Bothered by book: Greatest Story Ever Told (F Oursler)

[St_Francis]

This is the book about the life of Christ, and it seems like every few pages I am seriously bothered by something in it: the Aunnunciation, where Mary’s perpetual virginity was not at all in evidence; the meeting in the Temple with Simeon was shown as a sort of cave-dwelling oddball; Christ’s (fictional) “first viewing” of the Temple, where He wondered why the people had to sacrifice animals;…

Does anyone else have this reaction? Most seem to think it’s a really great book, but The only reason I am still reading it is that it is about Christ and people say it’s good. Another book that bothered me this much would have been long gone.

 

[7_Sorrows]

If it bothers you, you don’t have to read it. Is this a book the movie was based on? Is the author Catholic? I have not read the book.

 

[Dorothy]

This is the book about the life of Christ, and it seems like every few pages I am seriously bothered by something in it: the Aunnunciation, where Mary’s perpetual virginity was not at all in evidence; the meeting in the Temple with Simeon was shown as a sort of cave-dwelling oddball; Christ’s (fictional) “first viewing” of the Temple, where He wondered why the people had to sacrifice animals;…

Does anyone else have this reaction? Most seem to think it’s a really great book, but The only reason I am still reading it is that it is about Christ and people say it’s good. Another book that bothered me this much would have been long gone.

Some authors use their imagination in ways that doesn’t resonate with us. It can be bothersome to have to filter it out. Feel free to not continue reading it because it disturbs you. There are many wonderful spiritual books available.

 

[coachdennis]

As others say you do not have to read a book that bothers you. However, you have to realize that the book was a big seller when it was release in 1949.

Fulton Oursler was a popular writer for Readers Digest and other magazines who converted to Catholicism in 1943. At the same time his wife reverted from being a lapse Catholic. He wanted to present the life of Christ in an accessable way to the mass reading public. Immediately following World War II there was a min-genre of religious based novels such as “The Robe”, “The Miracle of the Bells” He wrote the fictionalize “biography” to appeal to both Protestants and Catholics and was well received by religious leaders of many faiths.

(BTW: I got the above info from a 10 minute google search. Sometimes the internet is a wonderful thing!)

I remember the book on my parents bookshelf growing up in the 1950s/1960s and I can assure it would not have been in my parents house if it was condemned by the Church. It was even in my parochial school library (and that was prior to Vatican II)

It may not be your literary “cup of tea”,. but it is not a book that will book that will put your faith at risk.

 

[St_Francis]

Thanks, everyone

Dennis, I wasn’t worried about my faith–I just wondered why, if everyone thought it was so great, that it seemed so strange to me! But I guess that what you, Dorothy, said–it just doesn’t resonate with me. And thanks for mentioning the trend at that time for religious books; I have read some of them (The Robe, The Cardinal,…), but didn’t think of it as a trend of that time. I thought instead that it was always there and we dropped it

7 Sorrows–we have been praying those prayers because it is their month!–some books I don’t mind dropping, but if it seems like a “good” book, then I don’t want to drop it for the wrong reason, ifyswim. So on those, I check.

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

Obviously didn’t help the Protestants much either.

Evidently paved the way for Teilhardianism.

It’s up to us to decide what puts our faith at risk, not wait for some big wig to supposedly decide for us.