The Liberating Mission of Jesus - The Message of the Gospel of Luke (Paperback)

Synopsis: The Liberating Mission of Jesus deals with the central message of the Gospel of Luke, provocatively arguing that the liberating mission of Jesus has two central themes: the universality of the love of God and the special love God has for the defenseless of society. Both of these pillars form the bedrock of Luke's theological vision, animate his Gospel throughout, and summarize the good news of the reign of God in subversive and radical form. This book shows how the liberating message announced by Jesus, as well as his liberating practice, is manifested throughout the Gospel and its implications for Christian life today. Through this thorough treatment, the full depth of Luke's vision of the liberating mission of Jesus is shown to be a paradigm for the personal and collective witness of believers, regardless of the social, political, cultural, or religious boundaries that try to inhibit them from giving witness to the God of life. Endorsements: "I am deeply grateful for Dario Lopez Rodriguez's fantastic work on the liberating mission of Jesus, for he has provided us with a crucial and persuasive biblical call to work for peace, justice, empowerment, and liberation. I will continue to require it in my classes and I highly recommend it." --Paul Alexander Professor of Christian Ethics & Public Policy, Palmer Theological Seminary, Eastern University Editor of Pentecostals and Peacemaking (2009) and Christ at the Checkpoint (2012) "I have used this book as a study text in my teaching in the Americas and Europe, especially in courses dedicated to the foundations and understanding of Christian mission in the twenty-first century. An important reference point for men and women that approach the text of Luke today is that the author of this work is not a classroom academic, but a Pentecostal pastor that lives on the frontiers of service to the poor. This second edition has been enriched with new chapters, and at various points the author has corrected and refined his treatment of the biblical text, also updating references to bibliographical sources. All of this will be of great help to scholars who wish to deepen their understanding of the Third Gospel, beginning with the missiological and pastoral fundamentals that Dr. Lopez offers us with such clarity." --from the Foreword by Samuel Escobar Author Biography: Dario Lopez Rodriguez is pastor of the Church of God of Peru (Cleveland, TN), professor in different theological centers in Latin America, and author of various books on the topics of Pentecostalism and the public presence of Evangelicals. He is currently president of the National Evangelical Council of Peru and Bishop of the Lima Region of the Church of God of Peru.