BOOK REVIEW: “The Jesus Inquest” is a lot of schtick …

When the message of a book is wrapped up in a quirky method of communicating its content, you often wind up with a whole lot of schtick and a lesser quality book. Such is the case of “The Jesus Inquest,” written by Charles Foster and published by Thomas Nelson.

Foster is a brilliant writer and lawyer, a tutor in medical law and ethics at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Green Templeton College. In “The Jesus Inquest” he set out to make the case both for and against the resurrection of Jesus Christ by writing as if he were a lawyer arguing both sides of the case in the setting of an inquest.

The method sounds interesting, but quickly falls flat.

Instead of being a legal drama providing compelling arguments that hold the reader, readers quickly get lost in a faux back and forth banter between lawyer X (arguing against the resurrection) and lawyer Y (arguing for the resurrection). The result is more like reading the dry record of a court case, including the legal caricatures raising every possible argument (almost no matter how ridiculous) in an attempt to prove their points.

What is disappointing is that Foster does have some excellent content and insights to provide, but they get lost in all the schtick of the book. Had he presented his material in a more straightforward manner, readers would have something of greater value and interest to read and use as a resource. Instead, you get a lot of schtick and little thoughtful presentation.

Scotty

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”