In missional church circles, “Frost & Hirsch” is certifiably a household phrase. The authors, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, have written one previous book together – The Shaping of Things to Come – and two separately. (Exiles, Frost; The Forgotten Ways, Hirsch) The Aussie duo takes their most recent work, reJesus, in a slightly different direction, though, centering their study and reflection on the person and meaning of Jesus Christ.

Not to say their other books haven’t been Jesus-focused, because they have … in a circuitous way. Their other books have been more nuts-and-bolts manuals to starting churches and faith communities in contemporary culture, especially The Forgotten Ways and Shaping. This is not surprising coming from two missiologists.

But Frost & Hirsch are also practitioners of the mission they preach, a mission they have found is fueled and led by the suffering servant, Jesus. Thus we have reJesus, a worthy follow-up to their past study. In their previous books, both separately and together, Frost & Hirsch have argued that a robust Christology must precede both missiology and ecclesiology. Translation: our sense of mission and the shape of our communities take their cues from the life and teachings of Jesus. (ironic, though, how their book on Jesus follows books on both mission and the church)

reJesus examines Christian vocation in light of a Savior and Example who has, as Frost & Hirsch argue vehemently, been largely misunderstood throughout the ages and especially in recent centuries. Our blonde, Western, domesticated Jesus must give way to a wild-eyed revolutionary who looked to turn the world he entered on its head. Lest someone think Frost & Hirsch adhere to a [Mark] Driscoll[ian] view of Jesus – that he had ripply muscles, carried an AK-47, would have liked to watch ultimate fighting, and presumably suppressed women – let me stop you right there. They don’t. They are simply arguing for a Jesus who cannot – nay, will not – be tamed by our religious institutions and power-grabbing efforts. He has other plans.

Those new to Frost & Hirsch (or, perhaps, “Frirsch” for short) will need to get used to copious footnotes and quotes from other authors/speakers, as well as their patented charts and diagrams, used to visually display difficult theological concepts. This will be helpful to some, annoying to others. One great aspect of the book is their interludes throughout in which they feature a “revolutionary” who impacted his or her world in a Jesus-like manner. Examples include Martin Luther King, Jr., Janani Luwum, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, William Wilberforce, and, of course, Mother Teresa.

Having read their other books, I found myself skimming parts that were warmed up for use in reJesus, and thus this book wasn’t as “aha!” for me as it might be for, say, a person who is a) new to Christianity; b) new to emergent/missional Christianity; or c) uninterested with technical missions strategies. My fear is that many for whom this book was undoubtedly written are already uninterested with the ongoing missional church conversation and would rather just “follow Jesus.” In other words, reforming the institutional church may not be on the radar screen for many who read this book, though it touches, at times, on precisely that. The overwhelming focus, though, is clearly Jesus, who is characterized as holistically and biblically as in any book I’ve read. For Christians taken by the person of Jesus, pick up this book.

Oh, and extra points to Frost and Hirsch for footnoting Jacques Ellul several times.

About smh00a

Seeking joy in East Boston, MA, Steve enjoys gardening, being a husband, community life, and writing. He blogs about spirituality and his garden at http://harvestboston.wordpress.com.