Publisher's Synopsis
It is time to call out true religion, more especially the "Christian" in Christian nationalism, and to invite anybody who may be convinced to reject and assist in the dismantling of a false gospel that promotes tyranny and dominance. We have a responsibility to strengthen the faith of each and every one of us, as well as to assist those individuals who are unaware, unable to escape, and enslaved by the dogma and worship of Christian nationalism, which is putting us in such grave peril. The focus of our attention should be directed towards the core of what it means to have real faith in the Bible and what Jesus has commanded us to do in the gospels. There is a new question that has to be asked: do we believe these teachings or not?People of all religious traditions, including those who have no religion at all, may benefit from reading this book. It is not only for Christians. We need a civic religion that is based on love, healing, and hope in order to be successful in overcoming the situation in which we see a civic promotion of fear, hatred, and violence for the trajectory of our politics. And this must include each and every one of us, regardless of our religious beliefs. When it comes to the future of democracy throughout the globe, the ability to learn and practise a politics of neighbour love will be very important. And the words of Jesus ring truer than they ever have before: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
After two thousand years of Christian interpretation and commentary, it is difficult to hear Jesus' voice after twenty centuries of Christianity and all of the ideas that have been voiced about what Jesus said and taught. Also, after twenty centuries of Christianity, it is difficult to hear his voice. Sometimes Christians cling to a few favorite things that Jesus spoke. Yet throughout the course of the four Gospels, sections of the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation, Jesus teaches on certain issues that are crucial to our salvation; things which deserve our attention! This book cites nobody except Jesus. It is written in language that is simple to grasp, while preserving all of the integrity of how Jesus instructs us to live; which will enable us to live with him for the rest of eternity!
While Jesus and the Church places the foundations of the Church in their historical and scriptural context, the textbook goes further by guiding students to recognize the sacred nature of the Church and engaging them to more actively participate in the living Body of Christ and serve as witnesses to the sacred Gospel in the world today.Simply defined, the purpose of the book--as in the Encountering Jesus series as a whole--is to improve the lives of students by drawing real-life links between what they are studying about the Church and how they meet Jesus in the modern world.
