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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I crazy love so much with this book, there are some things which I crazy dislike about this book. But it had a huge effect on how I viewed my faith and how I saw the world.
A powerful critique of both complacent Christianity and politically correct "simple living"; a very difficult, uncomfortable read. Note to self: probably time to reread Bonhoeffer and Yoder.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
This 2006 book is an exploration, from the mind of author Shane Claiborne, as to how living a genuine Christian life can be done in 21st century America. Claiborne is an evangelical but a more left leaning thinker specifically with politics. In that case, this is a differing direction from the dominance that the "religious right" has over the church in America. Claiborne is distinctly different and a fierce critic of those sort of politics (he has written recent books against the death penalty and also challenging gun culture...neither of which I have read).
"The Irresistible Revolution" is less about politics though and more about Claiborne's search for a sincere Christian walk in contemporary America. Less preachy and revolving more around an autobiographical approach to Claiborne's life, he talks about meeting the Christian musician Rich Mullins (who took a vow of poverty), meeting Christ followers in Iraq after the start of the Iraq war, dumping $10,000 in coins and bills on Wall Street to redistribute income and his intentionally living in a poor area of Philadelphia (not sure if he still lives there but Kensington). His focus is on living a Christian faith based around belief, action and love.
Having sharp pointed elbows for megachurches and mega pastoral celebrities, Claiborne looks to model what he calls "The Simple Way" an organization he is involved with that seeks to create neighborhoods worth living in of which the description sounds like Acts 2. They have community meals, food distribution and collect money to help those in need.
The concept plays into his sub theme title on the book "living as an ordinary radical". In other words, a normal and everyday person challenging the common system. There is some of Claiborne's book that may not be fully fleshed out as far as the practical ideas go but there are other parts that are supremely compelling. Still other parts are very uncomfortable in a good way. How much has American consumerism shrouded our souls? How much has nationalism blinded us to the value of human beings living in other places?
"The Irresistible Revolution" is less about politics though and more about Claiborne's search for a sincere Christian walk in contemporary America. Less preachy and revolving more around an autobiographical approach to Claiborne's life, he talks about meeting the Christian musician Rich Mullins (who took a vow of poverty), meeting Christ followers in Iraq after the start of the Iraq war, dumping $10,000 in coins and bills on Wall Street to redistribute income and his intentionally living in a poor area of Philadelphia (not sure if he still lives there but Kensington). His focus is on living a Christian faith based around belief, action and love.
Having sharp pointed elbows for megachurches and mega pastoral celebrities, Claiborne looks to model what he calls "The Simple Way" an organization he is involved with that seeks to create neighborhoods worth living in of which the description sounds like Acts 2. They have community meals, food distribution and collect money to help those in need.
The concept plays into his sub theme title on the book "living as an ordinary radical". In other words, a normal and everyday person challenging the common system. There is some of Claiborne's book that may not be fully fleshed out as far as the practical ideas go but there are other parts that are supremely compelling. Still other parts are very uncomfortable in a good way. How much has American consumerism shrouded our souls? How much has nationalism blinded us to the value of human beings living in other places?
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
So far this book has been a great way of re-imagining what it means to be a Christian. I've used it at camp with kids and they have responded really well to it, especially because it seems to illustrate some really key points in the gospel. It's also just got some really cool stories.
(Written when I thought a bit differently. Review manually transferred from digital logs.)
This book is not well-written, it smacks of idealism and self-righteousness from time to time, and it's not realistic to think everyone that reads it is going to become an "ordinary radical" or "new monastic." What I think the reader will find by reading it is humor and a desire to shut the mouth and stop throwing money at "causes" and actually DO something. You can bitch all you want about how he's idealistic and crazy and hates authority, but I don't think there is any question that he and his fellows have a deep desire to follow Jesus authentically and "do" rather than "say." How many times have you walked out on the streets and talked to someone that was homeless or suffering? Not given them money or food or tried to convert them, but just talked to them? I can count the times I've done that on less than one hand -- twice. I'll bet most of you are at or below that two-finger mark as well. I need hands and feet of myself and a few friends to count the number of times Jesus did that in the Bible. So what this book did for me is to challenge me to get beyond my own damn self and my family, my friends, my house, my city, my-my-my and think about others and form a plan to go out and do with and for others. I think that's the majority of what he was getting at. I think that's precisely what you'll get out of this volume. If you don't, you need to examine your heart.
This book is not well-written, it smacks of idealism and self-righteousness from time to time, and it's not realistic to think everyone that reads it is going to become an "ordinary radical" or "new monastic." What I think the reader will find by reading it is humor and a desire to shut the mouth and stop throwing money at "causes" and actually DO something. You can bitch all you want about how he's idealistic and crazy and hates authority, but I don't think there is any question that he and his fellows have a deep desire to follow Jesus authentically and "do" rather than "say." How many times have you walked out on the streets and talked to someone that was homeless or suffering? Not given them money or food or tried to convert them, but just talked to them? I can count the times I've done that on less than one hand -- twice. I'll bet most of you are at or below that two-finger mark as well. I need hands and feet of myself and a few friends to count the number of times Jesus did that in the Bible. So what this book did for me is to challenge me to get beyond my own damn self and my family, my friends, my house, my city, my-my-my and think about others and form a plan to go out and do with and for others. I think that's the majority of what he was getting at. I think that's precisely what you'll get out of this volume. If you don't, you need to examine your heart.
