Jezus

by James Martin

James Martin SJ zaprasza czytelników, by w zupełnie nowy, inspirujący i poruszający sposób dotknęli tego, o czym mówią Ewangelie – i lepiej zrozumieli Jezusa. Ta wyjątkowa i przyjazna w odbiorze biografia Jezusa adresowana jest zarówno do tych, którzy już mają o Nim wiedzę, jak i do tych, którzy dopiero chcieliby Go poznać. Refleksje teologiczne i duchowe przeplatają się z anegdotami z podróży dwóch jezuitów. Książka ta jest zarazem nietypowym przewodnikiem po Ziemi Świętej, pisanym z osobistej perspektywy. Szczegóły historyczne przenoszą nas w czasie – dzięki nim patrzymy na świat oczyma Jezusa. To szczera opowieść o doświadczeniach wiary, z elementami przygody i humoru.

Nieważne, jak dużo lub jak mało wiesz o Jezusie – ta książka będzie dla Ciebie nieoceniona.

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

550 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2014

About the author

James Martin, SJ is a Jesuit priest, writer, editor at large of the Jesuit magazine America, and consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.

Fr. Martin grew up in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, United States, and attended Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in 1982 and worked in corporate finance at General Electric for six years. Dissatisfied with the corporate world, he entered the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits) in 1988, and after completing his Jesuit training (which included studies in philosophy and theology, as well as full time-ministry) was ordained a priest in 1999. He received his Master's in Divinity (M.Div.) and Master's in Theology (Th.M.) from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (now part of Boston College).

During his Jesuit training, Martin worked in a hospital for the seriously ill and a homeless shelter in Boston, with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Jamaica, with street-gang members in Chicago, in a prison in Boston, and for two years with East African refugees in Nairobi, Kenya, with the Jesuit Refugee Service. In addition to his work at America magazine, Fr. Martin has written or edited more than 15 books, most of which are about spirituality and religion. He is a frequent commentator on religion and spirituality and has appeared on all the major networks, served as an expert commentator for ABC for the papal conclave that elected Pope Francis, and has written for many outlets, including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Father Martin's best known books The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything (2010) and Jesus: A Pilgrimage were both New York Times bestsellers; My Life with the Saints was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book; and all three were winners of the Christopher Award.

He has received over 15 honorary degrees from Catholic colleges and universities, and in 2017 Pope Francis appointed him as consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.

Reviews

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is partly about the author's travel of visiting sites of the Gospels in Israel, partly about certain parts of Jesus' life, and partly about how he relates to both. Each chapter has the relevant Gospel part at the end. After main text comes reading group questions, notes, and further reading. This is a book both for those who have been believers for a while, and for those who have vague or no thoughts about Jesus yet (you do get a feeling that the author works to include the minds of the latter group into the story). The chapter go in order of Jesus' life, which makes following easier.

The author has studied NT Greek a bit, which he uses to mention some words which make intepreting each chapter's Bible part better. He tells us what the life was like at that time, and of Jesus' development towards his final mission, which the author thinks dawned fully to Jesus only at the very end. I myself learned some 'new' and new things, like how small (and smelly) Nazareth really was, how hard it was to be a carpenter, why the first apostles called followed Jesus so easily, and that when talking about parables: Jesus himself was *God's* parable!

The Israel visit happened two years ago, and brought author many realisations (including the distances between places, which is less surprising to me). It helped him to understand each story better; to him, Holy Land visit felt like a fifth Gospel to study. Still, not all sites live up to expectations, and sometimes several sites are claiming to be the right one. And what sites give strong feelings also vary among visitors (for the author, it was at the tomb of The Church Of Holy Sepulchre).

Even if you never visit Israel, this book might bring you closer to experiencing that, and might give you some realisations about certain Gospel scenes, and about Jesus, of course. He, as a person, and his miracles, are the centre of the reason to visit here, and gave the author more depth to his belief. It gave something like that to me, and might be so for others who read it too.

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading for my Catholic women's book club.

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Good Story #83. Scott watches in horror as Julie says, "um... excuse me, Lord, but he's been in there for three days, I don't think you want to go in there."

My full review is below.

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I am a fan of Father James Martin's books, especially A Jesuit Off-Broadway. When Scott chose this book for our next religious book discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast, I was excited, having been interested since I first saw it mentioned at Amazon.

This is a much thicker and more substantial book than I expected. The bibliography alone makes one step back and realize there is more hard-core scholarship than in any of his previous books. Yet it is written in Father Martin's trademark style, interspersing personal experience with the main book text. It is accessible and interesting. It isn't dumbed down and isn't too scholarly. It's juuuuust right.

Martin's goal is to help us consider our answer to Christ's question to his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"

This means we must consider what it means to be "fully human and fully divine." Martin does a very good job of presenting a lot of contextual information for understanding Jesus' life and ministry through this lens. As we travel through the gospels, so to speak, he intertwines the various stops (recruiting the disciples, healing demoniacs, etc.) with his own pilgrimage to Israel. He then stops to place everything in the context of our own lives and is extremely generous in sharing his own life changing experiences, whether flattering or not. I especially appreciate Martin's openness in sharing the spiritual experiences he had, most notably that in the Church of the Resurrection.

I especially appreciate the way that Father Martin approaches questions from all angles. For example, when considering Christ's healings of "demoniacs," Martin isn't afraid to discuss the idea of psychological or physiological illness as a cause. This will be welcome to those who like to get down to examining facts. However, he always does this in a thoughtful, thorough, Christian way that leaves no doubt we are reading about the Messiah and that miracles can (and do) happen.

Each chapter ends with Martin's deeper thoughts on how our own lives can be enriched with the aid of what Christ has shown us about this part of his life. This is where the rubber meets the road for most of us and Martin brings great sensitivity and understanding to these pages. In fact, I was enduring great inner turmoil about something when I read Martin's thoughts of what it means to take up your cross daily. The whole section spoke to me strongly, but nothing more than "wait for the resurrection" which I sorely needed to hear that very day.

This is the sort of book that used to be much more common. To Know Christ Jesus by Francis Sheed and Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen are just a couple of the older books I've read like this. We have been sorely in need of a new one and I'm so pleased that James Martin wrote this book which is truly a treasure for reading and rereading. I'm beginning to feel that this book might be a "must have" for Christians who want a more rounded, personal experience of Christ. Or for those who don't understand the "Christian thing" and would like some general context of their own.

I also have a feeling that a lot of readers are going to come away wanting to visit the Holy Land. Not me, but I appreciate Father Martin's descriptions as it helps me "feel" the place a bit better. And, to be fair, I've never especially felt the need to go to Rome or anywhere else on pilgrimage, for that matter.

However, what it did was help me feel a deeper familiarity, connection, friendship dare I say, with Jesus when I encounter Him in the gospels. It made me think of Father Martin's story about his spiritual director showing him a green tree and reminding him it would be red in autumn, without anyone ever seeing the gradual change. That's what happened to me. A step closer. All to the credit of this book, which is doing it without "wows" or "aha" moments. Truly that is a credit to this work.

NOTE
I also received the audiobook for review. I was eagerly anticipating this but was surprised to find that Father Martin's reading was extremely plain and without nuance or subtlety. In a sense, it was like a father reading to his children who is unused to reading aloud. I'm used to authors reading their work who are extremely good at it, such as Father Robert Barron or Neil Gaiman (yes, I know that is an unusual pair to put together but both are excellent at reading aloud).

That said, once I adjusted to Martin's style, or lack thereof, it actually worked fine for this book. In a sense, it took out any of his own personality and allowed the text to speak for itself. Which is actually just as it should be for a book like this. With that in mind, I can recommend the audiobook.

[Grumpus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was both educational and spiritually uplifting. The writing and insights into the scriptures was outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed the way in which the author laid out the book. In his words, “Each chapter, then, will include some travel narrative, some study of the text, and some spiritual reflection.” This is all done in a conversational manner. Not at all dry. He visits a location, describes it as it is today, explains the historical significance of what happened there, and then shares the corresponding scriptures. You feel as if you are the author’s friend traveling along with him.

While I don’t think of myself as a travel narrative guy, I enjoyed learning about what the actual biblical sites look like today. I know I’ll never get there to see them myself, so the author’s experiences were much appreciated.

I do however, think of myself as a trivia guy and this book gave me tons of facts that I had did not know but feel I should have. For example, although never mentioned in the Bible, what is the name of Mary’s father? St. Joachim. That led me to Google the name of Mary’s mother St. Anne What is the only miracle (apart from the Resurrection) recorded in all four of the Gospels? The multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

Because I also have an interest in linguistics, and because there are varied interpretations of the Bible, I appreciated the fact that he referenced the Greek text in which the original was written, the literal translation and the inferred meaning.

While the travel and trivia were fun, the most profound and one of the most moving parts of the book was what the author says about the Eucharist, “Whenever I receive the Eucharist or distribute it during a Mass, I always remember what St. Augustine, the fourth-century theologian, wrote about the Eucharist: “Behold what you are; become what you receive.” An excellent mantra to be sure.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyful Experience of Jesus

I have been waiting a few years to read this moving personal journey of faith. Father Jim Martin takes us through the Holy Land while giving both theological and historical perspectives. It was far from a theological textbook. Although his references were top notch and perfectly sourced, Martin’s personal sharing provide a refreshing depth.


