Jesus Before God: The Prayer Life of the Historical Jesus - Softcover

Taussig, Hal

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0944344755 ISBN 13: 9780944344750

Publisher: Polebridge Pr Westar Inst, 1999

Synopsis

Jesus Before God examines new ways the historical Jesus can teach us to pray. The prayer that emerges is very different from the prayers of Jesus' contemporaries, from traditional church prayers, and from new fashions of spirituality. The surprise that awaits the reader may be as unsettling as that experienced by Jesus' audience two thousand years ago.

About this title

Review:

Using research from the highly publicized Jesus Seminar, Hal Taussig has produced a provocative and useful new study of the prayer life of the historical Jesus, called Jesus Before God. Taussig begins with a list of questions that some readers may find unsettling: "Was Jesus at heart a wordless mystic? Did he have a special prayer language? Did he pray primarily alone? Did he pray with his followers?" The ultimate answer to many of these questions, of course, is Nobody Knows. But Taussig scours the scriptures for insight, considers the evidence that historical Jesus research has to offer, and then offers a new model of prayer for Christians today. Taussig's even-handed, clear style guides readers gently to his conclusion that meditation, service to others, and words directed to God must all suffuse a Christian's prayer life. "It is not enough just to pray to God, nor does it suffice to relate creatively to others.... [T]he one praying [must] be involved in both social interaction and direct attention to God--at the same time." --Michael Joseph Gross

From the Publisher:

This book draws a bold new picture of Jesus at prayer, in historical terms and for our own times. Hal Taussig begins with a rigorous historical investigation of the gospels and other early Christian texts. The gospels, for example, present contradictory pictures of Jesus at prayer. Only two contain anything like "the Lord's Prayer"--and even these disagree on the wording. And while the gospels generally agree that Jesus prayed alone, there is little reliable history for this.

The Jesus who prays in Jesus Before God--and who teaches how to pray today--challenged everyone to re-orient themselves. He pushed himself and others to bring themselves into the immediacy of God's domain, breaking through to a kind of praying that can hold mind and body, earth and heaven, and God and humans together.

About this edition

• Publisher: Polebridge Pr Westar Inst
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0944344755
• ISBN 13: 9780944344750
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160