Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Importance of Being Foolish

How To Think Like Jesus

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

In the eyes of the world, Jesus was a fool. He did not abide by the rules of his day; the people he associated with were shunned by society; his Sermon on the Mount reads likea primer on being left behind, stepped on, and ignored. In order for us to truly be the people Jesus wants us to be, we too must learn to become "foolish."

Becoming a Christian is not a magical enterprise by which we are automatically transformed into better people. We must train to become who God intends us to be. In The Importance of Being Foolish, bestselling Christian author Brennan Manning teaches us how to think like Jesus. By reorienting our lives according to the gospel we may appear to be fools in the eyes of the world, but Manning reveals that this is exactly what Jesus wants.

In a powerful exploration of the mind of Christ, Manning reveals how our obsession with security, pleasure, and power prevents us from living rich and meaningful lives. Our endless struggle to acquire money, good feelings, and prestige yields a rich harvest of worry, frustration, and resentment. Manning explores what Christ's mind was truly focused on: finding the Father, compassion for others, a heart of forgiveness, and the work of the kingdom.

Coming from the gentle yet compelling voice of Brennan Manning, The Importance of Being Foolish is a refreshing reminder of the radical call of Jesus and the transforming love of God.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 13, 2005
      With his now classic book The Ragamuffin Gospel
      , Manning set a standard for powerful writing and no-holds barred personal candor that even his own subsequent books (Ruthless Trust
      ; The Wisdom of Tenderness
      ), however excellent, have not quite matched. Here, Manning offers a fiercely provocative call to arms that exhorts Christians to stop pandering to the things of this world (wealth, power, influence, pleasure) and instead choose to be so "foolish" as to follow Jesus. This book is not for the easily offended, as Manning pulls no punches and does not attempt to soften the radical nature of Jesus' message. He decries superficial faith and hypocrisy, and points to the unfortunate prevalence of the shallow Christianity that Thomas Merton once called "convenient spirituality." In its place, Manning upholds a Christian faith that is simultaneously hard-line about the intransigent demands of the New Testament, yet wrapped in grace and mercy, not judgment and condemnation. Drawing on the Bible (particularly the gospels and the letters of Paul), his own experiences and thinkers like Paul Tillich, Edward Schillebeeckx, Søren Kierkegaard and other heavy hitters, Manning proposes an iconoclastic faith that calls Christians to the dangerous, wild and wonderful abyss of a fully surrendered life.

    • Library Journal

      July 15, 2005
      Manning ("The Ragamuffin Gospels"; "Ruthless Trust") lived for two years with the small religious order called The Little Brothers of Jesus, who dedicate themselves to manual labor and prayer as they assert that Jesus did before his public ministry. His latest book is founded in part upon the insights he gained while with the Little Brothers, and his bare-bones spirituality is keenly focused on the figure of Jesus. To Manning, a true Christian concentrates on a unified life invigorated by the Holy Spirit, cued by the sense of what Jesus would do, even if it seems "foolish." "Life in the Spirit is the thrill and the excitement of being loved by and falling in love with Jesus Christ," he concludes. This is a deeply felt and clearly expressed avowal of faith; for most collections.

      Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading