Jesus Radical Message

Are you ready to begin experiencing an undiluted Jesus? Benjamin Corey confronts our vision of Jesus head-on, asking the hard question: Is what we see and hear in the modern church all there is to the message of Jesus… or is there a more radical side to Jesus than we have been led to believe? Get ready to encounter a Jesus that is determined to turn over the tables of a stale, ineffective and boring gospel that seeks to escape from the world instead of transforming it. This radical Jesus and His message... Invites us to reorient our lives not on Christian religion, but on the person of Jesus Calls us to live out faith in the context of authentic community with others, instead of isolation Includes the excluded and invites the outcast to have a seat at the table Responds to enemies with a radical, unexplainable love Undiluted will invite you to step out of your comfort zone and into a process of rediscovering the radical, counter cultural, and life-changing message of Jesus. As you do, you’ll discover a more vibrant faith as you embrace an undiluted Jesus and His radical message!

Traditional preaching, along with the mainline churches in which it has been most prevalent over the years, is losing its appeal for growing numbers of people who are caught up in the dangers and confusion of our fragmented world. Many are hungering for a more powerful and challenging message rooted in Jesus' Life and teachings, seeking clues about how to live faithfully amid the destructive social and personal pressures created by our nation's exploitation of its position of global dominance. The sermons in this volume emerge from the conversion story of a Southern white, Presbyterian pastor who was transformed by the civil rights struggle and who has chosen to live on the boundary between mainstream and marginalized people. Rooted in an understanding that Jesus' gospel message is subversive of many of the dominant values and practices of our culture and our world today, they are intended to be "disturbing" sermons. But they disturb for the sake of healing and hope, always pointing to Jesus' good news of the liberating possibility of beloved community, inclusive of us all. "Z Holler's collection of sermons, Jesus Radical Message, are exegetical models, faithful to their texts, but highly disturbing. He has taken familiar stories of Jesus and let them speak to modern readers as they spoke to the disciples of old, threatening their prejudices and challenging their deepest commitments. They grow out of Holler's own experience-as all good sermons should do-are well-written, and to the point."---Charles Consar Columbia Theological Seminary "I share with my friend and elder Z Holler two deep convictions: that the gospels call us to radical discipleship, and that the Beloved Community Center of Greensboro is truly carrying on the work and witness of Martin Luther King. Z's journey of following Jesus and standing in solidarity with the BCC is remarkable for a white southern preacher of his generation, reminiscent of Clarence Jordan and Will Campbell. His memoir and sermons testify to the wound of reacism, and to how gospel faith changes personal and political geographies."---Ched Myers Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministers "Having been associated with Z Holler on a daily basis for many years, I have been impressed by his interest in and compassion for those in our society for whom the social, legal, and economic systems were a burden instead of offering help and deliverance. He worked diligently to understand their life situations and to content those who controlled the systems. His vision of justice for all was always clear and his ability to articulate that vision is a challenge to any one of us who dare preach sermons based on the person and work of Jesus Christ."---William A. Stewart Minister in the Presbyteian Church (USA) "With a heart trained by scripture, Z Holler listens to the pain of the oppressed. Bearing the particular burden of white Southerners, he has painstakingly translated the pain of racial and class injustice into these sermons along with the dangerous memory of Jesus the Radical Messiah and Z's particular rendering of his demanding call to discipleship. Fresh and urgent, here is a wonderful gift to the discipleship movement-inspiration to engage the word in all times and places."---Revs. Murphy Davis and Eduard Loring Open Door Community, Atlanta, CA "Jesus was and is very radical as he proclaimed and gave witness to the in-breaking of God's Kingdom. Z Holler gives witness to the radical nature of Jesus' proclamation in these sermons with the aid of Scripture his own scholarship. For a taste and sample, read sermon number four, "Let us Go Across to the Other Side." You will want more. The sermons are deep and require reflection. Share reflection in a group or meditate on one each morning, You will be challenged and fed."---Rt. Rev. A. C. Marble, Jr. Bishop of Mississippi, retired, 1993-2003 Biship Assisting, Diocese of North Carolina, 2004 Z Holler, a retired Presbyterian pastor, is a co-founder of the Beloved Community Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. He served as co-chair for the Greensboro Truth and Community Reconciliation Project

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.

The 12 Radical Teachings of Jesus pamphlet shares a dozen of Jesus teachings that were both radical for the disciples and hearers at that time and are still impactful for us today. Discover what Jesus said and how to apply it in todays context. Readers will learn about Jesus then controversial teachings about forgiveness, faith, love, caring for others, and more.

Christianity Today Award of Merit in Spiritual Formation "Now, with God's help, I shall become myself." These words from Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard resonate deeply with Marlena Graves, a Puerto Rican writer, professor, and activist. In these pages she describes the process of emptying herself that allows her to move upward toward God and become the true self that God calls her to. Drawing on the rich traditions of Eastern and Western Christian saints, she shares stories and insights that have enlivened her transformation. For Marlena, formation and justice always intertwine on the path to a balanced life of both action and contemplation. If you long for more of God, this book offers a time-honored path to deeper life.

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)

Looks at the Gospels and examines what Christ requires of his followers in a redemptive-historical context. New and seasoned believers will see God's loving plan for their ultimate satisfaction. Now in paperback.

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.