Radical Jesus: A Graphic History of Faith TPPublisher: MennoMedia
Release Date: October 2013
Price: $24.99
Creators: Paul Buhle (editor); Sabrina Jones, Gary Dumm and Nick Thorkelson (art)
Format: 128 pgs., 8-½" x 11", Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-8361-9621-4
Age Rating: N/A
ICv2 Rating: 3 Stars out of 5
This book is broken down into three sections with wildly different artwork, contents and intent. The first section, "Radical Gospel," is paraphrased and illustrated Biblical texts, illustrated by Sabrina Jones. Her illustrations are often stark and a bit jarring, but work well with the tale she tells, which is that Jesus was an activist within his own setting.
The second section, "Radical History," by Gary Dumm and others, is about how later theologians and believers from the 14th to the 19th century often differed with the established church and suffered for their beliefs.
The third section, "Radical Resistance" by Nick Thorkelson, is about more modern activists, from the Abolition period to the present. This third part suffers a bit from being more heavy-handed, but the second and third sections are often one-sided in their tellings of events. Because an imprint of the Mennonite church was the publisher of this book, much is told from that church’s viewpoint.
If the purpose of the book is to explain why people of faith act on their beliefs, it is somewhat successful and enlightening. If it is to inform the reader about bits of history that fell through the cracks of other history books, then it is more successful. The artwork is good but not great, and the price is high for the size of the book.
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.
