Seeing Jesus from the East: A Fresh Look at History’s Most Influential Figure

by Ravi Zacharias

Encounter Jesus Like Never Before through Eastern Eyes

Throughout these pages, Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray invite readers to rediscover the cultural insights we often miss when we ignore the Eastern context of the Bible. They offer a refreshing picture of Jesus, one that appeals to Eastern readers and can penetrate the hearts and imaginations of postmodern Westerners.

In Seeing Jesus from the East, Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray show us why a broader view of Jesus is needed - one that recognizes the uniquely Eastern ways of thinking and communicating found in the pages of the Bible. Zacharias and Murray capture a revitalized gospel message, presenting it through this Eastern lens and revealing its power afresh to Western hearts and minds.

Incorporating story, vivid imagery, and the concepts of honor and shame, sacrifice, and rewards, Seeing Jesus from the East calls believers and skeptics, both Eastern and Western, to a fresh encounter with the living and boundless Jesus.

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

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2020

About the author

Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias was an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian evangelical minister and Christian apologist who founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). He was involved in Christian apologetics for a period spanning more than forty years, authoring more than thirty books. He also hosted the radio programs Let My People Think and Just Thinking. Zacharias belonged to the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), the Keswickian Christian denomination in which he was ordained as a minister. After his death, allegations of sexual harassment against him emerged, were investigated, and found to be true.

Reviews

[Wendelle]

This is a meaningful book that explores the perspectives of Eastern Christians that may not be so prevalent or obvious in the West. For example, it explores at length the bifurcation between guilt and honor-shame cultures. In the West, moral decisions are individual choices subject mainly to the demands of individual conscience; in the East, moral decisions are more layered, dependent on the repercussions to family and community. Thus, in Western societies, changes in religion can be little more than window dressing, an act that invites muted commentary or public scrutiny. However, in Eastern societies religion can be a foundational bedrock of one's identity and place in society; thus, the act of conversion is equivalent to total divestment from one's family and community, a major life choice that strips one of belonging, possibly resulting in disavowal from family that view the choice as a source of family dishonor. It is interesting to read about these discrepancies in cultural experience.

[Angela Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It gave me a new, richer lens with which to see Jesus. I appreciated the cultural context the two authors provided as well as their criticism of why we can't view Jesus exclusively through Western eyes. We miss the full scope of the gospel if we strip him of his culture.

A fabulous read - and, one I did in a single day! Easy to get through, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time to come.

Both authors have done a series of sermons related to this same subject which you can listen to on the podcast "Let My People Think." If you're curious about reading the book, you may want to listen to a couple of those to get a flavor of the major themes.

[Julie McCahill · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was not reading this book, I was looking for times when I could read it. It was an amazing academic book that increased my faith and my interest. I found this book by chance and was rewarded fully.

[Anja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but the writing style made it hard at times to feel captivated and invested.

[Rachel Saputro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published weeks before his death, Ravi’s last book makes a strong case that Christians should care about how Eastern the Jesus of the Bible is. Ravi critiques the familiarity & complacency by which the modern American church has framed their notions of who Jesus is. By peeling back the layers of white-washing that has happened to the Gospel, we will yield clearer insights of Jesus’ teachings and actions that may be cloudy to our Western eyes.

“The Bible’s Eastern tang is so pungent, that one wonders how it has come to be viewed as a Western and White religion,” he writes. “Jesus & His disciples weren’t sharing apple pies, french fries or hot dogs as they ministered to those around them.”

Ravi & Abdu draw from their personal cultural experiences to frame themes that we see in the Bible. As an Indonesian-American, I resonated with the collectivist themes that the authors discussed. I also realized that the Imperialist Christianity that I grew up with still influences my idea of what Jesus looks like in relation to me, and my non-White culture at home. The authors do a great job of exploring how and why this Middle Eastern text resonated so strongly with Western thought, proving that the Gospel is not ethnically or culturally exclusive by any means.

