{"id":5446,"date":"2014-06-03T22:58:18","date_gmt":"2014-06-04T04:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/?p=5446"},"modified":"2020-09-10T15:08:21","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T21:08:21","slug":"under-the-influence-of-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/03\/under-the-influence-of-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Under the Influence of Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"UnderInfluenceBlogTour\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think the average Catholic has a clue what difference Jesus makes.<\/p>\n

Oh sure, they\u2019ve heard homilies, listened to gospel stories, and read about the doctrines about Jesus in their CCD classes as children.<\/p>\n

But do they understand what Jesus can do for them? Why it\u2019s better to believe in him? How he can change them?<\/p>\n

I\u2019d say no. That\u2019s because Catholics talk a lot about the \u201cwhat\u201d and \u201cwhen\u201d and \u201cwhere,\u201d but precious little about the \u201cwhy\u201d and \u201chow\u201d and \u201chow come.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Joe Paprocki\u2019s out to change that.
\n<\/p>\n

Preaching the kerygma<\/h2>\n

In Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ<\/em>, Paprocki seeks to recover the powerful message that drove conversion in\u00a0the early Church–the \u201ckerygma.\u201d This was\u00a0the initial proclamation of why Jesus Christ was such good news.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhenever the apostles approached a crowd that would be hearing about the risen Christ for the first time, they relied on this type of speech\u2014a simple, basic, Jesus-centered proclamation designed to foster conversion. This is precisely the type of proclamation of the gospel that is urgently needed and indeed required for the New Evangelization\u201d (p. xii).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The book is very evangelical\u00a0in itself. It\u2019s not simply a book about Jesus but what life is like with Jesus.<\/p>\n

This kerygmatic presentation begins by identifying our core, fundamental\u00a0need\u2014security.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cTo be secure means to be free from danger, free from fear, and free from cares and worries\u2026.We long to be in a place or a state where nothing can hurt us and where no obstacle can keep us from our deepest desires\u201d (p. 2).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We can fill up our lives with money, change our circumstances, or try to deaden our senses to the reality of our fear, but eventually the futility will catch up to us.<\/p>\n

At some point we\u2019ll find ourselves, like Roger Daltrey of The Who, shouting, \u201cGod there\u2019s got to be a better way!\u201d And, if we\u2019re listening, God will tell us there is\u2026the Kingdom of God!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an alternate reality where the rules of the world don\u2019t apply and security comes, not by gaining more power, but by giving it away.<\/p>\n

A fresh repackaging of the gospel<\/h2>\n

This book, in a slightly offbeat way, shows you the difference Jesus can make in your life. And that\u2019s the power of it.<\/p>\n

The average cradle Catholic has heard the miracles stories, learned the fruits of the Spirit, and been told Jesus came to save us, but most have never really understood what that meant to them. In this book, Paprocki \u201crepackages\u201d these basic concepts so they have everyday meaning.<\/p>\n

In the process, these often too familiar topics become fresh and get you to think about how they might apply to you.<\/p>\n

Here are some examples of this repackaging:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The Kingdom of God is an alternate reality where people talk and act differently.<\/li>\n
  • Jesus is the \u201cposter child,\u201d the front man, of the Kingdom who establishes his credibility as the King\u00a0through miracles.<\/li>\n
  • Miracles are signs that show Jesus\u00a0has the power to defeat our greatest fears and give us the security we crave.<\/li>\n
  • The Cross is a new kind of weapon for a different kind of army. It\u2019s power is selfless love and it can defeat your\u00a0greatest fear\u00a0of all\u2026death.<\/li>\n
  • The three traditional forms of penance are keystone habits–three ways to pick up your cross and follow Jesus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Not merely an intellectual exercise<\/h2>\n

    I also like that the book calls the reader to action.<\/p>\n

    This is\u00a0not\u00a0merely\u00a0an intellectual investigation of Jesus. If these new realities resonate with you and you realize you want them, it will require something from you. You must repent and change.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u201cThe message is clear: to participate fully in the accomplishment of the cross, we must dis-identify with a former, defeated way of living and identity with a new way\u2014a kingdom way\u2014of life. The way to do this is to give in to our craving for God\u201d (p. 58).<\/p>\n

    \u201cTo be a disciple of Christ requires more than an intellectual acknowledgment of God\u2019s existence. It means more than accumulating knowledge about Jesus. Rather, it is an experience of friendship with God. It is an experience of getting out of our minds so that, as St. Paul wrote, we many \u2018have the mind of Christ\u2019\u201d (p. 87).<\/p>\n

    \u201cConversion reaches its climax when we can truly say good-bye to a former way of living and being and embrace a new way of living and thriving under the influence of the mind of Christ\u201d (p. 123).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    A book for the New Evangelization<\/h2>\n

    This is a New Evangelization book.<\/p>\n

    For someone with no Christian background, it’s a great introduction to the basic “why”\u00a0of Christianity. Paprocki writes\u00a0in easy to understand language, devoid of insider lingo and “Church speak.” \u00a0His repackaging will resonate with seekers\u00a0and makes\u00a0a perfect primer for the non-Christian.<\/p>\n

    For the cradle Catholic who\u2019s lost his faith or perhaps never really found\u00a0it, this book explains\u00a0Catholicism in a fresh, new way that makes sense and awards\u00a0a different perspective. It’s sure to resonate with\u00a0\u00a0fallen-away Catholics and give them the all-important reasons behind the\u00a0seemingly random, useless stuff they did as kids.<\/p>\n

    So take a look at Under the Influence of Jesus<\/em>. If you’re a catechist, get it for yourself. This may provide your own much needed foundation on the kerygma.<\/p>\n

    Or, give it to a friend who’s struggling with the Church. It might give\u00a0the perspective they need to open up and receive more of Jesus’ influence in their lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I don\u2019t think the average Catholic has a clue what difference Jesus makes. Oh sure, they\u2019ve heard homilies, listened to gospel stories, and read about the doctrines about Jesus in their CCD classes as children. But do they understand what Jesus can do for them? Why it\u2019s better to believe in him? How he can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews","category-faith","post-wrapper","thrv_wrapper"],"yoast_head":"\nBook Review: Under the Influence of Jesus - Marc Cardaronella<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/03\/under-the-influence-of-jesus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Book Review: Under the Influence of Jesus - Marc Cardaronella\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I don\u2019t think the average Catholic has a clue what difference Jesus makes. 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