Life of Jesus [Hardcover]

Also, having lived in Japan for half a year, finding love with a Japanese woman, and having plans of living there in one year, this book helps us step out of the otherwise American/Westernized picture of Jesus which the community of biblical scholars - who are mainly white and upper-middle class men - has developed.

If you are ready for a vividly real, honest, and (most likely) accurate examination of Jesus' life, pick up a copy today!

Endo is very careful to point out the difference from what is fact and what is his personal belief, and often provides multiple points of view when his personal beliefs are concerned.

All in all this is an outstanding book that allows people to better understand what the life of Jesus was really like. Whether or not you believe that he was the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth really did exist, and he did live an extrodinary life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in the subject.

"The religious mentality of the Japanese is responsive to one who 'suffers with us' and who 'allows for our weakness,' but their mentality has little tolerance for any kind of transcendent being who judges humans harshly, then punishes them. In brief, the Japanese tend to seek in their gods and buddhas a warm-hearted mother rather than a stern father. With this fact always in mind I tried not so much to depict God in the father-image that tends to characterize Christianity, but rather to depict the kind-hearted maternal aspect of God revealed to us in the personality of Jesus."

In short, Endo is completely aware that he is not capturing the "whole" Jesus in this account. Further, he wants the reader to understand that he is not trying to write an all encompassing account of one whom Endo completely agrees is the very Son of God.

Having kept Endo's prefatory admonition in mind, I must agree that this book wonderfully conveys of the love of Christ for man. To that end, I highly recommend the book.

On the down-side, Endo indulges in some rather speculative theories regarding Christ. To illustrate, Endo believes that Jesus was a disciple of John the Baptist. He also asserts that Jesus' temptation in the desert by the devil is metaphor for a conflict he may have had with the Essenes. Unfortunately, Endo doesn't really endeavor to support these theories.

In defense of the author, however, Endo is entirely up-front with the fact that his understanding of these matters is theory. He does not pass his notions off as uncontrovertible truth. His humility in this area is refreshing.

If you have an interest in Christ and, more particularly, in what others think about him, pick this book up and take the time to read it slowly. You won't be disappointed.