Joseph Girzone (1930–2015)
Author of Joshua: A Parable for Today
About the Author
Joseph F. Girzone was born in Albany, New York on May 15, 1930. He received a theology degree from Catholic University of America in 1955 and was ordained a priest that same year. He retired from pastoral work in 1981 at the age of 50 because of health problems. In 1982, he self-published his first show more novel, Joshua, under the imprint of his own small religious press, Richelieu Court Press. He sold the book through direct contact and word of mouth before it was brought to the attention of an editor at Macmillan. He wrote a total of ten books in the Joshua series which were adapted into the film Abandon. He also founded the Joshua Foundation in 1995. He died from a heart condition on November 29, 2015 at the age of 85. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Michael P. Farrell/Times Union
Series
Works by Joseph Girzone
Joshua: The Journey Home : Joshua, Joshua and the Children, Joshua in the Holy Land (1993) 169 copies
Jesus, His Life and Teachings: As Recorded by His Friends Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (2000) 99 copies
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Girzone, Joseph
- Legal name
- Girzone, Joseph Francis
- Other names
- Girzone, Joseph F.
- Birthdate
- 1930-05-15
- Date of death
- 2015-11-29
- Gender
- male
- Education
- St. Bonaventure University (BS|Biology|1953)
Fordham University
Catholic University (B.Th|1955) - Occupations
- priest
writer - Organizations
- Roman Catholic Church (ordained 1970)
Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (ordained 1955)
Joshua Mountain Ministries
Joshua Foundation - Short biography
- International bestselling author Joseph F. Girzone is the creator of the popular and inspiration Joshua books, an imaginative retelling of the life of Jesus. Fr. Girzone retired from the active priesthood in 1981 and devoted his life to writing about Jesus. In 1995, he established the Joshua Foundation, an organization dedicated to make Jesus better known throughout the world. He passed away in 2015.
- Cause of death
- heart disease
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Albany, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- Albany, New York, USA
Altamont, New York, USA - Place of death
- Albany, New York, USA
- Burial location
- Joshua House, Altamont, New York, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- New York, USA
Members
Reviews
This book made me despair over education, and despair even more that it could get into print and be wildly popular as badly written as it was when there are so many undiscovered and really GOOD writers out there. Nonetheless, it was a compelling story and truly inspirational. There must have been a great hunger out there for this to sell so well. Good for Jesus.
In A Portrait of Jesus(1998), Joseph Girzone uses a similar approach that he uses in his fictional series of Joshua novels to understanding the historical Jesus. That is, to avoid theology, doctrine, and Christology and look at Jesus as a real person who came to earth to spread His message of love and freedom through creating relationships with other people. It's a simple yet revolutionary approach and proves very enlightening and inspirational, especially in the early chapters. Yet, even as show more something of a Fr. Girzone fan I have to admit that while full of faith and prayerful contemplation, Fr. Girzone is not the best writer and comes across a bit hokey. In the later chapters he sort of recreates the Gospels in a more common language, but kind of cherry picks stories from all the Gospels into one narrative. Fr. Girzone also depicts Jesus as unique in relationship with the poor, oppressed, and women against a rule-following, monolithic Jewish religious leadership, which is a fallacy according to what I read last Lent in Amy-Jill Levine's The Misunderstood Jew. Still, for all it's flaws this is a good inspirational book.
Favorite Passages
Favorite Passages
Even though you may be weak, are you focused on God, are you sensitive to the pain and hurt all around you? This is the essence of the person who is pleasing to God. Not that accuracy in belief and disciplining human weakness are not important, but loving the Father in heaven and caring for others is absolutely essential They were the teachings that were critical to Jesus. Jesus realized few people will ever have an accurate understanding of the nature of God and even the identity of the Son of God, but He knew that it was within the heard of everyone to care for others. - p. 32-33
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And in telling His followers to love as He loved, it constrains us to continually deepen our intimacy with Him so we can understand Him and what He expects of us as His friends, and grow as love grows, naturally from within, without imposing on ourselves artificial imperatives from outside.
As a result, following Jesus and knowing what is expected will always be confusing, as walking in faith is destined to be, Jesus may have explained things more clearly to the apostles, as the writings of the early Fathers of the Church indicate, but even the apostles did not comprehend everything the way we would have desired. - p. 91
I have always enjoyed reading and re-reading Joseph Girzone's books. This book is a different matter. It's hard to understand how a priest with over 35 years experience could have such struggles with his faith. It's interesting to note that this book wasn't published until he retired from the priesthood. It is also unsettling and sad that he was a practicing priest during these struggles. While I do sympathize and agree with some of his criticisms of the Catholic Church, I have to say show more reading this book left me exasperated with the author because he waited until he left the priesthood to air the dirty laundry. With that said, I learned much from this book and would read again. I am in gratitude for the many fine books Joseph Girzone has written and may he rest in peace. show less
I have a confession to make--I'm not religious, and I'm sure that is partly (but not entirely) responsible for the low rating. I read this because I'm reading through "The Ultimate Reading List" which has an "Inspirational Fiction" component and I decided not to skip it--after all, I do find CS Lewis thought-provoking and enjoyable, and I didn't want to rule out I might find a good book through this listing.
