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Teacher, Guide, Companion: Rediscovering Jesus in a Secular World
Drawing from the personal experiences of a seasoned pastor, a team of modern liberal scholars, and the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, Teacher, Guide, Companion challenges readers to reexamine their own relationship with Jesus Christ and its significance in the 21st century. Integrating both secular and religious source materials, Wikstrom demonstrates how a close examination of historical findings and the Gospels can lead to a renewed faith in Jesus Christ. The field of Jesus studies, which is dominated by academics, will benefit from this analysis by a working minister.
- GenresReligionSpirituality
96 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2003
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February 26, 2017
In this little book, the author provides some easy, approachable, open-ended methods to rediscover Jesus in a secular world (indeed even in a doctrinal and dogmatic world). It should be mentioned that Wikstrom is an admirer of the ancient Nag Hammadi-discovered manuscript which has been dubbed “The Gospel of Thomas.” He does, however, also give the four New Testament gospels their full due providing insightful résumés of each.
The author does not attempt to fit square pegs into round holes, so to speak, but respectfully suggests that his readers take on Jesus’ challenge to answer his question “Who do you say that I am?” without being burdened by potential admonishments from theologians and other ‘founts of true wisdom’ (e.g. Pharisees). Wikstrom proposes that the search for ‘who Jesus is’ has to respect the seeker’s individual motives and ideals, his/her rational as well as spiritual comprehension.
The most valuable take-away I gained from this book was to regard Jesus as emblematic of a window through which God can be spiritually, or even conceptually, be encountered. Without that window we would not see the promise of love, hope and grace. But we are cautioned not to make the window an object of worship, like a defined ‘fixture’ in our landscape of beliefs. No, we should rather accept Jesus as a means, a way, to discover the illimitable truths of a purposeful creator God (i.e. the Ultimate Reality, the I Am, or All-that-Is).
The author does not attempt to fit square pegs into round holes, so to speak, but respectfully suggests that his readers take on Jesus’ challenge to answer his question “Who do you say that I am?” without being burdened by potential admonishments from theologians and other ‘founts of true wisdom’ (e.g. Pharisees). Wikstrom proposes that the search for ‘who Jesus is’ has to respect the seeker’s individual motives and ideals, his/her rational as well as spiritual comprehension.
The most valuable take-away I gained from this book was to regard Jesus as emblematic of a window through which God can be spiritually, or even conceptually, be encountered. Without that window we would not see the promise of love, hope and grace. But we are cautioned not to make the window an object of worship, like a defined ‘fixture’ in our landscape of beliefs. No, we should rather accept Jesus as a means, a way, to discover the illimitable truths of a purposeful creator God (i.e. the Ultimate Reality, the I Am, or All-that-Is).
Displaying 1 of 1 review