If Christianity isn’t about forgiveness, it’s about nothing at all.
Goal: to become disciples of love who master the art of forgiveness.
If we enter the Christian faith to find forgiveness, we must continue in the faith to become forgiving people, because to be an authentic follower of Christ we must embrace the centrality of forgiveness.
When Christianity speaks of forgiveness, should there be an asterisk attached to the word to indicate that forgiveness is not applicable in extreme situations like the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, the ethnic cleansing, in the former Yugoslavia, and the tribal massacres of Rwanda?
These are just a few quotes from the book.
I don’t usually read other people’s reviews before I read the book and write down my own thoughts. I’m not sure why I scanned through the reviews on Amazon, but I did. I was immediately apprehensive when one reviewer described “Radical Forgiveness” as a difficult book to read.
I’m not put off by scholarly books, but I was afraid that was what I was diving into.
I couldn’t have been more wrong!
What makes this book “difficult” is that it is very simple and direct. It is not the kind of book a person can read and remain unchallenged. I think it would make an excellent small group study for groups who are wanting to take their faith to a deeper level.
From the back of the book: Pushing you beyond intellectual exercises, “Radical Forgiveness” will challenge your thinking by juxtaposing absolutely bottom-line examples with the simple question: What would you do?
There are pages of endorsements in the front of this book. On the front cover you’ll find an endorsement by Eugene Peterson. This author, and particularly this work, are well-thought of in the Christian community.
Bonhoeffer challenged believers to go against “cheap grace.” Brian Zahnd has done the same for forgiveness in this book.
I would strongly recommend this book. I am pleased to have it in my library.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a review.
Pot of Manna 