A Holy Anarchism

In That Holy Anarchist, Mark Van Steenwyk, co-founder Missio Dei in Minneapolis and an editor at JesusRadicals.com, has given us a wonderfully concise primer on the intersection of Christianity and anarchism. This is a great book for those who may have an interest in such an intersection because it is both brief and easy to understand without too much oversimplification. It also provides suggestions for further reading for those who wish to explore this lifestyle on a deeper level.

Let's face it, authoritarian religions and regimes are comfortable to most people. They are easy and smooth, even as they cause suffering and bondage. The rules are set and the "us and them" paradigm is like a big La-Z-Boy recliner for those who are included in the "us" part of the deal. But for a growing number of people whose consciences have been whispering that something is dreadfully wrong with the world as it is ruled by the powers that be, this book may well provide a starting point in both understand and practicing a better way.

I particularly enjoyed the historic overview Steenwyk provided in A Brief Survey of Anarchic Christian History. Another section that stands out is Mystical Christo-Anarchist Practices. I think there are a significant number of people who hold varying degrees of the anarchist philosophy (like me), but have yet to figure out how to implement these philosophies in real-life practice. As Steenwyk says, "Our most pressing need is for practices that help us see the world through a different lens than that of imperial myth and civilizational programming." This book goes a long way in helping meet that need.

A Genuine Leather Edition of the NABRE from Oxford!

The Oxford New American Bible Revised Edition, Large Print Edition, bound in black genuine leather, is a real treasure for any person who is in the market for a Bible that is at once both readable and sturdy. Let's start with the cover. This Bible is bound in black genuine leather. So many Bibles these days - especially in this translation - are bound in imitation or bonded leather. Those covers will wear out quickly with moderate use. Genuine leather is the way to go. Very traditional and long-lasting, even with heavy use. The genuine leather cover is thick and tough and yet very pliable. The size is just about right, not too big and not too small. This Bible just feels great in your hands. When you hold it open in your hands you feel like you are holding a real Bible made in the old tradition. And it smells great, too!

The binding is smyth-sewn and will open flat after a little breaking in and some gentle use, which is really outstanding if you like to study at a desk or table. The page edges are gilded with gold and the Bible comes with a black ribbon marker. These days, almost all genuine leather Oxford Bibles come with thumb index. I would actually prefer that Oxford gave us the choice of thumb index or not, but they do not. The thumb index is nice if you need it or are used to it. I actually prefer my Bible without the index, though.

The paper is nice. Smooth, opaque, strong, and non-glare, so it doesn't tire the eyes. The print is quite large - 12 point, I'd guess - and is extremely readable. This is a "readers" Bible with references and copious study notes which follow each book of the Bible rather than interrupting the flow of the text. It is surprising just how many study notes are included; this really turns this edition into a study Bible for anyone who wants to use all the notes and references. There are also concise introductions at the beginning of every book. There is no concordance in this edition, however, and there are no maps.

The New American Bible (2011 Revised Edition) is one of the most accurate translations available. It is a joy to compare this translation with others. I've found that in most cases I prefer the rendering of a verse as it is given in the NABRE.

If you appreciate traditional Oxford quality, you will love this Bible. Easy to read, well-bound and designed to last a lifetime with normal use and care, this Bible is worth every penny you spend.

The Enoch Factor: The Sacred Art of Knowing God by Steve McSwain

The Enoch Factor: The Sacred Art of Knowing God is a book by my friend Dr. Steve McSwain. It's important that I call him my friend because “heretics” like us need all the friends we can get! I jest, of course, but wouldn't be surprised to find that a few might find a way to be offended by some of what he has written and attempt to relegate him to the “heretic” column without honestly examining what he is proposing in these pages. In spite of this possibility, let me just say that The Enoch Factor may well be one of the most “Christian” books you'll ever read.

