Book Description
Most Christians would agree that the Bible provides a basis for mission. But Christopher Wright boldly maintains that mission is bigger than that there is in fact a missional basis for the Bible! The entire Bible is generated by and is all about God's mission.
Beginning with the Old Testament and the groundwork it lays for understanding who God is, what he has called his people to be and do, and how the nations fit into God's mission, Wright gives us a new hermeneutical perspective on Scripture. This new perspective provides a solid and expansive basis for holistic mission. Wright emphasizes throughout a holistic mission as the proper shape of Christian mission. God's mission is to reclaim the world and that includes the created order and God's people have a designated role to play in that mission.
Market/Audience
- Students and professors of missions
- Missionaries
- Pastors and missionaries
- Seminary students and professors
Endorsements
"This book should be a required text for theologians and exegetes, pastors and students, missionaries and Christians in general." Eckhard J. Schnabel, author of Early Christian Mission, and professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
"This marvelous book is all I hoped and expected, and more. . . .We are so fortunate to have the mature fruit of a lifetime's reflection on the missional nature of the Bible by this outstanding teacher, scholar and missionary theologian." John Goldingay, author of Old Testament Theology, and professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary
Features and Benefits
- Offers a groundbreaking missional hermeneutical perspective on Scripture.
- Expands our understanding of mission to include the Old Testament.
- Gives numerous new insights into familiar biblical texts.
- Provides a solid and expansive basis for holistic mission.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Most Important Books I've Read.......2007-04-19
What a wonderful book! It's hard to imagine many topics as important as this and Wright discusses God's mission very clearly and thoroughly.
I think this book is very accessible to lay people. He does mention scholarly views but never gets overly technical and if the reader finds it hard going he/she can always just skip that bit and not miss very much.
This book is certainly in my top 5 all time.
The Best.......2007-02-20
Excellent, although not for the casual reader. It is the best theology of holisitc mission I've read since the early 1990s when Bosch's "Transforming Mission" came out. Bosch, you will recall, worked almost exclusively from the New Testament. Wright rectifies this imbalance and puts the Great Commission in its place. This book is a valuable corrective also to contemporary presentations such as David Hesselgrave's "Paradigms in Conflict" which understand the Great Commission in the narrowist of terms.
Superb !! An absolute masterpiece of excellent , comprehensive and deep biblical teaching !! Learn from it !!.......2007-01-28
Written by a serious bible scholar, who has done his homework, this is a major new work on what the bible is all about. I have read plenty about bible studies and such (see my reviews), and I think this is truly a ground breaking book. Completely biblical, thoroughly thought out! A wealth of perspective!! Phenomenal! Get it, get it, get it!! A heavy weight exploration of what is going on in the bible and with God's plan of redemption as layed out throughout the bible. This is way way more than knowing if your invisible soul/spirit will go to heaven when you die. Here is just a tidbit of thinking typical of this book's train of thought:
The biblical scope of God's plan of redemption is cosmic in scope, the hope of biblical salvation is that there will be a new creation, a new heavens and a new earth made free from sin, decay, and death, and wherein God himself with dwell with his people. For instance see Romans 8:19-21 with 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1-5. From this overarching theme of scripture flows the biblical ethic, purpose and mission.
This book's wide and complete scope of biblical teaching will have to be reckoned with by serious students of the bible and it's message of God's plan of redemption found in and through Jesus. The Publisher, Intervarsity Press has a website where you can look this book up and see the table of contents for it and some book description. Thanks Dr. Wright for the lifelong learning you have made available in this work. A sort of similar work, but on a smaller scale is: The Drama of Scripture by Craig Bartholomew. It is also extremely helpful for grasping what the bible is all about.
Book Description
More than 100,000 sold! Piper's must-read plea for God-centeredness in evangelization points to worship as the church's ultimate goal and proper fuel for outreach.
Customer Reviews:
Let the Nations Be Glad.......2007-05-16
I think this book is awesome, biblically based. Good for anyone who wants to lead a group or just themselves on the right track. I highly recommend this book.
