Joshua : The Homecoming

Rating:
Summary: I hoped this would follow in Joshua's prior footsteps...
Review: but it just didn't.

While Girzone's earlier "Joshua" books left no doubt as to whom Joshua really was, neither were they the forward, subtle-as-a-ton-of-bricks parables this one is. Perhaps that was Girzone's intent: to make this millennial Joshua more of a "Gospel of John" character [who boldly asserts his identity], rather than a "Gospel of Mark" character [who guards his true identity, only to be revealed upon his resurrection]. It's hard to reconcile the two Joshuas, but, again, maybe that's the point.

I was not so much offended as distracted by the very topical themes of the book. Earlier books in the series stayed away from using references to specific religious or cultural figures; this one names names (Pope John Paul II and the Church of God in Christ, for example). I found this unfortunate, as it seemed more a negative statement about them than a positive statement about the work of Jesus in the world. Prior books were fun to read over and over; I barely made it through this one the first time through.

Though I appreciated the messages offered, this was not a pleasant read (as the prior books were) for me. If this is the first of the "Joshua" series you read, I would encourage you to immediately read any of the earlier ones. They are a cut above this offering, both in reading enjoyment and in the message presented.

Rating:
Summary: I hoped this would follow in Joshua's prior footsteps...
Review: but it just didn't.

While Girzone's earlier "Joshua" books left no doubt as to whom Joshua really was, neither were they the forward, subtle-as-a-ton-of-bricks parables this one is. Perhaps that was Girzone's intent: to make this millennial Joshua more of a "Gospel of John" character [who boldly asserts his identity], rather than a "Gospel of Mark" character [who guards his true identity, only to be revealed upon his resurrection]. It's hard to reconcile the two Joshuas, but, again, maybe that's the point.

I was not so much offended as distracted by the very topical themes of the book. Earlier books in the series stayed away from using references to specific religious or cultural figures; this one names names (Pope John Paul II and the Church of God in Christ, for example). I found this unfortunate, as it seemed more a negative statement about them than a positive statement about the work of Jesus in the world. Prior books were fun to read over and over; I barely made it through this one the first time through.

Though I appreciated the messages offered, this was not a pleasant read (as the prior books were) for me. If this is the first of the "Joshua" series you read, I would encourage you to immediately read any of the earlier ones. They are a cut above this offering, both in reading enjoyment and in the message presented.

Rating:
Summary: Joshua No More.
Review: I have read all the books in the Joshua series and a couple other books Joseph Girzone has written. My favorites are JOSHUA and JOSHUA AND THE CHILDREN. JOSHUA AND THE CHILDREN really moved me and affected me deeply, giving me a deeper appreciation for the finer things in life. I was really looking forward to reading JOSHUA THE HOMECOMING, the latest book in the series.

What a huge disappointment! The Joshua of JOSHUA THE HOMECOMING is not the same Joshua who appears in the other books in the series. The author says he is, but he's not really. No, the Joshua in this book is really just a puppet that the author uses to express his own beliefs and philosophies, some of which are not even Biblical. Now, there's nothing wrong with an author using a character he has created to spew forth the author's beliefs. However, Joshua isn't just some character. Joshua is supposed to be Jesus. Jesus isn't just a character and he shouldn't be treated as such.What made the first few Joshua books so enjoyable, memorable, and meaningful is that Joshua was Jesus. Girzone seems to have forgotten that. Instead, Joshua has become a mouthpiece of Joseph Girzone.

No longer does Joshua hide the identity of who he is, but now he lets people in on the "messianic secret" sometimes even telling them point blank who he really is. Not only that, but this Joshua claims that the Bible really isn't God-breathed but is an embellishment made by men. According to this Joshua: the claims of Christ about when the world would end aren't true and a prophecy might never reach it's fulfillment; macro-evolution is a fact of life; and we should all be blindly listening to scientists because they are the new prophets. This is just a sample of the teachings from the new Joshua.

I enjoyed reading all the other Joshua books, but JOSHUA THE HOMECOMING was a struggle to get through. The book isn't very long and the language is simple, yet it drags. Instead of caring what was going on with the story, I found myself wondering how long the book was going to drag. What a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: get's the message across
Review: I have read all the other Joshua books and love them. If you believe that the Bible is the inspired word of GOD then DO NOT buy this book. This book will not be kept, it will not be sold, it will be destroyed. Girzone is leading young christians on a path to question the Bible as the word of GOD.

