Despite the title of Jesus For President, Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw don’t really want to elect Jesus - or his representatives - to the White House.  But they do want him restored to his rightful place as the true leader of those who call themselves by his name. 

From Abraham onward, God has been working through "an alternative society on the margins of empire" to show the world "what a society of love looks like" (p. 60).  When God’s people had their own empire in the days of David and Solomon, it was a detour from God’s perfect plan (remember Israel begging for a king in 1 Samuel 8), and the bad times overshadowed the good, just as God said they would. 

Throughout history God’s people have repeated Israel’s mistake, preferring to join or build empires and be like all the other nations rather than to testify from the margins.  Empires become our idols and the lust for power crowds out the way of the cross. 

Today’s empires include politics (putting "God’s person" in power), military strength, wealth, beauty and celebrity.  Even in church we fall in love with worldly methods of communication and worldly patterns of consumerism, mixing Christianity and empire-worship.  For the love of the world, the church "sacrifices holy nonconformity for the sake of cultural relevancy" (p. 246).

In a book that is challenging and solidly Biblical overall, it’s disappointing to find such a watered-down and misleading passage on hell as is presented on p. 291 beginning with:

"But have you ever noticed that Jesus didn’t spend much time on hell?  Really there are only a couple of times when he spoke of weeping and gnashing of teeth, of hell and God’s judgment, and both had to do with the walls we create between ourselves and our suffering neighbors." 

Claiborne and Haw then cite Matthew 25 (The Sheep and the Goats) and Luke 16 (The Rich Man and Lazarus) which deal with our sinful neglect of hurting people.  Good, but this isn’t the whole story by far.  Check out the Parable of the Weeds and Jesus’ explanation of it, the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, and the teaching about causing others to sin, and you’ll see some other reasons people go to hell.  This mishandling of Scripture is so flagrant that I’m tempted to believe that the authors themselves are a bit under the influence of the empire of 60s-style relativism.

That significant offense aside, Jesus For President makes me uncomfortable for all the right reasons.  It challenges my love for the empires around me that call for my allegiance - America, the military, Ford, Wal-Mart, even the Tennessee Volunteers.  I may not agree with all the conclusions in Jesus For President, but I have benefited from the discussion.