The Fractured Kingdom, JeanPierre Isbouts
The Fractured Kingdom, JeanPierre Isbouts
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The Fractured Kingdom
Uniting Modern Christianity through the Historical Jesus

Author: Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Narrator: Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Unabridged: 8 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/25/2025


Synopsis

Modern Christianity is in the midst of a veritable schism along the fault lines of society's culture wars. Only if we understand the origins of this split can we find our way to unity. Though few may realize it today, Jesus's ministry unfolded in a crisis very similar to the one society is now battling. In fact, were it not for the truly catastrophic conditions in early first-century Galilee, his reimagining of the three quintessential virtues of the Torah—social justice; compassion toward one another; and an abiding love of God—would have likely failed to attract a wide following.

Brilliantly tracing Jesus's vision for the "Kingdom of God" from its origin up through modern times, Dr. Isbouts leads us to a possible antidote for the fiercely partisan moment in which we find ourselves: the Our Father. Then taking listeners on a historically exhilarating tour of the Lord's Prayer, The Fractured Kingdom shows us why the only doctrine Christians agree on might be our last hope for forging a more equal, compassionate, and loving society. What results is an undeniably essential work that addresses some of the most pressing issues now confronting communities of faith around the world.

About Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Jean-Pierre Isbouts is an art historian and a doctoral professor at Fielding Graduate University. He is the author of nine books, including The Biblical World, In the Footsteps of Jesus, and The Story of Christianity, which have sold nearly 1.3 million copies, and together with Christopher Heath Brown, the coauthor of two prior books on Leonardo da Vinci, The Mona Lisa Myth and Young Leonardo. Dr. Isbouts has been on numerous radio and TV shows and is the host of the TV series In Search of Masterpieces. He has directed several programs for Disney, ABC, Hallmark, and the History Channel, working with actors such as Leonard Nimoy, Charlton Heston, Dick van Dyke, and Morgan Freeman, and produced recordings with orchestras around the world. His accomplishments in the art world include being credited with the discovery that a copy of Leonardo's Last Supper in a convent in Belgium was actually painted by Leonardo and his workshop. Dr. Isbouts lives in Santa Monica, California.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jim on January 27, 2024

Four and a half stars. This was a well written and easy to read survey of Christianity , its beginnings, and the authors wish and hope for the future. I thoroughly enjoyed his look at the historical Jesus, his times ,and the events occurring in Judea and Galilee. i think he did an excellent job usi......more

Goodreads review by Joel on September 08, 2023

I'm really, really torn on this one. As a study and reflection on the historical context of Jesus' ministry, it's super readable and very interesting and insightful. As a plea for ecumenical unity (which is how its branded and subtitled), it's much less successful, in my opinion. Isbouts even admits......more