Il Vangelo secondo Charlie Brown

by Robert L. Short

Che i fumetti di Schulz dicano realmente qualcosa lo testimonia il successo straordinario che hanno nel mondo intero. Ma che cosa dicono in realtà? È forse il loro un discorso religioso, cristiano?
Anche e principalmente. Lo testimonia questo volume, pungente, effervescente, ma anche terribilmente serio.
La fede cristiana deve infatti imparare a parlare in modo comprensibile agli uomini là dove essi si trovano. E quando essa si da a scritti « seri », è bene che ricordi che c'è tutta una parte dell'umanità che non va mai al di là della sezione umoristica dei giornali, gente che legge « religiosamente » soltanto i fumetti comici. Perciò non c'è da scandalizzarsi - ma anzi da gioire - se Schulz ha potuto dire: « Con i lettori di fumetti mi son fatto fumettista ».
Il risultato è che dalla lettura di queste pagine traspare una realtà evangelica tanto più vera, profonda ed umana di quanta ci viene solitamente ammannita. Provare per credere.

Genres: Religion, Christian, Nonfiction, Comics, Humor, Theology, Christianity

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the 60s. It had a strong influence on me. This book introduced me to thinkers like Soren Kierkegaard. Karl Barth, and Paul Tillich. While the book is mainly geared to a popular press and a Christian population, it is surprisingly profound and loaded with theological and philosophical ideas you usually didn't get in Sunday School. Well written, often humorous (How could it not be when illustrated by Charles Schultz' wonderful comic strip?), and never dumbed down, I credit it for introducing me to a Christianity that existed outside of the fundamentalist box I was raised in.

[ALLEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the height of Peanuts-mania, in 1965, this unusual but highly successful book appeared. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PEANUTS is, as the title implies, a work of theology from a Christian, specifically New Testament, perspective. It is not an indictment of the current church like RESIDENT ALIENS, or a work of pop sociology like THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE SIMPSONS. Instead, it's a fairly conservative work that uses the existential and moral crises of the various Peanuts characters to illustrate how their "grief," good or not, was foreshadowed in the bible. Charlie Brown, classic misfit, is the "star" of the book, but you'll see other characters dealt with, even Snoopy, whom author Robert L. Short calls "the hound of heaven." But remember this is a work of theology, so you'll see references to Karl Barth, St. Paul and the synoptic gospels as much as you'll read about Lucy, Linus and Schroeder. The Peanuts panels that illustrate this work are fun, and well chosen. As theology, it's something people will read who want to read it, and they can expect a solid work. Amazingly, this book still sells over fifty years later. Followed by The Parables of Peanuts.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone who is interested in Christian theology, this is a good book. It's a book I would enjoy rereading, studying more closely, and pondering more deeply as the author refers to scriptures verses from the Bible throughout and shows how Schultz, a Christian may have been conveying a deeper message in his Peanuts comics.

[Zoe]

“The laughter of comedy and the joy of Christ’s gospel are closely related.”

[John Defrog: global citizen, local gadfly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember checking this out of the library when I was a kid, but I mainly just read the comics. Which is just as well, as the actual text – in which Robert Short explores how the Peanuts strips reflect key themes in the Gospels – would have been over my head. The Peanuts/Christianity link isn’t that big a stretch – Charles Schulz was a devout Christian whose faith played a key part in the strip’s overall theme, although never really to the point of hitting people over the head with it – so it’s not a case of Short trying to read too much into it. However, Short’s prose is a little difficult to keep up with at times, and overall I think he’s more convincing when he’s arguing that art (even comics) is a great way to convey truth indirectly to a given audience rather than arguing that Christianity and comedy have a lot in common. But that’s just me. As a thought experiment it’s very interesting. And even if you don’t buy the book’s premise, you get a lot of classic Peanuts strips for yr money. One point: this particular edition has some really bad formatting issues where the text sometimes doesn’t quite match the cartoons, and in one case cuts off the last few lines of the chapter completely. So I’d recommend getting a different edition from this one.

[Martin Bihl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely obvious and superficial. This book was a bestseller? Good grief indeed.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but super engaging and thought-provoking book on the deeper meaning behind the Charlie Brown comics. Was pleasantly surprised since I randomly picked this up after finding it in my parents’ house, so I didn’t have any expectations.

