I’ve just finished reading an outstanding book called “The Jesus Driven Life: Reconnecting Humanity with Jesus” by Michael Hardin (Lancaster: JDL Press, 2010).

It is not easy to find, but can be ordered online from the author at http://www.preachingpeace.org/jdlpress/ Currently under $15.

It comes with enthusiastic Foreword and Afterword by Brian McLaren and Walter Wink respectively, and commendations from a number of other scholars across a range of traditions.

The book is an exciting blend of Christology, Bible theory, anthropology, and social ethics. It’s basic thrust is that all biblical interpretation and theology must be done with with Jesus as its central lens. When we do that, it argues, we find Jesus revealing a God who is consistently compassionate and merciful, and who calls us to imitate Jesus in renouncing vengefulness and pursuing pathways of reconciliation and peace.

Hardin acknowledges that there are many passages in the Bible that portray God as angry, vengeful, violent, punitive and bloodthirsty. Drawing on the theological/anthropological insights of Rene Girard, he outlines a theory of the historic relationship between religions and vengeful victimisation, and then shows how within the pages of the Bible we see a developing struggle between these preconceived conventional views of God and the radical alternative view which eventually takes flesh in Jesus and is vindicated in his resurrection. About half of the book is given to careful considerations of this biblical material, starting with a chapter on “how Jesus read his Bible.”

The book is thoroughly evangelical (Jesus and gospel centric) and unashamed to proclaim the uniqueness of Christ without being discourteous to other major faiths. I found it to be one of the most illuminating books I have ever read. It wove together so many important insights into a exciting large scale vision of what Jesus means for the world and how we are invited to participate in that. I would encourage you all to put it on your reading list as soon as possible.

The book could certainly serve as theological text book, but it is probably pitched more at the scholarly end of the popular Christian literature market (alongside the likes of Philip Yancey and NT Wright). It is structured to be usable for a 32 session study group, and there are companion DVDs available to support such a use (but I haven’t seen them).

Nathan Nettleton