Synopses & Reviews
Over the past couple of decades, Evangelical Christians have been associated with the Religious Right and the most conservative positions of the Republican Party. Rebelling against this designation are those who prefer to be called “Red Letter Christians,” desiring to live out the red letters of Jesus’ words in the New Testament. Believing that Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Red Letter Christians transcend partisan politics and concentrate on issues viewed critically through a moral and biblical lens.
Into this arena of thought steps Tony Campolo, the powerful evangelist known for his passionate and prophetic sharing of the radical message of Jesus. In this book, Campolo examines many of the hot-button issues facing Evangelicals from the perspective of Jesus’ red-letter words in the Bible. These include the environment, war, the AIDS crisis, Palestine, education, gun control, the role of government and choosing the right kind of candidate. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, Campolo will make you think, pray and act.
Tony writes this book with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, reminding us that our faith must affect how we live in this world. This book is not just about how to vote in November…it is about how we vote every single day.
SHANE CLAIBORNE
Urban Monastic, Activist, Red Letter Christian and Author of Jesus for President
With “Campolian” passion and insight, Red Letter Christians prods, challenges, questions, invites and instructs us to be people who love and live the words of Jesus.
BRIAN MCLAREN
Author (brianmclaren.net)
With the maturity and depth only an elder statesman can provide, Tony Campolo brings his acute moral clarity to issues ranging from abortion to environmental stewardship, global poverty to gay marriage and everything in between. Campolo knows that people of faith should not be in the pocket of any political party—that God is not a Republican or a Democrat.
JIM WALLIS
Author of God’s Politics
Synopsis
Deals with political issues from the perspective of Jesus’ red-letter words in the Bible, in a movement that transcends partisan politics focusing on fighting poverty, the environment, advancing peace, stronger families and ethical living.
Synopsis
Soren Kierkegaard once said that “the gospel is seldom heard; it is overheard.” Best-selling author and modern-day prophet Tony Campolo believes that one of the best ways to tell the grand story of the gospel is to tell stories of everyday life where God is at work… just as Jesus did during His earthly ministry. In Stories that Feed Your Soul, a collection of stories from Tony’s life-long friendships and international travels, readers will “overhear” the gospel at work around the world. Set around Romans 8, the stories center on eight gospel themes: freedom of condemnation, new life in Christ, intimacy with God, the call to rescue creation, living with hope, praying in the Spirit, God’s plans for us and the assurance we need. Whether humorous or poignant, each one is an unforgettable echo of God at work around us and within us.
Synopsis
All over the world — and in your community — people are lonely, hungry, sick, struggling to make ends meet, bitter, imprisoned, dying. Do you feel powerless to make a difference? You don’t have to be helpless! In the pages of this book, you’ll find numerous practical ideas for compassionately responding to the needs of others. Jesus calls us to creatively and courageously share the good news by loving our neighbor. It’s time to begin!
“Get ready… God is preparing us for something very, very small—and it is the small things that change the world.”
Shane Claiborne
Author, The Irresistible Revoluton
“Everybody Wants to Change the World is biblically rooted and loaded with experiences waiting to be implemented.”
Craig Detweiler
Director, Reel Spirituality, Fuller Theological Seminary
Coauthor, A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God In Pop Culture
“I wholeheartedly commend this thoughtful new resource to those thousands of campus and church leaders longing to move beyond hype and rhetoric to make a real difference to the world in the name of Jesus: one person, one day and one step at a time.”
Pete Greig
Author, Red Moon Rising
Convener, 24-7 Prayer International
“This book goes straight to the bottom line: practical things that you, your family, your circle of friends, your class or small group or faith community can do this afternoon, tomorrow morning, or for years to come.”
