SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 8, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- One of the popular questions of the past few years has been, "What would Jesus do?" What would Jesus really do today? What would he think about the massive worship of him? In a new book, Christ! I Want Your Body: A Layman's Search for the Church Representing the Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth (now available through 1stBooks), James J. Jordan brings together his own ideas with those of more than 100 scholars of religion to discuss the teachings of the church (the "body of Christ") and details how they correspond with data about the recently understood beliefs of Jesus.
Jordan's book is meant to challenge fundamentalists and restore the faith for those who have lost a connection with the teachings of their religion. For those discontented with the rituals and creeds of the institution of the church, this book shines new light on what scholars believe Jesus' legacy really means.
What would Jesus do or say about the Christian church if he were to return today? Jordan poses this question to readers and has gathered the expertise of authors, religious leaders and scholars to answer it. By using ancient Christian letters, researching the early influences on the church like the Roman empire and examining the Old and New Testaments, he brings together great minds to discuss the debate regarding the "realm of the Spirit," the commandments and Jesus' teachings about behavior contrasted with the dogmas surrounding certain Christian traditions such as communion and physical resurrection.
Jordan is sure to spark debate with this book. He writes that Jesus might not be wholly satisfied with how he is portrayed as the "only" son of God, sitting on the golden throne of Heaven with millions bowing their heads. Instead, Jordan believes, Jesus would be horrified at the misunderstanding of his teachings of love, compassion and service to others, which were based on the idea that each person houses the spirit of God within them, making no person better than anyone else.
Jordan is a California licensed architect, master commissioner for the California Architects Board, retired professional engineer and computer programmer. Now in his late 70s, he leads classes on the development of Christianity and shares his knowledge in his first book, Christ! I Want Your Body, which is listed with five stars on Amazon.com.
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