Pages: 182
Publisher: Intervarsity Press
Year: 2002
Author: Peter Kreeft
Peter Kreeft has written a simple, yet critical examination of the claims of Jesus as experienced through a pagan Greek philosopher - Socrates. It is through Socrates that Kreeft cuts through a lot of the theological jargon, asking what should be the foremost and basic questions when approaching the question "Who is Jesus?"
The book is written in the same fashion as his other Socrates meets... books. Names are often satire, some times biting and always relevant. The context is always modern day (at least at the time of writing) and the issues as relevant now as they were back then. Kreeft's use of satire does not come off as inappropriate or spiteful, but humorous (i.e., Professor Fesser, Bertha Broadmind) and light-hearted.
Kreeft's story picks up immediately after Socrates drinks hemlock juice, dying. He finds himself thrown 2,000 years in the future (1987) and registered at Have It University's Divinity school. He's introduced immediately to Bertha Broadmind, who saves his life a few times (not knowing what a taxi is, of course) while introducing him to the 'god of progress' (in the words of Socrates), the idea of fundamentalism and the nature of contemporary faith.
Socrates quickly discovers he's been enrolled in three classes which take up the focus of the book, Science and Religion Comparative Religions and Christology. In Science and Religion Socrates examines the nature of miracles -- are they unscientific? Here he meets Professor Flatland and Thomas Skeptic. In Comparative religions Socrates discusses the nature of religious claims and truth -- are they exclusive or mutual? As well as the claims surrounding the exclusivity of Jesus. Finally, Socrates finds himself in Christology class, where he meets Molly Mooney, Ahmen Ali Louiea, Solomon Etude, Sophia Sikh and Professor Fesser. It is in this class, the last portions of the book, that we encounter the Jewish idea of God, how those ideas translate into the New Testament and whether or not they are compatible with the claims of Jesus. Also discussed is the impact in the lives of the Apostles and disciples and whether their lives attest the message they believed was being preached.
I'm already a fan of Peter Kreeft's dialogue style of books and find this to be another significant addition to my library. Some might not like his 'Socratic method' which brings me to the only problem I can foresee with the book. While Kreeft is extremely clear in his thinking and I agree with him entirely. Some may not like that he paints traditional views of Jesus as wholly sensible, whereas competing interpretations (Jesus as an archetype, a myth projected backwards into church tradition, etc.) seem almost foolish. Though, I think like Lewis, Kreeft cuts to the heart of the issue and in this a lot of views seem increasingly justified the more people that believe it, the more books that are written on it, the more '-isms' you can attach to them. Kreeft asks one simple question, "What does the text say?" and leaves it at that. I like this, others won't, but foregoing that the book is a funny, enlightening and possibly corrective read that should be required. It is just too bad that the book is so short, under 200 pages.
With this book I think Peter Kreeft has managed to place himself under C.S. Lewis as the two top thinkers (An Anglican and a Catholic, go figure) who have most influenced the way I view things. Socrates Meets Jesus is an excellent book and highly recommended.
Suggested reading:
The Best Things in Life
The Unaborted Socrates
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