Customer Reviews

Living Jesus

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I read this book, appropriately enough, over Easter weekend. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, I had an epiphany. After ten years of reading book after book on Christian apologetics (from C.S. Lewis to Josh McDowell), this is THE book that finally allowed me to grasp the concept of, and to believe in, the Resurrection. I now state the Nicene creed in church with conviction, and have found geniune faith in Christ as Living Lord. I cannot recommend this book enough.

lt johnson is a moderately conservative catholic (in fact an ex-monk) who has written extensively on nt studies. this 203 page book can be read in a few hours and is not bogged down with scholarly jargon. essentially he is putting into perspective the value of historical Jesus studies. lt states that if Jesus is today alive for Christians, how then can we get a reliable picture of Him by using the means by which we study dead people! he has been gently criticised by some including ben witherington and raymond brown for separating the Jesus of history from the Jesus we worship - but i don't think that is the focus of johnson's argument. i think lt is simply pointing out (quite validly) that historical critical studies can give only a limited picture of Jesus. he uses as an interesting example adolf hitler. if we were to perform a study in "historical hitlerology" (attempting to construct a portait using what hitler thought of himself as well as the thoughts of his closest associates), we would indeed come up with a picture of hitler that would be quite different than what we know to be true. i would agree that this comparison is a little oblique, but johnson makes a good point. the first few chapters may seem a little fluffy to some but they move quickly into the meat of the work. all in all, this is a very readable work. not everyone will agree with johnson but all those interested in Jesus studies need to be exposed to his point of view!

Luke Timothy Johnson does a masterful job at creating a book that engages the reader's mind and heart. Though this book is written from an ex-priest and still retains much Catholic tradition, the Protestant reader can also enjoy and gain insight from this well written text.

This book is not written for the skeptic or the Christian revisionist, like his previous book "The Real Jesus." Instead this material will penetrate the heart of the believer. As he wonderfully points out, "To be a Christian means to assert that Jesus is alive, is indeed life-giving Spirit." This book reminds the Christian that we should be learning from a living Jesus. To often, we look at Jesus as a piece of history. This is a wake-up call to Christians everywhere.

We are to learn from Jesus from great Christians, the church, and the New Testament. I find Dr. Johnson's book to be honest and forthright and appreciated his candor about the church and himself. This is a must read!

Being of Protestant background, I approached this book with a little caution. However, I found the handling of the subject flawlessly honest and the scholarship behind the writing brilliant. Luke Timothy Johnson handles the subject with great reverence, and yet with piercing analysis. His logic behind his assertations regarding the Living Jesus are not refutable. I found this a refreshing and tremendously illuminating view into a subject I have studied and lived with since my mother took me to Sunday School as an infant. The writer has inspired me to raise my own level of study and expectation into this (for Christians) vital subject, and has given me a new sense of awe for Him, the Great I Am.

Even though I have a BA in English, I found myself pulling out the dictionary several times, and got several lessons on vocabulary and English. This can be either educational or distracting, depending on the motivations and inclinations of the reader. At times I found it educational. other times it seemed distracting. But I do admire the writer's skill and intelligence.

I write from the perspective of a Protestant Evangelical who has often had misgivings about some of the Catholic literature I've read, but I can say that Luke Timothy Johnson's "Living Jesus" is one of the most Christ-exalting books I have read in many years. Johnson has brought Jesus Christ from the place of cold, hard historical facts (which is where most Catholics and Protestants alike often leave Him) to the place of the living Lord experienced by the early church and whom we can experience today. In the process, Johnson ably points out the fallacies employed by those involved in the quest for the historical Jesus, a quest that seems determine to deny practically every essential truth about Jesus. Though it's easy to see Johnson's Catholic roots in his writing, I encourage my Protestant brothers to read this book. You will find yourself fellowshipping with a true brother in Christ in the pages he has written. This is a book you will read more than once.

This book is more or less a sequel to Johnson's REAL JESUS, which exposes the fallacies of many New Testament scholars who enjoy pop culture status on various cable channels by extolling the idea of a "Jesus Movement" that seeks to interpret the gospels from a purely historical perspective. In this articulate, logical, and compelling book, Johnson moves past the arguments of the Jesus Movement and demonstrates how a divinely inspired New Testament focuses on a risen, living Christ. Johnson's book is a dynamic blueprint for understanding Christian living in the twenty-first century. In flowing prose, he shows us the diversity and richness of the gospels that have been seen one-dimensionally for such a long time. Johnson's scholarship is of the highest caliber and is used here to show what is truly at the heart of the Christian tradition.

I purchased copies for family and friends, believers and sceptics because Johnson convincingly portrays the faith of the early church that precedes the writing of the New Testament Gospel.He provides a needed emphasis on the real presence of Jesus by His Holy Spirit as a powerful interrealtional reality. Belief in the resurrection as a past event, even at the word of apostolic eye witnesses, does not adequately account for the rapid growth of the Church-communities. There had to be more than an acceptance of a message:individual and group experiences accompied the preaching and teaching. Johnson describes the 'matter of fact' phenomenon that produced conversions and the writings of the New Testament. This is the faith reponse of believers today who greet eachother at Easter in the present tense: He is Risen!

LIVING JESUS is both timely and pertinent to the times we live in. Johnson has provided a book that asks questions outside of the historical mileu. Like Patton's inspiring "THE Autobiography", Johnson accepts the viewpoint that Jesus had and has relevance outside of the classic Religious Icon. Although less direct than the "THE Autobiography", Living Jesus addresses the present consciousness and asks how we can live with the presence of Jesus in the twentieth century. Although some points are labored, the essence of this text is stimulating and emminently readable. Highly recommended.

The people in my group of readers often commented that the book was not an easy read but was very worthwhile reading. The chapters are very thought-provoking. They have made for good discussions and have helped to examine well-known ideas from a fresh perspective.

While firmly rooted in Holy Scripture and Tradition, the author presents his broad vision of what it means to follow in the footsteps of the Lord - especially in His role of suffering servant and revealer of the Father.