Rebecca McLaughlin does it again! With clarity, passion and persuasiveness, she presents Jesus to us.

The author has a fresh look at Jesus and the importance of the Gospels. She weaves in literature and even pop culture references which make the material digestible for a wider audience. Her explanations of her points are supported by the ties she makes to books and movies. I do think this is an approachable book for those who are new in Christianity or those who are questioning.

Confronting Jesus by Rebecca McLaughlin is a book I really wanted to love, but over and over I was left with a strange feeling or just needing to question what and why she was sharing what I was reading.
The book will probably be loved by many but there are a lot of shallow reasonings and references to many cultural things that might leave others longing for more.

*I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my review.

A great read that was focused, accessible and easy to follow!
My only critique is that for future sequels that the author limits her use of pop culture references! I understood most of them, they're well explained and relevant to the material, but there were just so many! Even within a chapter, not just to introduce it!
I'll definitely be checking out Confronting Christianity as well if I happen to get my hands on it!

I enjoy reading Rebecca McLaughlin's books because they're very good for apologetics, which is something that is very handy today. I read her book Confronting Christianity and the topics that I read have come up often since finishing that book. I have referred back to it several times, and I know it will be the same with this book. The subject matter is very relevant to the culture and what we are hearing in pushback arguments for Jesus and Christianity. It's so important for Christians to be ready to give an answer, and this is a great resource to help us do that. I highly recommend this book highly to Christians adults and teens.

This was such a great read. The book is not long or cumbersome. I greatly appreciated Rebecca’s openness and care as she handled hard topics and interesting parts of scripture that people often have questions about. This was so much more than retelling and explaining Jesus in 9 ways, this was a beautiful apologetic for the Christian faith.

If you have enjoyed the author's first book, "Confronting Christianity," this is essentially the sequel. Her first book provides credible arguments to deal with 12 roadblocks. This sequel deals with 9 encounters with Jesus. Recognizing how so many people in society reject Jesus without even knowing the content of the gospels, McLaughlin does the heavy lifting to summarize the life of Jesus from nine angles. Taking inspiration from all four gospels, she tells the story of Jesus in a manner like a stage musical. The nine encounters are in seeing:
1) Jesus the Jew
2) Jesus the Son
3) Jesus the King
4) Jesus the Healer
5) Jesus the Teacher
6) Jesus the Lover
7) Jesus the Servant
8) Jesus the Sacrifice
9) Jesus the Lord

In "Jesus the Jew," McLaughlin defends the trustworthiness of the gospels and the reliability of the ancient manuscripts. She spends time comparing and contrasting the gospels with other extra-biblical texts before affirming the need to see Jesus as He is: That he was born a Jew. In "Jesus the Son," she explains the significance of Jesus becoming fully human. At the same time, Jesus is also "Jesus the King" which means there is a kingdom that has come and there is to come. For people who come to respect mere power, Jesus shows us that any power today is nothing compared to the Rule of Jesus. In "Jesus the Healer," McLaughlin reflects on the health crisis both personally as well as in general society. Only the sick need healing. Jesus heals us in ways that the world can never do. We then encounter "Jesus the Teacher," giving us a basis for moral truth. Just like the biblical injunction to speak the Truth in love, McLaughlin follows up with "Jesus the Lover" to show us the meaning of freedom and love. Jesus freely loves even when it means giving up his life. "Jesus the Servant" teaches us humility. "Jesus the Sacrifice" compels us to face the question of why would Jesus die for us. The final chapter summarizes Jesus as Lord. The author deals with the classic resurrection truth.

My Thoughts
Compared to her first book "Confronting Christianity," this book focuses more on the Person of Jesus Christ, and how we need to re-examine any doubts, questions, or skepticism about the Truth of the historical Jesus. Every chapter looks at a specific aspect of Jesus whose very character contrasts against the expectations of the world. Though himself a Jew, he did not limit his ministry only to Jews. He demonstrates inclusiveness. As a healer, he seeks out those who need healing and shows them something more eternal. Though he is king, he presents himself as a servant. At the end of the day, what readers will get is that no matter which way we look, the Person of Christ is already quite compelling. We can argue all the ideas or concepts our minds can think of. How do we argue against a person who came, who lived, who ministered, who died, and who rose from the dead? Unless we try to avoid Jesus altogether, the simple answer is we cannot. With multiple examples drawn from modern musicals, plays, movies, and the arts, McLaughlin skillfully guides the reader to face up to the reality of Jesus. I appreciate the "So What?" features in each chapter which crystallize the author's key points.

