Anthropology, Christology
In this book John Henson suggests that by basing our practice and understanding of "communion" on the event of the Last Supper we have ignored those other occasions when Jesus ate and drank with the people of his day, with the result that we have reversed the intentions of Jesus. Instead of the meal being an invitation to inclusion, the churches have used it as a means of exclusion; instead of the "beanfeast of the Kingdom" it has become a gathering around the cenotaph.
In these studies Christians are challenged to return to the mind of Jesus by allowing all the evidence of the gospels to be put into the balance. Although the author's prime purpose is devotional, there are revolutionary implications. Should the churches take the contents of this book seriously, communion will never be the same again.
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The overwhelming message of the book is that the spiritual meal we share should be inclusive, open and jubilant. The range of ideas is at times overwhelming but it moves rapidly from story to story. It offers a prophetic picture. It's strength is in its breadth and its potential for creative use. It would form an excellent basis for a series of studies for small groups. Each chapte could be used to plan a Bible study as the material gives a fresh perspective on familiar stories. Other communions of Jesus presents us with a vision of God's Feast that stretches beyond the narrow and exclusive ritual of Holy communion. If you like your theology quirky and accessible, and rooted in the stories of everyday life, then this is a book to read. ~ , Movement
Many of the emphases in this book will not be new to readers of Network, and the tone and scope of the liturgies will be familiar. Yet there is much here that may be new and, taken as a whole, the book deserves wide and careful reading. Although the writing is very accessible and demands no technical theological or liturgical knowledge, Henson is not unaware of liturgical or biblical scholarship and this gives his work a degree of authority as well as a popular appeal. I am very grateful to have been introduced to this book and find much here to treasure. I am sure others will too. ~ Nicola Slee, The Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham