• The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus

  • What's So Good About the Good News?
  • By: Peter J. Gomes
  • Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
  • Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (50 ratings)

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The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus  By  cover art

The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus

By: Peter J. Gomes
Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
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Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author and renowned Harvard preacher Peter J. Gomes takes on the hot-button issues in the world today by returning to Jesus' message.

"What did Jesus preach?" asks the esteemed Harvard pastor, who believes that excessive focus on the Bible and doctrines about Jesus have led the Christian church astray. To recover the transformative power of the gospel, "the good news", Gomes says we must go beyond the Bible and rediscover how to live out Jesus' original revolutionary message of hope.

With eloquence and insight, using examples from ancient times as well as modern pop culture, Gomes shows us why the good news is every bit as relevant today as it was when first preached.

©2007 Peter J. Gomes (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"An incisive original....[Gomes is] a born storyteller." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Peter Gomes is rightly acclaimed as one of America's most compelling preachers." (Harvey Cox, author of Fire from Heaven)

What listeners say about The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Thoughtful and Important Book

Peter Gomes compellingly argues that the Gospel of Jesus points to a future of hope and not toward religious nostalgia for a time that has never been. This book will seem 'liberal' to some because the Rev. Gomes argues for the inclusion of all people in the Kingdom which Jesus preached and for which he died and rose again. Rev. Gomes challenges those who see in the Bible the only legitimate expression of the Good News. Rev. Gomes calls for a renewal of the social gospel: the idea that the Christian community exists to challenge the conventional wisdom of society rather than act as an agent of the status quo which usually oppresses the poorest and the hungriest for God's grace.

For those who are understand themselves to be fundamentalists or who long for some mythical age of Christian virtue and power which never existed this book will be troubling. For liberal Christians who neglect the power and centrality of the Bible in any movement for Christian social justice, this book will be troubling. For those who view faith as a private, "spiritual" journey, this book will be troubling.

To be troubled by the erudition and wit of Rev. Gomes is a healthy opportunity for the soul.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Narrator

I am highly disappointed by the choice of narrator. Having read the book prior, and having heard the author in-person, the individual selected to narrate this book was made in error. Very disappointing.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Content Poor Narration

I loved the contents of this book, but hated the narration. The Narrator has a pompous tone when reading straight text, and then used fake accents when reading quotes within the text.

A great disservice to a book crammed with legitimate "Good News"!

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Nonsensical

This is a long political diatribe about how the author thinks Jesus would want people to act. He picks out a very few scriptures and interprets them to fit his beliefs. The "gospel" he refers to is social justice. Save your money and give it to the poor instead of buying this audiobook.

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5 people found this helpful