Reseñas
Most of the book is about Gushee himself and his life as a Baptist professor and leader. I was not familiar with who Gushee was, but looked him up after reading the book which gave a bit more insight. As a professor, he faced a wide variety of situations and felt safe being part of the Baptist community.
The shift happens as the church moves to a right wing, conservative, and evangelical church attacking environmentalism, the LGBTQ community, and a wide variety of topics. Gushee tells the story of how that happens gradually, yet quite intentionally. This was a planned movement that was strategically done to put the right people into leadership positions while pushing out the more moderate leaders until the church and all the colleges were taken over.
The amazing thing about the book is even though he is telling the story of his church, he is also essentially talking about the shift within the US, especially within the GOP.
I am not sure I would recommend the book to a larger group, but I found his sections on why global warming was threatening to the evangelical community was fascinating. It opened a whole new insight into an argument I do not understand how one could argue with it.
I gave this one 3.5 stars.
Still Christian is the inside story of one person’s move from Catholicism to fundamentalism to net-evangelicalism to his present position. As Gushee puts it:
‘So this book will resolve my inner conflicts, profile some fascinating people, dish some really interesting dirt, explain the culture wars—and talk about what God might have to do with any of this.’
But not for one moment did he stop believing in the risen Christ - hence the title of this book Still Christian. He writes:
‘I still believe in Jesus. Indeed, I believe in him more than ever. I need him more than ever. Some days the only thing I have left of my Christianity is Jesus. And that’s okay.’
Whatever you think of Gushee’s present views this book provides a fascinating insider account of some recent trends in evangelicalism; obviously, he is only presenting one side, but in many ways, that is what makes this book such a great read. His view of evangelicalism may be slightly warped but it has more than a smidgin of truth:
‘But hard experience over several decades leads me now to conclude that evangelicalism was in one sense a rebranding effort on the part of a cadre of smart fundamentalists around 1945.’
And
‘My analysis is that if evangelicals are best identified as essentially a massively successful rebranding effort of old-school fundamentalism, the starting point from which the modern evangelical community emerged was obscurantist and provincial, routinely anti-intellectual, antiscience, and antimodern. It has only been seventy years since evangelicalism emerged from this musty closet, and it sometimes shows.’
Gushee is honest with his struggles and this is one of the things that makes this book so interesting. It is certainly worth reading. I for one am glad to have read it - even though I wouldn’t agree with everything that Gushee holds; not least his view of Calvinism: ‘This is my best chance to say that I believe the resurgence of a doctrinaire Calvinism in contemporary evangelicalism is among the most odious developments of the last generation.’ It is a bold book and hopefully, evangelicals will read it and take time to reflect on his criticisms.
In fairness, perhaps this is as personal as he's willing to be and he's just a relatively private person. That is, of course, his own prerogative, but it leaves me as a reader wanting a lot more.
David P. Gushee thinks there are good warrants for American Christians who love their country to be anxious--the erosion of a Christian consensus, the economic jolts we have faced as a country, the deep fractures along lines of race and values that we have experienced, the violence of our streets, and the instances where police have also exercised force unjustly. Written in the run up to the 2016 presidential election, Gushee explores what it means both to face the issues that arouse such fear, and step back from the fractured political discourse to try to think as Christians about what it means to live into our faith instead of being governed by our fears (and perhaps those who play upon them).
He writes:
"...the assumption lying behind this book is that it is okay for Christians to care enough about the country they live in to be anxious about it. It is, indeed, perfectly acceptable for Christians to be patriots, to love their country with a robust and full heart. Many of my fellow Christian leaders do not agree with me on this, and they have good reasons for their views. Mainly their worry is that American Christians, in particular, have a hard time distinguishing between God and country when they attempt to love and serve both. I think that I can point to a path of critical, informed patriotism through the various reflections offered here. But I acknowledge that I do love this country, and precisely because I do, I want it to be the best country it can be. If you agree, read on."
The rest of the book consists of twenty reflections (letters) divided into two parts. The first eight are an exploration of who we are as a country of Americans, the place of Christians within that, how we understand our form of government and the development of political parties, the state of our civic character, and how Christians might think about patriotism. He helps his readers understand the changing place of the church in this country and how we might think about that. What I appreciated best were some of his reflections on how we are and are not a Christian nation--both the Christian influences upon our institutions and the fact that no nation can be a "Christian nation" as Israel was the people of God. Gushee is able to speak honestly both about our flaws and injustices as a nation, as well as commend the cultural goods that might be observed and built upon. He commends a kind of patriotism that is not an "America first" mentality but rather a wanting what is best of this country for all of its people while being mindful of our place in the world.
