JESUS OF NAZARETH: WHAT HE WANTED, WHO HE WAS — Gerhard Lohfink, Liturgical, 2012
Gerhard Lohfink, SJ, was professor of New Testament exegesis at the University of Tubingen. He has, in this book, written a clear and careful reworking of the story of Jesus, a book in which both scholars and lay people will feel quite comfortable. Lohfink’s scholarship is traditional in approach. Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood through understanding and believing in the Four Gospel narratives. Lohfink is critical of the Jesus Seminar in their constant search for “the historical Jesus.” “The bad books about Jesus are bad because they are far from understanding that the real ‘historical Jesus’ cannot be grasped independently of faith in him.” Fr. Lohfink is particularly helpful in his discussion of the Atonement, Jesus Last Day, and especially a fresh look at the Easter events. The author is quite clear about Jesus mission: “Jesus was not just concerned with souls. He wanted to change society.” Those of us at St. Philip’s, especially for those who design and implement the Come And See Service on Sunday afternoons, might take a look at the author’s emphasis on the Atonement, brilliantly written. For counter thinking or parallel thinking to Lohfink, please read Reza Aslan’s ZEALOT: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JESUS OF NAZARETH, also available in the Renouf/Nelson Library
—The Rev. Paul Buckwalter
The Rev. Paul Buckwalter writes reviews of books found in the Renouf/Nelson Library at St. Philip’s
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