What Jesus Meant is one of the most difficult books I’ve read in quite a while. The reading itself wasn’t exactly difficult per se; it was what Wills has to say that makes the book such a difficult read.

The premise of What Jesus Meant is that Jesus was a social radical for his time in a much greater way than contemporary Christianity usually understands Him, and His followers have generally misinterpreted Him, His words, and His actions ever since. Using historical contexts and quotes from the Gospels (Wills’ own translation), Wills has some very critical things to say about contemporary “Christian politics”, modern Christianity, the ways in which His teachings are (attempted to be) put into practice and manifested in our world today, and many other subjects.

I would love to reread this book with a discussion group or with a few of my friends. The book raised a lot of questions for me. Many of the things Wills touches on in his book I had an idea of already; I agreed with many of his points. However, there were several issues raised by Wills that I’m not sure I either understand completely or agree with (specifically, for example, some points about sexual ethics, and others about the Catholic priesthood). While reading What Jesus Meant, I got up several times to check find my Bible and check out passages Wills quotes from. Wills is very good about providing quotes and citations to back up his arguments.

Definitely a very thought-provoking book. I would love to explore Wills’ arguments more in depth, preferably with someone slightly more versed in Christian theology than I.