A very insightful book and written so eloquently. I couldn’t put it down. Garry Wills is such a great writer that I will begin reading ‘What the Gospels Meant’. Thank you, Garry!

Garry Wills is passionate about what Jesus actually taught, and describes how the current churches do not follow his original ideas and teachings. What struck me while reading this book though, is a question: Why should we exclusively use the ideas from 2,000 years ago in deciding how to act? Now I am sure that 2,000 years ago this was original and exciting knowledge, but hasn't anybody in 2,000 years improved on it? I would think that humanity has improved on it, and we shouldn't be limited to acting as Jesus taught, but should search out improvements to his ideas and come to our own best actions. Also, Jesus was constantly saying in the Bible, "Have faith in me", but at least in this book, he never gave me a reason to have faith in him. He just keeps saying to trust him, that he knows best.

Great analysis of the better part of the New Testament and how it relates to the modern religious/spiritual climate. I liked Willis’ emphasis on Jesus’s countercultural message and how it’s been largely ignored in favor of worldly priorities and justifications.

Wills is amazing but this book reads like it was written in about one day, i don't know who the audience for this is, it took about 90 minutes to read and i learned nothing

Garry Wills looks at historical, cultural, and linguistic context to help unravel "What Jesus Meant." His book does not contain some secret esoteric knowledge that has remained hidden for centuries but rather, makes an attempt to untangle toxic religion from the work of Jesus Christ. To do so, Wills examines at how a predominantly 1st century, Jewish audience would have received Jesus' works and deeds. He takes many well-known and misunderstood stories of Jesus from Scripture, and the environment in which they occurred, and helps the reader better understand them in language that is not overly technical. Second, he examines why it is important to us today, specifically in regards to how far Christianity as a religion has strayed from Jesus' teachings.
Through his book, it's clear that he's writing from a Roman Catholic perspective. Many of his gripes are with Roman Catholic doctrines (e.g., apostolic succession, priesthood, papacy, their position on women in ministry, mass, etc.), though can be applied to Christianity as a whole with varying degrees.
The book is really directed to two groups of people, who Jesus mentions in Luke 18:9-14, and who continue to exist to today (i.e., the Pharisee and the tax collector). The former are the religious who think of themselves as deserving of God's favor, and dilute God's grace. In its place, they dilute the Christian faith. They burden people with religion, in the most shallow and callous sense of the word. The latter group is those who have been fed up with "church" because of the former group. They will find this book refreshing and affirming their convictions. There is, for both, a challenge that must be acknowledged, and an invitation that cannot be overlooked.

I listened to it on Libby. I don't know what I expected but I had a hard time figuring out the point he was trying to make. The author seemed very knowledgeable, but I just didn't get it. In all fairness, that may have been because I was listening to it.

I sort of go back and forth with how I enjoyed this book. On one hand, I don't think the author sticks to his thesis -- this devotional book (which is how I would describe it) is more the author's quick skip thru of the gospels, with his particular interpretations and emphases. But that isn't really focused on what Jesus "meant," but rather what the author think's of Jesus' message and the New Testament writings. On the other hand, I did find some of the author's interpretations interesting -- the criticism of the modern church and priesthood (I'm not saying I AGREE, but the author does bring up good points...), Jesus' approach to the organized religion and politics of his time, and early Christian traditions. However, the author is a bit disjointed in his presentations -- it is quality writing, but it comes across as a far-reaching sermon, hopping about the Bible, rather than focused areas of chapters. If you're looking for a Christian book to make you think a bit, I recommend this. But if you're looking for an in-depth analysis of Jesus' message ... I dunno. There are some approaches that I was turned off by -- the outright rejection of the "historical Jesus" (it has to be a PART of analyzing Jesus' message) and ignoring Jesus' rejection of the Temple & his mission of Jewish reform. I think the author should realize Jesus was preaching (in so many words) that the Temple was not where we should center our worship ("we" being 1st Century Jews), but how the "kingdom" is within us, and not just among the Temple authorities and leaders. I believe in the greater Jesus story, but you can't ignore his mission along with John the Baptist to recenter man's approach to G-d.

