Book Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jesus
I recently finished reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jesus, and let me tell you, I am impressed! To start off, the two authors, James Stuart Bell and Tracy Macon Sumner actually are Christians, unlike so many who sell books about Jesus in the mainstream.
The authors take us thru a singular, summarized account of the life of Jesus, led in by a survey of the state the Jewish people before Jesus was born, and followed by a quick review of how Jesus empowered his followers to continue with Him after He returned to Heaven. The book is rich with notes about ancient Jewish culture that help to explain why Jesus spoke and acted in ways so often confusing to us in the present.
As I read the book, I could not help but think of Jesus and the Gospels by Craig Blomberg, which is very similar in form. The big difference between the two books is that The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jesus does not concern itself with nearly as many details and is written in a more down-to-earth manner, making it much easier to take in. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jesus is a better read for those who are new to Bible resources, even if it would never be used as a primary text for a college Bible course (Blomberg's book was my primary text for New Testament Survey 101). Yes, this book would make an excellent gift to a youth (whether they are young in age, or young in their Christianity, or simply young in their experience of Christian literature), given, of course, that they can happily accept a gift made out for an idiot! I don't mind being called an idiot :P
This book takes an interesting approach to humor by constantly using puns or other silly wordplays for section titles, giving a feel of lightness, while obstaining from such devices in the actual content of the reading. This way we get to avoid the irritation and distraction that simple humor can so easily cause while reading something meaty and important, without being subject to the mind-numbing rant so typical of scholarly works.
I think Dr. J. I. Packer, professor of theology at Regent College, should have the last words in this review:
"O, happy idiot, to have the old, old story made so wonderfully fresh and tasty for you! Enjoy!"
Nab it for a few bucks on www.amazon.com
The Peace of Christ to You,
Jake
The authors take us thru a singular, summarized account of the life of Jesus, led in by a survey of the state the Jewish people before Jesus was born, and followed by a quick review of how Jesus empowered his followers to continue with Him after He returned to Heaven. The book is rich with notes about ancient Jewish culture that help to explain why Jesus spoke and acted in ways so often confusing to us in the present.
As I read the book, I could not help but think of Jesus and the Gospels by Craig Blomberg, which is very similar in form. The big difference between the two books is that The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jesus does not concern itself with nearly as many details and is written in a more down-to-earth manner, making it much easier to take in. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jesus is a better read for those who are new to Bible resources, even if it would never be used as a primary text for a college Bible course (Blomberg's book was my primary text for New Testament Survey 101). Yes, this book would make an excellent gift to a youth (whether they are young in age, or young in their Christianity, or simply young in their experience of Christian literature), given, of course, that they can happily accept a gift made out for an idiot! I don't mind being called an idiot :P
This book takes an interesting approach to humor by constantly using puns or other silly wordplays for section titles, giving a feel of lightness, while obstaining from such devices in the actual content of the reading. This way we get to avoid the irritation and distraction that simple humor can so easily cause while reading something meaty and important, without being subject to the mind-numbing rant so typical of scholarly works.
I think Dr. J. I. Packer, professor of theology at Regent College, should have the last words in this review:
"O, happy idiot, to have the old, old story made so wonderfully fresh and tasty for you! Enjoy!"
Nab it for a few bucks on www.amazon.com
The Peace of Christ to You,
Jake