A Living Alternative

In my last post, I shared about some of the books I have reading. A few moments ago I finished “New Monasticism: What It Has To Say To Today’s Church” by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. When it arrived I was surprised at how thin it was, at only 147 pages. However, this book did not disappoint. It is one of the more inspiring and helpful books I have read in some time. Let me give you an overview.

The book begins with an honest (though hopeful) assessment of the world we find ourselves in. Though it is primarily focused on the American context, it is still largely applicable to other contexts. In the face of a Christianity that seems to have lost it’s identity, we are introduced to a growing movement of the new monasticism. In a very brief but surprisingly helpful journey through the history of monasticism (including Biblical influences), we see it’s critical role in the history and vitality of the Body of Christ.

From there, we are introducted to the practices of the new monasticism (as opposed to the typical “values” presentation). Through sharing examples and stories from many communities, we are challenged to very tangible ways that we can, as communities, more fully embrace the Gospel we claim and proclaim. The author offers no illusions, refusing to claim the new monasticism as THE answer we’ve all been waiting for, presenting their weaknesses as much as their strengths. It is truly inspiring.

The eighth chapter, “A Culture of Grace and Truth” lived up to it’s name. It was a hopeful call to lives of grace, love and truth. I was moved to tears while reading it. It is summed up best in a shift from seeing community/church as a repair shop to a garden. To tend a garden is a long, dirty process that does not immediately show results. In the same way, we are called to tend “the soil” of our communities (and our world) and trust the Spirit to bring life within it.

My only critique (and it is minor and personal) comes in the last section of the last chapter. The section is called “Parachurch vs. Prochurch”. While I agree with the basic concern that some (so called) “parachurches” can seek follow their vocation as Christian communities apart of the church, it was done in a rushed and underdeveloped manner. Throughout the book the author is very gracious, even to those he critiques. This is lacking in the rushed assessment of the “parachurch”.

This book is one of those rare finds that is incredibly easy and enjoyable to read (even in one easy sitting), while packing a powerful punch in content. It is gracious, hopeful and inspirational. I would highly recommend this to book to anyone- those in urban, suburban or rural settings; pastors, missionaries, lay leaders- everyone.

Missional Books New+Monasticism Jonathan+Wilson-Hartgrove Book+Review

In later 2005 I picked up the new hardcopy novel “Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt” by Anne Rice while heading to Vancouver for a week. Having always found Rice a brilliant storyteller and unrivalled historical researcher, I was intrigued that she had decided to take on the life of Jesus in her next projects (first person from Christ’s perspective, no less). As my review of that book demonstrates, I was not disappointed. As a prolific reader, I rarely find time to reread books, this one has already brought me back more than once.

Needless to say, I was thrilled when I saw that the next installment in the series had hit shelves. Where the first book introduced us to Jesus as a child, returning home after years in Egypt, the second book “Christ The Lord: Road To Cana” picks up the story in the droughted winter prior to Jesus baptism by John. Moving towards His first miracle in Cana (as the title suggests), Rice uses this novel to set the stage for Jesus’ coming ministry and ultimately journey to the cross.

In a daring, but powerful exploration of Christ’s humanity, the story begins with Jesus’ wrestling with His feelings from a beautiful woman (whom it is expected He will marry) that He knows can never come to fruition. While stories of His birth set Him apart as different, people are uneasy with a man Jesus age remaining unmarried. The unjust stoning of suspected homosexual youth in Nazareth hint at the uncertainty some feel towards Jesus. Even His family do not understand, but ultimately stand by Him.

The story continues, powerfully retelling the events of Jesus baptism, His temptation in the wilderness and calling of His disciples. Rice choose to also include, prior to the wedding in Cana, Christ’s exorcizing of Mary Magdalene’s demons. While the timing of this miracle detracted something from the later miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding, I believe it is easily overlooked, fitting well nonetheless. The book finishes, as it promises, in Cana, where we are ushered into the extravegant wedding rites to Jesus day. After transforming the water into wine, seen by a small number of family and followers, Jesus leads His disciples to the road on a journey towards Jerusalem.

