Synopses & Reviews
A dazzling presentation of the life and teachings of Jesus by the eminent scholar and translator Stephen Mitchell.
Review
"Mitchell has culled through the synoptic writings and given us brisk and accurate renderings, paired with his fascinating reflections on them and some apt comparisons to other philosophers, Zen masters, visionaries, and poets. This approach succeeds brilliantly. Jesus, or at least Mitchell's attractive portrait of him, leaps into life and will fire the interest of believers and nonbelievers alike." Harvey Cox
Review
"A masterpiece of immense power and permanence." Jim Harrison
Review
"Stephen Mitchell restores the lovely, fiery, utterly brave and unique voice of Jesus to us--and the result is a real gift, a blessing, even (one dares think) a moment of grace." Robert Coles
Review
"Mitchell's translations of the Tao Te Ching and The Book of Job are widely regarded as masterpieces; this book is even more valuable. We live in a civilization based on a twisted compromise of Jesus' teachings, and this very credible account of what Jesus may have actually said is a small but potent antidote." Michael Ventura
Review
"The Gospel According to Jesus is a bottomless text, so large-hearted that it can cause one to gasp with wonder and relief." Boston Sunday Globe
Review
"Countless authors have written about Jesus, but few have plucked such a resonant chord with readers...Unlike some studies of Jesus that become bogged down in bloodless academic disputation, The Gospel According to Jesus is a work of heart." Los Angeles Times Magazine
Review
"Mitchell relies on New Testament scholars and his own sense of Jesus's message to determine which sayings are authentic. Shorn of what the author calls the 'claptrap' of doctrines and rules, Mitchell's Jesus teaches his followers not to judge, or be angry, but to love one's enemies and God. By contrast, the 'Jesus' of the New Testament writers judges people, becomes angry and exclusivistic, and even claims to be divine. According to Mitchell, all we can know about Jesus's life was that he was illegitimate, was baptized by John, taught his disciples, performed miracles, and was crucified. The title 'Messiah' is considered part of a 'benign insanity,' and traditional Christians are called 'childish' and 'inferior.' Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and general readers." P.L. Redditt, Choice
Synopsis
The Gospel According to Jesus, by eminent scholar and translator Stephen Mitchell, is a unique presentation of the life and teachings of Christ. In this book, Mitchell does for the Gospels what he did for the Tao Te Ching: he uncovers in a great spiritual classic a depth, clarity, and radiance which have until now been obscured.
At the center of the book is a new translation of what might be called the Essential Gospel. Following the example of Thomas Jefferson's The Jefferson Bible, and using the most up-to-date scholarship, Mr. Mitchell has retained only the authentic sayings and doings of Jesus, and has omitted the passages added by the early church. What is left is an immensely provocative and moving image of Jesus as a real person and a great spiritual teacher.
The Gospel According to Jesus also features a meditation by the author on Jesus's life and teaching, along with detailed commentary on the text.
Stephen Mitchell was born in Brooklyn in 1943, educated at Amherst, the Sorbonne, and Yale, and de-educated through intensive Zen practice. His many books include the bestselling Tao Te Ching, Gilgamesh, and The Second Book of the Tao, as well as The Gospel According to Jesus, Bhagavad Gita, The Book of Job, and Meetings with the Archangel.
"Even more than his meticulous scholarship, his farsighted commentary and elegant translation, the greatest contribution Mitchell has to make is his generosity of spirit."
- Boston Sunday Globe
Synopsis
From Stephen Mitchell comes an interpretation of the Gospels that peels away the distortions regarding the character and teachings of Jesus that have accumulated over time
This translation of the life and teachings of Jesus creates an image of not only a great spiritual teacher, but of a real person. Eminent author and translator Stephen Mitchell's approach to the Gospels has been widely praised for its depth, clarity, and radiance. This is a stunning work for believers and non-believers alike.
About the Author
Stephen Mitchell attended Amherst, the University of Paris, and Yale. His many books include The Book of Job, Tao Te Ching, Parables and Portraits, The Gospel According to Jesus, A Book of Psalms, Ahead of All Parting: The Selected Poetry and Prose of Rainer Maria Rilke, and Genesis. Byron Katie, author of Loving What Is and an inspirational speaker.