Thoroughly saturated with the Holy Scriptures and other wisdom writings from throughout the ages, this book is a powerhouse! But the dynamite isn't in dogma or theology or even theory. The dynamite is in the deliverance from dogma, theology and theory into the freedom of an authentic walk with the One who transcends all dogma, theology and theory! Steve doesn't teach you all the things that are important to know about God. In fact, he doesn't talk much at all about what you should know about God. What Steve writes about is knowing God, not knowing “about” God. There's a huge difference. As he says on page 47, “To know God is the supreme purpose of life.”

The Enoch Factor is a hard-hitting book. No holds barred here. Parts of it will be uncomfortable – at least they were for me. In fact, you may end up not liking at all how Steve McSwain requires a close and unfiltered look at ourselves, but you'll be hard pressed to suggest that he did not tell you the truth as he has personally experienced it from a heart filled with the love of God. There are certain of Steve's perspectives that I have not yet been able to completely embrace, yet I feel that I have tapped into something profound in his words and stories. And that brings up another wonderful detail about this book: Steve McSwain is an outstanding storyteller! The unfolding of this divine panorama will keep the reader enmeshed and enthralled until the last page.

There are many precious jewels to be found in the pages of The Enoch Factor. The long chapter on Ego alone is worth the price of the book. It's an eye-opening revelation and a bondage-breaker for those who have spent years battling a foe they didn't even know existed.

Let me recommend that you acquire this book and examine what Steve has written. Allow yourself to ask the questions and to examine the answers which Dr. McSwain has uncovered in his own journey into an authentic life walking with the Presence of God day by day. If you are hungry for the authenticity that comes from a thoroughly examined life and the reality of change brought forth by an ongoing encounter with the imminent and transcendent Spirit of Life, read this book. You may well find that if Enoch walked with God, so can you!

A Review of Mystical Union by John Crowder

There are two things you should know about this book before you spend any money on it. First, there is absolutely nothing in this book that even vaguely resembles classic mysticism in any form. The followers of John Crowder call themselves the "New Mystics." Fair enough. But it would be disingenuous for them to portray anything he teaches as classic mysticism, because it is not mystical at all in that sense. If you are interested in the mystics, my suggestion would be to go to the mystics. Go to John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton and A.W. Tozer and other time-tested and authentic Christian mystics. Read Evelyn Underhill. Don't settle for an imitation when the authentic is available. Sure, delving into real mysticism will cost you something, but the fruits are far sweeter than the ready-made and easy-to-use alternative, trendy and cool as it may appear.

Second, although Crowder fancies himself just about the only true exegete of truth to the modern Church, what he's actually teaching in this book is a confusing blend of American cultural fundamentalism, sinless perfectionism and a strange sort of antinomian bondage wherein if a person does sin, they probably need to "get saved!" Crowder's theology is so jumbled he continually stumbles over himself in the confusion. For instance, on page 39, Crowder boldly asserts that, "Saved people don't sin." Then he immediately states that if you do sin you are either "an unbeliever" or just haven't been taught his peculiar method of not sinning. He attempts to twist a veritable cornucopia of scriptures into meaning precisely the opposite of what they say in order to prove his doctrine that believers don't sin, except sometimes, but not really, well maybe, perhaps, no, definitely not... He uses a plethora of off-beat Bible translations in order to attempt to prove the biblically unprovable.

Again, my suggestion is that if you are interested in the mystics and authentic Christian mysticism, then go to the mystics. If you want to know what the Bible teaches, read the Bible. If you'll stick to the simple and true path, you'll find that you will avoid the pitfalls and confusion that await those who seek shortcuts.

Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr - A Review

Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Fr. Richard Rohr is a much needed and deeply spiritual look into the two halves of our lives. Although Rohr has much to say to those who are engaged in the first half of their spiritual lives, this book is especially valuable to those of us over 40 (I'm on the far side of 50).

In order to fully appreciate and engage the second half of our spiritual lives, it is imperative that we realize we are no longer in that "container" which housed our earlier paradigm and outlook. We continue to grow up, to change, to mature, to become "elders." Without the wisdom of elders, we can find ourselves in a cauldron of error and disfunctionality as individuals, families, communities, and as a society. "Without elders, much of our history has been formed by juniors reacting, overreacting, and protecting their own temporary privilege, with no deep-time vision like the Iroquois Nation, which considered, 'What would be good for the next seven generations.'" (p 32). This is so evident in our American society right now, which is driven by contemporary greed, political pragmatism, and hateful cynicism. We need the wisdom of elders. And not everyone who is elderly is an elder. Many have never matured and grown out of the container of youthful immaturity. Rohr addresses this very carefully in this book. "Many of us cannot move ahead because we have not done the first task, learned from the last task, or had any of our present accomplishments acknowledged by others." (p 23).

