Jesus Takes a Side: Embracing the Political Demands of the Gospel

by Jonny Rashid

Jesus sides with the oppressed. Will you?

In a world divided by left and right, red and blue, many Christians have upheld a “third way” approach in pursuit of moderation, harmony, and unity. But if Christians are more concerned with divisiveness than with faithfulness, we have failed to grasp the gospel’s political demands. We do not see Jesus taking a “third way” between oppressor and oppressed. And as followers of Jesus, neither should we.

For the sake of our faith, for the sake of the least of these among us, and for Christ’s sake, Christians need to stand firmly for truth, peace, and justice. In Jesus Takes a Side, author Jonny Rashid lays out the political demands of following Jesus and offers strategies for how to engage politics practically and prophetically—even if it means taking a side.
 

Genres: Religion, Politics, Christianity

206 pages, Paperback

Published May 31, 2022

About the author

Jonny Rashid has served as pastor for Circle of Hope, an Anabaptist cell church, for over ten years. He is father to Elaine and Agatha. He lives on Lenape land, colonized as Philadelphia, in the northern part of the city. He moved to Philadelphia from Lebanon, PA, where his parents emigrated from Egypt. He is an abolitionist and a housing activist. He is an avid home cook (find him on Instagram @foodpastor) and a perpetually disappointed Philadelphia sports fan. He spends too much time on Twitter, blogs at jonnyrashid.com, and hosts Circle of Hope's Resist and Restore podcast. He studied journalism, education, and history at Temple University and completed his Master of Divinity at Palmer Theological Seminary.

Reviews

[Danielle Morsberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus Takes a Side feels like a breath of fresh air. It offers a view of Jesus and Christianity that is not often seen in the United States particular brand of Christianity- one that looks a lot more like the Jesus presented in the gospels than what we see in pews on Sunday’s.
The author makes a case for American Christian’s to drop the idea of there being a way to follow Jesus by taking care of the marginalized while remaining apolitical. Rather, Christianity and the life of Jesus model a faith that is undeniably political and that “Jesus Takes a Side.” Jesus always chooses to side with the oppressed.
I found this book to be an easy and enjoyable read, full of academic and personal accounts that we enlightening and thought provoking. The authors perspective and life experiences as a brown man growing up in a post 9/11 America and American church community were eye opening.
Over the last 5 years I’ve taken steps away from this faith and away from Jesus as I’ve watched the white church empower and embolden people and policy that don’t look at all like the values they professed with their mouths.
Pastors like Mr. Rashid give me hope and the desire to keep seeking to understand who Jesus was and what “on earth as it is in heaven” can look like- a place where racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, and classism are done away with. There is no third way between the oppressor and the oppressed. There is no way to meet in the middle of injustice- the third way that Christians have been peddling as righteousnesses, is really siding with the oppressors, and asking the oppressed to dehumanize themselves in order to get along with their abusers.
Jesus steps into humanity fully, any way of being that dehumanizes others is unequivocally anti-Christ. Rashid makes the case (successfully in my opinion) that to be a follower of Jesus requires that we take the side of the oppressed and to work to bring about justice.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an era of 24-hour news-fueled polarization, Jonny Rashid’s first book is an important read for Christians discerning faithful public engagement. Continuing in the spirit of Ron Sider, Howard Thurman, and Catholic Social Teaching, Rashid makes the Biblical case for Christian involvement in politics. Citing examples from Jesus’ life and beyond, he demonstrates how God consistently sides with oppressed and marginalized. Noting how the Trump era has shifted rhetoric about immigration, womens rights, and more, Rashid invites readers to awareness and engagement. When considering todays issues involving a power imbalance, especially BIPOC AND LGBTQIA communities, Rashid cautions against bipartisan and “third way” thinking, and instead calls Christians to join Jesus in siding with those who have been marginalized. With examples from history, personal pastoral experience, and pages of references, Rashid compels readers to acknowledge their power and privilege, and to prioritize the experience of those on the margins. Decisions made by consensus or majority can unintentionally silence minority experiences, so Christians must be mindful to elevate the oppressed. This text acknowledges the incremental and incomplete nature of political action, but invites Christians to choose clear positions, since remaining neutral often perpetuates the status quo and reinforces oppression. Rashid gives practical examples to encourage readers in a new approach.

