Customer Reviews

The Philosophy of Jesus

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

George W. Bush in a presidential debate when asked who was his favorite philosopher, remarked "Jesus." He was roundly criticized for this at the time on multiple levels. Many thought it was a silly answer showing his ignorance and others that it was demeaning of Jesus. Peter Kreeft in his new book The Philosophy of Jesus explores Jesus as philosopher and explores his philosophy.

As Peter Kreeft states in the front of the book the audience for this book is both the Christian and non-Christian and I would say that the book achieves this admirably. It is also a book for both those trained in philosophy and those who know little or nothing on the subject. He defines the terms he uses along the way to ensure he leaves nobody behind. This book is also not full of technical philosophical or theological language and though while at times some of these terms are used his writing is very clear.

The book is divided into four major chapters:

* Jesus' Metaphysics (What is real?)
* Jesus' Epistemology (How do we know what is real?)
* Jesus' Anthropology (Who are we who know what is real?)
* Jesus' Ethics (What should we be to be more real?)

One of the hardest things to teach is to teach something that somebody already believes he knows. As Christians we accept the incarnation, but after a time we can talk about these mysterious things in a monotone. Peter Kreeft in his writing shows none of this tendency and presents Jesus and his teaching in fresh ways that once again invokes how you felt when you first started to believe. It is hard not to get excited once again as you read this book and for a book that deals with philosophical subjects you will be surprised how fast you are swept into the book, as if you were just doing some recreational reading from on of your favorite novelists.

This book is not the overt apologetics such as his outstanding Handbook of Christian Apologetics, but it certainly does show the philosophy of Jesus so that the non-Christian can understand it in a non-combative style and that the Christian will see the deeper dimensions of Jesus the philosopher.

So don't let the title throw you off, this is not a dry text on philosophical subjects, but a book certainly to nourish you.

Kreeft asks the big questions--what is?, how can we know what is real?, who are we?, and then, how should we live? He points out that "philosophers have thought profoundly about these four questions for over two millennia. Why have they not found answers that are adequate, final, and universally acknowledged?" (p 9)

He finds answers in the philosophy of Jesus, and compares those answers to those that are found in other religions and by other philosophers.

Against the God of the Christians who declares "I AM" there stands the many gods of Hinduism. Kreeft finds it significant that the "East never developed a morality or a politics of human rights" (p 121). The Hebrew God was a God of absolute goodness who instituted a covenant with his people. He was infinite love.

As for what we must know and be, that is also answered by Jesus. We must know ourselves and God, and to know God we must pray.

Buddhism seeks to overcome "the reality of the subject-object dualism" (p 71). Philosophers have fallen into the trap of either materialism or pantheism. Only in Christianity and in learning to become little Christs are these problems solved.

The Philosophy of Jesus is written to examine the life and teachings of Jesus for His contribution to thought. Kreeft is Catholic, I am an evangelical. I don't feel it takes away from the simplicity and power of his message. This book presents, in an easy to understand way, the affect of the Christ's ministry on our lives today.

Mr. Kreeft has take a difficult and abstruse area of human knowledge and made it like the person he is analyzing, simple. Christians typically have difficulty with modern philosophy because of its agnostic/aetheistic bent and the near impossibility of reading most of it. Professional philosophers rarely consider the philosophical import or nature of who Jesus claimed to be and how Christians view him. This book is a treat for both. While there is room for disagreement, this book provides deep insight.

This book is not as clearly written as some of Kreeft's other works, but is worth the effort if you are interested in considering Jesus as the Way/Truth/Life. Through somewhat muddled writing, KReeft brings to life some real home run ideas concerning Jesus' approach to life, knowledge and ethics. The ideas in the book are 5-star, but the writing is 3-star, thus the 4-star rating.

The title of this book contains a rather ambiguous genitive. There is some of what you might expect - the "Philosophy of Jesus" as opposed to the philosophy of Plato or Descartes - that is, what Jesus *taught*. But most of the book is taken up with the "Philosophy of Jesus" in the other sense. It is a meditation on philosophy in light of Jesus. Kreeft takes up the major divisions of philosophy - metaphysics, epistemology, anthropology, and ethics - and shows how the revelation of God in Christ deepens and transforms our understanding of each of them. He's asking, not primarily "what did Jesus say about this?", but "what difference does Jesus make?"

Perhaps the simplest formulation of Kreeeft's approach comes nearly three quarters of the way through the book. He writes, "Philosophers seek wisdom. Christ *is* wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30) Therefore Christ is the fulfillment of philosophy."

This is a good Theology book. Kreeft writes very well, in the tradition of C.S. Lewis. He is very quotable, but there is much more than cliches in this book. Kreeft grasps what is most important about Christianity and conveys that to readers. Unfortunately, the title of this book is "The Philosophy of JESUS", which would make people think that this is a philosophy book.

A good book from a philosophical perspective. Kreeft talks of the philosophy shared by Jesus and compares it to other philosophers like Socrates. The more I read Mr.Kreeft's books I garner a better understanding of Philosophy and its relation to Christianity.

Though well written, too much sexual allegory seeps into the pages and creates a strange image of God. A worthy attempt at Logic but at times steered away from Truth due to extra-Biblical doctrines suited only for the Catholic church.

After St. Thomas Aquinas had a glimpse of God he stated that all of his
writings were straw, nothing but straw. P. Kreeft's writing, The Philosophy of Jesus, goes the way of Aquanis's writings. Kreeft has not had a glimpse
of God for which to base his philosophy of Jesus.