A review by mattgroot1980
The Divine Magician: The Disappearance of Religion and the Discovery of Faith by Peter Rollins

4.0

I gave this book 4 stars less because I think the book works as a whole and more because of the quality ideas it contains. There are many great things about this book. Among them are an intriguing (and unintentional, according to brief Twitter interaction with the author) Buddhist reading of Genesis, and several very solid critiques of the way belief systems can function in people and communities. Yet, I was often confused by the tone and tactics Rollins employs: at times, he thinks he's being very extreme and radical when what he's saying would be assented to by the vast majority of my Christian friends, while at other times, he takes a legitimately radical position without supporting why such a radical approach is necessary or justified.

All told, the great benefit of this book is, in its own words, as an "agent of decay," that which demonstrates a system is dead.

Any person of faith (whether religious, political, or other) would do well to engage this text honestly and take the critique to heart.