in Christ if he did not drag along with him that leprous bride of his—the church.” Moreover, the contemporary focus on Jesus and the fascination with spirituality may be particularly congenial to a culture that often emphasizes the individual at the expense of the community. It seems to fit a society that encourages personal, even private, spirituality while spurning the difficult work of forming and sustaining communities and institutions. While Jesus’ life and teachings do, in many ways, challenge