It has been 10 years since I read a Leonard Sweet book. This is my first Frank Viola book. The first couple of Len Sweet books I read I really liked and then I started to get annoyed at how trendy they were and how eager he was to ride the post modern wave (remember that?).

This was refreshing in that it was a book which was dedicating to not getting stuck in trends, false-steps and wrong priorities. This book was about refocusing on Jesus as the author and finisher, beginning and end. Len and Frank do their best to get you to sense how big Jesus is, how everything was leading up to him, and he is the one that will bring things to completion. They try and get you to be 'Christ-centered' and let His life live in you and through you. This is good.

What is not as good is they fail to adequately explore the political dimensions of Jesus' message (they mention it and say it is important, but if this is a manifesto something is missing). Also how they categorize different approaches doesn't always seem fair (i.e. devalue 'justice' as too judicial and promote mercy, but say little about how the church is to work against systemic injustice; says that 'theological ethics' is a wrongheaded approach to scripture when they should be articulating an ethic of correspondence to the person and work of Jesus Christ).

Furthermore this book is attempting to give the expanse of Jesus' role in our lives and the cosmos. Great, but seems to do this by rattling off verses and quotes rather than delve deeply into any part of Christ's work. Some wonderful and worshipful phrases here, but in their rush to say a lot, Len and Frank do not unpack much. Instead there is a series of pithy vignettes. ( )

What is Christianity? It is Christ – nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately, the church has lost sight of this simple fact, say Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola in their new book, Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ. We focus on Christianity and not on the living Christ. We are meant to be living epistles – “Jesus Manifestos” – in our world, but we are instead trivializing the gospel by practicing religiosity rather than fostering relationships with our Savior. It’s time for a change.

The book starts off very slow. Although the introduction caught my interest, the writing style didn’t keep my attention. Also, while extensive endnotes are included, I didn’t like the fact that most of the scripture references are found in the endnotes rather than in the book’s text.

After the first few chapters, though, the book improved. I found myself questioning, checking references, confirming the validity of the statements, and moving on, thoroughly enjoying seeing scripture in a new light. The book presents the case for where the church is lacking and how an authentic application of Christianity should look. It challenged me to examine scripture more closely and was both inspiring and enlightening.

I encourage you to read this book and to keep a Bible by your side when you do.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )

NCLA Review - Many books published today are now “value-added,” published with excellent companion web sites. I recommend librarians review The Jesus Manifesto web site. At this site (www.theJesusManifesto.com) readers are invited to sign the manifesto and connect with others. Both authors are famous in the Christian publishing world, and also have their own web sites, www.FrankViola.com and www.LeonardSweet.com. In their book, Sweet and Viola offer a fresh Christology. They believe that “to faithfully represent Jesus in our time requires re-presenting Him.” This book is perfect for a variety of contexts. It will fill a niche in libraries hoping to expand devotional literature focused on Jesus Christ. It will also energize small groups interested in experiencing “an inward revelation of Christ to our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” Rating: 4 —CS ( )

I have written a summary/review of the book here: http://despondgeo.blogspot.com/2010/11/review-of-jesus-manifesto.html

Puts Christ exactly where he belongs. At the head, foot, and center of everything. ( )