≡ PDF Yeshu A Novel for the OpenHearted Charles David Kleymeyer 9781490353005 Books

Yeshu A Novel for the OpenHearted Charles David Kleymeyer 9781490353005 Books

Download As PDF : Yeshu A Novel for the OpenHearted Charles David Kleymeyer 9781490353005 Books

Yeshu A Novel for the OpenHearted Charles David Kleymeyer 9781490353005 Books

Yeshu is a bit like Siddhartha meets the Bible, with a healthy dose of nature meditation thrown in for spice.

I should start my review by admitting that I'm a heathen and reading the story of Jesus is not on top of my fun list. However, I was drawn into the first half, especially, where we learn about Jewish village life during Jesus's young adulthood from the point of view of his even-younger neighbor. There, we see Jesus as a carpenter/storyteller who's also attracted to the nature mysticism of his cousin. We learn that the Roman Empire has vanquished the down-trodden Jews, and we realize that part of Jesus's journey was a political one --- trying to free his people from that overlord, but using only nonviolent techniques.

The second half of the story was less my cup of tea, but presumably would be interesting to those who believe in Jesus as the son of God (versus as a philosopher). I kept reading, though, because Kleymeyer's Quaker insight, vivid descriptions, and focus on the power of storytelling transcended religious bounds. I'm left with plenty to digest and mull over from this thought-provoking read.


Tags : Yeshu: A Novel for the Open-Hearted [Charles David Kleymeyer] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In this lyrical, Quaker retelling of the New Testament saga, readers are invited in to experience the resonant silences in the written record by joining the storytelling carpenter Yeshu,Charles David Kleymeyer,Yeshu: A Novel for the Open-Hearted,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1490353003,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction General,General,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Yeshu A Novel for the OpenHearted Charles David Kleymeyer 9781490353005 Books Reviews

A lovely re-imaging of a very human Jesus through a Quaker lens focusing on lovingkindness.
Yeshu is a beautifully written account of how a young boy who knew Jesus when Jesus was still a carpenter found God within himself.
Very moving. Somewhat overwritten in places, but the message was clear and inspiring as well as thought-provoking. It was time well spent.
Excellent book on the life and times of Jesus from boyhood and a man. Main character lived near Jesus and walked and traveled with Jesus during his life. Yes, it's a thick book, but easy reading
This book is, as other reviewers have noted, focused on the story of Jesus of Nazareth, but that it only the first layer - of which there are many. This book is a wonderful story for anyone (of any religion or no religion)who is on a quest to finding meaning in a hectic, frightening world. Through wonderful storytelling, Kleymeyer reminds us of the importance of compassion and caring for others and our environment, above all else. His story gives this message more power by showing us that through silence, being still and listening for our inner voice or the voice of the divine within, we can find a path to live that compassionate, caring live in the midst of what can seem like chaos all around. I'm reading it again and find more lessons each time. Kleymeyer is a masterful storyteller with a message for the ages, one that particularly resonates now.
"I loved Yeshu. And Yeshu loved me ... It’s the story I yearn to tell forever." So speaks young Daavi of his friend, Yeshu The Storyteller. So begins the eyewitness account of the most important story in the history of humankind.
Charles Kleymeyer, himself, is an extraordinarily gifted storyteller, in whose hands this familiar account is given new dimensions and profound insights. His writing evokes a time and culture rarely addressed in the familiar "Jesus stories."
There is much to admire in this book, but more important, there is much to enjoy. "Yeshu" is a story that is easy to climb into and become a player in a rich, layered, tender drama that most readers will long remember.
As for me, I may never again read the Gospels without remembering young Daavi and his friend, the storyteller.
Kleymeyer's fresh re-telling of the Jesus story draws the reader into peasant life in the Holy Land at the beginning of the first century. It places Jesus, Mary,Joseph, Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist in a rural Jewish context. There are wonderful and vivid descriptions of the land, with its flora and fauna, and of work, like carpentry and sheep tending. You can almost smell the bread baking in Mary's oven!

The narrator is David, who grew up with Jesus in Nazareth and became his youngest disciple. Each chapter is a very short story in itself, which makes it great for young readers and listeners. It is a novel, not a biography. Yeshu A Novel for the Open-Hearted balances spiritual imagination with facts as we know them. As such it invites us to open our imaginations and enter into the world and teaching of Jesus in a new and personal way. If you're using this with children and you find a chapter that you disagree with or you think the children are not ready for, it is easy to just skip that chapter and move on. There are plenty more gold nuggets to be mined in Kleymeyer's book.
Yeshu is a bit like Siddhartha meets the Bible, with a healthy dose of nature meditation thrown in for spice.

I should start my review by admitting that I'm a heathen and reading the story of Jesus is not on top of my fun list. However, I was drawn into the first half, especially, where we learn about Jewish village life during Jesus's young adulthood from the point of view of his even-younger neighbor. There, we see Jesus as a carpenter/storyteller who's also attracted to the nature mysticism of his cousin. We learn that the Roman Empire has vanquished the down-trodden Jews, and we realize that part of Jesus's journey was a political one --- trying to free his people from that overlord, but using only nonviolent techniques.

The second half of the story was less my cup of tea, but presumably would be interesting to those who believe in Jesus as the son of God (versus as a philosopher). I kept reading, though, because Kleymeyer's Quaker insight, vivid descriptions, and focus on the power of storytelling transcended religious bounds. I'm left with plenty to digest and mull over from this thought-provoking read.