The Words of Jesus

December 3, 2007
Award-winning author and speaker Tickle (Rediscovering the Sacred
; The Divine Hours
), who is PW
's former contributing editor in religion, chooses to take the “red letter” Bible one step further in this excellent study tool. The first section of this slim volume is a reflective essay on what Tickle learned from extracting the words of Jesus out of their narrative context in the Gospels. She writes of Jesus gradually becoming “the heard” rather than “the seen,” stripped of the sentimental images she had grown up with. She argues that the sayings, taken on their own merit, offer a third way between biblical literalists and literary critics: “Jesus was an actualist, not a literalist or a metaphorist... don't mean; they are.” As such, they must be absorbed with both heart and mind together. Tickle divides the sayings into five categories: public teaching, private instruction, healing dialogue, intimate conversation and postresurrection encounters. Each saying stands alone but has been given a brief descriptive title. Tickle used an amalgam of biblical translations and chronologies to produce a version that is accessible and vibrant. These sayings of Jesus will be a valuable tool to Christians looking for new ways to study and assimilate his core teachings and character.

February 1, 2008
Founding editor of the religion department at "Publishers Weekly", Tickle is also the prolific author of "God-Talk in America, Recovering the Sacred", and other books. This volume is a thoughtful reflection on the meaning of Jesus's words and the importance of various contexts for his followers, as well as on truth that emerges around unconsciously imposed cultural blinders. In the process, Tickle explains much of the thinking behind the Emergent Church movement. She also struggles with how to phrase certain "words" found with different nuances in more than one canonical Gospel. The book concludes with a recounting of Jesus's words from the canonical Gospels and the first chapter of Acts, dividing them into five different contexts, by delivery venue or topic: words of public teaching, of private instruction, of healing dialog, of intimate conversation, and of postresurrection encounters. For many readers, this book will fulfill Tickle's intent: to lead to a new appreciation of Jesus's words and of Jesus himself. Highly recommended for public and seminary libraries.Carolyn M. Craft, formerly with Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.