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Render Unto Caesar: The Struggle Over Christ and Culture in the New Testament
The revered Bible scholar and author of The Historical Jesus explores the Christian culture wars--the debates over church and state--from a biblical perspective, exploring the earliest tensions evident in the New Testament, and offering a way forward for Christians today.
Leading Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan, the author of the pioneering work The Historical Jesus, provides new insight into the Christian culture wars which began in the New Testament and persist strongly today.
For decades, Americans have been divided on how Christians should relate to government and lawmakers, a dispute that has impacted every area of society and grown more rancorous over the past forty years. But as Crossan makes clear, this debate isn't new; it can be found in the New Testament itself, most notably in the tensions between Luke-Acts and Revelation.
In the texts of Luke-Acts, Rome is considered favorably. In the book of Revelation, Rome is seen as the embodiment of evil in the world. Yet there is an alternative to these two extremes, Crossan explains. The historical Jesus and Paul, the earliest Christian teachers, were both strongly opposed to Rome, yet neither demonized the Empire.
Crossan sees in Jesus and Paul's approach a model for Christians today that can be used to cut through the acrimony and polarization roiling our society and dividing us.
Leading Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan, the author of the pioneering work The Historical Jesus, provides new insight into the Christian culture wars which began in the New Testament and persist strongly today.
For decades, Americans have been divided on how Christians should relate to government and lawmakers, a dispute that has impacted every area of society and grown more rancorous over the past forty years. But as Crossan makes clear, this debate isn't new; it can be found in the New Testament itself, most notably in the tensions between Luke-Acts and Revelation.
In the texts of Luke-Acts, Rome is considered favorably. In the book of Revelation, Rome is seen as the embodiment of evil in the world. Yet there is an alternative to these two extremes, Crossan explains. The historical Jesus and Paul, the earliest Christian teachers, were both strongly opposed to Rome, yet neither demonized the Empire.
Crossan sees in Jesus and Paul's approach a model for Christians today that can be used to cut through the acrimony and polarization roiling our society and dividing us.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2022
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173 people want to read
About the author
John Dominic Crossan
67 books294 followersJohn Dominic Crossan is generally regarded as the leading historical Jesus scholar in the world. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Birth of Christianity, and Who Killed Jesus? He lives in Clermont, Florida.
John Dominic Crossan was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland in 1934. He was educated in Ireland and the United States, received a Doctorate of Divinity from Maynooth College in Ireland in 1959, and did post-doctoral research at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome from 1959 to 1961 and at the École Biblique in Jerusalem from 1965 to 1967. He was a member of a thirteenth-century Roman Catholic religious order, the Servites (Ordo Servorum Mariae), from 1950 to 1969 and was an ordained priest in 1957. He joined DePaul University in Chicago in 1969 and remained there until 1995. He is now a Professor Emeritus in its Department of Religious Studies.
John Dominic Crossan was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland in 1934. He was educated in Ireland and the United States, received a Doctorate of Divinity from Maynooth College in Ireland in 1959, and did post-doctoral research at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome from 1959 to 1961 and at the École Biblique in Jerusalem from 1965 to 1967. He was a member of a thirteenth-century Roman Catholic religious order, the Servites (Ordo Servorum Mariae), from 1950 to 1969 and was an ordained priest in 1957. He joined DePaul University in Chicago in 1969 and remained there until 1995. He is now a Professor Emeritus in its Department of Religious Studies.
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February 23, 2022
A perennial challenge for followers of Jesus is the question of how to respond to the surrounding culture in which one’s life is lived. Ought the Christian to thoroughly reject the majority culture as some groups have historically done (think of the Amish)? Or do the Scriptures proclaim that certain cultures or states can effectively be “sacred”? In my American context, there exist many prominent religious voices pushing the rejection of secular culture and a retreat into fundamentalism. At the same time, such voices also offer near unwavering support to certain political systems and figures. Such a phenomenon has produced a substantial number of books, especially over the past few years.
Into this context comes John Dominic Crossan’s new book Render Unto Caesar: The Struggle Over Christ and Culture in the New Testament. In this book, Crossan reviews various ways that the New Testament approaches the issue of acculturation (whether Christians should assimilate into the dominant culture). Crossan structures his book around three postures: demonization (Revelation), canonization (Luke-Acts), and radical criticism (Crossan’s reconstruction of the historical Jesus).
