I think I would be skeptical of any book that writes from the perspective of Jesus as the book Joshua does. Why? Well how confident can a person be that they know Jesus enough to put words into his mouth? Those are exactly the issues the author of Joshua explores through the mouth of a humble, simple carpenter set in the modern day period. And how Joshua or Jesus feels about Christianity is that the authorities have perverted the church with rigidity and the message of freedom has been lost. This 'freedom' is brought up a lot in the book but never defined.

Joshua has evidently come again to tell off religious leaders - that they have done a bad job and are a bunch of hypocrites. The message of redemption and salvation are not explored at all in the book which I find to be disettling. Of course, many of Joshua's messages throughout are good and should be minded, but the bigger picture of Christ's incarnation should be there too - and it is not to be found.

Aside from the message of Joshua, the writing is not phenomenal and the storyline is unimpressive.

Instead of the anti-authority preachiness of the book, I think we would be better served to see a simpler WWJD story over everyday issues. Additionally, we have the role models of the saints as instructors so to insert Jesus into a character seems uncalled for.

Joshua is a truly beautiful human person. To succeed in his portrayal, Joseph Girzone has accomplished what many great writers, including Dostoevsky have aspired to do. The Idiot is the great Russian novelist's attempt "to portray a completely beautiful human being." Prince Myshkin is like Joshua in some respects but suffers from epilepsy and is for this reason deemed "out of touch". Joshua is also deemed "out of touch" by certain religious functionaries, do gooders and know-it-alls, and yet he is not ill at all!

Joshua confirms my feeling that if Jesus were to return today he would be grossly misunderstood and only accepted by the afflicted, certain children and very few adults. My friend Pastor Paul placed this book in my hands enthusiastically encouraging me to read all about Joshua. I found the book to be well written and the author succeeds in phrasing some very profound thoughts in language that almost anyone can grasp. This is an amazing feat! As I said it took a master writer like Dostoevsky to attempt this feat.

Yes, there is something so beautiful in Jesus that like a small wildflower that is often overlooked, the important thing is how we come to see and hear and know him. Each individual comes to know this beautiful person in their own unique way. And this is what religion often militates against as it strives to depict a uniform 'hero' in monolithic terms. It attempts to coerce or seduce people into "loving God" but even if this misguided approach were to "win" in certain cases, the victory would be shortlived. No, true love does not flourish but where the soil of freedom nourishes and protects its seed. Isn't this after all what we mean when we say 'personal relationship'---the entire universe is aimed at one individual--- namely you! I am paraphrasing Walt Whitman who was paraphrasing Saint Augustine---yes, no one can see that little wildflower just as I do. And it is not going to work if I create a workshop called "the wildflower experience" aimed at getting others to see what I see and hear what I hear.

Pete Townshend's 'Pinball Wizard' expresses the dangers of forcing compliance from a religious audience even if the hero is beautiful and wise. It takes so much courage to let other people blossom and be themselves. All of our efforts to control their experiences may end in a shortlived "success" but ultimately the religion engineered around such an achievement is a mighty failure since the essential point is love freely given and the free receipt of God's love, not uniform creedal statements!

Writers like Girzone are like fresh breezes that blow inspiring us to remember the freedom of God's love and encouraging us to seriously question our denominational allegiances. Instead of division we are inspired to discover God as an inward experience that can be confirmed in any number of religious rituals or ceremonies; in chapels, cathedrals, mosques and synagogues---in madmen and in beautiful saints like Joshua.

I read the online reviews of the book and would like to encourage readers to view the movie version. I think that it was a great adaptation. In fact, the movie was so good, I purchased 4 copies as gifts for friends. I love the ecumenical message that is so lacking in our culture. The message of hope stirred me to tears.

I remember this book being a bestseller when it first came out--and for many years afterwards. I've had a mental note to read it ever since and finally got around to it.

What a disappointment: Major snore. All right, so the concept is potentially interesting: What if Jesus came back and lived a simple life and preached a simple religion, how would people treat him? Would they accept him with love and understanding or, as in the days of old, would he be outcast and silenced? Such is the question the book asks...and a worthwhile question it is.

Sadly, it does not make for a worthwhile book. Half narrative and half essay disguised as narrative, this novel is so poorly written that it's hard to believe an agent or publisher even considered it, much less that it became the phenomenon it did and spawned sequels (AAAAGGHH!!)

Will you come across a couple of intellectual/spritual bones to gnaw on if you make it through? Perhaps, depending on what your current views of religion are. My suggestion, however, is not to spend one precious second of your life reading this book.

Poorly written, I had to plow through the book which I promised to read for someone. A 4th grader could have done better. No development of characters, totally predictable and how can they make this into a movie is beyond me.

If you have nothing better to do, then waste your time.

I first read a book in this series ten years ago and enjoyed it a great deal. Now that I have had a chance to read a second book, I find myself eager to read the rest of the series. Joshua is a charming tale of a Christ-like figure living a simple existence in the modern world. Written in prose that are easily understood, Joseph F. Girzone has written a priceless collection in the Joshua series.

In this first book, we find Joshua in a small town called Auburn. Working as a carpenter to pay His bills, Joshua begins with small interactions with the townspeople. As the people get to know Joshua, He and His work attain celebrity status. Unfortunately, Joshua's popularity also creates enemies for the carpenter. Speaking against the strict laws and the unfeeling heart of the modern religious establishment, Joshua raises the ire of some of the local religious leaders. Frustrated by their inability to subdue Joshua, He is sent to the Vatican City to meet with the highest members of the church only to have His message find rejection.

Some readers of this book find it to be borderline heretical and a host of other misnomers. One must bear in mind that this is a work of fiction. It is meant to make the reader think about the life of Jesus if He walked the same streets as us. I believe Jesus would note the problems with organized religion if he walked the Earth today. This message would be met with resistance by the establishment. Much like in the book, ignoring this problem would not make it go away. In that regard, the book is very realistic. The book is meant to make readers think about this and other aspects of the life of Christ. In addition to being an entertaining read, the book is successful in this regard.

The work describes a series of classic parables. For instance,
the parable of the rich man and poor man concludes with a
statement that the poor man would sit at G-d's Table. The parable
of the Farmer and Wild Boars ends with the farmer doing more
damage to the farm than the wild boar. The parables are dressed
in modern application for ease of understandability.
This work is perfect for a large constituency of theologians,
philosophers and literary buffs.