Render Unto Caesar

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.

Based on a lifetime of scholarship, this study of early Christianity offers a vital framework for understanding the intersection of faith and power:

Church and State: An exploration of the biblical roots of the Christian culture wars, tracing the debate back to the very pages of the New Testament. Two Competing Visions: A deep dive into how Luke-Acts presents a favorable view of the Roman Empire, while the book of Revelation demonizes it as the embodiment of evil. Jesus and Paul’s Alternative: How the earliest Christian teachers forged a model of nonviolent resistance that confronted Rome without resorting to demonization. A Model for Today: A compelling argument for how this ancient, nuanced approach to political engagement offers a path through the polarization dividing contemporary society.