Understanding Jesus [Paperback]

Alister E. McGrath (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (June 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310298113
• ISBN-13: 978-0310298113
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,706,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alister E. McGrath is a historian, biochemist, and Christian theologian born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A longtime professor at Oxford University, he now holds the chair in theology, ministry, and education at the University of London. He is the author of several books on theology and history, including Christianity's Dangerous Idea, In the Beginning, and The Twilight of Atheism. He lives in Oxford, England, and lectures regularly in the United States.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All Theology is Christology, January 27, 2006

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Understanding Jesus: Who Jesus Christ is and why he matters (Hardcover)

One learns more and more who peers into Scripture that all theology truly is Christology. Get your Christology wrong and it will truly filter into all of one's other doctrinal beliefs.

Always being a McGrath fan, I read this as well. Part of series of books he writes to laymen, not meant to be a scholarly treatment of the subject, but yet McGrath in his brilliance doesn't dumb it down either.

His Christology to be praised centers around the cross where it should, witness this quote: "First, the cross must be allowed to function as the foundation and the criterion of the church's understanding of its identity and its mission."

Where he falls short of correct Biblical Christology however is in the area of decision about Christ. Here he teeters on the verge of free-will, yet possibly not quite. One is not sure reading some his comments on this topic. Thus, the four stars.

Would recommend another two volumes that are definitely five star on cross and Christ, for the layperson: "The Spirituality of the Cross" by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. and for the pastor/advanced layperson: "Christology" by David P. Scaer.