The Barbarians Are Coming!

This is a review of Erwin Raphael McManus' book, Unleashed Release the Untamed Faith Within.

Special Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. It was a great experience! I've alsoposted my review on the BookSneeze web site and on www.Amazon.com

The dictionary definition of the word "barbarian" is: 1) A member of a people considered by another nation or group to have a primitive civilization; 2)A fierce, brutal or cruel person; 3) An insensitive, uncultured person; a boor (from The American Heritage College Dictionary).

This a great word to describe the Church. (Hopefully definitions 2 & 3 don't come into play but definition 1 certainly describes us. We do play off a different song sheet than the world.....or at least we're supposed to.)

McManus points out that while the Romans thought the Church was barbarian, they eventually tamed the Church. Kind of scary......isn't it?

This book, Unleashed was previously released under the title, "The Barbarian Way.

So what makes us barbaric? McManus answer this question right away. He simply says, "Whenever you choose to live a life of faith, even when it takes you in a world of uncertainty, you have made the barbaric choice." Stepping out in faith is barbaric; living by faith is barbaric.

The author points out that sometimes being barbaric leads into places of danger. It might mean a disruption of life as we know it. It might mean an introduction to eternal life.

There's a great section on John the Baptist and how his barbaric way of life led to a prison. This led to some doubt and a question of whether or not Jesus really was the Messiah. But being a barbarian is not a promise of living happily ever after. John and many others in Scripture, just read through Hebrews 11, discovered that living a life of faith was frought with danger and unpleasant....at least temporarily so....circumstances.

I was highly impacted by the quote, "It's hard to imagine that Jesus would endure the agony of the cross just to keep us in line." Too many folks today think that living their life for God means that they tow the line. Some even think their role in the Church to help keep everyone else in line.

Most of us have been tamed by the idea that if we "build it" they will come.

I was personally challenged by the following words: "there is within you a raw and untamed faith waiting to be unleashed." After reading that, I began to wonder how much encouragement I have been to those I lead in regards to releasing their raw and untamed faith. Or was I part of what tamed them?

Taming folks is easier than dealing with the mess that comes from being raw and untamed. But we weren't called to live easy lives. McManus points out that barbarians weren't called to be adopters but to be innovators. To lead the way and step out where no one else has dared to go.

You will be delighted with the section he writes about the names for different groups of animals. Just as a tease....there are too many parliaments in the Church and not enough crashes........get the book, you'll understand.

One final thought from the book that really challenged me was: "the civilized build shelters andinvite god to stay with them; barbarians move with God wherever He chooses to go." This kind of reminds me of asking God to bless my plans rather than asking God what His plans might be.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to you and to those you care about. I will read this book again....and maybe again. It will influence my teaching/preaching and hopefully make me a better.....er more barbaric leader.

A special thanks to Erwin Raphael McManus for being barbaric enough to write this book. May you never be tamed!

Always in Pursuit!