The Karma of Jesus

by Mark Herringshaw

The Karma of Jesus follows the tradition of bold Christian communicators who dare to borrow pop-culture-friendly language to communicate sacred truth. It explains the relevance of Christ's life using the idea of karma, which maintains an exacting payback for one's actions. Using personal vignettes, as well as stories from history, popular culture, and the Bible, pastor Mark Herringshaw walks the reader through a progression of thought. Rather than didactic formulas, he presents questions and conjectures that sensitively reveal how Jesus has reaped the ultimate consequence of our actions.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

About the author

Mark Herringshaw is working with Jennifer Shuchman and together they have authored two books about how we converse with God. Their first book, Six Prayers God Always Answers* (*results may vary) was published by Tyndale in April of 2008. The second, Nine Ways God Always Speaks, was released in April of 2009.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book free through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

I cannot stomach one more page of this book, so unfortunately my review will be based on the first 58 pages only.

Word to the wise: if you are going to write a book about something, it helps if you take the time to understand it first. Herringshaw's arguments against what he calls "Karma" have very little to do with the ancient philosophy that has been around since thousands of years before Jesus was born. His linear, black and white, God-centric thinking apparently cannot grasp the complexity and context of the real concept of karma. Arrogantly, he writes a chapter explaining how nobody can predict the consequences of their actions (and therefore it is impossible to control one's karma and escape from its "doom"), but at the end of it says with total conviction that for every good thing that comes of an action, at least 3 bad things happen. So nobody can understand consequences, except for him.

Also disturbing is his attempt to tear away the comfort that a recovering addict and street kid has found in the philosophy of karma. I can only guess that eventually this young man breaks down, feels wretched, and then is led to God by the 'compassionate' hand of this pastor.

Herringshaw is under the false impression that karma means the universe "keeps score", and that even well-intentioned mistakes reap horrible torturous consequences back on their maker. He insists that karma dictates a limousine driver will have to pay for everything from WWI through Islamic terrorism. These kinds of hysterical arguments are impossible to take seriously. The universe cannot keep score, because the universe does not make black and white distinctions between good/bad and right/wrong. What is a good outcome for one may be a bad outcome for another. The universe does not judge, does not sit up above us with a score pad. The author's inability to fathom a world without a judgmental overseer shows his lack of imagination and understanding of the context in which karma plays out.

Karma is not an inescapable 'doom' that we need an outside influence to save us from. Herringshaw seems to ignore the fact that Buddhism offers a way out. Of course, this offer does not appeal to him, because he mistakenly represents it as requiring "suppression of desires". I can only imagine the author got this idea from a mistranslation of the Four Noble Truths.

I did not expect a pastor to be unbiased when dealing with an Eastern philosophical concept, but nor did I expect him to be irrational, unreasonable and willfully ignorant. I am disturbed that such a man would waste so much time attempting to argue against the idea of karma, as if it were an affront to everything he believes in. If Herringshaw has convinced himself with his own arguments (levied at his own mistaken idea of Karma), he is suffering under a great deal of ignorance himself. If, on the other hand, this is propaganda, Herringshaw is purposefully using his authority as a pastor to spread misunderstanding and ignorance to his followers.

This review is also available at: http://bit.ly/Z2kTqe

[Stephen Escalera · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Do we really reap what we sow?"

This question is the basis for Mark Herringshaw's new book, The Karma of Jesus. In mostly conversational dialogue with a young man named Andrew, Herringshaw explores the concept of Karma and how it relates to grace found in Jesus Christ. He gives a brief explanation of the teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism and Greek mythology, showing how each one holds to some form of Karma. Due the small size of the book, Herringshaw obviously doesn't present an in-depth portrayal of the teachings of each, but overall seems to do a fair job. Throughout the book, he writes in a manner that is very easy to read and follow, using mostly illustrations and stories from his life and the life of others. His narration of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem is especially good. You can sense the expectation of the Jews building, wondering how the grand finale would play out. Towards the end of the book, he outlines the Karma of Jesus in the following way (pp.193-194):

- I reap what I sow - Karma
- I sow trouble; I get trouble.
- If someone lived a perfect life would they have perfect Karma?
- Jesus lived a perfect life.
- He offers to exchange lives with me.
- He takes my trouble--my Karma.
- He gives me his consequences--his Karma. I can accept his offer.

