A. J. Mattill, Jr., Sweet Jesus (Vol. 3)

Reviewed by M. Mignacca

Was Jesus truly the all-around good guy the theologians and their devout parishioners would have us believe? Not on your life!  At least, not according to our esteemed Dr. A. J. Mattill, Jr., writer and New Testament scholar extraordinaire.

      In his latest book, Sweet Jesus, volume 3, Mattill takes up where he left off with volumes 1 and 2, (thirty and sixty-one studies, respectively), by presenting sixty-nine additional, hard-hitting studies. His mastery of the topic is impressive, and these are clear-headed arguments destined to prod the most dedicated clergymen to take a long hard look at their most cherished beliefs. Even the staunchest Jesus-supporters, upon examining Dr. Mattill’s sobering studies, should feel compelled to examine their convictions. Suddenly, all that they have long believed about Jesus (supposedly the most nearly perfect person who ever lived) is called into question, and time-honored beliefs are on very shaky ground.

Mattill’s take on Jesus is certainly an eye-opener and differs radically from the pap we were fed in Sunday School and Church. The tall tales our preachers fed us don’t stand up under honest scrutiny once the reader has read these devastating critiques of the man who, for so long, has held such an exalted position among believers. Jesus topples from his pedestal with an ear-shattering crash, and a whole new Jesus appears—foibles, fibs, ego, warts, and all! I don’t want to spoil your fun by revealing too much, so I’ll just provide a little teaser: be sure to focus, particularly, on chapters 23, “Holy Hatred;” and 54, “Some Sins of the Savior.” They are enough to make your hair stand on end. Anyone who could read even just those 2 chapters and still argue that Jesus was the closest-to-perfect man ever to walk the earth would have to be mad!

      My favorite part of the book, however, is chapter 20, which deals not with Jesus, but rather, with some of his overly zealous followers. In Mark 16:17-18, Jesus promises that anyone who believes in him will be able to perform five miracles, or “Five Fabulous Feats,” as the chapter is titled.

      Supposedly, any “true believer” should be able to drive out demons, speak a new language, handle venomous snakes without being harmed, drink poison safely, and heal the sick by the laying on of hands. Mattill keeps things lively by giving accounts of various snake-handlers, including one Tennessee minister who was bitten by poisonous snakes 22 times over an 18-year period, before finally connecting with a snake with a big enough attitude to get the job done and send the preacher off to meet his Maker. Many other snake-handlers, of course, succumbed much earlier in the game, and as I read through the list I couldn’t help chuckling, and thinking (as many of my rationalist friends probably are) that this snake-handling gimmick is one handy-dandy way of cleaning up the gene-pool!

      But the best is still to come. Mattill goes on to relate that in January of 2006, he  received a letter from a friend detailing an incident involving a religious nut who actually wanted to guzzle antifreeze, just to prove the passage in Mark. He was fully convinced that he could pull it off without being harmed! Although Mattill’s friend managed to talk the idiot out of his flea-brained plan, still I was intrigued by the possibilities. I shared the story with my daughter so that we could discuss it, and her amusing reaction follows.

      Susan (whose dry sense of humor frequently borders on black) said that if the believer had approached her with this crazy idea, she would have asked him, point blank: “Have you bred yet?” If he had answered “No,” then she would cheerfully and eagerly have waltzed over to the cupboard of glasses and said: “Here you go! Shot glass or tumbler?”

      I could go on with more anecdotes prompted by the reading of Dr. Mattill’s latest book, but the best way to enjoy it is to read it for yourself. I might add that although Vol. #3 of Sweet Jesus is more enjoyable if one has also read Volumes #1 and 2, nevertheless, any of the three books is a treat whether read singly, or in sequence.

      My own favorite is this final one of the trio, however, for it seems to me that the author has gathered steam as he’s gone along, with each volume becoming even better than the previous text.