Customer Reviews

The Upside-Down Kingdom /Out of Print

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This book is a much needed wake-up call for evangelicals to stop ignoring radical call of Christ to meet the social needs of people just because the "Social Gospel" has historically been associated with "liberals". Through an insightful and culturally/historically/scripturally contextualized look at the synoptic gospels (and especially Luke)Kraybill shows that Jesus' message of hope for the poor and oppressed is more than merely spiritual. Too often Christians try to spiritualize away the gospel passages where Christ seems to be calling us to a radical way of handling our resources and power when dealing with those with less money or lower social position. Kraybill goes beyond just calling us to help people however; he shows us that concern for the poor, the oppressed and the alien is essential to true spirituality and the gospel. Working towards the realization of the Kingdom of God requires that we try to liberate people from both spiritual and social oppression. In fact the two are quite often the same thing.

If the error of the evangelical church is overly spiritualizing the gospel in favor of "saving souls", and the error of the mainline church is interpreting the gospel to only be about "self-improvement" and helping others with their physical needs, Kraybill offers a compelling middle-way (and yet also a radical way) that finds its ultimate support in an honest reading of the words of Jesus himself.

Kraybill is nothing less than prophetic, calling Christians to look deeply and carefully into the message of Jesus, to see the radical life he was calling his followers to. Much of what Kraybill was saying twenty years ago is now being echoed in the words of prominent Christians leaders like Phillip Yancey and Tony Campolo. Kraybill makes clear Jesus' call to living out the principles of the forgotten Jubilee, wherein people of faith were called reject the self-seeking social pyramid of humankind, embracing instead of servant lifestlye that would bring about the equality that God intended. Kraybill reveals that much the revolutionary heart of Jesus has been explained away by North American Christians simply because it flies directly in the face of the human wisdom we are so comfortable to embrace. I am left with the great challenge of allowing the all-the-way teachings of Jesus to govern every practical detail of how I live my life.

"-teaching and preaching ministries ought to call people to a common faith in Jesus Christ that transcends social ties. Is our common bond of unity in Christ stronger than the social glue that holds us together? This is precisely the genius of the gospel. Diverse people from all sorts of boxes are reconciled together in Jesus Christ." (pg 226)

Kraybill, Donald B. The Upside Down Kingdom Revised Ed. Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990. 275pg.

