The Fractured Kingdom: Uniting Modern Christianity through the Historical Jesus
It was a great JOY for me to talk to Jean-Pierre Isbouts about THE FRACTURED KINGDOM. It is a marvelous book. Very inspiring and important. It brings to life Jesus through a historical view. It is a stunning story as it follows the events that formed the man.
This book is for readers to discover the origin stories of Christianity and uses the Lord’s Prayer as a guide to understand the essence of the message Jesus brought to the world. It’s not a long academic book—instead it is a book that makes you feel as if you were having a conversation with Prof. Isbouts. He has literally walked in the footsteps of Jesus and his passion is enthralling. The parallels to the events in the time of Jesus to those of today are remarkable. This is one of the “must read” books of the year. It’s inspiring and empowering.
A perfect gift book.
Since I interviewed Prof. Isbouts several years ago about his brilliant National Geographic book, IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS, I have thought about him often. That enormous book—with hundreds of gorgeous photographs of Israel—takes pride of place on my coffee table. Almost every day I pick up the book–it’s pretty hefty–and look through it. Most of the places in the book are familiar to me. I lived and worked in Lower Galilee so it brings back many fond memories.
I have invited Prof. Isbouts to return to Joy on Paper to talk about Vincent van Gogh and Salvador Dali.
About the book:
Modern Christianity is in the midst of a veritable schism along the fault lines of society’s culture wars. Only if we understand the origins of this split can we find our way to unity. Though few may realize it today, Jesus’s ministry unfolded in a crisis very similar to the one society is now battling. In fact, were it not for the truly catastrophic conditions in early 1st century Galilee, his reimagining of the three quintessential virtues of the Torah – social justice; compassion toward one another; and an abiding love of God – would have likely failed to attract a wide following.
Brilliantly tracing Jesus’s vision for the “Kingdom of God” from its origin up through modern times, Dr. Isbouts leads us to a possible antidote for the fiercely partisan moment in which we find ourselves: the Our Father.,,,
Listen out Interview
You will enjoy this fascinating book......
Praise for The Fractured Kingdom
“Dr. Jean-Pierre Isbouts hits the mark beautifully by pointing all of us living in an all-too divided nation to a different and better way forward, a way of love that is grounded in the familiar prayer that Jesus taught us. Readers will find a foundation for healing and wholeness in these pages.” ―Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and author of Love is the Way and The Power of Love
“I never cease to be amazed at the extraordinary insights and expansive knowledge of Jean Pierre Isbouts. The Fractured Kingdom speaks to not one generation, but many―past and future―about the perils of religious division. But, instead of leaving us there, Isbouts invites us to grab hold of the promises that an authentic, godly and life-giving faith can offer the great divides of our time. With the craftmanship of a gifted maestro, Isbout’s book is a symphony of possibility that reaches a crescendo of hope.” ―Russell J. Levenson, Jr. OStJ, Rector, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, and author of Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush
“The one subject Jesus spoke about more than any other was the Kingdom of God. In The Fractured Kingdom, Jean-Pierre Isbouts, using the Lord’s Prayer as a lens, vividly explicates what Jesus meant by God’s Kingdom. I believe this is a book for all of us who call ourselves Christians, regardless of what branch of the Church we call home. Isbouts shows us that what unites us is bigger than what divides us and Jesus needs all of us to be about the work Kingdom building.” ―Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean, Washington National Cathedral
