To Know and Follow Jesus

To Know and Follow Jesus:Those who love Jesus Christ (IC-XC) have always desired to know Him better, thus, beautifully declares Thomas Hart. This book is so inspired by the Spirit of Truth, that if you only can afford having one book on Christology and Soteriology find this book, buy it used, borrow it, but just read it.Tears of my childhood:When I was a kid in Sunday school of St. George and St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church, in Alexandria, Egypt, I heard my first lesson in Christology; the condemnation of Dioscorus in the schismatic counsel of Chalcedon. I walked back home with a broken heart, why should those called "Christians" fight over a word, why of and in two natures make that serious difference. Behold, if this book was written thirty years earlier!It could have helped to heal the wound of knowledge of the smitten kid. Who do people say 'I Am'?Now Dr. Hart; using his talents as a professor and counselor; tells us in a friendly way what Baillie, Rahner, Schoonenberg, Tillich, and others. In a concise and clear English he leads us through the overwhelming and confusing flood of recent studies about Jesus Christ (as : our lord and Savior) Chalcedon and the historical Jesus:Now Thomas in the same spirit of his namesake formulates his critique of Chalcedon, and invites R. Brown, J. Fitzmyer, J.Knox, using the scripture as the vital source for philosophy. He questions Thomas Aquinas use of Aristotelian philosophy, and even dares to state" The New Testament does not speak of two natures in one person,..." Now he rightly qualifies Chalcedon : "a monument in the history of theological reflections on Jesus"To follow Jesus, know him:This is the beauty of this book, Thomas N. Hart (N. may stand for his description as Neo-thomist or more properly Neo-Scolastic), leads us in the way of knowledge (ch. 1-5): I. The experience of salvation, II. Christian discipleship, V. The inner experience of Jesus. To know IC XC is to love him, this is true salvation that the Alexandrine fathers taught.Afterward: This book does not maintain an index, in exchange, suggestions for further readings, an exhaustive list but up to the point. Daniel O'Hanlon comments;"This is the kind of book that leaves the reader feeling nourished and refreshed."