Jesus Christ: The Jesus of History, the Christ of Faith

Porter, Professor Emeritus of Theology at Exeter University, uses a combination of art, photography, visually interesting page layout and well-written narrative to tell the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Potter's account unfolds in traditional order. The author begins with a discussion of the geographical, religious, political and social background and then proceeds to reconstruct Jesus' life following the gospel stories of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Porter's book is filled with the type of details that will fascinate many people interested in the everyday life of Jesus. The author, for example, notes that the term carpenter, which was applied to Jesus, did not necessarily imply that he was poor. At the time, a carpenter usually owned considerable property, including an expensive set of tools. In ""Interpretations,"" Porter explores the diverse ways in which Jesus' life has been interpreted. These include short discussions of how Jesus saw his own ministry, the various ways in which the early Christians interpreted Jesus' life and teachings and some valuable discussions of such matters as ""Jesus and Feminism"" and ""Jesus and Islam."" The last section of the book, ""Jesus in Art,"" written by Jennifer Stokes, a well-known English writer on art, discusses the various ways in which artists have represented events in Christ's life. The average educated reader, who knows little about current New Testament research, will find the book to be an insightful, thought-provoking introduction to a complex subject. (Apr.)