The Lost Message of Jesus (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author) "Much that once was, is lost, for none lived who could remember it..." (more)
Key Phrases: steve chalke, lost message, original goodness, Old Testament, New Testament, High God (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chalke, a British social activist, broadcaster and author of The Parenttalk Guide to Your Child and Sex and Faithworks, asserts that churches neglect Christ's basic message that "the Kingdom... is available now to everyone through me." Instead, Chalke says, pieces of Christ's message have been overemphasized and distorted. Like a refinisher removing lacquer from antique furniture, Chalke seeks to strip falsity and tradition from the gospel by examining the accounts of Christ's life in their original context. Clear explanations and plenty of anecdotes reveal truths that get little air time in most pulpits. For example, Jesus offered forgiveness outside the temple. In doing so, he brought hope to people the Pharisees had shut out of the temple—and threatened the nation's power structure. Such insights illustrate the immediacy of Christ's message; Chalke says Jesus offered forgiveness " 'right here, right now' and for free." But just as the furniture refinisher risks damaging the original while restoring its beauty, Chalke scrapes the outer boundaries of Christian orthodoxy with questionable treatment of the traditional Western notion of original sin (he cites no scripture in saying Christ emphasized humanity's "original goodness") and of the atonement. Chalke appears to reject the idea that Jesus' death was a sacrifice for sin, maintaining instead that the crucifixion destroyed "the ideology that violence is the ultimate solution." The book's intent—to free the gospel from religious bias and expose its unvarnished power—deserves kudos, but some traditional Christians may greet the specifics with skepticism.
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Product Description

A fresh look at Jesus that will stir thoughtful debate, pose new questions and hopefully create a deeper understanding of Jesus and his message.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310248825
• ISBN-13: 978-0310248828
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #500,638 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Message of Jesus in the Gospels, January 3, 2007

By	Ben Kickert (Bowling Green, KY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Lost Message of Jesus (TLMOJ) was assigned as a text for a seminary course I am taking on "Kingdom, Church and World."

This book earns a rating of 4 stars because of its straightforward content and overall approachability. Throughout the book Chalke focuses on the biblical concept of the Kingdom of God, which is the dominant message in the life and teaching of Jesus. In doing so, as other reviewers have noted, the tone of the text emphasizes action, love and justice. Readers who might find this book to be "liberal" are probably approaching the TLMOJ from a different angle than the author and this may result in some discomfort. Chalke focuses on Jesus and the message he brings as is recorded in the Gospels. This message is comprised of his words, but perhaps more importantly his actions. Readers looking for the sinner's prayer or emphasis on personal salvation wont find it in TLMOJ because this idea is largely absent from the Gospels. I can't help but think that most of the objections raised by this book will largely be prompted by an American Evangelical reading of the Bible, rather than an honest assessment of Jesus as he lived and taught in the first century world.

As I read the book I kept thinking to myself "I have heard this before" and in most cases I had. A reader searching for a wealth of "original" material in TLMOJ may be disappointed as most of the content and ideas can be found more fleshed out in other sources; the influence of NT Wright is especially noticeable. That being said, the strength of the book is not its originality, rather it is its presentation. Chalke does a marvelous job of presenting a holistic understanding of the Kingdom of God in a book that is easy to read and easy to recommend. He effectively introduces a variety of insights on the Kingdom and the message and ministry of Jesus. The book perhaps could have been improved if the author had credited his sources so those interested could further investigate the concepts he introduces; however, that desire could admittedly come from my own academic reading of the text.

Overall I would recommend Chalke's The Lost Message of Jesus, especially to those looking for a high-altitude overview of the Kingdom of God. The book is also exemplary of an easy to read introduction into the theology behind the emerging church movement - it would be a great "first read" for someone interested in these topics.

-bk

15 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting...., September 20, 2005

By	J. Perez (Somewhere in Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In LMOJ, Stephen Chalke aims to recover the heart of the "lost message" of Jesus of Nazareth, which, as the author believes, has been forgotten through centuries of dogmatic church teachings, squabbles over doctrine, etc. In so doing, Chalke executes a poetic linguistic dance around such thorny topics as sin, man's total depravity and separation from the living and true G-d. While it's indisputable that Jesus took a special interest in outcasts, the downtrodden and broken hearted, I'm not sure what to make of Chalke's portrayal of Jesus as a first century social activist. Verses like, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For out of the heart of man come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickednes...All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person" (Mark 7:20-23), or "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick...For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt 9:12, 13) seem to contend with Chalke's belief that words like "sinner" are out of touch with today's world: "...Is this was we have reduced the majestic message of Jesus to?" (Chalke, 173). Isn't it true that Messiah's message was intended for the "lost sheep of the House of Israel", implying, of course, a certain lostness? And what is the root cause of this lostness but the inherent sinfulness and total depravity of humankind, whether Jew or Gentile? More importantly, how can we possibly know the glorious grace of the blessed G-d in Christ if we don't know that G-d loved us to the uttermost in spite of the fact that we deserve nothing but the full penalty of the Law?
There are no doubt some wonderful moments in this book, but overall, I don't know if I can endorse of a book that refuses to acknowledge some pretty important doctrines. In the end, I have to recall the words of the greatest herald of Messiah's good news: "But G-d demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Amen.

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a look, but nothing too groundbreaking, March 10, 2005

By	pilgrim in progress (Starkville, MS) - See all my reviews

Four stars might be a little high, but not too much of a stretch. This book will not present a lot of new ideas to those familiar with Brian McLaren, NT Wright, and the like. It is, however, an easy read and presents a few interesting ideas.

The basic theme here is that the kingdom of God is available right now through Jesus Christ. Chalke delves into his own ideas and experiences in an effort to inspire a viewpoint of Christ that is not filtered through our Western culture. There are a few debatable interpretations, but Chalke mostly plays it safe. It's a good short read, but nothing that will knock your socks off.