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A review by drbobcornwall
Hope and Other Superpowers: A Life-Affirming, Love-Defending, Butt-Kicking, World-Saving Manifesto by John Pavlovitz
3.0
We're living in difficult times. The economy is going pretty well. At least the Stock Market is going pretty well. But the nation and the world seem more divided than ever. So, where do we find hope?
"Hope and Other Superpowers" is the second book written by blogger and sometime pastor John Pavlovitz. I was asked to review the book and decided to accept the offer, though I hadn't read his previous book "A Bigger Table." I knew was becoming a well-known spokesperson for the "religious left." I knew he was highly critical of Donald Trump. But, I must admit I hadn't paid much attention to this message. So, I may have approached this particular book with certain expectations. That can be problematic.
The book draws on the stories of superheroes, such as Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Like many I have an affinity for such stories, having grown up with comic books and Superhero shows. I can see how a person might draw on such stories to tell stories of faith and life in general. The basic message here is that ordinary people have superpowers. We just may not realize that we have them. But, in this time of history, we need to take stock of them and begin using them in pursuit of a world-saving vision. Pavlovitz envisions this book as a manifesto calling forth activist for a world-saving mission.
Before I go further, I'll confess where I got things wrong. Because he is a pastor adn that is the primary designation on his back cover bio I assumed that God would play a role in the story. The fact is, Pavlovitz makes few references to God until in the book, and those references serve as a way of letting us know that this isn't a book about God. Since he's the author of the book, that is his right. I just expected something different. Once I realized that God wasn't going to make much an appearance (I realized this long before he made the confession) I was ready to pay attention to his message.
Pavlovitz suggests that the "vital question at the heart of these pages is, 'What kind of person does the world need right now?" (p. xiii). In answering that question, God is not necessarily needed. Thus, one needn't be religious to discover one's superpowers. One simply needs to understand that they are there to be accessed. With this as the premise of the book, Pavlovitz divides his book into three parts. The middle section being the longest of the three.
Part one sets the stage. In the four chapters that make up the section, the author informs us that there is a Hero in all of us. He speaks of the origins of superhero stories, secret identities weaknesses (kryptonite) and and resources (utility belts and armor suits). One of the assumptions here is that we all have adversaries to be overcome.
When we come to part two, the focus is on the superpowers themselves. He offers up eleven superpowers: compassion, sacrifice, courage, humor, humility, honesty, kindness, creativity, persistence, wonder, and gratitude. It is when he gets to wonder that he brings God into the equation, or at least the possibility of the divine. Again, he brings the stories of superheros in so as to illustrate these powers. Thus, with the power of honesty, he opens with a quote from Doctor Strange who declared "Truth is my shield." As we know, honesty is a commodity that is in play. He writes that "the world we live in now is one where truth has become fluid, where the people who best package the narrative, practically speaking, often determine what is real and what is false in order to exert their influence." (p. 121). Of course, Wonder Woman possessed the lariat of truth that could get truth out of even an unwilling person.
Finally, we come in part three to a section titled "Training Ground." In five chapters he reminds us that if we're to join in the act of saving the world, we need to train. As noted in chapter sixteen, "Flying and Falling," he writes that growth most often happens during moments of difficulty. That is is now. As he makes clear in the closing chapter the point of the book is to encourage us to discover our superpowers and take up the life of the activist. He writes that "at the end of your time here, the world will either be more or less kind, compassionate, generous, funny, creative and loving because of your presence in it --- and you alone get to choose." (p. 231).
Pavlovitz is a storyteller, and the book depends largely on stories. They are sometimes stories about his own life. At others he draws on stories of people he knows. Of course, there are the stories of the super heroes. I can't judge him for not doing as I wish he had. I've written a few books myself, though none as big a draw as his, but I know that the author gets to choose the subject and the method. Such is the case here. However, as a pastor myself, I would have liked to have heard whether God has a role here. In fact, I wonder if, in the midst of activism, there is room for grace.
"Hope and Other Superpowers" is the second book written by blogger and sometime pastor John Pavlovitz. I was asked to review the book and decided to accept the offer, though I hadn't read his previous book "A Bigger Table." I knew was becoming a well-known spokesperson for the "religious left." I knew he was highly critical of Donald Trump. But, I must admit I hadn't paid much attention to this message. So, I may have approached this particular book with certain expectations. That can be problematic.
The book draws on the stories of superheroes, such as Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Like many I have an affinity for such stories, having grown up with comic books and Superhero shows. I can see how a person might draw on such stories to tell stories of faith and life in general. The basic message here is that ordinary people have superpowers. We just may not realize that we have them. But, in this time of history, we need to take stock of them and begin using them in pursuit of a world-saving vision. Pavlovitz envisions this book as a manifesto calling forth activist for a world-saving mission.
Before I go further, I'll confess where I got things wrong. Because he is a pastor adn that is the primary designation on his back cover bio I assumed that God would play a role in the story. The fact is, Pavlovitz makes few references to God until in the book, and those references serve as a way of letting us know that this isn't a book about God. Since he's the author of the book, that is his right. I just expected something different. Once I realized that God wasn't going to make much an appearance (I realized this long before he made the confession) I was ready to pay attention to his message.
Pavlovitz suggests that the "vital question at the heart of these pages is, 'What kind of person does the world need right now?" (p. xiii). In answering that question, God is not necessarily needed. Thus, one needn't be religious to discover one's superpowers. One simply needs to understand that they are there to be accessed. With this as the premise of the book, Pavlovitz divides his book into three parts. The middle section being the longest of the three.
Part one sets the stage. In the four chapters that make up the section, the author informs us that there is a Hero in all of us. He speaks of the origins of superhero stories, secret identities weaknesses (kryptonite) and and resources (utility belts and armor suits). One of the assumptions here is that we all have adversaries to be overcome.
When we come to part two, the focus is on the superpowers themselves. He offers up eleven superpowers: compassion, sacrifice, courage, humor, humility, honesty, kindness, creativity, persistence, wonder, and gratitude. It is when he gets to wonder that he brings God into the equation, or at least the possibility of the divine. Again, he brings the stories of superheros in so as to illustrate these powers. Thus, with the power of honesty, he opens with a quote from Doctor Strange who declared "Truth is my shield." As we know, honesty is a commodity that is in play. He writes that "the world we live in now is one where truth has become fluid, where the people who best package the narrative, practically speaking, often determine what is real and what is false in order to exert their influence." (p. 121). Of course, Wonder Woman possessed the lariat of truth that could get truth out of even an unwilling person.
Finally, we come in part three to a section titled "Training Ground." In five chapters he reminds us that if we're to join in the act of saving the world, we need to train. As noted in chapter sixteen, "Flying and Falling," he writes that growth most often happens during moments of difficulty. That is is now. As he makes clear in the closing chapter the point of the book is to encourage us to discover our superpowers and take up the life of the activist. He writes that "at the end of your time here, the world will either be more or less kind, compassionate, generous, funny, creative and loving because of your presence in it --- and you alone get to choose." (p. 231).
Pavlovitz is a storyteller, and the book depends largely on stories. They are sometimes stories about his own life. At others he draws on stories of people he knows. Of course, there are the stories of the super heroes. I can't judge him for not doing as I wish he had. I've written a few books myself, though none as big a draw as his, but I know that the author gets to choose the subject and the method. Such is the case here. However, as a pastor myself, I would have liked to have heard whether God has a role here. In fact, I wonder if, in the midst of activism, there is room for grace.