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The Questions of Jesus: Challenging Ourselves to Discover Life's Great Answers

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and you will find every question Jesus asked, and some He even answered.

For like ourselves in every way, Our Lord Jesus Christ did all He could to avoid ansering any questions, including those designed to trip him up at his trial.

Let us ask Jesus with the rich young man: Good Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life? Let us ask in this time of unjust war: Who is my neighbor? And let us answer the questions Jesus asks of us: Who do you say that I am? (asked of Peter) Why do you look for me? (asked of Mary and Joseph in Jerusalem) and the similar Why have you come? (asked of Judas in the Garden, responded with a kiss)

The Reverend Father John Dear is a well-respected and authoritative member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) as well as past president of the Catholic Organization PAX CHRISTI as well as the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. He is a member of the great Jesuit community which includes the Reverend Father Daniel Berrigan, whose several commentaries on the Old Testament prophets make excellent fuel for contemplation of Catholic theology, especially his thick book on Job, and on Ezekial and especially the ever-necessary Jeremiah. In brief, the Father John Dear is a very orthodox and respected and admired Catholic writer on matters theological in the most important and relevant vein. Even under Ratzinger his views and writings have never been called on any carpet.

Father Dear was breakfasting with his parents the morning of 9/11/01. Upon the news of that morning his parents left town as he ran to the Red Cross to volunteer bravely, putting his beliefs and words and Faith into action, consoling the sick and afflicted selflessly and bravely. Father Dear at personal risk was placed in charge of 500 chaplains, and he personally comforted and prayed with and ministered to thousands of victims, their families and support emergency workers, firemen, etc. I sincerely believe the Reverend Father John Dear deserves our full respect as a man, and as a very Catholic theologian whom our Church cherishes and whom God loves. This being said let us return to our text at hand:

Early in the text, as you can see through amazon's generous Search Inside service, Father Dear declares his belief in the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This belief has always been a cornerstone of Catholicism. This belief denies the opposing idea that Jesus was a mere "secular Messiah" or political figureheadsuch as Judas sought, which Father Dear's strongly expressed and truly felt Catholic Faith denies on each page, as Dear declares his belief in the eternal and Divine Love and Peace, and resurrection, of Our Lord.

This present large volume comprehensively opens for us today the fullness of Jesus Christ's Gospel message of peace, compassion, self-sacrifice and resurrection. We find fully explored each question from His earliest ministry ("Who are my mother and brothers . . .?") to Calvary and beyond, and how we must now receive and answer in our own hearts these same questions in order to follow Jesus the Lord upon the path to peace and compassion in service to God and one another, especially the poor, the afflicted, the oppressed and those unarmed who suffer the present scourge of imperial war.

Hear these questions. Contemplate deeply these questions. Reflect with John Dear these same questions which were put to our Lord.

Once again as for a half century past at least we must thank God for speaking to us through the good work of Image Books, which always with intelligence and grace offers us so profound nourishment for prayer, spiritual growth, and service.

Please notice especially that great Catholic Martin Sheen's endorsement of this prayer book.

There is much to learn here. There is rich soil to grow with here.

You will love the Rev. Father Dear's clear and concise and courageous writing style and content. I strongly recommend you study further his several volumes, in particular his Jesus the Rebel, especially around the twentieth page, which has much to say regarding our complex Church today, some six years after he so propheticallly wrote it. See also in this Advent time his commentary on Mary, Prophet of Peace, etc.

John Dear spent a year's sabbatical reflecting on the questions of Jesus. His insights are unique and challenging. His writing is beautiful. I've recommended this book to many.

A word of caution: Mr. Dear is pretty far left in his political views, and this occasionally comes out in his writings. But even a crusty conservative like me can find much beauty and inspiration in his writing.

I love this book! I use it for preaching and Bible study. It provides a fresh, insightful, and challenging view of familiar texts. Sometimes provocative, always helpful, this book has made it possible for me for approach scripture in a new way.

Father John Dear is among the most inspiring, devoted, and authentic spiritual figures of our time. "The Questions of Jesus" is by far the best theological work of the year.

When Dear originally surfaced on the international scene as Jesuit social activist in the tradition of Father Daniel and Philip Berrigan, I wasn't sure what to think of him. Was he a mere imitator? I immediately wanted to read one of his books in order to find out for myself who he was.

"Transfiguration" and "The Questions of Jesus" put any doubts I had to rest. John Dear is the real thing, just as his prophetic forefathers are.

"Questions" is the kind of book that makes us want to change everything about our lives for the sake of Christ. With prose that is electric and endowed with a contagious compassion, Dear refuses to play the conventional theologian and focus on our local community, parish, or the Vatican: he wants our attention as Catholics on the whole world.

On pg 37, he asks where Americans might be able to find Christ in everyday life and then on a global level. "The questions of Christ invite us to put on the glasses of faith , to read Christ in all those at the bottom or edge of society: the children of Iraq, the teenagers of Palestine, the tortured victims of U.S. backed military death squads in Colombia, the men and women on death row, the homeless families in our city shelters, and the millions of Africans with with HIV and AIDS. Those people are Jesus, and from now on we know it. From now on, we have to try consciously, deliberately, and poetically to serve the poor."

If this be called heresy, I'm a heretic. If this challenges Christology, let Christology change.

The book is replete with heartrending stories of his assignment as a chaplain to victims of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks and anecdotes of his friendship with Mother Teresa herself. A must for any serious Catholic.

Im very satisfied with Amazon.com for having this book and sending it to me in a short time. The book is in like new condition and is a very rewarding book to read. Im very satisfied and will always order from Amazon.com as they always come through for me.

Readers should be aware that the Christology espoused by John Dear is profoundly out of synch with orthodox Catholic teaching. His depiction of Christ is essentially that of a secular messiah who, like Dear, urges followers to "disturb the peace with trouble-making nonviolence."

Politics are never far behind Dear's "questions of Jesus." Here is how he celebrated Christmas 2006 in the pages of the National Catholic Reporter:

"This week, tens of millions of Christians across the country will celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. Right along with them, Bush and Cheney, and their legions of hawks and warriors, will attend church and make merry around the table. But the very next day they'll resume Herod's imperial project -- the ongoing massacre of the innocents. The U.S. wages war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia and elsewhere. It crushes the hungry and homeless, the imprisoned and the refugee, and maintains upon their feeble backs the world's ultimate terrorist threat -- a huge nuclear arsenal."

If challenging oneself with the spiritual message of Christ is the goal, I suggest readers start with the Vintage Spiritual Classics series, especially their version of St. Francis DeSales's "Introduction to the Devout Life," or even a simple life of Christ by either Frank Sheed or Fulton Sheen. All are available via Amazon.