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The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
A Furious Love Is Hot on Your Trail!
Many believers feel stunted in their Christian growth. We beat ourselves up over our failures and, in the process, pull away from God because we subconsciously believe He tallies our defects and hangs His head in disappointment. In this newly repackaged edition—now with full appendix, study questions, and the author’s own epilogue, “Ra...more
Many believers feel stunted in their Christian growth. We beat ourselves up over our failures and, in the process, pull away from God because we subconsciously believe He tallies our defects and hangs His head in disappointment. In this newly repackaged edition—now with full appendix, study questions, and the author’s own epilogue, “Ra...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
August 19th 2008
by Multnomah
(first published 1993)
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This book changed my life. Some people may have trouble getting through it because it really challenged a lot of things that you may have held onto tightly for so long. But even if you don't agree with everything (there are a few things here and there), there is a tremendous amount of wisdom that can be gleaned from the author's insight. Upon reading this wonderful book, my eyes were open to a whole new world that I wasn't even aware that they were previously closed to. It knocked me around emot...more
Claire
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who isn't sure Christianity has a place for them because they aren't perfect
Recommended to Claire by:
Rich Mullins
The best way I can describe this book is to quote from it:
---------------------------------------------------------------
"When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope and get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredibl...more
It is Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up and Burnt Out. And, I don't care what anyone says, ALL OF US are ONE of those at one point or another in our lives. If you are shaking your head "not me" then please read this book to have the rose washed off your frames. :)
I was reading this book when I read The Shack and there are element and themes that are similar in both books, but this one is not listed as a work of fiction (be cause it is not).
I was reading this book when I read The Shack and there are element and themes that are similar in both books, but this one is not listed as a work of fiction (be cause it is not).
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Jen
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Christian misfits
Recommended to Jen by:
my sister
Shelves:
spirituality-religion
If you are interested in the Christian faith but find it self-righteous and restricting, this book might be a refreshing change of pace. This writer definitely refrains from judgement, and makes the case for self-acceptance of your own frailty and affirms that God eagerly takes on "special cases", and he proves we all somehow fall in that category. It is a humble book that gently puts it arms around those who have failed miserably in their faith and yet still want to try to find thei...more
This may be one of the best books that I have read on the grace God. It is like reading the Book of Romans where the Apostle Paul skillfully presents salvation by faith through God’s grace. Manning says he wrote the book “for the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out,” the marginalized folks to whom Jesus ministered: the children, the ill, the tax collectors, the adulterers and extortionists. In other words, the ragamuffins. Manning understands better than most that behind our facades of order and ...more
I have a confession to make. Sometimes when I sing songs of worship in church, I wonder why we do this. Is it necessary to tell God over and over how great He is? Isn't it better to go straight to the sermon and learn how to obey God and lead Godly lives?
Now I know why we sing. We sing because God is not just floating above us, He is in us and it is by his grace that we can sing. We sing because there is no point learning how to do good works when it is grace, not works, that saves u...more
Now I know why we sing. We sing because God is not just floating above us, He is in us and it is by his grace that we can sing. We sing because there is no point learning how to do good works when it is grace, not works, that saves u...more
I went into this book (written in 1990) thinking, "Okay, author, what are you going to tell me that I haven't read in the authors pumping out books after you?" I had planned to zip through it as quick as possible to check it off the list and put it on the shelf.
It didn't take too many pages for me to realize that this was not that kind of book. This is the kind of book you put on your "I need to reread this every few years so I don't forget how important the message is"...more
It didn't take too many pages for me to realize that this was not that kind of book. This is the kind of book you put on your "I need to reread this every few years so I don't forget how important the message is"...more
This book may be cloying in places, asystematic (or "scatterbrained") in its engagement with ideas and leave some theological arguments unresolved, but it is still one of the better theological books I have read recently. It speaks to where I have been recently, and where the modern church has been for far too long... It is post-modern/post-evangelical theology written before such concepts came into existence. It's core theme is grace, and whilst Yancey's seminal populist tome on that ...more
Nathan
added it
Honestly, I teeter-tottered on this book.
Some parts stirred my soul even to tears with the truth of the Gospel. Others furrowed my brow, leaving question marks in the margins. Sometimes this was all within the span of a single page.
Upon reflection, I've come to this conclusion:
FOR BELIEVERS (for sons and daughters of God), the essence of this book should strike a beautiful chord in our hearts and minds. I like Manning's words:
"He is the only God man has ever heard of who loves sinners......more
Some parts stirred my soul even to tears with the truth of the Gospel. Others furrowed my brow, leaving question marks in the margins. Sometimes this was all within the span of a single page.
Upon reflection, I've come to this conclusion:
FOR BELIEVERS (for sons and daughters of God), the essence of this book should strike a beautiful chord in our hearts and minds. I like Manning's words:
"He is the only God man has ever heard of who loves sinners......more
FIRST TIME READING: I absolutely loved this book. It's true that he says a lot of controversial things, but it's very thought-provoking. It caused me to take a long hard look at my spirituality. For a long time I felt like I didn't measure up to God's expectations and I was constantly frustrated because I never felt like I was good enough. Now I know I'm not good enough -- and it's okay! I am loved anyway. :) Brennan Manning does a beautiful job illuminating God's love.
