Wagging the Dog - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

Rev. Phil presents two contrasting, “technically accurate” portrayals of Jesus—one echoing a John Fugelsang quote and another written in a similar style—to show how people often interpret Jesus to fit and validate their current beliefs. He argues that calling Jesus a socialist or a capitalist is anachronistic, and notes that even in Jesus’ time people tried to categorize him for their own benefit, often to dismiss rather than engage his teachings. Using Kurt Cobain and Nirvana as an analogy for how controversial figures become safe over time, he warns that distance lets us make Jesus into whatever we want. Rev. Phil says Christians can’t separate Jesus from politics because discipleship touches all of life and Jesus taught about social structures and communal life, but Christians also must not co-opt Jesus for partisan agendas; his practical, transformative love should reshape beliefs about politics, economics, and society.