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Joshua #4
Joshua In The Holy Land
Joshua has come home.
But home is no more peaceful than it was during the "time long ago" remembered by Joshua. Violent, seemingly intractable disputes poison the very air. It falls to Joshua, retracing the path taken two millennia ago, to lead his followers to peace in this world as well as in the next. Joshua in the Holy Land will carry every reader back to where it all began.
Back to Nazareth and Bethlehem.
Back to Capernaum and Bethany.
Back to Jerusalem.
Full of resonances with the Gospels, Joshua in the Holy Land is a profoundly satisfying addition to the Joshua phenomenon.
But home is no more peaceful than it was during the "time long ago" remembered by Joshua. Violent, seemingly intractable disputes poison the very air. It falls to Joshua, retracing the path taken two millennia ago, to lead his followers to peace in this world as well as in the next. Joshua in the Holy Land will carry every reader back to where it all began.
Back to Nazareth and Bethlehem.
Back to Capernaum and Bethany.
Back to Jerusalem.
Full of resonances with the Gospels, Joshua in the Holy Land is a profoundly satisfying addition to the Joshua phenomenon.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
7 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Joseph F. Girzone
76 books113 followersFROM PUBLISHER:
JOSEPH F. GIRZONE retired from the active priesthood in 1981 due to health reasons, and embarked on a second career as a writer and speaker.
In 1995 he established the Joshua Foundation, an organization dedicated to making Jesus better known throughout the world.
His bestselling books include Joshua, A Portrait of Jesus, and Never Alone. He lives in Altamont, New York.
JOSEPH F. GIRZONE retired from the active priesthood in 1981 due to health reasons, and embarked on a second career as a writer and speaker.
In 1995 he established the Joshua Foundation, an organization dedicated to making Jesus better known throughout the world.
His bestselling books include Joshua, A Portrait of Jesus, and Never Alone. He lives in Altamont, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 4, 2016
I liked the idea of the book (even though it is theologically impossible) but I found this Joshua/Jesus character to be way off. He is not like the Jesus of the Bible. I started reading another book out of the series, since I picked them both up from a thrift store at the same time, and I had to put it down after a few chapters because of what the character said (that God and Allah are the same.) I threw both of them in the garbage where they belong.
Also the idea of a Jew ( especially one who is supposed to be God incarnate) carving religious images is just wrong. I couldn't get over that.
Also the idea of a Jew ( especially one who is supposed to be God incarnate) carving religious images is just wrong. I couldn't get over that.
April 11, 2016
The idea of bringing Jews, Muslim and Christians together is admirable, but doing so with the theology that the God of the Bible is the same as Allah is more than wrong: it's heretical.
November 20, 2024
Take a walk with me in the Holy Land where I’ve always wanted to go but now I’m not able; however, I’m walking through this book with Joshua, not the Joshua of the Old Testament, but a present day Joshua who maybe Jesus in disguise 🥸
August 2, 2025
Fantastical story of a man traveling in the Holy Land that sparks true love and peace for Arabs, Jews, and Christians. He is Jesus in disguise. He trains disciples to continue his teaching.
November 25, 2011
One of the more troubling things I've noticed about myself as I've gotten a bit older is my decreasing ability to imagine a world better than the one we live in now. It's not cynicism as much as it is weariness. The present sometimes seems to be an endless, repeating litany of war, famine, plague, environmental degradation, and economic insecurity. When I was younger, I used to be all Star Trek about the future: humanity will overcome its differences and reach toward the stars! We will see that what we have in common is so much more compelling that what divides us, and we will join together in the spirit of brotherhood to overcome our vexing problems. We will work toward the common good, make compassion our benchmark, and ascend to great heights of technological and social success. Peace! Exploration! And...wisdom.
Now? Not so much.
