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14th out of 113 books
—
10 voters
God Is Not a Christian: And Other Provocations
by
Desmond Tutu
In this essential collection of Desmond Tutu's most historicand controversial speeches and writings, we witness hisunique career of provoking the powerful and confronting theworld in order to protect the oppressed, the poor, and othervictims of injustice.
Renowned first for his courageous opposition to apartheidin South Africa, he and his ministry soon took on international...more
Renowned first for his courageous opposition to apartheidin South Africa, he and his ministry soon took on international...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
May 3rd 2011
by HarperOne
(first published May 1st 2011)
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A powerful collection of Desmond Tutu's writings and speeches spanning several decades. He is an unapologetic Christian, but incredibly gifted at interfaith dialogue and outreach. There is some repetition; a man this prolific is bound to plagiarize himself at least somewhat, especially in off-the-cuff, extemporaneous remarks to groups. And now I'm going to let him speak for himself (mostly so I have a record of these great quotes before I have to return the book to the library):
* Life...has too...more
* Life...has too...more
May 09, 2012
Rebekka K. Steg
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
christianity,
2012,
favourites,
essays,
inspirational,
islam,
israel,
judaism,
non-fiction,
philosophy
It took me just over a month to read God Is Not a Christian: And Other Provocations by Desmond Tutu. Not because it's long, it's just over 200 pages, but because it is so incredibly thought-provoking. I really enjoyed it on so many levels. Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Laureate, arch bishop of South Africa, and avid fighter against the apartheid system, is such an inspiration. I really admire him for standing up for everyone, all across the world, even when it isn't popular.
This book will make you...more
This book will make you...more
I have a hard time rating non-fiction, because it creates such a different experience than fiction does. But I've decided to give five stars to books that change my life, and this book came pretty close.
I chose this book for its provocative title. I'd never heard of Desmond Tutu. What fascinated me most was that Tutu is a Christian and said God is not a Christian. I thought to myself, "What kind of Christian is he?" I discovered that he is a true Christian and emulates what Christianity should b...more
I chose this book for its provocative title. I'd never heard of Desmond Tutu. What fascinated me most was that Tutu is a Christian and said God is not a Christian. I thought to myself, "What kind of Christian is he?" I discovered that he is a true Christian and emulates what Christianity should b...more
Desmond Tutu is a tough guy. Fearless and dedicated to his people, Tutu was a remarkable agent of change during South Africa's apartheid era. In this collection, he aired out his disappointments and warnings against repeating history as the government (as of 2009) began slipping back into familiar waters. He admits to being a repetitive man, and his essays do tend to repeat his frustrations and guidance, but they are no less valuable. His essays will give you a great deal of perspective on what...more
If I could give this more than five stars, I would in a heartbeat.
If I could have lunch with any living famous person, it would be Tutu.
And if you've ever wondered why a supposedly bright, definitely disruptive woman like me might choose to follow Christian teachings, read this and you'll get it. Tutu has no qualms whatsoever about calling the powerful to account, and his methods and reasons for doing so are inextricably connected to his faith.
If I could have lunch with any living famous person, it would be Tutu.
And if you've ever wondered why a supposedly bright, definitely disruptive woman like me might choose to follow Christian teachings, read this and you'll get it. Tutu has no qualms whatsoever about calling the powerful to account, and his methods and reasons for doing so are inextricably connected to his faith.
Supplants 'sweeping exclusivist claims' of Christianity with compassion. Loved the essay on ubuntu - the essence of being human, coveted by traditional African society above all material wealth.
I have done a review of this book and send out a blog piece out. I am working on the other review, together with Emmanuel Katongole's book Sacrifice of Africa: Political Theology for Africa.
I primarily read just a couple chapters on forgiveness in this book and scanned the rest of it. It's quite an informative collections of Tutu's writings, speeches, and sermons given.
There are some beautiful, eloquent and powerful passages here. However, I can't reconcile some of the theological ideas he presents and I'm not sure which is the real Tutu. Interesting and provocative read, nevertheless.
This was a great sampler of many of Bishop Tutu's writings and sermons on issues of justice.
Excellent book. This is a collection of Bishop Tutu's speeches and articles in which he addresses the human condition at large and the condition of the South African people in particular both during and after Apartheid. He states frequently that he feels that people of faith need to be on the side of the oppressed, where he believes God is also, and about the shared humanity of all of God's children, regardless of their race, gender, age or sexual orientation. This book is full of much wisdom an...more
Insightful, astounding. Everyone should read this book.
I needed this book for chapter 3.
Apr 23, 2011
David
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Yes
Recommended to David by:
for those interested in the history of South Africa, the relationship between the Anglican church and politics.
Shelves:
read-and-reviewed
When people meet a man or woman of spirit, peace or national leadership, the reaction is almost always the same; there is an aura about these men and women that exudes power, confidence and leadership. I have not had the honor of sitting in the presence of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, but believe he, too, meets this criterion. So when I had the opportunity to review a collection of his speeches and letters, I jumped at it.
Read more: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/revie... (Release date May 3, 2011...more
Read more: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/revie... (Release date May 3, 2011...more
Inspiring
Inspiring! Encouraged me to speak up for myself and others with more courage.
Jul 31, 2011
Jon
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Open-minded people with patience for the good in life
Recommended to Jon by:
The shelf at the library
Shelves:
read-2011
An amazing man with some great thoughts. It gets a little dry at times, but it's well worth the effort.
May 04, 2012
Rebecca Schatschneider
marked it as to-read
I had a few minutes to kill while waiting for a friend who was late for lunch, and found this at the bookstore next to the restaurant. Thinking it might provide some good material for my speechwriting duties, I picked it up - and was immediately drawn in. I can't wait to have another interlude when I can pick it up again!
Contradictory in the extreme. As a Christian I was saddened by the obviously flawed arguments.
This book is very interesting, but it is so deep that I can only read bits at a time. I started high-lighting the sections I considered especially important. Now most of what I've read so far is high-lighted!
A collection of excerpts from Tutu's letters and speeches, nicely contextualized and sequenced. It's a good introduction to his themes and suggestions.
Desmond Tutu reminds us what God's call to us as Christians is which is to cloth the naked, feed the hungry, and confront the oppression of the weak.
Mar 26, 2013
Hope
marked it as abandoned
I skimmed this but didn't really read enough to count it as read. Not bad, just not quite what I was looking for at the time.
Very interesting points on self righteousness.
May 15, 2013
Krystal
is currently reading it
May 14, 2013
Alicia Olayinka
marked it as to-read
May 12, 2013
Tersia
marked it as to-read
May 12, 2013
Mitchel Hunter
marked it as to-read
May 06, 2013
Rebecca
marked it as to-read
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Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. In 1984, Tutu became the second South African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Tutu was the first black South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, and primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now the Anglican Church of Southern A...more
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Jul 10, 2012 08:03am