RED
LETTER REVOLUTION: WHAT IF JESUS REALLY MEANT WHAT HE SAID? By SHANE CLAIBORNE and TONY CAMPOLO
Thomas
Nelson Publisher
This is a dialogue between the 2 authors on 26 different
subjects ranging from ‘History’ to ‘Politics’ to ‘Resurrection’. Obviously with
that many chapters and that many different subjects, nothing is covered very
deeply.
As
I was reading I could not help but think that this book would make good
curriculum for Sunday School class or small group. With that said, it would
have been nice to have some questions at the end of each chapter.
Though
the book is an attempt to see what Jesus would have said and done on each
subject. Those interpretations are open for debate. In some areas they would
have done well to apply their own quote of Soren Kierkegaard when he said,
“The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we
Christians pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that
the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly.”
For instance, it bothers me on the subject of homosexual
marriage that they will not say that the physical act is sin. While we are to
love all people, including homosexuals, adulterers, fornicators, pedophiles
etc. we cannot approve of their actions.
In other areas the authors make some good points regarding
community and the church taking care of not only of the poor and hurting but
also of their own. They mention the fact that where God makes all things new in
peoples lives, that means there are some professions and jobs people must get
out of. When that is the case it is the churches responsibility to help meet
the needs of that individual and his family.
If you are looking for something that will help you begin
to think on a number of issues this might be a good place to start. However
don’t expect more that a brief glance.
