Jesus Rediscovered

by LORD LONGFORD (FORE 'MALCOLM MUGGERIDGE

A British columnist and former advocate of atheism describes his discovery of Christianity

Genres: Christian, Theology, Religion, Biography, Nonfiction, Christianity, Spirituality

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this little humble-looking paperback during the tumultuous period of the streamlining nineties.

Its gentle, quiet wisdom was a beacon to me during the wholesale dismantling of traditional chains of command in the postmodern phenomenon known as downsizing.

It created quite a stir at the time it appeared.

Muggeridge was a famed editor of Punch, and as such an anti-establishmentarian wasp - a mischievous, smiling elf!

And here he was, out of the blue, suddenly standing up as an unfamiliar Christian avatar of himself.

Weird, huh?

Not.

When a man who has relentlessly lampooned the high and mighty as mannequins sporting The Emperor’s New Clothes - i.e. wearing a vain attitude hiding their inner emptiness - wakes up himself, he’s gonna see Right Straight Through his own posturing.

Vanity, saith the preacher -
ALL is Vanity.

On that bright, sunny day, when we ALL see through our empty facades - guess what?

There’s no place to hide.

For THIS is the end of our Road...

And maybe, also, its beginning.

Maybe.

Cause suddenly the endless streaming of the bleak twilight of our TV and computer screens can’t help us.

We’re really Lost.

Where’s the MEANING in this brutal void?

Well, go back to the beginning...

We once were golden kids in a golden land.

Remember?

If you can, you may perhaps remember also that the Spirit walked WITH us in that garden.

Until our forbidden bite into a Worldly Wisdom that would convict us before the Spirit.

Of course, I don’t have to repeat all this.

It’s all there, deep in your subconscious, buried under the mindless effluvium of hundreds of thousands of Seinfeld reruns.

So, for once, do like the author of this book - turn off those eye-straining screens.

Do like the late Malcolm Muggeridge did at the end of his scandalous career -

Turn to the small, silent voice within you -

And find Jesus... Rediscovered.

[Keith Dow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muggeridge is generally an enjoyable author, and being steeped in incredible literature such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, George Herbert etc. gives him much to draw from, but in the form of snapshot articles, "Jesus Rediscovered" gets a bit tedious after a while.

I listened to the Audible version, which had an older English gentleman reading it. While he likely sounded like Muggeridge did when he wrote the book, it was difficult for it to sound fresh and new. This book starts out with an overview of the gospel story and then a number of articles Muggeridge wrote, speeches he gave, or interviews he participated in.

There are some good points, but after a while the same messages keep coming up again. Whenever he veers from his main themes, though, such as to explore the writings and lives of literary figures, he gets back to his usual genius.

[Peter Corrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to describe this book and Malcolm Muggeridge-other than one of kind. He is writing back in the 60s (my father bought this little paperback in Toronto, September 1989). We could use a Muggeridge for our times. A brilliant journalist and a man with a foot in the real world but with a thirst for the spiritual truths of Christianity. He is very funny and scathing at times, especially with regard to the mainstream Church., And his horror at the debasement of Western world of the 1960s would be multiplied many-fold in 2019, I can only imagine his treatment of that. He predicts the downfall of Western Civilization at several points and nothing that has happened in 40+ years would refute that. He wrote several other books including one on his 'conversion' to Christianity and 'Jesus, the Man Who Lives', one of the best things I have read on Christ and what it means to be a Christian. I am pretty sure this book is completely out-of-print, can't even find it on mighty Amazon. But it is a collection of articles and interviews, most of them excellent and often funny with great insight into our condition as both humans and Christians or not. A lot of this earlier thinking was likely incorporated into his 1980 book 'The End of Christendom'.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts of this book that were great. His understanding of how society has changed and the dangers of materialism are incredibly prophetic, including how he applies those to the church. But his rejection of church history, tradition, and the institutions that have developed to aid Christians in their spiritual journey are very troubling. I’m not sure if he straight out denies any of the basic truths of Christianity, but he does say he is willing to reject a lot of key parts of Christianity because it doesn’t change his personal experience. Overall, the book isn’t terrible, and worth reading, but it’s only an okay work.