Piper honours God.......2007-03-23
In August 2006 I noticed a guy who was sitting right behind my wife on an intercontinental flight to Johannesburg, reading a book. Every now and then he was asleep. I thought: "Must be a pretty boring book!" When during that flight both he and I stretched our legs, we introduced ourselves. He is a Baptist minister, flying from the USA via Amsterdam, I am a Reformed one on our way to ou children. He talked enthusiastically about the book and its author (John Piper, Let the nations be glad! (The supremacy of God in missions). He made me read the first line of chapter 1, which hit me right between the eyes: "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is." Wow, I decided to order the book at Amazone and have it airmailed to our address in South Africa - thus paying triple the price of it.
It was well worth it! The clear way in which Piper writes on God's supremacy, not only in missions, but in everything, should make many theologians and church members reconsider their relationship with the Lord and their obedience to the Word of God. They should become praisers!
Piper makes it very clear that idividualism plays no role in spreading the Gospel. The main issue is not the regeneration of men, but the glory of God. God does everything because He delights in Himself. And this delight becomes clear in the regeneration and belief of His new people! He wants to delight in Himself with a PEOPLE that He hath chosen and given to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
How many portions of Scripture become crystal clear in this way! Piper has served the Church of Christ with a valuable help, not only in missions. It should be widely studied and applied in Christian living and ministry.
Is there no criticism? Unevitably! The question arose in my mind whether in Chapter 2, para 5, God's covenant and its impact in the life of the Church, is sufficiently taken into consideration in his argument. But such questions keep one, as reader, fresh!
The book has neatly been published by Baker Academic.
I hope that it will find its way to many readers.
Dr. Marten Kuiper
Emeritus professor of the Reformed University of Zwolle (The Netherlands)
and minister of the Free Reformed Church of Twijzel (The Netherlands)
(E-mail: m.kuper@chello.nl)
Overrated, poorly written.......2007-01-11
This book really deserves 2 stars (not the 1 that I gave it) but it is so overrated by the other reviews that I felt a need to balance it out.
I have not finished this book yet, and will edit this review with more detailed information when I have completed it. Piper has interesting ideas which suffer from his attrocious use with the English language. For one, his obsession with constructing catch phrases from words that all begin with the same letter is corny, and leaves him scrambling to cohere to a malconstrued outline. The writing contains neither the common-man appeal of C.S. Lewis nor the eloquence of great theologeans such as Jonathan Edwards, to whom Piper seems to aspire.
As for the content - Psalms seems to be the bulk of his theology in the first chapter, and what follows is hardly an exigesis: ideas are presented as if from nowhere, while Piper hurls often non-contextual scriptures at them. If this is really the best book available on missions, then Christianity is in big trouble.
God centered examination of missions.......2006-06-17
"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship does not." With those startling and counter-cultural words pastor and author John Piper takes us on a journey in search of the biblical motivation for missions: that God be glorified by people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. With an obvious passion for God's supremacy in all things Piper let's the bible speak for itself on topics like worship, prayer, suffering, who is saved and why, and what a "nation" is.
This book is readable but full of sound, deep theology. Piper tackles some pretty sticky issues head on delving into the original languages, but not so deeply that a layman can't follow. He kindly but firmly interacts with common misconceptions and differing points of view from his own. I found myself continually challenged throughout reading the book. This is one of those works that requires thought as it is read, but the rewards for pondering Dr. Piper's words are awesome! All followers of Christ should read this book.
Non-Calvinist viewpoint........2006-06-01
I know how important the notion that God does everything for His own glory is to Piper and his ilk, but I don't buy that idea about God's character, which makes this book just about impossible to get behind, since Piper keeps coming back to that point over and over. The book has some inspiring moments that should motivate people toward at least giving the missionary world a hard look, but the heavily Calvinist theology that undergirds it was a turn-off for me. Piper's a fine writer, however.
Book Description
Even the most desperate poverty, the most devastating illness, the most heart-wrenching grief is not beyond God's help. His love and power have no limits-and that's a message readers from all walks of life need to hear. The modern miracles that Rolland and Heidi Baker experience every day in their work with Mozambique's throwaway children, movingly chronicled in Always Enough, will inspire anyone looking for hope in the midst of suffering. The Bakers, formerly missionaries in Indonesia and Hong Kong, share how their work for the past eight years in Mozambique, one of the poorest nations on earth, has borne spiritual fruit beyond their wildest dreams. Every day presents multiple impossible needs. But in the face of everything Satan can do, as Rolland and Heidi lay down their lives and ''minister to the one,'' there is always enough. Readers will discover that the simple practice of choosing to step out and trust God every day unleashes his provision for every need.
