The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

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The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 10,288 ratings · 732 reviews

Living as an Ordinary RadicalMany of us find ourselves caught somewhere between unbelieving activists and inactive believers. We can write a check to feed starving children or hold signs in the streets and feel like we've made a difference without ever encountering the faces of the suffering masses. In this book, Shane Claiborne describes an authentic faith rooted in belie...more

Paperback, 367 pages

Published January 31st 2006 by Zondervan Publishing Company (first published January 23rd 2006)

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Jan 11, 2008 lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

In the spirit of sweeping generalizations, youth pastors fall into two categories. The first is the middle aged man who excitedly pumps students up with pizza parties and all-night lock-ins. Then there are the too-cool-for-cool ones. The youth pastor at my church fell into the second category. He was one of those, "You think I'm cool, but I'm not. Because only, Jesus, man. Jesus is cool."

Shane Claiborne is one of those dudes, too.

In The Irresistible Revolution, he makes the very provocative case...more In the spirit of sweeping generalizations, youth pastors fall into two categories. The first is the middle aged man who excitedly pumps students up with pizza parties and all-night lock-ins. Then there are the too-cool-for-cool ones. The youth pastor at my church fell into the second category. He was one of those, "You think I'm cool, but I'm not. Because only, Jesus, man. Jesus is cool."

Shane Claiborne is one of those dudes, too.

In The Irresistible Revolution, he makes the very provocative case that the only possible life for a real Christian to follow is to sell all of one's possessions and work for the widow, the orphan, the poor, the oppressed. Unfortunately, his book screws it all up.

Don't get me wrong, Claiborne's message - and his life that seems to truly reflect that message - is powerful. Jesus said to care for those who need care, and Claiborne took the call to heart: working with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, advocating for the homeless in his city, building community with his poor neighbors.

However.

First, and this is the least of my complaints, Claiborne gives no practical advice to how to cross race and class lines in an intentional community, aside from "love each other." Well, having spent much time myself at an intentional community house, I can tell you that it's not that easy. And what about when you have to hold down a 9-to-5 in order to make rent, something he doesn't have to worry about?

Claiborne could have left out the chapters that aimed to legitimize all the things that go exactly against what he claims to stand for - namely, being a middle class Christian consumer who goes to church on Sundays, prays at the dinner table, and donates clothes to the Salvation Army. He could have said, when Zondervan and Jim Wallis apparently begged him relentlessly to write the damn thing, "Fine, I'll do it. But I'm not compromising the message, you're not putting my picture on the cover, and you're not going to package it to be the next cool book on the social justice conservative college student bookshelf."

Instead, no fewer than six pictures of Claiborne grace the cover - dreadlocked, grooming his vegetable garden, hanging out with "urban youth" in front of a graffiti-ed wall. Sarcasm aside: all good things. But they, along with the too-cool-for-mainstream-culture "duct-taped" "cardboard" cover and the "dude, man" rhetoric, are clearly just cogs in the consumerist machine.(less)

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Jan 31, 2010 Dave Johnson rated it 1 of 5 stars

at first, i liked this book. i actually reccommended it to a friend. ignoring the first forty-something pages full of prefaces, forwards, dedications, and author's notes (which really tried my patience. theres no point to that.), i thought that the author started off by making a good point. then all the crap came out. first, this guy has a big problem with authority. being someone who is a self-professed follower of Jesus, he should be more submissive to authority. and its not just police or the...more