[Meredith Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.25/5) I read this book because it seemed counter to the two prevailing positions in the evangelical church right now (which are either "you can't be a Christian if you don't vote for Donald Trump" or the "Third Way"). There were parts I agreed with and parts with which I disagreed, but I did learn a lot from this perspective. I think this could definitely be a resource for anyone in the "you can't be a Christian if you don't vote for Donald Trump" party to gain a new perspective/understand why others would feel differently while still being faithful believers. My favorite quote below:

"If you feel stifled by gradualism, I understand. Incremental political progress may feel limiting to those of us who long for radical change, but this is why we need to be motivated by much more than our present political arrangement. What motivates us is the presence of God in our lives who gives us the conviction to continue to enact love in the world. This is why we need to be disciplined to maintain our hope."

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Juan C. Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Primer on the Political Dimension of the Gospel

I read this book in one sitting. Must have taken me about 4 hours or so, with a couple of breaks.

This book is eminently readable. It makes clear what our Lord Jesus Christ was all about: the healing and liberation of all the oppressed, both in history & in the eschaton, of course, the latter empowering the former.

I loved how much time Jonny spent analyzing “third way” political theology. There are so many people who are paralyzed by such misguided thinking.

This book is a must read. Highly accessible, highly informed by the best of biblical and theological scholarship.

I appreciate how Jonny shares about how he has had to struggle to learn how to follow Jesus faithfully in the context of our manifold struggles in 21st century America.

[Tessa Patiño · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rashid argues that being someone who follows Jesus must also include following Jesus’ example to not remain neutral in situations of oppression. Rather, Jesus followers must take the side of the oppressed. Rashid’s chapter on a “third way” theology was my personal favorite. It articulates how while this theology is beautiful, it can be harmful when applied to all situations all the time, especially if a situation involves abuse. This book brings down the sometimes abstract ways people discuss theology to remind us that “Christian politics and theology are never abstract; they are always embodied. We don’t have a politics or theology; we are a politics and a theology.” Jesus Takes a Side is accessible and thoughtful with a lot to sit with and process. It will push you to reconsider what following Jesus can practically look like. This is a highly recommended read for all Christians who desire a more anti-oppression theology & liberation based theology and also especially for those who follow a peacekeeping or Anabaptist tradition.

[Kristy Burmeister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up Mennonite, I was taught to find a "third way" whenever there was conflict. What I wasn't taught was how this "third way" thinking can enable abuse and oppression. Justice-minded Anabaptists should read Jesus Takes a Side and reflect on what author, Jonny Rashid, has to say about living out the gospel in our culture, where not taking a side means leaving the most vulnerable to fend for themselves.

What I most appreciated were the times Jonny explained how the Anabaptist tendency to remain "above" politics affected him directly. This provides readers with concrete examples of how we Christians fail one another and how frequently we confuse non-violence with inaction.

While white Anabaptists often carry the memories of their spiritual forebearers' persecution, they are often willing to overlook the persecutions going on right in front of them. Books like Jesus Takes a Side are important for Anabaptists who want to move beyond the historical martyr-complex and into actively working for justice.

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an era of political polarization and increasing Christian nationalism, a contingent of moderate evangelicals have decried the politicization of faith and sought out compromise, believing that unity will come only when we put choose to not let our political differences bother us. But what if doing so harms the oppressed? In Jesus Takes a Side, Jonny Rashid insists that the Gospel comes with political demands and that we must be more concerned with faithfulness than unity. This sentiment evokes MLK, who famously wrote that the greatest enemy to progress was the moderate “who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.”

In no uncertain terms, Rashid writes that, when it comes to a good many social and political issues, Jesus does indeed take a side. He is on the side of the marginalized and oppressed. When I first talked about this book with a group of friends on the Internet, the conversation was quite telling—“Yeah, but whose side does he mean?” Human history is replete with people doing bad things in the name of God, or weaponizing God-rhetoric to justify their causes. When Rashid writes that Jesus Takes a Side, he doesn’t mean that Jesus is a Republican or a Democrat, he means that the political emphasis of Jesus is on the side of the oppressed no matter what.

In one chapter, he speaks passionately and prophetically about what he calls the “Lie of the Third Way” and how the only way to take a third way is to make the political argument so abstract that it has no personal relevance. Jesus Takes a Side specifically references the LGBQIA+ communities, using them as an example of a people group harmed by “third way” thinking. But when the dignity of LGBTQIA people is on the line, any compromise is fundamentally dehumanizing to them…The suggestion that there is an in-between here perpetuates bigotry and increases harm. This is something Rashid knows personally, having participated in such harm and now come to a place of repentance. That vulnerability and willingness to admit past faults makes Jesus Take a Side more authentic. It’s not a holier-than-thou manual of a liberal cultural warrior. It’s an honest look from someone who saw the harm they were doing and now seeks to not do that.

