Book: Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough

Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation in 2012 with a passionate, provocative poem titled “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” The 4-minute video literally became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). The message blew up on social-media, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged.

In Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem—highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair and hope. With refreshing candor he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior.

Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he’s not a pastor or theologian, but simply a regular, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. Along his journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him beyond the props of false religion.

Content
Chapter 1 “Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?”
Chapter 2: “Why I Still Think Jesus Hates Religion (and You Should Too)”
Chapter 3: “Fundies, Fakes and Other So-Called Christians”
Chapter 4: “Religion Makes Enemies/Jesus Makes Friends”
Chapter 5: “With Religion, There are Good and Bad People/With Jesus, There are Only Bad People…”
Chapter 6: “Religion Is the Means to Get Things from God/If We Seek Jesus, We Get God”
Chapter 7: “With Religion, If You are Suffering, God is Punishing You/God Already Punished Jesus…”
Chapter 8: “Religion Says, “God Will Love You If…”
Chapter 9: “Religion Points to a Dim Future/Jesus Points to a Bright Future”
Chapter 10: “Why Jesus Loves the Church (and You Should Too)”

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