Personally, it was a delight to read this work of substance for the committed Christian. More than a book, it’s a diary of the author’s pilgrimage to the land where the Divine and human experience intersect — where Jesus called home.”

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even since Mark Twain first raised the issue in INNOCENTS ABROAD a century and a half ago, there has been a concern among Americans traveling abroad about distinguishing between what is genuine and what are fake concoctions put together by hucksters. It's a pleasure to read this account of a two week visit to the Holy Land by an American Jesuit who is well-able to tell the difference.

His motives for visiting Palestine are religious ones. He writes, "It is to take a look at Jesus as he appears in the Gospels, through the lens of my education, experience, prayer and faith." He emphasizes that he is not a theologian nor a scholar, but a reasonably well-informed Christian who is interested in both the "historical Jesus" (as far as that can be determined) and a Jesus that has informed his faith.

This is a balancing act, and it's to Martin's credit that he always keeps his equilibrium. He writes a good deal about the historical Jesus, the conditions of his life that historians and archeologists have been able to reveal, details that don't appear in the Bible. At the same time, he talks about issues such as the "divinity" of Christ, the role of his place in Christian beliefs, his relationship to the Father, what "salvation" means, and the Resurrection. Martin is alway seven-handed, explaining his own views as well as giving credit to other interpretations .

Day-to-day what Martin and a fellow Jesuit companion visited various sites mentioned in the Bible, most of which over the centuries have had church structures built on them, all claiming o be on authentic locations. A few probably are, but most have dubious claims and have been built and rebuilt over the centuries, all the way from Byzantine structures of the 4th and 5th centuries to those of the Crusaders, and some even erected in the 20th century. Martin sorts these out with a clear eye, not taking any claims at face value. Even if the sites are not geographically certain or accurate (say, where Christ met the woman at the well) Martin emphasizes that a knowledge of the history of the area is important, , as well as how their claimed Biblical origins symbolically represent aspects of his faith.

Martin comments on the fact that he goes to places where Christ's actopns were recorded, almost always miracles. It's not that Christ's words are unimportant, but places always celebrate events, not speeches or words.

Martin was there in the blisteringly ho summert, and it required a good deal of endurance and perseverance just to get through some days. He has a good sense of humor and points out this might be, to a believer, an example of God taking small things and making them great. As a Biblical question puts it, what thing of importance could ever come out of such an insignificant place as Nazareth?

Martin concludes that he hopes his book, limited as he readily admits, will lead readers to explore more about Christ. As he writes, "You've met my Jesus. Now meet your own." In his common sense key way, he asks readers to sort out for themselves what is authentic and what is spurious about Christ as reflected through these Holy Land places.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus: A Pilgrimage begins with an introduction that clearly lays out what the book is and more importantly, what the book is not. I point this out because, I generally go in with preconceived notions of what I expect or want from a book. Fr. Martin is quick to point out that this book is not a theological discussion on who Jesus is, nor is it a Bible commentary. This book, however, is a look at Jesus, as we see Him in the Gospels, through the viewpoint of Fr. Martin's education, experience, and a recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. If we keep this in mind when reading the book, we can give it a proper review.

Each chapter is laid out in the same format. Fr. Martin first mentions the place he is going to visit. He then describes the journey there. Details from this include the actual process of travelling to the location, scenery along the way, and bits of the culture and environment he encountered. Then, comes the heart of each chapter - his reflections. Mixed with theology, history, tradition, and Fr. Martin's wisdom and wit, we put ourselves in the exact moment and location of Jesus and try and picture what it must have been like for both Jesus and those around Him. We then end with the Scripture passage which served as the basis for the site Fr. Martin visited.

The most interesting chapter in this book to me was entitled, "Nazareth." In this chapter Fr. Martin talks about the "Hidden Life" of Jesus. This term refers to the period of Jesus' life, age 12-30, that is absent in the Bible. Fr. Martin, like many, are drawn to this period of Jesus' life because they imagine it is a lot like our lives. "None of us is going to be preaching and performing miracles – at least not as Jesus did – but all of us live everyday lives, as Jesus did in Nazareth, being taught and cared for by our parents, loving and squabbling with our families, playing with our friends, learning what it means to be an adult, and in time earning a living." I never thought of Jesus in this light, but it does make sense. In this chapter, I also learned about just how small and poor Nazareth was. Knowing this, it really puts into perspective the disparaging remarks people make regarding Nazareth. It also shows you the environment Jesus grew up in, and influenced his parables.