[bup · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book whose name started the whole "Gospel According to..." book meme, this book has little in common with the others.

This one actually is an effort to tease out the Christian messages, symbols and themes in Peanuts. In 1965, when Short wrote it, Schulz's near-evangelical embrace of Christianity couldn't help but spill over into the strip he put everything he had into. Later, as Schulz moved away from organized religion, I wonder if this book could have been written.

The theology, too, seems dated. Finding original sin in Peanuts? What's the point? Not that it's not interesting, but is original sin an important concept in and of itself?

Well, I tried to read it as a kid, when I was attempting to know and be everything about the strip. As an adult, it feels good to knock this off the 'to-do' list, but I don't recommend seeking this out if you don't have a 'completist' interest in Peanuts.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this in high school. Don't remember much about it. I didn't keep it so I think I thought it was "just okay".

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing to be said about this book is that the title is great. You may think that War and Peace is great or The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy but this is just beautiful.

Short came up with the nice idea to combine serious theological preaching with examples from the Peanuts. (He annoyingly calls the strips cartoons for some reason.)

I think G.B. Shaw once said that the most amazing thing about the Bible is that is so devoid of humour (and if there is some it is by accident of a false translation as with the camel and the needle). And indeed it is hard to understand how people who sincerely believe in original sin can have a sense of humour.

I will not go into the theological stuff. I do respect the man and I like his sincerity and certainly the picks he makes from the Peanuts. There are some of my favourites in here. Like Linus searching in the weed for a Baseball. Or Lucy who just wants to have ups and ups and ups.

The very best thing in the book that he included between all the Karl Barth and Kierkegaard quotations the best one-line argument against Christianity that I ever came across. J.D. Salinger in Franny & Zooey: We are all “constitutionally unable to love and understand any son of God who throws tables around.”

[Robin Shakespeare · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book so bad it made me stop liking Snoopy.

Picked up in a charity shop, DNF’ed at about 30 pages and skimmed the rest.

The book is mostly advice on how to sneak the gospel message into conversation with people who have repeatedly said they’re not interested. No advice to perhaps listen to the people you’re talking to or take an interest in them. Lots of impressively vague complaints about people being bad.

Drawing from Snoopy, the author shares such intellectual and well-reasoned gems as:

* people do bad things
* therapy is bad
* people are too dependent on things
* you should be nice to people you don’t like because it will hurt them

I will not be adopting any of these opinions or implementing any of this life advice.

[Ibbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 #13 ⚾️🌌

Stupendo (anche se un po’ troppo protestante per i miei gusti)

W Charles M. Schulz

[Deborah-Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this easy to read, funny and surprisingly deep take on Christian theology. Recommended to any Peanuts fans.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but interesting overview of the gospel through the lens of the beloved Peanuts comic strip (reader I had no idea Charles Shulz was a christian)! Plenty of interesting quotes from Shakespeare and Kierkegaard, in addition to commentary on the role of art and media for christians sharing the gospel.

Thanks to VT for introducing me to the book

[Patrick O'Hannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snoopy as an archetype of Christ and Lucy as a surrogate for Original Sin? You betcha! It's not blasphemy; it's insight.

Other people have tried to see God behind the veil of pop culture since this book was first published in 1965, and some have done a fine job indeed (Yes, Julie Davis at "Happy Catholic," I'm talking about *you*). But Robert L. Short's work still holds up well. Although Short rode this particular steed into a field already known to giants like C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton, he may have been the first to make the unexpected juxtaposition of faith and culture cool. This book inspired a legion of imitators, not least from authors who would later try to shoehorn Buddhist and Confucian maxims into the Hundred-Acre Wood with Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore while ignoring the Edwardian-era pedigree of those characters.

Another thing that speaks well of "The Gospel According to Peanutes" is that it was simpatico with the actual beliefs of its muse, whom I think later collaborated with Robert L. Short on a few followup books of the same kind. I've read Rheta Grimsley Johnson's biography of cartooning legend Charles Schulz, and the David Michaelis bio of Schulz is still on my "to read" list. It's safe to say that Short made some guesses here, but those guesses were shrewd.

[Lirio Dendron · Rating 1 out of 5]

The greatest gift Mr. Schulz had, was to get great spiritual and theological truths into four or six little picture one could understand and believe. I am a greatfan of "Peanuts" since they first came to germany in the sixties, and these short truths acompanied me my whole life.
The author of this book now did the opposite, getting those simple truths and wisdoms into big and complex exegetical essays, to explain what didn't need to be explained in the first place. I don't understand why.