One of the few things that gives me any hope at all these days is the story of Jesus. Whether you are an ardent religious believer, or a secular admirer, the place that Jesus described--the Kingdom of God (or, to the Quakers, the Commonwealth of God)--is a compelling vision for the world as it could be. The peaceable kingdom is a place where all people live in shalom (in Arabic, salaam), where there is no war or poverty, and where the two great commandments to love God and love thy neighbor as thyself, are...real, I guess. It is a beautiful image. It is also further and further away from our modern world. Still, the mere idea that such an idea exists to begin with gives me the strength to carry on. Someone once imagined peace, and that, to me, means that peace is possible. But peace is not simply the absence of war. Peace is...good, green, light, love, God, laughter. Peace is shalom.
So I read a lot about Jesus, and I read a lot about peace. This book is the fourth in the Joshua series, and it is pretty similar to the rest. Joshua goes someplace where there is anger, mistrust, and violence, then through his kindness and wisdom spreads shalom to all who he meets. It is a lovely story, one that is both happy and thought-provoking. I sometimes grasp at the wisps of some higher plane of thinking; there is some global,peaceful reality that eludes my mental grasp. There is something better, I think, than what we have allowed and accepted to be normal. Jesus saw this place, as have others (St. Francis, Gandhi, Buddha). I wish that I could see more of it than vague outlines, or hear more than echoes through time and reality. The Peaceable Kingdom.
How I wish.
Now? Not so much.
One of the few things that gives me any hope at all these days is the story of Jesus. Whether you are an ardent religious believer, or a secular admirer, the place that Jesus described--the Kingdom of God (or, to the Quakers, the Commonwealth of God)--is a compelling vision for the world as it could be. The peaceable kingdom is a place where all people live in shalom (in Arabic, salaam), where there is no war or poverty, and where the two great commandments to love God and love thy neighbor as thyself, are...real, I guess. It is a beautiful image. It is also further and further away from our modern world. Still, the mere idea that such an idea exists to begin with gives me the strength to carry on. Someone once imagined peace, and that, to me, means that peace is possible. But peace is not simply the absence of war. Peace is...good, green, light, love, God, laughter. Peace is shalom.
So I read a lot about Jesus, and I read a lot about peace. This book is the fourth in the Joshua series, and it is pretty similar to the rest. Joshua goes someplace where there is anger, mistrust, and violence, then through his kindness and wisdom spreads shalom to all who he meets. It is a lovely story, one that is both happy and thought-provoking. I sometimes grasp at the wisps of some higher plane of thinking; there is some global,peaceful reality that eludes my mental grasp. There is something better, I think, than what we have allowed and accepted to be normal. Jesus saw this place, as have others (St. Francis, Gandhi, Buddha). I wish that I could see more of it than vague outlines, or hear more than echoes through time and reality. The Peaceable Kingdom.
How I wish.
November 5, 2012
This review will not be that of a retelling of Joshua in the Holy Land. The events and quotes from this story are best to be experienced by the eyes and mind of whom is read them. No, this review is to only describe the wonderful feeling you experience when reading this novel. The words become more than black ink on paper. They etch themselves into your brain and mold with your soul. Joshua becomes as familiar as your own family and affects you with the love he shows in the same way. Reading this book gives you a sense of comfort and peace, that carries with you even after finishing the last page. The compassion is true, spoken as if Jesus was writing instead of Girzone. As a skeptic of Christianity, this book has effected me in a way no church could have. I connected with this book and it was taught me many things that I will carry and teach for the rest of my life. And I will believe that this story will have the same effect on you, too.
May 14, 2020
Father Girzone not only believes in Christ, he believes in people.
The premise of Joshua in the Holy Land is a recent or near-future return of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth. He wanders around Israel, makes friends of Arabs, Jews, and Christians, and occasionally works a miracle or preaches peace, letting folks know that hatred is not only evil, it is awfully unproductive. If the people can only treat each other as good neighbors, then the wicked in high places won't stand a chance against them.
The people he encounters may seem a bit too eager to trust and join him. But, then, I have to stop and ask how I can presume to know just how convincing Jesus could be.
Though Father Girzone is hardly a master stylist, his Joshua books are enjoyable and convincing enough to be a welcome balance to the melancholy I took away from the last novel I read, Cormac McCarthy 's excellent but grim The Road.
The premise of Joshua in the Holy Land is a recent or near-future return of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth. He wanders around Israel, makes friends of Arabs, Jews, and Christians, and occasionally works a miracle or preaches peace, letting folks know that hatred is not only evil, it is awfully unproductive. If the people can only treat each other as good neighbors, then the wicked in high places won't stand a chance against them.
The people he encounters may seem a bit too eager to trust and join him. But, then, I have to stop and ask how I can presume to know just how convincing Jesus could be.
Though Father Girzone is hardly a master stylist, his Joshua books are enjoyable and convincing enough to be a welcome balance to the melancholy I took away from the last novel I read, Cormac McCarthy 's excellent but grim The Road.
June 25, 2017
I enjoyed this story... There will always be parts of a book that people don't like, but overall Know Jesus know peace...
September 13, 2021
I was expecting this to be a story of Joshua, friend of Caleb, servant and successor of Moses, spy, minister, war-leader, prophet. It's not.
It's about Joshua - Jesus - quietly and unobtrusively returning to His land after many centuries and bringing together people of diverse backgrounds to work towards peace. He's a magnetic preacher again and a charismatic healer, capable of inspiring others and of provoking tension.
It's a hopeful book, despite occasional tragedy, and expresses the belief that people of good will can work together. It does, however, seem to bypass the conflicts of the book of Revelation entirely.
Very interesting comments are made about Mikhail Gorbachev. He "came from a prayerful family. On the backs of pictures of Lenin and Stalin in his family's living room were icons of Jesus and Mary. He is a man of deep faith, and knew he had a destiny from God to lead his people to freedom. In six months, he dismantled an empire which had stood for seventy-five years. And he did it peacefully... Gorbachev told the priests who arranged for him to meet the pope that he had a faith he got from his mother. He also told them he knew he had a destiny that would not fail." (p 122f) Contrast this with the remarks about Gorbachev in Gospel Truth/Pagan Lies: Can You Tell the Difference?.
It's about Joshua - Jesus - quietly and unobtrusively returning to His land after many centuries and bringing together people of diverse backgrounds to work towards peace. He's a magnetic preacher again and a charismatic healer, capable of inspiring others and of provoking tension.
It's a hopeful book, despite occasional tragedy, and expresses the belief that people of good will can work together. It does, however, seem to bypass the conflicts of the book of Revelation entirely.
Very interesting comments are made about Mikhail Gorbachev. He "came from a prayerful family. On the backs of pictures of Lenin and Stalin in his family's living room were icons of Jesus and Mary. He is a man of deep faith, and knew he had a destiny from God to lead his people to freedom. In six months, he dismantled an empire which had stood for seventy-five years. And he did it peacefully... Gorbachev told the priests who arranged for him to meet the pope that he had a faith he got from his mother. He also told them he knew he had a destiny that would not fail." (p 122f) Contrast this with the remarks about Gorbachev in Gospel Truth/Pagan Lies: Can You Tell the Difference?.
November 17, 2021
Having read 2 other books in this series, I was disappointed in this one. In the others, Joshua's true identify was more hidden and his healing power was low key.
The mission of the book was to help those who were already active in trying to grow a group among all the various groups in the Middle East to produce a peace accord.
The story starts out well with Joshua gathering people who would in turn gather others from different walks of life and religions to come together to break down barriers, get to know other religious beliefs and learn that under it all, people are people who want the same thing.
This book continually had Joshua wandering around reminiscing about his childhood and family when he was a child. I thought it hindered the flow of the book.
Then toward the end, Joshua started to be able to transport himself to other locations and also to be in more than one place at one time.
Before he was careful to hide his identity and powers. I felt that his being on the down low kept the mystery of his identify hidden enough to make him truly believable. Jesus was never a self-promoter.
The mission of the book was to help those who were already active in trying to grow a group among all the various groups in the Middle East to produce a peace accord.
The story starts out well with Joshua gathering people who would in turn gather others from different walks of life and religions to come together to break down barriers, get to know other religious beliefs and learn that under it all, people are people who want the same thing.
This book continually had Joshua wandering around reminiscing about his childhood and family when he was a child. I thought it hindered the flow of the book.
Then toward the end, Joshua started to be able to transport himself to other locations and also to be in more than one place at one time.
Before he was careful to hide his identity and powers. I felt that his being on the down low kept the mystery of his identify hidden enough to make him truly believable. Jesus was never a self-promoter.
June 28, 2020
I know there are people who will find heresy in the notion Joshua presents that we all have the same Father—Christians, Jews and Muslim. I would have agreed, yet how Jews, Muslims, and Christians see our God is not necessarily how He is. This novel addresses the logical next step in a criticism of Religion that is wrapped up in its own dogma. We agree with Jesus that the Pharisees were worshipping their understanding of the Law and not loving God and one another. But don’t most Christians also fall far short in Charity? We excuse ourselves as merely human, but without judgment against ourselves, shouldn’t we still reject the lies of Satan that make us fear and hate? Jesus would have us turn away from hatred and judgment and embrace peace. If the Muslims are also confused about Allah—as we Christians often are about who God is and who we are in Him—does that mean they are not God’s children? This is a very thought-provoking book.
January 9, 2020
When Joshua visits the Holy Land he works his message of peace with Arabs, Jews and Christians and creates a movement that eventually unites Israel and the Arab countries.
October 25, 2020
I read it a long time ago and really enjoyed it and now I wish the writing was a little bit better... I love the premise but everything just happens and everyone accepts it and I can't see it now
January 12, 2021
Great series, and I feel this is the best book yet!
June 5, 2022
A very simplistic way of learning to get along with others of different ethnic groups and religions. If we all read this it just might work.
July 16, 2025
Very good. I felt peaceful while reading it.
October 3, 2012
I am almost done with this book and I just have to say that I love this one. I wasn't thrilled with Joshua: The Homecoming, there was something missing in that one. But this book, it is like walking with Jesus and hearing his sermons for today's world. Just amazing.
September 13, 2015
Another excellent read! How great it would be if more people read these books. Great messages for all people! These need to be studied at parochial schools. Great for discussions, both among the youth and adults.
If my children were still in grade school, I would donate sets!
If my children were still in grade school, I would donate sets!
March 2, 2017
4.00 stars - rated pg
I'm very slowly going through all my bookshelves and trying to catalogue books bought and read in years gone by. Stars and ratings are mere guesses at this point. I'm assuming I enjoyed the book at some point in my life?
I'm very slowly going through all my bookshelves and trying to catalogue books bought and read in years gone by. Stars and ratings are mere guesses at this point. I'm assuming I enjoyed the book at some point in my life?
July 23, 2007
This really helped me understand and learn about the history of the Holy Land and at really simple and enjoyable level!
May 3, 2012
Not sure the writer's intent in writing this novel - but it left me feeling encouraged and uplifted.
June 30, 2012
very good, inspiring
January 3, 2013
anti-political-driven race wars. good theme!
January 30, 2013
A great series of books.
February 14, 2014
Grizone's sweet book is an uplifting story of how loving thy neighbor can work miracles. If the world would only behave in this way.
February 22, 2014
Just couldn't figure out what was going on(?) Was Joshua, Jesus? Was it present day or Jesus' day(?) Didn't finish it. Guess it was just too deep for me.
March 26, 2016
It was very similar to Joshua in a Troubled World
May 14, 2015
While this Joshua story didn't captivate me as the first, it's idealistic occurances would be wonderful in our world...one can hope?! Well told modern day take on Peace and Love.
Read
May 16, 2016It was the best of the three I read, but they seemed a lot better when I was in High School. Go figure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews