Monday, December 10, 2012

Jesus: a Theography


Jesus:  A Theography by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

The title itself should be an alert that something is different.  The authors have coined a new word, theography.  Perhaps it will become a new genre in books, but since it is unique enough to apply to just one person, maybe not. 

The book is a long read—requiring more than an afternoon sitting.  At times it was documented well enough to be a scholarly treatise, but at other times it was obvious that the writers were simply story-telling for the masses.  Whichever mode the authors were in, they were challenging old paradigms of concepts concerning the Christ.  While I did not find anything contrary to scripture, they often used their imaginations to stretch our thinking about Jesus.

I must admit that the first half was an analytical time for me weighing the various assertions, but by the time I was 2/3 through the narrative, my mind was often contemplating the fuller meanings suggested by the text.  I found it fascinating to see all the other connections between the two testaments.  While I knew many, there were fresh ideas throughout the book.

This will be one book I will re-read, not only with a high-liter but with a notepad.  It has launched me into new understandings of our great Savior.