The core of the book largely explores these three postures in the aforementioned texts. His exploration of Revelation centers around the ways in which the author of that book challenged his audience to firmly reject their surrounding pagan culture, including involvement in Greco-Roman social clubs, guilds, and other settings in which cultic activities might occur. This challenge is found first in the severe consequences threatened in the letters towards the beginning of the book, and is renewed through the graphic, if not pornographic, imagery for Rome in the visions. I find that Crossan largely hits the mark on this front, as Revelation is far from ambiguous in its hostility towards the surrounding culture (although, I would argue that its hyperbolic language reflects a radical critique in ancient garb rather than a serious call for violence – there are some hints in the narrative that war imagery is meant non-literalistically).
Crossan’s chapters on Luke-Acts suggest that Luke was attempting to present a Christianized vision for Rome. He draws attention to various points in this dual-narrative where we witness what may be an apologetic for Christians towards a potentially Roman audience, namely clarifications that riots surrounding the movement’s early leaders (Jesus, Peter, and Paul) were instigated by others and that these leaders submitted to Roman authorities. This “defense before Rome” view is not uncommon in Luke-Acts scholarship, and there certainly is a bit of a case to be made (even though it ultimately rests, like many reconstructions, on an assumed audience). I am not partial to this view, and instead prefer the notion that Luke-Acts exists as an internally-focused document for the Christian community itself. My belief is that it was written to provide a written preservation of cultural memory within early Greek Christian communities with the intent of inspiring Jesus-followers to follow the moral examples set by Jesus, Peter, and Paul.
Readers who are familiar with prior works by Crosson will be familiar with the core of his arguments regarding the historical Jesus. For those who are not, in brief: Crossan regards the New Testament as including many statements made by the authors but in the name of Jesus. A reconstruction of the historical Jesus, for Crossan, must primarily consult sources outside of the New Testament. With reference to Josephus’s discussion of “Jesus called Christ”, Crossan argues that the historical Jesus must have been an advocate of non-violent resistance who adopted a sustained enough criticism of Roman authorities to warrant his own execution, but whose movement must have adhered to non-violence because his followers were not executed en masse. I find his argument in this regard quite convincing, even with my usual skepticism towards “historical Jesus” reconstructions (in brief: there is too little “external” data to create a robust picture without reference to early Christian writings).
On the whole, Render Unto Caesar is an interesting book from a notable scholar with some intriguing discussions and some debatable conclusions. I am most appreciative for Crossan’s drawing out of the polyphonic nature of the New Testament’s approach to acculturation. Jesus-followers, especially those from more conservative backgrounds, may be unnerved by such a discussion in no small part due to how folks generally understand the scriptures to function. However, the multiplicity of human voices included in a divinely inspired scripture should be seen as a strength. At the very least, they offer models and dialogues for the people of God to use when discerning how to respond to the wider society around us today.
This book might be most fruitfully used in college level or seminary courses, especially those courses that address the intersection between politics, culture, and faith. Crossan does not require facility with the biblical languages, but his discussions assume some broad familiarity with folks like Josephus and other ancient authors. It is likely not the best resource for small group or Sunday school study, given the number of academic theories and data under review.
Into this context comes John Dominic Crossan’s new book Render Unto Caesar: The Struggle Over Christ and Culture in the New Testament. In this book, Crossan reviews various ways that the New Testament approaches the issue of acculturation (whether Christians should assimilate into the dominant culture). Crossan structures his book around three postures: demonization (Revelation), canonization (Luke-Acts), and radical criticism (Crossan’s reconstruction of the historical Jesus).
The core of the book largely explores these three postures in the aforementioned texts. His exploration of Revelation centers around the ways in which the author of that book challenged his audience to firmly reject their surrounding pagan culture, including involvement in Greco-Roman social clubs, guilds, and other settings in which cultic activities might occur. This challenge is found first in the severe consequences threatened in the letters towards the beginning of the book, and is renewed through the graphic, if not pornographic, imagery for Rome in the visions. I find that Crossan largely hits the mark on this front, as Revelation is far from ambiguous in its hostility towards the surrounding culture (although, I would argue that its hyperbolic language reflects a radical critique in ancient garb rather than a serious call for violence – there are some hints in the narrative that war imagery is meant non-literalistically).
Crossan’s chapters on Luke-Acts suggest that Luke was attempting to present a Christianized vision for Rome. He draws attention to various points in this dual-narrative where we witness what may be an apologetic for Christians towards a potentially Roman audience, namely clarifications that riots surrounding the movement’s early leaders (Jesus, Peter, and Paul) were instigated by others and that these leaders submitted to Roman authorities. This “defense before Rome” view is not uncommon in Luke-Acts scholarship, and there certainly is a bit of a case to be made (even though it ultimately rests, like many reconstructions, on an assumed audience). I am not partial to this view, and instead prefer the notion that Luke-Acts exists as an internally-focused document for the Christian community itself. My belief is that it was written to provide a written preservation of cultural memory within early Greek Christian communities with the intent of inspiring Jesus-followers to follow the moral examples set by Jesus, Peter, and Paul.