I truly believe it’s worth all the time & effort for me to contextually understand who Jesus is and the gravity of His teachings, and I‘m encouraged to regularly commit to doing so. Jesus established a Design that is neither Eastern nor Western but is united and open to anyone who would listen.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eyeopening...must reread.

[Derek Benner · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a lot to unwrap when it comes to ‘Seeing Jesus from the East’. It’s message is timely and timeless. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the true Gospel story of who Jesus really is.

Zacharias and Murray, both being of Eastern descent, give a thorough commentary on the truth of Jesus and the cultural context in which He was here. Parables take on new meanings for the Western mind. Biblical truth is revealed for its original intent.

It’s not an easy read; it is complex and tedious at times. You may have to read things over and over, but it will truly make you rethink your thought process!

Lastly, what a wonderful person we had in Ravi Zacharias. Thankful that he is in the presence of Jesus now!

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so easy for "progressives" to dismiss Christianity as the religion of the white male oppressors, used to keep women and minorities in their place, and it is true that the Bible has been misused for those purposes over the centuries. There is no limit to the sinfulness of Man, and when given the opportunity for gain, each one of us has our own "price tag" for which we may be bought to compromise our otherwise "high" morals. Christ's message, however, belongs to no particular melanin level or culture. He was a Jew, speaking from a Jewish cultural perspective, but his message was transcendent to people of any color, because All need God's justification and forgiveness for that aforementioned, ubiquitous sinfulness from which no one has immunity. This book, cowritten by two men whose origins and experience are Eastern, open the reader's mind to experience the words of Jesus from their, and His, cultural perspectives, giving insight to those who do not share them. To me, it was eye-opening, and I would highly recommend reading it to anyone who might have an interest in the blood of Christ.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda took me forever to finish this, only 230 pages. Part of that was the controversy that became public about Ravi Zacharias back in the fall. For which the accusations unfortunately seems to be true. That’s another discussion, but it did distract me from my reading of this book.

To be fair, almost half the book is written by one of his associates, Abdu Murray, who was raised in the east and converted from Islam. His chapters are very good.

Overall, the book wasn’t as much of a revelation of new concepts as I expected. However, 2 chapters stood out. The one on “Homor, Shame and Jesus” and “The Temple and the Wedding.”

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray share how being aware of Eastern culture can greatly impact your understanding of Scripture and Jesus since the Bible was written in an Eastern culture by Eastern authors.

Zacharias and Murray are both men who were born and raised in the East and then moved to the West. They are in a unique position to bridge the cultural gaps and explain certain points and themes in the Bible Westerners just miss because of lack of cultural background understanding. I have also read Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes and the authors actually reference that a few times. I feel like the two books, rather than competing, complement each other well. I recommend reading both. As our world becomes more globalized, this is also a good cultural read in knowing how to better understand and relate to those you know from the other hemisphere. I have read other things by Ravi Zacharias and I didn't feel like this was him writing at his best, but it was still good.

[G. Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the language is sometimes repetitive (like most professional public speakers, the authors have key phrases they like to use over and over to hit the point home, a strategy that isn't really necessary for a book), the content is quite good. Murray and Zacharias open readers' eyes to concepts that make sense of sections in the Gospels which may have seemed confusing (such as Jesus' emphasis on storytelling and riddles), as well as subtext that Western readers often miss (such as the emphasis on shame and honor). Utterly fascinating and highly compelling.

[Daniel Cervantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

[Rebecca L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent exploration of Jesus from a non-Western perspective. Helpful for preachers and laity. I found lots to use in this book for my personal devotions as well as in sermons.

[Timothyemmalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a valuable and accessible book. If only one of the authors hadn't lived in such a way to push against what it could be.

[Chris Ghubril · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read. HIGHLY recommend!

[Tricia Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an ARC book. I really liked it. Zacharias is an astute apologist. His Christianity come across very even handed and logical. Bringing Jesus back to his Eastern origins and the view from a person of that origin paints one of the truest pictures of Jesus... something I was thinking of 25 years ago. This book is well done, well researched, painted with great stories. It follows the model of Jesus in making the ancient relevant in modern time. A Jesus for old and new, from the East for the West, who is here for man or woman, any race, any nation, for the believer and the non-believer.

