A More Radical Gospel

Gerhard O. Forde has stood at the forefront of Lutheran thought for most of his career. This new collection of essays and sermons—many previously unpublished— makes Forde's powerful theological vision more widely available. The book aptly captures Forde's deep Lutheran commitment. Here he argues that the most important task of theology is to serve the proclamation of the gospel as discerned on the basis of the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. For Forde, the doctrine of justification is not one topic among other theological topics; rather, it is the criterion that guides "all theology and ministry. Throughout the book Forde applies this truth to issues of eschatology, authority, atonement, and ecumenism. Also included are seven insightful sermons that model the Lutheran approach to proclamation.

Why did Jesus have to die? Was it to appease a wrathful God's demand for punishment? Does that mean Jesus died to save us from God? How could someone ever truly love or trust a God like that? How can that ever be called "Good News"? It's questions like these that make so many people want to have nothing to do with Christianity.Healing the Gospel challenges the assumption that the Christian understanding of justice is rooted in a demand for violent punishment, and instead offers a radically different understanding of the gospel based on God's restorative justice. Connecting our own experiences of faith with the New Testament narrative, author Derek Flood shows us an understanding of the cross that not only reveals God's heart of grace, but also models our own way of Christ-like love. It's a vision of the gospel that exposes violence, rather than supporting it--a gospel rooted in love of enemies, rather than retribution. The result is a nonviolent understanding of the atonement that is not only thoroughly biblical, but will help people struggling with their faith to encounter grace.

New York Times bestseller What is Jesus worth to you? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... But who do you know who lives like that? Do you? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.

Can today’s Christians reconcile a belief in self-actualization with the extreme ethical demands of the New Testament? The author argues that they can, although not easily, and that the felt uneasiness between two concerns—self-fulfillment and self-gift—may generate a healthy tension. There is then an apparent mismatch between two views of ethics. On the one hand, psychological humanism is based on self-affirmation, acceptance of one’s limitations, moderation, and the search for a quality of life in the midst of globalization. On the other hand, the radicalism of the gospel emphasizes passion (in the two senses of this word), self-transcendence towards the infinite, and generosity for God and others. Nonetheless, these two tendencies are neither incompatible nor easily reconcilable. The book uncovers both the pitfalls of self-actualization and the misleading interpretations that have disfigured the radical gospel. It highlights the developmental factors, views of human life, successes, and failures which play a considerable role in a person’s journey. It brings psychological, biblical, philosophical, theological, and pastoral clarifications to bear on the issues. This book will help its readers to grasp what a psychologically informed Christian ethic can be, both intellectually and practically.

The goals of Management and the Gospel: Luke's Radical Message for the First and Twenty-First Centuries may appear to be simple: it describes what management theory and practice looked like in the first century, uses this as a lens to examine what the Gospel of Luke says about management, and draws out implications for today. However, the book is quite profound in finding that management is a dominant theme in the Gospel, that its message is consistently counter-cultural, and that Luke contains a four-phase 'how to' process model to help readers to implement change. Readers will acquire a new way to understand the Gospel as well as the moral foundations of modern management.

WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES LIKE THAT? DO YOU? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring. (From the 2010 edition)"

"The Gospel story for kids" -- p. 4 of cover.

Radical Gospel dusts off academic theology and brings it to new life in this re-telling of the ministry of Jesus. This book is called Radical Gospel because it is rooted in the imagination, insight, and inspiration of many people - especially a rural Galilean and his ragtag group of disciples. It's also called Radical Gospel because it testifies to the revolutionary implications of the message and ministry of Jesus. There is radically Good News to be shared - and it's just as relevant today as it ever has been! Feminist theologians have challenged the idea of valorizing the suffering and death of Jesus. Too often the idea of "bearing one's cross" in imitation of Jesus has resulted in the spiritualization of suffering and self-negation. For people who are survivors of abuse, the idea of cross-bearing has been bad news. So, this book seeks to re-tell the story of Jesus in a way that challenges and counters the idea of the glorification of suffering. After all, the Good News of Jesus Christ is meant to lead to "abundant life" (John 10:10) and "complete joy" (John 15:11).Feminist theologians have also pointed out that the Gospels were written in a context of patriarchy, which privileged the experiences of men. In fact, men tend to be the heroes and leaders in most Biblical stories, while women tend to play depreciative roles such as seductress, prostitute, and deceiver. Yet despite this, many scholars believe that Jesus himself had a much more egalitarian ministry. This book attempts to explore how the Gospels may have been written if the perspectives and experiences of female disciples were given more of a voice. Historical-critical Bible scholars help modern readers of the New Testament to understand the language of the Gospels (i.e. Greek) and the context out of which they were written (i.e. Roman Orient between 70-150 AD). Since the Gospels are a collection of testimonies that describe what Jesus meant to people, it's important to understand those testimonies from within the culture and context they were written. As an example, the Gospels often describe the "basileia tou theou," which in English translates into "Empire of God." The phrase "Empire of God" is important to reclaim because it encapsulates the radical message that the writers of the Gospels originally intended. For them, the Empire of God was the much needed alternative to the Empire of Rome. Part of their message is that Jesus brought people into a whole new Empire - a new way of life. Postmodern theologians have argued that all theology is written from particular perspectives. Everyone's theology represents personal ideas and "truths." Nobody's theology represents "The Truth" for all times, places, and peoples. God is far too complex and enigmatic for us to understand and explain in our limited language. As Apostle Paul writes, "we see through a glass, dimly" and "know only in part" (I Corinthians 13:12). So all language used to describe God is metaphorical and testimonial - not objective reality. Therefore, this book is written from a passionate perspective that seeks to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. Openness and Process theologians remind us that God is continually active and speaking in our daily lives. God didn't just act once upon a time in a land far away. Instead, God's abiding presence is with us throughout our daily lives. In God, we "live, move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). So, just as God inspired the writing of the Bible, God also inspires our interpretation of those texts. This book is an interpretation and a re-imagining of the Gospels.Part 1: The Beginning (Which is a Continuation) Part 2: The Ministry of Jesus (Which is a Group Effort) Part 3: The Crucifixion of Jesus (Which Doesn't Stop His Ministry)Part 4: The Ending (Which is a New Beginning)