Fr. Martin is an excellent storyteller. He does a fine job painting pictures of the places he visited, and he draws out details in the Gospels that one could easily miss. There were, however, parts of this book that I didn't enjoy. The beginning annoyed me a little when he waffled about wanting to go to the Holy Land. (Really what Christian, wouldn't want to see the place of Jesus?!) I also got bored in the beginning reading about the trek to get to each of their destinations, and would think to myself, "Hurry up and get there." However, I eventually accepted that that was the nature of this book as a personal pilgrimage. It would be incomplete to ignore the journey and focus solely on the destination. Those complaints aside, I still enjoyed the book. It was quite interesting to see Jesus, the Gospel passages, and the modern day Holy Land through the eyes of Fr. Martin.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't believe it's been a whole month since I started this book, but it's easy to pick up again without losing the thread as he has specific points to make at each site. I learned a bit about biblical history - for one thing, I thought Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem; author says it was a colt. Being locked in Jesus's tomb overnight sounds like anything but a contemplative experience to me (author did not try it himself).

I was interested in the travel narrative aspect, which is secondary (as he mentions early on). Historical and Biblical backgrounds were generally quite interesting, except for his many digressions into the ancient Greek text. After a lot of that, I began to wonder whether his fellow priests might find him a bit of a show off; he mentions he's obsessed with being "liked" (which is odd as he seems very friendly). His traveling companion, George, was a hoot -- hiking the rather steep Mount of Olives had him longing for a martini!

If you're concerned that the book is too centered on Martin's being a Roman Catholic priest, it's not. I think all but the most militant atheists would appreciate the story. He alludes to his work with the poor in Africa, which itself sounds like a fascinating book as well.

[Sylvia Swann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give you a hundred stars if I could James Martin. Thank you so much for the intimacy of this beautiful book. Thanks for sprinkling a little playfulness in it too.

In my own life, I have always prayed, as Jesus taught us, to God the Father. My relationship with the divine has always been with God the Father, the one with whom I am intimate. Last year I read a funny little book called Lamb, by Christopher Moore. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. In it, Jesus’s best friend Biff, recounts the lost years of Jesus’s life between 12 and his 30’s, when all the action begins. That little book, which was funny, but also respectful, made me start thinking about Jesus the person, whom I didn’t really know. When I’ve been in dark places I have prayed to all three, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but I had never cultivated a relationship with Jesus himself. Then my church began a Sunday School class about Jesus. In the first class’s handout they recommended this book. It is everything I could have hoped for and more. Thanks, in large part to you, I will continue to study him and try to get closer still. And I will read the books you recommended throughout this book. I hope to read more of your books too. Thank you so much and don’t stop!

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someday, God wiling, I will be able to take my now-delayed Holy Land Trip. This was recommended by a dear friend who has taken the trip, and I loved the element of Father James' story of each place that he journeyed to, and the way that he interwove the applicable Gospel reading and lesson. I didn't love, so much, some of his ramblings and sermons.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read again in anticipation of hearing Fr. Martin speak on this book Thursday night. It was as moving as the first time I read it. For the first time my heart has been stirred to visit the Holy Land. 03/16/18


This is a most wonderful book -- part theology, part travelogue, part personal reflection.

Fr. Martin tells of his first trip to the Holy Land and reflects on Gospel passages relevant to the sites he visits. Fr. Martin is one of the most down-to-earth religious writers I've ever read; he doesn't hesitate to describe his own thoughts, confusions, or mistakes. He brings you to sites of the recorded miracles, describes his own emotions while there, and explains the Gospel story that took place at (or near) the site with historical and theological context. The chapters "Gesemene" and "Risen" are the heart of the book and moved me tremendously.

Now that he's returned to the Holy Land on several occasions I hope he will publish an illustrated edition with photos of these sites.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved this book. Martin brings the gospels to life through his travels in the Holy Land. I feel I can better picture Jesus and his world, and better appreciate how miraculous and revolutionary his life and works were. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Harry Allagree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd describe this book on Jesus as "travelogue with commentary": very much in keeping with the title. For me it didn't explore particularly new territory, for the most part. (I've read a good number of books on Jesus in my 50 years as a priest!) But it did provide several things: 1) a good comprehensive, usable guide to the life of Jesus, using what I would consider pretty much the best of the theological writing available on the subject, & in a way that can be understood by the "ordinary" reader. Also, anyone who's a Merton-groupies, as I am, can't be all bad! 2) It refreshed & corroborated much of the information which I'd studied a couple years ago in preparation for a trip to the Holy Land, which, unfortunately, I had to cancel. What Fr. Martin shares only increases my desire to go there & check it off my "bucket list". For the most part, I found the author's personal witness inspiring, though at times I would venture to say he can strike one as a bit melodramatic…something I've been guilty of on occasion myself!