[Graig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book in which the author shared his views on theology was great, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if the author and I didn’t always agree. It was a bunch of essays and at least one interview. All were very wide ranging. I was trying not to underline in it, but after a while I couldn’t resist. He seems very C.S. Lewis-esque.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to read more of his stuff!

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd had a pen and paper with me throughout my listening to Jesus Rediscovered--that or I wish I could get my hands on a copy of the book. As it was, I did housework during most of the first half of the book, so I missed copying/highlighting many gems.

JR is a hodgepodge collection of newspaper articles, speeches, interviews and broadcasts by the author and collected under one title. They reflect his reasons not only for converting to Christianity (he was an agnostic) but also for becoming a very staunchly conservative Christian. As each chapter is a stand-alone entity, there is some overlap and even a few contradictions which can most likely be attributed to the author's developing beliefs. Without having a copy of the text in front of me to go back and check, I can't say with certainty these discrepancies were even significant.

Taken as a whole, it was a fascinating listen. Muggeridge had a keen mind, acerbic wit, and the ability to wield his pen like a sword. On "Consensuality" Chapter 12, 'They were able to agree about almost everything because they believed almost nothing.'

In one chapter he decries modern attitudes toward birth control and abortion; later he laments he cannot see himself professing a formal creed. (He was received into the Catholic Church in 1982 at age 79 along with his wife.) Chapter 14 is about the ethics of heart transplants and Chapter 15 about his experiences filming a documentary at a monastery. He writes about his favorite philosophers, their lives and what they gave our world.

Taken separately, these chapters don't seem to form a picture of a 'rediscovered Jesus'. I admit, this is not what I was expecting from this book, given its title. I was expecting something more along the lines of another book I'm currently reading, Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI. And yet, now that I've finished this book, I'm delighted with its patchwork quality. It seems so apropos that he came to know Christ through the wonders of Our Creator's world and man's struggle to know, love and serve God.

The highest endorsement I can give any author is the eagerness to read more works by him/her. I not only want to read more by this 20th century social critic and prophet, I also want to read his biography.


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REVIEW IN PROGRESS:

I am currently listening to this Blackstone Audio book-on-tape and I can't believe how good it is. If I had a paper copy of it, I'd stop the tape and start reading it and drop everything else. Unfortunately, I don't. I also can't find a paper -- or hardback -- copy of it. It is a collection of his essays, sermons and talks read by Fredrick Davidson (my favorite reader for BA). The back cover of the tape case calls him a 20th century mystic; he's certainly a prophet. Muggeridge reminds me of shrewd and slightly cranky Chesterton. But then come to think of it, shrewd also applies to G.K. However, I find Muggeridge easier to understand and follow than Chesterton--could just be me. Muggeridge has a deep dissatisfaction for prevailing moral values and shows precisely how and why they go contrary to who Jesus was and is. EXCELLENT! If you can find a used copy somewhere, buy it!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read of anything by Muggeridge; this collection of essays, sermons, and what seem more like letters or excerpts varied topically but returned to several key themes. Muggeridge was concerned by the idolization of "progress," he questioned whether progress is actually changing humans into better people (spoiler: we aren't. Humanity needs the transcendent Christ to be anything but our most creaturely instincts).

[Jameson Cunningham · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good example of a Christian outside of the institutional church having fun taking potshots at its warts and flaws, leading to...
...his semi-heretical views on Jesus' divinity and historical nature of the Bible. A Christian on his own leading to non-historical/orthodox beliefs. Surprise.

Add a topping of overall crankiness and doomsday tone, and it doesn't seem to age well.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling read. Muggeridge has his convictions, to be sure, and while much of what he has to say about Christianity and his own place in this world is illuminating, some of his ideas could use updating. Definitely more good than bad, overall.

[Daniel Silliman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know Muggeridge, except for a stray reference or two. It was interesting to grapple with what a conversion experience could mean for a conservative British commentator in the 1960s. Less than I'd hoped, honestly.

