My Jesus Year
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15
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Average rating3
One day a Georgia-born son of an Orthodox rabbi discovers that his enthusiasm for Judaism is flagging. He observes the Sabbath, he goes to synagogue, and he even flies to New York on weekends for a series of "speed dates" with nice, eligible Jewish girls. But, something is missing. Looking out of his window and across the street at one of the hundreds of churches in Atlanta, he asks, "What would it be like to be a Christian?"So begins Benyamin Cohen's hilarious journey that is My Jesus Year — part memoir, part spiritual quest, and part anthropologist's mission. Among Cohen's many adventures (and misadventures), he finds himself in some rather unlikely places: jumping into the mosh-pit at a Christian rock concert, seeing his face projected on the giant JumboTron of an African-American megachurch, visiting a potential convert with two young Mormon missionaries, attending a Christian "professional wrestling" match, and waking up early for a sunrise Easter service on top of Stone Mountain — a Confederate memorial and former base of operations for the KKK.During his year-long exploration, Cohen sees the best and the worst of Christianity — from megachurches to storefront churches; from crass commercialization of religion to the simple, moving faith of the humble believer; from the profound to the profane to the just plain laughable. Throughout, he keeps an open heart and mind, a good sense of humor, and takes what he learns from Christianity to reflect on his own faith and relationship to God. By year's end, to Cohen's surprise, his search for universal answers and truths in the Bible Belt actually make him a better Jew.
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Cohen is, from all appearances, a very devout and conservative Jew. On the inside, however, he feels his spiritual life is empty. He longs to experience genuine spirituality. In addition, he has always had a secret envy of Christians.
Somehow this leads Cohen to embark on a year-long adventure exploring Bible Belt Christianity.
One more thing you should know about Cohen: He is a funny guy. That explains a lot. For example, it explains why Cohen spends his year visiting rock Christians and wrestling Christians and speaking-in-tongues Christians and healing Christians. He stops in on the fringes. Don't be thinking Cohen is planning to stop in your little small town Christian church. No, he is looking for Christianity, but he is also looking for a good story.
Mixed feelings about this. Cohen assures us and assures us he is not seeking to mock Christianity, that he wants to find the deeply spiritual Christians. But time after time he ends up chatting with another group of people that could have wandered out of the loony bin and, intentionally or not, he mocks. Cohen is very condescending toward Christians, at times, when he sees what he deems misinterpretations of the Law and misapplications of the Law. He says he finds many Christians who are much like him, going through the motions without really experiencing that depth one wishes for, and that is probably true. He also spoke with several Christians who helped him find his way back to his own religion and who helped him grow a little, including a priest who encouraged him to keep going through the motions until he experienced the depth.
Very mixed feelings about this.
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