Herringshaw does a fair job of describing not only Jesus taking our "Karma" but also the benefits we get from Jesus, answering the question, "If Jesus gets my Karma, what do I get of his?" In some respects, Herringshaw answers this question well, saying that we get Jesus' abilities to love, to care, to "manifest his attitudes through my body, mind and emotions." He says "I can `channel' Jesus ` patience when that's what I need most." (p.169)

Unfortunately, this is about the only thing that Herringshaw's Karma/grace comparison gets right. There are several very serious errors in the underlying theology of the book. First is the actual comparison between Karma and sin. Herringshaw says, "Karma doesn't obey motives. And it doesn't discriminate. It's not personal; it's cold, calculating mechanics, with no capacity to make an exception. Karma answers with hard-core reality in response to what actually happens" (p.47). This description of Karma does not at all fit the description of sin. When we sin or "do bad things," Karma is simply the universe bringing itself back into balance. The Bible, however, teaches that sin is not something that we do wrong to an impersonal force. Sin is an offense against a holy God and as such the consequences of sin are a very just result meted out by a just and holy God. Herringshaw's comparison of Karma and sin completely misses this point.

The second issue is when Herringshaw gives a brief description of the three "theories of atonement." The first by Origen says that Jesus paid the debt that all humans owe to Satan. The second, put forth by Peter Abelard, says that Jesus' death "inspires us to love in the face of evil," that Jesus' life is the perfect example. (p.129) The third theory as written by Anselm of Canterbury says that Jesus paid man's debt to God himself. Herringshaw gives objections to all three of these theories, concluding with the astonishing statement that "Bottom line...we don't know how Jesus takes bad things out of the world and releases good things in their place." (p.132) His objection to Anselm's theory of atonement is simply that "the Almighty comes off looking like a bloodthirsty sadist or vengeful street gang member who practices child abuse on his own son just to pacify his own anger issues." (p.131-132) Amazingly, Herringshaw does not even attempt to use Scripture to either support or deny any of these theories of atonement. It's as if none of these theories line up with his own set of reasonings regardless of whether or not Scripture supports or denies them. In fact, very little Scriptural support is used throughout much of the entire book, relying more on anecdotes and illustrations. Herringshaw does go one step further, saying "Maybe Jesus' death becomes whatever we expect it to be, or whatever we need him to be. He's a warrior, he's an example, he's an advocate who intercedes for us, and he's all these things all at once. Maybe the power of each role gets activated once we decide based on our own need and act in faith for one or the other." (p.132)

The third issue I have with the book is Herringshaw's borderline denial of the self-sufficiency of God. In discussing creation he says, "God said, `Let there be light...and oceans...and elephants...and man and woman.' Until then, everything was God and God was everything. But Christians believe that when God created, God divided and made things distinct. There's something lonely and dangerous about this, but it makes giving and receiving love possible. How could God love selflessly if God was all there is?" (pp.170-171). In this short quote, Herringshaw has seemingly proposed a pantheistic theology (God is everything and everything is God) that denies the self-sufficiency of God (God needs the creation in order to love.) This is evidenced earlier in the book when Andrew asks the question, "What's in it for him [Jesus]?" Herringshaw's answer not only hints at God's seeming need for his creation, but also points to a man-centered salvation: "You are. I am. Evidently, we're all he really wants out of life." (p.132)

Although Herringshaw's style of writing is very easy to read, the theology beneath the comparison between Karma, sin and grace is incredibly lacking in any Scriptural support. The premise of the book - that we are forgiven based entirely on the grace of God through the death of His Son, Jesus - is one well worth studying. However, this book falls disappointingly far short of that goal.

