The Fractured Kingdom: Uniting Modern Christianity Through the Historical Jesus
Bestselling biblical historian Jean-Pierre Isbouts weaves the origin stories of Christianity and the Lord's Prayer into a reinvigorating and urgent rallying cry for unity in the modern church.
Modern Christianity is in the midst of a veritable schism along the fault lines of society's culture wars. Only if we understand the origins of this split can we find our way to unity. Though few may realize it today, Jesus's ministry unfolded in a crisis very similar to the one society is now battling. In fact, were it not for the truly catastrophic conditions in early 1st century Galilee, his reimagining of the three quintessential virtues of the Torah - social justice; compassion toward one another; and an abiding love of God - would have likely failed to attract a wide following. Brilliantly tracing Jesus's vision for the "Kingdom of God" from its origin up through modern times, Dr. Isbouts leads us to a possible antidote for the fiercely partisan moment in which we find ourselves: the Our Father. Then taking readers on a historically exhilarating tour of the Lord's Prayer, The Fractured Kingdom shows us why the only doctrine Christians agree on might be our last hope for forging a more equal, compassionate, and loving society. What results is an eminently readable and undeniably essential work that addresses some of the most pressing issues now confronting communities of faith around the world.Earn by promoting books
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Dr. Jean-Pierre Isbouts is a historian, professor emeritus at Fielding Graduate University, and the author or coauthor of multiple books, including Mapping America: The Incredible Story and Stunning Hand-Colored Maps and Engravings that Created the United States, The da Vinci Legacy, The Dalí Legacy, National Geographic's The Ultimate Visual History of the World, The Biblical World, and In the Footsteps of Jesus, which together have sold over two million copies. Dr. Isbouts has been on numerous radio and TV shows and is the host of several TV series for The Great Courses, including the best-selling The History and Archaeology of the Bible, In the Footsteps of Vincent van Gogh, and Searching for the Historical Jesus. He has also directed several programs for Disney, ABC, Hallmark, and the History Channel, working with actors such as Leonard Nimoy, Charlton Heston, Dick Van Dyke, and Morgan Freeman, and produced recordings with orchestras around the world. Dr. Isbouts lives in Santa Monica, California.
"Dr. Jean-Pierre Isbouts hits the mark beautifully by pointing all of us living in an all-too divided nation to a different and better way forward, a way of love that is grounded in the familiar prayer that Jesus taught us. Readers will find a foundation for healing and wholeness in these pages." -Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and author of Love is the Way and The Power of Love
"I never cease to be amazed at the extraordinary insights and expansive knowledge of Jean Pierre Isbouts. The Fractured Kingdom speaks to not one generation, but many-past and future-about the perils of religious division. But, instead of leaving us there, Isbouts invites us to grab hold of the promises that an authentic, godly and life-giving faith can offer the great divides of our time. With the craftmanship of a gifted maestro, Isbout's book is a symphony of possibility that reaches a crescendo of hope." -Russell J. Levenson, Jr. OStJ, Rector, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, and author of Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush
"The one subject Jesus spoke about more than any other was the Kingdom of God. In The Fractured Kingdom, Jean-Pierre Isbouts, using the Lord's Prayer as a lens, vividly explicates what Jesus meant by God's Kingdom. I believe this is a book for all of us who call ourselves Christians, regardless of what branch of the Church we call home. Isbouts shows us that what unites us is bigger than what divides us and Jesus needs all of us to be about the work Kingdom building." -Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean, Washington National Cathedral
