We admit that there are many pictures of Jesus put by churches, politicians, clergy, which indeed are irrelevant.
But not, we think, the Radical picture.
The Radical Jesus
is, we claim, the historical Jesus,
the Jesus as he really was,
the Jesus who was crucified and raised up, the Jesus who led the earliest church of the New Testament records, the Jesus who inspired the persecuted church in the first three centuries. This Radical Jesus got taken over:
by the State and the State-supporting church - when Christianity became the religion of the Roman empire after AD 312. When Jesus became
a supporter of the status quo rather than its critic
a personal comfort rather than a radical challenge
a prisoner of churches rather than
a person for everyone a pious kindly adviser rather than an angry reforming leader
Christians domesticated Jesus.
Or we tried to.
But now the true, original Jesus,
the Radical Jesus,
is breaking out again,
The Radical Jesus,
who preferred the poor and outcast,
who regarded women and men as equals,
who told people to leave all to follow him,
who rejected established Old Testament ideas,
who opposed authority and powers,
who was homeless and led a wandering life.
And what about Britain in the 1980s?
Well, in Britain in the 1980s ...
We have the poor and outcast:
Jesus is among them.
We still have women oppressed:
Jesus is for them.
We have people giving up what they have:
Jesus sustains them.
We have people questioning old religious ideas:
Jesus is on their side.
We have tiny groups resisting authorities and powers:
Jesus' spirit is with them.
We have homeless and wanderers by choice:
Jesus' way crosses them.
Our problem is:-
Not that the Radical Jesus
is irrelevant to Britain in the 1980s -
But that most of us have too many vested interests which are threatened by him;
Not that we do not need his dramatic reversals of our ideas and commitments
But that we would have to change.
And we could change.
So we are calling for change,
in ourselves,
in everyone,
in everything,
As Jesus did.
And we are inviting people
to join us
In a company of peoplc committed to finding
what Jesus's Way means today.
A Manifesto is a Call to action.
This is Jesus's,
Radical Jesus's.
Take it and Live by it!
A Radical goes to the roots,
Finds out the base of things,
Lives by the original source
Cuts out additions, revisions, rationalisations,
Goes back to the basic beginnings.
A Radical is not a Revolutionary.
A Revolutionary seeks achievable changes
After which all will be well,
A Radical seeks continual change
Because everything will never be right.
The Revolutionary works for
One great heave to overthrow the status quo.
The Radical persistently revolutionises everything.
The Radical is not a liberal,
A Revisionist, or an Enlightener.
A Radical does not trust
The evolutionary processes of humanism,
The 'discoveries' of science-based technology,
The mutual manipulation of sociological theories,
Personal growth, self-fulfilment, self-enrichment,
'expcriences'.
Radicals know themselves too well
To trust any of them.
Jesus was a Radical.
He went to the roots of everything,
Simply, without prevarications,
Demanding that basic human solidarity
be respected and held to -
like the bond-word of one person to another,
like the commitments of Sisters and Brothers,
like the rest after labour that bodies need.
Jesus was a Radical.
He pointed away from himself
To a reality and a dynamic to which he was obedient
Which he called 'God's Kingdom', 'God's Rule'
A Radical Reality in which there could be now equality between all people,
raising up of everyone's gifts, significance within the secular, forgiveness for the offender.
Jesus proclaimed a new radicalism needed by the new Kingdom -
A radicalism of total commitment
to that which was sure, though invisible, for everyone, though few knew it, for all time, but especially now.
JOHN VINCENT
1. Why This Booklet? John Vincent 3
2. Who Was Jesus? David Mowat 6
3. Jesus's God Christopher Bullock 12
4. Jesus's Genius Mark Woodhead 14
5. Jesus's Way Chris Bruce & Moira Neish 16
6. Jesus's Challenge Chris Gegg 17
7. Jesus's Comrnunity Frances Dales 18
8. Jesus's Movement John Vincent 19
9. Political Spirituality Richard Levitt 21
10. Why Follow Jesus? Richard Levitt 22
11. Discipleship Today Richard Levitt & Chris Bruce 24
12. My Way Into The Gospel Jean Wildgoose 26
13. Our Life In The Gospel (liturgy) 28
Available from:
ASHRAM COMMUNITY TRUST
239 Abbeyfield Road
Sheffield S4 7AW