I don’t remember when I learned that Leo Tolstoy had written his own, Thomas Jefferson-style miracle-free New Testament mashup, but I do know I immediately wanted to read it. Then, I spotted a copy at my local indie bookstore while looking for things to spend a gift card on, and that’s how I picked up a copy.

Like The Kingdom of God is Within You, I like some of Tolstoy’s ideas, but getting through them can be a drag. Since a lot of this one is just remixing the four gospels, it felt even harder to get through. It took a few starts and stops to make progress, and I think it’s going to be more of a reference book for me than anything I reread.

Some of Tolstoy’s readings are interesting (I like his take on Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness), but his hermeneutics are a little dodgy sometimes, and his confidence that he’s somehow unlocked the real Jesus is offputting. I’m glad I read it, but it wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped.

• The Gospel in Brief
• Leo Tolstoy
• The Kingdom of God is Within You
• Jesus Christ
• New Testament