The latest book in the successful Understanding Jesus Today series deals
with the role of discipleship in Christianity. James Dunn explores the
original meaning of discipleship in the early Church and then discusses
what discipleship should mean for Christians today. The evidence in the
Gospels regarding the requirements of discipleship, including the
beliefs and daily character of the life of a disciple, are explored and
a firm basis upon which a tradition of discipleship can be defined is
found. Important questions addressed are: To whom was Jesus's call to
discipleship primarily directed? What were the characteristics of the
community of disciples that formed around Jesus in His lifetime and how
has the character of that community, which has become the Christian
Church, changed over time? How does modern discipleship measure up
against discipleship in the early Church? The book is based on the best
of current scholarship but is written at a popular level.