by Philana CrouchRed Letter Revolution: What if Jesus Really Meant what He Said is a new book by Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne. I have read books by both men in the past which I have really enjoyed. So I was excited about the prospect of a book co-authored by both.
Red Letter Revolution did not disappoint.
The format is a bit different than most books. It's almost like a screenplay or transcript with both Campolo and Claiborne in a dialogue. I really liked the format, it allows you accurately see what each is saying. I've read books in the past by more than one author where it was difficult to tell the difference.
The book covers a variety of topics that are being discussed within Christianity today and across denominational lines. But the basic premise on addressing each of these issues is what should a follower of Christ do in light of the words He spoke. They desire to be
Red Letter Christians, a reference to some editions of the Bible where the words of Christ are printed in red ink. Its a reaction to the negative connotations of the label
evangelical. They adopted this because they wanted "to emphasize that we are Christians who take the radical teachings of Jesus seriously and who are committed to living them out in our everyday lives." They do not ignore the rest of the Bible, but believe everything in Scripture must be filtered and interpreted through the life and teachings of Jesus.
I think Shane Claiborne expresses well what the goal of being a Red Letter Christian is and what questions each person can ask themselves:
We read the Bible again, without all the commentaries, and ask, What if he did really mean this stuff? I’m not as concerned with figuring out every minute theological question as much as I am reading the simple words of Jesus and trying to live my life as if he meant them. If I can be a little more faithful today than yesterday to love my neighbor, pray for my enemies, and live like the lilies and the sparrows, I’m doing well.
Do Campolo and Claiborne succeed? At times yes and at times no. This would be true of any book. No author will ever get it all right. But what they succeeded in doing in
Red Letter Revolution is to get me to think
and ask questions. I think that's a good place to start.
Both seek to get beyond the labels of Right or Left, liberal or conservative, and focus on Jesus and what He taught. They point out that their are things both sides get wrong and right. That to truly be a voice for truth in our world, we need to take a page from the Hebrew prophets. By boldly speaking truth to power, just like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or Daniel did. To imitate the lives of the "holy troublemakers" of the Bible and history of the church. They want the focus to be on Jesus!
I think the authors were attempting to look at different issues in light of what Jesus said and did in the Bible. In much of the book I think they accurately reflected what we read in Scripture. The areas where I think they fell short have nothing to do with salvation, but are differences in biblical interpretation that exist within the Body of Christ. My purpose in writing this review is not to get specific, that's something each reader must consider in light of what Scripture teaches.
You will not agree with everything in this book. But it will get you to step back and seriously consider how Jesus said we should live. This would be a great resource to use in a group study.
Let me give a few suggestions on how this book might be used profitably. Take a chapter and consider what Tony and Shane have to say. Discuss it with a group. Spend some time studying what Scripture says on that topic.
Readers will find at times that they disagree with them. At other places readers will think they missed something, or failed to look at all sides. But they will also find that Tony or Shane will also point at some things that have been missed or overlooked by Christians. They challenge us to take seriously what Jesus had to say and then to go and live it out.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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