Knowing Jesus

by James Alison

A new edition of an analysis of the influence of Jesus in the world today, written by the author of LIVING IN THE END TIMES and THE JOY OF BEING WRONG. It is suitable for use in group work and contains questions at the end of each chapter for individual study or group discussion.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Christianity

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1994

About the author

James Alison (b. 1959) is a Catholic theologian, priest and author. He grew up in an evangelical family in England and converted to Catholicism as a teenager. Alison studied at Oxford and earned his doctorate in theology from the Jesuit Faculty in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He was a member of the Dominican order from 1981-1995.

Reviews

[Brett Salkeld]

This is the book I will recommend from now on to anyone who wonders what it means to call Jesus "savior." This is the best short presentation I've ever seen of what we are saved from and what we are saved for. The fourth (and final) chapter is simply masterful.



This is one of those "buy-two-copies" books. One for yourself, and one to give away.

[John Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite lending itself to the discussion group with my friends that I was hoping for mimetic theory content, but the theology is solid. Alison's writing can be redundant at times, but I suspect this was intentional to get the point across. It's nonetheless rich.

[Ray LaManna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather deep and enlightening book about a person's relationship with Jesus.

[Aeisele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by Alison, and I really like him. Except for some of his stuff on Girard (which I'm not entirely convinced by), this is the best exposition of the resurrection and its affect on the disciples that I have ever read.

[Patrick Murphy]

This was recommended by a Roman Catholic book group and my priests. It is easy to read and each chapter ends with some points for reflection or discussion so it lends itself well to a book group.
What I like about this book is that often the context of the Old Testament stories is used to frame the Gospel story and enlighten us on its significance.
The main arguments in the book are that Jesus is best understood as crucified and risen simultaneously rather than one or the other because this allows us to understand the way in which the disciples’ viewpoint was transformed when Jesus returns to them without resentment and with forgiveness. He explains the role of Pentecost as an inverse of the failed human attempts to create unity in the Tower of Babel, which allows different peoples to be unified. Also the author explains that Jesus has prior knowledge of his death and resurrection and he has come to remove the stumbling block of death which is the source of human rivalry, violence and sectarianism. The writer explains the parallel between the Passover of the Old Testament and the Easter story with Jesus replacing the victim role of the Jews of the Old Testament, and how Christianity for this reason must be thought of as completely unexclusive and universal. Finally the author wants us to understand that personal mystic experiences are not sufficient for claiming a knowledge of Jesus and God the Father as these lead to exclusivity between people and that a knowledge of Jesus requires us to act out community activity in an inclusive way.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alison's work on the intelligence of the victim is compelling. Draws from Girard's mimetic theory and scapegoat theory. Gist: human systems of power need violence to flourish, and God makes godself a victim of these violent systems. God makes godself known in the excluded and marginalized. God reveals godself in AND AS the lynched and brutalized. God shows us who god is in the face of the scapegoat, the innocent victim that the powerful choose to sacrifice to preserve systems of power. To know God is to see and perceive the world through the "intelligence of the victim" and that will in turn transform our way of relating to social others and empower us to resist systems of mimetic violence, tribalism, and power that demands oppression. It's a good book if you're exploring the politics of welcome, hospitality, and solidarity. Also good to read alongside James Cone's Cross and the Lynching Tree.

[Rachel Vryhof · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book after purchasing it because its cover was featured in a calligraphy book I own. It was a bit heady for me at the time so I set aside. Coming back, I've been able to read it quickly. It just happened to be the perfect time of year! It's meant to be a Lenten group study, but I found it especially pertinent right before Pentecost. And knowing the author was British helped me through some of the sentence structures that were not in the American style I'm used to. Definitely would reread.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowing Jesus is brilliant, deep, and incredibly insightful. Particularly relevant in the current violent tide of society, Alison leads us, through the lens of the resurrection, to a new society with no need for victims. Equally challenging of the violence in my own heart and profoundly imaginative, this book is one I will return to often. Knowing Jesus -> Giving of Self Freely -> Relating Anew to Those we Exclude.

[Trey Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Radically ancient, fresh, and utterly convincing.

“Jesus reveals [God] by his obedient imitation, even to the point of death, so that all our fantasies about God are destroyed forever, and the image of God is recast as that which is subversive of all our identities, and unities, and groups, and certainties.”

[Annabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this while on retreat at the Convent of the Order of St. Helena, up in Vails Gate, NY. I got about halfway through and was very much interested by Alison's take on the resurrection and the importance of the simultaneous coexistence of the always-crucified and always-risen natures of Jesus being more than paradox. Also interesting was Alison's take on the "intelligence of the victim" as a means to breaking free from the violence of ordinary/normal human relations(hips). I need to finish reading this when I can next get access to a copy.

--- edit ---

Now have a copy, now am reading.

[Chris Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good ideas, certainly. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing or the format (as it was adapted from a talk). Definitely will reread in a few years, as my knowledge of theology increases.

[5greenway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unrelenting focus and challenge.