The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault

Cynthia Bourgeault is an Episcopal priest, a contemplative, and a renown writer and teacher of spirituality. Her book The Wisdom Jesus incorporates the most progressive thought about the nature of Jesus and what he taught. One interesting aspect is that Bourgeault tries (unsuccessfully, I believe) to marry modern thought to the Episcopalianism she loves. She starts off with the Nicene Creed and I couldn't help thinking, "Oh, the Bishop made her put it there," because she moves right into what you could call new age thought, the liberal religious tradition, metaphysical Christianity, mysticism (ancient and modern) or just plain spirituality. She even admits that "... Christianity was changed into a religion about Jesus rather than a religion of Jesus" which is what the liberal Christian tradition has said all along. Like Bishop John Shelby Spong, she seems to want to rescue her church from becoming obsolete by coaxing it beyond literal interpretation of creeds and Bible stories into a sophisticated spirituality (what Dawkins calls "Einsteinian religion") that doesn't expect logical and sensible people to park their intelligence at the door when they come to church. The Wisdom Jesus is a wonderful, wonderful book, well written in a thoughtful and erudite manner, yet very accessible.