Brian Mclaren
Author/Activist
(brianmclaren.net)
Synopsis
The God who set aside power in order to live out love—fully expressing that love on Calvary’s tree—is at the core of the Christian message to the world. Yet in the centuries since Christ’s refusal to yield to Satan’s temptation to establish His kingdom through economic, political and religious power, the Church has struggled to make the same refusal. In Choose Love Not Power, scholar, activist and modern-day prophet Tony Campolo explores the relationship between love and power, beginning with an examination of Jesus’ life and working toward a “theology of power” for Christians today. He surveys the implications of choosing love over power when it comes to the global community’s most pressing issues—environmental degradation, economic inequality and instability, and perpetual war. Dr. Campolo suggests that the choice between love and power begins close to home: Christ-followers who choose love over power in marriage and in parenting will likewise opt for love in their churches, communities and governments. The growing number of believers seeking a more authentically Christ-like way to be “Christian” in a diverse, pluralistic society will be challenged and encouraged by this unflinching look at Jesus’ example of love.
Synopsis
In todays political environment, who speaks for whom is not always clear. Over the past couple of decades, evangelical Christians have tended to be associated with the religious right and the most conservative positions of the Republican Party. Rebelling against this designation are those who prefer to be called Red Letter Christians, desiring to live out the red letters of Jesus words in the New Testament. Believing that Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Red Letter Christians want to jumpstart a religious movement that will transcend partisan politics and concentrate on issues such as fighting poverty, caring for the environment, advancing peace, promoting strong families, and supporting a consistent ethic of life, all viewed as critical moral and biblical values. Into this arena of thought steps Tony Campolo, the powerful evangelist known for his passionate and prophetic sharing of the radical message of Jesus. In this book, Campolo examines many of the hot-button issues facing evangelicals from the perspective of Jesus red-letter words in the Bible. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, Campolo will make you think, pray and act.
Synopsis
From Red Letter Christians:
Challenging the popular image of Evangelicals is one of the purposes of this book. I want it to be known that there are millions of us who espouse an evangelical theology, but who reject being classified as part of the Religious Right. We don’t want to make Jesus into a Republican.
On the other hand, we want to say loud and clear that we don’t want to make Jesus in a Democrat, either.
Early twentieth-century playwright and social critic George Bernard Shaw once said that God created us in His image—and we decided to return the favor! Clearly there are those on the Religious Right who would make Jesus into a Republican and an incarnation of their political values. And on the other side of the aisle, there are those who would make Jesus into a Democrat who espouses their particular liberal agenda.
But Jesus refuses to fit into any of our political ideologies. Transcending partisan politics, Jesus calls us to make judgments about social issues as best we can when we vote, and to do so in accord with our best understanding of God’s will. In doing so, we are to avoid partisan politics that lead to unnecessary, unproductive and even dangerous divisions.
At election time when you are asked, “Are you a Democrat or a Republican?” your answer should be, “Name the issue!” On any specific social or political issue, we must be ready and willing to work out which party and/or candidate best represents our convictions.
This, of course, will make voting into a difficult decision-making process. But who said following Jesus was easy?
Synopsis
Everybody Wants to Change the World is for those who want to make a practical difference in people's lives in their own communities. As Jesus taught on reaching out to the poor, the widowed, the sick and many others, so are we to bring the tangible love of Christ into the world. Tony Campolo and Gordon Aeschilman offer readers a broad range of ideas and resources for serving people and sharing the gospel from people who work to serve others every day.
About the Author
TONY CAMPOLO is professor emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. He is founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education (EAPE), an organization that develops schools and social programs in third-world countries and in cities across North America. Dr. Campolo is an ordained minister and associate pastor of the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in West Philadelphia, and is a media commentator on religious, social and political matters. He has been a guest on programs such as Nightline, Crossfire, Politically Incorrect, The Charlie Rose Show, The Colbert Report and CNN News. He co-hosted his own television series, Hashing It Out, on the Odyssey Network, and currently hosts From Across the Pond, a weekly show on the Premier Radio Network in the UK. Dr. Campolo is author of more than 35 books, including Letters to a Young Evangelical and Red Letter Christians. GORDON AESCHLIMAN is the founder of World Christian magazine, and is the author of John Perkins: Land Where My Father Died and Apartheid: Tragedy in Black & White. Born in the Republic of South Africa to missionary parents, Aeschliman is a graduate of Westmont College in California. He and his family live in Colfax, WA.