Story: Recapture the Mystery
Starred Review.Nationally recognized storyteller James peels away the veneer of utilitarianism and law often associated with the Christian Bible to uncover the poetry and powerful imagery of its story. Using evocative language and his own poems, James retells the story of the Bible, beginning with Adam and Eve and ending with the resurrection of Jesus celebrated on Easter. Don't expect a textbook study of the Christian worldview; instead, come along for a journey full of wonder, tears, joy, despair and hope revealed through the eyes and heart of a storyteller. This is a change from the how-to lists, topical studies and exegesis so often associated with Christian nonfiction books, so readers may take a while to fall into James's language of image and emotion. It's worth the time, however, to come away with a new understanding of the powerful story revealed through the sacrifice of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Those seeking a new vision of the Easter story will find it here. "Easter has lots of lilies and spring hats and piles of fake, green, curly plastic grass stuff, but none of that has anything to do with the raw reality of a bloody cross and the final hope of the empty tomb," says James. (Feb.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.