Revolutionary: Who was Jesus? Why does he Still Matter?

by Tom Holland (editor)

It is often observed that no historical figure has had a greater impact on the world than Jesus Christ. Why is that? And what difference does his impact make to the world today? It is also often said that Jesus was a 'revolutionary', and numerous books have appeared in recent years claiming just that - from the wild and sensational to the serious and respectable. This book, written by influential authors reflecting a diversity of expertise and points of view, considers the claims that continue to be made about Jesus, whether by believers or nonbelievers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology, Religion

240 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2020

About the author

Tom Holland is a lecturer at the Wales Evangelical School of Theology.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Igor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and thought provoking read! A collection of essays from varieties of perspectives on how revolutionary was or is Jesus actually? Essays will challenge both the fundamentalist evangelical and liberal “social Gospelist.” Made me rethink some of my own positions and emphases in preaching and practice. On a specific note, very much enjoyed a chapter on Muslim perceptions of Jesus.

[Ethan Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is difficult to rate because it is a compilation of essay that all come from and argue very different perspectives. Ultimately, I give it 3 stars because I did not get as much out of it as I thought. I knew there would be essays I disagreed with, but I expected well argued and documented essays, which is not really what this is. To be fair, I don't think it was trying to be that so it is understandable. The book is more just different scholars and journalists musings on the impact of the historical figure of Jesus. Interesting, but not necessarily enlightening. A few years ago, I became very hostile to the question of the historical Jesus because I felt that it presupposed that the diverse testimonies of the four gospels were only important in so much as we could get behind them to "what Jesus really said." Thus, I felt that questions of the historical Jesus implicitly undermined the inspiration and authority of the actual text of the four gospels. While this does still seem to be a problem to me, as long as one is not thinking about it that way, I am much more comfortable and interested in the questions about the historical Jesus now. Thus, my interest in this book. Yet, there wasn't an essay in this book that I could unqualifiedly recommend, which was disappointing. Actually, Tom Holland's introduction was probably one of the best parts of the book. The common thread that I found most compelling is the consistent agreement that Jesus was subversive toward normal attitudes of social, religious, and moral hierarchy. Essentially, many of these authors agree that Jesus taught that the last shall be first and the first shall be last (though they would disagree what exactly this meant) and this was truly revolutionary. In sum, these essays were too subjective and not academic enough for my taste, but as I said, I don't think they were trying to write that type of book.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essays about to what extent Jesus can be considered a revolutionary, and an examination of what he stands for today. It’s not a book to be read in one sitting, but taken individually the essays proffer much food for thought, and each is well written with well-considered arguments. A book for believers and non-believers alike, it’s a thought-provoking and valuable contribution to Jesus studies, but I’m not sure I found anything of great moment here. Interesting enough, but nothing revolutionary….

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A variety of reputed scholars give their views on Jesus as revolutionary. Whether or not you agree with everything each writer says isn't really the point. The point is to see through various eyes and gain insight therein. I think any minister or Christian leader would benefit from having this book on their shelves. You could read it straight through but maybe more valuable pacing yourself and reading then reflecting one chapter at a time. Recommended.

Review via NetGalley/SPCK ARC.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into a variety of perspectives discussing the the if, how and why of Jesus as a revolutionary figure. A wide range of points of view, really interesting!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult one to review as it is essays by various authors I liked some chapters better than others