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Dave Johnson the reason i call you a hypocrite is that you dont see what you're saying is something you'll never see in your own life--only the lives of perfect st...more the reason i call you a hypocrite is that you dont see what you're saying is something you'll never see in your own life--only the lives of perfect strangers on the internet. it's really a pretty good gig when you can bash other people online, look up verses that prove your ideology and defense of a book that isnt even that good, and then talk about how awesome you are for not living in the US even though your profile says otherwise. like i said, i'm quite aware that Jesus says things about the rich, but you have to take that in the context of the whole bible otherwise you'll for a theology of poverty. and there are plenty of other scriptures i could take out of context--straight from Jesus' mouth and prove that God wants you rich (i used to be in a church that espoused that belief). i didnt even want to start a debate on this stupid review. i just laid it out there and let others see what i thought of the book. what do you care if i didnt like it? what do you care if my beliefs are different than yours? do you HONESTLY think that God is so small that he cannot work with other people who happen to have any form of affluence? read the Bible, dude. look at all the people that God deliberately blessed beyond belief just because they chose to believe God (Abraham) or because God wanted to show off (Israel). have you so quickly forgotten that Jesus was buried in a rich man's tomb or had a money changer or his first miracle was one of extravagance and opulence, or that he called money forth from a fish's mouth, or that he made bloated the fishing nets and deliberately blessed Peter's fishing business (twice) to the point that he was embarrassed for being a sinner whom Jesus just blessed, was anointed for burial by something so expensive his disciples said it was "wasteful" or that when he was born God sent a tribe of people from the east to give him gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and that these gifts if calculated in today's currency equate to millions of dollars? its freakin GOLD. it's one thing to have money. its entirely a different beast when money has you, and my understanding of the context of the whole bible is that when you trust in riches or money or provision, that's when you are labeled as "rich" and "pierce your side with many griefs". but if you trust God to provide all your need, then he "provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you" (2 Cor 9:10). i could care less about increasing in poverty, because i dont see God having a problem with money. nor does he have a problem with people owning money. Jesus was born, lived, and died wealthy. God blesses his people, not so they can be wealthy or trust in riches, but so they can increase in generosity.

like i said, i feel sorry for you. why be a troll and try to force your legalism on every person on Goodreads who doesnt like this book or believe or live the same way as you? even then, you dont even live up to your own standard.

i'm tired of arguing with a stranger on the internet. and i'm tired of having to defend a rightful dividing of Scripture and just plain common sense of Bible theology. i wrote this review because the book sucked and was inconsistent with its own ideals, was legalistic in its approach, was just a liberal rant, and wasnt even biblically accurate or relevant. i dont care what you think about that. for here on out, i'm closing this debate and all further posts and replies. no more debate or arguing. all further replies will be deleted.(less)
Jun 03, 2011 07:21am

Nolan we're all hypocrites. we're only human.
Aug 14, 2012 01:50am

Jul 24, 2007 Meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shane Claiborne has a lot of interesting stories and valuable insights. It's a funny book; very Donald Miller-esque in tone. There were several parts where I had to cringe as Claiborne tended to border on self-righteousness from time to time, but I don't think that it distracted too much from the beautiful images he successfully presented of what it means to live in real Christian community, the way Jesus did and required ALL his followers to do as well.

The accounts of the time Claiborne spent...more

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Jul 23, 2007 Mary Pitts rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Liberal Christians

I got through half this book. It got wacky. I gave it a couple more chapter. And then I gave up. This book is pretty liberal. I'm not. This author seems to think very highly of himself. He seems to think to be a true Christian you must give up any sort of business, live among the poor and blah blah blah. He thinks he's so open minded and new age, but he's actually REALLY close minded. What about the average Christian who is looking to be the best they can at showing Christ's love in their world....more

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May 29, 2012 Joel Bradshaw rated it 5 of 5 stars

An absolutely beautiful book. Shane Claiborne has an incredible heart for his neighbor, and tells the story of his journey to a genuine discipleship of Christ in a disarmingly friendly, simple, witty, and humorous way. Don't let the tone fool you, however - this is a book that challenges the Church to re-examine what its core principles really are, why it is on this earth, and provides support for those disillusioned by the oppositional, self-centered Christianity that is too prevalent in Christ...more

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Jul 24, 2008 Jud Kossum rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Irresistible Revolution is a book written from a place of love by someone who has put his love into action, and as such, I would recommend it to anyone who can read around its sometimes glaring flaws to find the challenging truths that make up the bulk of the book.