Customer Reviews:
This is what Jesus meant by "be like a child".......2007-09-20
I could not put this short book down & neither will you. If you've ever wondered what Jesus really meant when He spoke of becoming like a little child, then this is for you because it reveals the result of two brilliant minds literally "laying it all down" to become childlike lovers & trusters of Jesus. This is THE most inspiring book I have ever read & they are the two happiest, most fulfilled people I know. Buy it, read it, pass it along.
Absolutely Wonderful.......2007-09-01
Must read for everyone wanting to be a radical lover of Jesus.
This couple went to Mozambique in the 90's with nothing out of obedience to God. The country was wrecked by civil war which left 10s of thousands of orphaned children.
God used them as His miraculous provision. They faced extreme opposition and dire circumstances. Overcame through God's power. Experienced the supernatural outpouring of God's love and power.
5,000 churches planted, healings, people raised from the dead, people on fire for God.
The Baker's testimony will really push you deeper towards the deep love of the Father and will leave you thirsty for more of His presence.
Please read this book.
As true in life as on paper.......2007-06-17
This story is amazing. I was in Mozambique on a missions team in 2005 when we met Heidi at our hotel. She invited our group to their orphanage and had the people show us around. I will never forget my time there with the kids. Reading this brought back the memories that I have from my time there. Please read this book! It is genuine!!! The children there are amazing and reading about how God has provided added to my experience. I know we can't all travel to Africa but read this and you will have a taste of how moving it is!
Awesome!.......2007-05-13
This book is amazing and inspiring. The Bakers are prime examples of the Christian life and ministry. Stopping for the one, and living a life of laid down love.
I am so thankful I read this book.
Great product.......2007-01-20
I bought this used and it was in new shape. It was delivered fast and I was very impressed with the service.
Book Description
Many Christians have never understood the fear of the Lord, which builds passion and intimacy into their relationship with god and makes their lives real and pure. In this rerelease of his book, John Bevere dispels the false understanding of god. Understanding why and how to fear god is the beginning of knowing Him as He yearns to be known. In his lovingly confrontational style, Bevere challenges believers to reverence God anew in their worship, prayers, and daily living. This book will inform and encourage believers to intimately know god like never before.
Customer Reviews:
Healthy Fear.......2007-09-29
This book puts a enlighting on the subject of fear and especially in the House of God. Every Believer needs to read/study this book. I have not read on this subject , except in the Bible, and explained so well. Also John supports this very well by Scripture.
Holiness redefined.......2007-09-14
What I liked most about this book is that John Bevere, in his traditional style, is simple, direct, and yet deep. I think he did the topic it's due justice. He brings us back to the true reverence and awe of God's holiness, and our call to seek it. As always, he separated out misconceptions of godliness by sharing his experiences with the reality of it. What I learned is now reflected in my prayers and conduct.
Finally!.......2007-01-03
Finally, someone in the church addressing a healthy relationship with God. The thing I love about John Bevere is that he does a superb job of balancing having a fear of God along with an intimate relationship with Him. Read this book and your life will be changed.
Changed my life.......2006-12-19
Fear of the Lord has changed my life. I live life completely different with the Fear of the Lord in mind. John has challenged me to step out of a life of mediocrity and into a life of holiness. The Fear of the Lord will draw you closer to Him with truth and understanding. It's a must buy.
Must read!.......2006-11-02
John Bevere is such a talented writer, but this book is absolutely anointed! The church and the world has lost its fear of the Lord... this book brings out the scriptures that show why we're missing the blessings of God and intimacy with God and how to restore it! Wonderful book!!
