Episode 241: David Gushee

Today we have a fascinating conversation with Christian ethicist David Gushee about the moral teachings of Jesus. Gushee has spent decades wrestling with how to faithfully apply Jesus' radical vision for the kingdom of God in our modern context. What struck me most in our discussion was Gushee's insistence that Jesus' ethics are not merely aspirational, but profoundly subversive to the status quo. Jesus challenges our assumptions about power, wealth, tradition, and social status - calling us to a radical reorientation of our values and priorities. Gushee highlights key themes like Jesus' concern for the marginalized, his critique of religious and cultural traditions that exclude, and his vision of freedom that is not beholden to the expectations of others. It's a challenging message, but one that Gushee believes the church desperately needs to recover if we are to faithfully follow in the way of Jesus. This is a conversation that will make you think deeply about what it means to live as a disciple of Christ in our modern world. Gushee doesn't offer easy answers, but he compellingly lays out Jesus' moral vision and invites us to wrestle with its radical implications. I found it both inspiring and convicting - I hope you will as well.

Rev. Prof. Dr. David P. Gushee (PhD, Union Theological Seminary, New York) is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, and Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit (“Free University”) Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow, International Baptist Theological Study Centre.

Gushee is the elected Past-President of both the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics, signaling his role as one of America's leading Christian ethicists. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of more than 29 books and over 175 academic book chapters, journal articles, and reviews. His most recognized works include Kingdom Ethics, and Changing Our Mind. His other most notable works are Introducing Christian Ethics, Still Christian, After Evangelicalism, Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust, Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies and recently The Moral Teachings of Jesus. Altogether his books have sold over 100,000 copies and been translated into a dozen languages.

David and his wife Jeanie live in Atlanta. He is a classic novel reader, world traveler, and tennis player, and awaits a call from his beloved Atlanta Braves to resume the baseball career he abandoned in college.

David's Book:
The Moral Teachings of Jesus

David's Recommendation:
Illiberal America