Books

'Desire Of The Everlasting Hills' by Thomas Cahill

Michael Daniel

Contents - Dec 2001 - Buy a copy now Editorial: A Christmas reflection - Peter Westmore Tenth Synod of Bishops' statement - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Church leaders say 'No human cloning' - AD2000 Report East Timor: how the Church is rebuilding a shattered nation - Peter Westmore Obituary: Thomas Kendell (1929-2001) R.I.P. - The passing of a great Catholic educator - Nicholas Kendell St Vitus Cathedral, Prague, and Europe's Christian heritage - Stephen W. Carson Books: 'Soul Survivor' - Philip Yancey book launch at Thomas More Centre - Bill Muehlenberg Books: De Lubac's writings in English translations - Tracey Rowland Letters: 'Familiaris Consortio' 20th anniversary - John Barich Letters: Huge response - Dolores Lightbody Letters: St Thérèse - Fr Jim Dunne CSsR Letters: Pipe-dream - Arnold Jago (Dr) Letters: Refugees - John McLean Books: 'Meaninglessness: The Solutions of Nietzsche, Freud and Rorty' by Michael Casey - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: 'Thomas More On Statesmanship' by Gerard B. Wegemer - Michael Casanova (reviewer) Books: AD Books 'Top Ten' Books: 'Desire Of The Everlasting Hills' by Thomas Cahill - Michael Daniel Books: The Prayer Of Jabez' by Bruce Wilkinson - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Books: Daily Gospel 2002, Bible Diary 2002 - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) New Titles from AD Books Reflection: St Thérèse's 'little way' - Kate Cleary

DESIRE OF THE EVERLASTING HILLS: The World Before and After Jesus
by Thomas Cahill
Lion Publishing, 2001, 320pp, $26.95. Available from AD Books)

No person is better known throughout the pages of history than Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians call "the Christ". The stories of his life, as recounted in the pages of the New Testament, have been read and reflected upon for almost two thousand years. Desire of the Everlasting Hills is the third in the "Hinges of History" series by Thomas Cahill and is a sequel to his best-selling The Gifts of Jews, which explored the influence Jewish culture and thought has had upon civilisation.

Cahill begins his work on Jesus by exploring the Graeco-Roman and Jewish backgrounds. The examination of Jesus is structured around an examination of the corpus of New Testament books, which offer certain perspectives on Jesus. Cahill begins his portrait with a discussion of Matthew's and Mark's Gospels, then examines Paul's portrait before examining Luke's and concluding with John's.

Modern scholarship

In his analysis of Jesus, Cahill seems on the whole to accept much of modern scholarship relating to the New Testament, such as a late-dating for the Gospels; however, he frequently calls into question some of the more liberal strands within contemporary Biblical scholarship. He also offers fresh and interesting insights into the person of Jesus as presented in the writings of the New Testament.

Desire of the Everlasting Hills concludes with an answer to the challenge raised in the preface: has Jesus made an impact for the better upon civilisation? Cahill argues that despite shameful episodes in Christian history, Christianity bequeathed to the world a thirst for justice and peace and it is not without significance that democracy and understandings of human rights arose in countries that were Christian.

Cahill concludes that one way of appreciating the positive impact Jesus has had on this world would be to look at the Community of Sant'Egidio. This group of volunteers, founded in Rome by students in 1968 as an attempt to live out the demands of the Gospel, is currently engaged in numerous charitable works.

Jesus comes alive in Cahill's amusing, entertaining, yet engaging portrait, which should appeal to a wide cross-section of readers, ranging from non-believers to practising Christians.

Michael Daniel teaches at a Melbourne independent college.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 14 No 11 (December 2001 - January 2002), p. 16