JesusA Pilgrimage
Review posted October 12, 2026.
HarperOne, 2014. 538 pages.
Review written June 6, 2026, from a library book.
Starred Review
Jesus: A Pilgrimage is the story of Jesus' life as told in the gospels, but seen through the lens of Fr. Martin's trip to the Holy Land. This makes it a beautifully personal way of looking at the stories.
I know a lot about Jesus' life - I've actually memorized all four gospels. But this book was packed with new insights gleaned from the author being in the actual places where the events occurred. At the same time, I think it would give anyone new to the gospel story an introduction that would draw them in. I'd love to go through this book with my church small group, but the catch is that it's much longer than most books we use. So I'd probably want to start in the Fall and use it the entire year - but we have already selected a book for next Fall, so we'll see.
James Martin is a Jesuit priest. I'm not sure how I found this book, but I've read some of his others, so I was probably checking if our library had any more books by him and found it. I'm also reading his book Work in Progress that was published this year, so maybe searching for it, I found this one. But however it happened, I have been riveted by this book - mostly telling a tale I already know, but full of the stories of what are in the sites now and what it looks and feels like to be there.
He tells about the places and events in the order they happened in Jesus' life, not in the order he visited them. So after explaining how he happened to spend time in the Holy Land, he begins with the Annunciation to Mary that she would have a baby - which happened in Nazareth. He ends with the place where Jesus ascended into heaven - or at least where tradition says it happened.
In the Introduction, he explains that this isn't a scholarly book or a book of theology.
So what is this book?
It is a look at Jesus, as he appears in the Gospels, through the lens of my education, experience, prayer, and most recently a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. And through the lens of faith.
He explains his basic approach, as well as how personal it all is.
As we arrive at significant "places" in Jesus's life, I'll share stories of what I saw at those sites during my pilgrimage. In this way I hope to bring you into that trip as I experienced it. Also, I'll offer reflections on what particular episodes in Jesus's life might have to say to us today.
Each chapter, then, will include some travel narrative, some study of the text, and some spiritual reflection. At the end of the chapters I will include the corresponding Gospel passages, to encourage you to experience these parts of the Bible for yourself.
As someone who already loves Jesus, I feel like Fr. Martin succeeded in bringing me along on his pilgrimage and deepening that love. As he puts it:
So I would like to invite you to meet the Jesus you already may know, but in a new way. Or, if you don't know much about Jesus, I would like to introduce him to you. Overall, I would like to introduce you to the Jesus I know, and love, the person at the center of my life.
I believe he succeeds in this goal, and I highly recommend this book.