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theologiaviatorum 's review for:
The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior
by Steven Garber
informative
medium-paced
Ever since I entered ministry one question has haunted me above all. It has been THE driving question behind all of my studies. "How does one develop the character of Christ?" Ultimately, of course, holiness is a gift. But in what sense do we participate in the process? Put another way, what practices or "habits of the heart" help us to assume a posture conducive to the reception of such a gift? This book seeks to offer some answers to these questions. He suggests that there are three habits of the heart which help Christians to integrate belief and behavior into one coherent whole. "What are these habits of heart? [1] Forming a worldview that can make sense of my life in the ever-secularizing, ever-pluralizing world, of my beliefs about God and truth, the human condition, good and evil, joy and sorrow; [2] finding a mentor who embodies these convictions, as the truest truths are taught and learned only as we look over the shoulder and through the heart of someone who shows that the words can be made flesh, that the ideas can have legs; [3] and making the choice time and again to link up, heart and mind, with a community of kindred spirits, people who together are committed to a coherent life where liturgy, life, learning and labor is understood as seamless" (197). The burden of the book is to show how these three habits are necessary to connect belief and behavior, especially throughout one's college years. Stanley Hauerwas said of this work, "If there is any book I would want to give to a son or daughter going off to college, it would be this one" (from back cover). While I think Hauerwas' praise is overstated, it was an enjoyable read. Garber frequently includes illustrations from literature, film, music, art, and personal interactions to "take the pulse" of the American heart. Anyone interested in what it takes to develop a faith that endures will find this book to be a benefit.