Readers who are familiar with prior works by Crosson will be familiar with the core of his arguments regarding the historical Jesus. For those who are not, in brief: Crossan regards the New Testament as including many statements made by the authors but in the name of Jesus. A reconstruction of the historical Jesus, for Crossan, must primarily consult sources outside of the New Testament. With reference to Josephus’s discussion of “Jesus called Christ”, Crossan argues that the historical Jesus must have been an advocate of non-violent resistance who adopted a sustained enough criticism of Roman authorities to warrant his own execution, but whose movement must have adhered to non-violence because his followers were not executed en masse. I find his argument in this regard quite convincing, even with my usual skepticism towards “historical Jesus” reconstructions (in brief: there is too little “external” data to create a robust picture without reference to early Christian writings).
On the whole, Render Unto Caesar is an interesting book from a notable scholar with some intriguing discussions and some debatable conclusions. I am most appreciative for Crossan’s drawing out of the polyphonic nature of the New Testament’s approach to acculturation. Jesus-followers, especially those from more conservative backgrounds, may be unnerved by such a discussion in no small part due to how folks generally understand the scriptures to function. However, the multiplicity of human voices included in a divinely inspired scripture should be seen as a strength. At the very least, they offer models and dialogues for the people of God to use when discerning how to respond to the wider society around us today.
This book might be most fruitfully used in college level or seminary courses, especially those courses that address the intersection between politics, culture, and faith. Crossan does not require facility with the biblical languages, but his discussions assume some broad familiarity with folks like Josephus and other ancient authors. It is likely not the best resource for small group or Sunday school study, given the number of academic theories and data under review.
September 9, 2024
Update: Worth it for his chapters toward the end such as the one on the radical (and truly practical) maxim of "Love Your Enemies." We need that now more than ever. Peace through Justice not Peace through Victory. Distributive Justice not Retributive or Punishment Justice. And the chapter on "The Things of Caeser (i e. MAGA and Trump as latest versions) and the Things of Christ (nonviolent resistance and the above labeled forms of equality and justice).
I get a lot out of all of Crossan. This particular one, written for our times and moment indeed, is no exception. It fine tunes ground covered before and by him well too, especially In Search of Paul, The First Paul, and especially God and Empire--this book reads almost like a book written from footnotes to God and Empire (with seeds planted in The Birth of Christianity and the earlier historical Jesus books of his).
The style is better here I think, the argument fine tuned by now, and with the new lens of contrasting Revelation and Luke-Acts when it comes to relations with and adopting the culture of Rome, and contrasted with the views of the Jesus movement et al we get through Josephus. But of course the authentic Paul scholarship runs through here as it has to in any look at Luke-Acts since that narrative ends with its focus on its version of Paul in the Empire rather than what is conveyed in the authentic letters of Paul.
The subtitle reveals, and he explicitly delves into, the tensions (the links and the oppositions) of living in the way of American dominant culture, i.e. Caesar, and living the way of Jesus. "Ripped from the Headlines" you might say, headlines two thousand plus years ago and from today.
If you want to better see the roots of the question: how can one claim to be a Christian and supporter of Trump? it is here in the critical look at the same question of the time of Jesus: how could one claim to be a follower of the God of Israel, or follower of Jesus, and also of the Roman emperors.
I get a lot out of all of Crossan. This particular one, written for our times and moment indeed, is no exception. It fine tunes ground covered before and by him well too, especially In Search of Paul, The First Paul, and especially God and Empire--this book reads almost like a book written from footnotes to God and Empire (with seeds planted in The Birth of Christianity and the earlier historical Jesus books of his).
The style is better here I think, the argument fine tuned by now, and with the new lens of contrasting Revelation and Luke-Acts when it comes to relations with and adopting the culture of Rome, and contrasted with the views of the Jesus movement et al we get through Josephus. But of course the authentic Paul scholarship runs through here as it has to in any look at Luke-Acts since that narrative ends with its focus on its version of Paul in the Empire rather than what is conveyed in the authentic letters of Paul.
The subtitle reveals, and he explicitly delves into, the tensions (the links and the oppositions) of living in the way of American dominant culture, i.e. Caesar, and living the way of Jesus. "Ripped from the Headlines" you might say, headlines two thousand plus years ago and from today.
