Children celebrating the birth of Jesus in a Nativity play in Glasgow’s George Square.
December 3, 2020
Former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, and leading church historian and religion writer, John Cooney, have come together to recommend a new book on the life and death of Jesus Christ.
The book titled My Story in Truth and Love adopts a unique format of presenting the two thousand years old events surrounding the life and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth in an autobiographical format.
This novel and riveting literary approach is the brain-child of Irish theologian and human rights campaigner, Brendan Butler. It presents the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth as told to Brendan.
“For the first time in 2000 years this is the inside story of the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth as told by himself,” enthuses John Cooney, former Religious Affairs Correspondent of the Irish Times and the Irish Independent.
Former president Mary McAleese and journalist John Cooney
“A brilliant idea executed with finesse by Brendan Butler,” the veteran writer adds. “This is a page-turning book which will truly change your understanding and appreciation of Christianity.”
Equally enthusiastically, ex-President Mary McAleese, now a qualified canon lawyer based at the University of Glasgow and campaigner for a greater role for women in the Catholic Church, writes that “Every generation needs to look at the story it has inherited about one of history’s most influential characters, Jesus of Nazareth.
“He is the subject of countless books, articles, poems, paintings, sculptures, music and of course speculation.
“Brendan Butler speculates here in order to open up an accessible debate on the relevance of Christ to contemporary debates. He makes an interesting case for retrieving Jesus from vested interests and layers of obscuring dust.”
Brendan Butler is a graduate of University College, Galway, and the Pontifical Antonium University, Rome, where he took a degree in theology.
For four decades he taught religious education in Secondary Schools in Dublin.
He founded Irish solidarity groups for El Salvador and Algeria. In February 2003, he was one of the three organisers protesting against the invasion of Iraq which brought 100,000 protestors onto the streets of Dublin.
A central figure in the growth of the We Are Church Ireland Movement for the reform of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Brendan was its media spokesman for years.
Throughout his teaching career Brendan Butler kept updating his knowledge of Biblical scholarship into the historical Jesus of Nazareth. This interest led to his writing this book which he hopes will promote further public discussion on the relevance of the historical Jesus of Nazareth to contemporary society.
Brendan is self-publisher of this book which can be purchased for 10 Euro plus postage from www.jesusofnazareth.org
Nativity tableau in George Square, Glasgow. Pictures by Bill Heaney
Any profits from sales of this book will go to M.A.S.I. (The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland).
A truly inspiring read in the first narrative, looking at the historical person that was Jesus of Nazareth. In an era where the divinity of Christ can overshadow the human Journey of Jesus, the author aptly captures what it means to be led by the Spirit. This book takes the reader on a familiar journey, but its real gift is in its narration – a super tool for spiritual accompaniment / Lectio Divina.