Andy G. (andygaus) reviewed There's plenty of silence to go around on 4/20/2009 + 4 more book reviews

This book asks what may be inferred from all the things that Jesus did NOT say. The discussions are interesting and raise points that deserve further examination. However, the fundamental premise of reasoning from what the Gospels do not say is diluted in its strength by the fact that the Gospels actually say very little and are remarkably silent about all sorts of things. What did Jesus look like? Was he single or married? How did he feel about slavery (which figures heavily in his parables but is not the subject of direct moral pronouncements)? How did he survive? Did he pass the hat when he gave sermons? Did he have well-to-do supporters (possibly including the Mary, Martha and Lazarus family in Bethany)? Paul supported himself with tentmaking while preaching the good news. Did Jesus continue to work construction as a carpenter during any of the period where he was also starting to preach? Did he really take an entirely otherworldly attitude about the Roman occupation of his homeland? There is so much silence in the Gospels that almost anything could be read into it. Perhaps a more solid approach to "the silence of Jesus" is simply to point out that certain preachers preach a Scripture that just isn't there: Jesus doesn't promise his followers financial prosperity, he doesn't condemn homosexuality or even sex before marriage (not that he would have necessarily approved), and in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, he makes no claim to be God. That much "silence of Jesus" is worth noting.

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