Jesus, Man of Joy

According to Wirt, former pastor and retired editor of Decision magazine, ""Jesus was a man of such gladness of Spirit, such freedom and openness and magnetism in His attitude, that He was irresistible."" Wirt contends that both early and contemporary Christianity have not fully recognized the importance of Jesus' joyful personality. The author asserts that Jesus never presented himself to his followers as a grave and somber holy man who emphasized some unreachable spiritual state of being. Using Scripture and personal anecdotes, Wirt fashions his claim that the spirit of the joyful Jesus may be seen most clearly today in various charismatic churches and revivals where uncontrollable laughter and joy often accompanies religious experiences of healing and conversion. He encourages Christians to look more closely at the Gospels to discover Jesus' openness to life, his freewheeling attitude and his charisma and to recover the joy of Jesus in their own life and faith. As Wirt says toward the end of the book, ""What a pity that Jesus was not presented to succeeding generations as He presented Himself to His own: not as a holy, mystical figure but as a vital human person."" Wirt's easy-to-read style and his uplifting message may inspire readers to see Jesus in a new light.(Feb.)