In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God [Hardcover]

Gene Robinson (Author), Desmond Tutu (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2008

In 2003, Gene Robinson was elected as the Bishop of New Hampshire - the first openly gay man to be called to serve in such a position. Clearly beloved in his diocese and chosen from a wide selection of candidates, the election was entirely proper and the result clear cut, yet it sparked a hurricane storm of controversy that has polarised religious opinion on five continents and still rages five years on. Here, Gene Robinson reflects on his journey of faith, his life experiences, the concerns that matter most to him as a bishop and the controversy that has rocked the church he loves and to which he is committed.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this meandering but charming book, Robinson, the controversial gay Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, addresses sexuality and theology. He argues that the cause for which the planets seem to be aligned today is full civil rights of GLBT people. Many of the arguments he rehearses are familiar: the church today faces a struggle similar to the civil rights movement of the 1960s; the way we think about sexual orientation today was unknown in biblical times; and so forth. More original is Robinson's discussion of the vulnerability of sex, and his support for abstinence outside of committed relationships, because sex in other contexts is likely to hurt people. But this book goes beyond sex to Christian theology. Robinson reviews his beliefs in the Incarnation and in forgiveness. He insists that the God he knows is a God of radical inclusion, who wants to lift up all the oppressed, including women, minorities and the poor. That good news, Robinson admits, actually makes him somewhat uncomfortable, since he knows that he is among the world's most privileged people. Sometimes Robinson's prose is a bit florid, but his passion will draw in many mainline Protestant readers. (Apr. 7)
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Review

'Gene Robinson is the most controversial Christian in the world, yet if you did not know one thing about him - his sexuality - you would think him no different from thousands of other ministers, priests, pastors, or indeed bishops and archbishops. And he's not - merely more open and candid than they dare to be. Whether you agree with Bishop Robinson or not, his beliefs are important for all to know. In this book he shows there is much more about him and his faith than the single issue of sexual orientation.'Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent for the Guardian, 2000-2007 and British religious writer of the year in 2005 and 2006. 'This is Gene Robinson's own story, told with simplicity and humility and revealing his passionate faith. He recounts how his experience has made him particularly close to vulnerable groups, such as the inmates of a women's prison, and how we all need one another for our very salvation. This honest account will encourage anyone seriously committed to the message of Jesus , and shows him deeply committed within the Anglican Communion even to those who vilify him.' Richard Harries (Lord Harries of Pentregarth), former Bishop of Oxford and Hon Professor of Theology, King's College, London'Gene Robinson is no revolutionary: he upholds marriage as a sacred covenant, but knows the same covenant theology can include same-sex partnerships too. For living this truth he has been scapegoated - not for being the first gay bishop, but the first honest one. By God's grace he has stayed strong, still trying to love his enemies into friends. One day the Church will understand what it owes him.' Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey John --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Seabury Books (April 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596270888
• ISBN-13: 978-1596270886
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #290,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars missed opportunity, May 16, 2008

By 

Daniel B. Clendenin (www.journeywithjesus.net) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God (Hardcover)

When the openly gay priest Gene Robinson consented to his election as the ninth Anglican bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in 2003, he chose to become both the lightening rod and the standard bearer of the most controversial issue in Christianity today. That's why he wore a bullet-proof vest at the ceremony and why bomb-sniffing dogs cleared the building. Never again will he be just another bishop or a mere private citizen, despite his complaints about being labeled a single-issue priest. He knows that he will "never again be in a 'small room.' Because of the high level of media attention, followed by the close scrutiny of those who oppose me, I'm never in a trusting, safe environment where I can let my guard down. Someone is always watching and will use anything I say against me" (46).

Whether by Robinson's choice or unfortunate necessity, in this book you learn precious little of the personal from this very public figure. He does mention in passing his roots in a poor, uneducated, and deeply Christian family in rural Kentucky where his parents were tenant farmers; his first marriage by which he had two children; his treatment for alcohol dependence; and his twenty-year commitment with his current partner Mark Andrews. But all these are brief mentions. True to his word, he never lets his guard down. If you want to learn more about Gene Robinson the man you'll do better starting at the Wikipedia article. Perhaps my expectations before reading this book were misplaced, but in my own experience the power of personal story far surpasses the tedium of theological wrangling. I wanted to learn more about Gene Robinson's personal story.

The twenty-three short chapters in 175 pages treat a broad panoply of Christian themes, many of which read more like unedited sermons than successive chapters in a book. For example, a chapter on the Good Samaritan is followed by a four-page chapter on why for Christians "religion and politics must mix," which is followed by an anecdotal chapter about a trip to Hong Kong. Even when he speaks about gays in the church the treatment is so short for such complex issues that I found it frustrating. Just what, for example, are the implications pro and con of separating the civil rights of marriage by the state and the Christian rites of blessing a marriage by the church?

This book and Robinson's many public interviews about it were timed to coincide with and maximize exposure of the global Anglican church's summer 2008 Lambeth Conference that gathers all its bishops every ten years -- and from which Robinson has been excluded as an official participant but invited in a "diminished status" (168); and his decision to marry his partner Mark Andrews in a June 2008 civil union that will then be blessed in his church. That's not a bad thing for a person who's leading an important cause. But this book will attract readers more because of who wrote it than what he says. In my own reflections of Christian gays I was more deeply influenced by Mel White's Stranger at the Gate; To Be Gay and Christian in America (New York: Plume, 1994); Carol Curoe and Robert Curoe, Are There Closets in Heaven? A Catholic Father and a Lesbian Daughter Share Their Story (Minneapolis: Syren Book Company, 2007); and then the documentary film For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) about five Christian families whose gay children went public -- one of whom is none other than Gene Robinson.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre book from a great man, May 20, 2008

By 

J Martin Jellinek (Memphis, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God (Hardcover)

In the Eye of the Storm is a worthwhile read, but it is too broad on many topics. I realize that Robinson does not want to be pegged as the "gay bishop", but y'ar, my dear, but y'ar. I found his discussions of full inclusion for all to be good, but there was little new that I hadn't been exposed to before. For me, the most powerful part of the book was the last chapters, where Robinson talks about the need to live in communion with all those who agree and disagree. That is reinvigorating for those who have to face "the enemy" on a regular basis. But there is little new.

On the plus side, I feel that Robinson uses this book to explain who he is and what the stuff is that he is made of. After reading In the Eye of the Storm, I have gained respect for a man who has to fight for all that he has. I don't agree with him on all points, but I do very deeply respect him.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This man is courageous!, November 26, 2008

By 

Carolyn Woodard (Lakeland, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God (Hardcover)

I appreciate Rev. Gene Robinson being willing to share his story about his victory over incredible hurdles in the Presbyterian church. This book shows his forgiveness, compassion and understanding of the "other side" of the gay issue. He speaks with great love for those who have tried to prevent him from being ordained in the church. His journey is inspiring and his life is a testament to all that God can do with a committed vessel.