Claiborne writes with humor, kindness, and humility. He challenges the status quo of American Christianity, calling us to love the poor. He shines light on and brings into question beliefs and practices of both conservative and lib...more The Irresistible Revolution is a book written from a place of love by someone who has put his love into action, and as such, I would recommend it to anyone who can read around its sometimes glaring flaws to find the challenging truths that make up the bulk of the book.

Claiborne writes with humor, kindness, and humility. He challenges the status quo of American Christianity, calling us to love the poor. He shines light on and brings into question beliefs and practices of both conservative and liberal Christians. Above all, he challenges all of us to know the poor. He writes, "I had come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor." How else can we truly love them? Claiborne goes on to say, “I truly believe that when the poor meet the rich, riches will have no meaning. And when the rich meet the poor, we will see poverty come to an end.”

He calls us from the isolation and – ironically – crowd-focused mentality of the church we have built in America to an all-encompassing love.

The problems come when Claiborne misuses Scripture to make valid points. For example, in Chapter 12, he makes reference to 2 Samuel 7, in which David decides to build a temple for God – a “permanent residence,” so to speak – but God tells David that he is not the man to build a temple. Claiborne uses this passage to validate his point that God doesn’t want us constructing multimillion-dollar church buildings. “God just digs camping,” he writes, seeming to completely ignore the next part of the passage, in which God says that David’s son will build Him a temple (v. 12-13).

The point is valid and he could have simply relied on Acts 17:24 (God does not live in “temples built by hands”) – a verse he references in the same paragraph – to make it, not to mention the time he spends prior to this talking about the church’s misguided endeavors to draw crowds, from which the desire to build these “temples” grows.

These instances of scriptural manhandling are not numerous, but they stick out like the Crystal Cathedral and will probably lead many readers to completely dismiss Claiborne.

The end product, though, is a challenging, convicting work that needs to be read. Christians should read this book for Claiborne’s heart, even if his head is not always in the right place.(less)

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May 27, 2007 Joanna King rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-faith

Everyone should read this book. Shane has such a beautiful perspective on the world. As I have often found myself frustrated and disenchanted with what I have seen in American Christianity, Shane reminds me that my God is a God of the small but beautiful things, who calls me to be part of his empire-toppling revolution of love. Shane calls particularly this generation into "small things with great love" and lives a profound example of that. One of the most encouraging things about this book and...more

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Oct 21, 2007 Tom rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, christianity

Very inspiring, a book about getting back to the root of what it means to be a Christian, i.e. living with "the least of these" and fighting for peace and justice. However, the book is marred by its youth-pastor-esque voice of excitement and by Zondervan's over-marketing (just look at the fake duct tape on the cover).

Also, as a former resident in an intentional Christian community in a poor neighborhood, his stories of his own life are rosy and idealistic. Claiborne never mentions the difficulty...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Dollie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was curious what others were writing about this book and as I suspected, most comments would be way more about Shane Claiborne, who he is, what his motives are than what he actually says in this book. I don't travel or am I even all that acquainted with categories of youth pastors or church leaders. I am starting not to care much because I am finding all this evangelical this, progressive that, tea party this and protester that and conservative this and liberal that and who is cool and who is...more