If you want to better see the roots of the question: how can one claim to be a Christian and supporter of Trump? it is here in the critical look at the same question of the time of Jesus: how could one claim to be a follower of the God of Israel, or follower of Jesus, and also of the Roman emperors.
July 31, 2022
أَعْطُوا مَا لِقَيْصَرَ لِقَيْصَرَ وَمَا للهِ للهِ (مراجعة كتاب)
هذه الاية في الانجيل (مرقس ١٢-١٧) هي مصدر عنوان كتاب ممتاز اكملت قراته بالامس والكتاب بقلم John Dominic Grossan و اسمه Render unto Cesar او اعطو للقيصر.
الكاتب برأيي من اعظم المفكرين المعاصرين وقرات الغالبية العظمى من كتبه وهو مؤرخ متخصص في تاريخ المسيحية ومتبحر في الدراسة التاريخية ليسوع وبولس. وله كتاب من التسعينات من اعظم ما قرات عن يسوع كشخصية تاريخية .. ورغم انه بداء حياته كقس كاثوليكي وكان في الاتجاة الى الرهبنة الا انه ترك العمل في الكنيسة وتخصص في علوم التاريخ والاثار وعلى عكس الغالبية اللادينية من المؤرخين الغربيين المتخصصين في تاريخ الاديان يعتبر جروسان نفسه مسيحي.
تستخدم الاية اعلاه بمعنى فصل الدين عن الدنيا ولكن فهم هذه الاية في سياقها لا يؤدي بالضرورة لهذا المعنى. القصة ان اثناء تواجد يسوع (المعلم اليهودي الذي اني من الجليل مع العديد من اتباعه) في المعبد اليهودي في القدس حاول اعداءه من المذاهب اليهودية الكبيرة الايقاع به فقدموا له سؤالا خادعا: استاذنا ومعلمنا هل يجوز ان ندفع الضرائب للسلطات الرومانية او القيصر؟ اذا اجاب بنعم فسيسقط امام اتباعه من اليهود وبالذات وهو داخل المعبد في موسم عيد الاحتفال بالهروب من مصر الى ارض الميعاد. وكان اتباعه ينظرون له كطريقة للخلاص من الاحتلال الروماني واذا اجاب بلا فبطبيعة الحال سيقدمونه للسلطات الرومانية كمحرض ضد الحكم الروماني … مأزق صعب، ماذا سيفعل يسوع؟
طلب يسوع من السائلين ان يرونه العملة المعدنية المتداولة وبطبيعة الحال المستخدمة في دفع الضرائب ، وبعدها طلب منهم قراة ما هو مكتوب عليها. وبناء على دراسات الاثار العملة المستعملة وقتها في فلسطين كانت مصكوكة في انطاكية او الاسكندرية وفي الاغلب انطاكية وكانت تحمل كلمات الاله المعبود القيصر اغسطس .. وطلب منهم يسوع قرأة هذه الكلمات وبعدها قال المقولة اعلاه: أَعْطُوا مَا لِقَيْصَرَ لِقَيْصَرَ وَمَا للهِ للهِ
عبقرية المقولة انها لم تجيب عن السؤال بطريقة مباشرة على الاطلاق ولكنها قامت بفصل فكرة الالوهية عن القيصر وجزء اخر من عبقرية التعامل مع المازق تكمن في ان السائلون وليس يسوع هم من كانوا يحملون القطعة النقدية التي تنص على ألوهية القيصر وعن انه معبود.
يتطرق الكتاب الى ثلاثة افكار اساسية اولهما فكرة التناقض والمنافسة بين فكر يوحنا كاتب سفر الرؤيا وبين لوقا كاتب انجيل لوقا وسفر اعمال الرسل، ويري جروسان ان سفر الرؤيا يشيطن الرومان ويتنبأ بدمارهم على يد يسوع المسيح الذي سيعود ليسفك بالرومان ويلقيهم اسوء انواع العذاب والموت بينما يقدم لوقا فكرة مختلفة تماما وهي ان الرومان اصدقاء المسيحيين وان المحاكم الرومانية العادلة دائما وابدا تبرأ المتهمين المسيحين وان الصراع الحقيقي هو مع اليهود وليس الرومان.
