July 15

Desire of the Everlasting Hills (1999)

By Thomas Cahill

Part of a 7-book series (including How the Irish Save Civilization and Gift from the Jews), Cahill again examines issues of faith.  This book provides a good look at the world into which Jesus came, interprets the four gospel writers, and generally reviews how the coming of Jesus impacted the world; it made me think through many of the truths I've known via the Bible and church history.  Compared with Ehrman's Triumph of Christianity (reviewed July 1) in which the writer sets the advent of Jesus in a world dominated by the Greek and Roman pantheon of gods, Cahill's emphasis is more on a world dominated by Jewish thought.  It's a really helpful read for the lay person, but so full of meat that it's worth another read.