The author deals with specific objections to the truth of Jesus throughout the book. From textual variants to the reliability of the Bible, the truth of the historical Jesus to teaching to love even our enemies, the truth of the gospel itself should challenge the world at large. The key point is this. Anyone serious about life must face up to the reality of Jesus Christ. This applies to both Christians as well as non-Christians. For the latter, it is an invitation to encounter Jesus as the gospels have recorded. For the former, it is a challenge to learn more and to increase our obedience to his teachings. The gospels tell the story of Jesus in a way that is impactful for daily living. Having given us nine routes to encounter Jesus, perhaps, the creative reader might find out more ways to learn of Jesus and to love him for who he is.

Rebecca McLaughlin (PhD, Cambridge University) is the author of Confronting Christianity, named Christianity Today’s 2020 Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year. Her subsequent works include 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity; The Secular Creed; and Jesus through the Eyes of Women.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Jesus the Jew, Jesus the story teller, Jesus as the One who suffered for us... it is all part of what you encounter here when you are Confronting Jesus. The impact of this book differs no doubt depending on whether you are already a Jesus follower, how long you have been, and how well you know His words in red and what is written about Him. There are pop culture references - even about the television series about The Good Place - which at first seemed creative, but they were a bit over-done by the end of the book. Still, maybe they keep the interest of the reader-audience the book was intended for. Certainly anytime we can learn more about Jesus, is recommended and this book does a good job of weaving together the various themes contextually. This book was advanced to me from NetGalley and the publisher without any commitment for positive feedback.

I had high hopes for the book but was left disappointed. I couldn't get into a "flow" when reading the book, since most of the pages included at least one pop culture reference. Many of the references (to Hamilton, Dr. Who, Twitter, etc) felt forced and unnecessary. There was good information in the book, but I would've preferred a shorter book without the fluff.

“If you feel curious about Jesus, this book is for you.”

The above quote reveals that this book is not primarily written for Christians, but for those who are curious enough about Jesus to take a closer look. This book is a sequel of sorts to the author’s previous work, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. While the first addressed objections to Christianity in general, the latest invites readers to look closely at who Jesus is.

Some early criticisms have mentioned that McLaughlin includes too many pop culture references that take away from the scriptural truths she was presents. I, however, found them to be fitting for the audience that this book was written for. She models for believers what it looks like to contend for the faith by weaving in sources that even skeptics can agree with. That doesn’t mean we leave the Bible out of the conversation, but that we find common ground on which to begin the conversation. I really appreciated that aspect of the book…even if some spoilers were included 🙃

Thank you to Netgalley and Crossway for the advanced review copy. Confronting Jesus is available now wherever books are sold.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S CONFRONTING JESUS ABOUT?
Most people have a lot of preconceptions about Jesus, a lot of people have read and/or heard things about Him and the Scriptures that tell about him. But not as many have actually read those Scriptures, particularly the Gospels.

Rebecca McLaughlin tries to clear away some of the cultural debris that has piled up between non-Christians and the Gospels and the subject of the Gospels. For example, as she points out, given Christianity's impact in shaping Western Civilization, it's difficult to think of Jesus as non-Western.

The goal of the book is to help the reader (particularly those with little-to-know-exposure to Christianity) begin to see the Gospels for what they really are, not the readers' preconceptions of them. And the Jesus revealed in the Gospels as the Gospels want to portray him, not what the reader may already think.

It's a high and lofty goal—possibly too lofty for 200 pages. But this isn't intended as a definitive work, more like an invitation for the reader to do their own work.

A MENAGERIE OF REFERENCES
A lot of writers (and preachers, truth be told) will introduce a subject or thought by grounding their introduction in some sort of shared knowledge. Sometimes it'll be an experience (first day of school), a person everyone knows (George Washington), a current event, or some sort of cultural reference (literature, music, film/TV, etc.). McLaughlin almost always goes for the latter. And, for the overwhelming majority of the time, it's a very contemporary reference.

