May 18, 2007
god's ultimate passion
Abba John the Dwarf said,"A house is not built by beginning at the top and working down. You must begin with the foundations in order to reach the top." They said to him,"What does this saying mean?" He said,"The foundation is our neighbor, whom we must win, and that is the place to begin. For all the commandments of Christ depend on this one."
One of the interesting things about blogging and being a pastor is that somehow I have gotten on the radar for people who wish me to blog about their books. Several months ago I received a copy of God's Ultimate Passion in the mail. Frank Viola is an interesting author and pushes many of my assumptions about church and polity around. Sometimes he is infuriating. Sometimes he is helpful. He is always helpful.
This book, put quite simply, is a story about love. Viola works overtime running through the teaxt, engaging proofs and narrative, to show the reader the entire purpose behind the creation of the universe, the choosing of a people, the incarnation and the creation of the Church. In the end it is as Fr. Foley said, "God is having a love affair with the world." Though the ecclesiology of a Catholic priest and the ecclesiology of Viola differ wildly, the same sentiment exists. God loves. How do we, the creation, respond?
I think that the book is a good read...Give it a shot. He's a house church loving iconoclast. You should not expect him to support mainline Protestantism, for example. But he is a lively conversation partner and worth our time.
Posted by tripp at May 18, 2007 10:10 AM