Jesus and the Politics of Mammon

“Jesus and the Politics of Mammon takes us on a deep dive way down into the histories, ideas, and double-dealings that produced a world economy in which we now live, move, and have our being. There, way down, Phelps shows us a Jesus who signals a striking upheaval from within this inheritance of religion, politics, and money . . . a Jesus as yet unknown but who may yet become your most disconcerting, challenging, and sublimely inspiring ally in a world of domination through debt, workaholism, and the idolatrous worship of family. Phelps has blazed a new trail here for all concerned with the biblical legacies of radical contemporary theory.”


—Ward Blanton, University of Kent





“Christianity has carried with it a long history of opposition to the ‘ways of the world,’ at times fostering extreme ascetic views that seek to negate every functioning global economy. Phelps’ incisive commentary on Jesus’ critiques of money, work, and even the family offer us another chance to re-examine this Christian ascetic legacy at a time when economic and neo-liberal forces rage stronger than ever before. By refocusing this ongoing debate on issues of accumulation and possession, Phelps moves along a path that dares to yield a more productive position than those that lead to an often insurmountable impasse.”


—Colby Dickinson, Loyola University Chicago





“What would Jesus do, today, in our contemporary world regulated by money, work, and family as ruled by neoliberal capitalism? In this extraordinary book, Hollis Phelps gives us a radical Jesus to go along with the radical Paul of recent contemporary philosophy. Here Jesus becomes the bleeding edge of a radical insurrectionist theology that drives us beyond the institutions of Christianity and capitalism.”


—Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas, co-editor of Doing Theology in the Age of Trump