Customer Reviews:
Review of "Church Planting Movements" for Pepperdine Missions Class.......2005-12-14
Because Garrison's book was published in 2004, the stories of church planting movements in all areas of the world, are exciting to read and more importantly, credible. He brings in numbers to support his claim that all over the world, people groups are coming to Christ in ways that parallel "the book of Acts", planting churches instead of focusing on the traditional missionary strategy of making one church grow larger in size and in population. Garrison focuses on the idea that the Gospel needs to be heard to people groups, taking the focus away from geography (there are Christians in India but there are many Indians.) The first two parts of this book focus on different movements- in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and India, South America, Europe, and North America. It is valuable that even in these last three areas (places that are considered "Christianized"), there are still groups and even nations that are spiritually poor and in need of missionary activity.
Garrison works hard to take a new approach to missionary strategy, even redefining missionaries as "strategy coordinators". He also works hard to write about Church Planting Movements in places where missionary activity is dangerous, often protecting the anonymity of the people involved in certain countries, even renaming some countries themselves. Garrison uses the last sections of his book to describe essential characteristics of these movements and even points out "sins" that many missionaries commit in their work. Important tools for bringing the gospel to these people groups include media and translations of the Bible and stories into their own language, a strong emphasis on prayer, and bringing training to the people instead of requiring the people to leaver their people for training. Believers model their faith so that others can learn and grow; Christians are encouraged to worship God in ways that are culturally relevant (with their own songs and strategies for worship).
Perhaps one of the most radical but at the same time fantastic points of Garrison's book is in his focus on immediate evangelism and on lay leadership. He writes about how missionaries should begin their work even before learning the language, prepared to pass on leadership and authority immediately to local leaders of authority regardless of their lack of seminary training. It is total dependence on the Holy Spirit and on God but at the same time, Garrison presents the idea of rapid growth and rapid dependence on lay leadership in a way that doesn't read as irresponsible or as a "plan-so-far" missionary strategy. The goal is to create churches that are reproducible, in their own heart language, empowering them to take on their own responsibility of evangelism to the people around them just as they have received their blessing of salvation.
If there is one reason to read this book, it is because it is proof that God is working in places that Westerners are not even aware of. Churches are being created, according to biblical principles that do not even want to depend on foreign aid, worshiping in ways that westerners might even consider barbaric.
God's power / God's strategy.......2005-04-20
Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a Lost World. By David Garrison. Bangalore: WIGtake Resources, 2004. 362 pages. Paperback, $12.
"In 2001 a newly emerging Church Planting Movement yields 48,000 new believers and 1,700 new churches in one year" (p. 49). How can you start a church planting movement that sweeps through an entire people group? You can't! But God can. And God can use you to facilitate His purposes.
David Garrison's Church Planting Movements invites the reader to view God's blueprints for reaching all people groups- quickly! But before delving into missiological theory on how these movements work, Garrison takes the reader on a trip to eight major sectors of the world to view already existing church planting movements (CPMs). Each of these episodes narrates the events that catalyzed a full-fledged movement resulting in unreached peoples turning to Christ. He visits India, China, Africa, Latin America, Europe, North America, and the Muslim world. Next he distills the common elements from each movement into comprehensive lists of: 1.) What occurred in every CPM and 2.) What occurred in most CPMs. Some of these elements are: house churches, rapid reproduction, and lay leadership (p. 172). With the good, Garrison includes the bad. He lists the "seven deadly sins" of a CPM. These include: sequentialism (i.e. adding churches versus multiplying them), developing dependency on foreign funds, and not contextualizing the Gospel to the culture (p. 239). These elements choke a budding movement.
The last section of the book challenges the reader to assess his own standing in the scheme of God's church planting movements. Then, it equips him with tools to works towards getting on mission with God. Garrison's appendix includes: a step-by-step guide for planting and reproducing a house church model (p.307-315), an apologetic to reach Muslims (p. 319), and reference materials including Scriptures that under gird all aspects of the CPM philosophy (p.331).
Garrison does his presentation a service by beginning with stories of CPMs in action. People are drawn to the tales of what can actually happen, which are based in reality. These stories are inspiring, educational, and fun to read. This prepares the reader to be open to the new paradigms presented in the second half of the book, as well as builds anticipation to finally get to that point. "How can I start one?!"
The text is easy to read, put into contemporary terms and concepts that the greater Christian community can digest. Missiologist David Garrison has organized this content into lists, graphs, reference tools, and easy to reference case studies in order to communicate the perhaps intimidating world of church planting and frontier missions to the average North American Christian. His positive attitude remains one that encourages rather than rebukes its Christian audience or the Christian movement in general.
