(Ir)religiosity

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Instead of writing a normal book review, I’ve decided to take each section of Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw’s book Jesus for President, and individually make some comments and reflections. This book deals with my own personal “sweet spot” of theology and politics, an area I am continually wrestling with and struggling to make sense of.

If you haven’t read the book yet, I highly recommend it, especially now given the political climate in the US. To be honest, I’m not completely sure were I stand in relation to some of the things discussed in the book. I’m constantly dialogging with myself and depending on what day you ask me, I might be a grunt for the Hauerwasian Mafia (as Tony Jones affectionately calls it) or a card-carrying member of the new post-evangelical political activists (Jim Wallis, et al). I guess I’m trying to find a healthy way to live with the tension of both.

And because of that, this book was very good for me not to mention quite thought provoking and deeply provocative (as the title undoubtedly shows) and that’s why I’m going to spend some time on it. I commend Claiborne & Haw for taking the thinking of Hauerwas, Yoder, etc. and presenting it in an accessible manner for the average reader. As far as I know that has never been done and in that respect nothing they say is particularly original, but it is deeply challenging and rhetorically heavy nonetheless. As it should be.

So, here’s to some engaging conversation. I’ll jump in with both feet on Thursday.