Reflect: Becoming Yourself by Mirroring the Greatest Person in History

Williams, assistant professor of biblical and theological studies at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., utilizes the word reflect as an acronym (reason, emote, flip, love, elevate, create, transform) for the steps one can take to let “the most glorious being in existence” shine through into one’s own life. Williams describes Jesus and other acclaimed historical figures in detail, using their stories to show how spiritual, moral, cultural, and social leaders have used their particular systems of thought to help their acolytes achieve their full potential. Williams concludes that Jesus rises above all others, and that many influential figures have risen to prominence by “mirroring” Jesus. Scripture and prayer ground many of Williams’s points, but philosophical digressions and discussions of logic, reasoning, and catharsis bog down the text. Williams expertly explains the reasoning behind Jesus’s defense of Christian tenets to the Pharisees, but the exploration of catharsis and emotional tension is less clear. Williams’s book is appropriate for those with an academic interest in the influence of the historical Jesus on many significant historical figures. (Jan.)