I think this would be a wonderful book to use for a Bible study.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I *was* just going to read the book one chapter at a time, but I found that it was just too good a book to put down.

Which makes my earlier hesitation to even crack it open all the more hilarious, doesn't it?

This book is one that (a) I know I'll be buying for my favorite bibliophiles, (b) I know I'll be raving about for at least the next 500 days or so, and (c) I know I'll be rereading. Maybe yet this summer.

Look up "awesome" in your thesaurus and go ahead and just apply all the synonyms here. This book is all that, with whipped cream on top, a side of chocolate, and a hearty pot of coffee. It's not only a book I wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend, but it's one that I will probably not ever at all lend. Nope. Can't do it. Sharing's not an option with a book that could turn into a yearly read...
Don't miss this book. You deserve it, especially if you've ever loved Jesus. This book will make you look at him more clearly, appreciate him more authentically, and find your faith more tangibly.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellently written book of wry humor and experiences in the Holy Land, by a grounded author who isn't bogged down by verbal plenary inspiration, is well versed in Greek in order to shed light on commonly held misconceptions, and offers a variety of novel ways to look at parables that are often held to he "well understood" (particularly the parable of the talents). His experience in the holy land, and the surprising cooperation of people of various faiths and creeds was truly fascinating, and gave some hope to the idea of people of different religious creeds cooperating (Muslim families, for instance, have passed down keys to key Christian sites for hundreds of years). A very good book overall, though if you are familiar with Martin's other writing, there is a fair bit of overlap from his other books. Then again, I suppose that is to he expected when you've read as many of his books as I have, haha.

[David Holford · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book James Martin, SJ, weaves together his experiences on a short visit to The Holy Land with his Christian faith. It was an enjoyable read for someone like me who has never been there, but who shares the faith of the author, and a passion for ancient history. Israel is a land with a long and rich historical heritage, and Martin’s book is as much about the thousands of years since Jesus walked those dusty roads, as it is about the years surrounding his earthly life. Jews, Romans, Christians, Muslims, Crusaders, pilgrims and religious orders populate the story. Many of the places he visits are traditional sites of one New Testament event or another, but archeological endeavours have been only partly successful in validating the traditions, as he points out without casting any doubt over the historical veracity of the Biblical account. So even though a venerated site may be not where the familiar event happened, he is inspired as he visits to reflect deeply on the story which gave rise to the tradition, and this reflection acts as a lovely introduction to the life and words of Jesus which have dropped out of the common knowledge of so many in the “post-Christian” West. Ultimately the book is about the person of Jesus. Like all pilgrimages, it is a journey backward in time to where it all began in an effort to understand more of the man who began it all and gave us a way to come back into a relationship with our Creator, through his life, death and resurrection.

[Wendelle]

I read this book because I wanted to read about the Jesuit perspective of Jesus, but this book turned out to be about the personal view, not Jesuit orthodoxy. It's not theologically arduous in any way, rather it's a pleasant book about Father Martin 's first pilgrimage to Israel, and his reflections about the life of Christ along his road trip

[Erica Lizza · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for all Christians. This book artfully combines Scripture, historical analysis, and travel stories to paint a vivid picture of the places associated with Jesus’ ministry and the fullness of his identity as the Messiah.

[MICHELE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting look at Jesus' life and times. Part travelogue, part new testament study, part memoir, Father Martin takes us with him on his personal pilgrimage and spiritual journey through the holy land, showing us both the very human, historical Jesus as well as the divine. I especially liked how the author explained the original Greek translation of many of the words and verses in the bible. I don't consider myself a religious person, but I do believe in Jesus' teachings and miracles, and I appreciate James Martin bringing me to a better understanding of them.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I savored the time spent with this book. It reignited my best memories of being a student at a Jesuit college over 30 years ago. The writing is personal, generous, and vulnerable. Part travel guide (I really want to visit Israel now), part biblical history, part personal reflection on the author's spiritual journey. A perfect book to read in these days leading up to Christmas.

[Weronika Krygier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jedna z najlepszych książek jakie czytałam w życiu!

