Publishers Weekly
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Understanding how Jesus’s teachings have been misinterpreted can shed light on “everyday hassles global problems,” according to this flawed study from historian Levine (The Difficult Words of Jesus). Delving into such topics as healthcare, race, and immigration, Levine details how Jesus flouted traditional gender roles by remaining a bachelor, accepting single female followers, and “commending” men who made themselves eunuchs (via what the author suggests would today be called “gender reassignment surgery”). Elsewhere, Levine examines how Jesus healed the sick without regard to their social status, thereby opening “the conversation about... how so often those with economic resources receive better, and quicker, care.” Rather than maligning the rich, Jesus emphasized that they must use their resources constructively, Levine claims (“Jesus states, ‘You cannot serve God and wealth,’ but he is also aware that one can serve God with wealth”). Unfortunately, the author spends more time criticizing existing textual interpretations than providing her own, and the links she draws can feel forced and underdeveloped, as when she claims that a woman who “took a risk” by approaching Jesus from behind to seek healing “reminds us of those who enter drug trials, which may cure or kill, ease suffering or increase it.” Despite its worthy aims and a few bright spots, this stumbles. (Aug.)

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From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Scholar and prolific author Levine (The Bible with and without Jesus, 2020), who focuses on both Judaism and Christianity, here turns to Jesus' view of important issues prevalent in both his day and our own: economics, slavery, ethnicity and race, health care, and family values. Though the title implies this will be an easy read, actually, readers will need a familiarity with both Jewish and Christian scripture and scholarship to be able to grasp the issues raised. For instance, in the chapter on economics, which deals with wealth and its distribution, Levine takes a deep dive into the economics of biblical times and several parables, including that of the rich young man and the widow who gives her pittance to Jesus, referencing both the Gospels and Talmudic literature. Levine offers many thoughtful and interesting discussions, and for those who want a multilayered look at Jesus' teachings and how they still resonate, this should prove satisfying.