One of the blurbs on the back of this says, "It is plainer than we might like, and thus harder both to take and to avoid."
True. Very, very true. Wills goes into the NT aiming to strip off some of the glamour that Christianity has given to the words of Jesus, because we can't really handle the fact that he was a carpenter's son from the boonies who hung out with fishermen and lowlifes. The words of Jesus need to be elevated, poetical, beautiful--and some of them are. More of them are pointed, direct, and utterly difficult to truly live by. Wills's translations (which he did himself, kudos to him) are rough around the edges and sometimes a little ugly in English, but they get the point across of this radical guy who quietly flipped the world over. I respect what Wills is trying to do--I don't necessarily agree with some of his interpretations, but I think that he allows for how much our grasping of the NT is interpretation, which is another thing I really respect about his writing. I want to get my own copy (this was loaned me by a family member who said I REALLY needed to read it, and he was right) and read this slowly at some point. Reading through it for content is good, but going back and really savoring what Wills meant about what Jesus meant will be a better experience, I think.
This does, however, make me very curious indeed about the other book loaned me, Why I Am A Catholic. Have started that one and am very interested to see where it goes.


[Longer review at http://spiritualimplications.wordpres...]

Reading "What Jessus Meant" some idiot on the radio show because he suggested it. If it was a paper book a few times I could have thrown it across the room. Author does not like Catholics and never misses a jab. Almost threw my kindle. The author is as Catholic as Joe Biden. Sadly.

I enjoyed this short read. Highly recommend.

Wills is a noted journalist with a distinct religious worldview. This book is part of a series of writings that reflect his personal viewpoints on the pressing issues of Christian spirituality.

I caught myself saying that the title should have been "What I Think Jesus Meant" for indeed Willis takes many liberties in retelling the story of Jesus. Essentially, he reduces the Messiah to an opaque holy man with no moral code. Jesus in this book is an anti-conformist out to overturn all external forms of religion (formalism) by espousing a heart religion.

There are distinct elements of truth in the book but where is the Jesus who speaks of a life of obedience to the Father and repeatedly calls His disciples to "obey [His] commandments" in John 14-16? Where is the Jesus who pays a debt for real sins on the cross? To read these pages you would have the impression that the most immoral individual in the Bible is a God who would judge humanity's sins...the Jesus who tells the woman caught in adultery to "go and sin no more". Mercy is merged with acceptance in my rendering of this book and this is what undermines the very redemptive mission of Christ on planet earth. If everything was about being more open-hearted and less judgmental then a sacrificial death on the cross seems like "overkill" (no pun intended).

The author repeatedly attacks any efforts to label certain behaviors as sin. Homosexuality, competing religious claims and a host of other social norms that conflict with Biblical beliefs are presented as acceptable by the anti-establishment Jesus. Stories of demoniac's delivered are diluted into people being freed from their gripping illnesses. In other words, social activism is at the center of What Jesus Meant.

Added to this retelling is the idea that Jesus never intended to establish external religion. He openly spoke against the temple, sacrificial system and priesthood. NT references to those institutions being fulfilled in Jesus are lightly treated or relegated to "Pseudo-Petrine" passages. In other words, counterpoints about Jesus fulfilling the established religion are muted by this central motif that only interprets what He meant as this non-conformist who breaks down all classifications of people.

Despite these aspects of the work, it is apparent that Wills loves the story of a Savior born, crucified and risen from the dead. His embracing God's redemptive work are evident. He delves into the nature of the sacrificial death and portrays it as a "rescue" of the lost instead of an "appeasement" of an overly demanding God.

In retrospect, I came away from the book appreciative for the glimpse into a reverential life. There are obvious points of departure for me and I ended up concluded that much of the angst in Wills' dismissal of organized religion seemed rooted in his struggles with Catholic traditions. That said, in this agnostic age, I'll always take time for a thoughtful mind that pursues a meaningful encounter with Jesus. At least, in that shared sacred bond, I find my reading of these well composed musings by an acclaimed author very fulfilling.

Wills, the well-known historian and writer, is also a trained classicist who studied for the priesthood. Now a step removed from the academy he has taken to writing his religious mind in books such as this. Through his own close reading of original New Testament Greek and his wide reading in Catholic theology, literature, and history he offers an insightful commentary on the meaning of the Gospels. Above all, the message is that love, as Hedges discovered in war, is the highest human faculty.