Simply put, Ancient Jesus/Future Faith is a project designed to help people not only hear a new way of understanding Jesus but also give them the tools and resources to achieve this on their own. These resources will help individuals better see Jesus in His own time and context, therefore allowing the Bible to be read more closely to the way its original listeners would have heard and understood it. We hope to help people unearth the ancient Jesus who originally inspired a movement that was driven by revolutionary love, mercy, and justice.
AJ/FF was founded by Don Schiewer Jr, former pastor of New Harvest Christian Church and Dust Church, and founder of Food for Thought Toledo. Don’s expertise is in Second Temple Judaism and pre-Constantinian Christianity, and he has spent years developing study and teaching methods that have helped thousands learn how to study the bible.
What is Ancient Jesus/Future Faith?
Why this project? Why now?
We believe it is far past time to forge a new path beyond Evangelicalism that will reignite faith for those who have stayed in the Church, those who have left, and those who are struggling to figure out where they belong. Our vision is for an online space that can give people the freedom to recover from trauma (especially that caused by the church), grow their faith, improve biblical literacy, and experience community, anonymity, and safety.
Why do we think this path is necessary? Well, to be frank, people are hurting. Evangelicalism has become the loudest voice in Christianity, and it has been coopted by bad actors who are more consumed with gaining (or keeping) power than with understanding who Jesus was, who God is, and who we are called to be. The message that has gotten lost is that Christians are called to be a voice for the oppressed—the Text (Scripture) makes it clear that we are called to spread Jesus’s message about peace, helping the poor, and fighting injustice.
Currently, our efforts take the form of a podcast as well as a resource library that will continue to grow. But this is just the beginning! We hope to eventually add livestreams, webinars, courses, and other resources that will contribute to our mission of improving Biblical literacy and making the world a more compassionate place.
We are inclusive and anti-racist, and we aim to be a safe space for everyone - but especially for those who have typically been oppressed or rejected by religious people and institutions.