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Cary
News 6/5/03
ON
THE TRAIL OF JESUS
Author Writes About His Search For History
by Wendy Lewis
At
age 33, author and journalist James Campion had never traveled
outside the United States. But he always knew that his first journey
would be to the Holy Land.
Years
of planning led him on a month-long trip to Israel in 1996. His
experiences there, combined with years of scholarly research,
became the basis for his newest book, Trailing
Jesus.
Campion
- whose
parents, Phyllis and James Campion, live in Cary - will be at
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 760 S.E. Maynard Road in Cary,
on June 10 at 7:30 PM. He will sign copies of his book and discuss
his experiences in the Middle East and the current conflicts in
that region.
While
touring the Upper Galilee and Jerusalem, the author said he "literally
tried to map the historical Jesus trail," following his movements
of 2,000 years ago to understand the man whose life and teachings
inspired a world-wide religion.
He
describes his book as not the work of a scholar or a theologian,
but the writings of an inquisitive journalist: part travelogue,
personal journey and historical discussion, and part spiritual
journey.
"I've
always been fascinated by Biblical history, or any history and
by things unproved," Campion said during a phone interview
from his home in New Jersey.
Raised
in a Catholic home, Campion says he began to question certain
aspects of the church and could not readily accept some Biblical
teachings. He was also fascinated by the idea that a peasant from
a nondescript town could still be considered a religious icon
some two millennia later.
Trailing
Jesus has been described by some reviewers as controversial,
but Campion compares his work to that of any writer or artist
who takes a well-known figure and "spins a more engaging
view."
"If
nothing else, I think the book has opened up several key debates
for me across lines of creed and tradition, and that has enriched
my experience with the subject," he said.
His
research has led him to believe that the four gospels in the New
Testament, which recount Jesus's life, are largely accurate. "These
is little debate that these events actually transpired,"
he said. But he adds that many people miss the "instructional
nuggets in the Jesus teachings that I cover extensively in the
book. Nuggets, I believe, that give humanity a glimpse into the
meaning of existence."
"...From
what I've come to understand in the critical research of the dozens
of gospels attributed to the Jesus story is that every aspect
of its message can be utilized here and now with
the limitations of our mind and spirits. And I see little to none
of that reflected in modern religious thought, particularly Christianity."
To
understand how his research and travels have affected his personal
beliefs, Campion says, "It's an ethereal experience when
you go (to Israel) because these places are so ripe with philosophical,
religious and traditional meanings...There was definitely a monumental
change for me."
Campion
is a freelance journalist and writes a weekly pop-culture column.
He is the author of two other books, "Deep
Tank Jersey - One Man's Journey Into The Soul of a
New Jersey Club Band and Fear
No Art - Observations on the Death of the American
Century.
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