Incredible book. Challenged me and gave me hope.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29864 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In the first half of this powerful but frustratingly opaque book, debut author Rollins summarizes some of the theological ideas that the so-called emerging church is currently exploring: the importance of doubt and silence, the limits of apologetics, and the idea that God is concealed even as God is revealed. He skillfully scrutinizes Christian teaching though the lens of postmodern (especially deconstructionist) theory, and argues that Christians should both affirm their views of God and recognize that those views are inadequate. The second half comprises a set of liturgies that Rollins's religious community, an Irish group called Ikon, has employed. One service explores "divine absence" through a parable and a reading from Pascal. A ceremony for Advent uses sackcloth and ashes to highlight the penitential nature of the season. If most of these liturgies are affecting, some are a little hokey—in a concluding service called "Queer," for example, participants wrap stones, representing their prejudices, in Bubble Wrap. While this may prove an important book for some younger Christian leaders, dense prose will limit its audience: "God's interaction with the world is irreducible to understanding, precisely because God's presence is a type of hyper-presence." Nonetheless, a very enthusiastic foreword from Emergent elder statesman Brian McLaren will help create buzz. (Aug.)
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Customer Reviews

Laborious, but worth it
"How (Not) to Speak of God" is a difficult, difficult read. It is dense, packed with theological terms old and new and intensely circuitous. But the points it makes are supremely important, ushering in a new era in thinking about Christianity. Peter Rollins, the author, effectively bridges the divide between Christianity and postmodern thought. His thesis, in essence, is that the two ways of thinking do not cancel each other out. Just because Christianity isn't universally true and can't be proved, doesn't mean it doesn't contain some level of truth and important meaning. In short, if we know we can know nothing conclusively about God, then even what we reject may in fact be true. What's important is that we not force, by authority or obligation, either the affirmation or denial of God. In fact, we do God injustice if we try to prove his reality or define him completely. What emerges out of this is Rollins' requirement that Christianity, or really any type of religion, be organic, uncertain and aware of doubt. But this Christianity is alive, fluid and authentic, in contrast to many forms of Christianity found today. It's an extremely complex and subtle argument, which I'm probably not doing nearly enough justice to here. But trust me: it's eye-opening and extremely significant. The services in the second half of the book are not as essential nor as impressive as the philosophy presented in the first half, but it is interesting to see how the ideas are played out in practice.

creative, insightful, prophetic
i don't say this lightly: this is one of the best books i've read on the emerging church (and i've read my share). i was blown away by pete's ability to explain things in both ways both articulate and not sounding like a ticked-off child of evangelicalism, yearning for a break from his past. i admit, a good chunk of what has been written in the emerging church world has that ring to it -- and this doesn't. some of that, i'm guessing, is pete's non-american-ness. and some of it, i'm guessing, is his credible academic chops. when another emerging church writer wrote we're heretics, it comes across like a emerging church version of a "god hates fags" poster -- confrontational and positioning. but when pete articulates it, the words are hopeful and honest.

since others have described the book in detail, i'll not do so here. just shortly: the first half is a philosophical/theological treatise proposing nothing short of a new christian worldview. it's not new liberalism (as some call the emerging church). how can a deep love of the divine jesus and the power of god's word in scripture be called new liberalism -- those (and other things) were the very things classical liberalism was working to debunk. then, the second half of the book walks through ten or so liturgies from the community pete helps lead in belfast (ikon). i'd known this was the layout prior to reading the book, and thought the second half might be a cop-out, filler, or just too weird. it's anything but. it's the practical outplay of the first half of the book, as rendered by one particular gathering of believers (albiet, a group that meets in a bar in belfast). the second half of the book puts flesh on the first half.

pete's writing is right at the threshold of my understanding at times -- his brain is clearly more trained and his bookshelves weightier than mine. but i could hold on, and i'm glad i did. i'll be recommending this book over and over and over again, i'm sure.

Enlightning
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