Part of the wisdom of maturity is for helping the younger generations to learn from their own lives. "We are parts of social and family ecosystems that are rightly structured to keep us from falling but also, more importantly, to show us *how* to fall and also *how to learn* from that very falling. ... We are not helping our children by always preventing them from what might be necessary falling, because *you learn how to recover from falling by falling*." (p 28).

Fr. Rohr kicks over several sacred cows in this tightly-packed little book. But he also sheds a lot of light on who we are and who God intends us to be. "I am afraid that the closer you get to the Light, the more of your shadow you see. Thus truly holy people are *always* humble people." (p 132).

In the first half of life we settle for answers and organizations, according to Rohr. In the second half, we discover wisdom, gentleness, inclusion. "Basically, the first half of life is writing the text, and the second half is writing the commentary on that text." (p 143).

Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright

Surprised by Hope by Bishop N. T. Wright is a defense of the traditional eschatology of the mainstream church. Wright is quite eloquent and I always learn something when I read his books. This one is no exception. Here Wright journeys through the good, the bad, and the ugly landscape of current eschatology and compares it with his take on the beliefs of the early Christian believers. From time to time on this journey he ventures briefly onto more progressive roads-less-travelled, but (frustratingly for me!) he always retreats back into the safe haven of traditional orthodoxy. Wright does envision a future with hope - a hope based squarely in the resurrection of Christ - but he comes short of embracing the radical hope of a complete and ultimate cosmic renewal and unity in Christ, saying, "One cannot forever whistle 'There's a wideness in God's mercy' in the darkness of Hiroshima..." (p. 180). Those who still espouse that particular "wideness" will be disappointed by Wright's theory of hell: one in which sinners are stripped of their humanity and become "beings that were once human but now are not" who are "beyond hope" and "beyond pity" existing forever in "an ex-human state... no longer [exciting] in themselves or others the natural sympathy some feel even for the hardened criminal" (p. 182-183). This, despite the book's title, is not the kind of hope that entails the glorious vision of God as "all in all".

There are hints of Jurgen Moltmann in Wright's thoughts and concepts, but the hope which surprises him is not nearly as startling and comprehensive as that put forth by Moltmann. Consider this from Moltmann's The Coming of God: "True hope must be universal, because its healing future embraces every individual and the whole universe. If we were to surrender hope for as much as one single creature, for us God would not be God." (p. 132). The parts of the book that reflected Moltmann were the most enjoyable to me.

Let me also add that one of my concerns in this book is Wright's caricature of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. It is either a caricature or Wright does not fully understand Teilhard. Chardin comes across in this book as something of a secular progressive who was looking starry-eyed into a glorious future accomplished by a godless evolution alone. This is simply not what Teilhard taught or believed.

Having mentioned a couple of my concerns, let me happily say that there are some great concepts and paragraphs throughout the book - too many for me to quote here. But I will indulge you with one on the subject of what Wright calls collaborative eschatology: "Because the early Christians believed that resurrection had begun with Jesus and would be completed in the great final resurrection on the last day, they believed that God had called them to work with him, in the power of the Spirit, to implement the achievement of Jesus and thereby to anticipate the final resurrection, in personal and political life, in mission and holiness. It was not merely that God had inaugurated the 'end'; if Jesus, the Messiah, was the End in person, God's-future-arrived-in-the-present, then those who belonged to Jesus and followed him and were empowered by his Spirit were charged with transforming the present, as far as they were able, in light of that future" (Page 46).

My take on the book is that it is very well written, it is a joy to read, and it will be especially appreciated by those who want to see an outstanding apologetic on orthodox amillennialism from a perspective they may not have encountered before.

A People's History of Christianity by Diana Butler Bass

Diana Butler Bass does a fine job of writing a history of Christianity in the vein of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. Instead of focusing on what Butler Bass calls "Big-C Christianity: Christ, Constantine, Christendom, Calvin, and Christian America," she unfolds the history of the faith through the stories of the little people and the grassroots movements. This provides for a fascinating and extremely refreshing understanding of our past and an illumination of the effects it has had upon our present and possibly our future.

This is the other side of Christian history, or as Paul Harvey might have said, the rest of the story. There are great lessons and cautionary tales herein concerning what it means to radically follow Jesus Christ, especially in the face of opposition from the powers that be, both pagan and hierarchical. Butler Bass provides a cool drink of water for many of us who have found that power, prosperity and aggression are not necessarily signs of God's grace and favor, in other words, those who oppose the current captivity of the church by American Cultural Religion and the exportation of that demonic malformation to the rest of our planet.

A People's History is a salve for the hurting. Well written, innovative, redemptive, open and honest; the story of God's people rather than the hierarchy's Towers of Babel. I particularly appreciate how Butler Bass tells our story from the perspective of Jesus, ethics and devotion rather than from the perspective of power, dogma and conquest.

"More than anything else," says Butler Bass, "Christianity is a love song." That is so evident in her lyrical look at the story. Our story. The story of the "Generative Christians" who live a faith that births new possibilities of God's love into the world; transformative rather than hierarchical, formative instead of triumphant, gracious rather than merely victorious. This is a book that has found a permanent place on my bookshelf from whence it shall be often retrieved. I highly recommend it to everyone, and particularly to those who follow Christ. The story is still being unfolded!

This new paperback edition also includes a study guide.

Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis

Surprised By Joy is an eye-opening autobiography of C. S. Lewis's childhood, education, and journey from atheism to theism. Many who are only familiar with his better known works (such as the Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity) may be shocked at how honest and open Lewis is about the people, places, and incidents that helped shape him. In Surprised By Joy, Lewis journeys through churchdom, atheism, the occult, academia, and finally arrives at a knowledge of God. It is all about growing up. Many Christians may find this book a bit disturbing. But we need to be disturbed. Why be satisfied with a caricature when the reality is available?

One thing I have always loved about Jack Lewis is his unpretentious honesty. There is never even a hint of fakery or pride in his books. He is the anti-televangelist. He comes to his readers perhaps even a bit embarrassed, but nonetheless open and honest in his experiences, his questions, and his discoveries.

I am grateful to see a resurgence of popularity in the works of C. S. Lewis. Even though he wrote in the mid-20th century, many of his explorations and questions need to be re-explored and re-asked in the 21st century. One of the oft-neglected questions he asked was about the fulfillment of paganism by Christ. Many Christians can see the fulfillment of Judaism in Christianity, but Lewis goes further. One of his complaints: "No one ever attempted to show in what sense Christianity fulfilled Paganism or Paganism prefigured Christianity." (p. 62). He asks, "Where has religion reached its true maturity? Where, if anywhere, have the hints of all Paganism been fulfilled?" (p. 235). Lewis writes, "That is why I often find myself at such cross-purposes with the modern world: I have been a converted Pagan living among apostate Puritans." (p. 69).

A thoroughly enjoyable look into the early life of a great author.

On the Incarnation: Thoughts

On the Incarnation is a short but profound volume. St. Athanasius writes with simplicity, authority, and more than a bit of wonder at the very idea that a person would disbelieve the present reality of the incarnate, risen, and reigning Christ. "Even if their mental faculties are defective," says Athanasius, "surely their eyes can give them irrefragable proof of the power and Godhead of Christ."

For Athanasius Christ is saturated and saturating all the more everday into everything, every part of life, every dimension, seen and unseen, imagined and beyond imagination. "The Self-revealing of the Word is in every dimension - above, in creation; below, in the Incarnation; in the depth, in Hades; in the breadth, throughout the world. All things have been filled with the knowledge of God."