[Eli Suddarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my all time favorites. one would think, by looking at the title, that it would be a waste of time, but short, who is an absolutely brilliant writer, presents shultz's life's work as his mission ot the world for Christ. this work presents the simplest ideas of christianity in a way that can never be replicated; a delightfully fun read.

[Dwayne Coleman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried reading both of Short's books about Peanuts and the Bible, and after awhile I just couldn't see what he was trying to say. I suspect that he's going beyond what Schulz intended, as Schulz himself said.

[Olivia "So many books--so little time.""]

I've always loved Peanuts ever since I was a kid, which was when I read this book. I found it most amusing.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: "How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?" (Ps. 137:4) is a question the Church, always finding itself in but not of the world, urgently needs to reconsider today.

Premise/plot: Are there theological lessons to be learned from engaging (reading thoughtfully) in the comic strip Peanuts? Short says YES, and this book is his argument why Christians should engage with the culture of the world.

My thoughts: The Gospel According to Peanuts is a short book, just six chapters in length.

The chapters are: "The Church and the Arts," "The Whole Trouble: Original Sin," "The Wages of Sin is Aaughh!", "Good Grief," "The Hound of Heaven," and "Concluding Unscientific Postcript."

If you can make it past the first chapter of this one, I think you'll enjoy reading this one. The first chapter suffers from being overly scholarly and long-winded. Instead of coming straight to the point and writing in English, the author offers his argument that essentially says a) comic strips can be important cultural indicators, a type of ART that should not be ignored but engaged in b) Peanuts is well worth reading because there are theological lessons to be found c) Christians often have a hard time communicating with the world in ways that the world can understand, if Christians engage in the culture they can better communicate the gospel in ways--in words and actions--that the world will be more likely to listen and respond.

I really loved the middle chapters of this one. In particular I loved "The Whole Trouble: Original Sin," "The Wages of Sin is Aaughh!" and "Good Grief."
The original sinfulness of man--all men--is almost taken for granted by the New Testament; it is the background for almost everything the New Testament says. Christ himself usually seemed to presuppose this view of human nature. (29)
Short argues that original sin can easily be seen as the background for the Peanuts strip. Each of the characters reveals the lostness--the blindness--of human nature itself.

One of the strips shown in this section:
LUCY: You know what the whole trouble with you is, Charlie Brown?
CHARLIE BROWN: No; and I don't want to know! Leave me alone!
LUCY: The whole trouble with you is you won't listen to what the whole trouble with you is! (30-1)
And here's another that reminds us of Paul's letter to the Romans:
LUCY: This Linus is a picture of the human heart! One side is filled with hate and the other side is filled with love. These are the two forces which are constantly at war with each other..
LINUS: I think I know just what you mean. I can feel them fighting. (36)
An example of a theological insight Short shares:
The inability of the Peanuts kids to produce any radical change for the better in themselves--or in each other--is a constant Peanuts theme. (37)
I enjoyed the comic strips very much. I also enjoyed Short's insights.

One of the points of the book is that ALL of the Peanuts characters have a natural, sinful fallen nature. There aren't "good" characters and "bad" characters. They are all messes. They all make mistakes. They all think mistakenly. If you're used to compartmentalizing the characters into "good" and "bad" then this book might be disconcerting to you. For example, if you are prone to thinking that LUCY IS BAD and LINUS IS GOOD. If you are of the opinion that Linus can do no wrong, and that Linus is wiser than all the rest, then this one might upset you. For example, Short considers that Linus' blanket is unhealthy as is his insistent belief in the Great Pumpkin.

A few observations I have:

1) If you read enough comic strips, you could find enough to probably prove whatever you wanted. You could pull strips together showing Linus to be practically perfect in every way and Lucy to be a real jerk with no redeeming qualities. In this book, Lucy gets a lot of great lines in and in these strips she seems to be very self-aware while Linus seems to be fascinated with his blanket to the exclusion of seeing the real world.

2) This book was published BEFORE the 1966 Charlie Brown Christmas special. Linus stands out in the special as being wise and observant and GOOD. I think most people associate Linus with that--an image of him reading the birth narratives of Christ. And that image is so solid that it's hard to think of Linus as being anything but wise.