The second part of the book then considers how we might move from fear to faith in addressing some of the fearsome challenges we face:
Race: a call for white majority Christians to listen.
Police: while commending most law enforcement personnel, pressing for greater oversight and rooting out of unjust policing practices.
Sex: as one who has previously endorsed gay marriage in the civil sphere, he argues that our focus is better spent on the more casual and thoughtless expressions of sexuality and its heart-wrenching consequences.
Abortion: while deeply troubled by a casual approach to abortion, especially late-term abortions, and favoring some legal restrictions on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and threats to the life of a mother, he argues for greater focus on preventing pregnancies that would lead to abortion.
Aliens: here, he would like to see reforms proposed before our recent election cycle for comprehensive immigration reform that both secures borders while providing some path for undocumented persons who have not broken other laws to gain some kind of legal status.
Guns: this is one he speaks deeply and passionately about, questioning whether the founders had in mind the proliferation of weaponry we see.
Money: he calls us beyond competitive greed to a generosity with our resources.
Climate: he decries that denial of climate change and the partisan impasse that leads to doing nothing while creation suffers, and with it many of the most vulnerable.
War: we have been at war for most of the last century. While nations must protect themselves, he argues there are many tools and Christian should press for the nonviolent ones to be used insofar as possible and for constitutional processes to be protected.
Executions: the death penalty is an anomaly, the consequence for only a handful of murders, and often inequitably applied at great cost to our system.
Education: a call to pursue the best possible education for all our people. Surprisingly, he calls for removing tenure and union protections of incompetence while saying students, teachers, and parents all are required to make this work.
Health-care: all of God's children should have access to affordable and adequate care. A generous patriotism doesn't want any to fall through the cracks.
The strength of this book is that it articulates an ethic that is broadly pro-life, and expands upon what would be a generous and faith-informed vision of patriotism. Obviously, not all will agree with all he commends. I personally took issue with what I thought a cavalier treatment of Romans 13 about authority that imputed Paul's statements to his privileged status as a Roman citizen. I thought this was biblical eisegesis and unnecessary to make his case against unlawful use of police force.
Because Gushee tries to cover so much ground, especially in the second part of the book, in a series of short reflections, many of his recommendations, which tend to echo more progressive positions in most cases, come with relatively little biblical or theological argument, nor is there much of an effort to address opposing views. As a result, my sense is that the book will be re-assuring to those of Gushee's "anxious friends" from a more progressive outlook, but dismissed by his conservative "anxious friends." Nor do I feel it will promote dialogue between these factions within the Christian community who are anxious for very different reasons (it's telling to me for example that he is silent about issues of religious liberty). I found Russell Moore's Onward a far more helpful resource for promoting this kind of engagement.
Perhaps the two might better be read together. Perhaps the places they differ might open up the safe space for Christians to wrestle toward an ethic of societal engagement that is neither left nor right but distinctively Christian. I think that is what both authors would want. And for Gushee, an ethic of faith working through love is much preferable to one that resides and responds in fear.
______________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher via a pre-publication e-galley through Edelweiss. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
From Fear to Faith in Unsettled Times
by
David P. Gushee
© 2016 David P. Gushee
First Edition Published by
Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY
ISBN 9780664262686
The dedication page of this book sets the tone immediately with: "To every Christian who tries to love America".
If you are a Christian in America today, you know exactly where this book is headed. It is headed to the fall of a great nation, encouragement to the Saints of today, and the promise of a new world to come.
Gushee is new to me, as I haven't read any of his works before. But I am fully on board with his style. And mostly, his message.
This book couldn't have come at a better time in America's history. Our Country has been torn apart from the latest elections. Recessions. Depressions. Lack of moral fiber. Laws protecting the accused but not the victim in crimes.
All the while, Christians are faced with the ever increasing de-Christianization of America. We can't post the 10-Commandments. We can't say the Lord's Prayer in our schools. If we stand up for what we believe in, we're called fanatics. We're ostracized and put down.
So, how does the Christian today stay faithful, and keep his/her eye on the prize Christ set before us without losing the very essence of what Christ taught us?
Gushee brings things to a simple answer. It's always been simple. It's just not the easy road to follow.
But, then, we are told, "Wide is the gate, and narrow the road,". And we must stick to that narrow road that leads to our rewards. We cannot give in to the ways of the world. We must live in the world, but not of the world.
