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Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable read, but start with Walter Wink
Review: I think this is a phenomenal, eye opening book. I read it while working at a bible camp having been stigmatized for taking the kind of views that Jack Nelson Pallmeyer did in this book. It is a fascinating exegesis on the gospels and on the old testament with some good eye opening historical information. However, it is not a book for the light hearted and i think it takes the miracollous wonder of the resurrection away. Pallmeyer seems to want to focus merely on the life of Jesus, which i think is a legitimate topic in more progressive circles. However more literature needs to be done focusing on both issues of Christ, not claiming a conservative or liberal agenda. Pallmeyer really did not provide much new information or insights in the book. While it might be good for a religious scholar to read, I would suggest Walter Wink's books for anyone who wants a good solid introduction to the issue of power and dominance in the church.
Rating:
Summary: Take It With a Grain of Salt
Review: Professor Nelson-Pallmeyer is idealistic, compassionate, intelligent, creative and intentional about living out his faith in the real world. In this text he makes a noble effort to interpret scripture through the life, actions and sayings of the historic Jesus of Nazareth. Unfortunately, he attempts his hermeneutic task with a degree of certainty unjustified by the evidence. What Professor Nelson-Pallmeyer forgets is that neither Schweitzer nor any of his successors, up to and including the Jesus Seminar, have been able to define the life and sayings of the historic Jesus with any degree of certainty. Consequently, Professor Nelson-Pallmeyer projects back on the historic Jesus concerns that are more appropriate to the twenty-first century a.d. than to the first. The result is that Professor Nelson-Pallmeyer interprets scripture through a Jesus of his own making. Sadly, he has succeeded in recasting Jesus in his own image. Nevertheless, Professor Nelson-Pallmeyer's concerns about the subordination of faith to culture are important and worth pondering. His response, forged through years of focusing his scholarly and personal life on issues of justice and peace, is worth considering. Read this text and take Professor Nelson-Pallmeyer seriously, just as he attempts to take Jesus seriously. However, take him with a grain of salt.
Rating:
Summary: Is Christ really missing?
Review: When I picked up Mr. Nelson-Pallmeyer's book, I was intrigued by the synopsis. I, myself have had the very same questions as to why God in the OT is portrayed as vengeful and bloodthirsty, yet in the NT "God is Love". But "Jesus AGAINST Christianity? Hmmmmm. So read the book I did. What I didn't like about the book: While the author brings up interesting questions and gives some vital information into Jewish history and mindset, I felt the book was to repetative and he could have easily conveyed his message in half the words. I kept thinking, "yes, you made this point many times in previous pages and chapters". In reading it I noted his obvious axe to grind with Catholicism and I feel that bias is reflected in his writing. I also feel his interpretation of the scriptures from only a literalist/historical perspective (without tempering the spirituality or various literary styles of writing in the bible) and the conclusions he draws are strictly of his own opinion, and not necessarily accurate. While he does make some good points, I feel he misses the forest for all the trees. What I DID like about this book: As any good professor would like to do for his students - it gets under your skin and opens up your mind and challenges your beliefs so that one will take a good hard look at what he does believe. And this book does that very well. And we need to critique our beliefs in relation to God, our concept of him, how we manifest our belief/faith in our lives and in the world. But in the end, I just don't find Christ as missing or as mis-portrayed by the Gospel authors as Mr. Nelson-Pallmeyer suggests. So I give it a 3 1/2 stars.
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