I want to start this review with words from this book's Preface written by Ravi Zacharias. He writes:

In this book, my colleague Abdu Murray, a onetime superlawyer with roots in Lebanon, partners with me as we seek to unveil the Eastern face of Jesus. Jesus' Eastern features are undeniable. As you walk this journey with us, you will see that Jesus is never simply Eastern or Western, though, but the Savior of the whole world. Children hover around him, yet teachers of the law are spellbound in his presence. His reasoning is global; his stories are local; his visitation is transcendent; his message is personal; and his implications are eternal.

I have only recently been introduced to the writings of Ravi Zacharias, and have been saddened to learn that he has died recently. He is well known as a Christian apologist, countering arguments of skeptics which undermine the truth of who Jesus is and the authority of The Holy Bible.

Both many Easterners and Westerners have forgotten Jesus as the Son of Man and the Son of God was born into a Middle Eastern Culture. Understanding that culture can prevent much of the misunderstandings arising from reading into his words and life Western concepts and perspectives. While those of Eastern heritage can benefit from knowing that Jesus is not a construct of Western cultural thinking.

I have benefitted from hearing the cultural background of the parables Jesus told which he used to illustrate godly thinking and conduct.

The reader needs to prepare to put some effort into reading for understanding by putting aside biases which all of us carry to one degree or another. As in any human teachings, we all have to be careful to examine the ideas against the biblical record which can speak to any culture. By understanding the Eastern culture, we can gain a depth and breadth of meanings we may have missed.