Rating:
Summary: Confused.
Review: I loved the other Joshua books. I read the original about 10 times as I was interested in seeing Jesus life modeled. I was disturbed by the section in the book where doubt is placed on the word of God, claiming that "Jesus didn't tell anyone to write a book". What about where it says in Timothy that all scripture is God breathed and profitable for doctrine, reproof and correction etc. ? Girzone seems to express his beliefs in this fictional work just as LaHaye and Jenkins expressed their beliefs in the fictional works of the Left Behind series. I think it is valuable for Christians to concentrate on sharing the love of Jesus and leading others to Christ as opposed to hiding away in the hills awaiting doomsday. I was surprised that the Church of God In Christ was named in the book in a negative light. I would be interested to read material explaining the author's exact beliefs on various subjects. I also wonder if some of the things in the book were a revelation from God to the author concerning the time of the end, or just his opinion. An enjoyable read. We get to root Go Jesus ! and that's fun to do. I'll stick with the authority of scripture.

Rating:
Summary: Joshua The Homecoming
Review: My mother gave me this book when it was first published in 1999. In all honesty, I thought it was the original book "Joshua" by Joseph Girzone. Since I had already read the original I didn't bother picking it up until now. I am doing this review for my English 101 class and I thought, since it had been quite some time since I read "Joshua" that I would read it again.

I am at a point in my life that I needed a spiritual uplifting and I knew the book had provided me with this before. I was completely taken by surprise when I started the first page and realized this was a continuation of the Joshua story. It did indeed give me the uplifting that I was expecting. It also gave me a new insight in to thoughts on the Bible and "The End Time".

I especially enjoyed when Joshua was speaking with the elders of The Church of God in Christ about the Bible. He says: "To go back to the book alone is to deny the Holy Spirit's two thousand years of guidance, and all the growth in understanding that has taken place in those two thousand years." (p. 152) I do believe in reading the Bible, and I don't believe that Mr. Girzone is implying that we should not read it, but that this should not be the sole source of our Christianity. I also enjoyed Mr. Girzone's description of "The End Time", something that has entered my mind on many occasions. He says that the world will not end, by God's hand, until "His creation is perfected." (p. 26) and "if evil things happen, it will be the work of human beings, not the work of my Father." (p. 26)

I am very grateful this assignment came up because I would have probably left the book in my closet a lot longer than I have. I would recommend this book to everyone. Especially those that might need a more clear understanding of a loving, compassionate, and forgiving God. It has been an excellent read for me and it provided me everything, and more, that I was looking for in spirituality. I thank you Mr. Girzone, for sharing your wonderful insight.

Rating:
Summary: Joshua The Homecoming
Review: My mother gave me this book when it was first published in 1999. In all honesty, I thought it was the original book "Joshua" by Joseph Girzone. Since I had already read the original I didn't bother picking it up until now. I am doing this review for my English 101 class and I thought, since it had been quite some time since I read "Joshua" that I would read it again.

I am at a point in my life that I needed a spiritual uplifting and I knew the book had provided me with this before. I was completely taken by surprise when I started the first page and realized this was a continuation of the Joshua story. It did indeed give me the uplifting that I was expecting. It also gave me a new insight in to thoughts on the Bible and "The End Time".

I especially enjoyed when Joshua was speaking with the elders of The Church of God in Christ about the Bible. He says: "To go back to the book alone is to deny the Holy Spirit's two thousand years of guidance, and all the growth in understanding that has taken place in those two thousand years." (p. 152) I do believe in reading the Bible, and I don't believe that Mr. Girzone is implying that we should not read it, but that this should not be the sole source of our Christianity. I also enjoyed Mr. Girzone's description of "The End Time", something that has entered my mind on many occasions. He says that the world will not end, by God's hand, until "His creation is perfected." (p. 26) and "if evil things happen, it will be the work of human beings, not the work of my Father." (p. 26)

I am very grateful this assignment came up because I would have probably left the book in my closet a lot longer than I have. I would recommend this book to everyone. Especially those that might need a more clear understanding of a loving, compassionate, and forgiving God. It has been an excellent read for me and it provided me everything, and more, that I was looking for in spirituality. I thank you Mr. Girzone, for sharing your wonderful insight.

Rating:
Summary: get's the message across
Review: This is one of those rare books that has a message so well delivered, using a story for that message that is warm and interesting that one may overlook any minor technical problems or lack of sophistication. A good read.