The Jesus Advantage: A New Approach to a Fuller Life

Dr. Donoghue's book is an extraordinary gift for anyone in need of a resource for teaching or studying scripture. It is written in an accessible style but is very thoughtful in its examination and reflection on Jesus's life and teachings.As a parish priest I especially appreciate the down to earth applications of Dr. Donoghue's references to scripture, which make the familiar stories come alive with new meaning and depth.The study guide which is available for facilitating discussion of the book, seems a perfect outline for any course in christian formation or Lenten series.Dr. Donoghue is very honest in his sharing of his own experiences as a person of faith in a struggle to apply the words and actions of Jesus to our daily lives. It is even more enlightening to think that these words and actions can actually help us to be healthier and happier.I can without hesitation recommend this book to anyone who would like to live a life that can be changed and enriched by the wisdom and love contained in the gospels and made so real by the profound reflections of Dr. Donoghue.

In this book Jesus is brought beautifully to life, not only in the pure message of his words, but also in the way he felt and responded, the way he paid attention to and reached out to those he encountered. Here is a man who lived fully through his hurt and delight, his anger and warmth. The richness of this portrait is interwoven with scenes from the lives of those Paul Dononghue has encountered who have struggled to find an inner peace that comes from living authentically and in faith. What becomes wonderfully evident is the immediate relevance of Jesus as model for living a rich spiritual life that is also realistic and down to earth. Captivating and informative, I believe this book will aid and inspire anyone seeking such a life.

In "The Jesus Advantage", priest and psychologist Paul Donoghue suggests a new model for those seeking help and support to live into their full humanity - Jesus. Too often, it seems that Jesus is depicted either as judgmental, angry and punitive: or meek and mild beyond all reason. The Jesus as illustated Dr. Donoghue's Scriptural examples is a full, rich and complex human being, a person who gets angry, is sad, feels betrayed and hurt, and expresses his feelings fully. This Jesus is one that resonates with the words "fully human and fully divine." This book is eminently readable, gentle and sane. Its one fault was that parts of it struck me as very mildly and unconsciously sexist, in that he tends to speak of women in terms of their relationships and appearance, but men in terms of their jobs. This could, however, be simply a function of the population he sees. Other than that very minor point, it is a wonderfully refreshing spiritual resource, one that should be widely read and enjoyed.

Each year I look for a book to read during Lent that will inspire me and assist me to live my Christian values. I have found the perfect source of inpiration in the Jesus Advantage. Paul Donoghue reveals a human Jesus Christ who is our model of emotional and spiritual maturity. Using scripture he shows us how Jesus Christ lived his loving and authentic life and how we we can look realistically to him as a model in every aspect of our lives. The author uses stories from his own life and the lives of others to demonstrate how we fail to live up to our model. Then he masterfully shows us the practical way of fulfilling our desire to live as Jesus Christ did. I recommend The Jesus Advantage wholeheartedly

From the first captivating sentence to the moving profound conclusion, this book is packed with insights so fresh it sparkles with energy, yet so sensible you'll wonder why it was not explained long ago. The divinity of Jesus depicted here shines through human eyes, inviting the reader to actually believe that the same Godliness can shine through him or her. Paul Donoghue makes the case that we must first see more clearly just how Jesus models a full integration of both psychological and spiritual wholeness and then succeeds beautifully to show how to pay attention to the life of Jesus in a way that produces practical, meaningful self-knowledge. I am very grateful for the appearance of this book.