James Bennett

Via Christus James Bennett

This small book will challenge the reader to consider a new understanding of the message of the Bible. Via Christus (The Way of the Christ) presents full-color art reproductions which include twenty-four paintings that are based on stories from the New Testament of the Christian Bible together with individual verses rendered in calligraphy. The twenty-four paintings, which are the main theme of the book, were inspired by key events in the life of Christ, the work of the apostles, and the prophesy in the book of Revelation. These paintings are not your typical Bible illustrations but, in actuality, mystic visions of New Testament teachings for today's questioning minds. This artwork should inspire a new understanding of the truth embodied in the Christ consciousness. The artist's study of the New Testament through his art led him to new insights into the reality of God and of humankind. Please note: this book was written especially for people who question the viability of traditional Christian theology and eschatology because they cannot accept the idea that God is an anthropomorphic, fairy-tale, old white man who sits in Heaven and waits to judge the world. This book presents a radical and scientifically sound understanding of God and the Christ as emergent phenomena and all humankind as a single entity. Each painting is accompanied by its corresponding Bible selection and the artist's brief commentary. The message of this book that we are all one, that God is within us, that "us and them" thinking is self-destructive, is quite timely in light of recent international protests against racial injustice and police brutality.