Review by mmaxey1952 -- Following Jesus
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mmaxey1952
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- Latest Review: Following Jesus by Dr. Mary Theresa Webb
Review by mmaxey1952 -- Following Jesus
[Following is a volunteer review of "Following Jesus" by Dr. Mary Theresa Webb.]
Following Jesus by Dr. Mary Theresa Webb provides a commentary on Christian faith in the era of a Donald Trump presidency. The book is well written and provides a framework for what it means to be a believer in Jesus Christ in a biblical context as well as in terms of how one lives their daily life. The author states that a Christian commitment to the way, the truth and the life of Jesus demands a higher standard that is beyond partisan politics or social issues. Using three doctrines -- the Apostle Creed, Nicene Creed and the Lord's Prayer -- the author provides a foundation that is elaborated more broadly in the Beatitudes found in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke. From this base the scriptures provide a compass for how a Christian should live their life. These "declared observations about a way of being in life" are the essence of what it means to follow Jesus. The author writes that if we find circumstances in our life that violate these principles then we need to examine our hearts and determine how to act.
Donald Trump is cited as a liar, a cheat, immoral and unrepentant. His words promote hatred and intolerance, and he distorts the truth as needed to benefit him and his acolytes. Given that 81 percent of evangelical Christians voted for him in 2016 for president, what does that say about the state of Christianity in America today? Answering this query, the author takes the reader through a history of the Roman Empire, Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany, and the turn away from the ideals of our Founding Fathers regarding equal justice and fairness for all. Certain segments of the population are characterized in President Trump's rallies and tweets as unfit or inferior. Increases in hate crimes seemed to be correlated to this more radical rhetoric against immigrants, minorities and Muslims. The author writes: "Trump's nationalistic call to 'make America great again.' his embrace of white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and racism remind us of the rise of Hitler and Mussolini whose rhetoric attracted large crowds who blindly followed them."
During Hitler's rise to power in Germany, he claimed to be a Christian and the threat the author highlights is how men can use Christians to achieve their own ends while appearing to support the social causes important to the church. One example of a Christian man of principle that understood the danger of Hitler was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who wrote of the need to be true disciples of the Lord, to recognize and stand up against injustice, and fight against bigotry. Bonhoeffer's book, "Costly Discipleship," described cheap grace as living without Jesus incarnate. He stated that it is impossible to separate our lives from the values articulated by Jesus and that we should not support leaders who are antithetical to Christian values. The author writes: "Reclaiming the importance of absolute Truth, creedal truth as well as biblical truth, will be essential for how our citizenship as followers of Jesus will or will not help us survive at the end of a Trump era."
This book provides good references, effectively summarizes Christian creeds and doctrines, and provides a historical context of how Christians have interacted with political leaders and rulers. It also points out some disconcerting similarities in personality and mental illness of Trump with infamous demagogues. What is lacking is a greater elaboration and description of how President Trump undermines democratic values and rule of law, and how this threatens the long-term viability of the United States. For example, is it conceivable that Trump would invalidate the 2020 presidential election if he were to lose? Could a case be made for that type of outcome? What personal traits and characteristics has he demonstrated that both run counter to Christian beliefs and indicate he could completely destroy our democratic institutions?
The author describes the Christian belief systems that are generally beneficial to society. She also describes the citizenship responsibilities in the domain of God that are the metric we should use to assess how well we are following Christian creeds. When a leader violates those Christian creeds what is the impact? How can we reclaim “… the essence of following the ancient but yet present Jesus Christ according to our creedal faith.” The failure to live up to these responsibilities has real-life consequences, a better description of those consequences would strengthen the book's message.
Note: This book is very informative and reads well. It is political in the sense that it points out policies and rhetoric that President Trump's supporters strongly believe. This would be a good book for Christian men and women who are concerned with social justice, democracy and rule of law. This would not be enjoyed by someone who sees in Trump a means to an end (i.e., people who believe that in order to obtain conservative judicial appointments, they are willing to overlook lies, deceit, immorality and corruption). Regarding Hitler, it would also be worth quoting his own words regarding his beliefs: "My feeling as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter -- in boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read the passage (in the Bible) which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders." Source: Volkisscher Beobachter, 22 April 1922.
I give this book a three out of four star rating.
Errors: Page 11 - Space needed between "I" and "memories" in the first sentence of first paragraph. Page 63 - The name "Thomas a Kempis" is spelled one way while page 73 a different spelling of the same name is used. Page 173 - The number is missing -- "... some xx companies involved."
******
Following Jesus
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Following Jesus by Dr. Mary Theresa Webb provides a commentary on Christian faith in the era of a Donald Trump presidency. The book is well written and provides a framework for what it means to be a believer in Jesus Christ in a biblical context as well as in terms of how one lives their daily life. The author states that a Christian commitment to the way, the truth and the life of Jesus demands a higher standard that is beyond partisan politics or social issues. Using three doctrines -- the Apostle Creed, Nicene Creed and the Lord's Prayer -- the author provides a foundation that is elaborated more broadly in the Beatitudes found in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke. From this base the scriptures provide a compass for how a Christian should live their life. These "declared observations about a way of being in life" are the essence of what it means to follow Jesus. The author writes that if we find circumstances in our life that violate these principles then we need to examine our hearts and determine how to act.
Donald Trump is cited as a liar, a cheat, immoral and unrepentant. His words promote hatred and intolerance, and he distorts the truth as needed to benefit him and his acolytes. Given that 81 percent of evangelical Christians voted for him in 2016 for president, what does that say about the state of Christianity in America today? Answering this query, the author takes the reader through a history of the Roman Empire, Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany, and the turn away from the ideals of our Founding Fathers regarding equal justice and fairness for all. Certain segments of the population are characterized in President Trump's rallies and tweets as unfit or inferior. Increases in hate crimes seemed to be correlated to this more radical rhetoric against immigrants, minorities and Muslims. The author writes: "Trump's nationalistic call to 'make America great again.' his embrace of white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and racism remind us of the rise of Hitler and Mussolini whose rhetoric attracted large crowds who blindly followed them."
During Hitler's rise to power in Germany, he claimed to be a Christian and the threat the author highlights is how men can use Christians to achieve their own ends while appearing to support the social causes important to the church. One example of a Christian man of principle that understood the danger of Hitler was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who wrote of the need to be true disciples of the Lord, to recognize and stand up against injustice, and fight against bigotry. Bonhoeffer's book, "Costly Discipleship," described cheap grace as living without Jesus incarnate. He stated that it is impossible to separate our lives from the values articulated by Jesus and that we should not support leaders who are antithetical to Christian values. The author writes: "Reclaiming the importance of absolute Truth, creedal truth as well as biblical truth, will be essential for how our citizenship as followers of Jesus will or will not help us survive at the end of a Trump era."
This book provides good references, effectively summarizes Christian creeds and doctrines, and provides a historical context of how Christians have interacted with political leaders and rulers. It also points out some disconcerting similarities in personality and mental illness of Trump with infamous demagogues. What is lacking is a greater elaboration and description of how President Trump undermines democratic values and rule of law, and how this threatens the long-term viability of the United States. For example, is it conceivable that Trump would invalidate the 2020 presidential election if he were to lose? Could a case be made for that type of outcome? What personal traits and characteristics has he demonstrated that both run counter to Christian beliefs and indicate he could completely destroy our democratic institutions?
The author describes the Christian belief systems that are generally beneficial to society. She also describes the citizenship responsibilities in the domain of God that are the metric we should use to assess how well we are following Christian creeds. When a leader violates those Christian creeds what is the impact? How can we reclaim “… the essence of following the ancient but yet present Jesus Christ according to our creedal faith.” The failure to live up to these responsibilities has real-life consequences, a better description of those consequences would strengthen the book's message.
Note: This book is very informative and reads well. It is political in the sense that it points out policies and rhetoric that President Trump's supporters strongly believe. This would be a good book for Christian men and women who are concerned with social justice, democracy and rule of law. This would not be enjoyed by someone who sees in Trump a means to an end (i.e., people who believe that in order to obtain conservative judicial appointments, they are willing to overlook lies, deceit, immorality and corruption). Regarding Hitler, it would also be worth quoting his own words regarding his beliefs: "My feeling as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter -- in boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read the passage (in the Bible) which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders." Source: Volkisscher Beobachter, 22 April 1922.
I give this book a three out of four star rating.
Errors: Page 11 - Space needed between "I" and "memories" in the first sentence of first paragraph. Page 63 - The name "Thomas a Kempis" is spelled one way while page 73 a different spelling of the same name is used. Page 173 - The number is missing -- "... some xx companies involved."
******
Following Jesus
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Following Jesus by Dr. Mary Theresa Webb
