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Whom Say Ye That I Am? Lessons from the Jesus of Nazareth
The story of Jesus is frequently limited to the telling of the babe of Bethlehem who would die on the cross and three days later triumphantly exit his tomb in resurrected glory. Frequently skimmed over or left aside is the story of the Jesus of Nazareth who confronted systemic injustice, angered those in power, risked his life for the oppressed and suffering, and worked to preach and establish the Kingdom of God—all of which would lead to his execution on Calvary. In this insightful and moving volume, authors James and Judith McConkie turn to the latest scholarship on the historical and cultural background of Jesus to discover lessons on what we can learn from his exemplary life. Whether it be his intimate interactions with the sick, the poor, women, and the outcast, or his public confrontations with oppressive religious, political, and economic institutions, Jesus of Nazareth—the son of a carpenter, Messiah, and Son of God—exemplified the way, the truth, and the life that we must follow to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven.
- GenresReligion
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 11, 2018
22 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 8, 2018
This book puts Jesus’ teachings in context of the Jewish and Roman religion, politics, and culture of his time. That’s certainly been done before. But what I think is particularly valuable about this book for an LDS audience is its sources. Unlike a lot of LDS literature that takes its Latter-day scripture and church authorities as primary sources, this book quotes very few LDS sources. Instead, it’s a meta-analysis of contemporary scholarship on Jesus, using almost a dozen different Bible translations, the apocrypha, and many well-respected writers and scholars, some I’d read or heard from (John Dominic Crosson, James Martin, Harold Kushner, Eugene Peterson), and many I had not. The McConkies draw on scholarship that is often underutilized in LDS writing to bring a fresh perspective on many aspects of Jesus’ life and teaching.... to read the rest of this review, please visit the Exponent Blog here: http://www.the-exponent.com/book-revi...
January 7, 2019
Essential reading for aspiring disciples.
The most impactful book I’ve read on Jesus and who he was, what he cared about and his mission in 20 years. This coupled with James Martin’s Jesus: A Pilgrimage and some other works have really shaped the desire and direction of my attempts at deeper discipleship.
The chapters on Jesus relationship with women, outcasts, the sinner and the lost are worth the price of admission.
The most impactful book I’ve read on Jesus and who he was, what he cared about and his mission in 20 years. This coupled with James Martin’s Jesus: A Pilgrimage and some other works have really shaped the desire and direction of my attempts at deeper discipleship.
The chapters on Jesus relationship with women, outcasts, the sinner and the lost are worth the price of admission.
October 26, 2018
This non-fiction book exploring Jesus' personality taken in context with the culture of His day was not published by Deseret Book. A reader may assume this is because the authors (who are active members of the church) also chose to include other Bible translations and quotations from The Apocrypha, sources not recognized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They also include quotes from the Apocrypha Gospels of Mary and Phillip which hints she, Mary Magdalene, had a very special relationship with Jesus bordering on marriage.
Yet, Jesus championed the underdog, set the example for us all.
And it is enough.
The McConkie's book is rather dark and dry, emphasizing all the negative and depressing lifestyles of the people who lived in Jesus' day. As expected, being a woman in this time period was absolutely the worst time to be alive. Always subservient. Always unequal. It would've been nice if the authors had included some Edersheim or at least my favorite quote from Matthew Henry (an English commentator on the Gospels from the 1600s) who said a woman was created from the rib of man not be above or below him but close to his heart to be loved by him. There must have been SOME ancient Jews who also held similar views. A young Jewish man was expected to marry a woman, said Edersheim in "Sketches of Jewish Social Life" (p. 147).
Jesus did liberate women but not in the way modern feminists would approve.
The remaining chapters (18 total) are a study in how Jesus most likely confronted and incorporated social views: the poor, hungry, wealthy, political, family values, welfare, ect into his teachings and ministry. His kingdom most likely would've been one where everyone was socially and economically equal. The Law of Consecration and United Order as taught by Joseph Smith in the early days of the church comes to mind. In Jesus' Kingdom of God there are no "nuclear families" the way we think of them but everyone sealed to everyone else in one long, eternal family chain with God our Heavenly Father as reining patriarch. The political views of the day supplanted by His Kingdom's eternal laws where everything is divided and shared equally.