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal. I recently finished reading the life of Christ by Bishop Fulton Sheen, and although it was wonderful it was just so hard to read. This book is extraordinarily easy to read very insightful and just has a great delivery. Part Bible study part history lesson part travel log this book is just awesome.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s refreshing to read the Gospel narratives through a different perspective. It’s also highly encouraging to read a serious Bible scholar who does not believe in the literal inerrancy of the Bible and yet shares an authentic faith in Jesus Christ. Martin is the perfect guide to walk us through the life of Jesus. Quite literally he takes us to the places where Jesus walked and performed his miracles, in travel-memoir form. But he also provides exposition and sometimes alternative interpretations of passages throughout Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as application for our lives.

It was difficult to read this book straight through. Each chapter is like its own sermon and it was hard for me to digest several chapters all at once. A better way to read this book, I think, is like a daily or weekly meditation. The extensive footnotes also provide a great guide to further reading for those of us who are interested in learning more about the life of Jesus.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father James Martin demonstrates once again why he's my favorite Catholic spiritual author. In Jesus: A Pilgrimage, he weaves together a travel narrative of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, in-depth (but not overly scholarly) Bible study, and personal meditations on the person of Jesus Christ. He looks not only at the divinity of the Son of God but also the humanity of Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth, and he does so in an inviting, accessible way that anyone, even non-Christians, can enjoy. Whether you're a Bible nerd (like myself) who can't get enough analysis of the Greek and Aramaic text or someone who's learning about Jesus for the very first time, this book is sure to educate and inspire.

[Cappy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Fr. Martin's style and work, but this book suffers, I think, from trying to do too much. Historical information, text criticism, pilgrimage memoir, prayerful reflection. Things get lost.

In fairness, I must admit that Fr. Martin's skirting the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict bothered me greatly. Much of this is because of my own time volunteering in Palestine and my own sensitivity to the plight of the Palestinians. Beyond that, Fr. Martin's celebration of Jesus' commitment to justice for the 1st Century CE marginalized sounds a sour note when he largely ignores the injustice done to today's residents of the Holy Land.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people have written books about Jesus, and about the Holy Land.
This book, written by a Jesuit Priest, while on a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, as he sought out locations of the Churches, Shrines, and land marks where Jesus, lived, performed miracles, died, was buried, resurrected, and Ascended into Heaven.

By writing it in this manner. Father Martin is able to convey the story of Jesus as written in the Gospel as sort of a travelogue for the reader.

If you are tired of reading Theological books (quite frankly they confuse the heck out of me), read this book.

[Olia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Від грудня 2019 до червня 2020 - прекрасне читання, яке хотілось розтягувати аби не закінчувалось.
Раджу, бо думаю, що повертатимусь ще не один раз до цієї книжки, яка стала справжнім паломництвом на Святу Землю

[Aneta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I have ! What a lovely book! Interesting, moving and not at all phony. Would recommend to anyone interested in Jesus regardless of religious beliefs.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read for me, and a very nice accompaniment to the season of Advent. I have had it on my shelves in hardcover since it's release and have often been jealous watching other friends and colleagues carrying it around while they read it, but I was not able to pick it up, until other required readings were complete. (That may seem a bizarre statement to some, but when teaching, studying, working, having children - who I always try to accompany on their assigned readings for school, which are getting pretty good now that they are older - and wanting to dedicate focused reading time to it, this book was much better saved until it could be savored.)
Martin recounts his two week trip to the Holy Land in three manners, one as a typical travelogue, another as reflection and a third by recounting Gospel passages that occurred at (or very nearby) the locations he visited. His descriptions are clear, and make any serious Christian reader want to make the same journey as he did, from the long tapered candles at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to the heat of the desert outside Jericho, his readers experience the journey with him which I have not quite experienced since I read Bruce Feiler's "Walking The Bible".

James Martin gives very devout and spiritually meaningful insights to the life of Jesus (both geographically and emotionally) by calling on his own experiences on his journey, from his spiritual journey, his many retreats and his past experiences of being spiritual directors for others. He referred to many scholars and spiritual writers, some of whom I have read myself, heard lectures, or even actually meet! (Those moments were downright exciting for me, especially if he keyed in to passages of their writings that I myself highlighted or have called upon in my own writings or talks on scripture.)

He breaks the book into chapters recounting passages from the Gospels in relative chronological order of their occurrence, which does not necessarily correlate to how he visited the various sites in Israel. Still, he connects the texts from scripture beautifully well and the travelogue feel does not suffer for it. Martin mentions at the end of his book that his intention was to have a chapter for every passage of the Gospel (I imagine he meant every experience of Jesus that could have been connected to a physical location) and I so wish he had, but I can understand that that would have required a much longer stay in the Holy Land, and a multi-volume work.

