Jesus and Captain Kirk

Jesus and Captain Kirk presents a compelling defense of Christianity against 'Christian' nationalism.

Christian nationalists are rabidly patriarchal and have even started coming out in defense of slavery. Jesus and Captain Kirk examines their perverse use of the Bible by tackling these key subjects:

•Patriarchy. Apart from a few isolated verses that get cherry-picked, does the overall spirit and meta-narrative of the New Testament support patriarchy? Does it require that women be excluded from leadership and submit to men as Christian Nationalists claim? This book shows that the Gospel of Jesus supports full equality for women.
•Slavery. Christian Nationalists quote the Bible in support of slavery. Early Abolitionists claimed the Bible as their moral grounds for abolishing slavery. They claimed that the spirit of the Gospel message and genuine Christianity could not be in any way compatible with slavery or any form of human oppression and cruelty. Were they right? Or are Christian Nationalists today right in quoting Leviticus when they claim that slavery is morally justifiable?
•Social justice. Christian Nationalists have embraced extreme right-wing conservative values as being part and parcel of Christianity, and reject 'liberal' social causes as un-Christian. Is that true? What does Jesus and the New Testament writers have to say about social justice?
•Science. Christian Nationalists and other conservative groups often present an anti-intellectual, anti-fact, and anti-science version of faith. Do we really have to turn our brains off and reject science in order to believe in God? Is there really a conflict between faith and science?
•What in heavens name does a sincere Christian do with the nasty bits in the Old Testament? There are commands in Leviticus that homosexuals are to be executed, and Christian Nationalists are quoting it favourably to justify their agenda to criminalize same-sex love. (Their silence on the command found in the very same chapter of Leviticus that heterosexual adulterers are also to be executed is deafening!) How can this be the 'word of God'?

This defense of Christianity shows that Christians can heed modern scientific knowledge and remain faithful to Scripture without turning their brains off, while joyfully pursuing the superior vision for social justice that the Gospel presents. Faith in God is, in fact, entirely rational on the grounds of science and reason. Furthermore, it shows that the Gospel of Jesus Christ presents a superior social justice ethic that prioritizes people over profit, complete equality between races and genders, and assisting the under-privileged to escape poverty.

Michael holds a Master's degree in Theology from Heritage Baptist Seminary in Ontario Canada.