In today’s political environment, who speaks for whom is not always clear. Over the past couple of decades, evangelical Christians have tended to be associated with the religious right and the most conservative positions of the Republican Party. Rebelling against this designation are those who prefer to be called Red Letter Christians, desiring to live out the red letters of Jesus’ words in the New Testament. Believing that Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Red Letter Christians want to jumpstart a religious movement that will transcend partisan politics and concentrate on issues such as fighting poverty, caring for the environment, advancing peace, promoting strong families, and supporting a consistent ethic of life, all viewed as critical moral and biblical values. Into this arena of thought steps Tony Campolo, the powerful evangelist known for his passionate and prophetic sharing of the radical message of Jesus. In this book, Campolo examines many of the hot-button issues facing evangelicals from the perspective of Jesus’ red-letter words in the Bible. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, Campolo will make you think, pray and act.
Red Letter Christians
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Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
From Red Letter Christians:
Challenging the popular image of Evangelicals is one of the purposes of this book. I want it to be known that there are millions of us who espouse an evangelical theology, but who reject being classified as part of the Religious Right. We don’t want to make Jesus into a Republican.
On the other hand, we want to say loud and clear that we don’t want to make Jesus in a Democrat, either.
Early twentieth-century playwright and social critic George Bernard Shaw once said that God created us in His image—and we decided to return the favor! Clearly there are those on the Religious Right who would make Jesus into a Republican and an incarnation of their political values. And on the other side of the aisle, there are those who would make Jesus into a Democrat who espouses their particular liberal agenda.
But Jesus refuses to fit into any of our political ideologies. Transcending partisan politics, Jesus calls us to make judgments about social issues as best we can when we vote, and to do so in accord with our best understanding of God’s will. In doing so, we are to avoid partisan politics that lead to unnecessary, unproductive and even dangerous divisions.
At election time when you are asked, “Are you a Democrat or a Republican?” your answer should be, “Name the issue!” On any specific social or political issue, we must be ready and willing to work out which party and/or candidate best represents our convictions.
This, of course, will make voting into a difficult decision-making process. But who said following Jesus was easy?
Challenging the popular image of Evangelicals is one of the purposes of this book. I want it to be known that there are millions of us who espouse an evangelical theology, but who reject being classified as part of the Religious Right. We don’t want to make Jesus into a Republican.
On the other hand, we want to say loud and clear that we don’t want to make Jesus in a Democrat, either.
Early twentieth-century playwright and social critic George Bernard Shaw once said that God created us in His image—and we decided to return the favor! Clearly there are those on the Religious Right who would make Jesus into a Republican and an incarnation of their political values. And on the other side of the aisle, there are those who would make Jesus into a Democrat who espouses their particular liberal agenda.
But Jesus refuses to fit into any of our political ideologies. Transcending partisan politics, Jesus calls us to make judgments about social issues as best we can when we vote, and to do so in accord with our best understanding of God’s will. In doing so, we are to avoid partisan politics that lead to unnecessary, unproductive and even dangerous divisions.
At election time when you are asked, “Are you a Democrat or a Republican?” your answer should be, “Name the issue!” On any specific social or political issue, we must be ready and willing to work out which party and/or candidate best represents our convictions.
This, of course, will make voting into a difficult decision-making process. But who said following Jesus was easy?
From the Back Cover
Over the past couple of decades, Evangelical Christians have been associated with the Religious Right and the most conservative positions of the Republican Party. Rebelling against this designation are those who prefer to be called “Red Letter Christians,” desiring to live out the red letters of Jesus’ words in the New Testament. Believing that Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Red Letter Christians transcend partisan politics and concentrate on issues viewed critically through a moral and biblical lens.
Into this arena of thought steps Tony Campolo, the powerful evangelist known for his passionate and prophetic sharing of the radical message of Jesus. In this book, Campolo examines many of the hot-button issues facing Evangelicals from the perspective of Jesus’ red-letter words in the Bible. These include the environment, war, the AIDS crisis, Palestine, education, gun control, the role of government and choosing the right kind of candidate. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, Campolo will make you think, pray and act.
Tony writes this book with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, reminding us that our faith must affect how we live in this world. This book is not just about how to vote in November…it is about how we vote every single day.
SHANE CLAIBORNE
Urban Monastic, Activist, Red Letter Christian and Author of Jesus for President
With “Campolian” passion and insight, Red Letter Christians prods, challenges, questions, invites and instructs us to be people who love and live the words of Jesus.
BRIAN MCLAREN
Author (brianmclaren.net)
With the maturity and depth only an elder statesman can provide, Tony Campolo brings his acute moral clarity to issues ranging from abortion to environmental stewardship, global poverty to gay marriage and everything in between. Campolo knows that people of faith should not be in the pocket of any political party—that God is not a Republican or a Democrat.
