Why Jesus? [Paperback]

William H. Willimon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2010

No figure in history has received more attention, and been less understood, than Jesus of Nazareth. Much of what has been written recently portrays Jesus as a vaguely kind and friendly person whose message sometimes pleases but never challenges believers. People might even be tempted to ask "Why all the fuss? What here is worth devoting my life to?"

Very little about that Jesus is worth it, says Will Willimon. Yet there is another Jesus, the mysterious preacher from Nazareth who continues to invite men and women to claim the true meaning of their lives by giving their lives away in service to God and others. This Jesus continues to fascinate and compel us, in spite of all the attempts to domesticate his message and put distance between us and the call to follow. In his radical teachings, his self-sacrificial death, and his liberating life beyond death, this Jesus teaches and shows us the true meaning and purpose of our own lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A United Methodist bishop and prolific author, Willimon (Pastor: The Theological Practice of Ordained Ministry) makes dual use of the title question, offering nuanced arguments for following Jesus (some of which subtly counter popular contemporaries who preach pragmatic Christianity) and interrogating Jesus about his personal spiritual struggles. Addressing numerous gospel accounts from Jesus' ministry, particularly the miracles, parables, and resurrection, chapters explore interpretations of Jesus both familiar (story teller, preacher, savior) and provocative (vagabond, magician, home wrecker). Willimon offers his "own meager testimony," throughout, acknowledging his discomfort with challenges Jesus makes to religious leaders such as himself, while at the same time claiming his vocation as preacher and writer, called to "help Jesus get hold of you--with nothing but words." Conversational, boxed "Asides to Jesus" provide tongue-in-cheek humor and opportunities for reflection--for example, "I confess that I'm guilty of thinking that God is somewhat like me, only nicer"--while citations following each chapter under the heading "You Can Look it Up" challenge the reader to personally engage the discussed texts. This is accessible wisdom from a seasoned theologian. (Oct.) (c)
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About the Author

William H. Willimon is Resident Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama area, and Visiting Research Professor, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC. Prior to his current position he served for twenty years as Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School, and Dean of Duke University Chapel.

He is the author of fifty books, and over a million copies of his books have been sold. His articles have appeared in many publications including The Christian Century, Quarterly Review, Liturgy, Worship, and Christianity Today. His Pulpit Resource is used each week by over eight thousand pastors in the U.S.A., Canada, and Australia.

He was selected in a Baylor University survey as one of the "Twelve Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World."

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (October 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426700288
• ISBN-13: 978-1426700286
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William H. Willimon is Presiding Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, Birmingham, AL area, and Visiting Research Professor, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC. Prior to his current position he served for twenty years as Professor of Christian Ministry and Dean of Duke University Chapel. He is the author of fifty books, and over a million copies of his books have been sold. His articles have appeared in many publications including The Christian Ministry, Quarterly Review, Liturgy, Worship, and Christianity Today. His Pulpit Resource is used each week by over eight thousand pastors in the U.S.A., Canada, and Australia. He was selected in a Baylor University survey as one of the "Twelve Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reminded me of listening to a lecture given by that professor everyone loves, September 25, 2010

By 

ChibiNeko "Sooo many books, so little time!" (Whereever I go, here I am.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Why Jesus? (Paperback)

"Be warned: In reading this book you are taking a risk of getting discombobulated, commandeered, and befriended by the most interesting person in the world."

Often highly informative & occasionally humorous, Willimon's Why Jesus? manages to not only hook in the readers but to also entertain as well. In this book Willimon dares to ask why exactly so many people have been entranced & lead by the Bible's most well known character (well, aside from God, but that's a given).

Willimon focuses on several key aspects of Jesus's character, such as Jesus as vagabond, savior, & ultimate party dude. (I kid you not- there's a section entitled "Party Person".) Through focusing on these certain aspects Willimon manages to create an entirely readable book about someone that many will admit that they probably don't know as much about as they'd like to think they do.

It isn't all fun & games though- through this book the reader is also challenged with the notion that we should constantly be on the move to do good by ourselves & by others. Willimon also manages to challenge himself, often humbling himself & his writing during the course of the book.

Just as the warning above states, many readers will find themselves challenged by Willimon's viewpoints. I myself wasn't expecting to see "Jesus as a party guy" in this book & I wasn't expecting to be as entertained as I was. People will read this once to absorb all of the information about Jesus, but they'll return because the book manages to be one of those that keeps them thinking & entertained long after they've turned the final page. Like I said in the title to the review, this just made me feel like I'd managed to get into a lecture by one of those college professors that everyone loves & wants to attend his classes!

