It’s impossible to “hold Jesus hostage,” but some churches try.

February 19, 2013

Jesus held hostage (another insightful cartoon by “Naked Pastor” David Hayward)
David Hayward says of Jesus, “No one owns him . . .he cannot be released or freed because he already is.” But some people don’t know that. Some churches don’t preach that. And some authors don’t write that. They really do think they own Jesus and are the only ones who can “explain” him and control access to him and tell others how Jesus feels about us and what Jesus desires from us. David Hayward always has a lot to say with just a simple drawing and a few words. (Many of our readers will remember another of his cartoons used here recently, the one on an “abusive apology” for spiritual abuse, which has proven to be one of our most appreciated Links of the Day.)

Letha Dawson Scanzoni is an independent scholar, writer, and editor, and is the author or coauthor of nine books. In 1978, she and Virginia Ramey Mollenkott wrote Is the Homosexual My Neighbor?, one of the earliest books urging evangelical Christians to rethink their views on homosexuality (updated edition, 1994, HarperOne). More recently, Letha coauthored (with social psychologist David G. Myers) What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage (HarperOne, 2005 and 2006). Another of Letha’s most well-known books is All We’re Meant to Be: Biblical Feminism for Today, coauthored with Nancy A. Hardesty (Word Books, 1974; revised edition, Abingdon, 1986; updated and expanded edition, Eerdmans, 1992). Letha served as editor of Christian Feminism Today in both its former print edition (EEWC Update) and its website for 19 years until her retirement in December 2013.

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