Title: Well of Living Water: The Story of a Man Who Was God
Author: Sonia Coldicutt
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ISBN: 978-1-64908-502-3
Pages: 226
Genre: Religious
Reviewed by: Jason Lulos

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Children and adults alike have historically had trouble reading Shakespeare. His Yoda-like poetic language can be baffling; hence the need for college professors, Cliffs notes, and abundant scholarship. The Gospels can be similarly challenging (to believers and non-believers alike); hence the need for teachers, study groups, and, again, abundant scholarship. So, where to begin? Sonia Coldicutt’s Well of Living Water: The Story of a Man Who Was God is a wonderful resource on understanding the Gospels – regardless of your prior knowledge or past religious experience. She explicates the life and words of Jesus in such a way that the inspirational power of the ancient context is preserved but is simultaneously presented in modern language with relatability to modern life.

Well of Living Water is part scholarship, part inspirational message. It is thought-provoking and imaginative in all the right places. Coldicutt is a teacher, wife, mother, one who has been to the Holy land, and one who has been “born again.” Those not religious are inclined tend to recoil from such a phrase and any type of “preachiness.” However, she is never preachy. In fact, her personal style can best be described as thoroughly informative, compelling, and gently encouraging. That being said, this is a brilliant secondary resource on the Gospels – for anyone from lifelong Christians to novices.

Coldicutt elucidates and synthesizes the differences between the four Gospels with great clarity. She doesn’t shy away from skeptical questions that (yes, children and adults alike) might ask a priest or a rabbi. If Jesus wanted to be believed by all, why didn’t he simply perform miracles all of the time? Why didn’t he save his own life? Why did he tend to speak in enigmatic parables? Coldicutt addresses all such questions socratically. It is an interactive reading experience as she openly encourages further contemplation. Thus, it is left for the reader to decide. She notes that just as Jesus said it was each disciple’s choice what to believe in, so it is for everyone else.

The author’s imagined dialogues are creative and remarkably useful: John counseling Peter after the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene speaking with the Apostles, and many more. These dialogues, in modern language, really help fill in the gaps of Jesus’ place in Christianity and history. Each chapter ends with stimulating discussion questions and Bible references that nudge the reader to think more deeply. I even found myself occasionally cross-referencing Bible verses for context as she suggests.

This book is spiritual, literary, personal, and although deep, it was really enjoyable to read. I recommend it for anyone seeking to understand Jesus and/or Biblical literature in a more profound way.