Books by "John Dominic Crossan"
3 books found
Bestselling authors of The Last Week and The First Christmas, Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan join once again to present a new understanding of early Christianity—this time to reveal a radical Paul who has been suppressed by the church. Paul is second only to Jesus as the most important person in the birth of Christianity, and yet he continues to be controversial, even among Christians. How could the letters of Paul be used both to inspire radical grace and to endorse systems of oppression—condoning slavery, subordinating women, condemning homosexual behavior? Borg and Crossan use the best of biblical and historical scholarship to explain the reasons for Paul's mixed reputation and reveal to us what scholars have known for decades: that the later letters of Paul were created by the early church to dilute Paul's egalitarian message and transform him into something more "acceptable." They argue there are actually "Three Pauls" in the New Testament: "The Radical Paul" (of the seven genuine letters), "The Conservative Paul" (of the three disputed epistles), and "The Reactionary Paul" (of the three inauthentic letters). By closely examining this progression of Paul's letters—from the authentic to the inauthentic—the authors show how the apostle was slowly but steadily "deradicalized" to fit Roman social norms in regards to slavery, patriarchy, and patronage. In truth, Paul was an appealing apostle of Jesus whose vision of life "in Christ"—one of his favored phrases—is remarkably faithful to the message of Jesus himself.
A fascinating analysis that blends world history, Western religion, and Eastern mysticism, Quest for the Kingdom by Dr. John M. Newman examines the "kingdom of God" as the historical Jesus describes it. The book's premise holds that Jesus' teachings include specific instructions for the quest to find and live in God's kingdom before death. This powerful work favors fact, and readers can revel in Jesus' authentic teachings that describe the quest both as internal spiritual cultivation and the way to live in the world. It is rare for a book on Christian theology to break new ground, but Newman does this on two fronts: the striking parallel of Jesus' teachings with the ancient mysticism of yoga and the equally fascinating parallel between Jesus' healing techniques and the practices of modern psychotherapists like Freud. Newman is meticulous in drawing these original and unique parallels and they lift this work's premise to a non-generic level that speaks to several audiences, an accomplishment that sets the work apart from the pack. In twenty accessible and engaging chapters like "The Kingdom of God," "The War of the Houses," "The Kingdom Is Like a Woman," "Spiritual Cultivation," and "The Exorcisms and Healings of Jesus," the reader watches Jesus at work, healing and offering his parables at a communal meal. In addition to elucidating the path to the kingdom that Jesus shared with his followers, Newman explains and illustrates the voice print of Jesus-his sage rhetorical strategies and distinctive discourse. Newman brings Jesus' parables to life with a penetrating analysis that enables the reader to experience Jesus' mastery of metaphor and management of the unconscious trajectory of thought in the minds of his listeners. A commanding new breakthrough in the understanding of the teachings and works of Jesus, this book is a must-read for academics and laypersons alike.
In the first century, the resurrection fact faced both Jewish and Greek audiences with a challenge, the challenge of a new reality: Christ, the risen Lord. Since facts are by definition "something that happened" and this happening was witnessed, proclaimed, and recorded, the fact stands for all generations. In answering critics, a defense of the resurrection consists not only of a response by way of negation (e.g., Christianity is not this), but also through positive affirmations (this is Christianity). In this book, the reader will find both. However, it is our hope that the final word retained would be the one that stands for something rather than against something. Together, our words stand for something positive, not negative; namely the good news that the one true God has now taken charge of the world, in and through Jesus and His death and resurrection.