The Unknown Sayings of Jesus

Rating:
Summary: sayings both inside & outside the tradition
Review: I read this book as someone raised Christian who now is inspired by most of the world's religions. I'm one of those people who hasn't met a religion they didn't like!

Christianity still holds a special place in my heart. Just like I've discovered sushi & Thai food since leaving home, doesn't mean I still don't like mom's home cooking! And that's what Jesus is for me: plain, good & wonderful comfort food.

This book gives us plenty to chew on and think about, both within a "Jesus only" tradition and without. And it does so without a lot of religious tradition or scholarly jargon getting in the way. If you're poly-religious like myself, you'll contemplate each saying and how it relates to sayings by other sages and masters. And if you're mono-religious, you'll find a lot of inspiring sayings by Jesus that just might cause you to look deeper into your own faith tradition, whether Christian or not.

The main thing to remember when looking at books like these is that Jesus was a revolutionary, aramaic-speaking Jewish peasant (probably illiterate) and for that reason was put to death by the Romans. What he actually said was then written down by many people over the following centuries. Approximately 300 years later the 4 gospels were canonized and some of his words were put in Greek in the allegorical context of the Jewish Messiah. Needless to say a lot of other stuff attributed to him was outside that Christian tradition that developed at the time. Of course, looking back, it's hard to see the Jesus for the Christ!

Nonetheless, his words alone are very inspiring -- and challenging and critical -- and worth reading whether within the Christian tradition or without.

Rating:
Summary: sayings both inside & outside the tradition
Review: I read this book as someone raised Christian who now is inspired by most of the world's religions. I'm one of those people who hasn't met a religion they didn't like!

Christianity still holds a special place in my heart. Just like I've discovered sushi & Thai food since leaving home, doesn't mean I still don't like mom's home cooking! And that's what Jesus is for me: plain, good & wonderful comfort food.

This book gives us plenty to chew on and think about, both within a "Jesus only" tradition and without. And it does so without a lot of religious tradition or scholarly jargon getting in the way. If you're poly-religious like myself, you'll contemplate each saying and how it relates to sayings by other sages and masters. And if you're mono-religious, you'll find a lot of inspiring sayings by Jesus that just might cause you to look deeper into your own faith tradition, whether Christian or not.

The main thing to remember when looking at books like these is that Jesus was a revolutionary, aramaic-speaking Jewish peasant (probably illiterate) and for that reason was put to death by the Romans. What he actually said was then written down by many people over the following centuries. Approximately 300 years later the 4 gospels were canonized and some of his words were put in Greek in the allegorical context of the Jewish Messiah. Needless to say a lot of other stuff attributed to him was outside that Christian tradition that developed at the time. Of course, looking back, it's hard to see the Jesus for the Christ!

Nonetheless, his words alone are very inspiring -- and challenging and critical -- and worth reading whether within the Christian tradition or without.