Christ and Caesar : The Gospel and the Roman Empire in the Writings of Paul and Luke

To many, Christian epistles and gospels eventually succeeded in subverting imperial Rome, first morally and then politically. However, according to Kim (New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary), the texts themselves do not necessarily support this supposition. Kim examines five of the Paul's epistles and finds anti-imperial interpretations difficult to sustain. He then examines the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles to examine encounters between Paul and other gospel preachers with Roman imperialism and finds that Luke does not link the redemption offered by Christ to political liberation, and inquires about the hermeneutical possibility of developing a political Christology today. The result is a unique interpretation of the texts that runs directly counter to current exegetical directions. Annotation 2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)