3) The new Peanuts movie is wonderful, but goes against much of what this book says. In the new movie, Charlie Brown comes across as an absolute saint; he may be clumsy, he may be gullible. But he's GOOD; he's LOYAL; he's COMPASSIONATE; he always does the right thing. He may worry a lot. He may be awkward but it seems his good works and good intentions outweigh everything else. He doesn't seem to need a savior; he just needs to believe in himself.

4) This book doesn't consider the comic strips written from 1965-2000. So it isn't a comprehensive look at the comic strip. Again, I think you could pick different strips from these years to prove anything about one of the characters.

[Svalbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Che Schulz, l’autore indimenticabile dei Peanuts, avesse una certa conoscenza di questioni bibliche o religiose, lo avevo intuito “tra le righe” delle strisce e delle tavole che venivano pubblicate in Italia. Ma pensavo che fosse un citazionismo abbastanza casuale. Quello che non mi aspettavo, e che ho scoperto grazie a questo libro, è il fatto che la conoscenza di questioni religiose da parte di Schulz era invece alquanto consapevole; inoltre lui era anche piuttosto attivo nella chiesa protestante della sua città. Mi sono chiesto per quale motivo questo aspetto non sia mai “passato” molto nella diffusione che i Peanuts hanno avuto in Italia, nonostante una rivista ad essi dedicata - Linus - e vari nomi anche importanti che vi hanno dedicato tempo ed attenzione (ad esempio Umberto Eco). Sarà che in quegli anni “caldi” lo sguardo religioso sarebbe stato subito bollato come reazionario e controrivoluzionario, con tutte le conseguenze del caso? Comunque sia, questo libro è molto, molto interessante. Esso utilizza le strisce dei Peanuts come metafora ed allegoria per far passare un messaggio evangelico, da un lato con la consapevolezza, stante quanto scritto sopra, che in effetti il “messaggio” originale di Schulz non era effettivamente troppo lontano da questo; dall’altro, sapendo che il suddetto messaggio si “racconta” molto meglio con storie, esempi, e in questo caso vignette, piuttosto che andando a fare discorsi esegetici per esteso. Bella l’idea che i significati sono molto più potenti se lasciati intuire per simboli e metafore, piuttosto che andandoli a spiattellare a chiare lettere. Mi rimane tuttavia un dubbio. Fermo restando che le cose dette in questo libro su peccato originale, ruolo (ed errori) della Chiesa (quella protestante, in questo caso), dolore e sofferenza, e molto altro, sono interessanti e degne di riflessione, mi chiedo quanto il messaggio giudaico-cristiano interpretato, e non preso alla lettera, sia quello autentico. Mi spiego meglio. Vedo che, soprattutto in campo protestante (ma non solo) si prendono le Scritture e in qualche modo vi si estraggono significati sicuramente bellissimi, moderni e condivisibili, ma forse piuttosto arbitrari. Se andiamo a guardare la lettera delle Scritture, troviamo un dio cattivissimo che va in bestia per la disobbedienza di Adamo ed Eva su un fatto al limite dell’irrilevanza, che obbliga un profeta ad uccidere suo figlio per provarne l’obbedienza, un Gesù che dice che pure solo guardare la moglie di un altro è commettere adulterio, un san Paolo per il quale l’unico sesso buono, ma nemmeno troppo, è quello procreativo e matrimoniale, e potrei continuare a lungo… e, in sostanza, il prezzo per guadagnarsi la vita eterna è l’infelicità in questa vita, la fuga dal piacere e dalle cose mondane, l’annichilimento dell’io perpetrato e continuato, il terrore e la paura. E, se si sbaglia, si perde tutto e si va all’inferno. Mi rimane quindi il dubbio che il “vero” cristianesimo sia questo - per quanto umanamente orripilante - e gli altri siano tutte simpatiche e gradevoli interpretazioni per renderlo un po’ più “comodo”, tuttavia niente affatto in linea con quanto affermato da profeti, evangelisti, dottori e padri della Chiesa.. A queste condizioni, certamente meglio essere atei. Anche considerato che la civiltà umana è piena di opere letterarie, filosofiche ed etiche che spiegano come si possa praticare il bene senza bisogno di chiamare in causa un qualsiasi Dio. Tra l’altro, questo libro fu pubblicato nel lontano 1965. Il periodo più visionario e surreale di Schulz, quello di Snoopy eroico pilota della prima guerra mondiale, di Sally che parla con la sua scuola, di Piperita Patty l’irriducibile maschiaccia con la sua amichetta secchiona Marcie, doveva ancora venire. Sarebbe stato bello (e non ho dubbi che sarebbe stato possibile) leggere il Vangelo anche attraverso queste storie molto più moderne.

