"We must begin our story of Jesus by granting him permission to surprise us endlessly...." ---from the Introduction

Jesus of Galilee taught through stories, which even today contain the power to startle us out of our prejudices and preconceptions. Now Father Andrew M. Greeley, one of America's most beloved storytellers, examines the parables told by Jesus in search of a fuller understanding of the man and his message.

This engaging and informal collection of homilies reveals a Jesus whose simple parables carry profound lessons about the Kingdom of Heaven. Along the way, Father Greeley touches on such provocative topics as the significance of Jesus's Jewish roots, his deep and revolutionary relationship with women, The Da Vinci Code, and The Passion of the Christ. He also singles out the four greatest parables, which best illustrate the infinite love and mercy of the God whose kingdom began with Jesus and continues even today.

As a storyteller, Jesus often surprised his listeners with unexpected twists that challenged them to see the world in a whole new light. Father Greeley's insightful tour of the Gospels provides a fresh look at the parables that strips away centuries of false and mistaken interpretations to get at the essential truth of who Jesus really was and what he believed.

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Praise for this book

“Father Andrew Greeley is well known for his sometimes spicy murder mysteries and his always progressive view of religion in general and the Catholic Church in particular. It comes as no surprise that he would pen this delightful exploration of Jesus' relationships with women. Focusing largely on the parables, the book brings fresh meaning to these familiar stories, infusing them with what Greeley terms 'the good news of a Great Surprise,' the marvelous revelation of God's love and acceptance of women in a largely male-dominated society. Many of the women are unnamed--the Samaritan woman, the woman at the well, etc.--and some are named, like Mary of Magdala, who may have had a romantic relationship with Jesus. Greeley is certainly a prolific author--he's written some 50 works of fiction and more than 100 works of nonfiction--and this book illustrates why he is so popular. He takes the familiar--in this case, the parables of Jesus--and infuses it with new life and meaning. He leaves behind the dour, solemn proclamations of the church fathers and reminds us that 'Jesus delights in surprising those he loves.' In fact, Greeley's observations go far beyond Jesus' relationships with women, reminding us that God's love extends to even the least of us.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Those who consider Greeley the novelist as an unacquirable taste and Greeley the sociologist as an argument that economics isn't the only dismal science may find Greeley the homilist quite something else. Jesus, he says, is best viewed as a surprise and a constant surpriser, from the Annunciation to the Resurrection and beyond, when he appeared to many of his followers as at first unrecognizable and then, suddenly, as the risen Christ. Equally surprising for his ethnicity-, class-, and gender-hierarchalized place and time, he revealed himself risen first to a woman. That, however, Greeley says, wasn't surprising for Jesus, whose relations with women, reviewed in the heart of the book, were, Greeley argues, absolutely equitable, just, and merciful. Proceeding to the parables, Greeley renames some (e.g., 'The Prodigal Father') to emphasize the figure in them whose love reassures us of God's unchanging reality, and discusses others, such as that of the wise and foolish virgins, that urge prompt, fitting response to God's call. As engaging and refreshing as traditional preaching should always be.” —Ray Olson, Booklist




About the Author

Priest, sociologist, author, and journalist, Father Andrew M. Greeley (1928-2013) was the author of over 50 bestselling novels and more than 100 works of nonfiction. His novels include the Bishop Blackie Ryan series, including The Archbishop in Andalusia; the Nuala Anne McGrail series, including Irish Tweed; the O’Malley Family Saga, including A Midwinter’s Tale; and standalones such as Home for Christmas and The Cardinal Sins.

A leading spokesperson for generations of Catholics, Father Greeley unflinchingly urged his beloved Church to become more responsive to believers’ evolving concerns. He chronicled his service to the Church in two autobiographies, Confessions of a Parish Priest and Furthermore!


Title: Jesus : A Meditation on His Stories and His Relationships with Women
Author(s): Andrew M. Greeley
ISBN: 9781429920643
Copyright 2007
Release Date: March 06, 2007
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: mobi,ePub | Learn More about our supported formats
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