Throughout the book, Rashid’s words are punchy, pithy, and prophetic. You’re gonna love it or hate it. He writes about the Kingdom of God not being bipartisan—Jesus isn’t forging a moderate path between oppressed and oppressor. He is siding with the least of these; he’s making a partisan stance. He writes theologically, saturating his book with sections of the prophets and the Gospels. He leads readers into the political situation of Jesus’s day and explores how Jesus’s message was radically political—and a major part of what got him killed.

I could summarize Rashid’s plea in Jesus Takes a Side with one sentence from the book’s conclusion: How Christians act politically points to a Savior who is leading us. When we think politically, we have to ask “Does this reflect Christ? Does this reflect the Kingdom?” How did Jesus treat the oppressed, the poor, the immigrant? We must be politically engaged because the Kingdom is within the polis. Like a modern-day Amos, Jonny Rashid calls out a self-indulgent church fattened with its hollow religiosity and calls it to account for its sin. Jesus Takes a Side is a powerful work about how to enact a bit of the Kingdom within human empire.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an American political landscape where both parties seem intractable committed to death and greed in various forms, faithful Christians might be drawn toward a quietist isolation. Such a response, however, is grounded in a rejection of the incarnation rather than the example of Jesus, Jonny Rashid argues. With insight, experience, and clarity, Rashid clearly articulates why such moderate “peace keeping" is a tool of oppression and fails to reckon with the fullness of Jesus’ example. In doing so, he offers a compelling vision Christian political engagement that to be on God’s side without promising moral purity through partisan commitments. The role of embodied theology is significant. Just as Jesus made clear the eternal Word through his embodied example, Rashid illuminates faithful Biblical exegesis with examples from his embodied experience. In doing so, he makes concrete some of the powerful ideas of great theologians before him: James Cone, Howard Thurman, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Walter Brueggemann, and Willie Jennings (among others).

The structure and argument are too significant to summarize. It is well worth any Christian’s time to read this text, receive the gift that Rashid offers in sharing his life, and re-engage the world politically by choosing the side Jesus takes: the side of the marginalized and oppressed. I found deep insight in his exposition of Christian unity. Rashid makes a compelling argument that Christian unity is rooted in the full humanization of every member of the community and never in the dehumanizing of some. It is only in prioritizing those “unpresentable” parts and their needs that the full Body finds unity in Jesus. Calls for unity at the expense of our faith siblings is anti-Christ and fails to take seriously the witness of Scripture. Related to this, artificial “third way” peace that requires people to renounce aspects of their person to be part of the conversation is oppression. When power is equal and care has been demonstrated, we can discuss alternatives (he offers the example of selecting pizza or tacos and perhaps settling on burgers as a compromise); when the “two sides” are intractably connected to one’s life and humanity (for example, the decision between eating or starving), finding a compromise is nonsensical. This rubric offers a helpful way to navigate political realities without succumbing the “White moderate” betrayal which Martin Luther King, Jr. lamented. To be persuaded by his articulation of why Jesus’ examples require political engagement of some sort and to discern a pathway to prophetic faithfulness in a fallen world, you’ll need to engage with the full text.

Get this book. Read it. Then follow Jesus into the world with righteous anger at injustice and improbable hope that God is saving the whole world.

[Justin Sytsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonny Rashid has written a compelling, challenging, and important book for followers of Jesus who are inclined toward political apathy, indifference, or for those who often try to find balance and "middle ground" on issues where there really isn't one. "A unity that burdens the oppressed is a false unity".

I'm not going to lie, as a cis-het white dude, this book had me feeling a mixture of conflict/conviction at times. I don't say this as a bad thing. His writing focuses substantially on advocating justice for the oppressed, which can inconvenience the sensibilities of dominant culture. If I am able to remain "apolitical", it is because I am unaffected enough to not engage politically - oppressed minorities don't have an option to remain on the sidelines.

Rashid points out that the life, death, and resurrection of Christ has deep implications for Christians. Jesus lived out with a greater concern for justice for the poor and oppressed, and spoke out against the political powers that would hinder them. Using the church in Corinth as an example, Rashid notes that Paul, too, was frequently driven by his desire to uphold the marginalized and downtrodden, as seen in Paul's condemnation of Corinth's misuse of the Lord's Supper in 1 Cor. 11.

