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Rating: 
Summary: AMAZING GRACE
Review: How many times have we heard the "good" news that,although God loves us unconditionally and proves that love in thedeath and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we had better "get our act together" or else face the prospect of eternal damnation? Reading between the lines, such "good" news really says: "In the end, God will give you what you deserve, and what you deserve is probably not very nice." Many persons who have thought about becoming Christians - and even many persons who already are Christians - recoil from this message, thinking that if this is good news, then who needs any bad news! In this brief book, Episcopal priest and New Testament scholar L. William Countryman cuts through the double messages often presented as the good news of Christianity. He shifts the focus away from the self-centered preoccupation with sin to the God and Christ-centered nature of grace. "What God says to you in Jesus," Countryman writes, "is this: You are forgiven. Nothing less. Nothing more" (p. 3). In other words, what God says to us in Christ is that we get God's forgiveness and unconditional love not only when we are penitent, but precisely when we are least deserving (cf. Romans 5:6-8). Over the next 100 pages, Countryman develops the implications of this message from the perspective of God's astonishing and unfailing generosity. He teases out the implications of the good news of Jesus for each of us as individuals and for our relationships with God and other persons. Countryman also applies the good news to how we should understand the authority of the Bible and the nature of the Church. Lest he be charged with soft peddling the serious nature of sin and evil, Countryman also addresses the profound difference that refusing the good news makes in our lives. Although Countryman fails to do justice to all of the theological and moral terrain he covers in such a short space, the book successfully raises profound questions and ideas for the reader's contemplation. I found Countryman's shift in perspective from human sinfulness to God's grace profoundly healing, encouraging, and uplifting. In contrast to the many ways we reduce the gospel to a veiled threat of eternal judgment, this book brought to life the surprising and hopeful character of the good news. "God has chosen you in love, just as you are," Countryman assures us (p. 109). His book reaffirmed for me why I am a Christian, it made me want to grow in my faith, and it made me want to share my faith with others. The book also challenged me to let go of my judgmental tendencies by looking at other persons and myself from the perspective of God's graciousness in Christ. This is one of those books I find myself returning to again and again, and every time I reread it I find myself renewed in faith. I enthusiastically recommend Countryman's book. It's a perfect introduction to Christian faith for persons interested in the possibility of becoming Christians, for Christians who could use a reminder of what the faith is really all about, and for Sunday school teachers looking for a readable text to use for their classes. If you're looking for a theologically sound yet readable introduction to the basic message of Christian faith and its implications for life, this book is for you.
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Summary: Marvelous, healing and redemptive work
Review: In "Good News of Jesus," Episcopalian priest and scholar L. William Countryman distills two thousand years of Christianity down to its utter essence. "You are loved. God loves you, no matter who you are, no matter what you do, no matter what you believe or don't believe. God loves you." Working from that central premise, he goes on to discuss what that means in terms of the community, the church, the Bible and the world. Those who espouse a more legalistic view of Christianity will definitely have a problem with this book. But for others, especially those recovering from harm done in the name of religion, or those unsure as to the relevance and meaning of the Christian faith, this book will serve as a healing, refreshing and well-balanced look at some central truths in Christianity. A gentle and very sane book.
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