ينهي جروسان كتابه بتقديمه فكرة ان يسوع كان يقود حركة سلمية ضد الاحتلال الروماني والقرن الاول الميلادي كان مليئ بانواع مختلفة من مناهضة الاحتلال الروماني منها ما هو يستخدم وسائل العنف والحرب علنية ضد الرومان ومنها ما هو ارهابي يهاجم ويقتل القيادات اليهودية المتواطئة مع الرومان ومنهم من هو يعارض الاحتلال ولا يتعاون معه ولكن بطرق سلمية مثل يوحنا المعمدان وبعده يسوع واخرون.
لو كان يسوع محارب لتم قتله مباشرة ولكن فكرة المحاكمة والحكم بصلبه طبقا للقانون الروماني تعني انه كان يهدد الاحتلال الروماني وانه يقود جماعة موثرة وباعدامه كان الرومان يحاولون تقويض حركته. … ولكن طبعا فشلوا.
الكتاب عظيم وارشحه لمن يحب القرأة في مواضيع تاريخ الاديان
هذه الاية في الانجيل (مرقس ١٢-١٧) هي مصدر عنوان كتاب ممتاز اكملت قراته بالامس والكتاب بقلم John Dominic Grossan و اسمه Render unto Cesar او اعطو للقيصر.
الكاتب برأيي من اعظم المفكرين المعاصرين وقرات الغالبية العظمى من كتبه وهو مؤرخ متخصص في تاريخ المسيحية ومتبحر في الدراسة التاريخية ليسوع وبولس. وله كتاب من التسعينات من اعظم ما قرات عن يسوع كشخصية تاريخية .. ورغم انه بداء حياته كقس كاثوليكي وكان في الاتجاة الى الرهبنة الا انه ترك العمل في الكنيسة وتخصص في علوم التاريخ والاثار وعلى عكس الغالبية اللادينية من المؤرخين الغربيين المتخصصين في تاريخ الاديان يعتبر جروسان نفسه مسيحي.
تستخدم الاية اعلاه بمعنى فصل الدين عن الدنيا ولكن فهم هذه الاية في سياقها لا يؤدي بالضرورة لهذا المعنى. القصة ان اثناء تواجد يسوع (المعلم اليهودي الذي اني من الجليل مع العديد من اتباعه) في المعبد اليهودي في القدس حاول اعداءه من المذاهب اليهودية الكبيرة الايقاع به فقدموا له سؤالا خادعا: استاذنا ومعلمنا هل يجوز ان ندفع الضرائب للسلطات الرومانية او القيصر؟ اذا اجاب بنعم فسيسقط امام اتباعه من اليهود وبالذات وهو داخل المعبد في موسم عيد الاحتفال بالهروب من مصر الى ارض الميعاد. وكان اتباعه ينظرون له كطريقة للخلاص من الاحتلال الروماني واذا اجاب بلا فبطبيعة الحال سيقدمونه للسلطات الرومانية كمحرض ضد الحكم الروماني … مأزق صعب، ماذا سيفعل يسوع؟
طلب يسوع من السائلين ان يرونه العملة المعدنية المتداولة وبطبيعة الحال المستخدمة في دفع الضرائب ، وبعدها طلب منهم قراة ما هو مكتوب عليها. وبناء على دراسات الاثار العملة المستعملة وقتها في فلسطين كانت مصكوكة في انطاكية او الاسكندرية وفي الاغلب انطاكية وكانت تحمل كلمات الاله المعبود القيصر اغسطس .. وطلب منهم يسوع قرأة هذه الكلمات وبعدها قال المقولة اعلاه: أَعْطُوا مَا لِقَيْصَرَ لِقَيْصَرَ وَمَا للهِ للهِ
عبقرية المقولة انها لم تجيب عن السؤال بطريقة مباشرة على الاطلاق ولكنها قامت بفصل فكرة الالوهية عن القيصر وجزء اخر من عبقرية التعامل مع المازق تكمن في ان السائلون وليس يسوع هم من كانوا يحملون القطعة النقدية التي تنص على ألوهية القيصر وعن انه معبود.
يتطرق الكتاب الى ثلاثة افكار اساسية اولهما فكرة التناقض والمنافسة بين فكر يوحنا كاتب سفر الرؤيا وبين لوقا كاتب انجيل لوقا وسفر اعمال الرسل، ويري جروسان ان سفر الرؤيا يشيطن الرومان ويتنبأ بدمارهم على يد يسوع المسيح الذي سيعود ليسفك بالرومان ويلقيهم اسوء انواع العذاب والموت بينما يقدم لوقا فكرة مختلفة تماما وهي ان الرومان اصدقاء المسيحيين وان المحاكم الرومانية العادلة دائما وابدا تبرأ المتهمين المسيحين وان الصراع الحقيقي هو مع اليهود وليس الرومان.
