{"product_id":"9781592996957","title":"The Radical Rabbi of Nazareth","description":"With the same compelling voice that brought us The Great Disconnect: Why the Christian Church Is Dying, and The Future of Christianity in a Post-Christian Era, Robert Willoughby calls 21st century Americans to take seriously the historical Jesus of the first century. In The Radical Rabbi of Nazareth, Willoughby rescues the historical Jesus from the theological distortions codified by the Council of Nicea of 325 CE that Willoughby demonstrates erroneously elevated the itinerant rabbi to a position as \"the\" Son of God. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRestoring the essential humanity of Jesus, Willoughby further contrasts the theology of \"blood sacrifice\" of the Christian Communion instantiated by Nicea with the \"daily table celebrations\" that framed Jesus' life as an itinerant preacher. Demanding that we take the words of Jesus seriously to \"love our enemies\" and \"turn the other cheek,\" Willoughby chastises American politicians and Christian leaders alike who have failed to do so, and who have misappropriated \"religion\" to justify political conquest and an ever-increasing American militarism. Insisting that Jesus taught that the \"reign of God\" is always present, and available in the here and now rather than the hereafter, Willoughby calls all who claim to believe in Jesus to a new and \"radical\" understanding of his teachings.\u003cbr\u003eCynthia L. Patterson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, University of South Florida Polytechnic\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRev. Robert Willoughby's new collection of essays, The Radical Rabbi of Nazareth, is perhaps the best of his books. It is a remarkable portrait of a Jesus vastly different from the Nordic caricature most of us were given in Sunday school and church. Inspired by the contemporary work of the Westar Institute and its Jesus Seminar (as well as his own research, analysis, and contemplation), he describes a Jesus who is human and accessible, loving and extraordinary. It is a very compelling and readable set of essays. Clark Dobson, Professor Emeritus, George Mason University\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRobert Willoughby combines his life of scholarship with his experience as a pastor to create a new and exciting portrait of Jesus, The Radical Rabbi of Nazareth. This book is insightful, readable and thorough. I recommend it.\u003cbr\u003eJohn Shelby Spong, Author: Reclaiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World","brand":"Inkwater Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47133445325040,"sku":"9781592996957","price":5.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781592996957_p0.jpg?v=1763813151","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781592996957","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}