Ian & Jocelyn Barker

I’m not going to blog on the last chapter of the book because it is mostly a response to another author who proposes that Paul invented Christianity and not Jesus. Semi-interesting, but my mind is too full from the rest of the book to really dig into it.

So what did I think about the book? I loved it. This is probably the most exciting, thought provoking, and deeply truthful book I have read in a while. Of course, his ideas are new to me so it will take a while for me to really sift through it as I read Paul to see what I agree with. I certainly like what I read and want to see where it goes in terms of being accepted by the Christian community at large. One thing I am aware of as we approach the coming of Christ is that revelation will increase and we will understand Him in a greater way. That’s what makes theology so exciting and scary. There are a ton of new ideas out there, but it is the job of each believer to discern what is truth. One thing I do not want to do is to deny new ideas because they do not fit our orthodox theology. I deeply respect the work of theologians over the past 2000 years, but I’m aware of our constant need to asking questions and listening.

I’ve been challenged while reading this book to, as best I can, take off my old goggles and lay aside my preconceived ideas. I certainly don’t want to throw out everything, but neither do I want to hold onto to something so I tight that I have already lost it. What I mean is, I can had beliefs that do not actually matter to my life or make sense in light of the rest of my theology. I want to be open to hear and quick to learn.

I highly recommend this book because it will challenge you and provoke you.