Doug Jones’ newest book Dismissing Jesus: How We Evade the Way of the Cross is filled with gems right from the start. Peter Leithart writes a wonderful foreword; not just one of praise, but one where he confronts some of the basic premises of the book. Peter relates his concerns:

I think the topography of maturation from Old to New is less smooth
than Doug maps it. Doug is not a pacifist, but he needs to explain why
not. I wonder if Doug has given weight to the way the patriarchal narratives,
the life of David, the career of Jesus, and the history of the church
progress from weakness to power. I would like to see Doug integrate Acts
more intimately into his reading of Luke.

This type of open engagement is befitting of the Framian tradition of book writing.

The book begins with some challenging shots at the heart of our westernized fascination with success. I am sure there will be plenty to disagree with in the book, but I am taking every line at a time and enjoying Jones’ penetrating observations. Among them is  this beautiful definition of the implications for the way of the cross:

The way of the cross fails if it is not lived in community. It is not
designed for loners. Jesus’s way assumes a community of love and commitment
and burden bearing. It requires great sacrifice and self-denial
out of love for others in the body. The way of the cross is deeply communal
because, in the end, it seeks to incarnate the love and loyalty of Father,
Son, and Spirit on earth. The way of the cross seeks to make Trinity here
and now. That is God’s mission for us.