The Love That Is God
An Invitation to Christian Faith
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $20.99
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
“God is love is the radical claim of Christianity,” writes Frederick Bauerschmidt at the beginning of this little meditation on the essentials of Christian faith. In a rich yet accessible style reminiscent of C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton, Bauerschmidt breathes life back into that claim, drawing from Scripture, great Christian and non-Christian writers of the past, and his own lived experience to show just how countercultural and subversive Christianity is actually meant to be. Eschewing the abstract and dogmatic in favor of the relational and inviting, he offers something for everyone, from lifelong churchgoers and students of religion to the growing population of “nones” among younger generations who are increasingly seeking spiritual fulfillment outside of institutional Christianity.
With further reading suggestions (both scriptural and nonscriptural) at the end of each chapter, The Love That Is God is the perfect starting point of a spiritual journey into deeper relationship with God.
Michael Ramsey Prize (2023)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Deacon and theology professor Bauerschmidt (The Deacon's Ministry of the Liturgy) aims to reignite the "revolutionary notion" that God is love in this pleasant devotional work, based on a sermon he preached in Baltimore (which he includes as an epilogue). Bauerschmidt starts by contrasting the image of self-centered pagan gods with the Christian God's existence as "the activity of loving." He focuses on how this love is manifested in the crucifixion, because it shows not a particularly brutal death, he argues, but rather a life driven by and organized around love. Christians are invited to be friends of God, which they can only do by selflessly giving to other humans. Considering the decline of Christianity among young people, Bauerschmidt articulates a vision of "more habit, more ritual" as a way to reconnect with religious communities. Bauerschmidt draws from various eras of Catholic thought, with readings from Thomas Aquinas, Geoffrey Chaucer, Dorothy Day, and Julian of Norwich as he builds his view for a resurgence of demanding, communal love that will appeal across denominations. Christians looking to rekindle their commitments will enjoy this genial call to action.