The content itself issues a challenge to traditional church planting strategy, not only through its exegesis of the Scriptural text, but through the distilled wisdom gained from case studies. Garrison makes a strong case for unpaid, local, lay leadership, planting rapidly reproducing house churches that exhibit characteristics of evangelism, prayer, and a persistent obedience to the Word of God. With the mention of only a few of these, certain church leaders may balk, saying "Is that feasible? Is that Scriptural? ... Is that comfortable?" Church Planting Movements fields these questions comprehensively, almost anticipating them at every turn.
The section entitled "A Call to Action" seems to anticipate that its readership will only be able to really absorb a certain degree of the material presented (p. 297). It directs the reader to assess at what stage he is in his personal response to CPM philosophy. With this in mind, he can take the next steps through further awareness, education, and/or experience- jump in! In light of this, Church Planting Movements may be a book worthy of re-read, if not definitely for reference. Its charts, steps, and other helpful tools make it a valuable resource to plumb either as new awareness prompts deeper study or as new stages of a CPM develop.
This book is ideal for church planters, world Christians, and pastors looking to amplify their vision to a God-size. It should not be despised by those already involved in church planting ministries, as Garrison showed many examples of principles neglected by current church planters through ignorance. In other instances, he advocates that the removal of bad principles is all it takes to set a dormant movement free (p. 239). David Garrison's book, Church Planting Movements, will be an invaluable addition to a Christian's spiritual and strategic preparation in seeing God's glory spread to the nations.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2002-10-23
If you have an interest in missions or just wanting to see what mission work is like you will love this book.
Don't read this book..........2001-12-13
Don't read this book if you don't want to be convicted of God's awesome power, of the need to 'go ye into all the world', and of the relatively powerless life most American Christians lead. The testimony of Joanne Shetler was an inspiration to me. My God is much greater than I give him credit for being. I intended to merely skim this book as research for a novel I'm working on, but the story compelled me to read every word and then read it--prayerfully--again.
Deborah Raney, author of A Vow to Cherish and Beneath a Southern Sky
A wonderful, heart wrenching story..........1998-03-07
This book has really touched my heart and has shown me that God is so BIG and awesome!!! All the numerous ways that God used Joanne's ministry to bring the Balangaos to Him was incredible. All of the miracles mentioned in the book are amazing, and could have only happened through God.
Book Description
As a boy he dreamed of being a spy undercover behind enemy lines. As a man he found himself undercover for God. Brother Andrew was his name and for decades his life story, recounted in God's Smuggler, has awed and inspired millions. The bestseller tells of the young Dutch factory worker's incredible efforts to transport Bibles across closed borders-and the miraculous ways in which God provided for him every step of the way. Revell and Chosen now reintroduce this powerful story with two new releases: a 35th anniversary edition and The Narrow Road, an expanded youth edition. Both contain a new foreword and afterword. The youth edition also features information about ministry to the persecuted church today, including country profiles, quotes from Christians in underground churches, ''what if'' scenarios based on real-life threats they face, and stories from others who have participated in Brother Andrew's Bible-smuggling work. Brother Andrew's story remains as inspiring today as it was thirty-five years ago, and with these new releases it will motivate a whole new generation to risk everything to follow God's call.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring Story.......2007-08-07
A wonderful story that demonstrates God's care and protection. I highly recommend this book!
God's Smuggler Book Review.......2007-06-13
This is a true and unbelievable story! I've never read a book that was more inspiring! This is a great book for everyone. The main character is Brother Andrew. He grew up in a Christian home, but became a soldier to find some adventure. During his time as a soldier, he started to lead a bad life. Then his leg got injured during a fight and he couldn't be a soldier anymore because it didn't fully heal. He eventually started to work at a factory, but before this, he decided to give his life to God. After working at the factory awhile, he decided to become a missionary to the iron curtain. The iron curtain is countries that are communist and who often persecute Christians. You normally can't buy bibles in these places. If you got caught with more than one bible, you would often be put in prison or even killed. Many amazing miracles happened to Andrew as he tried to get past the border and give bibles to the many people behind the iron curtain who needed them.
