Event Overview

We often hear that Jesus was a revolutionary and a political radical of his age, but do the Gospels actually support such a political framing of his life? How can the highly political death of this deeply spiritual figure be explained? Why was Jesus—who said “I judge no one”—put to death for a political crime? Was the death of Jesus, who challenged the terrain of human power, political in essence?

Dr. David Lloyd Dusenbury is an acclaimed philosopher, historian of ideas, and author of I Judge No One: A Political Life of Jesus. He joined Common Sense Society members in Hungary earlier in 2023, and we were delighted to host him again in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia for a book talk on Thursday, December 7. He shared a modern philosophical account of the political life of Jesus based on the earliest narratives of his life, the Gospels, and their later interpretations. We also explored the impact foundational Christian texts have had on the axioms of Western political thought today, especially when we reflect on the human condition.