Jesus' Story

Harry identifies ten stages in the origins, development and adaptation of the ideas of Jesus of Nazareth. Many of these stages are not discussed openly in churches. Jesus' Story is a fascinating mystery tour over three thousand years which demonstrates that politics, rather than theology, can be a main driver of change. Haryy discusses key questions.Where did Jesus' ideas come from? What did he teach and was this different to what the Gospel writers and St Paul said he taught? How did Jesus' teaching become widely known in the Roman Empire? How was Jesus' Story spread into Northern Europe in the Dark Ages? What was Christianity like in the Middle Ages? What happened at the Reformation and in the following three hundred years? Where are we today, and is there a need for a new sense of direction? As a retired lecturer in higher education, Harry explores Jesus' story from the point of view of an ordinary person educated in an age of science and technology, and he sets down thoughts so that others can examine them and identify where the agree with the thoughts or have a different understanding of the facts of the case. The theory is that Christians, generally examine the teaching of Jesus as searchers, hoping to gain an understanding of what life is about. However, as individuals, Christians are inspired by different things and they do not necessarily accept every aspect of orthodoc Christian doctrine. Jesus' Story is more about human nature and how people live with themselves and others, here and now, than it is about supernatural phenomena and eternity. Jesus' Story is the first stage in a wide-ranging discussion about the relevance of Christianity in the twenty-first century. It is written for thoughtful people generally, rather than for specialists. The book is radically different, challenging and controversial. Harry suggests that there is a need for a fundamental re-think by churches of the way they discuss Jesus' Story with members of the general public, while still supporting the right of churches and Christians to hold on to traditional ways of undertstanding the Bible, God, and Jesus..