One of my favorite parts of the book is when Andrew's leg gets healed. It happens one day when he was trying to get an answer from God about how he was going to be a missionary. He prays all day and finally realizes that he needs to say yes I will do it, but not give any excuses for why it won't work. When he realizes this and says just yes, he stands up and starts to walk away. When he does this, he feels a wrench in his leg and realizes that it doesn't hurt him anymore. His leg was healed. This was amazing to me. Andrew did something God wanted him to do and God gave him something that would help him do what he needed to do. It's so awesome.
The main idea of this story, in my opinion, is to show the power of God and how amazing his acts are. He made it possible for Brother Andrew to get people the bibles they needed. He did this by using miracles. There were so many times at the border where it seemed there was no way Brother Andrew was going to get past the border with his illegal cargo of bibles. Yet every time, he got by. The guards would look inside his car, right at the bibles, and still not seem to see them. This just shows how awesome the power of God is.
This was one of the best books I have ever read. It was completely and totally amazing. I really liked how it kept telling you about how Andrew got over the border and how everything worked out because of his trust in God. I don't believe that I would change anything in the book, it was a true story and way to good to want to change anything. This would be a great book for everyone. As soon as people reach the level where they can read it, which it's not a hard book to read, they should. Even people who don't believe in God would enjoy this story. It's a great book.
Faith, Trust, Prayer, and Sacrifice..........2006-09-21
I just finished the missions classic, God's Smugger, by Brother Andrew. Holy cow...read this book! It takes the reader through the journey of Brother Andrew's early life as an 'adrenaline junkie-heavy drinking-reckless Dutch soldier' turned Bible smuggling missionary to the nations of the Iron Curtain.
Each chapter is a gripping real life account of Brother Andrew's travels. It's like reading a good suspense novel. Brother Andrew doesn't gloss over his own shortcomings, nor his fears and trepidations about his work. He simply just tells the miracles as they happened, and gives God the complete credit.
I won't spoil the story for you but I will say that certain books have come into my life at certain times. I believe it's for a reason: to encourage me, teach me, and strengthen my faith. God's Smuggler is serving as one of those books. There are a few themes that run through the entirety of the book:
* The power of faith--The book is so full of miracles...There are countless occasions when Brother Andrew should've been arrested, or killed, or stranded or (you get the picture), but God intervened in a miraculous way.
* The power of prayer--Prayer was undoubtedly the fuel for this dangerous work serving God under Communism's oppression. Brother Andrew and his coworkers were prayer warriors.
* The power of trust--Brother Andrew didn't, upon sensing God's call to work in the Communist countries, apply to an already established missions organization. He simply trusted God, day by day, to provided for his needs, so long as He was following His call. His trust for provision is incredible, and would probably be considered crazy by today's standards.
* The power of sacrifice--Brother Andrew has lived a life most today would deem unlivable. He gave up multiple chances for 'the good life', and forsook even the most basic items that we today take for granted, all so that we could continue the work he felt called to.
Faith, prayer, trust, and sacrifice...much needed lessons for me in the 'here and now'.
A Meaningful Autobiography of Faith.......2006-06-16
This is one of my favorite audio books but it is hard to put in words its very special qualities. The narrator is wonderful in giving a soft and moving portrait of a man who become transformed from a soldier who kills others into a Man of God who would sacrifice all he had to help a person worse off than himself. We witness the personal evolution of a radiant soul...and even a nonbeliever can be impressed. I liked the part that in his training, he was NOT allowed to pass the collection plate but had
to depend on the goodwill of those he healed with his faith.
The details make the book special. Some examples: the friendship of Andrew with a monkey that he buys in Indonesia during his soldiering days; a letter he writes in utter loneliness to his girlfriend; finding a shilling that he turns over to another.
For the right person, this is a wonderful book for a present.
Can't stop reading until the end.......2006-06-14
I am amazed to see how God use an ordinary person like brother Andrew to accomplish such an amazing works all accross the 'closed' countries. Reading this is like reading a novel. It has shown me that faith = trusting God + taking risk. If you enjoy this book, you will enjoy Loren Cunningham's books also.
Book Description
No woman alive today has inspired so many with her simplicity of faith and compassion so all-encompassing. As she daily embraces the "least of the least" in her arms, Mother Theresa challenges the whole world to greater acts of service and understanding in the name of love.
