Monday, November 4, 2013

Book Review: Useful, But a Tad Dull

Bethany House provided a complimentary copy of the featured book in exchange for an honest review.
     The Jesus Story: Everything That Happens in the New Testament in Plain English by Dr. William H. Marty condenses the New Testament for readers in a very, easy-to-read book. Its main intent is to outline the life of Christ and the beginnings of the Church. It does a fine job of that. The retelling of events such as healings and miracles is useful, as the Gospels tend to cover the same events changing details dependent upon the author's perspective. This book defines the events in a clear manner.
     New believers or someone whom would like a better grip on the chronology of the life of Jesus and the Church's beginnings will find this volume a great help. However, one with a fairly decent grasp of New Testament times may find this book dull. The Jesus Story reads like a set of notes, though in full sentences. I found the language prosaic and somewhat comatose. The other downfall of The Jesus Story, at least in my book, is it is completely devoid of any theological insight. If that was included the book would have kept my interest a lot more.
      The Jesus Story will appeal to some who want notes and need a clear-cut grasp of the story. However, I guarantee it will leave seasoned believers who read their Bibles wanting. Let me leave with a positive note. The book is easy to read in a matter of hours. The chapters are well divided and make good sense. Certainly, every reader will gain something from Dr. Marty's The Jesus Story.


 

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