleship.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Christianity Today editor Galli explores the less lovable side of the Christian deity, offering a well-written, thoroughly researched look at Jesus. "The warm and friendly Jesus, although an attractive idea, is but an idol," Galli says. He uses 17 passages in the Gospel of Mark to present a Jesus who is much less loving, gentle and patient than many Christians would like to believe. This Jesus can be stern, confrontational, purposefully confusing and even impatient. He sometimes shames and scares us, but loves us enough to draw us inexorably toward him: "For Jesus has come to us, the real Jesus—mean, wild, and pulsing with an unnerving and irresistible love." Although several other recent books, including Mark Buchanan's Your God Is Too Safe and R.T. Kendall's Out of Your Comfort Zone, have also traversed the God-is-dangerous territory, this one contributes much to the discussion; Galli's writing is clear and concise, his logic smooth, his knowledge of early Christian saints helpful, the discussion questions on target and his conclusions inescapable. Readers will come away with a disconcerting new understanding of "Jesus mean and wild." (July)
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From the Inside Flap

FRONT FLAP Meet another side of Jesus--not always safe, but good! The contemporary church loves to paint Jesus as gentle, meek. . . nice. But in this striking new work, Mark Galli introduces us to a different sort of savior--one who often makes other people feel decidedly uncomfortable. Focusing on Jesus as he is portrayed in Mark's Gospel, Galli unveils the power of Christ in his militancy-an aspect frequently ignored in many churches today. Through biblical episodes, stories of saints--classic and contemporary--personal snapshots, and discussion questions, Galli shows that Christ's deep love for his people is richer and more difficult than we imagine. But it is in this persistent, fearsome, untamed love that we can find true joy. BACK FLAP Mark Galli is the managing editor of Christianity Today. A former Presbyterian minister, he is the author or coauthor of several books, including 131 Christians Everyone Should Know and Francis of Assisi and His World.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801012848
• ISBN-13: 978-0801012846
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #926,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Galli (MDiv, Fuller Theological Seminary) is managing editor of Christianity Today magazine. He was a pastor for ten years and is the author of numerous books on prayer, preaching, and pastoral ministry.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing perspective, August 19, 2006

By 

T. Ellsworth (Jackson, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jesus Mean and Wild: The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God (Hardcover)

It seems in too many Christian circles we have this idea of a warm and cuddly Jesus -- a Jesus who would never say anything stern, a Jesus who would never make people mad. Too many Christians have embraced Christianity as a religion of being nice -- and if, heaven forbid, you ever say something that's not nice, then you're a wretched sinner.

Galli challenges this idea. He takes 17 passages from the gospel of Mark and shows how Jesus often acted in ways we might not expect -- or even in ways that maybe some think he shouldn't.

For example, he starts with Mark 1:11-12, which says that after Jesus was baptized, "the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness." Why did God do this? Isn't God supposed to be loving? Surely he wouldn't deliberately bring suffering into our lives. But that's exactly what God the Father did to Jesus in this passage. Galli uses this example to argue that difficulties and sufferings are often God's ways of fashioning the character of men and women.

Other examples Galli draws upon from the life of Jesus include his stern warning to the leper who was healed, his rebuke of Peter, his driving the money changers out of the temple, etc.

Galli's book is a refreshing perspective on who Jesus really is. Concise and readable, each chapter is about 8-10 pages long and can stand alone as its own unit -- meaning it's a book that you can read over a long period of time and not feel like you're missing the big picture.

Ultimately, Galli challenges the reader to get to know the real Jesus, not the one we've conjured up and not the one with whom we want to be comfortable -- because God will not allow us the luxury of being comfortable with him.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful book, very well written, January 4, 2007

By 

David Murrow (Anchorage, AK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Jesus Mean and Wild: The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God (Hardcover)

Mark Galli reveals a Jesus who prowls the pages of scripture, yet is rarely seen in our play it safe, praise and worship churches. This Jesus is more Lion of Judah than Lamb of God -- a man's man who never backed down from a fight. The delicious irony is that this Jesus would be expelled from many a church -- for being too "UnChristlike."

My only beef with this book: Galli has a real bias against large, successful churches, dismissing them as prideful. He says that Christ prefers to work through small, humble churches. He ignores the fact that wherever Christ went, large crowds followed. I have no doubt that Jesus can work through churches large AND small, but in my experience large churches are much more likely to embody Christ's wildness, risk-taking and mission focus.

This book is definitely worth a read. I highly recommend it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Response to the "Sissified" Jesus, October 22, 2008

By 

Trevin Wax - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus Mean and Wild: The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God (Paperback)

Enough of the sweet, innocent Jesus "meek and mild." Mark Galli reminds us of the less lovable side of Jesus Christ - the sayings that sound mean, the untamable wildness of Christ's goodness. The sweet, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly Jesus is "an idol," Galli says, in a book that's sure to ruffle a few feathers.

Jesus Mean and Wild is partly a response to the "sissified" Jesus in much of today's evangelicalism. Galli's Jesus makes demands. He causes commotion. He says hard things. He overturns tables. According to Galli, God loves you and has a difficult plan for your life.

Jesus Mean and Wild is commendable in many ways. Galli takes us back to the Gospels for a convincing exposition of Jesus in his context, showing how the biblical Jesus is not as tame and domesticated as we sometimes make him out to be. He is unpredictable, feisty, prepared for battle, and calling for repentance. But Galli convincingly argues that this is the Jesus that ultimately satisfies, not the impotent version presented as a panacea for all of your problems.

(My favorite story in the book is Galli's description of a Bible study he hosted for Laotians. When he got to the story about Jesus calming the sea, he launched into the typical "Jesus can calm the storms of your life" spiritualization, but found to his amazement that the Laotians were much more excited and amazed that Jesus actually calmed the storm. "The power of Christ frightens us -as well it should," he writes.)

There are moments where Galli overstates his case. Yes, Jesus could be fiery and "wild," but he also showed gentleness, self-control, and remarkable patience. But overall, Galli rightfully exposes the "nice" Jesus and replaces him with the much richer biblical portrait.