Jesus and the Religions of Man [Paperback]

David Marshall (Author), none (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

Who is Jesus? Enlightening Being who showed the way to unity with God and freed us from the bonds of karma? A man who taught men how to care for women? A figment of Galilean mythmakers' pious imaginations? Or Savior of the world? Enlightening, disturbing, engagingly written, and full of surprises, Jesus and the Religions of Man lays out a remarkable challenge to skeptics. In the tradition of Augustine's City of God, the author knits together a complex mosaic of spiritual threads, modern psychology, and revolutionary ideals to reveal a single face, showing how the deepest truths converge in the life of Christ. He argues that Jesus is, as he claimed to be, "the Way, the Truth and the Life," the salvation God has prepared for all peoples.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Carefully reasoned and beautifully written by a man who has read widely . . . One of the finest books on world religions I have read in a long time." --Dr. David Leshana

"David Marshall takes cultural analysis several levels deeper, and in prose that is several levels higher, than we've come to expect. The result is not only enlightening but also a great deal of fun to read." (Of a portion) --Frederica Matthewes-Green

"Learned, urbane, and refreshing." --Fort Worth Star-Telegram

From the Author

I see my book's ambiguous title has fooled a reader or two into expecting something a bit different from what they got. Let me clarify.

First, the author certainly is "biased." JRM is not meant to be an objective discussion of world views (if such a thing be possible). I am a Christian. I believe that while other religions contain relative truths, the Gospel of Jesus is the consummation of ultimate truth. Any reader who is not willing to entertain (or at least humor) that idea, may find my argument a bumpy road to travel. Whether or not that "bias" leads me to be unfair to others or even mistaken on any important point, I leave to each reader to judge.

It's also true JRM is not a book of Scriptural quotations. My basic approach is empirical, from shared facts to common reality.

Another reviewer accurately points out that there is little on Islam or Judaism here. JRM is intended as the second in a series of four volumes relating Jesus to the cultures and ideals of humanity. The first was True Son of Heaven: How Jesus Fulfills the Chinese Culture. (There's a lot about China in here, too; I hope the reader will indulge me that bias as well.) The third volume (Lord willing) will be about Islam and other Messianic religions. JRM does include a short critique of the Gospel of Barnabas, and some discussion of Christ in the Koran. I hope Muslims will also find the chapters on the historical influence of Jesus, the character of the Gospels, the cross, and the universality of monotheism, interesting.

While the book contains little about Judaism as such, a large percentage of the writers quoted on almost every topic are in fact Jewish, reflecting the plurality of perspective and interest from which I think the modern Jewish community is likely to approach the question of Jesus.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 330 pages
• Publisher: Kuai Mu Press; 1st edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970227809
• ISBN-13: 978-0970227805
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,950,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Honest, Fair, Learned, Practical, though just short of great, May 1, 2001

By 

David Graham (Shell, Ecuador) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jesus and the Religions of Man (Paperback)

After carefully working my way through this book, I wanted to give it a five star rating for the following reasons: a)Fairness - the author is not out to bamboozle the reader with sleight-of-hand tricks that act as an apologetic for the Christian faith. He respects the faiths of others, carefully evaluating both the strengths and weaknesses of his own faith and of others. b)Insight - His worldview is not that of an ivory tower academic, divorced from the realities of the real world, but a combination of study, travel, rumination, and interaction with many others of differing faiths. Because of this, he often comes up with insightful commentary and revelatory remarks. e.g. traveling in Taiwan, the author saw how Buddhism and Taoism have both been used to further childhood prostitution, drug abuse, and gang activity. "Religion does not always increase the stock of the world's justice, mercy, and humility. . . Spirituality is power - a power that has more potential both to save and to harm than any other human force." c) Learned - the author has done a lot of reading in the fifteen years spent in the making of this book, and his knowledge base is what one would wish for in someone comparing the world's religions. d) Discernment - At last: An author who can differentiate between tolerance and truth! The author is able to acknowledge that which is good in other faiths (tolerance) and yet still talk about Christianity as being the uncompromising fulfillment of that which the other faiths long for (truth). Truth implies discrimination, and while respecting the beliefs of others, he's not afraid to disagree with their conclusions. e) Documentation - the author doesn't just spout assertions. He carefully footnotes the information so the reader can look up items if so inclined. The authorities he cites are widely recognized and accepted in their fields of belief.

However, I refrain from giving this book five stars for three reasons: a) Occasional incoherency of style (making it difficult to follow his line of reasoning) b) Occasional glossing over of topics or yielding conclusions insufficiently supported by the facts of his case, and c) Inadequacy of addressing the two other great monotheistic faiths, Judaism and Islam. (This was the biggest limitation of the book.) A Jew or Muslim asking, "Why should I leave my faith and become a Christian?" could read through this book and feel that this question had not been adequately answered.

