"One who is strengthened by God professes himself to be an utter fool by human standards, because he despises the wisdom men strive for." --Thomas Aquinas "Go and do likewise. . . ."--Luke 10:37 Missiologist Michael Frost is looking for the real Jesus--the man who didn't care what people thought, worked on the Sabbath, touched the unclean, ate with sinners, and generally contradicted what was acceptable to the leadership of his day. He's searching for the Jesus who embodies all the characteristics of the ancient tradition of the holy foolish paradigm as described and commended by Paul, the church fathers, and the medieval saints. And he finds him. . . . Saintly fools prefer life out in the open in the secular world, intentionally make themselves conspicuous, and consistently defy rules set by society. Sharing the stories of the familiar and the little-known--Francis of Assisi, Father Damian, the dour Simon Weil, the selfless Mother Teresa, Jackie Pullinger, the reflective Henri Nouwen, the playful Shane Claiborne--from around the globe, Frost directs our minds and hearts to the greater story of Jesus to which they all point. He reminds us that following the Savior is rarely safe--and that Christ will continue to redraw our blueprint of what's right and what's righteous; and will persist in calling us to take the alternative, dangerous, ridiculous road walked by wise fools down through the centuries of the church. A much-needed and longed-for challenge to emergent, contemporary, and traditional gatherings and churches alike. CHAPTERS INCLUDE * Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up! * "Here is a glutton and a drunkard" * Jesus the Jester * The Art of Reframing * Jesus Reframes Our Brokenness (Luke 10:25-37) * Jesus Reframes Forgiveness (Luke 7:36-50) * Jesus Reframes Our Relationship with God (Luke 17:7-10) * Jesus Reframes Our View of Others (Luke 12:13-21) * Jesus Reframes Our Attitude to the Poor (Luke 16:1-13) * Jesus' Offer to the Foolhardy * Jesus, the Fool Who Won't Give Up