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What Jesus Meant - A Review
May 2, 2007
What Jesus Meant ~ By Garry Wills
Reviewed by Suzanne Bailey
(Suzanne, a member Our Lady of Malibu, is involved in Music Ministry and also is a lector and Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist at her parish)
This is a little book about a big idea: Jesus meant what He said. And by end of the introduction, it’s clear that what Jesus meant may not be what some of us want to hear.
The book starts with a short bit about translations. Quite informative, in case you thought that your particular Bible might have “dibs” on being the ultimate translation. Then we hit the Forward. It is in this section that I thought, here we go. Something to chew on!
Garry Wills writes in a conversational style which is very straightforward. There is no mistaking the message: we humans, being oh-so-human, have attempted to dodge the most “cringe-worthy” commands and statement by Jesus (and there are plenty) soften his harsh words and actions, and justify our prejudices and modern political-religious machinery.
Wills gets into the meat of it all, in my opinion, starting in Chapter Two. The Chapter’s title is “The Work Begins.” The subject is inclusion versus exclusion. Since nothing makes me feel more crazed than watching “holy” people (individuals and Church alike) spend their days judging and hating other people, this was a case of Wills “preaching to the choir.” I spent the entire chapter nodding my head and saying, yes, yes!
Every chapter is an opportunity to think hard about what Jesus actually did and said, and not the watered-down version we sometimes create for ourselves in order to be comfortable. While this is heady stuff, and inspiring, it’s also a little bit scary. Because the onus is upon us, not our Church, to follow through as the Body of Christ.
The more I read, the more I wanted to read. And at the same time, the more inner squirming I did. As an adult convert, I chose the Roman Catholic faith tradition because God had been nagging me do to so since I was a kid, going to Mass on my bike with the neighborhood kids. Yet, our religion is spectacularly well-known for some of the very things Jesus scorned. Gilt-encrusted, pomp-laden trappings? My religion is famous for them. Massive, unwieldy, hierarchical machinations? My religion excels at it. Excluding individuals who fall outside the lines drawn by that same hierarchy? My religion specializes in it.
Humor and understanding, clarity and reverence prevent Wills from being a scold. In each chapter, he takes an aspect of Christ’s life and teachings and parses it out, using scripture and theology to enhance the meditation. Though the author clearly has a scholarly background, his simple language allows all of us to engage in the meditation with him, and in my case, it was meditation on, “how did we get here from there?
This book provokes thought and requires us to take a long hard look at how we choose to interpret the life and works of Jesus Christ, which makes it well worth reading. I can’t wait to read another book by the same author, called “Why I am a Catholic.” Because I can’t wait to see what Wills does with the inherent and obvious contradictions between what Jesus came to tell us, and what we seem to be doing with it.
Topics: Books |
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:46 am
Interesting take on the book. Overall I have to agree with you; what makes Christianity ‘take hold’ inside of an individual is not the repetitive ritual angle, but the understanding of this is a feeling that can be felt inside, and then applied to what is happening outside.
May 5th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I like the book as well as the review. I saw the author on television speaking about the book about a year ago, and went out to buy it right away.
It was refreshing to read a book about religion and faith written by a scholar who was clearly interested in supporting the concepts of the faith, yet did not feel bound or limited by the constructs of the organizations that represent the faith.
I found the book and this review of it both pleasurable reads and thought provoking, and would encourage many to read both and then discuss with their closest friends and family how they feel.
Faith should not be challenged by knowledge, but enhanced by it.
May 9th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Suzanne, I agree with your reading of Garry Wills book. I felt alternately comfortable and uncomfortable with Wills’ interpretation of the Gospels. I am Catholic by marriage and am therefore am often juxtaposed between what I think I know (from my Southern Baptist upbringing) and what I see on the surface of masses.
You did not mention Wills’ treatment of Pope Benedict XVI, which is not at all flattering. I’d be interested to know how you, and other US Catholics, square what the current Pontiff represents with Wills’ perspective.
Wills’ book has certainly driven me to look beyond the surface of both my own assumptions as well as the practice of the Catholic faith for a greater understanding.