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        Here is a delightful treatment of the early church’s marginality, from the perspective of Matthew’s gospel as a work of resistance. The gospel shapes the minority community’s identity and life style as an alternative community to resist the dominant Roman imperial and synagogical theological control, anticipating G-d’s reign over all (synagogue and empire)(p xvii).

        Carter focuses his analysis on the social functions of ‘centre’ and ‘margins’. Matthew is written to those at the social margins, with the synagogue and empire at the centre (he points out the contemporary relevance—the church in the west is becoming increasingly marginalized. ‘G-d’s blessing resides not in knowing the emperor or the central elite but in experiencing G-d’s empire’ (p 4).

        (Matthew must be read carefully; Matthew’s criticism of the culture has issues of ethnicity, gender and power that need careful delineation: all Jewish leaders are hypocrites, men are focused on more than women, the use of violence against those who resist.)

        Carter writes compellingly of the early church’s size that Matthew addresses (Carter cites a range of 19 to 150—or perhaps 1000 Christians—in Antioch, whose population was about 150,000. Carter identifies four features of the gospel audience’s marginal existence: small numbers, an urban setting that helps shape an alternative identity, religious groups as places of alternative understanding, voluntary associations (eg funerary, religious groups, guild associations).

        Matthew called for an alternative way of life in accordance with the establishment of G-d’s empire.

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        Here is a massive 650-page treatment of the Jesus quest, summarizing the ways in which scholars study Jesus, not only the results they arrive at but also the process by which they identify their knowledge.

        It summarizes two centuries of historical critical study of Jesus, including the sources (the canonical gospels) as well as the apocryphal gospels, the Christian texts that mention Jesus, but also the non-Christian ones.

        There are frequent methodological and hermeneutical reflections in the book that identify the issues of research. Each section begins with a short introduction and contains a survey of texts and problems relating to the topic in question; each main part concludes with a summary.

        The section, ‘The Quest of the Historical Jesus’, begins with Reimarus and Strauss, citing five texts by contribution to the task. Then follow Christian sources (synoptics, gnostic writings, extra-canonical sources) and non-Christian sources (eg Josephus, Pliny). The section concludes with an evaluation of the sources.

        Material discussed includes the miracles, parables, apocalyptic preaching, Jesus’ ethics; also treated are specific issues such as ‘Was the last supper a Passover meal?” and a discussion of titles (messiah, Son of Man, Son of G-d).

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        In Matthew and Empire Carter compellingly underlines the antithetical nature of the two empires presented by Rome and by Jesus; he shows from the biblical text how Matthew’s Gospel resists Roman imperialism and invites an alternative community of his disciples in anticipation of the coming triumph of G-d’s empire over all things.

        Matthew’s gospel presents a social challenge in offering a vastly different vision and experience of human community, theological challenge in asserting that the world belongs to G-d, not to Rome, and that G-d’s saving purpose and blessings are encountered in Israel and in Jesus, not in Rome (p 171). There is a startling similarity between key aspects of the gospel’s presentation of Jesus and imperial theology’s understanding of the role of the empire (see Carter’s ch 4 and ’Take my yoke’ exegesis in ch 7).

        The major problem Carter identifies is that the gospel, the alternative to Roman rule, cannot escape the imperial mindset—the alternative to Rome’s rule is framed in imperial terms. ‘The gospel depicts G-d’s salvation, the triumph of G-d’s empire over all things, including Rome, with the language and symbols of imperial rule (p 171), the irony of imperial imitation. (One of John Knox’s supporters commented that ‘presbyter’ was but ‘priest writ small’.) Carter’s issue applies to John’s Apocalypse—the Lamb’s violence embodied in cavalry battle. Walter Wink’s analysis of ‘the powers’ is helpful here.

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        Crossan presents his analyses of Jesus primarily from the four canonical gospels, the reconstituted Q-document and the Gospel of Thomas; he does his analyses from three perspectives: cross cultural anthropology, Greco-Roman and Jewish history and economics in the first quarter of Jesus’ century, and the literary/textual

        His writing reflects both small and large issues, eg leprosy and the social class system. Leprosy. He describes the difference between clinical leprosy today (Hansen’s disease) and the scaley/flakey skin condition (as well as signs of the skin diseases on clothes and home walls; those confronting Jesus had both a disease (scaly skin) and an illness (social stigma). Jesus’ actions put him on a direct collision course with priestly authority, Judaism of Galilean peasant against Jerusalem priests (p 83).

        Crossan points to cultural studies that show on one side the Rulers and Governors (making up 1% of the population but owning half the land), priests (owning 15% of the land), retainers and merchants, peasants (the vast majority of whose annual products of about 66% were taken in taxes), up to 20%, the beggars and expendables. But the major problem with Jesus was not his theology, but his eating indiscriminately with a wide selection of cultural/social groups. Eating, culturally, reinforces social distinctions; table fellowship is a map of economic discrimination, social hierarchy and political differentiation.

        Jesus’ open table was using the table as a miniature map of society’s vertical discrimination and lateral separation (p 69); an open table was an embodiment of radical egalitarianism.

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        Here is a joint effort to attempt a historical reconstruction of Jesus’ last week on earth. To tell against the background of Jewish high-priestly collaboration with Roman imperial control the last week of Jesus’ life on earth as given in the Gospel According to Mark.

        ‘Why Mark? Mark alone went out of his way to chronicle Jesus’ last week on a day-by-day basis’ (p 1x). But the writers do much more than itemize a chronological sequence; they indicate the political/cultural/historical implications of their writing. Eg by Jesus’ time the ‘temple replaced Herodian rule as the centre of the local domination system; the temple was now at the centre of local collaboration with Rome’, a domination system marked by rule by a few, by economic exploitation and by religious legitimization’ (p 15).

        The anti-imperial meaning of the Passion Week is still relevant, the writers state; ‘empire is about the use of military and economic power to shape the world in one’s perceived interest. We are the Roman Empire of our time’ (p 213). They develop two theological themes: the non-substitutionary nature of the atonement, and whether Jesus’ crucifixion was the will of G-d. ‘Good Friday is the result of the collision between the passion of Jesus and the domination systems of his time…. Jesus’ death is not divine necessity but human inevitability’ (p 159).

        ‘Mark’s story of Jesus week is a sequence of public demonstrations against and confrontations with the domination system. And, as all know, it killed him’ (p 162).

        Major attention is given to the substitutionary atonement theory. ‘It is not by Jesus substituting for them but by their participating in Jesus (p 101).

        Holy Week and the journey of Lent are about an alternative procession and an alternative journey. An alternative procession, an anti-imperial and nonviolent procession. That procession leads to a capital city, an imperial centre, a place of collaboration between religion and violence…. Which journey are we on? Which procession are we in?

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        Here is a book that treats the basic experiences of the west: how can we work for the common good in a pluralistic society? It’s the question that the early church struggled with, but they discovered that they could frequent the same agora (market place) while worshipping in different temples. ‘The lamps were different but the light was the same.’

        Volf explores witness in a multi-faith society and political engagement in a pluralistic world, and asks three simple questions: how does the Christian faith malfunction in the contemporary world? What should be the main concern of Christ’s followers? How should Christ’s followers go about realizing their vision of living well (common good) with diverse people of diverse faiths?

        He cites Wolterstorff’s summary of Christian response to pluralism: 1) because there is one G-d all people are related to that one G-d on equal terms; 2) G-d’s central command is to love our neighbour; 3) we can’t claim rights we’re not prepared to extend to others; 4) religion can’t be coerced. Volf points out that Christians will exert their influence less from close to the centres of power and more from social margins (different from post-Constantinian perspectives).

        Volf defines the common good as the flourishing of people: love of G-d and neighbour, universal beneficence, experiential satisfaction (p 60). He points out the task of Christians to witness: not as a tyrant who imposes, not as a merchant who sells, not mere teaching, not as a mere midwife (eg Socrates). Good givers will respect the integrity of receivers.

        A book that asks the right questions in our task of working in a pluralistic society for the common good.

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        We live in a pluralistic society; what does this mean for us as we seek the common good across religious and cultural commitments and differentiations? Volf was born in Croatia, a part of the Yugoslav community state; his father was a Pentecostal minister in an Orthodox community. So Volf lived in a thoroughly multi-faceted—religious, economic, political—society.

        ‘Our communities need vibrant conversation to thrive. The church flourishes as a community when followers of Christ deliberate with one another about the implications of our common faith. Civic communities flourish when their members debate public questions in good faith and in pursuit of common goods’ (p 215). Our communities also need action—courageous, humble, just, respectful, compassionate engagement.

        Volf identifies 17 public issues (including marriage, wealth, migration, war, torture, freedom of religion), and five personal characteristics of citizens (including, humility and compassion).

        Each brief chapter concludes with guided discussion on the topic, and a brief annotated bibliography. I’ll just touch on just a few of the issues.

        •Education guards against distortion 1) reducing education to economic growth 2) pursuing education to gain social prestige 3) hoarding rather than sharing the benefits of education.        •Emphasize 1) that education is not only acquisition of skills and knowledge, but formation of character 2) access should be equitably distributed 3) communities other than schools (families, churches) should be involved.

