Part 1
Fisk begins his book off with Norm, the main character, on a plane headed to Israel. The chapter tells of his experience on the plane and his interaction with a female passenger sitting next to him, Dorothy. The two begin talking because Norm has pulled out a book of a famous Roman aristocrat. The book catches Dorothy’s eye, and she begins to ask Norm questions about it, his beliefs and the reason he is headed to Israel. Norm is a recent college graduate with a B.A. in religion. He studied Roman ideas about Christianity in college, which turns out to be the one of the main topics of their discussion. Norm is headed to Israel to test his faith, while Dorothy on the other hand seems to be a dedicated Christian who is looking to confirm her faith in Israel.
Part 2
The conversation between Norm and Dorothy is quite interesting. I found myself engaged in it and wondering how Norm would respond to some of her comments and questions because she challenged some of his comments and ideas. Norm’s situation was interesting as well. He talks somewhat about his life. He grew up in a Christian home it seems, but his parents were always very open minded about his curiosity. I cannot totally figure out Norm’s current religious views though. I feel like he is somewhat undecided in what he believes. He also talks of reading the works of Bultmann and Newbigin which also raises some suspicion. Overall I think the story is very intriguing so far. It is very different from anything else I have read mainly due to the way the book is set up. There are many side boxes, quotes of other texts, and notes of Norm. I found the “Dead Germans on Jesus” box quite interesting. It gave me an idea of what analytical and historical has been done on Jesus. I also did not realize how “young” this type of work has been going on. It has only been around since the 1700s. Up to that point people took the New Testament to be true, and not to be questioned. It was assumed that it was all fact, and before 1700, it seems you would be labeled and outcast if you questioned its legitimacy.
Fisk begins his book off with Norm, the main character, on a plane headed to Israel. The chapter tells of his experience on the plane and his interaction with a female passenger sitting next to him, Dorothy. The two begin talking because Norm has pulled out a book of a famous Roman aristocrat. The book catches Dorothy’s eye, and she begins to ask Norm questions about it, his beliefs and the reason he is headed to Israel. Norm is a recent college graduate with a B.A. in religion. He studied Roman ideas about Christianity in college, which turns out to be the one of the main topics of their discussion. Norm is headed to Israel to test his faith, while Dorothy on the other hand seems to be a dedicated Christian who is looking to confirm her faith in Israel.
Part 2
The conversation between Norm and Dorothy is quite interesting. I found myself engaged in it and wondering how Norm would respond to some of her comments and questions because she challenged some of his comments and ideas. Norm’s situation was interesting as well. He talks somewhat about his life. He grew up in a Christian home it seems, but his parents were always very open minded about his curiosity. I cannot totally figure out Norm’s current religious views though. I feel like he is somewhat undecided in what he believes. He also talks of reading the works of Bultmann and Newbigin which also raises some suspicion. Overall I think the story is very intriguing so far. It is very different from anything else I have read mainly due to the way the book is set up. There are many side boxes, quotes of other texts, and notes of Norm. I found the “Dead Germans on Jesus” box quite interesting. It gave me an idea of what analytical and historical has been done on Jesus. I also did not realize how “young” this type of work has been going on. It has only been around since the 1700s. Up to that point people took the New Testament to be true, and not to be questioned. It was assumed that it was all fact, and before 1700, it seems you would be labeled and outcast if you questioned its legitimacy.
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