[S C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book prior to learning about the shocking truth of RZ's life, I read the book anyway, but struggled to take in what seemed generally quite good content because of the disconnect between what he said and how he lived. I threw the book away and hope someone else will write into this important topic.

[Steve Penner · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's sad to have to give this book such a poor rating, but it is only because it so poorly written. As Ravi admits in the admits in the acknowledgement section at the end, he writes like he talks and it is all over the board. He jumps and leaps and pirouettes all over the place. His wife apparently is his editor but he needs at least three more. His co-author, Abdu Murray, writes in a much better style with far, far fewer leaps and bounds. I would suggest reading his chapters and skipping Ravi's. Really the best thing to do is just read the last chapter. It encapsulates the main thoughts and offers good application of what is important in understanding the Eastern Jesus and how it can cut through the cultural divides of our day and speak to those of the non-Western world.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is at its best when it stays in its lane.

When the authors explore how the stories and experiences of Jesus were experienced in his time and place, as well as in the modern eastern culture, the book is truly engaging. When it veers off into Christian apologetics, it's a frustrating detour.

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I owe a lot to Ravi Zacharias. It was his books—Jesus Among Other Gods, first and foremost—that kindled an interest in apologetics that continue to this day. As a teenager, I spent hours on a lawnmower with a headset plugged into a cheap mp3 player filled with his podcast/radio programs Just Thinking and Let My People Think. Ravi taught me how to be a Christian, and intellectual, and a Christian intellectual. Seeing Jesus from the East—barring any posthumous collections—will be his final book.

It is only fitting that Seeing Jesus from the East, coauthored with RZIM VP Abdu Murray, is Zacharias’s final work. He had long resisted writing such a book, believing Kenneth Bailey’s Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes to be all that was needed on the topic. It was his protégé and friend, Nabeel Qureshi, who finally convinced Ravi to write this book.

Ravi was right, in a way. Bailey’s work still stands as the most comprehensive volume on the topic. Seeing Jesus from the East tackles some of the same cultural issues and portions of Scripture that Zacharias and Murray cover, but with a slightly different frame of reference, really focusing on the philosophical mindset that undergirds Eastern thinking and tradition.

Unfortunately, soon after work on the book began, Qureshi was given a terminal cancer diagnosis and could not complete the manuscript. Abdu Murray was brought in as coauthor, and though Murray’s voice is rich and informative throughout, I’m sure he would be the first to tell you that this was Nabeel’s book to be written.

Seeing Jesus from the East is divided into nine chapters: five from Ravi and four from Abdu. I’ve resisted the urge to offer a summary and reflection on each chapter. I found myself writing so much that there was no need for me to repeat second-hand what you could get first-hand from the book. Each chapter is rich, meaningful, and full of insight often hidden to a Western mind.

At the heart of the book is the belief that Jesus and his teachings bring a synthesis to the Western and Eastern minds. The Eastern mind has an affinity for story; the Western mind an affinity for truth. The Western mind may see an Easterner’s defense of belief to be anecdotal. The Eastern mind may see a Westerner’s defense of belief as dispassionate and disconnected. But in Christ, we have a grand story that invites tests for truth. From the preface:

Jesus is never simply Eastern or Western, though, but the Savior of the whole world. Children hover around him, yet teachers of the law are spellbound in his presence. His reasoning is global; his stories local; his visitation is transcendent; his message is personal; and his implications are eternal.

Under the foundation of Gospel as story, Ravi and Abdu begin to fill us in on the plot twists and character development modern Western readers might have missed. Murray, in particular, talks about the honor-shame culture inherent in the East and how it serves as a driving force in every Easterner’s decision—particularly religious decisions. He also offers an outstanding chapter on the parables of Jesus and how our perspective of them changes through an Eastern lens. Ravi regales with stories, poetry, and pathos, all serving to flesh out the truth claims he’s making about the Gospel. What I love in his style is that he can tie culture and Christ together so well to show that there is a unique longing for what Christ brings, whether secular or religious, Western or Eastern.

