A few years ago a friend recommended I read The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus. I got the book, read the first chapter and either lost interest or the book or maybe both. I'm not certain. When I received a copy of Unleashed in the mail I was a little surprised that it was just an update to the original book without much change to the content. But the subtitle spurred me on to actually read through the entire book and give it a second chance.
The title sort of conjures up images of Braveheart. Who doesn't want to be a little wild or crazy when it comes to faith? Especially when faith and religion generally conjure up images of stuffy old pastors and a congregation of people dressed in Sunday best not daring to step out of line. In his book, McManus is arguing against faith that has become too civilized in favor of a more adventurous and radical faith. One that calls a person to choose things that put them outside of their comfort zone and doing the very thing they are most passionate about. He challenges each person to overcome those things they fear most which he argues wouldn't even exist if we ultimately feared God and God alone, then we wouldn't be bound by any other fears (fear of failure, rejection, insignificance, death, etc). For McManus, the "barbarian way" is a living a life of love, passion, intimacy and sacrifice and is made alive by the presence of Christ. He challenges the reader to choose to listen to God's voice and calling, to be a little bit radical and choose to follow Christ's example of living on the edge.
In general I appreciate the premise of the book and most of what McManus has to say. He uses personal stories from his life and his daughter's to illustrate his points. I just found myself getting a little bogged down in his words. Even though it was a short book it was still difficult to get through. It's an interesting read and falls in line with a lot of the thinking of many of today's leading pastors and authors.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review; the opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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