She starts off by invoking the musical Hamilton, and does so in-depth—it wasn't long at all before I made a note, "can we be done with Hamilton now?" The answer was no—she came back to Miranda's hit time and time again. Thankfully my worries about this being a book about Jesus, the gospels, and a hip-hop musical about a Founding Father quickly evaporated and she moved on to other cultural touchpoints—Harry Potter, Doctor Who, The Princess Bride, Gladiator, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Lord of the Rings, Jane Austen, A Tale of Two Cities, and more. It's an interesting mix of pop-culture and more high-brow references.

I'm spending more time on this than I initially intended, but I kept bumping on this tendency of hers, and I ended up spending as much time thinking about it as I did her arguments. Now, I don't think most readers will do that—but most readers aren't considering the delivery of the content as they are the content. So I don't think most readers will be distracted by this as I am.

Still, the volume of pop culture references strikes me as a dangerous strategy (as comfortable and relatable as it might be). It can trivialize the subject matter. It can possibly cause offense (how many people really want to relate to J.K. Rowling right now? A different crowd than those who didn't want anything to do with her in the 90s, to be sure).

Lastly, it reduces the shelf-life of the book tremendously. Wilde, Dickens, and Austen are references that will stand (and have stood) the test of time—but will The Hunger Games and Ted Lasso? Maybe. But Maybe not. McLaughlin's arguments and insights may be worth reading in ten years, but will the book as a whole? Or will what makes it most approachable today make it stale and off-putting within a presidential election cycle or two.

(that took a lot more time to express and explain my concerns than I thought it would—this is not a significant detriment to the effectiveness of the book, but it is one)

THE TONE
McLaughlin has an approachable, almost breezy style. I started this book while taking a break from a more scholarly book, and the early chapters had some overlap with the other book I was reading. And I suffered a little mental whiplash. I got over it the more of the book that I read (especially as it diverted into different territory from the other), but it almost seemed too shallow. A lot of readers might think that, too. If you persevere, however you'll see that's not that case.

McLaughlin comes across as open, honest, and earnest—the kind of person you'd enjoy chatting with—and her grounding things in events with her life or a movie you've both seen (or that she's told you enough about that you want to see it), makes the material something you connect with.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT CONFRONTING JESUS?
I enjoyed the book. I was charmed by McLaughlin's style and found her arguments compelling—not convincing. But, as I said, I'm not sure she was trying to convince her readers—I think she was set on moving them to do more research, more reading, and to deal with more convincing ideas and arguments. This was an introduction to Jesus, hopefully lowering perceived barriers to him—and a challenge to deal honestly with Him and His claims rather than preconceptions and reputations about Him (and His followers).

That said, I'm predisposed to agree with her. We're on the same team, and don't have the same barriers that the non-Christian will have. So I can't ultimately say how well the book works. Do I think that several of my friends would benefit from it? Sure. But that's just a guess/hope. The ultimate sign of the quality and effectiveness of this book is going to come from the non-Christian reader.

Also, this book does make me curious about McLaughlin's other work—and I anticipate grabbing at least one of her earlier books soon.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Crossway via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this opportunity.

As a good author should do, Rebecca McLaughlin has taken the time to identify her audience for this book and she writes directly to them; she writes to an audience who does not know Christ. Clearly stated in the Dedication, this book was written for those who do NOT believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but have taken the time to read this book. Like a true professor, she takes care in her introduction to lay out her intentions for this book and for those who read it.

Addressing 9 different aspects of the character of Jesus, she dives into what each of the four Gospels has to say about these claims. In doing so, she cites lots of Scripture and does a skillful job relaying the narratives relating to Jesus. There are also sections where she shares parts of her own faith journey with relatability and raw vulnerability.

I give this book 4 (out of 5) stars for a couples reasons. A substantial element of the writing is frequent references to both classic and contemporary secular books and movies. McLaughlin uses these to draw comparison to the life of Christ. Personally, I found that the way this was done cheapened the stories of scripture, instead of bringing clarity to them for a non-believer. Perhaps her intention was to be relevant and relatable, and perhaps her intended audience will appreciate it - but I did not.

These are some of the quotes from the book that stuck with me:
“By suffering injustice, Jesus came to roll out justice like the world has never seen before.”

“I deeply believe that Jesus has the power to heal. But I don’t know if He will.”


**a review of this book will show up on our Instagram review page (@naptimereaders) shortly before pub date in order to drive interest.