[Matt Moran · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good writer, but this is a collection of repetitive essays.
Muggeridge seems to have been regarded at the time as a Christian mystic and he was being invited to preach in churches in the UK. Several of these essays are called "sermons." But he is very candid in this book about his disregard for basic Christian tenets (historicity of the resurrection, virgin birth, etc.).

[Gene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few of my books that earns five stars with me. I give it this rating not because I agree with all of Malcolm Muggeridge's view of the Christian faith, but because he presents me with a helpful reminder that the pursuit of pleasure, the consumption of goods and services, these things deaden the soul and keep one from God. He so rightly emphasizes the need to know Jesus and to live the Gospel by dying to self so that one can truly live. He reminded me of the preciousness of the teachings of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I know that in time I will feel the need to go to this book again, to be re-reminded of what is truly important in life.

Of course he claims not to be a theolgian or philosopher, so I can hardly then take him to task too severely for getting some of his theology wrong and his phiilosophy out of wack. The way he dismisses the importance of the historicity of the central gospel events of Christ's death and resurrection is completely at odds with my perspective. He also fails to enter any particular church, which to me seems less than what Christ would have. He feels unworthy to make any requests of God, though he believes in prayer in some sense. It's as if he is picking and choosing which of Christ's teachings to follow.

Of some comfort to me was his view that the institutional church and Western civilization were likely to soon collapse - and that he was at peace about it. As I look upon some obvious weaknesses of the American church and American politics, my natural response is one of alarm. I learned from him to feel that these destructive tendencies may be something God uses to truly purify and bless his followers.

Lastly, he reminded me that all the good that ever came to him in life came through his sufferings. May I anticipate that rather than appreciate it in retrospect.

[Pierre Hulsebus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compilation of speeches, lectures, and writings. Because it is verbose,and very British, an audio book of this is an excellent way of experiencing it. He possesses the skill and whit of a proper English professor, and the whit of a Douglas Adams. So hearing an aged Englishman will help you imagine being in one of his lecture halls as he delivers these messages. As such it does lack a story arc or a main thesis. Instead we are treated in the most delightful way to prose oh so eloquent. The main theme seen in this work is his disagreement with what today is called "Post Modern Christianity" , as he tries to maintain his ardent pursuit of a "Simple Gospel". That is Jesus dies for my sins, I am a sinner saved by God's grace, and the poverty of our souls and lives is what makes us truly human and in need of a loving God. These defenses of core principles being under assault by the popular culture of ego, sex, and the pursuits of power is as relevant today as it was at the dawning of the secular humanistic age, combined with the influence it is having on the Church as a whole. Much of these come from the late 60's where the concepts of free contraception, abortion on demand, Christian Marxism, or Christian Liberalism were first being debated.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review by Jeremy Rios sums up my feelings; I'd give it 3.5 stars instead of four, only because there is so much repetition. Last section where MM is interviewed by BBC chaplain Roy Trevivian is quite interesting.

I came to this book after reading MM's two-volume autobiography (c. 1971) "Chronicles of Wasted Time." Unfortunately, he didn't get around to the planned third volume, which would have brought his story up to date. But perhaps his works on religion, written about the same time as his autobiography, are really all one needs to know.

Much of what MM has to say here already has been expressed throughout "Chronicles of Wasted Time." Very, very applicable to 2014 -- even though he was writing 40+ years ago.

Would also recommend "A Third Testament" for more info on the writers most influential to MM's viewpoint on God, the Spririt, and the Son.

[Aaron Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Malcolm Muggeridge does best is illuminate how ridiculously absurd worldly ambitions are. Everything we strive for—sex, money, utopia—is absolute chaff. Everybody needs something to believe in. Most people find something temporal and material to believe in, but believing in anything that is not eternal and spiritual is worthless. Muggeridge shows this in such a simple (and many times satirical—it helps to laugh at the world) way. I think that’s why he’s one of my favorite writers. I recommend the book of Ecclesiastes to the world—but I also recommend Muggeridge.

They belong to time, You to eternity. At the intersection of time and eternity—nailed there—You confront us; a perpetual reminder that, living, we die and, dying, we live. An incarnation wonderful to contemplate; the light of the world, indeed.

