In Jesus Ascended, Scott Douglas explores Jesus’s Ascension – a theological concept Christians routinely profess and almost never think about.
A review of Jesus Ascended: What Does That Mean? by Scott Douglas
There’s a gap in our attention.
We often speak of three dominant images of Jesus: birth, death, and resurrection.
In the Nativity, we celebrate God’s coming into the world in human form, the incarnate Word, present among us.
The Cross is the sign of Jesus’s death, his sacrifice, and ultimately, the path of commitment.
Resurrection is the massive overturning of structure—that even the natural order of life and death succumbs to the will of God.
We attend to these images and make them central to the story. But there’s a fourth image. An image present in each Eucharist Prayer and many affirmations of faith.
Christ was born. Died. Was raised. And ascended.
The Ascension
I’m in love with the Ascension and its vital role in Christian theology. And yet we never talk about or read about it. Almost as if we wish it didn’t exist.
I have wanted so badly to explore this idea. And then a book (virtually) fell into my lap.
A few years ago, I reviewed #OrganicJesus by Scott Douglas, a refreshing and engaging book about faith. I really like it. Scott reached out to me to check out his new book, Jesus Ascended: What Does That Mean?
Seriously, how did he know?
Jesus Ascended.
The thing about ascensions is that they aren’t common in the Bible; the most famous is Elijah. Much like death itself, tradition must ask what to do with a body.
And yet, as an idea, the Ascension needs background and build up. We have to arrive at the miracle before we can speak to the power of it. And this is where Douglas starts. We must see that this isn’t a simple miracle. It is deeply connected with those other three elements.
The story isn’t just that Jesus was born, died, and was raised. The story of Jesus keeps going. And in that way, the narrative arc runs through the Ascension.
The Book
Jesus Ascended is an engaging and thoughtful book, one that invites us in to wrestle with a thorny concept that is essential to our theology. One easily ignored.
Douglas’ approach is easy and targets a general audience he fairly assumes is faithful, evangelical, and willing to explore the underside of their faith. Douglas is also mission-minded. For him, evangelism is the central move of the Christian faith. That isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but certainly normal.
And while I long for a deep theological exploration of the Ascension, I have also longed for a book precisely like this. One I can recommend to start a journey of exploring, regardless of background.
The real jewel of the book, however, is how easily Douglas weaves the Ascension into our purpose, as followers. He shares current and ancient examples of “Unstoppable Christians” who not only embody a vision of discipleship, but even the resurrected Christ. This, after all, is the narrative arc and perhaps the Ascension’s ultimate value.
Douglas finishes the book with an Appendix of disciples. These, of course, are the ones called through this process to share the good news. It’s a simple, but essential move to highlight the living and eternal nature of what God continues to do in our world.
Jesus Ascended was a delight to read and a book I easily recommend to a general audience.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255.
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