Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Book Review: Jesus

In his new book Jesus: An Intimate Portrait of the Man, His Land and His People, author Leith Anderson takes a new approach to understanding the person of Jesus Christ and the full impact of his ministry.

Anderson places the events depicted in the gospels in chronological order in an attempt to construct a complete biography of Jesus. He also provides numerous historical facts throughout the book that help the reader understand the context, both culturally and historically, for Jesus' ministry.

The book doesn't just focus on the events of Jesus' life, his teachings, and the miracles he performs. Anderson also provides insight into the reaction of various people groups and governments to help the reader gain a better understanding of the full impact of Jesus' life on earth.

This book is a terrific resource particularly for someone who wants to be introduced to Jesus who may not have studied the gospels previously. It's also a great resource for believers as Anderson's research helps the believer gain a greater understanding of the full impact of His ministry.

The only shortcoming of the book is the absence of any biblical references throughout the book. Someone who is familiar with the gospels will have no trouble finding the biblical events depicted in the book. However, someone who does not have a certain degree of biblical literacy may be frustrated by the lack of scriptural references. Personally, I didn't have a problem with this but it could be a stumbling block for some readers.

Overall, I found this book enjoyable to read and would recommend it to anyone who wants a fresh perspective on the ministry of Jesus.

This book was provided to me by Mind and Media through Bethany House. No consideration was received for this review apart from the book.

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