Some critics of the first novel felt that the story was bogged down in too much historical and cultural details, an assertion I disagree with. Those details brought the world of Christ (and ultimately the Gospel as well) to vivid life for me. While the second book lacked these details (for which I was slightly disappointed), where it shone the brightest was in the development of the emotional realities the Jesus and those around Him might have felt. Jesus was fully divine, but He was also fully human, a fact clearly seen in this novel. Did it come at the expense of His divinity? I do not think so, trusting that Rice will explore that aspect more thoroughly in later volumes.

Whenever a novel about Christ is written, especially one which attempts the first person perspective of Jesus Himself, there are bound to be challenges. Inevitably creative license, personal beliefs and biases and other factors will colour the story. These novels are no exception, with aspects that will leave some Christians frustrated with the liberties taken.

That being said, Anne Rice presents a remarkably orthodox perspective through the unique lens of narrative fiction. She does not claim her works to be “Gospel”, admitting that every write does (and must) bring themselves to the story. These books should not be read as a replacement for the Bible, but can serve to creatively challenge our limited and biased expectations of who Jesus was (is) and how He lived. In this way, these books are a gift to readers, serving almost as icons to a deeper understanding of Christ the Lord.

For myself, both books were easily worth the full hardcover price. Surprisingly, they made me hungry for Scripture like I haven’t been for some time, drinking in the Gospels with fresh and new understanding. I highly recommend both books to be read carefully and with discernment, but with enjoyment as well.

On an exciting sidenote, Anne Rice has agreed to do an interview with me, which will be posted here in the coming weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

Anne Rice Book Review Christ The Lord Road To Cana Out Of Egypt Jesus Christianity

As a passionate reader, I try to spend time reader both non-fiction and fiction. When I start a novel, it is usually a classic, a notable literary title or some obscure author I discovered at the bookstore. However, on occasion I do read pop fiction. John Grisham is one pop fiction author I read regularly. While not the best literary writer (by his own admission), Grisham is a great storyteller that can drive a clear point home. On a side note, his book “Street Lawyer” was one of two books that convinced me to become an urban missionary.

His most recent novel, “The Appeal” made for a very provocative read. Here is what the book sleeve had to say:

In a crowded courtroom in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town’s water supply, causing the worst “cancer cluster” in history. The company appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it.

Who are the nine? How will they vote? Can one be replaced before the case is ultimately decided?

The chemical company is owned by a Wall Street predator named Carl Trudeau, and Mr. Trudeau is convinced the Court is not friendly enough. With judicial elections looming, he decides to try to purchase himself a seat on the Court. The cost is a few million dollars, a drop in the bucket for a billionaire like Mr. Trudeau. Through an intricate web of conspiracy and deceit, his political operatives recruit a young, unsuspecting candidate. They finance him, manipulate him, market him, and mold him into a potential Supreme Court justice. Their Supreme Court justice.

The Appeal is a powerful, timely, and shocking story of political and legal intrigue, a story that will leave readers unable to think about our electoral process or judicial system in quite the same way ever again.

While not his best work, “The Appeal” will indeed leave you wondering how much power big business as on manipulating the electoral and judicial systems. Grisham clearly shows his bias on these issue, taking clear shots at the groups most often to blame and those most often used to achieve goals. This included his most unequivical shot at the religious right, showing where so many evangelical groups get “played” in the political process.

The biggest flaw I found with the book was the rather stereotypical portrayal of the main characters- you could almost see Carl Trudeau tapping his fingers together in a Mr. Burns-esque display of evil. And while having an obvious opinion on the matter is fair enough, the author could lose potential “converts” by overstating his case.

Beyond this, “The Appeal” was entertaining, enlightening and provocative. It is an excellent addition to his legal fiction titles, helping to serve as something of a myth buster in respect to the government systems we place so much power with. Definately worth the read, though perhaps not at full hardcover prices.

Anyone else read it yet? Do tell.

P.S. My next fiction review will be of Anne Rice’s “Christ The Lord: The Road To Cana”, sequel to “Christ The Lord: Out Of Egypt”, reviewed here.

Book+Review John+Grisham The+Appeal Street+Lawyer

Last year, during the worst of our my burn out experience, I had several books sent to me that I had agreed to review. Lost in the intensity of that time, combined with travel to Australia and opening the bookstore, I dropped the ball. So I hope to catch up in the coming weeks. My apologies to any publishers/authors who were expecting something sooner.