Athanasius speaks of a risen Christ, a cosmic Christ, who manifests great power through his people, and I wonder, where is this power today? The reality of the power of the cosmic Christ seems to have been exchanged for political agenda, religious showmanship, and a shallow pop culture veneer which shimmers and twinkles today and is gone tomorrow. It is tragic to me that the Christ whom this Egyptian father knew so well in the 4th century has been replaced by the materialistic Christianity of 21st century America. But there is a light beginning to shine on Athanasius' continent. The reigning Christ is beginning to once again manifest in the same power Athanasius knew so well in Africa and in other third world countries. My prayer is that I may see the reformation of American minds during my lifetime. A.W. Tozer wrote, "Complacency is the deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted." I'm not sure what it will take for the self-satisfied Christians of our time to toss away their self-made caricatures of Christ and start desiring the real deal, but I sure would love to witness the same power in my neighborhood and in my church and home that Athanasius wrote about in De Incarnatione Verbi Dei.

On the Incarnation - "Old Books"

After recently reading The Shack (which I liked), I have followed the advice of C.S. Lewis and am currently reading On the Incarnation: De Incarnatione Verbi Dei by St. Athanasius.

The forward was written by Lewis and in it he says, "The only safety [to the dangers of an exclusively contemporary diet of books] is to have a standard of plain, central Christianity ('mere Christianity' as Baxter called it) which puts the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective. Such a standard can be acquired only from the old books. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones."

"The only palliative is to keep the clean breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can only be done by reading old books."

To Build the Pleroma: A Review of Teilhard de Chardin's The Divine Milieu

A very readable theology of the divinisation of our activities and passivities.

The basic idea is that most Christians see their lives, their work, their play, their interests, as separate from the sanctification and unification with God that they desire. We feel like the living of our everyday lives is nonproductive (or even counterproductive) to the life in Christ that bring us to maturity and wholeness in Him. We hold faith and life in two different hands. Many believers actually begrudge their occupations, their interests, as enemies of the life of God being formed in them. This has been true in my own life. For years I would not read any fiction because I felt that life was short and I had no time for "trivial" matters like literature and poetry. My reading was self-limited to nonfiction and theology. Some people will only listen to "Christian" music. Some will watch only "Christian" television.

Teilhard de Chardin was well aware of the anxiety of dualism in our understanding of life and activity. For Chardin, the main point was for us to simply see things as they really are. Teilhard believed that each soul exists for God, and each soul is linked in mystical union to the Incarnate Word. The universe, says Teilhard, exists for the soul. "Everything forms a single whole" and exists for the glory of God. "We must perceive the existence of links between us and the Incarnate Word" and the "interconnections revealed to us in every order of the physical and human world."

Through this interconnectedness (sounds really Zen-like, doesn't it?), God is fulfilling St Paul's words in Romans 8.18-23. "The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." Teilhard says, "In each soul, God loves and partly saves the whole world..." And God does this through our activities! "Owing to the interrelation between matter, soul and Christ, we bring part of the being which he desires back to God in whatever we do" (emphasis his). We do this "to build the Pleroma." (The consummation of "the mystery of the creative union of the world in God," i.e., the kingdom of God in its completed form).

This is the divinisation of our activities. If we but see that we are workers together with God in all that we do, that vision brings an excitement and joy to our everyday, mundane, ordinary lives. Through living those lives God saves the world. "But it is essential to see - to see things as they are and to see them really and intensely."

"By virtue of the Creation and, still more, of the Incarnation, nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see."

"Right from the hands that knead the dough, to those that consecrate it, the great and universal Host should be prepared and handled in a spirit of adoration."

Our lives have divine responsibility. We are to give them wholly to God. Not by making them religious, but by truly seeing that there is no such thing as a division between religious and secular. The universe is the Lord's, and "the Christian knows that his function is to divinise the world in Jesus Christ." As we do this, a transparency occurs. We learn to see in all things the continual creation of God and the beauty of the ultimate unity in Christ.

[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ..." (Ephesians 1.10 AMP)

"...in him all things were created...and in him all things hold together..." (Colossians 1.16-17 NRSV)