First published in 1971, this classic work introduced Mother Theresa to the Western World. As timely now as it was then, Something Beautiful for God interprets her life through the eyes of a modern-day skeptic who became literally transformed within her presence, describing her as "a light which could never be extinguised."
Customer Reviews:
malcolm on mother.......2007-01-18
Late in his adult life the renowned agnostic Malcolm Muggeridge converted to Christianity through the influence of Mother Teresa (1910-1997). In 1959 he interviewed Mother Teresa, and then ten years later made a television documentary of her life for the BBC. To honor her beatification in October 2003, Harper reissued the book version of these two efforts as a short, popular biography. Muggeridge reviews how Mother Teresa left her very satisfying call as a high school teacher and followed her "call within a call" to love the poorest of the poor in Calcutta. Under her direction, and convinced that every person should be able to die within sight of a loving face, no person was ever refused. Today, the Missionaries of Charity which she founded have houses in almost every country of the world. Evocative black and white photos accompany Muggeridge's powerful story-telling.
This book is truly beautiful.......2004-07-13
This book is expressly concerned with the work Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity do together in Calcutta and elsewhere for the poorest of the poor, written by a man who worked for many years in the same city and who much admired her work. It is full of anecdotes about her life and work and provides a pretty good summary of the major events. We know Mother Teresa for the great love that she poured out on the poor but at the very heart of all she did was her great love for God. "Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" was one of her favorite sayings. Yet Muggeridge had never met anyone less sentimental, less scatty, more down-to-earth. Mother Teresa took a very practical view of money as her needs grew. When the Pope visited India he presented her with his white ceremonial motor car but she never so much as took a ride in it, organizing a raffle and raising enough money to start her leper colony.
The author tells us that while teaching Mother Teresa received her call within a call - to work with the poorest of the poor rather than in her Loreto school convent with its pleasant garden, eager schoolgirls, congenial colleagues and rewarding work. When her release came, she stepped out with a few rupees in her pocket, made her way to the poorest, wretchedest part of the city, found a lodging there, gathered together a few abandoned children and began her ministry of love. To choose, as Mother Teresa did, to live in the slums of Calcutta, amidst all the dirt, disease and misery, signified a spirit so indomitable, a faith so intractable, a love so abounding, that the writer felt abashed.
Following the instructions of her Lord, Mother Teresa regarded every derelict left to die in the streets as Him; she heard every cry of abandoned children, even the tiny squeak of the discarded foetus, as the cry of the Bethlehem child; she recognized in every Leper's stumps the hands which once touched sightless eyes and made them see. What the poor needed, Mother Teresa was fond of saying, even more than food and clothing and shelter (though they need these, too, and desperately) is to be wanted. It is the outcast state their poverty imposes upon them that is the most agonizing. She had a place in her heart for them all. To her, they were all children of God, for whom Christ died. The author never experienced so perfect a sense of human equality as with Mother Teresa among her poor. Her love for them made them equal, as brothers and sisters within a family are equal. This is the only equality there is on earth, and it cannot be embodied in laws, enforced by coercion, or promoted by protest and upheaval, deriving, as it does, from God's love, which, like the rain from heaven, falls on the just and the unjust, on the rich and poor, alike. The nuns all eat the same food, wear the same clothes, and possess as little as their clients - the poorest of the poor. The nuns are not permitted to have a fan or any other mitigations of life in Bengal's sweltering heat. Even at prayers, the clamor and discordance of the street outside intrude, lest they should forget why they are there and where they belong.
Critics point out that statistically speaking Mother Teresa and the sisters achieved little but in Muggeridge's view Christianity is not a statistical view of life. Welfare is for a purpose while love is for a person. The one is about numbers while the other is about a person who is also God. The God Mother Teresa worships cannot see a sparrow fall to the ground without concern.
I found Malcom Muggeridge's portrayal of Mother Teresa penetrating, very helpful and in a small volume you receive a good idea of the woman who may well be recognized as a saint during our lifetime. Sadly, some of our churches appeal to only a small congregation; for someone concerned with why their message is not getting over as effectively as they might wish, there could be no better way than studying this book and learning more about Mother Teresa's way of expressing love.
