The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind--A New Perspective on Christ and His Message

First of all: this is a must-read for anyone who calls him/herself a Christian, or has some interest about what Christianity and Jezus might be about.Second: critique is always possible on minor points. I have some as well, but these do not diminish in any way the great vista this book opens.Third: when I had gone through the published reviews, it hit me that many reviewers seem to have read through their familiar lenses, armored with what the churches have made of Jezus in the course of 2000 years. But what Bourgeault essentially is saying, like all teachers of perennial wisdom, is that it is luggage, hearsay evidence. What is said, you have only heard, but it is not your own experience.Fourth: once Jezus was a living teacher, maybe one of the greatest, but we have others, even in our lifetimes. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (and others) are not saying anything much different from what Jezus has said, be it that the "Eastern flavor" is much more present with Maharaj.The essential difference, as far as I can see, between Jezus and others is explained on page 55, where Bourgeault argues that Jezus shows that non-dual consciousness is an integral part of reality, where Eastern masters leave us with descriptions of reality as a mirage or a dream. It is my experience that Jezus is right.The book shows that direct experience - not reading Jezus with all your luggage on your back - shows a "way out of duality", which, after travelling this road, cannot be said anymore, because duality never was.Fifth: the first part of the book is about this teaching. This is the must-read part. The next two sections tell about (Christian) ways out of duality. I suspect that there is no (Christian or any other) universal way, -that's the trouble with orthodox Christianity and any other religion- except the direct experience itself. You have to be found by your own way. But how you embark on that journey and what will befall you is pure chance, that is, only in hindsight it will make sense. Maybe there is one suggestion here: read the book, leave your luggage behind and become an expert in light travelling, or, as Jezus himself says in the Beatitudes and elswhere, become "poor in spirit" or "as a child".

I needed this for my religious studies class and I found it super interesting!

I am not religious. I am not academic and this is certainly not a book I would have searched out or read on my own were it not brought directly to me by unexplained events. My husband and I were actually attending a meditation retreat when I randomly picked this book up in their library while waiting for dinner one evening. It was hidden among my more familiar authors of Marianne WIlliamson and Eckart Tolle. I am not sure WHY I picked it up other than it being Divinely led TO me. I am confident ANY other time that I'd scan the back of the book to have read Cynthia Bourgeault was a Episcopal priest I would have immediately placed it back on the shelf. (organized religion is not my cup of tea) I know for sure any other time I'd have flipped through the book to see the highly intelligent "academic" type writing style, I also would have put it down...but something made me carry this book over to the nearest chair to start reading...and I couldn't put it down. Clear, deep and profound insights into new ways of inviting thought provoking new ways of looking at Jesus and the messages he's left for us. It's been a new "wow" for me and opened up a whole new world of thought. This book, and the wisdom of Cynthia's teachings, have been like hiring my own personal coach & spiritual leader, urging me on to walk the walk of Godliness as Jesus really taught. I have since been into several of her books and have loved them all.

Bourgeault has written pearl of a book here. I highly recommend this book for those who are seeking to explore and live the Gospel's deep and eternal wisdom. Indeed, for those who wish to embrace and walk the path of Kenosis - this book is for you. There are points within the work of absolute and stunning revelation. One of the highlights was on the topic of the Passion and here below you can get a really good sense of her style and approach.".......he sat there with the ugliness and the pain, the fear, the egos Jesus was surrounded by, the darkness, the deepest most alienated and most constricted states of pained consciousness.....Jesus was sitting there with the faces of the collective false self.....The anguish of Judas, the indecision of Pilate, the cowardice of Peter, the sanctimony of the Pharisees....Jesus was sitting there in the midst of all the blackness, in all the shallow manipulative egocentrism the world could throw at him, not judging, not fixing, just sitting there, letting it be in love........and in so doing - he Jesus, was allowing love to go deeper, pressing all the way to the innermost ground out of which the opposites arise and holding that to the light (p 123)."I found her book provided positive hope and a practical path of living and embracing the Gospel truth - it's a bingo for me!

Bourgeault’s insights into seeing Jesus in the Eastern Wisdom tradition are very good. Though I am less impressed by the Gnostic gospels because they still seem too esoteric for the “person in the pew”. I believe the her writing helps readers to see the Wisdom Jesus in the Canonical gospels.

I was so excited to have a different take on the teachings of Jesus but honestly this book is disappointing. If you want to read a great book about Jesus, i would recommend Meggan Watterson’s book “mary magdalene revealed” (focused on her gospel, but super interesting) or “les lettres du Christ” - amazing book but not sure its been translated to english

A book which takes a different slant and in doing so illuminates a different way of seeing the gospels. I recommend this to anyone Christian or non Christian, so long as you have an open mind and are willing to consider new evidence and different possibilities.

Excellent, just what I was looking for. Meaning and depth.

Enjoyed reading and reflecting on its contents.

This book is very stimulating and creative. It offers fresh perspectives on the Christian life though some of the scriptural interpretations need a bit of thinking about.