Martin encounters Jesus and really makes a personal approach to Jesus possible for his readers. When recounting the exorcism of the demoniac, Martin talks about believing in evil in a way that is very understandable - giving a vocabulary to those of us who have struggled before to express our own belief in evil - he calls on C.S. Lewis here:

" I believe in the presence of evil as a real incoherent for supposed to God and one that can sometimes overtake people, but not necessarily in the popular conception of the devil. As C.S. Lewis said, when asked if he believed in the devil, "I am not particular about and horns. But in other respects my answer is, yes I do." "

And when recounting Peter's feeling of unworthiness at his call and claiming to be a sinful man, not expecting to be welcomed into Jesus' presence or ministry (or not feeling worthy of being accepted) Martin addresses the feelings and thoughts so many of us have today:

"... Let me return to those Christians who feel marginalized from their church and churches and to those who sometimes feel discouraged or scandalized by what their churches do.



It is important to remember that the church did not die and rise from the dead. Jesus did. Especially in times of difficulty in scandal, we need to be reminded that our faith is not an institution but in a person. Jesus. Certainly we experience Christ in and through the church and certainly the church is the "Body of Christ" on earth. And I don't in any way deny or minimize the importance of the church. But the church does not save us. Jesus does. It is Jesus, not the institution, who has called you into relationship with him. Even though we may feel as if the church is saying "go away from me," those words never passed from Jesus his lips when he meets sinful people. "



" For those who feel scandalized because of sins committed by the members of the church, it is also important to remember that the church has always been imperfect. Dorothy Day once said, "I love the church for Christ made visible, not for itself, because it was so often a scandal to me." " (p163)

From the Sermon on the Mount, Martin reflects on being "poor in spirit", I think one of the most misunderstood, reflected upon and discussed terms of the Gospels. He connects it to being meek, from one of the later Beatitudes, in a wonderful way, that helps us to see both the intention and vision Jesus might have had I sharing this teaching:

" Paradoxically, then to be poor in spirit is to be rich in faith. It indicates a person whose humility allows him or her to grasp the fundamental reliance on God. But even armed with that understanding, we sense that this beatitude is still a threat. Humility is an unpopular virtue."

" "Meek" maybe an even more unpalatable word, conjuring up a simpering fool, someone afraid to stand up for himself or herself, a person devoid of self-confidence and self-respect. When was the last time you heard someone say, "I really like that guy. He's so meek"?

What did Jesus mean? The Greek word is a complicated word with several possible meanings: self control over one's passions; obedient or domesticated, as in an animal; or gentle. To understand Jesus's likely intent, it may help to look at the Hebrew that was antecedent to the Greek. Jesus probably had in mind the word 'anawim'. The 'anawim' were not simply the meek but those were so poor, or weak, that they knew they depended utterly on God. So, poor and humble, a combination of two traits not highly prized today." (P173)

Martin captures the vitalness of community, how we need one another to "carry us to God" when we cannot do it on our own, and how others will need us to do the same and how critical it is that we realize this so we can in fact serve those in need, and allow others to care for us when we, ourselves, need it.

He discusses the reality of humor in all our lives, even in Jesus' ministry, but that the humor probably escapes us because humor requires context, and no one alive today has true historical or situational context of ancient Israel society. (My father-in-law often decries that there was no humor in Jesus' story/life, but I suspect Martin is right here and that we cannot estimate the mirth and humor that was most likely present in Christ's ministry. I mean, who follows around a curmudgeon, life was hardship and serious enough back then.)

One of my favorite passages in the Gospels is the story of Emmaus, I think this is because during my formative Catholic years, remember I became a Catholic during college, Emmaus retreats were all the rage, to help young adults find Jesus by surprise, the same way the pair of despairing disciples did on that long lost road after the crucifixion when they discovered it was Jesus journeying with them the entire time. Martin connects the concept of despair and loss to these two disciples in a way that is palpable. He considers the three words: "We had hoped..." in such a powerful way that I do not think I will ever look upon someone else's dashed hopes again without powerful compassion and empathy. And then, Martin drives it home by connecting Jesus' own hopes and losses. He was fully human remember? (and I do, thank you, Michael Casey) and so it is likely Jesus also felt loss and despair at his ministry not being able to continue, at his friends abandoning him, at his mother's pain as she watched him suffer on his Cross. That is game-changing... imagining God, Christ, despairing, feeling loss, crying right there beside us. Emmaus is now even more powerful more me.

