This DVD provides illustrations for the book, "The Non-violent Radical: Seeing and Living the Wisdom Sayings of Jesus". Charles McCollough examines Jesus' wisdom in the context of the political and economic world of the Roman Empire and then applies it to our own time for personal growth and social action. This visual interpretation of the Bible is critical to understanding the deeper meanings of these sayings. Illustrating the text of these sayings, these original works of art by McCollough and can be used in private reflection, worship and educational settings.

The short wisdom sayings of Jesus are almost always interpreted as private or interpersonal instruction and ignore the political/economic context of his time. The result is often sentimental piety or otherworldly speculation. Yet it's hard to imagine that Jesus and his followers were blind to the tyranny of Rome and the economic exploitation of a tiny minority over the vast majority of people living desperate lives in Roman colonies.

This book and DVD use the insights of scholars and formerly colonized Bible readers in the non-Western world to understand the postcolonial meanings of Jesus' time and our own.

The Rev. Charles McCollough, Ph.D., is a sculptor, an author of seven other books, including The Art of Parables. He was a resident artist at five seminaries and former policy advocate on the national staff of the United Church of Christ in Washington, DC. He lives in Hopewell, NJ.

Suggestions for use of the DVD may be found in the book on pp. 8-9. You may choose your own music to accompany the visuals. We recommend the following:

• Part I: Jesus' Wisdom on Blessings: Movie Soundtrack from Rob Roy (tracks 1-6).
• Part II: Jesus' Wisdom on Non-violence: Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings (BMG Music)
• Part III A and B: Jesus' Wisdom for Daily Life: The Greatest Choral Music of Palestrina, Prince of Music, Dennis Keene, Conductor