A Brief Life of Christ (Angelico Press)

One of Bishop Fulton Sheen's greatest books is Life of Christ. It is a 500+ page book that contains great depth and great detail on our Lord Jesus Christ. For some, that is a daunting task to read a book of that length, which is why Bishop Sheen penned A Brief Life of Christ. The book is less than 100 pages long, but it is still as powerful as the original. The book is divided into five chapters - Early Life of Christ; Temptations; The Beatitudes; Public Life and Passion; and Death and Resurrection.

The book begins by telling us of men who claimed to be from God, such as Buddha, Mohammed, and Confucius. Christ is unique in nature for many reasons. First, His birth was predicted years in advance. Second, His coming divided history into B.C. and A.D. Third, He was born in this world to die, not to live. Lastly, He was more than a good teacher. He was either Messiah or liar. The chapter on temptation was very interesting. Sheen explains that Christ's temptations are different than ours and more than just a temptation of physical hunger or testing God. The final chapter was of course the most powerful, because this was the central ministry of Christ. In this chapter, Sheen breaks down the institution of the Eucharist, the agony He went through, and His death. We also see the Resurrection, Pentecost, and the Ascension. The book closes with the suffering and death of Christians worldwide and how their suffering and deaths are not in vain but are redemptive.

This is a short but powerful book and one that I highly recommend. Sheen has a way with words and can bring out truths and points that you have never considered before. I highly recommend this book, especially with Lent coming up. It would make an excellent read during that time (or any time for that matter). Then, after you have read this book I invite you to push yourself and challenge yourself to read Life of Christ.

This book was provided to me for free by Angelico Press in exchange for an honest review.