▁a ▁series ▁of ▁lo os ely ▁inter related ▁narr atives . ▁The ▁book ▁comb ines ▁practical ▁the ology , ▁bib lic al ▁the ology , ▁ecc les iast ical ▁history , ▁contemporary ▁stories , ▁political ▁manif esto , ▁and ▁Bible ▁stories . ▁The ▁book ▁draw s ▁on ▁both ▁the ▁Old ▁and ▁New ▁Test aments , ▁and ▁includes ▁frequent ▁quot ations ▁from ▁Church ▁F athers , ▁such ▁as ▁Justin ▁Mart yr ▁and ▁T ert ul li an . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁intended ▁to ▁present ▁an ▁accessible ▁account ▁of ▁scholar ly ▁find ings ▁regarding ▁the ▁New ▁Testament ' s ▁teach ings ▁on ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁emp ire . ▁L ik ening ▁Jesus ▁to ▁an ▁American ▁political ▁candidate , ▁Jesus ▁for ▁President ▁ident ifies ▁Luke ▁ 4 : 1 8 – 1 9 ▁as ▁the ▁comm enc ement ▁speech ▁of ▁Jesus ' ▁campaign , ▁" J ub ile e " ▁as ▁his ▁campaign ▁s log an , ▁and ▁the ▁rev ival ▁of ▁ancient ▁J ub ile e ▁econom ics ▁as ▁his ▁platform . ▁The ▁book ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁the ▁counter c ult ural ▁them es ▁in ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁Jesus , ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁of ▁self - den ial , ▁are ▁ignored ▁by ▁the ▁church ▁because ▁the ▁Church ▁is ▁more ▁interested ▁in ▁conform ing ▁its ▁members ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁than ▁to ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁God . ▁The ▁book ▁war ns ▁against ▁the ▁l ures ▁of ▁political ▁and ▁financial ▁power . ▁While ▁the ▁book ▁suggests ▁that ▁Christians ▁should ▁live ▁counter c ultur ally ▁in