Overview

This illuminating exploration of how and why Christianity became so radically disconnected from the Jesus of history provides suggestions for returning the true Jesus of Nazareth to the center of Christian faith.

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9781563383625

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Nelson-Pallmeyer articulates arguments likely to interest general readers. Against Luke Timothy Johnson and others who dismiss the search for the historical Jesus as misguided, he argues that it is an important corrective to historical distortions of Christianity and to the 'pathological violence' of the God(s) depicted by the Bible's 'messy monotheism' . . . Anything but passive, Nelson-Pallmeyer's radical pacifism sends sparks flying in all directions. --Booklist

It was the boldness of the title that attracted me to this book, and I was most certainly not disappointed in the content. This is one of the most exciting and challenging explorations of faith that I have read for a long time . Although thoroughly scholarly and well-researched, this book is as easy to read as the mystery story it claims to be in its vital search for the hidden Jesus. If we are seriously seeking a way to resist in our present crisis, I cannot think of a more exciting starting place. Coracle: Magazine of Iona Community, October 13, 2004 Nelson-Pallmeyer articulates arguments likely to interest general readers. Against Luke Timothy Johnson and others who dismiss the search for the historical Jesus as misguided, he argues that it is an important corrective to historical distortions of Christianity and to the 'pathological violence' of the God(s) depicted by the Bible's 'messy monotheism' . . . Anything but passive, Nelson-Pallmeyer's radical pacifism sends sparks flying in all directions. Booklist The missing Jesus has been missing since the early followers discovered they could not weave a big and lasting movement by following him closely. Enter councils and creeds. Things to believe, memorize and recite. A passive gospel. Exit the Jesus who had neither doctrine not set goals, save a striving for justice. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer has written a powerful and important book. Those whose playhouse is threatened will turn away. Others will exult to read what they had suspected all along but were afraid to bring into sharp focus. Will Campbell, author of Brother to a Dragonfly--Sanford Lakoff This important book should be read by every pastor or Christian educator for several reasons, not the least of which is that it confronts readers with some of the horrendous material in the Bible and forces them to come to terms with it. Such an exercise also has the advantage of raising the larger issue of the Bible s inconsistencies and the necessity of reading the Bible critically. The reader will get a clear introduction to a leading trend of New Testament scholarship. If Christianity is to remain intellectually and ethically relevant, pastors and educators will have to rethink its fundamentals. This book is an excellent and accessible place to start. Max A.--Sanford Lakoff Interpretation The audacious character of Nelson-Pallmeyer's book is his willingness to probe troublesome aspects of the faith and the Christian tradition, which too infrequently get a public hearing. He is engaging and provocative in his treatment of his subject...His commitment to nonviolence is uncompromising and unwavering. What is finally important, however, is not so much whether one agrees with any or all that he says but whether one is willing to engage the questions with him. To do so will be both disturbing and stimulating, but finally rewarding. Randy A. Nelson, Director of Contextual Education at Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN. Review for RE-Imaging November 2001--Sanford Lakoff Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer joins a distinguished company of writers who, as an act of faithfulness, are attempting to reinvent Christianity. None of them, however, makes a more trenchant case for the ways Christianity has twisted Jesus' God of Compassion into a God of Violence than Nelson-Pallmeyer. Jesus Against Christianity attempts to recover Jesus at the heart of a Christianity transformed. Walter Wink, author of The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man. --Sanford Lakoff In a world where many people are now asking, What would Jesus do?, we need a book like Jesus Against Christianity. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer boldly suggests that the Jesus who confronted the religious institutions of his time also challenges present day Christianity. If we are persuaded by the argument this book sets forth, we will discover that doing what Jesus would do requires radical changes in our lives. Perhaps for the first time we would also experience the reign of God proclaimed by Jesus. Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Detroit--Sanford Lakoff

The audacious character of Nelson-Pallmeyer's book is his willingness to probe troublesome aspects of the faith and the Christian tradition, which too infrequently get a public hearing. He is engaging and provocative in his treatment of his subject...His commitment to nonviolence is uncompromising and unwavering. What is finally important, however, is not so much whether one agrees with any or all that he says but whether one is willing to engage the questions with him. To do so will be both disturbing and stimulating, but finally rewarding. Randy A. Nelson, Director of Contextual Education at Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN. Review for RE-Imaging November 2001--Sanford Lakoff

Author Information

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is Assistant Professor of Justice and Peace Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more than twenty years he has studied and written about the relationship of religion, violence, and peace and his books include Jesus Against Christianity: Reclaiming the Missing Jesus and School of Assassins: Guns, Greed, and Globalization.

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