Render Unto Caesar: The Battle Over Christ and Culture in the New Testament

Description

The revered Bible scholar and author of The Historical Jesus explores the Christian culture wars-the debates over church and state-from a biblical perspective, exploring the earliest tensions evident in the New Testament, and offering a way forward for Christians today. Leading Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan, the author of the pioneering work The Historical Jesus, provides new insight into the Christian culture wars which began in the New Testament and persist strongly today. For decades, Americans have been divided on how Christians should relate to government and lawmakers, a dispute that has impacted every area of society and grown more rancorous over the past forty years. But as Crossan makes clear, this debate isn't new; it can be found in the New Testament itself, most notably in the tensions between Luke-Acts and Revelations. In the texts of Luke-Acts, Rome is considered favorably. In the book of Revelations, Rome is seen as the embodiment of evil in the world. Yet there is an alternative to these two extremes, Crossan explains. The historical Jesus and Paul, the earliest Christian teachers, were both strongly opposed to Rome, yet neither demonized the Empire. Crossan sees in Jesus and Paul's approach a model for Christians today that can be used to cut through the acrimony and polarization roiling our society and dividing us.

John Dominic Crossan is professor of biblical studies at DePaul University in Chicago. He is the bestselling author of many books, including The Historical Jesus, The Birth of Christianity, Excavating Jesus, and In Search of Paul.

Captivating. Render Unto Caesar is accessible, and inspiring, a true gift to modern people of faith. Crossan's signature historical analysis provides insights into our modern cultural divisions, showing how modern Christians can work to resist corrupt governments and reform our society for the common good. --Brandan Robertson, Activist and Author, Filled to Be Emptied: The Path of Liberation for Privileged People