Jesus and the Powers (NT Wright and Michael Bird) Review

Is human government intrinsically evil, or can it be redeemed? How are Christians supposed to interact with the powers of this age? Is faithful political engagement possible, or is it best to avoid the entire project? What is a holistic biblical account of human politics? And what is the "best" form of government in the world today? These are just some of the questions that Wright and Bird tackle in their surprisingly-short new book.

00:00 - Intro
00:26 - Main Idea
01:56 - Research
04:07 - Readability
06:02 - Reaction

[richardmorris]

Thank you for the review. NT Wright is a favorite for me. Can you recommend a book that represents well your neo Ana baptist perspective?

[boethius]

I can't help but think that my vision of the future of politics is greatly intertwined with my (necessarily limited) understanding of eschatology. I lean progressive at the moment, I somewhat reluctantly expect that some sort of anarcho-socialism (at least as the felt experience of the average person on the 'ground') is in our future, and I can't imagine what the role of a politician would even be in Christ's Kingdom. But for all I know, maybe those in favor of monarchy have the right of it with Christ as King, now and forever. So I wonder what the true value of this book you've reviewed even is -- certainly it is unchristian to simply vote for the guy who promises to lower my taxes the most, but do the Gospels provide guidance or clarity on how we should approach the larger societal vision we are voting for or against?

[dqan]

An interesting book to drop in a year of globally significant elections. Might have to check it out. In fact, I'm quite curious now.

[williamoarlock]

The Christian power god and principality Christ.