Living the Sermon on the Mount: A Practical Hope for Grace and Deliverance

Praise for Living the Sermon on the Mount "Glen H. Stassen is a rare combination of academic and activist who brings together profound biblical scholarship and a deep commitment to peacemaking. In Living the Sermon on the Mount he uses both to shed new light on the Sermon as a practical guide for daily living in the kingdom of God. There is no ethics professor who better helps us understand what is always the most important question for Christians–What would Jesus do?" —Jim Wallis, editor, Sojourners; author, God′s Politics "This is the most helpful analysis of the Sermon on the Mount that I have ever studied. It does not paralyze readers with idealism and force us to dismissal, nor does it back off from a very real initiative that we can take." —Richard Rohr, Franciscan priest; founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation "Biblical, practical, clear. This is distinguished scholarship serving the church. Stassen writes in a clear, popular way, helping ordinary Christians understand what it means to follow Jesus today." —Ronald J. Sider, president, Evangelicals for Social Action "Glen H. Stassen′s approach to scriptural inquiry is both beautifully homiletic and hermeneutically astute. His writing on scripturally infused discipleship has been a gift to the field for decades. This book is his culminating work, an unparalleled gift to readers who yearn to live into the joy and risk of following Jesus at close hand." —Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall, Duke University Divinity School "This book is the blessed fruit of Glen H. Stassen′s seminal studies of Jesus′ Sermon on the Mount. Laced with memorable stories that illustrate the Sermon on the Mount′s realism, this book excels in its interpretation and appropriation of Jesus′ hard words both personally and politically." —Willard M. Swartley, professor emeritus of the New Testament, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary "Glen H. Stassen offers a fresh reading of the Sermon on the Mount, one that invites contemporary Christians to see the joy that frames this ancient Christian text. For too long Christianity has trapped the Sermon within the confines of a static idealism. Stassen does not offer a lofty ethic, but a living, liberating way of life that celebrates the grace of God. Blessed are all who read it!" —Cheryl Bridges Johns, professor of Christian Formation, Church of God Theological Seminary

Editor’s Foreword. Preface. Chapter 1: Seeking God’s Holy Presence on the Mountain. Chapter 2: Participating with Joy in the Reign of God. Chapter 3: The Beatitudes. Chapter 4: Practicing Reconciliation and Keeping Our Covenants. Chapter 5: Telling the Truth, Making Peace, Loving Our Enemies. Chapter 6: The Prayer of Jesus. Chapter 7: Investing in God’s Reign and Restorative Justice. Chapter 8: Forgoing Judgment for Forgiveness. Chapter 9: Practicing Loyalty to God, Not to Worldly Powers. Chapter 10: How to Tell a True Ethic from a False One. Notes. For Further Reading. The Author. Index.

Glen H. Stassen is Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary, a scholar in Christian ethics and biblical interpretation. He is the author of many articles and books including Kingdom Ethics (coauthored with David P. Gushee), which won Christianity Today′s award for best book of the year in theology or ethics