There’s nothing in Seeing Jesus from the East that will vastly change your thinking (if you are, like me, already an evangelical Christian). But it will take you deeper. The Western mind needs knocked out of its Europeanized notions of Christianity. The modern Eastern mind needs to understand how Christianity is uniquely tied to their background and culture.

Too often, Christianity is understood as “the white man’s faith”—both by Westerners and Easterners alike. To the Easterner, particularly those from a Muslim background, Christianity is distinctly Western and American and therefore “other.” To the Westerner, particularly those from an American evangelical background, Christianity is distinctly Western and American and therefore “mine.” Seeing Jesus from the East seeks to show the flaws in both of those statements, calling the West and the East, the Christian and the non-Christian, to a greater understand of who Jesus was—and is.

[Nancy Larimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Seeing Jesus from the East# by Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray is a nonfiction Christian book. Ravi became a Christian at the age of 17. At 71 He was still speaking, preaching, teaching about Jesus and specifically apologetics . He passed away in 2020 and will be remembered by many. He started a ministry RZIM in 1984. His vision for the ministry was to . establish an apologetics training center. There are now fifteen offices throughout the world in the United States, Canada, Peru, Kenya, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, Romania, Macedonia, Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and the Middle East. This book is written by Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray. They both want us to understand the Eastern cultural view of the world. They want us to understand how the .Eastern view of the world impacts our view of Jesus and Christianity. They want us to have a fresh encounter with Jesus. This book will give a new perspective to the Bible. It will open Christians to how Easterners think and relate to the world in other worlds their world view. This book will show the reader how difficult it is for the Easterner to convert to Christianity. There are so many obstacles that they have to wrestle with including their families and those in their range of influence. Since Jesus grew up and lived in the Middle East this perspective will help us understand Him better. Thank you to the author, publisher, netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. It is a helpful resource for Christians , pastors . I will post my review on netgalley , Goodreads, Bookbub, facebook, Booksmillion, Barnes and Noble, CBD.com my blog and with our church staff.

[Carol Ghattas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being married to an Egyptian-American man for twenty-five years taught this Tennessee girl a lot about seeing Jesus from Eastern eyes, but Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray put it on paper. This opening quote in the introduction says a lot about this Jesus, who is Savior of the whole world: "His reasoning is global; his stories are local; his visitation is transcendent; his message is personal; and his implications are eternal."

In a world so easily divided, "Seeing Jesus from the East" helps us all (Eastern and Western, believer and skeptic) to revisit this One who "came to his own, but his own received him not." This is the Jesus who transforms worldviews and misconceptions, and these two apologists and authors present him in all his complexity and power. There is so much to say about this book, but I'm especially drawn to Abdu Murray's chapter on Parables. As people around us yell for "yes" or "no" answers, Jesus spoke truth through story and reached the depth of hurting hearts.

A great read and resource for readers from both East and Western cultures.

[Kiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most recent and possible last book of the late apologist Ravi Zacharias, this book outlines the mid eastern cultural context of scripture and it’s connections to mid eastern cultural norms today. Both Ravi and his coauthor provide personal and professional illustrations of how the eastern cultures receive scripture from within a framework that is nearer to their own than western cultures. This in large part was the motivation for the book, to explain to western people both the interpretational necessity of understanding the Bible in its context, and the apologetical power of communicating this clearly to our globalized world. The concluding chapters are particularly helpful in detailing issues regarding the Bible and slavery, with Murray giving a very succinct overview of Philemon and the power of Onesimos’s mention in Colossians as one of the bearers of the letter. At 240 pages or 7 hours, it packs quite a bit in.

[Priscila]

I had the "misfortune," for lack of a better word, to find this book as an "Auto-Approval" before the great debacle of one of this book's authors came to light. Thus, not much reading happened after that. I did try, but it never fully grabbed me, so that's why, to keep things fair, I'm not giving a rating to this book. As far as I know, this book was discontinued by its publisher, but if you ever find a copy and only want to read certain chapters or from only one of the authors, you can, since they're all labeled and clearly indicated in the index. If I ever pick it back up again, it'll only be to read Abdu Murray's.