Authors Purpose(s)
In part this book is meant to show the believer what the world could be if we would only live out the beatitudes in our lives. The book clearly has human relationships in mind with everything it says. It is an assessment of the sociological systems in place and the statements of Jesus. It is about the upside down kingdom that Jesus ushered us into and how he was not only countercultural in His day but also in our own. As Donald Kraybill writes, "I hope the upside down perspective will provoke stimulating discussions enabling Christian believers to more accurately discern God's will for their lives."
Survey of Covered Topics
1. In the first section of this book Donald Kraybill defines the world he sees around him as being upside down from the world God created for His people. He also looks at a number of "detour[s]" that people use to "evade the kingdom message and bypass its relevance for today." These detours include a number of lies we allow ourselves to believe, such as seeing Jesus as culturally irrelevant to our society or the over spiritualization of Christ's words that make them emotional and take away from their practicality.
2. The second section of the book deals with the political, religious, and economic situations or Jesus' day. The main thrust however is devoted to political sways. Special interest is paid to the attitudes of the Jews towards gentile culture around the time of Alexander and Herod the Great.
3. This third section deals with the complexities of Jewish code and its casts of people. Great descriptors are given of the temple and the worshipers and solid distinctions are made between casts. Most importantly however is the explanation of those Jews for whom hope was found in the coming kingdom of the Messiah.
4. In the fourth section Kraybill asks the reader to look at the divisions of wealth and poor. There is also an important underlining theme that suggests Christ' wish to return to Galilee and care for the physical needs of the poor. It is clearly a precursor to talk later about "blessed is the poor" and "blessed are the hungry" in later chapters.
5. Chapter five is closely related as is talks about slavery and Jubilee. This chapter is about God being the true owner of everything including the people of the world and how we are but lowly stewards of his creation. It is about Christ and his relationship to the people and about a new kind of celebration of the Jubilee in an unexpected way.
6. This section of the book gives an extremely interesting picture of Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler and the existence of "treasures in heaven" and gives a wonderful example of Christ' view of money. Continually Christ used stories and images to overturn the assumptions of the day and uphold the low, the poor and the oppressed. Interestingly though the poor are not let off the hook by Christ when it comes to giving. They are shown to be just as expected to give as everyone else. (127)
7. Similarly Chapter seven looks at the parable of the talents and our responsibility to what we have been given from God. The chapter also talks about the ancient version of "health and wealth gospel" and how we are to seek the Kingdom of God's Judgment and not monetary wealth. It also talk about the persistent presence of the poor, the importance of tithing, the attitude and means by which you give, and perhaps most importantly the ability to asses ourselves on the world scale of wealth and not on the lists printed in Forbes.
8. In this section Mr. Kraybill devotes much time to the discussion of piety. He writes about the divisions of Pharisees and Sadducees. He writes about the Laws of Moses and differing applications. He writes about Jesus' picking of grain on the Sabbath and about cleanliness. Christ' expectance of the "unclean" or "last" is a direct counter to the culture of the Church in his day and Kraybill presents a case by which Jesus upturned this system. (159)
9. By chapter nine, Donald Kraybill has begun to get into the more difficult assertion of Christ to love ones enemies. Here much attention is paid to the word "Agape" and how it is applied to loving our neighbors who Kraybill describes as "everyone". (188) Though not fully dealt with in terms of "Law" Kraybill also confronts Jesus' command to overturn or add to the law of "an eye for an eye". (190-195) Perhaps nowhere else does the author show Christ' upside down ideas about the kingdom then he does here.
10. The tenth chapter of this book focuses on the different kinds of social connections people make with each other. It then shows the reader a number of applications including nationalism, ethnic superiority, religious piety, and sexual discrimination. These things Mr. Kraybill calls blocks "to the commission to evangelize", and what's more he gives examples of Jesus breaking down these barriers. (226)
11. In this section Donald Kraybill talks about the authority of Jesus and how he uses it for the good of others. It is about how Jesus came to serve and "look up the ladder". (244) As Kraybill writes "The hallmark of Jesus' upside-down power was his willingness to spurn what was rightfully his. Instead of mimicking a typical king, Jesus worked from the bottom up. Rather than demanding service, he served. Rather than dominating he invited."
12. The final chapter of this book is a simple recap of the previous sections. In it Kraybill writes about Jesus as a servant and a washer of feet. He writes about Christ living what seems to us as an upside down kingdom. He writes about a Jesus who "-challenged the conventional definitions of religious behavior", and who "upset the bedrock assumptions of the pious". (259)
Critical Assessment
Positive
First and foremost I noticed Donald Kraybill's great and undeniable love for his Bible. The stories he tells are wonderfully told and right from his heart. Second, I could not help but appreciate that Christ was not shown only through the modern rose colored glasses that see him only as meek and mild. Instead He is shown as a figure of great authority and power yelling "Get thee behind me Satan!", and as the man who told the disciples to buy swords at the Last Supper. (36; 56) In addition I found chapter two to be extremely informative. Kraybill's information of the Jubilee was new to me and that is becoming somewhat rare at this point in my studies. (93)
As well I found chapter six to be particularly intriguing. It is a chapter that could launch a hundred sermons and I am sure to use it in the future. Especially I loved the analysis of Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler as it introduces a number of wonderful topics. Most interestingly though are the small tidbits of information that expound upon the details of the biblical texts all throughout this book. They are insightful, sometimes questionable but always interesting. Although these seemingly unimportant details make up the majority of my "positives" list, I also found the point of the book to be right on target. The upside down kingdom of Christ is presented with crystal clarity. The lives that we could be living are staring up at us from the words of Jesus and today's Church should be attempting to turn our systems on end in light of the cross.
Negative
Though surprising to me, I have little to complain about from this book. The "negatives" I have are miniscule and largely stylistic. One problem that I had with the book is the assertion that "Jesus [wasn't] tempted to turn stones into bread merely because he was hungry" and the subsequent remarks in the book that I believe over dramatize and go far beyond what we are told in the Bible. (74) For me the literary liberties that are taken seem to overtake common sense and in some cases distract me from the reading.
Another sore point with me (though it was only but a drop of water in the ocean of this book) is the small section devoted to war. As much as I would love to agree with complete pacifism, I find myself living in a much more difficult world where even God begins His new creation with a war in which we will play a role. In addition I was also bothered by the amount of time devoted to "Agape". In my opinion far too much attention has been misguidedly paid to the distinction of "Agape" love; so much so that I can hardly stand to hear it anymore. With recent insights into this word, I would "Agape" to see "Agape" a lot less emphasized. (200-201) Personally I find most of what is said in this section to be overanalyzed and incorrect. As to the main idea of the book I can find no real fault.
Application to Ministry
Application to Personal Ministry
As far as applicability to my personal ministry, this book is very applicable. It is not just applicable in that I will attempt to change my world (though I agree with the personal effort to do away with cast systems both here and abroad), but it is also applicable as a teaching tool. Honestly I find this book to be a great resource for sermons, illustrations, and small group bible studies. Especially useful in my opinion are the questions following each section. I have no doubt that this book will prove an important resource in my library and I am glad that I bought it.
Rating the Book
Organization
[8] The book has a lot of overlap and many of the chapters could easily have been
combined. For example: 2-4 & 8-11
Clear statement of purpose
[8] There is no one "I wrote this book to..." statement that lays out exactly the function
of the book however, it is stated none the less.
Readability
[10] This book is written at about a 6th grade level. (This is fine - it is the average reading level of people in North America.) It is smooth and each chapter moves easily into the next.
Informative content
[7] It believe it is very informative, however it is hard to distinguish what is professional
liberty and what is exegetical at times.
Usefulness for your understanding and practice of ministry
[7] I agree fully with the topic of a countercultural Christ and Church and yet I always
did; so there is little impact on me as far as persuasion. I believe my understanding
and practice of ministry has always headed in this direction. Even so it proves to be a
good resource.