Rashid encourages readers to not be passive bystanders when it comes to advocacy. Listen to the voices racial minorities, the disabled, the poor, and the LGBTQIA community - learn from them. Center their voices. Allow their experiences, their struggles, their lives, to inform how we advocate policy with local and federal politicians and legislators.

Rashid has an eschatological perspective that holds this all together. "We then can take the side of the oppressed, the side Jesus takes, knowing that full liberation awaits us in the age to come. The last will be first, and the first will be last.".

Rashid has encouraged me consider more seriously how I interface with the various political spheres around me. I can't do it all, but I can do something. For my part, I've chosen to become more active and involved in discussions around affordable housing for the poor.

As someone involved in a church ministry context and theological training, I can attest that Jonny is no lightweight when it comes to his Biblical knowledge and exposition, though people who reject more progressive theologies (especially liberation theology, LGBTQIA-affirming theology) will likely not find many places of agreement. If you are a follower of Jesus who is a political moderate, or left-leaning moderate, this book will give you much to consider.

[Drick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonny Rashid takes on an ages-long controversy within many Christian circles - the relationship between faith and politics. The book's title - Jesus Takes a Side - might suggest to some that Rashid is advocating a Moral Majority/Christian Nationalistic perspective which believes Christians should use political power to encode Christian values into government policy and law. However, Rashid takes quite a different approach equating politics not with a political party or an ideological stance but rather with God's passionate concern and care for the liberation of the poor and oppressed. Jesus takes the same side as God - he stands with the poor and marginalized of his society and calls his followers to do likewise. He names the three great challenges to this vision in the U.S. as neoliberalism, White supremacy, and Violence. He challenges church leaders who seek to be apolitical to take a stand on issues from a Biblical perspective. He draws on the insights of theological thinkers such as Walter Brueggemann, Howard Thurman, Willie Jennings, and Martin Luther King, Jr. He addresses issues such as violence, racism, the struggle with "righteous anger and a loss of hope in seeking to bring about change. This is a great book for groups struggling to articulate how they can work for social change and do so in a way that is faithful to Christian values and practices

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked a lot that this book had to offer. I can't remember anything in it I really strongly disagreed with practically. Rashid's practical discernment about voting was a great example to me of nuance beyond typical takes. Getting into the nitty gritty, into concrete particular situations to discern the shape of this kind of political engagement, though, is where the rubber hits the road. That requires much more complex and local discernment...

I do have some concerns about the lingo of God taking a side - how easily it can be coopted to baptize our own inevitably narrow perspectives, our own intuitions about justice, etc. I expound on those reflections here: https://open.substack.com/pub/jeremyc...

I'd love to see rigorous conversation between a third way advocate, Rashid. I imagine, based on what I read, that there would be a lot of overlap. Yes, disagreement in the obvious areas and in emphasis. But I read listening for the third way advocate and for neoanabaptist emphases and believe that much, if not most, of the content would yield vigorous agreement.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Jonny makes a clear & approachable case that Jesus is for us, not against us, in the most humble way. The oppressor is often confused, feeling themselves centered in the story and suffering. Jonny’s book compassionately guides us to recognition of who is truly in the margins and how we can love them with the compassion Jesus wants us to find.

Love this quote: Empathizing with the oppressed can change our urgency and even show us the ways that we are oppressed and in need of saving. Whether we learn how we are oppressed, or how we are complicit in oppression, the gospel is good news for all us because it liberates us all. The biblical witness showcases that God sees the oppressed, and that God’s action in the world is consistently to free the oppressed and to fill the oppressed with “good things,”

[Robbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, thought provoking & interesting. Jonny likes the big words though, which made the book somewhat of a chore at times...

[Jacob May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can our theology and praxis as Christians rise to meet today’s challenges? Some preachers and public theologians have responded to the present moment by positing a “third way” — staying above the fray of politics and division. Rashid challenges this impulse head on. The Bible isn’t filled with saints who scorned action in favor of what MLK called a “negative peace,” while the oppressed continued to be trampled by injustice. Rashid shows how again and again the Bible is comprised of those — like Jesus himself — who took sides in support of the marginalized. This book is packed with biblical insights and Rashid’s own personal experiences. His forceful case that Christians today must also take a side is a must-read in this present political moment.