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Summary: Lazer focus on Jesus' Truth vs organized hypocracy.
Review: As one who left the Church (and God) in my 20's because of what I thought was pure hypocracy (ungrace), now a recued grateful believer, I found Yancy saying many of the things I would like to have said but could not find the right words to express. Basically, he is telling the Truth as Jesus told it and with modern parables and heart rending examples, in the manner of the Master. Not deep, just pertinent; a very good and inspiring read.
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Summary: Will it change your life?
Review: This was one of the most important reads of my life. Granted, when I read it was as important as what was in the book, but I guess that's God's perfect timing. A chapter on forgiveness in Yancey's book changed my relationship with my father. No promises when you read this book, but the timing of it may make the difference between a "good read" or a part of a "landmark event" in your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Yancey told one side of the story well
Review: Well-written as are all of Yancey's books, full of passion and good ideas, What's so Amazing About Grace is also seriously out of balance, in my opinion. The uncritical adulation heaped upon the book by the Christian community, and Yancey's willingness to accept that adulation (see his own comments above, and also the reviews on the cover of the book) reveals, it seems to me, a corresponding lack of balance in contemporary Christian thinking which accounts for a lot.I found four serious problems with the book. First, it seemed to me the word "Ungrace" was left ill-defined. When a father spanks his son, is that ungrace? When a judge sentences a thief to prison, is that ungrace? When a soldier fires on an enemy in combat, is that ungrace? The examples and tone of Yancey's book lead the reader naturally to include all cases of retribution and punishment in this category. At the least, he set the ball rolling in that direction and erected no clear barrier to it. And yet in each of these cases the person involved may be doing his duty as a Christian, may even be exercising courage, wisdom, and yes, love that border on the heroic, in an attempt to obey God. Should actions which arise out of a desire to "Love God and love others" be lumped with mass-murder and child molestation in a single category? "Ungrace" seems to embrace all actions not arising specifically out of an urge towards forgiveness and unmerited kindness. It abstracts a single virtue out of the matrix of the complete Christian life and makes it absolute, which, as C.S.Lewis pointed out, is a dangerous thing to to. Second, while Yancey discussed the cost of grace to the agent of grace, he did not discuss or adequately consider the often much greater cost to the recipient or to innocent bystanders. Many point in the book, the question almost brought itself up, but without eliciting the attention from the author that it deserved. For example, Yancey mentioned the murder rate in Japan, which is a tiny fraction of that in the U.S., and ascribed it (in part) to society's ungrateous treatment of criminals. The obvious question, which he did not raise, might be stated thus: is the personal cruelty the families expressed towards those criminals too high a price for the tens of thousands of lives that the system saves every year? Or to put it another way, should we sacrifice the lives of ten potential innocent victims, not to mention the freedom of everyone to go out at night (I live in Japan) so that one actual criminal might be shown mercy? If Christians think the example of Jesus on the cross provides an easy answer to that question in the affirmative, it seems to me position at least replies a more rigorous and systematic argument. Again, Yancey noted that since divorce has been tolerated in the United States, the divorce rate has risen to one half. SO then are all the children who miss out on a father or mother an acceptable sacrifice to what he calls grace? The example Yancey began his book with was the most extreme, and made my blood boil. Having myself worked in places where girls were sold into prostitution for the sake of their parents addictions, my reaction may have been somewhat different from that of most readers. If it were up to me, I would send that woman to the prison for life, or the electric chair, in an instant, if it would save her little girl from the abuse she was subject to. At the very least, I insist that the good of the victim should be considered before that of the person who is preying upon her, and I think the Bible says so too. Yancey, on the other hand, didn't seem to even think of the little girl, except as part of the shame her mother experienced. The woman complained that church would "only make me feel worse," he reported What, should the thought of proximity to the Christian God make a person who is selling her daughter into prostitution feel better? Third, the Bible does talk about judgement as well as grace, and not just the first half. Can Yancey ignore those passages and still call his view Christian? As Yancey wrote with Dr. Paul Brand in their book on Pain, there is no substitute for physical pain for reminding us to take care of our bodies. Does not the threat of judgement (ungrace) play the same role in encouraging us to see to our spiritual health? And what are we to do with the words of the prophets? Has human psychology and the character of God really changed so radically that we can now interpret the rest of the New Testament exclusively in the light of a few chapters in Romans? It seems to me that many examples of "ungrace" Yancey gave involved blue-collar workers or other simple Christians who lack his education or subtlety of expression. They may lack wisdom, I agree, but I know some Christians like that who on paper would sound equally "ungracious," but in practice show true Christian love. I think it possible some of them were just trying to stand up for God in the only way they knew how. Finally, Yancey wrote that "some studies" show that Christians are equally likely to rent x-rated movies, divorce, and have abortions, his point being that legalistic preaching on sex hasn't worked. Yancey didn't argue that the studies were accurate, and they sound suspicious to me, because I know that the warnings of the Bible have an effect on some people, anyway. But if in fact Christian preaching against evil has no impact on anyone, why do we bother with it at all? Why does Yancey think anyone will really listen to him, either? In any case, his conclusion here, that fundamentalist rules have if anything an opposite effect to their design, conflicts with his other examples, which show that Japanese legalism, for one, succeeds very well, resulting in dramatically reduced crime. Having grown up like Yancey in a strict Christian church, it seemed to me the church is not too strict about sex, but far and away too lax. Even good pastors seem afraid to bring the subject up, or maybe they don't realize how important it is to young people. Having listened to sermons in hundreds of churches and youth groups, I can only vaguely recall hearing someone venture to guide Christians on this subject a few times. In this case, as Chesterton put it about Christianity in general, Christian morality has not been tried and found wanted, it has been found difficult and not tried at all -- at least not recently. We are all in need of God's grace, myself no less than anyone. And praise God for the wonderful examples of grace Yancey gave. But surely we can find a way to integrate the laws of God and the love of God in a more wholistic, and truly loving way? Yancey is a fabulous writer, but in my opinion he does not show a very complete grasp of the Biblical approach or the real-life complexities of this problem.
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Summary: Loopholes -- Outstanding Chapter
Review: The chapter entitled "Loopholes" simply floored me. It answered so many of the questions and misunderstandings I had about Christianity BEFORE I became Christian. I wish I could have read this book years ago -- but then again, for whatever reason, I didn't feel God's grace then, and might not have understood. Perhaps I was only meant to read books like this one AFTER receiving the breathtaking wonder of grace. Gratitude for God's grace in the face of my undeservedness is what drives me to seek sanctity. But, it's only the icing on the cake. We are saved by grace alone...
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Summary: THE PERFECT ANIDOTE TO LEGALISM
Review: If you're a Christian, or not a Christian, or (most) especially if you have tendencies toward "legalism" and just want to know the truth about the uniqueness of Christianity and what actually sets it apart: then, trust me, this book is for you. Yancey trains a discerning eye on the most needed and necessary truth from the life and words of Christ: grace (divine, unmerited favor) reaching to the depths of the human abyss. True, we don't deserve it; BUT YOU DESERVE THIS BOOK. RUSH OUT AND READ IT CAREFULLY. It will untangle a lot of tricky questions about what is genuine Christianity, and what is the phoney baloney religiosity that sometimes passes for it.
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Summary: God provides grace freely
Review: If you are struggling in your faith, read Phil Yancey's book. God gives grace freely and with love. I have suggested Phil's book to many friends and all have enjoyed reading it; then they pass the book on to others to read. Simply a delicious book. I have not read all of Yancey's books yet, but they are on my reading list.
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Summary: An understanding of the true message of the Bible
Review: I have little to say on this book which is ironic because it has meant so much to me. Outside of the Bible itself, no book has influenced the way I think and the way I approach life more than this one. We are in a time where people are seeking for so many answers to so many problems. And, in some form or another they are finding those answers. Why is it then that Christians everywhere continue to hold to the notion that their answer is the correct one. Yancey answers this perfectly by reminding us that Jesus can offer us all the one thing that no person, no country, and no organization can ever offer us, and that is Grace. This book will remind you of the feelings of love and respect you should have for one another. It will give you solutions to the neverending problems of solving issues with hate and with revenge. It will challenge you to love the unlovable. It is a book that I pray every non-christian gives a chance in helping their understanding of who Jesus really is and is not. Be prepared,...,this book will challenge all to help anyone understand that while we all fall short of the glory of God, we can all still receive the Grace of God.
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Summary: Opens new avenues into the work of Grace
Review: This is not a book you can read lightly. It requires dedication and stimulates gratitude for Grace received. It also stirs the conscience for times when God's Grace was not shared by the reader. It should be required reading for all Christians.
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Summary: Changed my life :)
Review: Greetings all, I have only been the christian a short time and when i was searching I looked at all the religions and as C.S Lewis put it its grace that makes christianty REALLY different to Islam and Judaism and many Christians would be free from the chains that sometimes churchs and we ourselves seem to bind us in if they just read this book..God Bless
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Summary: The Grace of God Never Ceases.
Review: A magnificent encore performance by Phillip Yancey. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better after reading The Jesus I Never Knew Phillip Yancey for by the grace of God blesses us all once again. Once again I praise God for inspiring the work of Phillip Yancey, and significantly inspiring all who read...Bravo!!!
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