4 Vision Quests Of Jesus

Christian theology as seen through the lens of Native American tradition

A unique look at Christian biblical interpretation and theology from the perspective of
Native American tradition, this book focuses on four specific experiences of Jesus as
portrayed in the synoptic gospels. It examines each story as a “vision quest,” a universal
spiritual phenomenon, but one of particular importance within North American indigenous
communities.

Jesus’ experience in the wilderness is the first quest. It speaks to a foundational Native
American value: the need to enter into the “we” rather than the “I.” The Transfiguration is
the second quest, describing the Native theology of transcendent spirituality that impacts
reality and shapes mission. Gethsemane is the third quest. It embodies the Native tradition
of the holy men or women, who find their freedom through discipline and concerns for
justice, compassion, and human dignity. Golgotha is the final quest. It represents the Native
sacrament of sacrifice (e.g., the Sun Dance). The chapter on Golgotha is a discussion of
kinship, balance, and harmony: all primary to Native tradition and integral to Christian thought.

For a broad, general readership, with possible secondary application in seminary and
college classrooms.