JIM WALLIS
Author of God’s Politics
Into this arena of thought steps Tony Campolo, the powerful evangelist known for his passionate and prophetic sharing of the radical message of Jesus. In this book, Campolo examines many of the hot-button issues facing Evangelicals from the perspective of Jesus’ red-letter words in the Bible. These include the environment, war, the AIDS crisis, Palestine, education, gun control, the role of government and choosing the right kind of candidate. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, Campolo will make you think, pray and act.
Tony writes this book with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, reminding us that our faith must affect how we live in this world. This book is not just about how to vote in November…it is about how we vote every single day.
SHANE CLAIBORNE
Urban Monastic, Activist, Red Letter Christian and Author of Jesus for President
With “Campolian” passion and insight, Red Letter Christians prods, challenges, questions, invites and instructs us to be people who love and live the words of Jesus.
BRIAN MCLAREN
Author (brianmclaren.net)
With the maturity and depth only an elder statesman can provide, Tony Campolo brings his acute moral clarity to issues ranging from abortion to environmental stewardship, global poverty to gay marriage and everything in between. Campolo knows that people of faith should not be in the pocket of any political party—that God is not a Republican or a Democrat.
JIM WALLIS
Author of God’s Politics
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More About the Author
Tony Campolo (Ph.D., Temple University) is professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia, a media commentator on religious, social, and political matters, and the author of a dozen books, including Revolution and Renewal, Let me Tell You a Story, and 20 Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid to touch.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than Rush!,
By
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This review is from: Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics (Hardcover)
Campolo and his Red Letter Christians base their political views on interpretations of the teachings of Jesus. They believe Jesus, if he voted today, would be neither a Republican or a Democrat; his vote would depend on the issues. I love how Campolo's opinions as well as the opposition's are explained with all due respect... no insults or rude comments or arrogance! His view on the pro-life issue is especially radical... just like Jesus.
28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Perspective Long Overdue,
By
This review is from: Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics (Hardcover)
Coming from a Massachusetts Northeast liberal, a book by a Evangelical Baptist Minister might not be a perfect read. Yet Tony Campolo has put together a remarkably adept book that puts faith into perspective when addressing political action. The result is a powerful book that may best be summed up by Campolo's opening statement: "when people ask a Christian are they a Democrat or a Republican, you should reply: what's the issue?"
Clearly the Bible has been subverted too often to satisfy the needs and agenda of a small minority. Campolo carefully examines the words of Jesus to present a powerful argument that faith based politics is neither the exclusive realm of Democrats or Republicans. His arguments are so well reasoned, in almost every case, he is able to present two sides of the issue convincingly, the lone exception being capital punishment (which he argues Christ would be adamantly against.) Further, Campolo argues that the focus should be on the "Red Letter" words of Christ as Jesus often contradicted (realigned might be a better word) edicts that were found in the Old Testament (example, Jesus countermanded Moses approval of polygamy). Too often it seems, evangelicals seem to base their political choices and ideas on elements found within the Old Testament while simultaneously professing their adherence to the teachings of Christ. Campolo makes a valid argument that the focus ought to be on the words and actions of Jesus, rather than the events that happened in the Old Testament. This isn't to say he rejects the Old Testament, early in his book, he affirms it as the written word of God, but he does move the focus onto the relevancy of the New Testament. For Christians such as myself, this is a wonderful book because it focuses on the importance of the words of Jesus and his teachings and exposes the duality of many elements of the Old Testament. Evangelicals who would condemn homosexuality based on Leviticus seem keen to ignore the fact that slavery and polygamy run rampant through the Old Testament. "Picking and choosing" issues isn't an option for Red Letter Christians, Christ's words are right there and what he says about the poor, foreigners, the sick, the helpless and the underprivileged are in bright red. This book is sure to offer a new perspective for anyone interested in faith-based politics.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Expand your evangelical viewpoint,
By ML2 (Olympia, WA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics (Hardcover)
I've been using this book with a weekly gathering of eight people who meet to discuss our Christian
faith and how to live it out in practical ways. This book gives a perspective about modern issues in politics and sociology that is often overlooked in the more typical focus on Christian morality. I recommend it as a good springboard to shaping a broader perspective on Jesus' mandate to love God and love your neighbor.
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Red Letter Christians, Social Security, President Bush, United States, Saddam Hussein, Holy Land, Middle East, Patriot Act, Bush Administration, New Jersey, Christian Zionists, Religious Right, God's Kingdom, Biblical Approach, White House, State of Israel, Republican Party, Tomás Borge, Supreme Court, Hillary Clinton, Third World, Eastern University, Roman Catholic, Mother Teresa, Second Amendment Browse Sample Pages:
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gun advocates Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Red Letter Christians, Social Security, President Bush, United States, Saddam Hussein, Holy Land, Middle East, Patriot Act, Bush Administration, New Jersey, Christian Zionists, Religious Right, God's Kingdom, Biblical Approach, White House, State of Israel, Republican Party, Tomás Borge, Supreme Court, Hillary Clinton, Third World, Eastern University, Roman Catholic, Mother Teresa, Second Amendment Browse Sample Pages:
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