Review

“Jesus and the Gospel Movement is one of the most compelling interpretations of Jesus Christ that I have read in a long time. This is Thompson-Uberuaga at his best, combining an impressive scholarly rigor with a writing style that draws the reader into the author’s world as effectively as a fine painting or work of literature.  The book’s richness also derives, no doubt, from its interdisciplinary character, which generates rich, creative insights without sacrificing disciplinary depth.  By inviting us to look at the figure of Jesus in the context of his relationships, this work will be an important resource for challenging ahistorical, rationalist theologies and political theories that so often have destructive practical consequences.”—Roberto S. Goizueta, author of Caminemos Con Jesus: Toward a Hispanic/Latino Theology of Accompaniment  

“Thompson-Uberuaga’s fine work on Jesus and his movement is not a typical academic Christology, but a contemplative effort to take the Gospels seriously, not just as literature, but also as witnesses to the transforming experiences of their authors.  It is a book to be read contemplatively, digested like the monastic lectio divina, inviting the reader to a personal ‘participation’ in the Jesus story.  Drawing on the political philosophy of Eric Voegelin, the book is largely about relationships, particularly with a God who wants to be seen.”—Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., author of Who Is Jesus? An Introduction to Christology  

“Thompson-Uberuaga’s deeply learned book, a meditation on the dynamics of participation in Jesus’ ‘alternative community of inclusiveness,’ suggests that the founder of the Christian movement can be approached most adequately through a study of the relationships that shaped his personality and his commitments. Arguing that ‘privatizing Jesus’ removes him from his sociocultural matrix, Thompson-Uberuaga convincingly claims that examining Jesus in the context of his movement shows that the ‘intrinsic energy of Jesus’ work was toward inclusiveness.’ The author’s method, characterized as ‘contemplative maximalism and doctrinal minimalism,’ models a reflective contemporary participation and partnership in the Jesus movement.”—Margaret R. Miles, author of The Word Made Flesh: A History of Christian Thought

About the Author

William Thompson-Uberuaga is Professor of Philosophical Theology at Duquesne University and author of six previous books, most recently The Struggle for Theology’s Soul. He is also coeditor of Renaissance and Reformation, the fourth volume of Eric Voegelin’s History of Political Ideas (University of Missouri Press). He lives in Jeanette, Pennsylvania.