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be Challenged by Jesus, March 14, 2011

By 

Matthew Morine (Castle Rock, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Jesus? (Paperback)

There are thousands of books about Jesus. With a title of Why Jesus, one would assume that this text is dealing with the proof of the divinity of Christ. There are numerous books dealing with the apologetics of ascertaining that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. But this book is not one of them. This would lead one to wonder if this book is more of a devotional style. There are also thousands of titles dealing with that topic--Jesus the comforter, Jesus the advice-giver, Jesus the peacemaker, Jesus the healer, but this book does not use those terms. In fact, some of the roles that the author ascribes to Jesus might be a shock. There are chapters entitled "Vagabond", "Story Teller", "Party Person", and even "Home-Wrecker." These are not typically chapters in books about the life of Jesus.

Sometimes the book will shock the reader, but instead of being offended, the reader will meditate on the truthfulness of the idea. This is because the book's author does not seem to wish to accomplish what most writings on Jesus do in this modern society, which is to comfort and make the reader feel good about himself. Instead the book confronts the Christian with the radical life that the Lord lived. In reading the chapter about Jesus the Vagabond, one is impressed with the life of Jesus. He was poor, he never could stay in one place long, and he was always going to another home. Sometimes as modern Christians, we have dressed Jesus up in middle class clothes; he is living in a middle class home, driving a SUV donkey. The chapter confronts the Christian with how deeply different Jesus' time on earth was in comparison to our own.

The next chapter that seems to be a shocker is the one on "Home-Wrecker." Much of modern Christianity focuses on improving the home. This is not a bad thing. There are classes on child rearing, on having good marriages, and on developing the perfect home life. But this is only half of the call of Christianity. At times, Jesus calls his people out of the safety of the home for the purpose of his mission. He seems to break up the home of many of his disciples. He tells people to leave "father and mother" and follow him. Sometimes discipleship means to be torn from your family.

These are just some of the thought-provoking chapters. Almost all of the chapters will cause the reader to dwell on the true nature of Jesus. The work perhaps provides a different view of the nature of God.

The book is a little "in your face," but this is not all bad. It will cause you to meditate on the true nature of Jesus. One might not agree with all of the author's statements, but one will be challenged by his words. One must remember that when people encountered Jesus, there was a time of reflection to dwell on his teachings. This is one of those books. It is not filled with error, but it is filled with an "untamed" perspective of Jesus. The book presents a counter-cultural Jesus, but the book does not react to sinful society's images of Christ. It instead reacts to some of the ideas that the modern view of Jesus has of the Lord. Instead of having one's faith weakened, after reading this book, his faith will cause him to say, "truly this was the Son of God!"

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Passionate Reflection from a Well-Known Voice, April 27, 2011

By 

Eric Van Meter - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Jesus? (Paperback)

Bishop William H. Willimon's question of "Why Jesus?" presents itself in ambiguity: is the question one of apologetics (why should we care about Jesus?) or a more direct address (why did you teach and behave in such a way, Jesus?)? For this prolific author and bishop in the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, the answer seems to be simply, "Yes."
The core of Why Jesus? is Willimon's amazement at the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus. Like any human, Jesus is complex, sometimes contradictory, and hard to pin down. Unlike common human perceptions of God, however, Jesus is not a spiritual truth from some otherworldly plane. He is quite real, embedded in the daily lives of his followers even as he remains an enigma to them.
Willimon organizes his thoughts into twelve chapters, each of which explores one of the roles he sees Jesus play in the New Testament. Some are familiar: peacemaker, savior, preacher, lover. Others are not often explored: party person, vagabond, delegator. Still other chapters portray widely recognized aspects of Jesus' life, only without employing traditional language. Chapter 6, which uses the term "magician" to describe Jesus' miracles and healings, stands out in this regard.
Perhaps the role which most captivates Willimon is that of storyteller, which the author seems to take on in his own writing. He spends considerable time in the re-telling of well-known gospel stories using unfamiliar language, following the technique popularized by Eugene Peterson's The Message.
For all his linguistic gymnastics, Willimon stays on target with each of his chapters. His temptations to meander appear in sidebars labeled "Aside to Jesus." This technique allows him to give some insight into his own personal thoughts, but also (and more importantly) gives him opportunity to point out rabbit paths without having to explore them himself. His asides always speak directly to Jesus, reminding the reader that his book is about a real, present person rather than an interesting yet distant personality.
Willimon never clearly defines his audience, perhaps in hopes that his retelling of the gospel stories will, like Jesus, transcend target market. However, his preacherly bluster may not find a hearing among those who are not yet convinced about Jesus. More likely, Why Jesus? will provide a resource for Sunday school classes and other church small groups. Its best hope of success may lie in waking up churchgoers who have molded Jesus into a more comfortable framework.
In the end--and perhaps appropriately--it's the voice of the author himself that makes this book a worthwhile read. The ideas, although presented clearly, are neither new nor exceptional. But fans of Willimon's more than sixty previous books will find the same lucid, forceful prose that has made him a favorite for more than three decades of publishing.