BLOG 9/2/13: SUBVERSIVE JESUS, RADICAL GRACE
The other day I was at one of my favorite coffee shops and got into a chance conversation with one of the staff there, who is a very affable guy, also a professional actor, and a keen mind. In the course of the conversation I asked his name, and he was a Robert just as I am. I remarked that I was an author, and that even thought I went by the name ‘Bob’ with my friends, that I had to use my full name in publishing since there were a gazillion ‘Bobs’ on Amazon. So, he naturally asked me what I wrote about. That led to a most scintillating conversation with a neat guy, typical young urban professional, product of a post-Christian culture, and whose only exposure to the Christian faith was through the media, which meant that he had read about all the strident right-wing voices that call themselves ‘Christian’ or ‘evangelical’.
It so happened that this was the day after the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, so I was able to feed in that if one took the teachings of Jesus seriously, that they were very radical stuff, and had a social ethic that was counter-cultural through and through. I reflected with him that it was this faith that formed Martin Luther King, Jr., and that his stirring quote from the minor prophet: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream” spoke of the intense passion of the Christian faith in its integrity in facing the social, economic, and political issues, and injustices, of the day as it incarnates the teaching of Jesus, and of God’s New Creation (Kingdom).
He rose to that, and the conversation got very productive. I told him I had written on this very subject and he was intrigued, and punched my name into his iPhone saying he would check it out. This says that there are many doors into the hearts and minds of the ‘sojourners’ (a designation given by one writer to the spiritually confused god-seekers).
Which leads me to the point of this Blog. I am rejoicing that the good folk at Wipf and Stock Publishers (Eugene, OR) have reprinted now an earlier book of mine entitled Subversive Jesus, Radical Grace: Relating Christ to a New Generation.
I commend it to my readers. Ron Sider, in commenting on it when it was published originally in 2001, wrote: “Henderson gives substance to words often ignored or trivialized in contemporary Christianity: radical obedience, costly discipleship, repentance, idolatry, dominion of God, servanthood, and holiness. Henderson’s commitment to a holistic agenda is timeless—an important read for disciples of any generation.”
One of his colleagues in Evangelicals for Social Action (Phil Olson) added: “In a narrative style, Henderson supplies an undercover systematic theology that challenges, confronts, and confounds the postmodern mindset. This youthful veteran pastor and theologian leaps the generation gap and sets forth a rigorous evangelistic agenda for a new millennium.”
I’m thrilled that it is in reprint. I commend it as part of the ongoing conversation of these Blogs.
Peace!
