22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Funny, Friendly and Ultimately Wise Look at Christianity by a Jewish Pilgrim, October 14, 2008
This review is from: My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith (Hardcover)
Some of the best recent books on faith and spirituality are from "outsiders." Secular scientist E.O. Wilson wrote "
The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth," atheist Hemant Mehta wrote "
I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes," and, let's face it, Anne Lamott's popular persona is built on her outsider status.
It's in that spirit that I strongly recommend Benyamin Cohen's "My Jesus Year."
He's funny. I mean, he's Anne Lamott funny. And, he's friendly as he's having fun with others and with himself. You'll find yourself chuckling as he describes trying to slip into an enormous Pentecostal megachurch to learn what's drawing thousands upon thousands of Americans to these venues.
This "five-foot-two bespectacled Jewish kid in a mosh pit of faith" suddenly discovers that the church's video crews have zeroed in on his face and he's shocked to discover: "My Jewish face on Jesus' JumboTron for all to see! Oh, God, forgive me."
We learn a lot about Benyamin's Jewish life, his family life, his vignettes from this year-long Christian pilgrimage and, in the end, his conclusions about faith in America.
In closing, he writes a pitch-perfect summary of how millions of young Americans see our national smorgasbord of faith: "Despite the gospel choirs and Christian rockers, despite the baptismal baths and Christmas trees, despite the wine, wafers, and confessional booths, and even despite our theological and philosophical differences, there is a deeper thread running throughout. There are many roads leading to spiritual maturity and even to God Himself, and all of us have to find our own way."
This is an important new voice. His journey is fun to follow and, when it's done, you'll begin to realize that many of us feel like spiritual outsiders today, looking in on houses of worship and wondering how we might fit inside.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Read, November 16, 2008
This review is from: My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith (Hardcover)
Though the promo for the book stressed hilarity, there's much more to this year with Jesus than mere humor. As a Los Angeleno, I was struck by the stunning variety of "Jesus" experiences available within only a few hours of Atlanta. Cohen samples the beautiful solemnity of high church cathedral and self-denying cloister. The next thing you know he's rocking with full gospel as the only white guy in the building. His description of going to confession brought me into the confessional with him. The author is an honest reporter of what he experienced, and credits the year with deepening his appreciation for the faith into which he was born. My only quibble is that the subtitle is a better description than the title. If only we could spend a year with Jesus, and not with Christians. But that is another story. This book is a great - and worthwhile - read. Thanks, Benyamin!
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A charming spiritual journey in which an Orthodox Jew discovers that "Hanging out with Jesus has made me a better Jew.", December 26, 2008
This review is from: My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith (Hardcover)
First off - this is not one of those stories of conversion.
Rather, Benyamin Cohen does not feel fulfilled by his experiences with the synagogue or the hundreds of rules that an Orthodox Jew must follow. He decides to go to the other side of the street and see if the grass is greener (he literally grew up across the street from a Methodist church that seemed so much more vibrant and alive and happy than the synagogue that was attached to his house).
Cohen gets permission from a Rabbi to spend a year with the Christians - he goes to church every Sunday (after synagogue on Saturdays this makes for some long weekends I am sure) and treats the experience as a wandering anthropologist looking into the strange and wondrous world of Christianity.
What follows is a remarkable journal of one man's exploration of Judaism and Christianity - some of it mainstream, some odd (Christian professional wrestling, for example) but all of it treated respectfully by a man who is searching for what he's missing in his own faith. On the way he finds it and the reader is blessed with wonderful writing, witty insights, touching observations and, quite simply, the experience of a great read.
I am writing from the perspective of an active, involved Christian and I find myself chuckling at some of his offbeat observations about the quirky things we do. I also learned a lot about Judaism along the way. I am sure some would find offense, but...whatever. It was not written in the spirit of offense and if they are offended they should grow up some.
One of the best books of the year for me.
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