Jesus Manifesto: Len Sweet & Frank Viola
I was sent an advanced copy and asked to review the new Len Sweet and Frank Viola book, 'Jesus Manifesto', that goes on sale today.
The dust jacket commendations read like a 'whose who' from the Christian world, and there is little I can add to those luminary accolades.
Rather than a quick soundbite to recommend the book, I thought I would read it and provide a more detailed response.
Len Sweet was the inspiration and lead teacher for my Doctor of Ministry Course whilst Frank Viola I don't know. I have always been less than taken with Frank's previous writing seeing it as being historically and methodologically fatally flawed (for example see this critique). And I write that not to be personal just honest about some of my interactions with these authors, before I crack the book open.
The premise of this book is bold and upfront, claiming to offer a third and forward way between the left and right of how Christians and churches are currently responding. Although it doesn't initially detail what those left and right ways are, given my own hopes for a tertium quid of Deep Church, it grabbed my attention and sympathies
That third way, is immediately offered as being the person of Jesus and suggestion that the book is 'fresh Christology', for that third way. Plenty of Christians make the claim that all we need is a new focus on Jesus, so nothing new there, so what is the focus of their Christology that make this a real third way, and not an old way re-packaged?
In essence I heard two things with regards to that question. Firstly that the existing church has too often had Christological heart failure, becoming about so many things other than Jesus, and that secondly many of the alternatives to traditional church are being shaped by so many things other than Jesus too.
A Christianity centred around 'leadership' or 'worship' is just as much in danger as one focused solely around 'justice'. There is a gentle and yet stinging critique of how we are using the language of previous cultures and now emerging cultures to shape who and what we are, instead of the language of identity in Christ.