Kraybill has a knack for cutting straight to the heart! This book is not for someone looking for an easy read. I recently shared with my congregation that this is a very difficult book to read for the reason that it shakes all that you know to the very foundation of your faith.

If you want to see fresh insight into the Kingdom Christ brought to this planet, then this book is for you. But beware...you may not be able to live the Christian life "business as usual" anymore.

The very fact that Christ lived so opposite of the culture around him, challenges us to do the same. And why not? We're called Christians, taking his name as ours, why shouldn't we live as he lived? It's Scriptural, isn't it? Then why are so many of us not doing it?

Reading this book will either turn you off, or turn you on. The choice is yours to make before reading. The world can only be a better place if it turns you on!

Absolutely stunning book with great insights into the gospel of peace and the spirit of jubilee. A must for any serious disciple of Jesus Christ who is a little concerned that today's "supermarket church" has missed something of the life-changing message and claims of the gospel which calls us to put others first before we think about our own comfort zones. A challenging book. The challenge is to walk it!

I will never forget the confused look I received from the audience when I said, "The Kingdom of God is Upside-Down." This revealed to me that many Christians probably have not given a lot of thought to the Kingdom of God. If the Body of Christ fully understood this Kingdom... I don't think she would squinch her eyes at the words "Upside Down." And I certainly don't believe we would be giving in to the temptations Christ rejected!

Kraybill focuses primarily on the temptations of Christ (Matt.4) to reveal the true character of the Kingdom of God. Jesus rejected the temptations in the bread (the economic), the temple leap(the religious), and the kingdoms of the world (the political)... thus accomplishing heaven's task in a way that is foolishness to the world(1 Cor.1:18). If you have had a hard time understanding the Kingdom of God and want to learn how this Kingdom makes no sense to human wisdom... but is the power of God to those being saved... get this book. Wonderful insights into the radical claims of the Kingdom!

I would also like to recommend "The Gospel of the Kingdom" by George E. Ladd

This book absolutely changed my life and my llife plans, it is a must read for anyone who is tired of the mainstream church, but longs to really follow Jesus. Be careful though as it is a powerful book that can upend the status quo and calls for serious changes in your life. A must read for anyone seriously considering following Jesus in a real way.

Donald Kraybill does an outstanding job of showing that what Jesus is all
abut is pretty much contrary to our normal assumptions--that is wahat he means by "the upside-down kingdom." What Jesus preached and what he lived is almost the opposite of what we consider normal or workable. For instance, Jesus said that the only solution to violence is non-violence, in any and all situations. We don't just tolerate those people we can't stand, we actively recriut their help, promote their well-being and have them understand that they are of immense importance, whether we agree we them or not. Love is what animates all of our thinking and doing, a love that goes out of the way to include everyone. A truly great book that will cause a person to rethink Jesus and what is meant as to His being the son of God--and just what is demanded of those of us who claim to be His followers.

"The Upside-Down Kingdom" by Donald B. Kraybill is an excellent book challenging all Christians to radically live out the Sermon on the Mount and other teachings of Jesus Christ. Mr. Kraybill, a sociologist and Christian of Anabaptist/Mennonite background, correctly and lovingly challenges Christians to abandon the philosophies of this world in order to accurately represent the Kingdom of God on earth.

The Upside-Down Kingdom shows that the Kingdom of God really is opposed to any worldly system of thinking or government. To win, you must lose. To live, you must die. To gain, you must live. Every one of Christ's commands are the direct opposite of those taught by the leading thinkers of the world. If Christians are to impact their generation for the Kingdom of God we must start living like true ambassadors of the Kingdom.

I give this book four starts because I thought it was slightly repetitive at points and not quite as conservative in some of its views as I would have liked. The main instance of this is when the author contrasts the Greek definitions of "love" in a way that I think stretches sound exegesis. This is common in modern evangelicalism but is really not as significant as Mr. Kraybill would have us believe. However, this book is still a great, easy read and will certainly challenge those who want to live like Jesus did.

There's many reasons why I'd call this the best book I've ever read, aside from the Bible. Kraybill's writing style is informative, and engaging, you really learn a lot of history, right along side of the philosophy. You can't go wrong with this book.