Thanks to Bethany House for providing a review copy of this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karma.

The concept brings to mind the ‘pay it forward’ idea that was recently made into a movie and the delightfully fun TV show, My Name is Earl. But is it really so simple? Do we truly “reap what we sow” for every single action or thought? Can the concept of Karma, so rooted in Eastern thought and tradition, be combined with Chrisitianity? Is it, in fact, actually present in the teachings of Jesus? These are the questions that author Mark Herringshaw seeks to answer in his book, The Karma of Jesus, structured within a conversation he had with a questioning young man.

Getting what we give makes sense on many levels. If we are kind to others, most of them are inclined to be kind back. If we are unkind or rude, they are inclined not to help us when we have need and to snub us when they have that chance.

This basic idea is present in most major religions and is believed to have originated in Shramanic thought. It can be simply described as the belief that past actions have impact on the present and future. Life was seen as the time to ‘get it right’ and each person would be reincarnated to go through many lifetimes until they reached perfection. With correct conduct and behavior, a person may escape the cycle of reincarnation. Buddhism developed from these early Indian beliefs. Siddhartha Gautama was the founder of Buddhism and a follower of Sramana philosophy. In the book of the same name, Siddhartha shows how he tries out each style of belief in an attempt to gain perfection, finally choosing self-denial of all desires in an attempt to gain perfection and end his cycle of reincarnation. It seems that once a follower ends the cycle of reincarnation, he ceases to exist at his death.

Hinduism’s karma is similar. All intentional and unintentional actions, thoughts, and words that produce affect on others produce a person’s individual karma. Each person must suffer the consequences until they have exhausted their store. Some ill effects of karma can be mitigated by the gods (very rarely, but sometimes as a reward for prayer, pilgrimage or worship) or by one’s virtue and good deeds.

In fact, karma is at the root of the most basic questions that Christians and non-Christians struggle with when considering God. They ask, “How can God allow bad things to happen to good people?” The underlying presumption is that if people are good they will get good in their lives. When they are bad, bad things will happen to them. It is essentially the most basic form of karma.

Reincarnation answers the question of why good things happen to bad people and why bad things happen to the good people for Hinduism and Buddhism. It explains that each person’s fate is a direct reaction to the karma they have stored up over their many lifetimes.

Herringshaw reveals that Christianity has a few teachings that somewhat parallel the idea of karma. “You reap what you sow” “As you judge others, so will you be judged” “Treat others as you would have them treat you” and others. However, the main difference is the concept of forgiveness that is present in Christianity and the lack of reincarnation. Christians believe that they can never atone for their wrongdoing of their own accord. How can they ever be ‘good enough’ to cancel out every wrong? And how could they ever know which deeds equaled another? The concept of forgiveness cancels out the idea that all must pay in kind for every wrong action that they have taken, although the natural consequences are not always lifted. Forgiveness cancels the debt that people's wrongdoing has racked up by paying for it with the death of Jesus on the cross. Thus Jesus exchanges his perfect goodness for the evil all mankind has done -- in essence taking our bad karma on himself so that we do not have to pay for our actions with our lives. People enter into this agreement with God with an act of will and it is available to all who ask. The lack of reincarnation makes all people responsible only for their current life. It also gives some urgency to the fact that forgiveness must be attained in the current life, as opposed to the idea that many consequences of your bad actions will be paid for in the next life.

This book gives a clear understanding of a modern American view of both karma and Christianity and seeks to show how they compare and how they differ. It seeks to answer the question of who or what truly rules our lives? God or karma? It also reveals what draws people to both options. I found it to be a very interesting book and one that I would recommend to all interested in the difference between karma and Christianity and the ways each have shaped American culture.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am giving this book a lower rating, whether you think it deserves a higher or lower depends you and how you plan to use the information it provides.

