Book Review: Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Muhammad Cross the Road?

Last updated on: April 23, 2014 at 10:51 am by Adam Ericksen

Book Review: Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Muhammad Cross the Road? 2014-04-23T10:51:53-05:00 Adam Ericksen

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Today, 9/11/2012, marks the release of Brian McLaren’s book Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Muhammad Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World. The date, of course, is significant. It’s been 11 years since the tragedy of 9/11 – a tragedy that had religious overtones, but also political and economic overtones as well.

The question I often ask myself about religion is simple: What needs to stay and what needs to go? Jesus might have asked, “What’s the wheat in religion and what’s the chaff we need to burn?” Brian’s book has helped me discern an answer to that question.

Bob Koehler and I interviewed Brian about the book last week on our podcast Voices of Peace. At the end of the show, I asked him about the title of his book. “So, Brian, why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Muhammad cross the road?” Brian responded, “To get to the other.”

Of course, one can get to the “other” to do harm or to do good. But the point of Brian’s book is that Christians need to have a strong identity based on the love of Christ. Christ loved the “other.” He loved people as they were and for who they were.

For Christians, that’s the point of our religious identity in the post 9/11 world. Some bloggers are suggesting that Brian is somehow watering down Christ. That Christ would help people, sure, but Christ would also demand that they worship him, or he’d send them to hell. That’s not the Christ I see in the Bible. Brian has helped me see that Christ had no superiority complex. He didn’t get into a rivalry with people by demanding that they worship him; rather, he did things like wash 1st century filthy, nasty, sandal-wearing Mediterranean feet! Jesus came to serve, not to be served! It’s true: Jesus did come to convert us, but he came to convert us away from a life of hell on earth. Away from a life of violence over and against others and into a life of love and compassion that is for the flourishing of others.

Christian tradition has always emphasized the cross, but has frequently gotten the cross wrong by stating that the Father demanded the violent death of the Son. That understanding of the cross, often referred to as penal substitution, is wrong. It’s a myth based on a god of violence; it’s not the Gospel, which is based on the God of love. So, the Father didn’t demand the death of the Son; we humans did! We are the ones who demanded that Jesus be crucified, and we continue to demand crucifixion in various forms of violence today.

The Gospel Jesus proclaimed invites us to stop our hostility and violence against one another. His early followers learned from him that God is love and violence belongs to us alone. Brian claims that the violence we witnessed 11 years ago and the violence that continues to rage leaves us with a choice. “We are increasingly faced with a choice,” writes Brian, “not between kindness and hostility, but between kindness and nonexistence.”

Kindness or nonexistence.

How can we be kind and love the “other” in a post 9/11 world? However Christians answer that question, Jesus was right: Our future depends on love and compassion. Brian is leading the way in helping us answer that question in our 21st century context. And so I hope you read his book!

Previous Post

April 20, 2014

Reza Aslan's 'Zealot': Part 2: The Book Review

Next Post

April 22, 2014 The Girardian Lectionary: A Monumental Transformation of Christianity

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atonement and Current Events Curriculum Faith and Families Interviews Jesus the Forgiving Victim Lent Montessori politics Reviews The Bible Explained Uncategorized Valentine's Day Wednesday Sermon Who is God?

Select a Month July 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 January 2014 December 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz