Jesus For President: a Community Book Review

I am well aware that the title to this book and post could drum up an unsettling reaction in some of its readers. For some it is the uneasy feeling of mixing faith and politics, church and state, and Jesus with President. The scars of the religious right may still be too fresh. For some its the thought that religion has seemed to have done more harm than good throughout the annals of history, so why even entertain such a thought? And for others it just might instill a little hope, a hope that is set not in religion but rather in Jesus and the radical nature of his teachings. So wherever you find yourself on this continuum, I personally invite you to join a respectful conversation that is taking place this summer through this blog and on July 23rd when Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw come to Richmond, Virginia for their Jesus for President book tour.

When: July 23rd @ 7:00 p.m.

Where: Tabernacle Baptist Church (located on the corner of Grove and Meadow)

Below is the schedule of blog post and the posters. You might notice that there are still a few posts that have not been spoken for… if you are interested in writing (Review, Editorial, or just simple questions to start conversation) feel free to contact me.

5-26 Introduction – Brent Underwood

Section 1 – Before There Were Kings and Presidents

5-28 In the Beginning, The Flood, The Tower, Exodus – Matt Sadler

5-30 For Every King There is a Prophet, Big Beast and Little Prophets, When Kings Cry – Keila Underwood

6-2 Power in Weakness, Branded by God: The Purity Code, Set Apart for Something Better – Mark Sprinkle

Section 2 – A New Kind of Commander-in-Chief

6-4 A New Kind of Commander-in-Chief, A Little Political Backdrop, Riots and Revolutions – Anna Miller

6-6 Herod the Not So Great, The Royal Birth, Political Seduction in the Desert,Commencement Speech – Sterling Severns

6-9 A Security Plan That Will Never Win an Elections, Jesus’ Policy on the “War on Terror”, The Way the Kingdom Grows (Or, Was Jesus Like Che?), The Mustard Seed Revolution – Daniel Farrell

6-11 On Citizenship in Heaven and Being Born Again, Down-to-Earth Politics,Take My Yoke, Not Rome’s, Occupied by a Legion – Daniel Farrell

6-13 Jesus and Taxes, Go Tell That Fox,The Anti-Triumphal Entrance intro Jerusalem,Ruling with a Towel – Matthew Freeman

6-16 The Last Prayer, Jesus’ Inauguration Ceremony, Caesar’s Coronation and Procession, Jesus’ Coronation and Procession, The Human Temple – Dean Miller

Section 3 – When The Empire Got Baptized

6-18 When The Empire God Baptized, Washing the Dirty System Off of US,The Empire Has No Clothes, On the Political Fringes of Empire – David Wolf

6-20 Alluring, Pious Rome, Revolutionary Subordination, Constantine and the “Fall” of the Church, Compassionate Imperialism – Matt Bell

6-23 Another Exodus, The Collision of Identity, The Imperial Baptism Continues, The Gospel of America and Beyond – Eric Hasha

6-25 Idols and Images, In the Market We Trust, Co-opted and Confused, Flags on Alters – Faith Martin

6-27 God Bless America, What About Hitler?, The Dangerous Meshing – Daniel Farrell

6-30 Then There is Logan, War Stories, Another Soldier Who Said “Enough”,A Closing Confession – Brent Underwood

Section 4 – A Peculiar Party

7-2 A Peculiar Party, Good News, Looking Like Jesus, What Do You See?, The Issues – Keila Underwood

7-4 Political Misfits, Cultural Refugees, Politics for Ordinary Radicals, Vagrant Campaigning (No SUV’s or Secret Service) – ?

7-7 Good Pattern for God’s Good Creation, Practicing Resurrection, Setting the Captives Free, God’s Streets, Living with Old People, Give to Uncle Sam What is Uncle Sam’s, Make Stuff – Daniel and Alicia Farrell

7-9 A Real Security Plan, The Third Way of Jesus, Bustin’ Out a Can of Grace, Like King David, Lydia – ?

7-11 Practicing Forgiveness, Fighting with Fruit, Getting in the Way: Christian Peacemaker Teams, Amish for Homeland Security, Bearing a Cross – ?

7-14 Practicing Revolutionary Patience, What to Do with Kings Gone Wild?, The Gates of Hell, Revolutionary Subordination, Alternative Economics, Relational Tithe, A Village of Interdependence – ?

7-16 Another World is Possible, Conversion, We Need New… Celebrations, Language, Rituals, Heroes, Songs, Liturgy, Eyes, Holidays – Chris Backert

7-18 Vote the Rock – Anyone who would like to write their concluding thoughts