God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now
In this fine study of civilization, culture and transformation, Father  Crossan asks important questions: have those who resort to violence as a means  of change succeeded in their quest for empire? Or has nonviolence been more  effective in bringing about lasting change? Crossan, professor emeritus at De  Paul University and author of several well-received works includingThe Historical Jesus, believes that the  solution is not in violent intervention but in the coming of the Kingdom of God  on earth. But how, and when, will this Kingdom come? In comparing the missions  of Jesus and John the Baptist, Crossan states his idea clearly: "Jesus differed  precisely from John in emphasizing not the future-presence but the  already-presence of God's Kingdom as the Great Divine Cleanup of the world." In  other words, Christ saw the Kingdom as a present and active reality. Crossan  uses the teachings of Jesus to promote his thesis, and then turns to an  unlikely ally&mdash;the Apostle Paul&mdash;by suggesting that Paul's emphasis on  equality and freedom helped carry forward Jesus' program of nonviolent change.  Crossan's latest work presents a complex subject in a clear and powerful way,  and it merits a wide readership.(Mar.)Copyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.