Synopsis
What was Jesus really like? The portrayals John Lampen got in childhood lacked vitality, so he returned to the records to discover Jesus for himself and found “an extraordinary man who was very different from what I expected.” In addition to offering a vivid description of “a man who was intensely alive,” John Lampen discusses how he created this portrait by sifting through varied and sometimes contradictory evidence to determine what is most likely to be true. Readers who are interested in Jesus as a historical figure, as well as those who seek to follow his teachings, will find much to think about in this portrayal. Discussion questions included.
About the Author(s)
John Lampen, a member of Stourbridge Local Meeting in Britain Yearly Meeting, lived and worked in Northern Ireland from 1983 to 1994 with his wife Diana, as described in this pamphlet. Then they became freelance consultants/trainers in constructive conflict handling. Based in Britain, they have participated in postwar reconstruction, often working with children and teachers, with repeated visits to the former Yugoslavia, South Africa, Uganda, Denmark, the former Soviet Union, and the United States of America.
Among John’s books are Mending Hurts (the 1987 Swarthmore Lecture at Britain Yearly Meeting); The Peace Kit: Everyday Peacemaking for Young People, The Worship Kit, and Findings: Poets and the Crisis of Faith (PHP #310). He edited No Alternative: Nonviolent Responses to Repressive Regimes and (with Brian Phillips) Endeavours to Mend about Quaker work in today’s world.
Pendle Hill Pamphlet #441
