The book is remarkably short, with even remarkably shorter chapters but what the author - Garry Wills lacks in breadth he makes up in depth. He begins by bemoaning how extensive translation gaffs conceal the Bible’s original meaning, admonishes our efforts to live as Christ did since "he(Jesus) has higher rights and powers, that he has an authority as arbitrary as God's ... He is a divine mystery walking among men. The only way we can directly imitate him is to act as if we were gods ourselves - yet that is the very thing he forbids."

Our only hope is to be good Christians, not Christ. Apparently, Jesus Christ, whoever or whatever he was, was certainly not a Christian. This is somehow opposite to what Nietzsche once said in regard to Christianity: “The word "Christianity" is already a misunderstanding; in reality, there has been only one Christian, and he died on the cross.” I did find the book to very engaging and I'll most definitely give it a second read.

I had to give it four stars. Garry Wills writes in a clear, deceptively simple style and leaves the reader with much to contemplate. Good book for Advent or Lenten reading. I started it in Lent, put it aside, read the balance during Advent, and finished by New Years Eve.

Garry Wills is one of those very few Christians (almost invariably Catholic) whom I can sort of respect---honest, knowledgeable, even intellectual, and perfectly willing to challenge fundamental tenets of his religion's dogma and to denounce the current pope and his predecessors. But in the end, it still comes down to blind faith in utterly unsupportable mystical gibberish---and his intelligence just makes it even more inexcusable, as it must require that much more evasion to maintain.

Garry Wills is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. As a skeptic, I found this book to be more of a religious credo than what I was looking for. I was looking for something more along the lines of, do we even know what Jesus said?

As it turns out, What the Gospels Meant addresses what I was looking for more directly and I’m enjoying it thoroughly (an easy 5 stars). I guess I will stick with my original rating of three stars for this book because the title is What Jesus Meant, and not What I Believe. But I’m torn because it is beautiful and Garry Wills is a genius.

Edit: naw, the writing is too beautiful. 5 stars.

The title, "What Jesus Meant," gives the impression that what Garry Wills is going to do here is focus directly on the teachings of Jesus themselves and interpret them for the reader. And indeed he does do that, but it's not all he does. From Jesus' teachings he then goes on to discuss the doctrines of the crucifixion and resurrection, about which Jesus himself had little to say at all. Consequently, what we have in this little book is a compact Christology which could easily carry a subtitle: "What Jesus Meant; and What Jesus Means."

Going back to the earliest sources--the Gospels themselves, and indeed that which precedes the gospels, the letters of Paul (as well as early Church writings)--Wills comes up with much to criticize in the contemporary practice of Christianity. The Jesus Wills sees in the gospels is one who, if he appeared today, would probably be crucified again for the way he would confront the forces of wealth, hierarchy, violence, and privilege--including those in the dominant religious establishment--but make no mistake: in all this Wills is unerringly orthodox in his theology. He says from the start that his book is a devotional work. He believes in divinity of Christ. He believes in the Trinitarian mystery. He believes in the Resurrection. But that's all-the-more why understanding what Jesus truly meant matters.

In the end, as fits a devotional work, I found the book inspirational. Especially so because, chasing to make the book a Christology, Wills decides to take on such questions as, "Why must Jesus have been crucified?" The doctrine that has had a stranglehold on much Christian understanding over the centuries is that of "substitutionary atonement," i.e. that Jesus had to die an awful death due to the demands of a God that someone had to suffer as a ransom for all the world's sin. Keeping his feet planted in biblical sources, Wills finds scant support for this argument, and offers an alternative meaning that truly does elevate God as One who embodies love rather than bloodthirsty retribution.

All in all, I would call this a great little Christological primer.

Move over Pope. Out of the way, theologians, there's a new Kid in Town and he has the answers. Garry is here to tell us "What Jesus Meant". And what is the Answer? Well, Jesus pretty much wanted everyone to be a liberal Catholic like Garry Wills.

Funny how that worked out.

The target audience seems to be the NPR Cafateria-Catholic crowd. But I could be wrong.

Thought provoking. The most interesting thing I learned was that the translation of the Gospels has been influenced over the years. The author explains that the straight translation of the everyday Greek that the Gospels were written in reveals many different intentions.

The author explains that Jesus' teaching does not always square with Christianity. The author also outlines how Jesus was anti-priest and anti-organized religion. I do not agree with the author's perspective that Jesus was anti-political. While He was not actively working to overthrow the Roman order, the centrality of love and equally radical egalitarianism in Jesus' teachings would have, if enacted, overthrown all political orders then and in fact, today.

AUTHOR'S VIEWPOINT ON WHAT HE FEELS JESUS REALLY MEANT INSTEAD OF WHAT RELIGION SAYS HE MEANT!

I am an atheist but found this book to be stirring. Insightful and direct, as I always expect from this author.

Utterly fascinating. I was a bit apprehensive to read Wills' work because he authored a book entitled "Why I Am a Catholic." Uh--really? I just couldn't get behind that, having a recovering Catholic as a mother and one as a husband, and I find Catholicism, as a whole, just problematic. Anyway, I was absolutely stunned by Wills' work in this slim volume. One would, after reading this, think he was as far-left, as ultra-liberal as they come if one didn't know his background. He presents Jesus as the radical that he was, the tough messages he preached, how those words have been contorted and twisted and unconscionably appropriated. And, of course, how millions of poor schlubs have been mislead by those who would alter his life and his words. I have dogeared numerous pages in the book and intend to go back and pore over the pages in my journal. But the point is--this is what he said, it was tough to hear, it's even tougher to enact in one's daily life, but don't try to sugarcoat it or twist it to suit your needs. Oh man, was Jesus a badass.

I. Love. Garry. Wills.
First of all, the man does his own bible translations. Second, he gives new meaning to bible stories I've heard a hundred times. Take. That. Benedict!

Excellent

Challenges organized religion and provides a compelling interpretation of biblical writings. It is amazing that the author has not been excommunicated from the Catholic church!