Flesh-and-blood Jesus

Book Description

This thought-provoking exploration invites readers to encounter Jesus through a refreshingly human lens, examining the complexities and contradictions that make his earthly experience profoundly relatable. Dan Russ guides readers through an intimate journey that acknowledges the messiness of human existence while finding spiritual wisdom in unexpected places.

Rather than presenting a sanitized version of faith, this book delves into challenging territories often avoided in traditional Christian discourse. Readers will explore themes of neediness, belonging, family dysfunction, and the tension between human desires and divine purpose. The author examines Jesus as someone who experienced friendship, questioned authority, felt anger, and navigated the complexities of relationships and money.

Through chapters that address everything from parental guilt to the role of doubt in spiritual growth, Russ creates space for honest conversations about faith that acknowledge both struggle and triumph. The book challenges readers to move beyond stereotypical spirituality toward a more authentic understanding of what it means to follow a figure who was fully human while being divine.

This work offers comfort to those who feel their own imperfections disqualify them from spiritual growth, demonstrating instead how our wounds, questions, and failures can become pathways to deeper understanding. For readers seeking a faith that embraces rather than denies human complexity, this book provides a compelling framework for spiritual development.