Scan barcode
A review by panda_incognito
Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels by Rebecca McLaughlin
4.0
There are always new books published about Jesus, and this one is ahead of the game by not claiming to say anything radical. Rebecca McLaughlin focuses on the gospel accounts about Jesus's life, adding more historical context along the way. She writes to a broad audience, balancing her points between the different groups of people she expects to read this, and she focuses on being faithful to Scripture and winsome to others, not edgy or disruptive. She directs some of her applications to Christians, but she primarily speaks to readers who are spiritual seekers or resistant to Christianity. Throughout the book, she tries to clear up people's confused images of Jesus, focusing on what the gospels say about him apart from contemporary assumptions.
McLaughlin takes a thematic approach, writing about Jesus's characteristics and roles. She writes about his Jewishness and his divine identity, and about him as a king, healer, teacher, lover, servant, sacrifice, and Lord. She draws on different passages in each chapter to show who Jesus is, and she carefully explains concepts that will be difficult for some readers to accept. I appreciate how sensitive she is to other people's worldviews without softening the specifics of her own. She is orthodox, but gracious as well.
She also weaves in a number of pop culture references to help people without a church background relate to some of the themes. I was so here for all of the Doctor Who references. A perk of reading British authors! However, McLaughlin spoils some stories to make connections with their meaningful turning points. She mostly only shares plot twists from properties that have been around for a long time, but near the end, she spoils the ending of the 2020 Matt Haig novel The Midnight Library. Because of that book's popularity, a lot of people will already know the ending, but anyone who has been planning to read that novel should do so before reading this.
Overall, I found Confronting Jesus very impressive. McLaughlin did a great job writing to a broad and general audience without making the book feel too tailored to one group, and there are interesting reflection points and applications for anyone who reads this. People who have been Christians for years can still discover new insights here, or at least see something expressed in a fresh way, and people who want to better understand Jesus as a religious figure or are considering faith in Him will appreciate this book's readability and helpful insights.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
McLaughlin takes a thematic approach, writing about Jesus's characteristics and roles. She writes about his Jewishness and his divine identity, and about him as a king, healer, teacher, lover, servant, sacrifice, and Lord. She draws on different passages in each chapter to show who Jesus is, and she carefully explains concepts that will be difficult for some readers to accept. I appreciate how sensitive she is to other people's worldviews without softening the specifics of her own. She is orthodox, but gracious as well.
She also weaves in a number of pop culture references to help people without a church background relate to some of the themes. I was so here for all of the Doctor Who references. A perk of reading British authors! However, McLaughlin spoils some stories to make connections with their meaningful turning points. She mostly only shares plot twists from properties that have been around for a long time, but near the end, she spoils the ending of the 2020 Matt Haig novel The Midnight Library. Because of that book's popularity, a lot of people will already know the ending, but anyone who has been planning to read that novel should do so before reading this.
Overall, I found Confronting Jesus very impressive. McLaughlin did a great job writing to a broad and general audience without making the book feel too tailored to one group, and there are interesting reflection points and applications for anyone who reads this. People who have been Christians for years can still discover new insights here, or at least see something expressed in a fresh way, and people who want to better understand Jesus as a religious figure or are considering faith in Him will appreciate this book's readability and helpful insights.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.