Killing Jesus by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard Review by Chris White

I must admit I was a little wary of reading this book about the death of Jesus not because I had any fear my faith would be destroyed, but because O’Reilly is a political commentator by profession (although I understand he has some background in Catholicism) and not a qualified theologian.  As someone who actually worships Jesus of Nazareth as the son of God on pretty much a daily basis, I don’t want his story trampled on by someone who frankly doesn’t know what he’s talking about or has a predisposition towards thinking the gospel is a bunch of hokum.  If I could use a travel analogy, when I check my new luggage at the airline counter, I don’t expect my suitcase won’t be bumped a little bit, but I want my belongings treated with respect and not just slung around by some imbecilic baboon who is bent on damaging my stuff all in the line of just doing his job.  As I turned the last page, I felt that Messrs. O’Reilly and Dugard, had treated something that is sacred for me with the utmost respect and courtesy.

Now that said, I didn’t really learn anything new in the book.  But then again, I am a pastor and have been studying this topic for 32 years and have done my share of Good Friday and Easter Sunday meditations which have had me in this material (both the scriptures, ancient secular histories, and supplemental studies that are cited as resources for this book).  What I enjoyed about Killing Jesus is something only Mr. O’Reilly can deliver and that is his keen sense for the politics and connections in the Roman Empire (which included the Israel of Jesus’ day).  Many political figures are referenced in the Gospels, but their backgrounds were unimportant to the writers and so other works must be consulted to really make any connections.  Also if you’ve read Killing Lincoln or Killing Kennedy you’ll see the similar and very effective pattern of bringing the protagonists together from different periods and places until they collide on the fateful day.  It’s very helpful and a great device for giving some interesting background that could come off as dry or incidental otherwise.

I would recommend this book for someone unfamiliar with the New Testament who wanted to learn more about what happened to Jesus and his rise to prominence.  It is certainly not all you should know but it is a well-done primer.  If you are familiar with the Gospels and Acts, this does a great job of supplementing them without changing the story.  Use the excellent bibliography in the back for suggestions for further reading.  Mr. O’Reilly, thanks for putting Jesus Christ in your “no-spin zone”!

St. Luke--Evangelist and Painter? by Chris White

Black Madonna of Poland

Luke as imagined by a Renaissance Painter

St. Luke, the author of the beloved Gospel that bears his name and the book of Acts, was the traveling physician, missionary, and companion of the Apostle Paul and was eyewitness to many of the events that resulted in the “birthing” of the church among the gentile nations of the Mediterranean world.  In addition to this resume, there is a strong tradition that Luke was one of the first persons in the church to paint pictures of Jesus and His mother Mary.  These stylized depictions were used (and continue to be used in Orthodox and Catholic churches) as a visual form of teaching especially among those who were not learned enough to read (a far more common occurrence until the age of the Renaissance and Reformation).  Some hold this tradition suspect because its principle proponent was John of Damascus who vigorously defended the position that the use of icons was not a violation of God’s prohibition on graven images in worship during a great controversy over this in the 7^th century.  Of course John’s view is the one that has prevailed in history (and while a very nuanced position is not an unreasonable one) but the fact remains that when a person has ‘a dog in the fight’ they tend to see evidence in only one light.  But there is additional evidence beyond just this one source.

In Rome today, the St. Maria Via Lata Church stands over the remains of a small apartment that is believed to be where Paul lodged during his imprisonment (see Acts chapter 28 and 2 Timothy 4:11).  It is believed that in this modest home, later used as a grain storage center in Rome, Luke wrote his Gospel/Acts to Theophilus and painted pictures for the church to illustrate for them the people who appear in his book.  One researcher writing at the turn of the 20^th century reports that in the Catacombs there is an inscription under some faded paintings which reads one of seven painted by Luke.  While Luke probably didn’t paint in the catacombs, the inscription might at least be attesting that the original by Luke was known and this is what it (more or less) looks like.

 We also know from passing mentions in some of the epistles that Luke knew St. Mark and also there is a connection to the Apostle Peter as well.  With these personal connections the general belief is that Luke traveled to Jerusalem many times and personally knew Mary and other living members of the “holy family” and what he writes in his gospel regarding the nativity (which is quite detailed with inside information) is based on his personal conversations with her.  At the very least, if Luke didn’t paint her picture, he did know what she looked like.

One of the most famous works attributed to Luke is the Black Madonna of Czestochowa (pronounced “Chest-eh-hoe-vah”) in Poland.  It’s story falls along these lines:  it was painted by Luke on boards taken from the table of Mary’s home (and presumably this table was used for family meals in which Jesus, Joseph, James of Jerusalem all would have been present at one time or another) and was housed in Jerusalem.  In the early part of the 6^th century it was brought to Constantinople by the Empress Eudoxia.  Mary was considered the protector of their great city despite the fact that they built fortress walls unparalleled in the ancient world.  It was later  moved to Belz Ukraine for a short period before finally coming to reside in Poland at a monastery built on Bright Mountain (“Czestochowa”) where it is visited by millions of pilgrims from around the world every year.  Just as Mary had protected Constantinople for many centuries, she is believed to have protected Poland when they were invaded by the Swedes in the 17^th century.  In fact Mary is officially considered the queen of Poland today and this seems to suit most Poles just fine.

The style of this icon is called “hodegetria” or one who shows the way.  Notice  Mary’s hand points away from herself and to her son Jesus and Jesus gives the sign of benediction to the viewer.  The statement expressed is “yes, I am the mother of Jesus, the son of God, but avert your attention to Him, for He is the real source of blessing”.  While my wife shares my enthusiasm for the traditions of the church, she says whatever the black Madonna is painted on, it’s not Mary’s dining room table.  No woman, no matter how holy and revered, is going to let a man cut a piece of her dining room table to make a painting of her.

In Europe through the Medieval and Renaissance, Luke was popularly considered the patron saint of artistic painters.  If you were painter in this time, a good deal of your commissions would likely come from churches and pious individuals wanting pictures depicting Biblical themes.  It was quite natural for them to think of themselves as continuing a tradition that began with St. Luke.

Whether or not Luke was an actual artist, many have rightly noted that his  well-written stories of Christ are so vivid as to be pictures in their own right.  And as such have inspired many a canvas throughout the centuries.