This is a must read for all Christian in America today. A very real eye opener. And a message that lets us know, we are not in this alone.
This book is available in print or Kindle.
I give this
Five Stars
and...
a big
Thumbs Up!
I also give this my
Highly Recommended Award.
DISCLAIMER: This book was provided by Amazon Vine in exchange for an independent and non-biased review. You can find the book Here for purchase.
The great mistake of this book is that it treats sections of the Sermon on the Mount as impossible ideals which Jesus never meant for us to live up to; impossible ideals which the authors label "traditional righteousness" and which they insist cause a "vicious cycle" that can only be redeemed by a "transforming initiative". The writers insist that "Jesus offered not hard sayings or high ideals but concrete ways to practice God's will and be delivered from the bondage of sin." In fact, the authors openly confess that their aim is to "rescue the Sermon from the antitheses interpretation as perfectionistic prohibitions." Because men and women in our generation have failed to live up to the "hard teachings" of the Sermon, the authors have offered an alternative that makes the Sermon on the Mount a whole lot more manageable - so manageable a non-believer could do it. This, of course, is where their 'tridactic' theory (traditional righteousness, vicious cycle, transforming initiative) falls apart. The entire point of the law (as given in the Old Testament and restated by Christ) is to empty men and women everywhere of all their self-sufficiency. It is like a schoolmaster whose very purpose is to lead us to Jesus. The law does, in fact, demand the impossible. But this, of course, is the wonder of the gospel: that in Christ we can not only be free from the condemning power of the law (which insists that we are guilty), but frees us also to do and to delight in the law. Yet, this is precisely why we need regeneration. Only 'new creatures' can delight in a standard that demands perfection and what they cannot ever hope to accomplish in their own strength.
It is deeply distressing that the authors would choose to accomodate the message of Scripture to a contemporary context rather than calling men and women to those very standards that God Himself demands. Yes, the Church has often failed and much of that failure is the fault of nominal Christianity, but don't lower the standards and change the message to satisfy and comfort an impoverished and compromised Church. Call us rather to repentance. Insist, that we were made and meant for so much more, and tell us what the gospel can do not only to pardon and forgive but also to create and transform.
In the first half of his work, Gushee details the major players, organizations and worldviews that constitute what he sees as a distinct Evangelical Right, Left and Center. On the Right he chronicles the rise of such influential organizations as Focus on the Family and the American Family Association, among others. Gushee agrees with the way in which the Right is able to speak out on abortion and the sanctity of marriage, but faults them for at times having too narrow of an issue base, and at other times for merely adopting the Republican Party platform wholeheartedly.
The Evangelical Left consists mainly of the personalities of Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo and the organizations that they have built around them, but there are many other organizations that embody a liberal approach to politics as well. While the Left, and especially Wallis, tend to view themselves as a mediator between the Secular Left and the Evangelical Right, Gushee rightly points out that most of the ire of those on the Left is directed at the Right. As is to be expected, Gushee praises the Left for being able to widen the agenda of the Evangelical world, especially in the realm of social justice and their reliance on Jesus and His message in the Sermon on the Mount. However, they can fall vulnerable to losing their self-proclaimed prophetic roll when they refuse to speak out on issues that make them feel uncomfortable, most notably homosexuality and abortion.
The thrust of Gushee’s argument comes in his description and advocacy for the Evangelical Center. He notes the many different venues from which the Center is emerging, the more prominent of which would be the National Association of Evangelicals, Christianity Today, activist Ron Sider, and mega-church pastors such as Rick Warren and Joel Hunter. The hallmark of the Center is their ability to hold to the traditional Evangelical stances on the issues of abortion and protecting marriage, but also being able to include a broader scope of concerns that includes poverty, the environment, torture, and racism just to name a few.
Gushee takes a much different approach in the second half of his book, using it to articulate the centrist position on a few key issues, including: torture, the environment, marriage and war. While at times it could be argued that Gushee is approaching the subject with a more leftward leaning stance than centrist, all in all he does a good job of promoting both a biblical argument and innovative solutions. At the very least, Gushee should be respected for attempting to strike the delicate balance that the Center should hold, even if at times he comes across as a little more liberal than centrist.
The Future of Faith in American Politics is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the current state of Evangelical politics, but more importantly, Gushee does a wonderful job of showing what the future of Evangelical political engagement will be. Even if one does not agree with all the conclusions Gushee comes to, it is important to make the same efforts he does, putting the Word of God at the forefront of our political positions and attempting to break free of the partisan structure that so often captivates our political ideologies.
