Gracious Christianity: Living the Love We Profess
by Douglas Jacobsen and Rodney J. Sawatsky
Baker Academic, 2006
This gentle little book manages to summarize the entire scope of classic Christian theology, from the nature of God to the end of time, in amazingly few pages, basing every theological assertion on a single theme: the more we understand that "gracious love defines the core of God's character...the more gracious our Christianity will become." [The authors] not only describe the basic tenets of the Christian faith but also draw out their implications for everyday life: "We are called to nurture and protect the world as if it were a precious possession entrusted to us by our dearest friend with the stipulation that the earth's treasures be used for the benefit of all." Even difficult doctrines like sin and hell become occasions of graciousness...Basing their theology on Scripture, the authors draw on influential apologists past and present such as Augustine, Aquinas, Bonhoeffer, Nouwen and McLaren. This gracious and accessible book, which includes abundant discussion questions for group study, will appeal to a wide spectrum of Christians. -- Publishers Weekly
"Gracious Christianity is a beautiful, intelligent, and readable introduction to Christian faith. It will be of help to people approaching the faith for the first time, eager to see it as a grace-filled and peaceable way of life and not as an argumentative and tensely held dogma. It will also be a great help to people who are Christians but want to get a fresh vision of what their faith can mean in their lives and in our world."
- Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian
"Gracious Christianity is itself a gracious gift to all of us. In a spirit of loving simplicity, the authors offer us marvelous insights into the Christian life. This is a book to be read and reread."
- Richard J. Mouw, president, Fuller Theological Seminary
"I have never read a more lucid or a more compelling summary of the Christian faith. With its story of grace and love mixed with conviction and commitment, this is a book to ponder in one's heart, to discuss with one's friends, and to savor for a lifetime. If I were not a Christian, I might very well want to become one, based on my reading of this text."
- Richard T. Hughes, author of The Vocation of a Christian Scholar
"Marked by unaffected humility, Gracious Christianity is what an earlier generation would have described as a winsome invitation to the Christian faith. As in the best of catechesis, Jacobsen and Sawatsky cover the basics and provide an account of the hope that is in us."
- Frederick W. Schmidt, author of What God Wants for Your Life
"In an engaging and lively narrative, Jacobsen and Sawatsky articulate the basics of Christian faith and practice. It is a lovely introduction to the basics of Christian faith in gracious prose."
- Donald B. Kraybill, author of The Upside-Down Kingdom
"This book is for those who want to join in theological conversation with fellow Christians about the beliefs that matter most to people who are called to love God and their neighbors."
- Dennis Ockholm, Azusa Pacific University