The Astonished Heart [Paperback]

Mr. Robert Farrar Capon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996

Where has the church been, and what has it become? According to Robert Farrar Capon, the answers to these questions are in many ways dispiriting. Although the church has done much good, it has also made numerous blunders in its checkered history. Chief among them is that it has lost its astonishment over the Good News of the gospel - the gift of salvation we receive from Christ. By taking readers on an illuminating ramble through the history of the church, Capon shows how we have lost this sense of astonishment by making Christianity into a religion that focuses on requirements and restrictions rather than on the Good News, and by turning the church, which should be a body of believers, into an institution that emphasizes its corporate functions to the detriment of its gospel message. After exploring all the ways in which the church has mis-embodied itself over the centuries, Capon explains how the church today might re-create itself. The key, according to Capon, is recovering the gift of astonishment with which it began. Capon is fully alert to both the tragedy and the comedy of church history, and he covers this uneven ground with great heart and great humor - and genuine hope for the future of the church.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Capon describes himself as having had, for almost 50 years, a vacation to the priesthood. It is a vacation he has shared in an array of breezy, sometimes flippant, always dependably and engagingly playful writing. He is still on vacation, and readers who know him as well as those who don't will be grateful. Needless to say, there is nothing formal about this history; but it is packed with information gleaned from decades of pastoral experience and theological reflection. And it is a serious proposal for a transformation of Christianity thoroughly grounded in Christian tradition. Capon maintains that the heart of Christianity is a proclamation of the end of religion; that much of church history has been a denial of that heart in the construction of Christendom; and that the transformation of Christianity demands the death (not just the prolonged dying) of Christendom. Capon's message to Christendom is "drop dead" --an astonishing message from a priest, perhaps, but astonishment is what resurrection is all about. Steve Schroeder

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802807917
• ISBN-13: 978-0802807915
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great--and slightly salty--perspective on Christianity, July 18, 2000

By 

Candy Paull "Candy Paull" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Astonished Heart (Paperback)

I love this author. He is literally salt and light--sometimes salt in the wound and light shed on dark places--but always offering a profound perspective on the Christian faith. The Astonished Heart shows the evolution of the Christian church and how various cultural models have affected the way Christians understand their faith. From the beginnings of the church to the medieval model of Christendom to the modern corporate model, Capon helps readers understand the dynamics of the development of the church and how it relates to their faith (or disillusionment, as the case may be). But beyond historical models, he shows (as he does in all of his books) that Christianity is an incarnational religion of grace and that we lose sight of that to our peril. This book is not so much a church history as an argument drawn from church history to illustrate that God's grace is greater than our legalism and that our relationship with God is always perceived in a particular historical context. Anyone who is jaded with church hierarchies and institutionalism will find refreshing perspectives in this witty and slightly cantankerous book. Any book by Robert Farrar Capon is a treasure and The Astonished Heart is no exception. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was astonished by this book, October 1, 2010

By 

Jeremy D. Myers "Writing at Till He Comes .org" (Westtown, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Astonished Heart (Paperback)

The first chapter alone is worth the price of this book. But it gets better from there. Capon is a playful writer; thought provoking and interesting to read.

Capon summarizes 2000 years of church history, analyzing the good and the bad from the various church models that have been used, and then closes by stating some ideas for the models of the future. If you are planting a church, or trying to transform your church into something more mission-oriented, I highly recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Grace again . . ., January 23, 2010

By 

Martin Melvin "Fellow pilgrim" (Los Angeles CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Astonished Heart (Paperback)

Capon is classic Christian thought from the perspective of Grace, Forgiveness, and Mercy. The recent history of Christianity is often seen in the caricature of judgmental fiery evangelical preachers who find judgement too each, condemnation too convenient and religious bigotry "biblical".

Capon has excellent skills in reminding the reader of the more widely accepted aspects of Christ's teaching regarding grace, forgiveness, and mercy. We are long overdue for more dialog on these issues.