OCR Text |
Show - 2 - Since his stroke, many of Wendell's friends have inquired about the book's progress and asked if they could be of any assistance. Well, there is a way you can help a great deal, and that is by informing your friends about the contents and about the author; also local bookstores, libraries and church leaders; and media contacts who would be interested in writing a story about the book and the author. I believe most of you will agree that the author especially is one of the most remarkable men of our time. He is controversial to be sure, and so is the book. But that makes it all the more interesting, not just to the scholars but the general public as well. Wendell has long been very disturbed with many of the freaky and far-out Jesus movements that have received so much attention and publicity. It is his fervent wish that his work will make a significant contribution to counter or offset the radical elements, especially with young people. Before his most recent heart attack he talked on this subject with such deep emotion and conviction that afterwards we tried to summarize his thoughts on paper as follows: "I had two goals in mind when I started this. One was to write a book that would be recognized as a standard reference work by New Testament scholars. The more I got into the research the more concerned I became with the implacable, hardened positions adopted by many of the world's leading protestant and catholic theologians. I developed strong feelings that this was detrimental and not in harmony with the fundamental philosophy and teachings of Jesus. Therefore, I tried to bridge the ever-widening gap between these scholarly factions. I fully expect that many will strenuously object and attack (or worse, just ignore) this book on the grounds that I am not in their league and unqualified and unworthy of their attention. I regret this attitude and it explains in part why I spent so much time and effort in research and interviewing New Testament scholars all over the world. But, perhaps more important, in the times of my deepest frustrations and disappointments that I would ever be able to put this book together, I was always strangely comforte and received renewed strength and inspiration from my prayers and unwavering commitment and conviction that this was something that I had to do, and it could not and would not end in failure.... Besides that -- (and here Wendell smiled in that special way of his) -- my whole life has been one of controversy and challenge. Whatever else they may criticize, it will never be said that I was a quitter in the face of adversity. |