The first book is “The Portable Seminary” edited by David Horton (Bethany House). At nearly 800 very full pages, there was no way I could get through the whole book, but I spent enough time with it, reading sections, to get a feel for it as a reference volume. As someone who has not had the benefit of a seminary education, this book provided a helpful framework to the basics of what one might expect to learn. With chapters from many respected authors, the reader is given an interesting, if concise, look into Theology, Biblical Languages and Interpre­tation, Background and Survey of both Old and New Testaments, Christian History, Apologetics and World Religions, Missions, Christian Education, Leadership, Christian Ethics, and more.

Of course, a book can never replace the dynamic learning environment of a classroom. In fairness, the editor and writers never intend it as a substitute. Rather, it is designed to serve as an introduction (or for some a refresher) to graduate-level seminar studies. I have often referenced it when discussing or writing on specific issues or wanted to explore something entirely new. In this way, the book is a fair to good resource.

As seminary education itself comes under scrutiny, it is inevitable that many of the same inadequacies are exaggerated in the book. Additionally, the content shows a clear bias in certain theological and doctrinal directions. The book would have benefited from a more challenging, questioning and differing set of perspectives. I would certainly not recommend it as a guiding theology primer for the uninformed, at least without some clear qualifications in advance.

So is it worth the $35USD or ($19USD on Amazon.com)? This will depend on the reader, their ability to think critically and their existing resource library. I would be a handy shared resource in a school or church, but perhaps not a must have for every Christian. In the end I see it as a decent book that more or less provided what one would expect it to. That is more than can be said of many books, so good on it!

Anyone else familiar with the book and want to weigh in?

During the holidays, while staying in Brisbane’s West End with Kim’s Aunt & Uncle, I wandered down the street to a great local book, Avid Reader Bookshop. As I browsed, I came across a copy of Dave Andrew’s book “Christi-Anarchy: Discovering A Radical Spirituality Of Compassion” (the Tafina Press edition) which I had been wanting to read for some time. Buying the book, I stepped out and sat on the front step and began to read. This was in the preface:

“Believe it or not, ‘Christi-Anarchy’ has been displayed as best seller in… Avid Books, a local West End book store, whose manager reported that it was so popular that people were stealing it off the shelves!”

Of course, I immediately slipped the receipt in the top pages of the book for all to see. What were the odds? (As it turned out, I was staying less than a block from where Dave Andrew’s home, which I walked by daily).

Before I get into the review, here is the write up on the back of the book:

Jesus Christ preached a gospel of love and peace with justice. But the history of the Christian religion is littered with every kind of evil.

What went wrong? How have we become a generation that is seeking God but rejecting organised religion? How can we rediscover the authentic message of Jesus?

This challenging book explores the reasons behind the atrocities committed in the name of Christ. It offers the vision of Jesus as a source of radical renewal of individuals and societies.

Author of ‘Can You Hear The Heartbeat?’ and ‘Building A Better World’, Dave Andrews show how we can be inspired by the model of Jesus’ compassion, and his hunger for justice, to work with marginal groups for real transformation in our world.

Prologue:

This book is particularly difficult to review for me as, while an excellent book, the prologue retells Dave’s unfortunate history of being kicked out of YWAM many years ago. During a time where YWAM was particularly drawn to sheparding movement, Dave was confronted by top YWAM leadership who saw their leadership and his submission in a dangerously hierachal, divinely appointed perspective. Dave acknowledges his own failures in the process, but the truth is that YWAM genuinely failed and wounded him (and others). This lays the foundation for the rest of the book- a grave injustice done in the name of Christ.

Chapter 1 - A History of Christianity: A History of Cruelty

Andrew’s begins by introducing us to a brief history of Christianity, with focus on the failures of our faith. It is broken into four historical eras:

-Councils, Creeds & Coercian: ca. AD 100-500
-Emperors, Popes & Power: ca. AD 500-1000
-Crusades, Inquisitions & Control: ca. AD 1000-1500
-Worldwide Evangelism, Witch Hunts & Genocide: ca. 1500-2000

From these captions, it is easy to discern the legitimate faults Andrew’s cites in his concise overview of Christian history. He makes valid critiques of the abuse of power and position, shifting the intent of Christ into something far more institutional, political and self-serving. It is an indictment of the way in which our faith has been embodied for centuries and for which we still pay a steep price.