The final chapter, a fascinating essay by Dean Collinwood "In Search of the Personality of Jesus" is the main reason to read this book. It was the only chapter in which I did not find myself nodding off as I read.
Read this book. You will come away with new insights on what walking the streets of Jerusalem and roaming the paths of Nazareth with Jesus might have been like.
Yet, Jesus championed the underdog, set the example for us all.
And it is enough.
The McConkie's book is rather dark and dry, emphasizing all the negative and depressing lifestyles of the people who lived in Jesus' day. As expected, being a woman in this time period was absolutely the worst time to be alive. Always subservient. Always unequal. It would've been nice if the authors had included some Edersheim or at least my favorite quote from Matthew Henry (an English commentator on the Gospels from the 1600s) who said a woman was created from the rib of man not be above or below him but close to his heart to be loved by him. There must have been SOME ancient Jews who also held similar views. A young Jewish man was expected to marry a woman, said Edersheim in "Sketches of Jewish Social Life" (p. 147).
Jesus did liberate women but not in the way modern feminists would approve.
The remaining chapters (18 total) are a study in how Jesus most likely confronted and incorporated social views: the poor, hungry, wealthy, political, family values, welfare, ect into his teachings and ministry. His kingdom most likely would've been one where everyone was socially and economically equal. The Law of Consecration and United Order as taught by Joseph Smith in the early days of the church comes to mind. In Jesus' Kingdom of God there are no "nuclear families" the way we think of them but everyone sealed to everyone else in one long, eternal family chain with God our Heavenly Father as reining patriarch. The political views of the day supplanted by His Kingdom's eternal laws where everything is divided and shared equally.
The final chapter, a fascinating essay by Dean Collinwood "In Search of the Personality of Jesus" is the main reason to read this book. It was the only chapter in which I did not find myself nodding off as I read.
Read this book. You will come away with new insights on what walking the streets of Jerusalem and roaming the paths of Nazareth with Jesus might have been like.
February 25, 2018
Concluding thoughts of my own (the epilogue has the concluding thoughts of the McConkie's)
I enjoyed this work because the authors carefully teased out various episodes recorded in the Gospels to illustrate categorical interactions of Jesus with the poor, with children, with the oppressed and marginalized. Not only was their analysis insightful and stimulating, it demonstrated a command of a vast array or scholarly material. The documentation was truly impressive. I was unfamiliar with many of the sources cited.
One incidental joy was their frequent citation of the New Living Translation of the New Testament. I benefit greatly in my personal study of the Bible by reviewing various translations. But this was new to me. Not only did the frequently cite the NLT, but often cited multiple translations to better round out a perspective that may have been obscured or completely in reading the KJV.
For some reason, the essay at the end of the book by Dean Collinwood was troubling to me. It is reasonable to summarize various aspects of the interactions between Jesus and others, but I was uncomfortable with their conclusions about the essential Jesus in these terms. I don't doubt their devotion to the Man from Galilee, but as the perfect Son of God, some of the traits identified seemed to be too mundane or even crude to my eyes and heart.
I came away from this book with an expanded reading list. I have heard about N.T. Wright, for example. Now I feel a desire to dive into his scholarship. From Marcus Borg on Taking Jesus Seriously to the works of John Dominic Crossan, and many others, the bibliography is worth the price of the book.
My favorite part of the book was the Epilogue and the account of their experience in the area of the Garden Tomb. I have personally been moved to tears of sorrow and joy in that very spot. It was sweet to read, "We say Dayenu - It is enough!"
I enjoyed this work because the authors carefully teased out various episodes recorded in the Gospels to illustrate categorical interactions of Jesus with the poor, with children, with the oppressed and marginalized. Not only was their analysis insightful and stimulating, it demonstrated a command of a vast array or scholarly material. The documentation was truly impressive. I was unfamiliar with many of the sources cited.
One incidental joy was their frequent citation of the New Living Translation of the New Testament. I benefit greatly in my personal study of the Bible by reviewing various translations. But this was new to me. Not only did the frequently cite the NLT, but often cited multiple translations to better round out a perspective that may have been obscured or completely in reading the KJV.
