Customer Reviews

The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind--A New Perspective on Christ and His Message

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I first read this book last year and found it tremendously helpful in both theology and personal practice. The sections on the Teaching of Jesus and the Mysteries of Jesus (parts 1 and 2 of 3) continued the process of making my understanding of Jesus and the Christ event more malleable and open to ongoing discovery of how God is present in and around us. It also let me glimpse more of the diversity in how people of different times and cultures responded to the personal transformation modeled by Jesus. Bourgeault has read widely and freely credits her sources; through her I have discovered several other very rewarding contemporary authors. The section on Christian Wisdom Practices (part 3 of 3) helped me see my own personal practices more in the light of the community and Christian tradition. I was encouraged to set more conscious emphasis on regularly taking Holy Communion and on regularly singing psalms, which I imagine from a theological liberal versus conservative point of view may appear oddly ironic.

I proposed this book to a group of fellow graduates of the Anglican/Episcopalian Education for Ministry program; we meet every month or so to explore & discuss authors and traditions of common interest. They expressed their delight in this work, disagreements acknowledged and notwithstanding; we are meeting again to discuss it further. The warmth of heart which informs Bourgeault's whole book may well move the group to explore one or more of the authors she cites, just as I am doing personally with much gladness.

I am sending this book to the most open-minded Catholic priest I have had the privilege to meet. It is like opening a door to fill a house with fresh air. Cynthia does a great job of presenting these ideas, and, despite some very minor, but noticeable editorial problems, the text is lucid and interesting from beginning to end. It is, in fact, with regret that one comes to the end of this book, wishing it to continue for many more pages.