If you were unaware, the Jesus People was a movement in the 60s and 70s that fused hippie culture with evangelical Christianity. Eskridge's book is a history and analysis of the "Jesus Freak" movement and its lasting impact upon American Christianity.
The Jesus People movement hit its cultural high water mark in 1971 when Time magazine devoted its cover and lead story--"The Alternative Jesus: Psychedelic Christ"--to the hippie Christians.
The Time cover is shown here.
The Time story led off with the words from a Wanted poster from a Jesus People underground newspaper:
WANTEDJESUS CHRIST
ALIAS:THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, PRINCE OF PEACE, ETC.
Notorious leader of an underground liberation movement.
Wanted for the following charges:
—Practicing medicine, winemaking and food distribution without a license.
—Interfering with businessmen in the temple.
—Associating with known criminals, radicals, subversives, prostitutes and street people.
—Claiming to have the authority to make people into God's children.
APPEARANCE: Typical hippie type—long hair, beard, robe, sandals.
Hangs around slum areas, few rich friends, often sneaks out into the desert.
BEWARE: This man is extremely dangerous. His insidiously inflammatory message is particularly dangerous to young people who haven't been taught to ignore him yet. He changes men and claims to set them free.
WARNING: HE IS STILL AT LARGE!
Thanks for posting this! The "wanted poster" words were/are classic. Still relevant observations. I used to associate with Jesus People while a grad student at the U. of Tennessee (Knoxville)in early 70's. I admired what they were saying and attempting to accomplish. They were despised by the traditional, straight-laced, pharisaical crowd. "No Christian would dress like that,etc."
That brings back memories - I had a mimeographed copy of that poster hanging in my bedroom during my teenage years in Nova Scotia in the 70's. i was such a rebel!
Ah, this brings back memories! In 1969 I was navigating being a convert to the church of Christ from the Catholic Church but hanging out with the Jesus People at the same time. I was the only "long-haired freaky person" in our congregation and no one quite knew what to do with me.