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A review by latviadugan
The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right by Lisa Sharon Harper
4.0
Harper has given us a book with wisdom and value on every page. Combining biblical exegesis, historical insight, and personal testimony, she articulates the impact of the gospel on her as an African-American woman, yet also as a prophetic call eliciting a response from all of us.
In the first three chapters she draws on Genesis 1-3 to trace the biblical concept of shalom and how it was lost. She also discusses the idea of dominion and its relationship to being made in the image of God. The Gospel isn't merely about God's rescue, but his rule; not only about his grace, but about his governance. “The Good News was both about the coming of the Kingdom of God and the character of that Kingdom.”
The remainder of the book unpacks the implications of this in chapters such as “Shalom with God,” “Shalom Between Genders,” “Shalom and Race,” and “Shalom Among Nations” among others.
While Harper’s exegesis is generally evangelical, her applications might be considered left of center. Some would call this a faithful following of the gospel. Others might see it as appropriating the gospel in support of contemporary agendas. Each reader will have to ask whether or not Harper draws legitimate lines between the biblical concept of shalom and complex contemporary relationships with other nationalities, races, genders, family members, creation, ourselves, and God.
I have one criticism. Intentional or not, I believe Harper confuses shalom and the gospel. Though related, the two are not synonymous. The apostle Paul explicitly defines the gospel in Romans 1:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 as having to do with Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah and Lord, who died, rose again, and its now seated at the right hand of the Father. Any book on the gospel that doesn't address these two passages from Paul is not yet complete. This book is more about shalom than the gospel.
To be fair, she concludes the book looking at Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1). “When we encounter one of our Trees of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we must look to Jesus. He is our Creator. He is the author of shalom. He can show us the way to life.”
Jesus chose death on the cross (Hebrews 12:2). “’To ask for forgiveness is to die a small death.’ Yes. And I suppose humility is a small death too, the death of supremacy. Trust is a small death, the death of control. Truth is a small death, the death of lack of accountability. Reparation is a small death, the death of autonomy. To embrace the ‘other’ is a small death, the death of self-absorption.”
And now Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 12:2). “The path of the Cross, and the small deaths of repentance ... lead to life and resurrection. And in the light of resurrection, the big death has no sting. This gives me hope.”
My criticism is that this clear Christological center doesn’t appear until the final pages of the book. Had this proclamation been made at the beginning and had it been the thread that weaved the chapters together, her gospel would have been even more compelling. But better late than never.
Don't let this criticism keep you from reading the book. It's an important contribution to our understanding of the gospel and the degree to which it has impacted our lives and changed our thinking.
In the first three chapters she draws on Genesis 1-3 to trace the biblical concept of shalom and how it was lost. She also discusses the idea of dominion and its relationship to being made in the image of God. The Gospel isn't merely about God's rescue, but his rule; not only about his grace, but about his governance. “The Good News was both about the coming of the Kingdom of God and the character of that Kingdom.”
The remainder of the book unpacks the implications of this in chapters such as “Shalom with God,” “Shalom Between Genders,” “Shalom and Race,” and “Shalom Among Nations” among others.
While Harper’s exegesis is generally evangelical, her applications might be considered left of center. Some would call this a faithful following of the gospel. Others might see it as appropriating the gospel in support of contemporary agendas. Each reader will have to ask whether or not Harper draws legitimate lines between the biblical concept of shalom and complex contemporary relationships with other nationalities, races, genders, family members, creation, ourselves, and God.
I have one criticism. Intentional or not, I believe Harper confuses shalom and the gospel. Though related, the two are not synonymous. The apostle Paul explicitly defines the gospel in Romans 1:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 as having to do with Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah and Lord, who died, rose again, and its now seated at the right hand of the Father. Any book on the gospel that doesn't address these two passages from Paul is not yet complete. This book is more about shalom than the gospel.
To be fair, she concludes the book looking at Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1). “When we encounter one of our Trees of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we must look to Jesus. He is our Creator. He is the author of shalom. He can show us the way to life.”
Jesus chose death on the cross (Hebrews 12:2). “’To ask for forgiveness is to die a small death.’ Yes. And I suppose humility is a small death too, the death of supremacy. Trust is a small death, the death of control. Truth is a small death, the death of lack of accountability. Reparation is a small death, the death of autonomy. To embrace the ‘other’ is a small death, the death of self-absorption.”
And now Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 12:2). “The path of the Cross, and the small deaths of repentance ... lead to life and resurrection. And in the light of resurrection, the big death has no sting. This gives me hope.”
My criticism is that this clear Christological center doesn’t appear until the final pages of the book. Had this proclamation been made at the beginning and had it been the thread that weaved the chapters together, her gospel would have been even more compelling. But better late than never.
Don't let this criticism keep you from reading the book. It's an important contribution to our understanding of the gospel and the degree to which it has impacted our lives and changed our thinking.