[Bilbo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Liberal.
It's unlikely that Charles M Schulz believed any different than what liberal Protestants do and even that he may have left, saying "I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism".

Robert Short, a self described Universalist reinterprets orginal sin and the Fall as comedy and not ultimately serious. "Christianity, like comedy, always involves a genuine fall, or reversal, that is nevertheless not ultimately serious." (pg 120). Does a Christian say such things? No.

He brings his own universalism into his interpretation of the Peanuts strip (whether it is there or not). On page 120 he says, [Just as in comedy there is a final redemption, Christianity contends there is a final redemption for all: "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive"].

Typical of Universalists, Robert interprets this world now as "hell" or purgatory. "Why must we endure discipline in order to learn? Why must we pass through such a hell of a world in order to get to heaven?" This brings to mind the Universalist Rob Bell's book "Love Wins" and his endless rhetorical questions used to make himself look smart while not answering the questions himself. Robert Short sounds exactly like Rob Bell when he says, "God's mercy and love will finally triumph for all men."(pg 85)

Does Robert Short accurately interpret Charles Shultz's Peanuts? It "reportedly earned the admiration and respect of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz." So maybe they both denied the Gospel in like fashion.

It's all so hilarious (sarcasm).

But Christianity is not a comedy; "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31)

[Brandon Current · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't Read. The first chapter is worthwhile as an essay on the importance of the church engaging with the message of the artist and using that as a bridge to speak to larger society. The book is also well referenced with interesting quotes and at times a beautiful weaving of the gospel of the New Testament with Schulz (both comics and articles), Kierkegaard, Shakespeare, Barth, Elliot, and others. I also enjoyed the chapters on original sin and grief. The book is concisely written which is a relief from the wandering books common on Christian bookshelves today.

However, it quickly becomes clear that Short intends to do little actual analysis of the message behind peanuts and rather spends his time inserting his message into it while either grabbing a comic that raises the same underling issue without necessarily making the same point, or throwing one in that is only loosely connected so he can continue on with his own presentation and feel like he is keeping true to his promise of putting the strip in there. The worst are occasions when he seems to make a completely different or even opposite point of the strip or even the Scriptures that he is referencing (see his use of 1 Corinthians 9:15 for the worst offense).

Ultimately, if Christians become known for co-opting the arts and even the Scriptures for presenting their own message, they will loose their voice. Neither are they serving as exegetes of art, culture, or God's Word, but proponents of their own message.

Given the author's habit of grabbing quotes and examples to weave his own narrative, it is no wonder that he presents a universalist message and completely allegorizes Hell. Something no honest student of the documents of Scripture could argue was the intent of the original authors.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robert L. Shortin "Tenavat totuuden tiellä" (Päivä, 1967) on uskonnollinen kirjanen, joka ilmestyi ensimmäisen kerran USA:ssa vuonna 1964. Kirja oli melkoinen myyntimenestys, ja on arveltu, että sen suosio saattoi auttaa myös sarjakuvaa löytämään uusia lukijoita. Suomeksi kirja julkaistiin jo vuonna 1967, jolloin Tenavien julkaisuhistoria maassamme oli vielä varsin lyhyt. Ensimmäisen sarjakuvapokkarin julkaisu oli vasta ovella.

Shortin kirjassa avataan Raamatun sanomaa sarjakuvastrippien kautta. Wikipedian mukaan Charles M. Schulz oli itse sitä mieltä, että "Tenavat totuuden tiellä" ei sinänsä avaa Tenavien sisältöä tai ole hänen omien uskonnollisten näkemystensä tulkki, vaan pikemminkin sarjakuvaa käytetään välineenä tekijän omien näkemysten ilmaisemiseen.

