Friday, January 23, 2009
Review: Jesus and the End of Religion
It has occurred to me that (consistent with my lack of regular blogging here) I failed to post my review of Bruxy Cavey's book Jesus and the End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus that was published over one year ago.
While this is a relatively new book, it is really an expanded edition of the self-published version that Cavey previously released. Evangelical Christian publisher NavPress asked Cavey (Pastor of The Meeting House in Toronto) to build on his original writing to produce a more comprehensive treatment of the subject. At this time, it is the most significant book on the topic and one that is definitely worth reading.
In this book, Cavey works to demonstrate that Jesus' ministry was centered on a subversive spirituality intended to end our dependence on religion. Probably his most important contribution to this discussion is in his emphasis that this is not a novel idea superimposed onto Scripture by some radical theologians, but is inherent in the New Testament itself.
Cavey covers a complete gamut of topics related to this central theme. At times the discussion drags, especially in places where he expanded the original edition. It's almost as if the publisher wanted him to meet a certain manuscript size. While this newer version provides a fuller discussion of the issues involved, it lacks some of the lucidity and simplicity that were evident in the self-published book. The first edition (although hard to find) then may be a better introduction for those outside of Christianity, whereas this newest version may be more helpful for those currently within the church desiring to grapple with foundational assumptions and beliefs.
As I already stated, Cavey's book is worth reading. Frustrated, religious Christians may especially find this book a breath of fresh air that will enable them to see their faith from a new perspective. Even those outside the church will be impressed that this discussion is even taking place within Christian circles.
Technorati Tags: religion, Bruxy+Cavey, books, Christianity, endreligion
While this is a relatively new book, it is really an expanded edition of the self-published version that Cavey previously released. Evangelical Christian publisher NavPress asked Cavey (Pastor of The Meeting House in Toronto) to build on his original writing to produce a more comprehensive treatment of the subject. At this time, it is the most significant book on the topic and one that is definitely worth reading.
In this book, Cavey works to demonstrate that Jesus' ministry was centered on a subversive spirituality intended to end our dependence on religion. Probably his most important contribution to this discussion is in his emphasis that this is not a novel idea superimposed onto Scripture by some radical theologians, but is inherent in the New Testament itself.
Cavey covers a complete gamut of topics related to this central theme. At times the discussion drags, especially in places where he expanded the original edition. It's almost as if the publisher wanted him to meet a certain manuscript size. While this newer version provides a fuller discussion of the issues involved, it lacks some of the lucidity and simplicity that were evident in the self-published book. The first edition (although hard to find) then may be a better introduction for those outside of Christianity, whereas this newest version may be more helpful for those currently within the church desiring to grapple with foundational assumptions and beliefs.
As I already stated, Cavey's book is worth reading. Frustrated, religious Christians may especially find this book a breath of fresh air that will enable them to see their faith from a new perspective. Even those outside the church will be impressed that this discussion is even taking place within Christian circles.
Technorati Tags: religion, Bruxy+Cavey, books, Christianity, endreligion
