Jesus: A Study of the Life of Jesus Through the Gospels

Let me make the most important point first: if you are a Christian, Catholic or Protestant, and you want a closer relationship with Jesus, read this book. And, if you are not a Christian, but find the story of Jesus and Jesus' teachings to be thought-provoking, and you want to know more about this Jesus, read this book. You will not be disappointed. This is the first book of Father Martin's that I've read. (I liked it so much, I bought his later work, "Seven Last Words," and look forward to reading it). What I expected was a well-written, pious series of meditations on the life of Jesus. Well, "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" is definitely well written. And the meditations on the life of Jesus are pious, but they are much more than that. Father Martin's reflections on the central events of the Gospels are profoundly practical. Reading this book can, and almost certainly will, make you a better person and a better follower of Jesus, and the book's theological insights are balanced by very practical wisdom on how the Gospels can be applied to the challenges and problems of your daily life. I would characterize this book as proceeding simultaneously on three levels. Although written in clear prose that is accessible to the average layperson, the book's structure is rather complex. On one level, "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" is a vivid account of Father Martin's pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His description of the holy sites he visited is particularly well done. The details and imagery are what one would expect from a good novelist. I could visualize the places he was describing, and in so doing, I could visualize how Jesus experienced these towns, seas, mountains, and great cities. For those of us who probably will never get to visit the Holy Land, Father Martin's book is probably as close as we can get to actually visiting the places that Jesus saw and experienced in His life. On a second level, "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" is also a scholarly work on the life of the historical Jesus. I wasn't expecting the serious scholarship that characterizes this book. Father Martin has read the major works published in recent decades on the historical Jesus, and he uses this scholarship to deepen our encounter with Jesus the man, and Jesus, the Son of God. The footnotes and bibliography in "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" clearly demonstrate that this is a book by a serious scholar. I've already bought a few of the books that Father Martin references, and I hope to read much more about the historical Jesus in coming years. On the third level, "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" contains a series of deeply personal, beautiful, and quite practical meditations on the central events of the life of Jesus. It is this aspect of the book that makes it a classic. Father Martin shares his own experiences and how they deepened his understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and how we can become better followers of Jesus. As a spiritual advisor, Father Martin is a blessing to those of us who are struggling with the challenges of life: addiction, despair, doubt, inability to forgive, and the dark night of the soul when it feels as if God has abandoned us. If all of this sounds like pretty heavy reading, well, it is in a way. This is not an easy book. One must read slowly and reflect thoughtfully while reading this book. So, you have to do some work as a reader of this book. However, the work is well worth it. But don't be put off. Father Martin also has--hooray!--a sense of humor and a writing style that makes it seem as if he is sitting in your home talking with you. I'm not sure how Father Martin pulls it off, but reading "Jesus: A Pilgrimage," one is aware that this is a scholarly work about the historical Jesus AND a well-written description of the Holy Land AND a collection of wise spiritual insights, but you never feel as if you're being preached at or lectured to. Rather you feel as if you're having a wonderful chat with a good friend. And you feel sad when you've come to the end of it, which I always think is a sign of a truly wonderful book.

I began reading this as an audiobook two days before going on retreat--a week in solitude. Little did I know or suspect, but this 'became' my retreat. Listening to Father Martin describe the places he visited, his reactions and responses, his excitement and disappointment, and then to be rewarded with such rich commentary on the Gospel passages related to these places where Jesus preached, performed miracles, and worked so many remarkable healings, was so amazing! Father Martin is a Jesuit. Had I not known this, I could have guessed it. Jesuits more than most know about the The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius , or an application of which can be found in The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living than most of us. It comes from their Founder. Part of the process of making these exercises (a retreat in itself) is not only meditating on Sacred Scripture, but being able to compose (contemplate) a picture of the place and/or setting in our mind, using our imagination (Composition of Place) so that we can envision we are there with Jesus and his disciples, sharing in this in a very unique and unforgettable way. Father Martin does this so well for his reader. He does it for us, allowing us to enter into these mysteries that so many were able to witness back then. He then goes and uses the words of the Gospels connecting his description with the Scripture, while adding his personal and excellent commentary, seeming to solidify what we are then imagining he experienced. Knowing the Greek New Testament--(a place for us to start could be the Analytical Greek New Testament )--he is able to give us the meaning of words, giving us deeper meanings into the text, possible alternatives to what the translators arrived at, and pointing to things that we might have missed by knowing the Bible only in English, or having been so familiar with them that we don't really hear what is being said. I have never been to the Holy Land. I know many people who have. I have listened to them describe their experiences. Yet, I have never walked away with such a picture of the Holy Land--the places where Jesus spent his public ministry, and what happened there--as I have in reading this book. Besides the audio, I also bought the hardcover edition so that I can keep it handy as a ready resource, a quasi-Scriptural Commentary.

His book helped me to feel like I was in the Holy Land. His great writing style put me in Jesus's parables and helped me to ask questions about Jesus.

Very good discussion of the life of a priest touring the holy land. Print was small for an 9lder person.

Está en inglés, la información viene en español, por este motivo lo devuelvo. Si me lo pueden ofrecer en español, indiquemen como puedo hacer el cambio, si no, me devuelven el importe de 11,69 euros con abono a mi tarjeta de crédito.

James Martin bringt hier Jesus, seine Zeit und Umgebung zum Leuchten. Eingebettet in eine persönliche Reisegeschichte werden hier historische Fakten, Theologie, Emotion und ein Reiseführer in Heilige Land zu einem harmonischen Ganzen verbunden. Martin hat einen angenehmen Schreibstil und ist sehr humorvoll. Er ist zu Recht einer der beliebtesten geistlichen Schriftsteller in den USA.

È un libro molto bello. Leggendo ti sembra proprio di essere lì sul posto con l'autore. Spunti spirituali molto validi.

Half way through this book and loving it. Part of each chapter is about his travels to the Holy Land and that in itself is very interesting - I'd happily read an entire book devoted to it because it's very well written and you can picture what he describes. The other side to it is explanations of the events in scripture that happened in or around the places he visits. He's so good at putting the scenes in context and telling his readers about how life was then. It's like he takes the words of the Bible and fills them out so you understand better. Pointing out facts that you'd usually skip over so you stop and linger, and really picture it. I'll be buying more of his books - they're really the ones to read and re-read.

Written in the first person, the narrative is interspersed with experiences of the author's visit to the Holy Land and his personal encounter with Jesus through the Gospels and his life as a Jesuit. Any review would be but a facile representation of the reality that is the book itself. A must read for the sheer joy of the encounter. I have to confess that I am a fan and have read other titles by the same author,which is why I had no hesitation in picking up this title as well.