Our Spring Book Study is Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was, by Gerhard Lohfink. This discussion will be led by Father David Haschka, S.J. Father Haschka describes it as "A serious scholarly book that is, at the same time, quite accessible to the lay reader who is willing to invest the time and energy." This book was the America Magazine Catholic Book Club selection for 2018. More information about the author is available here.
We will cover about 4 chapters each week with “Questions for Discussion” provided in advance.
Here are reviews by notable members of the Jesuit community about the book:
Grounded in the most careful study of the historical Jesus and enlivened by a deep faith in the Risen Christ, this book will be of inestimable use to everyone from scholars to seekers and will most likely become a classic. It is that rarest of books on Jesus in which the author combines solid exegetical work with a profound sense of the spiritual. On top of that, it's beautifully written (and here, translated). Lohfink's book is in every way a joy. James Martin, S.J. America Magazine
Lohfink’s Jesus of Nazareth is the best Jesus book I know. It is solidly based on sound biblical scholarship, full of fresh theological insights, respectful of the Gospels and their portraits of Jesus, and beautifully expressed. It is especially effective in highlighting the centrality of God’s reign and Israel as God’s people in Jesus’ life and work. Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., Professor of New Testament, Boston College School of Theology