A Glimpse of Jesus; Chapter 4; Deliverance Through Storytelling

I must be honest. This chapter was the most uncomfortable one so far in this book. Perhaps I am not understanding Manning's intent as I find his style of writing and wording poor and often showy. Many of his statements and view points sound new age and leave me with a "check in my spirit" if I dare to be so cliche.

Manning quotes another author, "Only mystics, clowns and artists, in my experience, speak the truth," (pg. 5) and though he says the author overstates the truth, he uses it as an argument that "Christ is far too serious a business to be left to the theologians and exegetes alone." He speaks of "imagination as guides to religious truth." (pg. 6)

His descriptions of Jesus also disturb me. "The stories (parables) were intended, not only to defend his own notorious conduct with sinners...", speaking of Jesus. In page 78, he says, "Jesus, who flinched, talked back to and questioned his Abba." I found that quite a bold, if not offensive statement to say that Jesus talked back to His Father.

I think his final paragraph in this chapter sums up my feelings. "In our cynical, disillusioned world, we may ask, 'Is this promise of a new way of life merely an illusion, a figment of the imagination? Absolutely not. Let us make a critical distinction: illusion is a denial of reality, while imagination creates and calls forth new reality that has not yet come to birth." As hard as I've tried, I can not find a way to make this paragraph sit well with me.