Summary in English
Christianity has always had a problem with power. Not because power is absent from its history, but because it is so persistently present. From imperial alliances to ecclesial hierarchies, from political influence to institutional self-preservation, Christianity has repeatedly demonstrated not a resistance to power, but an attraction to it.
This attraction is rarely acknowledged as such. Instead, it is baptized—renamed as faithfulness, stewardship, leadership, or even mission. Yet beneath these justifications lies a more troubling reality: Christianity has often pursued precisely what its founder refused.
This is not merely a sociological observation; it is a theological problem. For at the heart of the Christian proclamation stands not a triumphant ruler, but a crucified Messiah—and, in the language of Revelation, a slaughtered Lamb. And the question that confronts every generation of believers is whether this figure will be followed—or reinterpreted.
This book proceeds on the conviction that the future of Christianity depends, in no small measure, on how that question is answered.
Theological Essentials
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing everything, including theological scholarship and education. This series, Theological Essentials, is designed to bring the creative potential of AI to the field of theological education.
The creator of each volume has been trained by the DTL staff in the use of AI and the creator has used AI to create, edit, revise and recreate the text that you see. The goals of this series are to produce introductory theological textbooks that are credible, affordable and accessible.