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Jun 16, 2008 Naomi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do you have a desire to follow the calling of God? Is there a deep yearning inside you that cannot be filled only with faith, but must have action as well? The Irresistible Revolution is a novel that searches for real and true Christians. From as far as Wall Street, to the ghettos of America, slums in Iraq and orphanages in Calcutta, the author Shane Claiborne takes the reader on a journey though the social injustices and ungodly principles of the world and the Christian church today. Convinced...more Do you have a desire to follow the calling of God? Is there a deep yearning inside you that cannot be filled only with faith, but must have action as well? The Irresistible Revolution is a novel that searches for real and true Christians. From as far as Wall Street, to the ghettos of America, slums in Iraq and orphanages in Calcutta, the author Shane Claiborne takes the reader on a journey though the social injustices and ungodly principles of the world and the Christian church today. Convinced that the church is not doing enough, Claiborne spends his days fulfilling the commandment of Jesus; ‘Go into the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation’ (Mark 16:15). His great passion for Christ and dedicated study of our Lord brings him to the realisation that the world can be overcome with love for God by one small act of kindness at a time. Political scenarios and protests for human rights fill each page, covering relevant topics such as war in Iraq, poverty, mixing politics with religion, social injustice, terrorism and consumerism.
This account of one man’s experiences and vision for the world sets the readers heart on fire and urges them to share the word of God with great love, standing up for what’s right in the eyes of God. Claiborne outlines the “Irresistible Revolution” as a Jesus revolution that is slowly creeping over the world like a vine, growing more each day. We, as followers of Christ and as God’s ambassadors, must take action to further spread this message of love and hope! Are we supporting the greed and money making schemes of many companies and churches of this world? Or are we giving all that we have to the poor, demonstrating the extent of God’s love? Shane examines the world that we live in, unfolding a great spiritual sickness, but through the smog and pollution, a light shines true. God promises a place of warmth and love, but never safety. Although many Christians cling to security and comfort, Claiborne proclaims that Jesus is constantly getting him into trouble, daring him to take on new challenges and to fight against the powers and principalities of this world. After all, Jesus preaches that we should not be afraid of things that destroy the body, but of things that destroy the soul (Matt 10:28). Finishing on a triumphant note of love and mercy, this book encourages the followers of Christ to hear the call and continue the work of Christ, planting the hope of the Kingdom of God like the planting of a small mustard seed.
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Apr 02, 2008 Shiloh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shiloh by: Todd Anderson and Hannah Mailen

This was a really good book. There were quite a few things I couldn't completely agree with. I did not agree with public disgracing of the president, and his view on war. Almost everyone would rather have peace, and the idea of peaceful revolutions and laying down your life for it is a decision that has to be made by individuals and not the powers that be. I have read too many materials about the people in Iraq that are happy that we liberated them, and wonder why we didn't do it the first time....more This was a really good book. There were quite a few things I couldn't completely agree with. I did not agree with public disgracing of the president, and his view on war. Almost everyone would rather have peace, and the idea of peaceful revolutions and laying down your life for it is a decision that has to be made by individuals and not the powers that be. I have read too many materials about the people in Iraq that are happy that we liberated them, and wonder why we didn't do it the first time. (And if you don't believe there were WMD's I suggest you read Saddam's Secrets.) I have also read of the places where we have sat back and done nothing (ie Rwanda, Dar Fur) where the loss of life is staggering and we have had the power to put an end to it. Does he really think that we should have not been involved in WW2? Where would the world be? I realize that America is in damned if you do damned if you don't situation, and regardless what the choice is, it is never an easy decision. God bless those that have to make those decisions and be held responsible for them.

Also, on that point, had we not gone into Iraq, it would have been near impossible for him to go there to love on the Iraqi people. The war has opened the door for cross cultural relations, education for women, the gospel, development, trade, and relief work.

One other thing, cause I just have to put my opinion out there, I appreciate patriotism. Growing up I never felt that way, I was rather globally minded and felt that thinking that America was the best place on earth was a little ethnocentric, but I have been many places in the world, and I really love going to a country where they have flags everywhere and pictures of there king, president, whatever. I think people should be proud of where they live and their heritage and still be able to appreciate other lands, cultures and peoples. Every country has its faults and share of corruption, but I think people should be thankful and enjoy their heritage.

But no matter the difference, I enjoyed the book with the authors passion and simplicity of the gospel (which we often complicate). He put the responsibility of the poor in our laps, where it belongs. I won't go into all the good things, you will have to read that for yourself, but there were times the passion was so intense I was drawn into the presence of God. And I love a book that gives you a good kick in the pants and makes you hungry for God. I was quite jealous that he got to work with Mother Theresa and Rich Mullins.

Sorry this is so long, but I had to get those things off my chest, I could have gone on :0)(less)

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Mar 31, 2008 Mary Katherine McMullen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone actually searching for and trying to live authentically

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What seems radical in our post-modern world would not be considered to be radical in other periods of time; as such, the reality that Gen-Xers push forward the global Christian community into living a life of orthodox authenticity seems to be impossible. The tattooed, skate-boarding generation may have once been looked down upon for their alternative lifestyles of bonding together through inclusion of all people into what appeared to be unlawful cliques by the previous generations; however, what...more What seems radical in our post-modern world would not be considered to be radical in other periods of time; as such, the reality that Gen-Xers push forward the global Christian community into living a life of orthodox authenticity seems to be impossible. The tattooed, skate-boarding generation may have once been looked down upon for their alternative lifestyles of bonding together through inclusion of all people into what appeared to be unlawful cliques by the previous generations; however, what springs from these "cliques" is a desire for and an understanding of what community and communion with global humanity making Gen-Xers the voice of the body of Christ through their actions.

Claiborne's book exposes his quest for authenticity in the church to act upon what preaching and Bible study exposes. While membership in American megachurches continues to rise, the gospel message of care for all of humanity often ends as soon as it leaves the pulpit falling dead before it ever reaches many of the gathered congregation. Claiborne pushes for a return to the concept that the church is the body of Christ and not a structure of bricks and mortar that more often traps the gospel than disburses it. To this end, Claiborne spends his life living amongst and helping those that other people do not even appear to see.

Claiborne calls this a new form of monasticism. Through his study, he returned to the works of the desert fathers that feed generations before him and found that they not only fed him but prompted him to live as they lived. Combined with his belief that the church is not made of bricks but rather the people and environments around him, he sought to, not live a cloistered life, live among the people to hear their stories, feed them, house them, heal them, and teach them to do the same with other human beings and the environment. The new monasticism pushes forward a Biblically authentic Christianity, a return to orthodoxy (right belief) but more importantly a return to orthopraxis (right living and action) that the early desert fathers claimed for their lives.

New monasticism is not a call for the faithful to leave churches as many would assume (as I did before I read the book), but it is a call for the body of Christ's missing Gen-Xers to remain or return to the deadened brick churches with our knowledge of community and show them that the body of Christ is in everyone regardless of what we think or believe. Orthodox belief while incredibly important will not come to fruition through vocal preaching or insistent prayer for the world to change but will only come to fruition through the preaching and prayer of action illuminating the love our world cries out for, the love of God shown through his disciples. The internal love of God can only be spread to others through the actions of the disciples and not the words of people.

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Mar 03, 2008 shaun mccormick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian

If Donald Miller wasn't enough for you, then try a dose of Shane. A great book that tells some amazing stories of God's work through the ministries he is in, and does a good job at showing how some of the pitfalls of American Christianity can be overcome by changes in lifestyle.

However, the book ends up falling flat with over-hyped idealism without much meat. Rosy words and slick phrases abound in this book, as the writing is hyperemotional, self-told-story-driven, and often fails to point out t...more

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Jun 03, 2008 Jonathan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jonathan by: Lindsey

Shelves: contemporary-america, christian-intellectuals

An impressionistic review of an impressionistic book:

I finished Irresistible Revolution shortly after debating Gitmo with a friend from church. He argued that we should trust our executive branch to do the right thing, and that innocent casualties in a war are worth the expense. They aren't US citizens, after all.

This book would not change that friend's mind about anything. Indeed, I disagree with a lot of what Claiborne says. But I found the book oddly soothing after that debate. Strange as it...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Lisa Lewis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazing, self-improvement, religion-and-spirituality

Wow! That is my reaction to this book, by Shane Claiborne, one of the founders of the Simple Way group in Philadelphia. Basically, it's a memoir of a person, who got together with other like-minded people, and have attempted to live like Jesus did. And not in the WWJD bracelet way, but Really. Like. Jesus. Lived. As in, take Mother Teresa and Saint Francis for your role models, throw in a healthy portion of irreverence and fun, and move to the slums of Philadelphia to live side by side with home...more

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Oct 08, 2007 Marc added it Recommends it for: anybody

Shane's view of Christianity is appealing, it is neither liberal or conservative. He takes Jesus' call to give away all your wealth and be a servant to the poor literally. I haven't and probably never will do so to the extent Shane has but hope to keep moving in that direction. Shane succeeds not only in inspiring others to live more like Jesus but also making it seem possible that enough people will try to really change the world. The Simple Way is about doing "small things with great love" not...more

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Dec 19, 2008 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nashville-library

I don't agree with Claiborne's "generous orthodoxy" stance, but it's impossible to argue with his simple commitment to living out the Gospel in everyday life. When I finished this book, I wanted to sell all my stuff and hang out with poor people...and that's the point. If Tolstoy and Francis of Assisi hold any appeal, this book will too, as it's basically their ideas, framed for modern, post-church Christians.

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Mar 02, 2008 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had a hard time reading this book because of the writing, which left a lot to be desired. I'm sure it was not the author's intent, but at times he comes across as a bit self-righteous. I think his youth is evident in his writing; a lot of passion, idealism, and an appetite for revolution. ;-)
My basic thought was that this was more a book about the redistribution of wealth than it was a discourse on how to live for Jesus (I'd love to hear from him again when he reaches middle age!). However, al...more

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Jan 28, 2008 Alexander rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommended to Alexander by: Forced to read it by the GFU capstone, to their eternal shame

Ahh, the irresistible revolution of left-wing politics. Blech. I can't tell whether Shane is a follower of A) Barabbas, a messianic freedom-fighter (almost) executed by an oppressive empire for his solidarity with the poor, or B) Jesus.

Assuming it's B, I will pray for this brother in Christ-- I'll be praying that he can give up his individualism and attachment to stuff, and join a real monastery. That would involve committment, a vow of poverty, obedience to a superior, and a lot less attention....more

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Apr 21, 2008 Lyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shane Claiborne is doing what he hears God calling him to do, and that is so very admirable. But he doesn't leave lots of room for one to live another way. He's too idealistic and just a touch too pleased with himself. He doesn't come out and say it, but I'm left with the feeling that he judges the rest of us just a little too harshly.

I do like the radical departure from mainstream Christianity, which in so many ways deserves being departed from. I like the idea of trying to live The Simple Way....more

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Apr 11, 2007 terry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My son, a Sr. at Middlebury College brought this book home over Christmas break. Shane, (the author) had spoken at Middlebury during a "homeless awareness" week. The last book my son brought home was Blue Like Jazz. If you liked that you will probably like this. Makes you think seriously about your everyday walk with Christ. It's honest, refreshing, challenging and very thought provoking. Easy to read but you need a while to digest each chapter. I wanted my friends to read it so i could get thei...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Carrie B rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is not well-written, it smacks of idealism and self-righteousness from time to time, and it's not realistic to think everyone that reads it is going to become an "ordinary radical" or "new monastic." What I think the reader will find by reading it is humor and a desire to shut the mouth and stop throwing money at "causes" and actually DO something. You can bitch all you want about how he's idealistic and crazy and hates authority, but I don't think there is any question that he and his...more

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Mar 26, 2009 Stephanie Orefice rated it 4 of 5 stars

A year or so ago my friend recommended this book to me. I came to this page and read the 5 star and 1 star reviews, and because of the 1 star reviews wrote it off as one-sided and an attempt to convert people to a new way of thinking.

Many of the 1 star reviews mentioned that they believe the author thinks the ONLY way to live out your faith is how he does. I'm not interested in someone getting my attention just to persuade me I'm wrong. A few weeks ago Shane was in town so I went with some frien...more

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Feb 19, 2009 TEAR Australia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review by Bryan Hughes

READ MORE AT:
http://www.tear.org.au/education/revi...

Young American Shane Claiborne writes with wit, humility and insight about his own attempt to move beyond just being a believer in Jesus, to being a follower of Jesus.

This journey takes him to the slums of Calcutta where he meets Mother Teresa and people living in a colony for people with leprosy. Later he joins in with other students in Philadelphia to support 40 homeless families who are being evicted from an abandoned...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Hansen Wendlandt rated it 4 of 5 stars

From emergent churches to the many recent books about new movements in Christianity (McLaren, Cox, Bass et al), something is happening in the world of faith. Shane Claiborne is a unique ‘something’ and central figure in those changes. For the last decade or so, he has been taking the gospel “seriously” and offering a vision severely different than the hypocritical mess that most people see in Christianity today. Part theology, part biography, this book is Claiborne’s description of what “ordinar...more From emergent churches to the many recent books about new movements in Christianity (McLaren, Cox, Bass et al), something is happening in the world of faith. Shane Claiborne is a unique ‘something’ and central figure in those changes. For the last decade or so, he has been taking the gospel “seriously” and offering a vision severely different than the hypocritical mess that most people see in Christianity today. Part theology, part biography, this book is Claiborne’s description of what “ordinary radicals” can offer to the world’s poor and to the disciple’s soul. He is quite persuasive about the principles behind his Simple Way movement—what amounts to a new “urban monasticism”—but he is also so encouraging about people building their own communities, that there is great advice here even for folks not yet willing to uproot themselves completely from “overconsumptive but malnourished spirituality.” (39)

Like many leading Christian thinkers today (Wallis, Bell), Claiborne has one foot in an evangelical past, and another firmly in, or claimed by, the liberal/progressive/activist wing. On one hand, he has a great gift of exegesis, and can sling Bible passages with the best of them: “if you tell me I have to be born again to enter the kingdom of God, I can tell you that you have to sell everything you have and give it to the poor…” (99) Even when he comes off a touch sanctimonious, it’s God’s agenda he pushes, with nothing that isn’t based in Scripture. On the other hand, he is perfectly comfortable in protests, prison and actually practicing the sort of life that Jesus might live today. This, along with his dreadlocks, bubbles, and charming stories of “holy mischief” makes him simultaneously an enemy, curiosity, and hero for different parts of the Church.

Irresistible Revolution has perhaps more ideology and stories than his next books, preachable and well written, though less crafted. It constantly addresses money and politics (slightly dated, but still relevant, sadly so), with plenty of comment on race, violence, prayer and church life. Claiborne touches it all, in his living and his writing, because Jesus never compartmentalized, and because it is too easy in modern America to make very narrow lists of ‘religious’ beliefs and values. This is not to say his theology shies away from God’s authority; Claiborne is happy to say God demands certain behavior, though he shifts deeply the traditional, often mistaken categories of those behaviors.

There is a lot to enjoy about this book. One day I hope I can enjoy its lessons more practically, along with all the other people, young or old, Christian or questioning, who find in such holistic discipleship an alternative to patterns of regular, modern emptiness.
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Jun 25, 2012 Andrew Mcneely rated it 5 of 5 stars

The questions Shane asks in this book will, and should, give the reader pause. I can absolutley understand why people hate this book. From a political perspective, a conservative perspective, or a perspective derived from a lifetime in American main stream church, this book would read as tree highing hippy crap, naive propaganda from a self righteous left winger that should be dismissed. But read from a perspective that is quiet, patient, and open to God responding to the questions asked, this b...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this with my college-age ministry small group at Monterey Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. That way we could enjoy the humor of it, be intrigued by the stories, & discuss the ways it challenged us. It's great that it challenged us out of lukewarmth, but it was nice that we didn't just do everything that Shane Claiborne recommends (some were a little too socialistic for our tastes if adapted on a nation-wide, state-wide, city-wide, or even community-wide scales).

Once in a while, we...more

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May 30, 2012 Elliot Ratzman rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Not just Christians, social justice activists, skeptics

This is my new favorite book; this is the most moving Christian testimony I have read in years. The Irresistible Revolution is the most inspiring, creative, accessible and insightful take on Christian social justice from a white guy I have ever read. I learned something new on every page; familiar Bible passages became incandescent and shockingly relevant. Claiborne writes with (at times dorky) wit and wisdom with humility and urgency. His power comes from a combination of deep learning, extraor...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Matt Awesome rated it 4 of 5 stars

So this book brought me into a lot of vigorous chin-scratching and wrestling, which is probably the sign of a good book. I wanted to say, "Screw it all, let's plant trees, throw our money away, and just worship." and then the other side of me said, "That's unrealistic." I think I'm still there. I still don't know how to leap in the way that Claiborne guides his readers to. Claiborne reminds us that the orphans and widows that we fantasize about in church are all around us and we could very well...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. A book that challenges your very thinking.
I had previously seen Shane Claiborne speak at two youth conferences, so it was refreshing to read his book The Irresistible Revolution; it almost like I was listening to him speak once again. The three things that I found extremely inspiring and revolutionary would be the way we are told to approach our careers, money, and our Christian flame. Shane talks about how when we truly encounter Jesus, we need to either redefine our jobs, o...more I loved this book. A book that challenges your very thinking.
I had previously seen Shane Claiborne speak at two youth conferences, so it was refreshing to read his book The Irresistible Revolution; it almost like I was listening to him speak once again. The three things that I found extremely inspiring and revolutionary would be the way we are told to approach our careers, money, and our Christian flame. Shane talks about how when we truly encounter Jesus, we need to either redefine our jobs, or leave them. “Some may leave theirs. Others will redefine them. When we encounter Jesus and the poor, we may still be a tax collector, but we will be a different kind of tax collector . . . . not everyone responds in the same way, but we must respond” (141-142). This is challenging as it makes someone consider what they are doing at their job that benefits the Kingdom of God. There is a challenge in the last chapter about our money, where it states, “What is crazier: spending millions of dollars on a defense shield, or suggesting that we share our billions of dollars so we don’t need a defense shield” (344). This book talks a lot about community, and how different our world would be if we treated everyone like Jesus did and come to understand that we are to love everyone around us. In the final pages of this revolutionary book, one final thing stands above all else, and that is that we are not just supposed to have flames like a candle. “We are not just called to be candles. We are called to be fire. Candles can be snuffed out by the slightest wind . . . . But it is harder to put out a fire. We are to be fire, to weave our lives together so that the Spirit’s inferno of love spreads across the earth” (352). Therefore, it is our job to be the fire that spreads and that no one can stop. We are to use every moment of every day to spread Jesus, even in our jobs, giving our possessions to anyone that needs it; become a community, and this will create a greater community and in the end transform the world. (less)

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About Shane Claiborne

My love of God and my love of the arts seem to have begun simultaneously. I can not remember which awed me first. By age eight I was both an avid collector of crucifix pendants and a writer of poems. Thankfully those first poems are lost somewhere on the African continent.

Fast forward years later through stints in English boarding school, pew-warming in Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyter...more

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Books by Shane Claiborne

Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals

Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: Prayer for Ordinary Radicals

Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said?

Common Prayer Pocket Edition: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

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“And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about.” — 108 people liked it

“Mother Theresa always said, "Calcuttas are everywhere if only we have eyes to see. Find your Calcutta.” — 75 people liked it

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