Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Tuesday Tome - Ortberg's Latest

I just heard a podcast where John Wilson of Books & Culture reviewed of John Ortberg's new book, Who Is this Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus. The book, scheduled to be released on August 7, looks good, so I pre-ordered a copy for my Kindle.

Ortberg has a good track record of being a practical and accessible writer. He does a great job of taking big ideas and topics and writing about them with a pastoral approach that everyday folks can understand. I may not see any new ideas about Jesus in this new book, but I'm sure Ortberg I will see some new ways of presenting these ideas in creative and memorable ways that connect with a wide audience. That's something I really respect about him, and something I want to emulate as I write and speak.

If you're interested in this topic AND interested in talking about it with others, this book will likely be something you will appreciate.
From the publisher's description of the book:
Jesus' impact on our world is highly unlikely, widely inescapable, largely unknown, and decidedly double-edged. It is unlikely in light of the severe limitations of his earthly life; it is inescapable because of the range of impact; it is unknown because history doesn't connect dots; and it is doubled-edged because his followers have wreaked so much havoc, often in his name.

He is history's most familiar figure, yet he is the man no one knows. His impact on the world is immense and non-accidental. From the Dark Ages to Post-Modernity he is the Man who won't go away.

And yet . . .you can miss him in historical lists for many reasons, maybe the most obvious being the way he lived his life. He did not loudly and demonstrably defend his movement in the spirit of a rising political or military leader. He did not lay out a case that history would judge his brand of belief superior in all future books.

His life and teaching simply drew people to follow him. He made history by starting in a humble place, in a spirit of love and acceptance, and allowing each person space to respond.His vision of life continues to haunt and challenge humanity. His influence has swept over history bringing inspiration to what has happened in art, science, government, medicine, and education; he has taught humans about dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope.

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