        •Health Care 1) funding for public health measures that give people opportunity to live healthy lives 2) ensuring that everyone has access to affordable basic care 3) priority in combating health problems that affect primarily the poor.

        Volf eloquently invites us to identify the common good in our pluralistic society, as part of our personal response to Jesus’ call to the kingdom.

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        Friedman’s contributions in the areas of leadership spanned religious, political and cultural areas. His Generation to Generation (1985) provided a new way of thinking about emotional process both at home and at work. A Failure of Nerve is his attempt to challenge the seldom questioned assumption that human beings function primarily according to the position they occupy within the emotional processes of the relationship system, whether family, church or business.

        Leadership is stuck in the rut of trying harder and harder without obtaining significant results (p 3). The tension of leadership failure is the inadequacy of the social science construction of reality that becomes the norm for social analysis and which fails to account for emotional processes. He sees correlation between medical and institutional issues and paradigms (p233 – 247). ‘The batting average in the war against cancer and the batting average in the struggle to heal chronically troubled institutions is remarkably similar’ (p 3). ‘The same values that motivated people to do good work in society often did not seem to operate in their closest personal relationships’ (p 6).

        His work with families suggested that individuals cut off from their families generally do not heal until they have been reconnected (p 8) (cf Jesus’ healings that wellness comes only after reintegration into the community!) This reinforced Friedman’s conviction that leadership is essentially an emotional process rather than a cognitive phenomenon (p 13).

        He develops ‘lists’, handy reference points of identification. Eg five aspects of selected historical figures (p 188), difference in leadership articulation from ‘old World’ to ‘new World’ (eg emotional variables), hierarchy is rooted biologically, in the net of protoplasm (p 194), triangulation (p 207-228), listing of leadership (emotional) components ( p271).

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        Pietersen sketches the historical and hermeneutical perspectives of the bible and its interpretation: the early church (first three centuries), Christendom (Constantinian political emphasis), post-Christendom, the Anabaptist option.

        A major part of the book does a book-by-book comment of major content and perspectives of biblical writings. Two chapters focus on reading the bible for spirituality (discipleship) and mission. He strongly emphasizes the need for bible reading to be a communal venture, recognizing its prophetic (eschatological version of G-d’s shalom, as subversive (proclaiming the kingdom of G-d as against the kingdom of the Caesar), and as sustaining (providing and equipping us for the journey).

        Christendom is the concept of western civilization as having a religious arm (the church) and a secular arm (civil government), united in their adherence to Christian faith. This meant the church moved from the margins of society to the centre, and the bible was read in ways alien to its interpretation by the early church.

        Another major shift was to post-Christendom when the church moved from the centre to the margins; Christians were now in the minority and (as did the early church) lived in a pluralistic society. Post-Christendom calls for a critical scrutiny of long established readings of scripture, develop fresh angles with which to approach biblical texts, and read them in ways that speak to changing contents (p 26).

        An example of this is his exegesis of Luke 19:11-27, the Zacchaeus account (p 54ff), that demonstrates that readings from the margins completely subvert the natural Christendom reading (p 56); Christendom became increasingly hierarchical and patriarchal. Thus there is a need to open the discussion on the creeds themselves, because of the coercive elements involved in their origin (p 58).

        Personal note: Rather than develop a six-fold hermeneutical paradigm (p 67), why not use a simpler two-fold hermeneutical perspective (eg exile and empire) for biblical exegesis.

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

        I know: this is a book dealing with the church in Canada, but this review is carried in a United States journal, but the similarities of the churches on both sides of the 49th parallel keeps relevant the material written by both for both. The same questions apply to both sides: what is the role of Sunday worship? What is the place of the sacraments? What is the role of the ordained and what is the preparation required for ministry today? What are the lines of oversight and authority? (p 281).

        What the book is looking for is adaptive leadership and not technical quick fixes. No single model, or searching for the latest gimmick, but dealing with the target and citing examples of ‘successful innovation’.

        To there are chapters dealing with specific issues: rural possibilities, inner city dynamics, creation care, spirituality, leadership and young families. A useful approach is the sharing of information of organizations who have developed ministry options, program s and media resources. Eg there is a page of eight questions helpful in developing ‘resources for mission’ (p 266) for local congregations.

        The book deals with the changes to Canadian/American culture that impacts the church. In the last 20 years, political structures have changed (eg the role of political options—the Republican party). Population has grown (largely through immigration), but the churches are small and on the fringes of power culturally. Relationship patterns have changed (eg internet). The religious landscape has shifted (secularization and pluralism). For church planting, relationships in the community are more crucial than institutional structures and paradigms.

Vern Ratzlaff is a pastor and professor of historical theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.