BOOK REVIEW
Zacharias' JESUS AMONG OTHER GODS
By Nancy Caine
CBN.com -
In a society characterized by belief systems all claiming to produce
spiritual fullness, how does one choose the real bread of life?
In the book Jesus Among Other Gods (Word), Christian apologist
Ravi Zacharias tackles these kinds of tough questions posed by postmodern
people. Are all religions equally valid? Can one determine spiritual
truth? Does man even need God? Don’t Buddha, Mohammed
and Jesus all merely represent different paths to the same God?
Jesus Among Other Gods focuses on the major world religions
of Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. The author compares
the claims of Jesus Christ with those of the spiritual leaders of
other religions.
Helpful insight in the blending of Eastern and Western understanding
is laced throughout the book. Zacharias has lived in both
cultures. From that perspective, he brings in cultural nuances and
observations many authors would miss.
In this serious work, Zacharias presents the clear differences between
who Jesus said He is and how Jesus lived His life, contrasted with
the life and claims of other religious leaders. The focus of the
book is Jesus’ distinctive response to questions of identity
and origin.
At the beginning of the new millennium, Christians find themselves
to be living in a religiously sensitive time. “Philosophically,
you can believe anything, so long as you do not claim it to be true,”
Zacharias said. “Morally, you can practice anything, so long
as you do not claim it to be a 'better' way. Religiously,
you can hold to anything, so long as you do not bring Jesus Christ
into it. How does one, to a mood such as this, communicate the message
of Jesus Christ, in which Truth and absoluteness are not only assumed,
but sustained?"
Particularly helpful is the author’s discussion of the explanation
for evil and suffering. Every worldview must give an account, and
the Christian perspective stands as unique and coherent when compared
to fatalistic religious thought or confusing messages of pantheism.
For those interested in apologetics, this book is superior. The
author offers so much interesting religious detail from other traditions,
both from their scriptures and from his own observation of non-Christian
cultures. His research effectively highlights the differences between
the faiths. Throughout the work, Zacharias remains non-judgmental
but highly persuasive, in a discussion that ultimately points to
the many factors proclaiming the uniqueness of Jesus.
About the Author
Ravi Zacharias is the author of numerous books on Christian thought,
including Can Man Live Without God and Deliver Us From
Evil. He is president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
Born in India, he has lectured about Christian apologetics and debated
related topics throughout the world.
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