Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw
Zondervan, 2008, 368 pp, $16.99, www.zondervan.com

As a voter in the all-important caucus state of Iowa who has been barraged by advertisements, brochures, buttons, yard signs and candidate visits, I have heard the messages from the presidential campaign trail firsthand. Yet in the midst of the many competing voices there is a radical resource challenging readers to consider a different kind of movement. Jesus for President is a prophetic book that seeks to “broaden the definition of political…to redefine it simply as how we relate to the world.”

Authors Shane Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution, 2006) and Chris Haw’s proposal of “Jesus for President” may sound a bit crazy, but they approach the topic with sincerity, creativity and a deep biblical grounding. In doing so, readers are challenged to examine how our lives, country, and world would look if Jesus were the model for our policies and practices.

They explain, “We are to be relevant nonconformists. We are to develop countercultural habits and norms (the Sermon on the Mount) and live them in the midst of an insane world. Much of the church, however…sacrifices holy nonconformity for the sake of cultural relevancy.” We are to question the status quo in peaceful, persistent and hopeful ways in order to move beyond typical political dichotomies to promote the “third way” of Jesus—an approach that involves alternative economic and power structures, new ways of relating to neighbors near and far, and a defense plan that resembles the peace and forgiveness of the Amish more than the Pentagon.

This resource will contest your preconceived notions and political paradigms and turn your thinking and teaching about life and relationships upside-down. Though Jesus will not be on the ballot next November, and enacting all the ideas may seem overwhelming, Jesus for President is surprisingly practical. Action steps are provided to flesh out concepts such as how communities can organize to make streets safer without adding police and how we can better love the Creator and creation. If you are looking to go beyond the normal scope and structures of American politics, pick up this book and follow in the tradition of “a bunch of barefoot ragamuffins sent out in pairs with a vision for changing the world.”