If you are the typical, Western, twenty-something, semi-postmodern, who has absorbed a simple understanding of karma from sources in popular culture, you might raise the rating. They will not be aware of the corners that Herringshaw is cutting and will not be phased by the sometimes-adolescent wordings or odd Biblical/theological exegesis in a few instances. They should have no problem following the author through to the real point: that a Personal Being, not an impersonal process, is behind the world and is willing to come to our rescue. If this is your situation, you will find a lot of useful ideas and ways of saying things that will help you connect with such people.

You will want to lower the rating if you are someone who prefers a more mature level of language or who has an educated understanding of karma, particularly if they are a well informed Hindu or Buddhist. They will notice the incomplete understanding of one of their key beliefs. In fact, if they have an apologetic bent, they could easily take the sin/karma equation in this book and, like they can do with the Jesus/bodhisattva line being picked up by some Christians, turn it around against Christian beliefs in ways you never saw coming. This happens simply because most Christians do not understand these Eastern religions well enough to predict where the logical outcome of these miss-steps lead from the perspective of these worldviews.

Regardless, the second group is not the one at whom this book is aimed, though from the title and descriptions you might think it has a broader target audience. My comments are to inform the potential reader about its real market and help prevent disappointment. I am not trying to criticize the author for not doing something he does not appear to have set out to do.

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book through goodreads back in October. I finally got around to starting it about a month ago. I am not a particularly religious person, so I was hesitant to read this and not sure how I would get through the whole book.
In the beginning of the book, Harringshaw focuses mainly on the karma aspect, we reap what we sow. I learned a few new things about the history of karma that I was previously unaware of. It bothers me how he only explains karma enough to make it seem like it is an inescapable doom that we will never get away from. Unfortunately, it would seem he lacks a complete understanding of the beliefs behind karma. It was pretty interesting until about the 7th chapter. The book then becomes an explanation of how much God and Jesus have done for us as a people and how we need to give ourselves wholly over to them in order for our lives to be blessed so we can live (and ultimately die) in peace. If a person simply asks God for forgiveness he will turn our sins into Jesus' sins and we will be clean again.
To be honest, the book turned from comparing the likeness of the belief in karma to the way Jesus took all of mankind's sins unto himself so we don't have to deal with our own spiritual consequences for our actions into an detailed explanation of how Jesus can save us if only we'll give ourselves up to God. Unfortunately for me, that isn't a pill I will readily swallow. For those of you thinking about reading this book, I hope that you have a strong faithful foundation to begin with. I fear that if you don't, you won't be able to read the book in its entirety. The last few chapters felt more like I was being scolded for not being a faithful believer then it did as a comparison of beliefs between karma and grace.

[Kelly Hager · Rating 3 out of 5]

The basic purpose behind this book is to prove whether you can reconcile the teachings of Jesus with the idea of karma. (Basic answer is yes, but to see how, read the book.)

The book is mostly told through a conversation between Mark (who is a pastor, speaker and author) and Andrew (guy in rehab who has recently turned his life around and is a proponent of karma).

Andrew says that karma is the best way to live your life, because it puts you in charge and holds you accountable. As they converse, insights are had (on both sides) but no real conclusions are drawn.

It might sound like a boring book, but it's not. Examples are given using pop culture (It's a Wonderful Life, for instance, and an episode of ER) and it's a book that's both easy to read and incredibly thought-provoking.

I'm sure if you read this, it will give you a few of those "Aha!"moments.

I'm not getting more specific--my job is to get you to decide whether or not you want to read the book, not make it so you don't have to. :)

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has a great converstational tone and is a quick read. The definition of Karma presented by Herringshaw is the one most familiar to Western readers. In my opinion Herringshaw's arguments against Karma are lacking, however his arguments for following Jesus are compelling. Herringshaw presents a personable and personal picture of Jesus. This book is aimed at the reader who is curious about Jesus and the promises he makes to us, someone searching for an answer, etc. I am not sure it would be received the same by an athiest or skeptic. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the portrait of Jesus that Herringshaw presents.

[Gina]

I won this through first reads and am looking forward to reading it!

[Annemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book but I thought there would be more to it. My favorite aspect of the book is that gives a Christian perspective for those of us who love to practice/teach Yoga.