"Jesus Shock" - Peter Kreeft

[p.falk]

I really enjoy listening to Kreeft give speeches. There's so much innocent excitement and those speeches hop all over the place. Frustratingly - this book feels like a speech of his. While enjoyable to watch and listen to, not as much fun when you're reading it.

Still, not a bad book. Short, and a large chunk of it is passages right from the Bible. The speech he gives on the same topic was a bit more rewarding. He states that "Jesus Shock" is his best book... I've only read one other (Socrates Meets Jesus); but, I might have to pass on his novel "An Ocean Full of Angels".

[gherkin]

I'll confess I'm not a big fan of Kreeft's writing myself, but I do think he's got a lot of good stuff to say. I haven't read this particular book, but I am glad to see you here doing these reviews!

[p.falk]

Thanks gherkin, means a lot to hear that from you.

One of the best parts of Jesus Shock was Kreeft talking about how Christ in your life is joy, even if you don't immediately feel a sense of joy. Prior to this section he talks about how we are "feeling addicts".... we need to feel something before we trust it. We need to have those warm fuzzies (he doesn't use this phrase) before we believe we actually have joy. How God wants to break us from this feeling-addiction, not that feelings are bad. But to trust that even if we don't have a big grin on our faces.... if we have a life focused on Christ, then we have true joy in our lives.

Might be pretty basic to some, but it meant much to me to read that.

[Kage_ar]

I'm a Kreeft fangirl.

"Jesus Shock" is a book I've given away quite a few times.

[p.falk]

The funny thing about the book is that it's lingered so much with me.... especially Kreeft's point of joy being having Christ in your life.... not necessarily the affective features of joy. And it's dovetailed quite nicely with something in the book Kim (by Rudyard Kipling) that I'm reading. Where the pious buddhist lama needs to find the salvation "out there".... we, as Christians, have it "in here".

[BobCatholic]

I like Kreeft.

His website has some great material which I enjoy listening to.