Jesus Without Religion: What Did He Say? What Did He Do? What's the Point?

by Rick James

Book Overview

Great. Another book about Jesus. Whose agenda will the author be lugging along this time? Author Rick James begins by clearing his throat. Free of creeds, quarrels and specialized theologies, he speaks of Jesus. No dogma, no politics, no moral at the end. Jesus. What he said. What he did. And what, exactly, was the point. The answers about Jesus, according to Rick James, are in the context. In his own unconventional way, James recalls the specific...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830836071
• ISBN13: 9780830836079
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: IVP
• Length: 143 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.6" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Who knew that the 'answers' were SO simple!

Just read this. After you do you'll find that you understand what all the fuss is about. Religion is for those who need to be led....this book leads without preaching and teaches without a formal religious take on the subject. Believe me, I learned so much more than I did in religious schools! Just READ this and then reflect on the truths it contains.

For seekers and new believers

I'm going to go out on a very short limb here and speculate that no one in history --- no one --- has been more misunderstood, more subject to misinterpretation, and more burdened with layers of distortion than has the person of Jesus Christ. This is not to suggest that there is but one crystal-clear image of Him that we can consider to be accurate. But most of us have to admit that our perception of Jesus is clouded by add-ons, a host of cultural and religious elements that serve as barriers to seeing Him as He truly is. Writing primarily for seekers and new believers, Rick James helps remove those barriers by presenting Jesus' words and actions in the ever-important context of the culture in which He lived. James strips biblical stories of their distortions, lays them bare and then clothes them with insights into the meaning that would have been clearly understood by the people of Jesus' time. Example: the parable of the Good Samaritan. Seekers --- if they've ever heard the actual account at all --- may come to the story with some vague understanding that Jesus was making a point about how we should treat each other. Good point, but not the main one. The main point, as James describes it, was an "insulting kick in the groin" to the priests and Levites scattered among the crowd that was listening not to a morality tale told by Mr. Rogers but to a scathing indictment leveled by the King of kings. The priest and Levite in the parable ignore the victim on the road due to their blind allegiance to the Law; by contrast, the Samaritan, so despised by the Jews, goes above and beyond in helping the man. James's point is clear: this is a picture of Jesus without religion. And its meaning was not lost on the Jewish religious leaders who heard the parable. ("You can tell seditious little stories for only so long until people wise up and say, 'Hey, I think he's talking about us.' And of course he was," James writes.) James, the publisher of Campus Crusade for Christ's student-oriented CruPress, not surprisingly writes in an engaging, accessible style designed to appeal primarily to the Campus Crusade and InterVarsity demographic that is evident in the organizations' names. Even so, all but the stodgiest post-college readers should appreciate his sense of humor and understand his contemporary cultural references. (On the choosing of the 12 disciples: [this] "communicated a message to the effect of 'Here is the true Israel' or 'I'm putting the old Israel up for auction on eBay' or something. Understandably, this less-than-subtle message would not have been warmly received by Israel's leaders.") JESUS WITHOUT RELIGION includes an appendix that would seem out of place except for the fact that the book is intended as an evangelistic tool --- not just for reaching seekers but also for helping confused believers sort out the contradictory images of Jesus that have appeared in the secular media in recent years. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense to f

Good Introduction to Jesus

The subtitle of this book is "What Did He Say? What Did He Do? What's the Point?" This is an excellent summary of what this book is about. I give this book 5 stars because the author set out to answer those questions, and that is exactly what he did. This book is an introduction to Jesus, to the real Jesus, the one you meet in the pages of the Bible. It isn't about the latest alleged discovery. It isn't yet another expose on who Jesus really was. It is a clear, readable presentation of what the Bible says about Jesus, and an observation that the story we find there is actually pretty persuasive. There is no denying the impact Jesus has had on the world. Who hasn't heard his name? Who doesn't at least have some idea that he was some great religious teacher who lived long ago? Get rid of the vague notions you have about Jesus and get introduced to the Jesus of the Bible. If you haven't met the real Jesus, or if you aren't sure that you have, then this book is for you. One last tip: read the preface too. And the appendix.