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185th out of 206 books
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When Jesus Came to Harvard: Making Moral Choices Today
by
Harvey Cox
In this urgently relevant, wholly enlightening discussion of modern moral decisions, the Harvard theology professor Harvey Cox considers the significance of Jesus and his teachings today. As he did in his undergraduate class Jesus and the Moral LifeCox examines contemporary dilemmas in the light of lessons gleaned from the Gospels. Invigorating and incisive, this book enco...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
August 16th 2006
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published 2004)
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Once while studying in Cambridge, Mass, I tried out a course on 16th Century mystical Spanish poetry—that or some such silly specialization that gets taught in these sorts of places. In a distinct occupational weakness, the professor would spit every time he said words like “Teresa”. So, I left a little early and a little wet, aiming for a hopefully more interesting course on Science and Faith Dialogue. On the way past Widener Library, I turned a corner as nonchalant as anyone might turn a corne...more
Jesus? Harvard? An unlikely connection, but a very interesting one. It's an account of twenty years of teaching a course, beginning in the early 80's, as a part of a "moral reasoning" division of the undergraduate curriculum. But the idea was not to present ethics in an philosophically impersonal and abstract way, but rather to show how moral decisions are made in a specific context, that of the life of the founder of one of the great monotheistic religions of the world. The cou...more
Cox (The Secular City, Fire from Heaven) links a rabbi's 2,000-year-old teachings to today's vast ethical issues to illuminate how we can apply Jesus's philosophy to our own times. In Cox's eyes, for example, the Prodigal Son becomes a rebellious dropout. If this situation doesn't exactly ring true in your view, you may still find inspiration in this provocative, wise, and often humorous book, no matter your religious bent. As one critic points out, When Jesus Came to Harvard does not provide gu
...more
The author is a professor at Harvard, who for twenty years taught a course in which he and his students explored how the teachings of Jesus might be applied to contemporary ethical questions. I liked the author's overall perspective that Jesus was a rabbi who, in keeping with the tradition of Judaism, told stories to engage his listeners imagination as an essential part of coming to moral decisions. It was refreshing to read a book about Jesus that didn't pretend to have answers but rather focus...more
Barky
rated it
If you've ever wondered about the relevancy of Jesus' teachings for today's world/problems, this is an excellent introduction into the possible/probable meanings of his words. It includes a lot of historical/political context, as well, so you can understand what was going on at the time, what his words meant to the people who heard him during that time, and why they might have engendered the response that they did. This book won't attempt to convert you to a Christian life, but it will get you...more
The author refelcts on 15 years of teaching "Jesus and the Moral Life" at Harvard University. These reflections constitute an insightful overview of the life and teachings of Jesus. Cox's fresh perspectives, imagination, and questioning stimulated his students and their responses, in turn, brought him new understanding and pushed him out of his comfort zone.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It wasn't preachy nor academic (two of my concerns whenever I pick up a book written about religion). Instead, the author works very hard to demonstrate the inter-connectedness of the Jewish and the Christian religions as well as other religions world-wide. Furthermore, he demonstrates how anyone and everyone can benefit from studying religion and applying (or attempting to apply) the lessons learned into their daily lives. Readers who are interested...more
Jesus is a curiosity to students of all religion and author taught a course re: his moral values. Cox learned from his students and adjusted his course over 15 years. Presumably the book chapters are drawn from the lectures and are very clear and straightforward. It's easy to remember the content.
his experiences teaching an undergrad course on Jesus
Widsith
marked it as to-read
When Jesus Came to Harvard: Making Moral Choices Today by Harvey Cox (2006)
So there hadn't been a course at Harvard with "Jesus" in the title since 1916 or so, when Harvey Cox got his new assignment...a survey course on what Jesus was about.
I love this book. He anticipates where a majority of the questions and problems are going to come from. He's thoughtfully, honestly preparing for numbers of students without any information on Jesus at all, save perhaps standard automatic concerns about fundamentalism from someone admitting to being Christian.
...more
I love this book. He anticipates where a majority of the questions and problems are going to come from. He's thoughtfully, honestly preparing for numbers of students without any information on Jesus at all, save perhaps standard automatic concerns about fundamentalism from someone admitting to being Christian.
...more
Really unappealing title for such a relevant book. Loved it.
Harvey Cox offers familiar text from the New Testament with interesting insights into its application for people seeking spiritual direction in the 21st century. His course at Harvard was wildly successful!!
So far, great stuff. Great Book. Wonderful insight. Approach with an open mind and heart.
I learned that some books can ACTUALLY be encapsulated in the introduction.
michelle
marked it as to-read
Saw this at Kuykendall's house. Possibly a must read.
I was hoping for more from this book.
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Harvey Cox is Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard, where he has been teaching since 1965, both at HDS and in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. An American Baptist minister, he was the Protestant chaplain at Temple University and the director of religious activities at Oberlin College; an ecumenical fraternal worker in Berlin; and a professor at Andover Newton Theological School. His re...more
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