The Gospel You’ve Never Heard: Who Really Goes to Hell? by David Rudel
Do you ever struggle with how limited our contemporary understandings of the gospel seem? How Jesus and Paul sometimes seem to be saying different - indeed, opposite - things about the 'good news'? About why there seems to be the good news of Jesus and good news about Jesus? If so, then The Gospel You've Never Heard by David Rudel is for you. The Gospel You've Never Heard makes a lateral move away from conventional descriptions of the Bible's teachings in a way that allows the reader to view modern dogmas of the Left and Right alike through a fresh lens. The book's first two chapters raise questions evangelical Christianity has considerable trouble answering. Rather than attempt incredible rhetorical acrobatics to explain away these very real issues, the author asks the reader to entertain, at least provisionally, that there might be genuine Biblical problems with the gospel portrayed by the modern church. Questions like: Why are the dozens of descriptions of the Judgment conveyed in Matthew, Mark, and Luke so at odds with the version(s) described by modern Christians? In light of Jesus' teaching (Judge not and you will not be judged and By the same measure you judge others, you shall be judged yourself), what does the former of these say about non-believers who do not judge others...or believers who do? How does the latter compare with the claims of modern Christians that God has no choice but to judge everyone against the same standard of perfection? Rudel does not merely bring up these and many other difficulties; he also describes how the message of the modern Christian church matches neither the prophecies of the Old Testament specifying the work of the Messiah nor the evangelism of the early apostles showcased in the book of Acts. Even so, this book is no attack on Christianity or the Bible. Rather, it describes the myriad problems caused by trying to scrunch the ancient Christian gospel into a Western, human-centered, 21st-century mindset. For fans of scholars of like N.T. Wright, E.P. Sanders, and James Dunn, Rudel brings clarity to Christ's purpose by appealing to the Jewish framework the New Testament was written within. In Rudel's estimation, Jesus' teachings, Paul's writings, and God's Judgment all make sense and come alive once we let God's work and desires speak more clearly than Western philosophy and human insecurity. In getting 'judgment' right, God's work in Christ and Christ's work as Judge become clear. Rudel convincingly claims that most of the modern gospel is based on "natural theology" rather than the Bible. In opposition to this, The Gospel You've Never Heard provides an understanding of salvation and the final judgment that is rooted in the Bible's native tongue, as narrative rather than scattershot verse pastiche. Rather than twist and reinterpret Jesus' words to fit within a framework dictated by a few choice passages written 20 years later by Paul, Rudel shows Jesus' teachings on the Judgment and Paul's ostensibly opposed writings on salvation can peacefully coexist once we understand what each refers to. The Gospel You've Never Heard is intended to act as a bridge among disparate seekers of spiritual truth. Conservative Christians, those traditionally in favor of a 'literal' reading of scripture, can mature spiritually by grappling with very real, very important, and very biblical issues. Progressive Christians, who may long ago have eschewed a serious esteem for the Bible, will be challenged to reconsider their evaluation of scripture's place and value. Non-Christians will find a refreshing vision of Christianity here that is less easily dismissed for the simple reason that it makes far more sense and avoids the cardboard-cutout versions of God many accuse evangelicals of portraying. The book responds to a lot of questions people have, questions that are not often presented in church and are seldom engaged satisfactorily when someone is brave enough to bring them up. Rudel's vision exhorts all Christians to better engage and value this world, the creation they are called to transform into a Kingdom where the oppressed are uplifted while justice, truth, peace, and love reign. About David Rudel David Rudel was a theoretic mathematician; now he's a writer, editor, mathematical modeler, and theologian working on church reform. He's written three chess books and this one on Christian theology. [hide] [1] :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: David's blog: http://www.authentic-christianity.net/ [2] The Gospel You've Never Heard booksite: http://www.whoreallygoestohell.com/ [3] David's website on chess strategy: http://www.zukertort.com/ [4] ...and of course, your Amazon affiliates link. : ) Interview Availability: David is available for blog and podcast interviews. If you'd like to interview David, email him at David@biblicalheresy.com with "OOZE Viral Blogger Interview Request" in the subject line. [/hide] [1] http://viralbloggers.wufoo.com/forms/the-gospel-youve-never-heard/ [2] http://www.authentic-christianity.net/ [3] http://www.whoreallygoestohell.com/ [4] http://www.zukertort.com/
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