Some of the quotes used in this article come from the profound but by now almost forgotten book by Kornelus Miskotte "When the Gods are Silent". Other ideas came from Harink; "Paul Among the Postliberals" especially the chapter on Sanley Hauerwas.

I've always felt that this Lennon effort was the height of hypocrisy. "Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can,.."

You probably can't imagine giving up your possessions, but I, John Lennon, am so morally superior that I can imagine such a system. This from a man who at the time of writing was one of the wealthiest people in Britain and who had caused the break-up of the Beatles, in part, because of money disputes. Hypocrisy in the extreme.

The Beatles did not break up because of money disputes.

The problem with John Lennon is that he was held up (and maybe he beleived) that he was some sort of political figure when all he was was a singer/songwriter - and a damn fine one at that.
Why entertainers (Bob Geldof, Sean Penn) think they have some intrinsic knowledge they can save the world simply because they entertain is beyond me.
I certainly wouldn't pay to see John Howard, George Bush or Kim Beazley sing or act in a movie.
It is easy to sing a song about no heaven or world peace but they are just empty words.
If they really want to make a difference they should run for public office - at least Arnie and Peter Garrett have chosen to put there moeny where there mouths are.
t.u.s

Hi Peter,

Having lived and worked in communities significantly affected by missions and also profound abuse of human life - such as East Africa - grappling with the particular over the universal has not been easy .. particularly when working in the humanitarian sector where discussions of human rights are central.

However the "obscure wandering teacher" and bread and wine both make profound and particular claims. Thanks for your article - it is helpful for me as a christian struggling with a complex world, where jumping to abstractions is comforting, as is a retreat into "ghettos of the like-minded".

I will look out for the articles you have referenced.

"Here we have a firm basis for atheism or a superficial religiosity that can only result in nihilism."
Ah, those of the superior faith! Pity the untermensh: the followers of Budda, or Taoism, the Hindu faithful, Shinto, those of no religious belief at all.
We live in a world and time when tolerance is acutely needed for the differing mental gyrations of others' confrontation of the interesting imponderables of life. This article's superior stance slags-off at others while showing little understanding of them: Almost a millennia after the first campaign, another launch under the crusaders' banner, and similarly unhelpful.