En täysverisenä ateistina ja maallikkona ole varmasti paras ihminen kommentoimaan sisältöä, mutta kieltämättä Short osaa varsin oivaltavasti rinnastaa sarjakuvastripit ja Raamatun opetukset toisiinsa. Lukukokemus oli tässä mielessä ihan kiinnostava, mutta vähän kuriositeetiksihan kirja jäi, kun en sen sisällöstä muuten järin syttynyt.

Suomennos oli sanalla sanoen mielenkiintoinen. Lieneekö asialla ollut kääntäjänä toiminut Talvikki Lintinen vai löytyneekö sylttytehdas jostakin muualta (esimerkiksi kristillisestä Lasten kuvalehdestä, jossa Tenavat-strippejä julkaistiin hetken aikaa nimellä "Pirkko ja Pekka"), mutta joka tapauksessa Suurta Kurpitsaa nimitetään Suureksi Pumpuksi, Rapa-Ripa on ristitty Petteriksi, eikä suomenkielinen nimistö edusta muutenkaan sitä tutuinta ja vakiintuneinta käännöstä.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did one thing brilliantly. It made me realize how fantastic the Peanuts comics were. And it's a cleverly done book.

This is not light reading. The most quoted people are Kierkegaard, Karl Barth, Luther, Blaise Pascal, and John Henry Newman even gets a brief shout out. I thought it might be a book trying to be cute. It's not. This is a serious work of theology.

All that being said, I couldn't follow his argument. I don't know if he's Lutheran but it felt very Lutheran. A lot of extreme statements coupled with overly constricted statements. A lot of focus on man's depravity and how we can't do anything of our own accord. But it jumps around too much. It's almost like he should have put together the compilation of cartoons and written two sentence reflections. Instead he's writing a dissertation (that makes no sense to me) and where it's applicable he throws in a cartoon.

I think a lot of people would love this book. I think I'm just not smart enough to be one of those people.

[Thomas Radigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Peanuts was never supposed to be a "Christian" comic as such, it should be noted that in the 1960's, author Charles Schulz, not brought up religiously, did show interest in Christianity as he got older, as evidenced in some of his strips and even in the cartoon "A Charlie Brown Christmas", which actually brought up the Christian religion and the Bible in its story, unlike other Christmas cartoons which strictly talk about Christmas trees, decorations, presents, and such. Also Bible quotes and religious questions did appear in actual Peanuts comics.

As might be expected, though the author mentions religious authorities, this is more meant for a layman audience. It mentions how children's harmlessness is a case of weakness of limb rather than purity of heart, as the bad behavior of the Peanuts children points out. Meant really more for Peanuts fans than for anyone else.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter of this book was very difficult to read. Then I read a few reviews here on Goodreads and decided to reread it. The reviews seemed to help me "get through" the first chapter and understand it a bit better. I don't know why it was creating such a "wall" but I really had a hard time with the first chapter. After that, I found the book entertaining and loved how the author connected my favorite comic strip to Bible passages. I found myself remembering the comic strips Short was sharing, laughing at others and replaying parts of my childhood when reading others.

I read this in a day, after starting it several times the last few days. I could see this being used in a Bible study group. I would like to do that some day.

[Rachel Grepke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snoopy and the Peanuts gang never get old. Their comics are known worldwide and permeate culture and climate. After having read several different kinds of "Gospel According to.." by several other writers, I came into this with a certain expectation. However, I think it fell a little flat. While some of the obersvations are right on, many of his parallels did not always make sense. Peanuts has always had a faith reflection to them. I enjoyed the statements of Shultz throughout the book. It is perfectly readable, but I think misses the mark a bit and does not always reflect faith perfectly.

[Nestor B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

That Charles M. Schulz was a Christian is no secret, and that this leaves its mark on Peanuts is undoubtedly correct. But the Christian message is rarely explicit, and this is one of Short's points, how to talk about Christianity to today's modern people without alienating them. Eventually, his message becomes a little trite for someone who has no intention of doing missionary work. But even if the evangelism overshadows the cartoon analysis here, some interesting points emerge, and it is well and thoroughly illustrated with examples from the strips.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite their young age and naïve outlook on the world, there are plenty of profound messages and pieces of advice strewn throughout the lives of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang, all ready for you to seek out or simply think on. Short takes readers on a wonderful journey into the works of Schulz with this insightful look at the Christian perspective of the comics. They may be small, but the Peanuts gang manage to pack a punch.