[Courtney Mauzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in 1969, Muggeridge declares in the Forward, "I am a theological ignoramus...the more enchanted I became with the person and teaching of Christ the further away I feel from institutional Christianity." His writings about the future of our society and our churches still is very relevant today. His powerful/passionate profession of his faith in God and in the living Christ in spite of his concerns about institutional Christianity I found very uplifting. And I think his concern that no society can survive without a moral foundation (which faith in Jesus demands) is pertinent to our environment today.
Much to reflect on in this easy to read book.
June, 2019: finished rereading with same reflections as above.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably fairly radical in its day, this book now seems long-winded and - in places - somewhat tedious. It's mainly transcripts of talks he gave in various church or college settings in the 1960s.

Muggeridge attempts to find the real Jesus, without the trappings of the church - something many people are doing in the 21st century; yet his attempts seem dated, and his description of the church bears little relation to the problems of today. Some of his theology is rather dubious, too.

There are a few gems, so I'm glad I did eventually finish it; the interview with the author in the final section is quite revealing and makes good reading.

[Nathanael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish more well-read sages from the 60s wrote books like this one. Back then people learned rhetoric in school and they read enough books to recognize their most influential authors. Muggeridge is at his best when talking about his four: Bacon, Kierkegaard, Weil, and Tolstoy. More than that, he's conversant with a host of thinkers with which he has quibbles. The point: he's well-read and well-reasoned. That is, until he takes up the important battles of the day. His day, the 60s. Not very reasonable for right now readers.

My takeaway: keep reading, don't focus on the present at the expense of the important.

[Frank R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first encounter with Muggeridge in and of himself, and I found him to be a kindred spirit. A man of faith, but full of doubts, disconnected from Institutional Christianity, but deeply in love with the Bible and the teaching of Jesus. For me, reading this was more a devotional experience than anything else.

Most of the speeches, essays, etc. that are compiled here were from over 40 years ago, and so Muggeridge has the view of one before the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s had completely triumphed. It is interesting to see his views on that revolution as it is unfolding, and his predictions of where it would lead are certainly resonant.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sad to say, but Muggeridge's masterpiece wasn't that interesting a read for me. His explication of the parables didn't any new ideas and much of the rest of the book was dated. How could a religious book be so dated? Well, much of the book is a criticism of what was going on in Britain and the world in the 1970's. Muggeridge is against abortion, population control and many different forms of liberalism.

There were some neat moments when he discussed the Blake's visionary Christianity, but these kinds of moments were scarce, lost in his judgement of his times.

[Enoch Chhabra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to cover this book as my hero Ravi Zacharias speaks so highly of Muggeridge. I must say I cannot follow the old style of penning down thoughts very well. They were a look of interesting and thought provoking moments but the old style kept getting in the way. In any case I am now inspire to read Tolstoy's biography after learning abit about his life through this book.

[Jeremy Rios · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fine essays by Muggeridge, but if you're familiar with his thought you won't find much new here. Still, he's a good stylist, and the message rings true. Also, the closing essay is a lengthy interview with Roy Trevivian which is worth the price of the book. Five stars for the content, minus one star for the repetition.

[RONWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dude reading this book is amazing. Not unlike Mr. Frampton, I do believe this narrator, (in conjunction with Mr. Muggeridge's words) causes him to 'come alive' as it were.
MM has an amazing acerbic wit, I'm only bummed that I waited 39 years to come to the party.... Tut tut, I've reading to do...

[Woody Roland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worthwhile introduction to an interesting (by forgotten) author.

[Erik]

Recommended by James Schall in Another Sort of Learning, Chapter 15, as one of Twelve Collections of Lectures and Reflections.

[Guy Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Master wordsmith. Good read.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is basically an autobiography and his thoughts on the Christian faith. It started out a little dry, but over all I liked it very much. Though I did not always agree with his beliefs.

[Geo Forman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good look at Christ and why the author is a Christian. A book to be re-read in order to fully understand the author's position and to make you feel better about your beliefs

[Chris Comis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my first encounters with "cultured" Christianity.