ينهي جروسان كتابه بتقديمه فكرة ان يسوع كان يقود حركة سلمية ضد الاحتلال الروماني والقرن الاول الميلادي كان مليئ بانواع مختلفة من مناهضة الاحتلال الروماني منها ما هو يستخدم وسائل العنف والحرب علنية ضد الرومان ومنها ما هو ارهابي يهاجم ويقتل القيادات اليهودية المتواطئة مع الرومان ومنهم من هو يعارض الاحتلال ولا يتعاون معه ولكن بطرق سلمية مثل يوحنا المعمدان وبعده يسوع واخرون.
لو كان يسوع محارب لتم قتله مباشرة ولكن فكرة المحاكمة والحكم بصلبه طبقا للقانون الروماني تعني انه كان يهدد الاحتلال الروماني وانه يقود جماعة موثرة وباعدامه كان الرومان يحاولون تقويض حركته. … ولكن طبعا فشلوا.
الكتاب عظيم وارشحه لمن يحب القرأة في مواضيع تاريخ الاديان
July 4, 2025
I found this book to be extremely thought-provoking. I initially gave it 4 stars because it is a bit of a dense read. But I can't stop thinking about it. Any book that gets into my head that way deserves full marks, and I upped my rating to 5 stars.
The author's primary point is to locate Jesus not as accommodating Empire and acculturating to it, nor as an advocate of rebellion, but as a voice within a larger Jewish movement for non-violent confrontation with Empire that emerged during the transition to the Common Era. He places the origins of modern non-violent protest not with Gandhi, not with Thoreau, but squarely with Christ and his contemporaries. Let that sink in.
The author sees the emergence of non-violent resistance to Rome as an evolution of "Sabbath Theology" which is concerned with the gifts of God and justice within the "Household" (as opposed to "Sanction Theology" and the ideas of punishment and retribution so prominent in Deuteronomy). We can see the "rule of heaven" as expanding our idea of a well-ordered household to society as a whole, and see justice as akin to asking, as a parent, "would you feel comfortable starving one of your children so another could be overfed?"
Another stream of thought that was particularly intriguing to me is that the author asserts that phrases like "Kingdom of God" are not the best translations Jesus' message. Instead, we should think of "rule of heaven" in a way similar to how we think of the "rule of law"...as a process for ensuring justice, and most decidedly not as a secular kingdom or as a Christian Empire. In fact, the author asserts, in the Jesus' original language "rule of heaven" conveys an idea of "the way or path" that to me sounds analogous to the way of the Tao. From that viewpoint, departing from the "rule of heaven" incurs an intrinsic cost, rather than retribution from God. And thus, we should love our enemies not to avoid eternal damnation, but because it is the process by which we humans begin to build the rule of heaven here on earth.
I've only listed a couple of particularly central or resonant points in this review. There is much more that I learned here about the Christian tradition I was raised, and its Jewish sources. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who sees the injustice of unbridled capitalism and modern empire, and is searching for a response that is rooted in Christianity and the historical Jesus.
The author's primary point is to locate Jesus not as accommodating Empire and acculturating to it, nor as an advocate of rebellion, but as a voice within a larger Jewish movement for non-violent confrontation with Empire that emerged during the transition to the Common Era. He places the origins of modern non-violent protest not with Gandhi, not with Thoreau, but squarely with Christ and his contemporaries. Let that sink in.
The author sees the emergence of non-violent resistance to Rome as an evolution of "Sabbath Theology" which is concerned with the gifts of God and justice within the "Household" (as opposed to "Sanction Theology" and the ideas of punishment and retribution so prominent in Deuteronomy). We can see the "rule of heaven" as expanding our idea of a well-ordered household to society as a whole, and see justice as akin to asking, as a parent, "would you feel comfortable starving one of your children so another could be overfed?"
Another stream of thought that was particularly intriguing to me is that the author asserts that phrases like "Kingdom of God" are not the best translations Jesus' message. Instead, we should think of "rule of heaven" in a way similar to how we think of the "rule of law"...as a process for ensuring justice, and most decidedly not as a secular kingdom or as a Christian Empire. In fact, the author asserts, in the Jesus' original language "rule of heaven" conveys an idea of "the way or path" that to me sounds analogous to the way of the Tao. From that viewpoint, departing from the "rule of heaven" incurs an intrinsic cost, rather than retribution from God. And thus, we should love our enemies not to avoid eternal damnation, but because it is the process by which we humans begin to build the rule of heaven here on earth.
