Customer Reviews

To Know Christ Jesus

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Frank Sheed's brilliance shines through in "To Know Christ Jesus". Mr. Sheed not only tells the story of Christ's life beautifully by weaving the four gospels together seamlessly, but does so in a profoundly sound theological way. Let me share with you a typical passage from the book, yet one which shows the tremendous insight that Mr. Sheed brings to his writing:

"Let us look steadily at him. He was a carpenter in a town which, even in insignificant Galilee, was despised as insignificant. He was not playing at being a carpenter, as Marie Antoinette and her ladies played at being shepherdesses at Versailles. He was a carpenter; the household depended on what he made; if trade was bad his mother had to go without. The locals hired him to make and mend in wood. He would name the price and it would be a just price. They would haggle as is the way of the East, beating him down, asking doubtless if he thought they were made of money. In a better mood (having got the price down, perhaps) they might offer him a drink." "And he was omnipotent God, the second person the blessed Trinity, by whom all things were made, including the wood of his carpentry, and the drink, and the customer who was arguing with him about the price: including his own human body and human soul -- that human soul which had to sustain the wonder of his divine self and not be blinded by it."

One should be able to see from this small passage, not only the joy with which Mr. Sheed writes about Christ, but also the love and the reverence he feels for Him. It may be subtle in the passage I quoted, but Mr. Sheed also deftly injects a little humor to round this book out and make it a truly brilliant work.

Sheed's work makes the life of Jesus very real to the reader. Not just a read for Catholics, but a good read for any person who wants to get to know the Son of God. Sheed does an excellent job of placing Jesus in his social and cultural context. The goal of the book? To Know Christ Jesus. I know Christ Jesus a lot better now that I've read Sheed.

Essential to understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ is an understaning if the times in which He lived. There are a lot of unanswered questions as you read any of the Gospel authors. What ever happened to Joseph? Frank Sheed doesn't know for sure but he speculates and reasons. There is a lot of this in this book but he's always careful to warn you when he's doing so. Reading this book you get a feeling for the times and customs of this period of time. Part theology. Part history. Part archeological. This book brings a fullness of experience to Gospel reading. A warning though, its not a quick read. And at times the theological discussion can get a little deep, but Sheed is careful not to let these sections drag on. Take your time and read this book.

Frank Sheed was possibly the greatest lay Catholic apologist of our century and has used his extensive knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures and the Catholic faith to help us seek the Face of God, Jesus Christ. After reading this life of Christ, you'll never doubt that there is no difference between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith. They are one and the same divine Person. With extraordinary powers of synthesis, Sheed weaves together the Gospels into chronological order, then uses them to expound on the truths of Christianity such as the Incarnation and the Redemption. Must reading for any Christian seeking to know Christ Jesus.

To Know Christ Jesus is an inspirational, lucid, significant presentation of Jesus. A reading of this book elucidates the meaning of several passages in the New Testament.

Sheed has combined the readable and inspiring prose of Sheen with his own remarkable theological talents and knowledge.

I recommend this book for adults, but in particular for teens who have an impersonal relationship with the Catholic ( or any Christian ) church.

This is my favorite book on the Life of Christ. Frank Sheed spent much of his life as a street corner preacher; talking to crowds about Jesus and Christianity. His experience is reflected in this book, which is written in an engaging conversational tone.

"To Known Jesus Christ" is a synthesis of the knowledge that the gospels provide about Jesus' life in the Bible. While reading the Bible, some times the sequence and detail of events in Jesus' life varies according to the version of the gospel. Sheed presents a chronological account of the life of Jesus, based on all the information provided in the Bible. He also includes details about the culture, terrain, and cites of that time period, as known from achaeological evidence and other historical texts. The book includes a map at the end, which lsits all the places that Jesus traveled during his life.

The end result form reading this book is a much more coherent picture of Jesus' life and a better concept of the timing of the key events of Jesus' ministry, which makes key stories in the New Testament easier to remember and more appreciable. This is a great handbook to learn the basic information about Jesus Christ for people who want to deepen their Christian faith, or for spiritual seekers who want to understand more about the core of Christianity.

I have never read a better, more readable book which has opened up so much insight into the Gospels and just made them about 100 times "richer" in meaning from every aspect:historical, spiritual, and inspirational than Sheeds' "To Know Christ Jesus".

Having taught religion for many years this just added dimensions into my understanding of Scripture I had never thought possible.

It is "deep" without becoming overpowering and just shows adds individual aspects to the Scriptures I never realized.

This is like a deep theology for laymen in a very easy to read, flowing style.

Next to the Navarre Bible, this is the most informative book I have ever read about the Gospels along with Archbishop Fulton Sheen's "The Life of Christ".

F. J. Sheed was a brilliant writer. His To Know Christ Jesus, like Fulton Sheen's Life of Christ, is a great help to reading all four Gospels at the same time coherently, for as the author states, they were not written with chronology in mind, therefore the sequence of Gospel events could be confusing at times. Sheed not only guides the reader step by step through Christ's life, but as a friend of Christ (clearly the author was a man of deep prayer) he also makes the reader stop at certain places along the way to help him meditate and bring depth to the reality of Christ and the significance of His actions on Earth. This is truly a masterful spiritual work. I recommend reading it with the Bible open. It will deepen anyone's understanding and knowledge of Christ and give one a keener sense for detail, and one cannot love what one does not know well, hence the importance of this book.

Frank Sheed takes the four Gospels and brings them together masterfully into one volume. Great explanations of the times and customs surrounding the events also. A must read along with Fulton Sheen's Life of Christ.

This book put all the four gospel versions of Christ life together into one chronilogical version. It was interesting, but I didn't learn anything that was new or earth shattering. It was a good immersion in Christ's life and his ission.