Luke Johnson: Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church

There is emphasis on the Spirit and the inscripturated Word. Prayer, poverty, the sharing of possessions, itinerancy and servant leadership seen in Jesus and his followers by the Spirit are elaborated on as well. He levels some stinging critiques against prosperity teaching and comes out against the vast wealth of the Vatican. Suffering is emphasized as marking the prophetic witness in the way of Jesus.

There is something else I should mention. Being a Roman Catholic, you will probably find it odd that Johnson defends gay “covenant” unions by proposing this is how God is moving by the Spirit. Although this argument fails in application of what is otherwise sound exegesis, there won’t be any fancy twists and turns to make the text say what one wants it to say—unlike what is often the case for those who try to defend gay “covenant” unions on the basis of scripture. This is a book still well worth reading and digesting. Whether in his argument on the gay issue or in this book, he is unstinting in his practice of thoroughgoing exegesis of the text.

All in all, I highly recommend this book, not only to read, but reread along with Luke and Acts. Of course, we won’t agree with everything Johnson says or emphasizes. His commitment to drawing out everything Luke-Acts says about the prophetic is a healthy counterbalance to some of what passes for prophetic. Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church helps open our eyes to Jesus’ ongoing work by the Spirit through us for the world.

Reviewed by Ted Gossard

Preview Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: books.google.com/books?id=GdB0tFgLxzwC

Tags: church, jesus, johnson, luke, prophetic

Category: In Depth