I've only listed a couple of particularly central or resonant points in this review. There is much more that I learned here about the Christian tradition I was raised, and its Jewish sources. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who sees the injustice of unbridled capitalism and modern empire, and is searching for a response that is rooted in Christianity and the historical Jesus.
February 16, 2022
"Render unto Caesar" is the beginning of a phrase attributed to Jesus in the synoptic gospels, which reads in full, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" [Matthew 22:21] - Wikipedia
This is an academic piece that looks to place this encounter with the greater cultural context of the first century Roman World. While I am not qualified to speak on the merits of the scholarship, I found the analysis presented in a clear and concise manner that allowed a layman to follow and understand it. As such, it greater expanded my own understanding of what Jesus was really speaking about … although it does strike counter to some fundamentalist interpretations. To make his point, the author draws upon other areas of the Christian Bible as well as contemporary external sources to contrast the violent rule of Caesar/Man and non-violent rule of God that opposed it as a critique of acculturation by early christians; using Luke-Acts, Paul and Revelation to illustrate the struggle between “sanction” theology and “Sabbath” theology. This also opened up a new interpretation for me of another famous Jesus saying … “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
The book was divided into three (3) parts:
Part 1: Culture Rejected and Demonized (Revelation & God’s future punishment)
Part 2: Culture Accepted and Canonized (Luke & Josephus acceptance of the status quo)
Part 3: Culture Confronted and Criticized (non-violent critical opposition as the fourth way)
This is a book that I will need to come back to after thinking more on it. As such, I think it should be a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any reader interested in biblical scholarship and exegesis.
I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#RenderUntoCaesar #NetGalley.
This is an academic piece that looks to place this encounter with the greater cultural context of the first century Roman World. While I am not qualified to speak on the merits of the scholarship, I found the analysis presented in a clear and concise manner that allowed a layman to follow and understand it. As such, it greater expanded my own understanding of what Jesus was really speaking about … although it does strike counter to some fundamentalist interpretations. To make his point, the author draws upon other areas of the Christian Bible as well as contemporary external sources to contrast the violent rule of Caesar/Man and non-violent rule of God that opposed it as a critique of acculturation by early christians; using Luke-Acts, Paul and Revelation to illustrate the struggle between “sanction” theology and “Sabbath” theology. This also opened up a new interpretation for me of another famous Jesus saying … “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
The book was divided into three (3) parts:
Part 1: Culture Rejected and Demonized (Revelation & God’s future punishment)
Part 2: Culture Accepted and Canonized (Luke & Josephus acceptance of the status quo)
Part 3: Culture Confronted and Criticized (non-violent critical opposition as the fourth way)
This is a book that I will need to come back to after thinking more on it. As such, I think it should be a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any reader interested in biblical scholarship and exegesis.
I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#RenderUntoCaesar #NetGalley.
May 13, 2025
A remarkable book. Very much worth reading if you are at all interested in Christianity and/or scripture. Crossan makes a strong case (at least for one who is not a biblical scholar) that 1) the author John/Revelation was seeking violent retributive justice against Rome for the trauma of the Jewish war and destruction of Jerusalum in 70. In particular he violently objected to acculturation of Christianity by Rome (which obviously eventually did happen) and 2) The author of Luke/Acts wrote them with the intention of being a single two volume book that promoted acculturation with Rome.
Crossan further makes a beautiful conclusion that Jesus actually professed a third path, confrontation with Rome with non-violent resistance. He then asks questions regarding how we can confront the increasing violence and inequality of imperial America using the vision and path of Jesus.
Crossan never does actually answer the question of what exactly Jesus meant with 'render unto Caesar' but he gives us all we need to answer the question ourselves.
Crossan further makes a beautiful conclusion that Jesus actually professed a third path, confrontation with Rome with non-violent resistance. He then asks questions regarding how we can confront the increasing violence and inequality of imperial America using the vision and path of Jesus.
Crossan never does actually answer the question of what exactly Jesus meant with 'render unto Caesar' but he gives us all we need to answer the question ourselves.
July 20, 2024
There are chunks of
Render Unto Caesar
that are worth the price of admission, reminders of why John Dominic Crossan is one of our greatest living Biblical scholars; specifically, his close readings of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts (written at the same time by the same anonymous author), as well as his readings of Josephus, display a masterful finesse as he constructs a plausible argument for a deliberate strategy of non-violence by Jesus and his followers.
Unfortunately, Crossan tries his darndest to connect some of these textual threads from the 1st Century CE with modern American political commentary, and the book groans under the strain. It's not that I disagree with where Crossan is coming from so much as I wish he were a little more tightly focused on where he was going.
