The UnGospel

Jesus proclaimed an empowering message about the Kingdom of God in order to encourage the common people of his day to care for one another as a demonstration of their love for God. Yet, Christians eventually proclaimed a formulaic message about Jesus Christ in order to convince people Jesus was the only way of salvation. How did this change occur? The UnGospel presents a reconstruction of the life and teachings of the historical Jesus and then contrasts the basic message of Jesus with the layers of interpretation added to Jesus' message by the early Christian church. Stephen S. Carver is the Milo Chapman Chair of Biblical Studies at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon. He holds a PhD in Scripture from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.