The Politics of Jesus (Paperback)

by John Howard Yoder (Author) "The equation is so glib, and so surrounded by the not-sure-I-really-mean-it indirection of the age of McLuhan, that the Christian ethicist can just as glibly..." (more)
Key Phrases: barefoot itinerancy, radical personalism, systematic tradition, New Testament, New York, Old Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Using the text of the New Testament, this engaging study criticallyexamines the traditional portrait of Jesus as an apolitical figure and clarifies the true impact of Jesus' life, work, and teachings on his disciples' social behavior. This second edition is updated and expanded.

Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 2 Sub edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802807348
• ISBN-13: 978-0802807342
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

188 of 198 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most valued work of theology I own, December 14, 2001

By	Hugo Schwyzer (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If I had only one work of twentieth-century theology to read, this would be it (with apologies to everyone from Barth to Brueggemann to Bonhoeffer). In the aftermath of September 11, pacifism has been reviled in the public secular discourse like never before. Most Christian leaders from across the theological spectrum have endorsed one form or another of the "Just War Theory" of Augustine, Aquinas, and Calvin.

No one makes the case for the radical, total non-violence of the Christian message better than John Howard Yoder. Though he wrote many books after this one, this is by far the best place to start. Yoder's familiarity with Scripture is magisterial, and the gentle yet firm way he responds to his Catholic and Reformed critics is convincing and exciting. Most timely of all, he devotes an entire chapter to deconstructing traditional Christian interpretations of Romans 13:1-7, the passages most often cited by just war theorists to defend the use of violence by the state. Anyone who believes it is possible for a Christian to bear arms and follow Christ must respond to Yoder's analysis.

Though Yoder was a Mennonite (and though I am an Episcopalian by affiliation, I am an anabaptist in my heart), his work is catholic, orthodox, and accessible to all Christians. Yoder's death in 1997 marked the passing of the man whom I believe may well be regarded as the most important theologian of our time. As even good Christians "rally round the flag" and join in the cries for "just war" and "retributive justice", Yoder's work has never been more important as a vital theological corrective.

49 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Was Jesus a Dove?, March 7, 2004

By	R. Kirkham "jrkirkham" (Rushville, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I am borrowing a term from my youth and the Viet Nam conflct when people were labeled Hawks or Doves by their reaction to war.

Yoder makes a case that Jesus was VERY political. He was not uninterested in world events around him. He was involved, but not in the way that much of the religious right is today. More likely, he made the footsteps that Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Theresa later walked in. This is a book on politics, power, and pacifism. At least that is the way that Yoder sees it.

Many Christians do not agree with Yoder, but he is not easily dismissed. This book is well written and each chapter of this revised edition contains an epilogue that helps to update it with new information since the days of the first edition.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jesus as the Way for the 21st century church!, April 17, 2001

By	Sarah R Seaver (Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews

In an age where the Western Christian church is stuggling for a relevant witness to our rapidly changing culture, John Howard Yoder makes a solid and challenging claim that Jesus is not only relevant, but normative for social Christian ethics. Yoder convincingly illustrates that Jesus was in fact confrontive socially and politically to the powers that be in that age. Throughout the text he demonstrates that the Gospel of Lukes bears witness not to just a divine Jesus, who redeemed humanity, but also a human Jesus who incarnated the nature of God through the way of the cross. By focusing his study on the cross of Christ, he develops a challenging ethic that examplifies the love of neighbor and witness that the faithful church and disciple is called to be. I recommend this text to anyone interested in a new, fresh and challenging look to the Jesus as known in 1st century Jewish culture. This book is a must read that should be on the shelf of anyone interested in honest, Christian scholarship.