This book is truly something beautiful
The Beauty of God in a Nun.......2004-05-15
Among the hundreds of books written on Mother Teresa and her ministry, this is one of the earliest and the best. It has the very words of Mother Teresa with regard to her life, vocation and apostolate. The photographs and interviews included in the book make the portrayal of this nun and her work almost complete. Making a TV program about her and writing this book, were life-changing experiences for Malcolm Muggeridge. For someone planning to learn about Mother Teresa this may be the book to begin with.
Muggeridge's Mother Teresa: real or myth?.......2004-02-14
Malcolm Muggeridge did indeed introduce Mother Teresa to the Western World as the book description said. Subsequently her name recognition is greater than Muggeridge's nowadays. Thus people might not have an idea of what a nasty person Muggeridge was. This makes people who know Muggeridge obviously skeptical of people he presents as saintly. Christopher Hitchens book about Mother Teresa, "The Missionary Position" gives you another view of Mother Teresa.
If you want to read about a truly holy Catholic who cared for the poor, read the book "Oscar Romero", about Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was made a martyr at the altar while saying mass in El Salvador.
Truly Beautiful.......2002-05-11
This really isn't a biography of Mother Teresa so much as it is a document in reflection on one man's encounters with her. Mother Teresa is such a dynamic and profound personality, indeed so much a reflection of her Savior, that just meeting her has inspired much reflection, conviction, and devotion in the mind and heart of Malcolm Muggeridge. She is that rare persona who somehow ascends past celebrity status. Celebrities, in the end, are entertainment. Mother Teresa's presence and personality are much more than entertainment: with hardly a word she challenges and changes people. The best parts of this book have more to do with Muggeridge's inner searching than with Teresa's life and work.
I'm sure that she would shy away from all this praise. Yet truly she is a reflection of her Savior, which is her heart's desire. This strange and unearthly power she has to affect lives with nothing more than her presence perhaps can help us understand how an illiterate carpenter from the backwaters of the world managed to split history in half and utterly turn the world upside down. When you draw near to God, even just a reflection of Him, you cannot help but be changed.
What I love most about Mother Teresa, what inspires and challenges me the most, is her ability, maybe even insistence, in seeing Christ in the poor and destitute that she cared for. He said `whatsoever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me' and she takes it seriously -- and the result is beautiful beyond comparison. It makes my heart leap.
Thank you, Lord, for sending us a woman like your servant Teresa to remind us of your face, your call, and your love. We are eternally grateful.
Book Description
Beginning with Genesis, the Bible is the story of God pursuing his people. In this study guide, you'll explore how God reaches out--through Jesus and through human ambassodors like us. You'll discover that the call to "missions" is not for a select group but is a part of God's call to every Christian. And you'll begin to understand your own part in God's plan.This LifeGuide Bible Study features questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection. Leader's notes are included with information on study preparation, leading the study and small group components as well as helps for specific Bible passages covered in the study. Presented in a convenient workbook format and featuring the inductive Bible study approach, LifeGuides are thoroughly field-tested prior to publication; they're proven and popular guides for digging into Scripture on your own or with a small group.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent resource!.......2007-06-20
The nine studies in this guide provide an overarching view of the subject of the heart and priorities of God, from Genesis to Revelation. Practical questions that stimulate discussion. We used it as a team book for a 9-day mission trip; probably the best resource I've used for this purpose in 20 years. I recommend it highly!
Fresh Bible Study in Mission.......2001-12-03
Once again, Paul Borthwick provides us with a solid piece introducing us to God's heart from the scriptures. I believe all will enjoy this fresh study using a whole new set of texts from which to understand God's work in the world.
Books:
- The Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics)
- The Place We Call Home: Exploring the Soul's Existence after Death
- The Power of a Praying® Wife (Power of a Praying)
- The Private Life of Chairman Mao: The Memoirs of Mao's Personal Physician Dr. Li Zhisui
- The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- The Vanderbilts
- The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty
- The Woman in White (Penguin Classics)
- The Works of Jonathan Edwards
- Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 (Library of America)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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General
| Criticism & Interpretation
| Reference
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony
Knowing the Holy Spirit Through the Old Testament
The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South
The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission
Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study
