Katy Brown's Book Review: A HItchhiker's Guide to Jesus

Leading up to our departure to Israel, I have been reading A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jesus by Bruce N. Fisk. It has been interesting, informative, thought-provoking, and enjoyable to read. Although I have heard some people refer to the book as a “textbook,” it definitely did not feel like a textbook when I was reading it. It felt like a story and I could picture Norm walking through the streets of Israel. In those moments, I could also imagine myself trying to find my way through the Holy Land, all while relishing in the significance of my surroundings.

As far as information and discussion of topics within the text, I particularly enjoyed the charts, visual comparisons, and lists of various things. I am a logical thinker and I like looking at specific evidence and data. The lists of verses and examples from the Bible gave me great clarity and helped me understand the point that Norm or his comrades were trying to make. There were even references to other ancient texts, such as those in Greek history and mythology, which helped my understanding. However, there were still some parts of the book that were a bit “over my head” so to speak. I grew up in the church and especially after taking a class over the Bible, I believe I have a fairly good understanding of the Bible, at least compared to a lot of people; however I still feel like this book may have been meant for people with an even greater understanding of the Bible than I have. There were some topics of discussion that I did not quite understand, usually because I did not recognize references to people, places, or events. For those parts, I wish I had a bit more context to the subjects. In addition, this was not a quick or easy read. It took time to understand the points that were being made and to reflect upon what was being said and how it may or may not fit into my own beliefs.

That being said, A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jesus has indeed been a wonderful book to read prior to my own journey to Israel. Norm opened up discussion of things I never would have thought of on my own and he deepened my understanding of various historical sites and their significance in terms of the life of Jesus. Norm also eased some of my apprehensions and became more relatable as well because he had significantly more questions than answers and I feel that is where I am at in my own faith journey. I have always had my faith growing up in the church but never had the opportunity to study Jesus from an academic and historical standpoint. By no means do I believe I have all the information I could have to travel to Israel at this point; I think I could spend a whole lifetime studying and still have more information to think about. But I do believe I am more prepared at this point and definitely more excited to experience this amazing opportunity. It has been fascinating to read this book and to integrate my beliefs with what I have been learning in an academic setting.