Kolburt Schultz
faithfulwithpolitics.blogspot.com
Gushee begins with a helpful overview and critique of the history of the religious right and the religious left, argues that an evangelical center is emerging that belongs in neither camps, and then moves on to give his views (representative of the evangelical center he described) on four crucial issues: torture, the family, the environment, and war.
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"This is how our minds can be changed--'transformative encounters with real human beings.' Such encounters, Gushee argues, are an experience of God's Spirit at work. And if that is what is going on--if God's Spirit is at work and on the move--then the tribal gatekeepers frightened by this book have very good cause to be frightened indeed." (Fred Clark, Slacktivist Blog.) From http: //bit.ly/2r337K6
"While I disagree with Gushee's conclusion, I actually agree with his pastoral heart and I resonate very much with his loving posture toward LGBT people. More than that, I too want to join the crusade in ending hateful, judgmental, dehumanizing and damning rhetoric that's been lobbed like grenades across the island, blowing up the 'others.' I concur with David when he says: 'I will henceforth oppose any form of discrimination against you. I will seek to stand in solidarity with you who have suffered the lash of countless Christian rejections. His words are scandalously close to Jesus's posture with the woman caught in adultery, who by law should have been stoned. Jesus, quite literally, stood in solidarity with the woman, fresh off her adulterous affair. Jesus didn't affirm her sin, but He affirmed her humanity. And that's where many on the evangelical right need to grow. We need to be more like Jesus. We need to repent from our unchristian rhetoric, our tone, our posture. We need to recognize that unloving speech spackled over with a thin veneer of truth is a religious charade." (Preston Sprinkle, Theology in the Raw.) From http: //bit.ly/2r2UDD7
"David Gushee is arguably the preeminent Evangelical ethicist of our time. Until this book, that is, which is more than a book. It is an event and it is one that will propel Gushee outside the camp of approved Evangelical scholars. But this is where Jesus did his best work. It is the place where the gospel first happened for all people. Gushee's book will draw many Evangelicals to find Jesus outside the camp with his vulnerable gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender followers, those who have suffered in exile for a very long time. The thing you will notice in Changing Our Mind, beyond the faithful scholarship, is Gushee's voice. Words do matter and the thoughts they convey. But the good shepherd is known primarily by his voice. Gushee's voice is by turns warm, pastoral, prophetic, irenic, careful, authoritative, humble, sorrowful, repentant and even occasionally funny. Gushee's new book is a great read. But his mission is deadly serious. Gushee is out to save the lives of people living with the stigma of sexual minority status. And he is out to save the soul of the Evangelical church, so that it can be good news for all people again." (Ken Wilson, author of A Letter to my Congregation.) From http: //bit.ly/2r3bXrF
Changing Our Mind has helped thousands of families and congregations carefully and compassionately rethink traditional religious teachings about full LGBTQ inclusion.
Christian denominations and churches everywhere struggle with the issue of LGBTQ inclusion. With growing scientific evidence, our wider society has taken big steps, but too many religious families and communities have not kept up. As much as ever, many people still experience deep condemnation by evangelical and other churches, getting kicked out or altogether leaving. Dr. David Gushee offers a powerful, inspiring message of hope and healing by helping Christians to return to Bible study, prayer, and reflection in a way that creates a vision for a more inclusive church.
Arguably America's leading Christian ethicist, Gushee has written many helpful books for churches, discussion groups, and individuals. He is the author of the "Evangelical Declaration Against Torture" and drafted the "Evangelical Climate Initiative." His Kingdom Ethics is on pastors' bookshelves nationwide. Now, in what he describes as the most important book of his career as a Christian teacher, Gushee gives us this encouraging discussion on how he changed his mind.
From his own careful Bible study, research, and prayer, Gushee takes us along an conversational theological journey. In one book, he concisely marks out every single component of historic Christian sexual morality. He covers all of the relevant biblical passages and all the theological positions, including the key argument of creation. With a careful study of context and biblical language, he walks us through a principled discussion that is respectful of traditionalists while calling for inclusion and the end of contempt. This definitive third edition also includes Gushee's response to critics and a study guide for small group discussion.
Author Brian McLaren calls Changing Our Mind "deep, thoughtful and brilliant . . . [and] refreshingly clear and understandable." It is an eminently useful handbook for any individual or organization that wants to better contextualize traditional church teachings, which have been and must continue to change.