The author covers the oriental faiths and western philosophies with great thoroughness. (He divides his time between Japan and the U.S. and is well versed in addressing these East/West issues.) Aboriginal religions of Africa and Australia receive very little discussion, though the apologetics he uses for the oriental faiths do adequately address these aboriginal religions as well. The coverage given to Islam and Judaism, however, is not really adequate enough to invoke a convincing apologetic. (These two faiths almost require separate books for dialogue, e.g. Josh McDowell's The Islam Debate, featuring both discussion and a debate with Ahmed Deedat.) As an afterthought, I would also add that I, too, noticed a surprising frequency of spelling and grammatical errors. The book needed better proofreading before going to the printing press; but that doesn't affect the quality of the book's arguments.

I think that Shintoists, Taoists, Buddhists, followers of Confucius, Lao Zi, Marx, or agnostics would find this book challenging and fair. Those searching for truth will find a fellow pilgrim who is kind enough to shed light on the subject, saying, "I respect the path you are taking up the mountain, but only one road leads all the way to the top. Come over here and walk along with me." I can easily recommend this book to their attention.

40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reconciling Christianity with Asian Religion and Culture, November 22, 2001

By 

Norman Hoffman (Sharpsburg, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus and the Religions of Man (Paperback)

This book provides an excellent explanation of how Christianity can be reconciled with Asian religions and culture. I am a recent Christian and one of the problems I always had with Christianity was the exclusiveness of its claim to truth. When I became Christian, it was very important for me to deal with that issue.
David Marshall's book does this very thing with subtle reasoning, uncompromising principles, and a true sensitivity to the mind and culture of Asian peoples gained from real life experience in the region. It is instructive to mention the main points of this book as I saw them.
One: there is much that anticipates and supports Christian revelation in the traditions and religions of Asia. As a result, many Asians are very receptive to the Christian message, if only they live in a society where they are allowed the freedom to consider such things.
Two: Westerners tend to romanticize Asian religions as being somehow more pure and wise than Christianity. This is a view that patently ignores some significant flaws in Asian religious doctrine and practice and such things must be honestly recognized in order to substantially compare Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism, and other Asian traditions.
Three: These flaws have led to injustices and crimes against humanity in various Asian societies. In almost every case, Christianity provides an ethical and moral framework with which to address and solve these injustices. (Christianity provides this same framework for dealing with injustices in the Western world, by the way.)
Four: one can simultaneously assert core Christian doctrines while respecting Asian religious and cultural values. Just because we believe Jesus to be the only true Son of God, does not mean that we regard any person or religion who does not hold that same belief to be beneath contempt. There is much beauty and truth to be found in Asian culture and religion, much that complements and expresses Christian values. Where Christianity and those same traditions part company, we must be courageous enough to state the differences honestly and with love, and to work towards obtaining truth, no matter what the cost to our pre-conceived ideals.
I ramble, but basically this book was both a joy to read and incredibly illuminating. As someone who lived in Japan, this book proved an invaluabe resource in providing a way and a method to understand how Christianity can be integrated into the Asian world view without violating its core principles.

22 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Intelligent look at Christianity in the Modern World, November 5, 2002

By 

Durbanbay (Taipei,, Taipei Hsien Taiwan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus and the Religions of Man (Paperback)

Jesus and the Religions of Man (JATROM) is a wonderful apologetic that examines the core of our humanity in the context of our modern society. The major intellectual, political and social revolutions of the 20th century, that has formed the basis of our society in the 3rd millennium, are critically examined in the light of history. The author¡¦s reflective insights of the problems of Marxism, sexuality and eastern mysticism are drawn from a deep intellectual well that never runs dry. He is constantly comparing thought forms and ways of life to the life, thoughts and ways of Christ. He compellingly concludes that all (including the Church) fall short of the glory and the abundance of life that is offered in Christ. Anecdotal references to the authors own experiences travelling through Asia adds character and personality to a book that is filled with arguments that defends the Gospel of Christ in a new, appealing and refreshing way.

This is a great book. I especially enjoyed the chapter on how Jesus has changed the world. Marshall does not shy away from the crusades and the ¡§bad¡¨ things done in the ¡§name¡¨ of Christianity. Instead he shows that the world was not changed by the ¡§ecumenical authority of the Church¡¨ but rather the every day man and woman who accepted Christ into their lives. The people on the ground who allowed the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to work through them, conform them to Christ and allowed them to change the world. Marshall constantly appeals to the humanity of man and persuasively shows how man has tried to set himself up as a god. He calls us to a life of worship and submission to God for, as he shows by examining modern psychological evidence, the inward looking man will implode.

If you are an atheist, read this book and try to refute it¡¦s research and claims. If you are a seeker, JATROM will answer many of the questions that you are probably asking. If you are Christian, read this book and be inspired to continue to seeking the will of God, for as David Marshall repeats constantly, Jesus came to give us abundant life. If you are a Buddhist, Hindu or eastern Mystic, confront this apologetic on it¡¦s own terms. I am sure it will shed new light on your beliefs and who you are. Written with astounding clarity, occasional wit, amazing insight and compassionate persuasiveness, JATROM is certainly worthy enough to find a place next to Moreland, Schaeffer, and McDowell on any bookshelf.