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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Jesus doesn't need a P.R. man, June 18, 2009
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Tim LeHay, author of the well known "Left Behind" series, brings with him a bit of baggage. While I can only speak for myself, I like to think that a writer is open to listening to other points of view, perspectives which may inform his/her writing. Tim LeHay is not that guy, a fact we know before page one is turned.
As a Christian I appreciate any reflection on the continued "popularity" of Jesus. However, any REAL spiritual pursuit is not defined as a popularity contest. Rather, it is a sincere exploration of spiritual principles, with a well versed understanding of the "top" messangers in one's studies. Jesus is definitely Christianity's lead model, which by virtue of the role, excludes any references to "popularity."
Mr. LeHay writes in a manner that leaves the reader no room for interpretation; his leading questions are a sure-fire tip as to what his personal views are. He discredits opposing views by attacking their scholarly merit, a technique used to great effect by those who might challenge his positions. It works so far as to answer his critics; however, it lacks any real foundation for adopting his creed. Indeed, he doesn't properly use this method, for if he did he would provide some concrete, scholar based proof to support his argument. He fails to do this.
I'm a believer, so I'm not Mr. LeHay's target audience. I'm afaid, though, that those he might speak to, the uncommitted, would not find his arguments very persuasive. One of the biggest criticisms we face as Christians is our lack of rigor in formulating and supporting our beliefs. Mr. LeHay attempts to remedy this, yet falls incredibly short.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Most Impressive Book, September 30, 2009
Just finished reading Tim LaHaye's latest offering and I must say I am impressed. I haven't always been a fan of LaHaye's. With someone as prolific as LaHaye you're bound to have clunkers here and there. I did enjoy some of his Left Behind novels but found his previous non-fiction work Global Warning to be poorly executed. However, `Jesus' is another story. It is very well written, covers a lot of ground, and moves at a fast pace. There is a lot of information here that should appeal to both believers and non-believers in my opinion. As others have said, the book is not preachy (except for the final paragraph). There are even touches of humor which I found refreshing (LaHaye's wife's reaction to the Applebees waitress is hilarious as are several chapter subheadings - Hold the Mao, The Dog-Ate-It Theory).
But I must take exception to a few comments from my fellow Amazon critics. To point out LaHaye's use of Wikipedia as a reference thereby implying that his information must be inaccurate is a cheap shot. Of the hundreds of footnotes listed, only a handful list Wikipedia as a source, and those Wikipedia subjects (Mark Twain, David Strauss, Elaine Pagels) are cross referenced with additional listings of those authors' works. Also, those who accessed the book through the Amazon Vine program apparently must have received an early version with footnote and other errors. My copy of the book has no errors, so those criticisms are invalid. Finally, I notice that some who gave a one or two star rating to this book recommend the works of Bart Ehrman instead. As LaHaye points out, Ehrman has publicly stated he believes Judas Iscariot is `the greatest of all the apostles' since his betrayal resulted in Jesus being released from his `evil earthly body.' Hmm.
In my opinion, LaHaye succeeds in making his case for why we still find Jesus fascinating after 2000 years by touching on the high points of Jesus' legacy and the impact he's had on our modern culture. I wouldn't hesitate to give this book out to friends or relatives who may be on the fence about Jesus. It's that good.
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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Predictable pop theology that probably will be Left Behind, May 27, 2009
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Of the plethora of pop theology books these days, this is by no means one of the worse. After the highly popular and hugely successful LEFT BEHIND series and the less so BABYLON RISING series, Dr. LaHaye writes in a very pleasant and entertaining style. For the most, this current work is generally an enjoyable experience. My concern is that many will view this work by someone they've come to trust (Dr. LaHaye has been a pastor at one of the country's mega-churches in San Diego for many years) as absolutely unquestionable biblical scholarship. Unfortunately, a closer look, particularly at his resource notes raises the more discerning brow.
Dr. LaHaye should know better with his degree from Western Theological Seminary. WIKIPEDIA, while a highly useful finding tool, is not all that a reliable secondary source. But LaHaye is a bit cagey with his scholarship as well in his inclusion of such time-honored, even venerable biblical scholars such as Helmut Koester and Elaine Pagels, who gets bashed pretty thoroughly here. Dr. LaHaye and his cohort never seem to tire of the same inflammatory arguments over the same texts and concepts. What a pleasant change 'twould be to stop the fussing and sincerely share a prayer for a direly needy world. But as stated above, this is certainly not the worst book of its ilk and Dr. Tim writes very well. If this work piques your interest, give Elaine Pagels or Bart Ehrman or even Francois Bovon a try as well. They too write well and with a clarity that belies their scholarly credentials.
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