Because the history is so brief with such a clear intention is hopes to realize, the chapter is also guilty of over simplication, unhelpful generalizations and unqualified judgments. For example, like many such histories, Constantine become culprit number one- the whipping boy for Christian failure. While he contributed to many negative aspects of Christian development, it is too easy to pin so much on him, all the while ignore any good he might have done (however little it may have been).

In the fourth and largest portion of the chapter, Andrew’s focuses on the last few centuries in greater detail. Again, most of his criticisms are fair. However, the same problem occurs here in respect to fair qualification. For example, in relating YWAM’s connection to Rios Montt, it would be difficult for readers not to assume that YWAM supported the man in his ruthless, state-sanctioned killing of thousands. In truth, while YWAM did support Montt’s rise to power after he became a “born again” Christian. However, this was long before any of his murderous actions had taken place- after which YWAM had nothing to do with him. Without question it is an embarressing point in YWAM’s history. However, the chapter fails to represent this aspect at all, again almost seeming to suggest quite the opposite.

I will acknowledge that, as a member of YWAM, these defences may sound like lame excuses. However, as much as love the community of YWAM worldwide, I am not blind to our failures, past and present. Most of Andrew’s critiques are fair. I correct them less out of an attempt to defend YWAM, but rather to argue that Andrew’s important points would have greater credibility without these points.

Be that as it may, the core content of the chapter is an important reminder of the history which accompanies Christianity. Andrew’s rightly reminds us that we can no more deny the significance of these events throughout history than we can their real and direct impact on our expressions of faith today. (Interestingly, Brian McLaren’s references this book as a good example of a constructively critical look at Church history in “A Generous Orthodoxy”, chpt. 1, pg. 53, footnote 22).

In my next post, I will look at Chapters Two (Christianity On Trial: Guilty As Charged?) and Three (Christianity Is Dead: Long Live Christi-Anarchy!)

Christi-Anarchy Book Review Dave Andrews YWAM Rios Montt History Christianity

Previous Post - Used Books For Sale

Recently, while doing research on St. Francis of Assisi for a new book I am working on, a friend mentioned the fairly recent novel “Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale” by Ian Morgan Cron (NavPress Publishing Group - July 5, 2006). I picked it upon a whim and was pleasantly surprised. In a style remeniscent to the fictionalize dialogues of McLaren’s “A New Kind Of Christian” trilogy, Cron demonstrates the important and relevant example St. Francis represents to the Church today.

From the back cover:

“Chase Falson has lost his faith-and he did it right in front of the congregation at his megachurch. Now the elders want him to take some time away: far away. So Chase crosses the Atlantic to visit his uncle, a Franciscan priest, where he encounters the teachings of Francis of Assisi and rediscovers his ancient faith. Follow Chase’s spiritual journey in the footsteps of Francis, and then begin one of your own through the pilgrim’s guide included in this book. Come discover Francis, the first postmodern Christian.”

This book is an excellent introduction to St. Francis, as well as how the older traditions of the church still have important lessons to teach us today. While there are clearly similarities between Chase Falson and Crom himself, it is a work of fiction. However, it could very well apply to many individuals and churches, be they mega-churches among wealthy New Englanders (the context of the story) or my own inner city ministry. While it won’t become a literary classic, I could only wish that my first novel would be this good.

Included in the book is an incredibly thorough and helpful study guide for personal or group use, meaning that those who might find the translation of ideas from fiction into their own context difficult will have immediate tools to help in the process. While not explicitly a book about the new monasticism, one can certainly see the seeds of it in the story. It presented for me a very accessible and enjoyable look at what it means to be missional Franciscan style.

So if the book is that good, why haven’t we heard more about it? Around the time “Chasing Francis” was released, NavPress lost several key members of its sales and marketing team, causing the book to receive a mediocre push. Thankfully, they have relaunched the book as of last month. Let’s help get this book the attention it deserves. Order a copy today and encourage others to do so too (again, the group study material is excellent). If you use the link above, a percentage will even go to support us as missionaries as well.

Anyone else read this? What did you think?