For some reason, the essay at the end of the book by Dean Collinwood was troubling to me. It is reasonable to summarize various aspects of the interactions between Jesus and others, but I was uncomfortable with their conclusions about the essential Jesus in these terms. I don't doubt their devotion to the Man from Galilee, but as the perfect Son of God, some of the traits identified seemed to be too mundane or even crude to my eyes and heart.
I came away from this book with an expanded reading list. I have heard about N.T. Wright, for example. Now I feel a desire to dive into his scholarship. From Marcus Borg on Taking Jesus Seriously to the works of John Dominic Crossan, and many others, the bibliography is worth the price of the book.
My favorite part of the book was the Epilogue and the account of their experience in the area of the Garden Tomb. I have personally been moved to tears of sorrow and joy in that very spot. It was sweet to read, "We say Dayenu - It is enough!"
February 10, 2019
Required reading for LDS church members (it isn't written from an LDS perspective, in fact it only uses primary sources outside of the LDS faith, but it is written by believing members) who want to understand how the social, political, and historical context of Jesus's life influenced and shaped his teachings. By highlighting and analyzing the way that Jesus interacted with people, groups, and social and religious institutions, the book makes a compelling case that the goal of his ministry, and by extension our goals as saints, should be to "root out the systemic injustice of poverty, oppression, suffering, and hate". Thought-provoking and inspiring, it reinforces the notion that our most important and sacred responsibility is to get outside of our own limited experience and worldview, in order to recognise and nurture the basic humanity in those around us.
April 14, 2019
Much of this book is predictably sourced from the Bible (in its many forms of translation), and is not necessarily revelatory or striking. However, I found the in-depth study of Christ’s relationships with those around Him—from sinners, the lost, women, and His disciples, to the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the Romans. This 360 degree perspective of how Christ viewed and treated those whom He interacted with daily expanded my view of His role as the Savior and how we are to treat those around us.
The author sums it up best:
“[Christ] said religion ought to be fixed on love of neighbor, not love of self. He understood that when religion becomes dependent upon the observance of external requirements instead of on an inner transformation, it leads to a life of profound self preoccupation and selfishness, rather than one of compassion and inclusion of others.”
The author sums it up best:
“[Christ] said religion ought to be fixed on love of neighbor, not love of self. He understood that when religion becomes dependent upon the observance of external requirements instead of on an inner transformation, it leads to a life of profound self preoccupation and selfishness, rather than one of compassion and inclusion of others.”
December 30, 2018
The McConkies have done a wonderful job capturing the historical Jesus. There is power in knowing the context of His times, His interactions, and how these influenced His thoughts and actions. He faced many systemic issues, the chapter on the family setup of the time were insightful and the chapter on Jesus and the lost provided me with touching insight into some of His beautiful parables that teach us that He is a "one by one" Savior. I benefitted greatly from this historical perspective on our Redeemer.
September 23, 2020
It has taken me a long time to read this book. This books is extremely well thought out and researched. Very well cited and sourced. Exceptionally dry. Painfully dry. It'll be hard for me to retain all of the incredibly insightful points made in this book because the delivery was so uninspiring. Which is a real pity. I wish I could've enjoyed it more.
June 20, 2018
3.5 stars…
December 10, 2019
Love the premise of this book. Who was Jesus really? Situating his teachings and actions within his historical context, we discover Jesus’ radical beliefs and treatment toward individuals, groups, and institutions. Who did he side with? And why? What teachings did he prioritize? Messages of healing and redemption and mercy are emphasized in this book and justifiably so. Using a variety of bible translations and commentary from New Testament scholars, this is an excellent starter for LDS folk and others looking into the historical Jesus. Would liked to have seen more nuance with the discussion of Jewish beliefs and practices in relation to women and other groups of people to avoid any hint of anti-semitism.
March 21, 2021
Wonderful. Would have given it 5 stars if they hadn’t included a speculative memo by someone else as the final chapter.
February 25, 2019
Whom Say Ye That I Am? is an honest, somewhat controversial look at Jesus of Nazareth. It relies on historic context to flesh out His personality, but also skillfully uses apocrypha for telling glimpses of what might have been. There is even a psychometric assessment of Jesus near the end. Wonderful stuff.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews