March 1, 2010
When one sets out to explicate the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, arguably the most important figure in human history, it is inevitable that the study will be affected by one's own beliefs and biases. Johnson, celebrated author and columnist for Forbes and the American Spectator, makes no excuse for his own Catholic faith foundations. In this eminently readable study of Jesus' life and teachings, Johnson delivers a cogent, conservative view of scripture and the character of the Christian faith. At times, Johnson's political views show through; his comments on the poor, and Jesus' compassion toward them, reflect his basic distrust of institutional and even personal charity, deeming it "quite ineffective and hopeless." But there is a compassion toward all people that echoes throughout this work. He concludes that this world, filled with evil, needs a return to the teachings of Jesus in order to right itself. Some will disagree. But none will be surprised at Johnson's fluid writing and fundamentally conservative views of religion and, indeed, the world at large.
March 15, 2010
Journalist-historian Johnsons deliberately noncontentious account of historys most famous man is unapologetically, uncarpingly based on the New Testament. Nearly no other sources are mentioned, and the short further reading list admits nothing by any Jesus Seminar scholar or other revisionist. Since the book is longer than all four Gospels put together, it is obviously more than a conflationary synopsis. Johnson weighs what little is said about Jesus childhood and youth and why no more is said; discusses Jesus personal affect; notes the qualities of his teaching, especially in the parables; emphasizes his reservations about the miracles he performs; and analyzes how he differentially addressed men, women, children, and the aged. Johnson outlines the new ten commandments that Jesus introduced in deed as well as word and with which he intended to prepare his followers not to change the world but to enter the kingdom of God. Lastly, Johnson inspects the Passion, the Resurrection, and their aftermath to Pentecost with intelligent faith. An all-but-unalloyed (the Catholic Johnson favors women in priesthood) gift to all believing Christians.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)