SECOND TIME REA...more
SECOND TIME REA...more
I was first introduced to Brennan Manning when I read his Above All: He Took the Fall and Thought of Me which is basically an exposition on Michael W. Smith's song "Above All." In that book, I saw some serious problems in his thought, but people assured me that I was simply misunderstanding what he had to say and that Brennan Manning really is a good guy who is faithful to what the Bible teaches. I was told that reading The Ragamuffin Gospel would accurately represent Manning's teach...more
Aoife
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
stoners who want to feel smug about it in a Christian way
This book did not pass my 100-page test. I desperately wanted to love it, and it started out seeming so promising. I was worried about the gimmicky 19-step program addendum tacked onto the end, true. And I was worried when I looked on Amazon and saw that the author seems to have made something of a cottage industry of spin-off volumes and workbooks and so forth. The profile of the author, too, seemed a little cheesy and weirdly evasive. Still I tried to put all of that aside and keep an open min...more
Here's a test for you: While reading this book, were you stirred with compassion or contempt? It will speak volumes about how much you get God's grace.
While not agreeable on every point, Brennan Manning has written one of the most down-to-earth classics of Christian literature. There is a lot to love here amidst some of the shaky theology, and though critics jump in through those cracks with plenty of complaints, there is no denying the wonderful power of the cross in Manning's work. He has dra...more
While not agreeable on every point, Brennan Manning has written one of the most down-to-earth classics of Christian literature. There is a lot to love here amidst some of the shaky theology, and though critics jump in through those cracks with plenty of complaints, there is no denying the wonderful power of the cross in Manning's work. He has dra...more
Brennan Manning wrote The Ragamuffin Gospel "for the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out," the marginalized folks to whom Jesus ministered: the children, the ill, the tax collectors, the women. In other words, the ragamuffins.
Grace is defined as "the freely given and unmerited favor and love of God." But, as Manning points out, we have "twisted the gospel of grace into religious bondage and distorted the image of God into an eternal, small-minded bookkeeper."...more
Grace is defined as "the freely given and unmerited favor and love of God." But, as Manning points out, we have "twisted the gospel of grace into religious bondage and distorted the image of God into an eternal, small-minded bookkeeper."...more
A feel-good gospel. Many of the points put forth in the book are unbiblical and contribute little towards the discipleship of God's people. Beyond these things, the book gets incredibly redundant after the first couple of chapters. I read this as a part of a small group bible study. While it did provoke discussion, it was generally to refute something Manning had said.
Manning's book is certainly heartfelt and genuine, but I found it difficult to fully connect with his writing.
I do agree with his fundamental premise regarding God's message of salvation for all. I've certainly had enough "ragamuffin" experiences that I could relate to the stories and appreciate the message. I do think it was a valuable use of my time to read The Ragamuffin Gospel and do recommend it to others.
With all of that said, there are some books that "...more
I do agree with his fundamental premise regarding God's message of salvation for all. I've certainly had enough "ragamuffin" experiences that I could relate to the stories and appreciate the message. I do think it was a valuable use of my time to read The Ragamuffin Gospel and do recommend it to others.
With all of that said, there are some books that "...more
I really liked this book. The author tends to ramble and isn't always as focused as you'd like, but he really hits home the fundamental fact that grace is what Christianity is all about and nothing we do or don't do affects our standing in God's eyes. Also, that operating outside of God's grace just leads to burn out and ineffectiveness. He's a proponent of not doing just to do. He says that Christians need to daily accept and live in God's grace and give that grace to others. If we're not ...more
This book is pretty challenging in getting you thinking about grace and the character of God. I can see why it is so controversial, because legalism is so much easier to grasp, conceptually and also emotionally, because it gives us a feeling of balance and justice.
Manning is incessant in his account of the Lord's mercy and the truth about our sinful and imperfect nature. There is so much to glean from this book, but a thesis is not one of them, it's very much a process more than a ...more
Manning is incessant in his account of the Lord's mercy and the truth about our sinful and imperfect nature. There is so much to glean from this book, but a thesis is not one of them, it's very much a process more than a ...more
God's grace is more than enough, He loves you as much as he loves me!
A easy read depicting the love that God has for all of creation!
Some of my favorite quotes from this book are:
"Any church that will not accept that it consist of sinful men and women, and exists for them, implicitly rejects the gospel of grace."
"A sad Christian is a phony Christian and a guilty Christian is no Christian at all."
"The way we are with...more
A easy read depicting the love that God has for all of creation!
Some of my favorite quotes from this book are:
"Any church that will not accept that it consist of sinful men and women, and exists for them, implicitly rejects the gospel of grace."