As for my thoughts on what happened with him who shall not be mentioned, I think this article is a great reflection on the matter:

https://phyliciamasonheimer.com/ravi-...

#accountability

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and are given voluntarily.

[Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the acknowledgments section Ravi writes “I write just as I speak. Sometimes there are chasms of thought that are leaped over.” It’s true - sometimes his grand thoughts require reading and re-reading to grasp properly: but their profundity is worth the effort. Conversely, Abdu’s writing style is that of a story-teller and he effortlessly draws the reader in - like sitting round the table after dinner conversing with friends. For me, his chapter on the parables was the most rewarding portion of the book - by far my favorite. I have always loved that Jesus taught in parables and Abdu’s explanation of them in an Eastern context adds a richness to them that I hadn’t understood before. For those who have been confronted with the argument that Christianity is a White, Western, Imperialist religion this book offers a refreshingly alternative view.

[Challice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved having this duo-perspective on what the story of Jesus looks like from Eastern viewpoint, from where HE originated.

Appreciated Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray share points and illustrations of how the story of Jesus turned everything upside down but also in such a cultural way! Jesus using stories is very Eastern, Jesus His deity in a humility way anti-cultural.

There is such an idea of vastly different beliefs and cultural aspects that you would think would separate us, but this book showed me that the heart of man is the same anywhere. We all look for power, we all expect a rags to riches story, we all expect a sense of justice-- and yet, Christ showed us that the opposite will give us the freedom we seek.

Really really enjoyed this book. There are lots of insight; many moments of wincing as the words cut the root. Well done.

[Hiram · Rating 1 out of 5]

Christianity?

At first I thought this book would be one to present something related to the title. Throughout I changed my mind, personally I think, assuming Christianity to be the “religion” Jesus - Yeshua established and later on his disciples eagerly tried to promote is a mistake. Then the authors presumably offering an Easterner vision of it, is to say the least a huge bias. Trying to understand the books written by the first disciples without properly understanding the Hebrew Bible is what people have been doing for centuries trying to justify all sort of dogmas. It is a pity that the authors did not work on transmitting what they supposedly intended with the title and ended up transmitting their own conversion to Christianity and the way they understand that event

[Scott Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember those Magic Eye 3-D images that you had to let your eyes go out of focus in order to see? The image actually was there, but you had to learn how to look at it differently. That's what these authors do for us.

Both authors bring their cultural perspectives to the Bible, especially the figure of Jesus Christ. Ravi's Indian and Abdul Murray's Middle Eastern outlooks enable them to notice details and assign significance to them that we Westerners often overlook.

In our day and age when we often Americanize and politicize Jesus, Ravi and Abdul remind us that Jesus was an olive-skinned Jew, thoroughly versed in His local flavors and thought patterns. The Bible is laced with such details, figures of speech, and symbols.

[Dusty Ginsbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a timely and thought-provoking piece that resists the origin of Christianity as an obscure Middle-Eastern religion that overtook the Western works even before the rise of Islam. To all peoples, Zacharias and Murray relate the teachings of Jesus through the different mindset of Easterners, where family honor and disgrace control society to a much greater extent than Western individualism.
Viewing through this lens had the added benefit to Westerners to readdress their understanding of Christ and examine the greater truths of his statements, when idioms and parables carry greater weight than the plain meaning of words.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book and feel compelled to share my thoughts with fellow readers. I was born and raised in the East and am now living in the West. I too have grown up seeing Christianity as a Western religion. It was fascinating and refreshing to read in this book the Biblical references that were soaked with Eastern traditions, origins, values, nuances and influences. The part about honor-shame culture opened my eyes and I’m beginning to read many Biblical accounts in a fresh new way. Our Jesus, incarnate Son of God, born into this world as an Easterner, is Himself the Truth for both the east and west!