Girzone isn't a CS Lewis though. His style is simple, spare, and inelegant, with show more clunky dialogue, though fast-reading. Just knowing this was a work of religious fiction and the title, I guessed its subject and found the plot predictable. Basically, the premise is this--Jesus (ie Joshua) is alive and living in the small American village of Auburn. He's a carpenter who lives simply--but one that soon has an impact around him. He can see into your soul with a look, his lawn is mowed by sheep wandering in and cropping his grass and he can carry by himself a block of wood weighing hundreds of pounds. One of the basic messages of the book, despite Girzone's position as a priest in the Catholic Church is not simply ecumenical but one that stresses that Jesus is of no church, and that apostles and religious are called to serve people, not any organization, and the message and spirit is far more important than rigid rules or ritual.
However, what struck me more than anything was an inability to see beyond the context of his own belief. For instance there's this passage said by Joshua:
Any ability we have comes from God, and our recognition of it should make us humble, not arrogant. That's the mistake so many scientists make when they think they have created what God has given them to discover. In their smallness they use their discoveries as reason to question the very existence of the person who gave them their ability. That is the modern unforgivable sin.
I'm not a scientist--and I could just point out that after all many scientists are believers, but I think that's really beside the point. From a theocentric point of view, given how often scientific discovery has conflicted with dogma and scripture, I suppose I can understand why it might be thought science is all about proving there is no God. But I doubt even atheist scientists care to do that. Science is about understanding the universe and seeking the truth using logic, observation, and testing your premises--whatever the result--just ask Galileo. It's not about arrogance--it's about integrity.
Similarly, given the thoughts and words Girzone ascribes to Joshua, he seems to believe the reason Jews aren't Christians is because Christians have been mean to them over the ages. I'm no more Jewish than I am a scientist, but I can't imagine a believing Jew finding that credible. Jews aren't Christians because they are not Christians.
That might sound like a tautology, but it isn't. My point is really the same as it is about science versus religion. People don't believe the things they do in reaction to what you believe--whether because of how you treat them (although persecuting them doesn't help)--nor to prove you wrong. They believe what they do because they think it's true and right. show less
Girzone isn't a CS Lewis though. His style is simple, spare, and inelegant, with show more clunky dialogue, though fast-reading. Just knowing this was a work of religious fiction and the title, I guessed its subject and found the plot predictable. Basically, the premise is this--Jesus (ie Joshua) is alive and living in the small American village of Auburn. He's a carpenter who lives simply--but one that soon has an impact around him. He can see into your soul with a look, his lawn is mowed by sheep wandering in and cropping his grass and he can carry by himself a block of wood weighing hundreds of pounds. One of the basic messages of the book, despite Girzone's position as a priest in the Catholic Church is not simply ecumenical but one that stresses that Jesus is of no church, and that apostles and religious are called to serve people, not any organization, and the message and spirit is far more important than rigid rules or ritual.
However, what struck me more than anything was an inability to see beyond the context of his own belief. For instance there's this passage said by Joshua:
Any ability we have comes from God, and our recognition of it should make us humble, not arrogant. That's the mistake so many scientists make when they think they have created what God has given them to discover. In their smallness they use their discoveries as reason to question the very existence of the person who gave them their ability. That is the modern unforgivable sin.
I'm not a scientist--and I could just point out that after all many scientists are believers, but I think that's really beside the point. From a theocentric point of view, given how often scientific discovery has conflicted with dogma and scripture, I suppose I can understand why it might be thought science is all about proving there is no God. But I doubt even atheist scientists care to do that. Science is about understanding the universe and seeking the truth using logic, observation, and testing your premises--whatever the result--just ask Galileo. It's not about arrogance--it's about integrity.
Similarly, given the thoughts and words Girzone ascribes to Joshua, he seems to believe the reason Jews aren't Christians is because Christians have been mean to them over the ages. I'm no more Jewish than I am a scientist, but I can't imagine a believing Jew finding that credible. Jews aren't Christians because they are not Christians.
That might sound like a tautology, but it isn't. My point is really the same as it is about science versus religion. People don't believe the things they do in reaction to what you believe--whether because of how you treat them (although persecuting them doesn't help)--nor to prove you wrong. They believe what they do because they think it's true and right. show less
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- Works
- 37
- Also by
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- Members
- 7,009
- Popularity
- #3,491
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 48
- ISBNs
- 184
- Languages
- 4