"A sad Christian is a phony Christian and a guilty Christian is no Christian at all."
"The way we are with...more
If you're trying to get the essence of the Christian Gospel, then this book captures it with clarity and wit.
As the author says in the afterword, there is not much in here that is new. Kind of makes sense. In one sense the message was laid down an eternity ago, or two thousand years ago, so it's not new in an absolute sense. An yet the organized church has let its attempts to clarify and codify and control the core message obscure a clear view of the message itself. What was new ...more
As the author says in the afterword, there is not much in here that is new. Kind of makes sense. In one sense the message was laid down an eternity ago, or two thousand years ago, so it's not new in an absolute sense. An yet the organized church has let its attempts to clarify and codify and control the core message obscure a clear view of the message itself. What was new ...more
Reading like an academic treatise, Mr. Manning purports to write for the common Christian. His use of large words and seemingly grandiose examples of grace and faith may keep this book from sinking in to "the masses". Near as I can tell there are some absolute gems in it, and it's filled with quotable phrases and paragraphs. Encouraging us to look past our faults and see ourselves as God sees us, Mr. Manning demonstrates that we are God's beloved who does not dwell on our past failures...more
I have heard Brennan Manning speak publicly, he has a gift for simplicity, honesty and true passion in sharing the gospel. I was not disappointed with the Ragamuffin Gospel. Brennan admits he has been branded a heretic because of his presentation of absolute grace and the depravity of humans separate from the Creator. But Brennan's words of love and joy, grace to the lowliest of us are the foundations of the Gospel.
I do not generally like Christian Inspiration, but the Ragamuffin Gosp...more
I do not generally like Christian Inspiration, but the Ragamuffin Gosp...more
I loved this book. It was a book that began to change my view of God. After reading this book I began to see a real shift in my Theology...Not so much in my beliefs, as they did not really change, just in how my beliefs began to work themselves out in my life. For so long my theology was based more, and my faith showed itself more in and by my "beliefs" or "doctrine". This book began to shift my theological emphasis from "doctrine" to love. With the same love that G...more
we are all pilgrims on a journey, and most of us are ragamuffins...and God loves us unabashedly and madly. Wonderfully written.
I love Brennan Manning. This book is marvelous!
I love Brennan Manning. This book is marvelous!
This book is simply one the most beautiful spiritual books that I've read in a long time--possibly ever.
My first preconceived ideas about the book were that this book was entirely about helping the poor or something. That God loves the down-and-out too. And, although it still is sort of about that, it's not about that. This book is about grace. It's about God's great grace and love toward us and how we are ragamuffins who have never deserved such a lavish love, but God loves us anyw...more
My first preconceived ideas about the book were that this book was entirely about helping the poor or something. That God loves the down-and-out too. And, although it still is sort of about that, it's not about that. This book is about grace. It's about God's great grace and love toward us and how we are ragamuffins who have never deserved such a lavish love, but God loves us anyw...more
The gospel of grace calls us to sing of the everyday mystery of intimacy with God instead of always seeking for miracles or visions. It calls us to sing of the spiritual roots of such commonplace experiences as falling in love, telling the truth, raising a child, teaching a class, forgiving each other after we have hurt each other, stading together in the bad weather of life. Of such is the kingdom of heaven, and of such homely mysteries is genuine religion made. The conversion from mistrust to ...more
Brennan explains what it actually is to be a Christian. One who loves the Lord with all their being, and yet be a sinner. Such is the person Jesus describes in a parable, the person comes out cleansed, and the other - perhaps a pharisee just thanked God he was not like others. Brennan displays this in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel. Brennan provides a good reminder of who Jesus came for, the self-proclaimed healthy, or the sick and indigent - that cry out to God for His mercy and grace, and thu...more
If someone asked me to name the top books that have not only impacted me but have also helped shape my worldview - this book would be toward the top of the list. If you are a follower-of-Christ, read this book. If you are not a follower of Christ because you see how His followers live and you think they are idiots - read this book. If you have ever been beat up by rules or expectations or failures or anything of the sort - read this book.
This is a book I need to read annually, to...more
This is a book I need to read annually, to...more
This book is not a fast read because of its richness, you want to savor every word and ponder every point. I have read this several times and continue to pull it out and gain fresh insights each time. It is compounded when you have heard Brennan in person...a slight, unassuming man, a former Franciscan priest. His memoir comes out in October and he has greatly declined physically since I heard him in Erie, PA three years ago, but remains mentally sharp. The Ragamuffin Gospel, Manning's first...more
Milan Homola
added it
Not as good as I had hoped. The first 5-6 chapters seem like a garbled mess...of course there are good points hidden in there...but the writing is just out of reach for many ragamuffins who would deeply value the message. Now of course it did have very high points that reveal the lack of receiving love in my own heart. Chapter 7 was awesome...about honesty and transparency. I'm looking forward to the 19 mercies at the end to work on...so the book still accomplishes what it sets out to..accept...more
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