In another chapter, Martin discusses prayer and that prayer does not always result in good feelings, but an awareness of our own need to change, our need to change something, our need to focus outward on others and truly work to support them (not just think good thoughts for them) the need to die to self. These are not easy words to read, but they ring so true that they feel undeniable, and also emancipating. By accepting that prayer can be work and instructional, allowed me to take prayer-time to a whole new level. This concept, for example helped me realize that my routine morning prayers for strength, patience and temperance also needed to include a plea for gentleness, to remind me to comfort my children as much as instruct and guide them, to be open to others and to be in their "moment" as much as I am trying to be present in my own "here and now".

There is so much more to recount, worth re-reading, pages I have dog-eared already, passages I have highlighted to share with others, that I can only strongly suggest others read it for themselves.

Like his use of the Lazarus story to discuss change and a willingness to believe and to encourage his readers to know that God has a new life and a new Way for each one of us individually to travel through our own lives (no matter how far-gone down the wrong path we think we might be.)

Or the concept of 'dying to self' and comprehending that Jesus' gift to us did not begin and end with his crucifixion, but was in every element and step of his life which he dedicated to those he could save, he could welcome, he could "convince" and even his giving of self to those who did not follow him, the doubters, the persecutors, etc. a true selflessness that is rarely seen or understood today.

Or even his approach to honesty with and true reliance on God and those around us; we are often panicked in our own time, of time constraints, and we fill our lives with busy-ness and platitudes that we often never really face our feelings, our deep emotions and our struggles. "Expressing your feelings honestly in trouble times is not a sign of weakness, but of humanity and humility. It is also a way to invite into your life friends and relatives who love you. " (p365). We invite God in when we admit our failings, needs and those struggles we are terrified to face, and when we ask for a new Way, believe it or not, God gives us one.

"This is why Christians speak of meeting God in the Cross. By ignoring or failing to embrace the Cross we miss opportunities to know God in a deeper way. The Cross is often where we meet God because our vulnerability can make us more open to God's grace." (p415)

Whether Christian or not, I think James Martin delivers an understanding of Jesus and the Gospel story that can benefit any reader. One who is delving deeper into scripture, one who wants to understand their Christian friends and family devotions, or one who might wonder "who the heck is this Jesus anyway?!". Along the way we get to know Martin himself, which is a great benefit as well, maybe I will get to hear him someday, or meet him... I hope I do. Thank you, James Martin, for this work, I look forward to reading more...

[Dave Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book that functions as a blend of travelogue, scholarship and devotional. Father James Martin, whom anchors himself in the Ignatious Tradtion of the Christian faith, structures each chapter according to an on the ground, practical pilgrimage through the Holy Land, and pairs it with thoughts on the scholarship and ultimately reflections on his own spiritual journey and awareness of encountering the text while walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

It's incredibly accessible, highly engaging, and quite often revealing and profound as an honest depiction of this journey. It takes us into the nooks and crannies and dirty corners of the life behind the text, and brings us up close and personal to the one who claimed to be God and yet walked this earth as a man amongst humans.

Of particular note for me was the way he opens up the story of the Beatitudes. I had often struggled witht the apparent disparity and confusion between Matthew's and Luke's accounts, with Matthew spiritualizing the terms and Luke setting it directly in a socio-economic-political setting. The way he opens up the landscape and helps us to imagine Jesus' teaching helped me to connect these two realities in a way that really made sense. In many ways, the Beatitudes should be as important to Christians as the Torah is for Jews, given the way the Gospels fit it into the narrative as a new Pentateuch. And yet sadly it is rare to hear this text preached on. In these words we find both the Gospel's call to us in our places of struggle and the liberating call of the Gospel to attend to the poor, which when taken together encompass the Law of Jesus, the new Moses, the embodiment of the Covenant promise in which the story of Israel is finding its fulfillment.

A definite recommend, and it proved a perfect fit for my own Lenten journey.

[Craig Bergland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to like this book, I really did. Fr. Martin is a great guy, I am sure, but he is no Bible scholar. What’s more, the ramblings of his imagination may make for great Ignation “meditation” but his imagination cannot create truth about Jesus the rest of us should be prepared to swallow solely on the basis of said imagination. In fact, if he accurately describes the foundation of his meditation, I have lost respect for Jesuits. Cogitation is not prayer.

Also, I know he has to keep them Vatican happy, but many of the things he says about the Bible simply aren’t true. His defense of the Vatican’s position the Jesus didn’t have siblings would be laughable if I didn’t find myself having sympathy pains for the spasms he must be experiencing after contorting himself that dramatically. That’s just one example, but you get the idea.

Finally, the title. This book is more travelogue than anything else. For him it was a pilgrimage. For me it was an exercise in patience that lasted about one third of the way through the book.