The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything

by Brian McLaren Narrated by Paul Michael

Overview

In The Secret Message of Jesus, McLaren clears away the dust of two thousand years of the Christian religion to get to the most important questions facing Christendom: Could it be that the church has misunderstood or, in some cases, intentionally distorted Jesus' core message? What if Jesus was right-but right in different ways than we ever realized? What if many of us have carried on a religion that somewhere along the way missed rich and radical treasures hidden in the essential message of Jesus of Nazareth?

McLaren calls us to look hard, think deeply, and search long with him...even if the answers overturn our conventional ideas, priorities, and practices.

"Through the years, I have frequently had an uncomfortable feeling," writes McLaren, "that the portrait of Jesus I found in the New Testament didn't fit with the images of Jesus in the church." Out of that nagging discomfort arose this ground-breaking book. He writes, "I'd like to share my search with you, and invite you to be a part of it. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I'll let you in on this: the farther I go on this search, the more inspired, moved, challenged, shocked, and motivated I become about the secret message of Jesus."

Brian D. McLaren is an internationally known speaker, a member of the board of directors of Sojourners, and the author of 10 highly acclaimed books on contemporary Christianity, including A New Kind of Christian and A Generous Orthodoxy.

Editorial Reviews

"Through the years, I have frequently had an uncomfortable feeling that the portrait of Jesus I found in the New Testament didn't fit with the images of Jesus in the church." Eventually, this unsettling feeling led evangelist Brian McLaren to begin a quest for the essential message of the Nazarene's life and work. The Secret Message of Jesus promises no Da Vinci Code–like revelations of cover-ups or conspiracy; instead it offers an honest exploration of bedrock Christian truths that even hard-core believers often neglect.

Publishers Weekly

Pastor and bestselling author McLaren (A New Kind of Christian) explores Jesus's teaching in this book, placing it in its Jewish context, analyzing its tenets and expression, and trying to work out how it should be lived today. McLaren starts with the assumption that the church may not have accurately understood Jesus's "secret message" (hidden "as a treasure one must seek in order to find"). He revisits the gospel material from a fresh-and at times radical-perspective. The church has focused on salvation as a means to "heaven after you die" for too long, according to McLaren; we should take Jesus at his word when he says "the kingdom of God is here now," and work to assist that kingdom by being peacemakers and loving others. McLaren admits to not exploring every topic here in depth, in an effort to keep the book brief, but he does an excellent job of capturing Jesus's quiet, revolutionary style-the prophet who spoke in parables, who didn't want people to talk about his miracles, who challenged established Jewish thought, and paradoxically found ultimate fulfillment and victory through death. Conservative evangelicals will be critical of some points (and there are weaknesses here), but this book will appeal to a broad spectrum of people who want to understand Jesus. (Apr. 4) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

The Secret Message of Jesus is a book that could change everything, if only it were first read and then followed. McLaren, the founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in the Washington-Baltimore area and a sought-after speaker and writer, here offers a fresh, nonhypocritical, outside-the-box approach and wise understanding to one of the essential messages taught by Jesus Christ (never mind that this "secret" had been uncovered decades ago and is already taught by many Christians throughout the world). Written with the same warm and sincere style as his previous A New Kind of Christian and A Generous Orthodoxy, this book has great potential to alleviate fear, hate, and marginalization. Mainstream Christendom has long needed a fresh start or renewal, and McLaren is calling for a Christian theology that has no barriers to creed, race, or nationality and that is synonymous with Thomas P. Rausch's thoughts in Towards a Truly Catholic Church. He is even bold enough to enjoin those of the Jewish, Islamic, and other traditions to participate. Highly recommended for all libraries and readers. [McLaren's two web sites-www.emergentvillage.com and www.anewkindofchristian.com-offer additional information.-Ed.]-Gary P. Gillum, Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172413148
Publisher:	DINE ALONE
Publication date:	05/01/2006
Edition description:	Unabridged

Related Subjects

• Bibles & Christianity
• Religion
• Christianity
• Spirituality
• Theology, Christian
• General Christianity
• Christology
• Jesus Christ
• Spirituality - General
• Religion * Spirituality

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