Crux

"Christianity is, simply, Christ. Nothing more, nothing less. It is not an ideology, a philosophy, a social ethic, a cause, a core value or a worldview. Christianity is “the ‘good news’ that beauty, truth and goodness are found in a Person—a real and living Person who can be known, loved, and experienced—and that true humanity and community are founded on connection to that Person.” - The Jesus Manifesto, by Viola and Sweet

Don't Judge A Book By the Cover

I'd have to admit first that I am not a Frank Viola or Leonard Sweet fan. Viola is completely sold out to house churches and I've BTDT. Sweet is one of those authors who seems to me to enjoy reading what he writes out loud to himself while smiling at his wittiness. So when the publisher of the "Jesus Manifesto" offered pastors a free copy to evaluate, I almost didn't bother. I know, I know - free is good. But my prejudices against the authors almost won.

It would have been my loss.

I'm about a 100 pages in and this is really a wonderful book that restores the readers worship of and appreciation of Jesus. From the very beginning I have been treated to paragraph after paragraph lifting Jesus' name up and clearly explaining what the believer has in Christ. Reading it feels like worship to me. I get the feeling it felt like that to the authors too, because they will write a few paragraphs and pause and write "but there's more!"

This is shaping up to be one of the best books I have read in years.