Unfortunately, Crossan tries his darndest to connect some of these textual threads from the 1st Century CE with modern American political commentary, and the book groans under the strain. It's not that I disagree with where Crossan is coming from so much as I wish he were a little more tightly focused on where he was going.
August 19, 2022
I’ve always appreciated and enjoyed Crossan’s literary works. He is a good writer, easy to follow with his outlines and summaries, proposals and conclusions. For whatever reason, this book didn’t resonate as much as some of his others, especially those co-authorized with Marcus Borg, and Crossan’s books are starting to sound somewhat repetitive.
Still, there were a few quotes that are beautiful, profound, and true, like “A soon-coming consummation avoids participation, denies collaboration, prevents commitment, and thereby nullifies the rule of God as present on earth. Put another way, biblical apocalypse is what happens when biblical prophecy changes its focus from the signs of the times to the times of the signs.” Well said, and a challenge for our times.
Still, there were a few quotes that are beautiful, profound, and true, like “A soon-coming consummation avoids participation, denies collaboration, prevents commitment, and thereby nullifies the rule of God as present on earth. Put another way, biblical apocalypse is what happens when biblical prophecy changes its focus from the signs of the times to the times of the signs.” Well said, and a challenge for our times.
May 28, 2023
This book examines the early period of Rome's empire after it became a dictatorship, first under Caesar Augustus, and then the many emperors that followed, and particularly in the light of Christian faith. How does early Christianity fit into the picture? is the first question this book asks, and it examines the context and historical background behind the rise of the Christian movement under Peter and Paul.
I found it to be interesting and particularly how it relates that distant time period to our own. It had similar themes as we see today, meaning the Christian faith can teach us new things for similar periods. It was a fascinating book, and one that looks at Rome in a slightly different angle, and for that, I rate it 4/5 stars and recommend it.
I found it to be interesting and particularly how it relates that distant time period to our own. It had similar themes as we see today, meaning the Christian faith can teach us new things for similar periods. It was a fascinating book, and one that looks at Rome in a slightly different angle, and for that, I rate it 4/5 stars and recommend it.
December 20, 2024
As a followup I have ordered Crossan's 'God & Empire: Jesus Against Rome Then & Now', and his 'A Long Way from Tipperary: What a Former Irish Monk Discovered In His Search For the Truth'. Crossan was a former Servite Friar, he taught at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago where I studied but I never had him as a professor. This book is very complex, for some reviewers not an easy read but I was very engaged with his work. I highly recommend, do not let the fact that he is the point man for the 'historical Jesus' put you off.
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April 14, 2023This is a smart book, and I'm interested in the topic, but it was too dry for me to get through entirely. Would have preferred it to be, like, a chapter in a book of essays about modern-day implications of new testament teachings.
January 25, 2024
Great read. I experienced many "I had never thought of it that way" moments. I deeply appreciate the honest historical perspective the author brings to the table. It was refreshing and helped illuminate the mission of Jesus. I will be seeking out more books by Crossan.
April 19, 2023
Very deliberate, very thoughtful—asks some big questions and digs deep in search of answers. Great voice, quality prose. Will read more from this author.
May 23, 2024
Dry in places but it needs to be - a compelling academic argument for a peaceful view of God and Jesus in contrast to Empire
June 18, 2022
The most important Christian-centric book I’ve read since Trump. A book that’s been needed for a long time, but especially - due to ‘church’ dynamics - since Nixon. Christians who have doubts about the Dominionist, Caesar-embracing, Empire-affirming nature of the vast majority of ‘Christian’ churches and leaders will find this book comprehensive and persuasive. Hopefully their theological masters will also. The rest of us will find much of value as well including a call to renewal of fundamentals such as no-violent resistance, counter cultural faith, Sabbath-centered life, and a post-civilization vision of living in harmony with “The Way.” J. D. Crossan gives all of us a precious gift here.
Note: Highly recommend reading this alongside “The Dawn of Everything”
Note: Highly recommend reading this alongside “The Dawn of Everything”
June 13, 2022
Scholar John Dominic Crossan employs a subtle dualism in his comparison of Christian culture as described in Luke-Acts, which tends to be slightly pro-Rome, with that of Revelation, in which Rome was the embodiment of evil. Crossan further implies that this cultural debate continues in today’s Christianity. Finally, he uses this dualism, coupled with the somewhat diverse teachings of Jesus and the Apostle St. Paul to suggest a model for today's Christian that will help avoid faith-related societal conflict.
June 25, 2024
A fantastic follow up to God and Empire.
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