In The Third Jesus, bestselling author and spiritual leader Deepak Chopra provides an answer to this question that is both a challenge to current systems of belief and a fresh perspective on what Jesus can teach us all, regardless of our religious background. There is not one Jesus, Chopra writes, but three.
First, there is the historical Jesus, the man who lived more than two thousand years ago and whose teachings are the foundation of Christian theology and thought. Next there is Jesus the Son of God, who has come to embody an institutional religion with specific dogma, a priesthood, and devout believers. And finally, there is the third Jesus, the cosmic Christ, the spiritual guide whose teaching embraces all humanity, not just the church built in his name. He speaks to the individual who wants to find God as a personal experience, to attain what some might call grace, or God-consciousness, or enlightenment.
When we take Jesus literally, we are faced with the impossible. How can we truly “love thy neighbor as thyself”? But when we see the exhortations of Jesus as invitations to join him on a higher spiritual plane, his words suddenly make sense.
Ultimately, Chopra argues, Christianity needs to overcome its tendency to be exclusionary and refocus on being a religion of personal insight and spiritual growth. In this way Jesus can be seen for the universal teacher he truly is–someone whose teachings of compassion, tolerance, and understanding can embrace and be embraced by all of us.
EnlighteningDecember 4, 2008 I have not read the book yet, however, I saw a PBS video presentation of the same which I found enlightening.
The Third Jesus( Deepac Chopra)November 30, 2008 For anyone on the spiritual path, this book ( a
work of art) is a must have.
The "Have It Your Way" Jesus of Deepak ChopraNovember 20, 2008 6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Deepak Chopra, true to his New Age views, recreates the historical Jesus into a mystical "inner" Jesus that, in the end, is a wispy fairy tale figure with no meaning.
Chopra seems determined to fit his version of Jesus into the Bible, even though it is like putting a square peg into a round hole. Thousands of Christians have pondered and pored over the scriptures, analyzed them, and preached them. They have never found the "third Jesus" that Chopra proclaims because that Jesus is simply not there. Nevertheless, after 2,000 years, Chopra breezily dismisses the historic Christian faith that millions around the world have claimed for centuries.
Would any Christian, or even non-Christian, get away with this in the case of, for example, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism? What if someone were to write a book claiming that Buddha really taught that suffering is good, and that any reports or texts that Buddha said otherwise were words added later by his misguided followers? After all, the texts of Buddha's reported sayings were not written until about 500 years after his death. What if someone claimed that Buddhism is not at all what Buddhists have believed for centuries ? If the author of such a book were as well known as Chopra, the response would be pure outrage. Yet this is exactly what Chopra and others are doing today with Christianity
Chopra boldly states that Jesus "did not physically descend from God's dwelling place....nor did he return to sit at the right hand of a literal throne" (3).
Jesus did not physically descend in the sense of floating down from the sky as an embodied man, but he did physically incarnate, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born as a babe to Mary. In this way, he did descend "from God's dwelling place." In fact, Jesus announced this many times in the Gospel of John. One of the plainest statements is, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6.38). And also, "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven" (John 3.13). "Coming down from heaven," as portrayed clearly in the Gospels, refers to the historic incarnation of Jesus.
Other verses, including declarations that God sent Jesus, are John 5.23, 24, 30, 36-38; 6.29, 41, 51, 57; 7.18, 28, 29, 33; 8.16, 18, 23, 29, 42; 9.4; 11.42; 12.44, 45, 49; 13.20; 14.24; 15.21; 16.5; 17.3, 8, 18, 23; and 20.21.
Chopra's way of dealing with Jesus would cause near riots were it done to any other religious figure, but it seems Jesus is up for grabs for whoever wants to have Jesus "their way."
And just a hint - if Bishop Shelby Spong likes a book, like he does this one, that's a red flag. Spong has denied every essential of the Christian faith.
Book offers fresh look at JesusNovember 16, 2008 Though the study of Metaphysics is not new for me, Deepak Chopra offers insights that are refreshing and make sense of concepts that I always felt didn't make much sense. He sheds light on the true and deeper meanings of Jesus' teachings. He explains the progression of the time following Jesus' death, giving background of the current biblical chapters and the lesser-known Nag Hammadi Scrolls. He also discusses the politics of the times when the books were written and why so many have been excluded from the versions so widely known today. This book has made many concepts clearer for me and given me a new appreciation for Jesus' teachings. I should also mention that Unity has a 6-week series discussing this book, with half-hour interviews of Mr. Chopra and Rev. Wendy Craig-Purcell. The series can be found online at Unity.FM . I highly recommend this book. It has made a real difference in my life.
Undiscovered CountryNovember 14, 2008 As I know lots of people will be curious about this book and knowing that we are all have different ideas about Jesus - I will keep my comments brief.
Mr C has written a very well rounded, thoughtful, insightful book. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to explore another field of awareness. To my mind, this book does not offend anyone - it is written with Chopra Clarity and only asks us to look within ourselves and find that union of which we are all apart.
A book of deep concepts, one that will challenge one to think and to ponder even more on our connection to the source of all Life.
