Reviewed by: Connor Salter, Professional Writing student at Taylor University

Introduction

Title: The Passion of the King of Glory

Author: Russ Ramsey

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Publication Date: 2018

Format: Paperback

Length: 284 pages

OVERVIEW

Some writers dramatize Scripture into novel-like books. Others summarize Scripture for devotional books. In The Passion of the King of Glory, Russ Ramsey does both. He retells stories from the four Gospels (forty stories, so readers can read one chapter each day of Lent), dramatizing and paraphrasing the material. He further organizes the book by placing stories in four sections (Obscurity, Popularity, Rejection, Passion) that show how people’s perception of Jesus changed over time.

Like all writers who dramatize Biblical texts, Ramsey adds some details that aren’t explicitly part of Scripture. He references details from ancient history accounts that Scripture doesn’t mention but give new context to Jesus’ action. He also adds dialogue and details (such as suggesting the wedding guests at Cana figured out where the wine really came from). Ultimately though, these additions don’t go against the Bible or confuse the message. They just make the stories feel like chapters in an interesting, modern-day novel. Ramsay’s great sense of dramatic tension makes this approach work very well. In the end, he successfully makes Bible stories readers have heard countless times seem fresh and interesting again.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

4 out of 5 stars

Suggested Audience

People who struggle to understand or read the Bible, people interested in historical context of Jesus’ ministry.

Christian Impact

Each chapter recounts or paraphrases Scripture and gives readers context to help them understand Bible stories in new ways. This approach makes the book perfect for people who struggle to understand or enjoy reading the Bible.

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