The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales [Hardcover]

Peter Rollins (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 3, 2009

'This book should be banned! It's DANGEROUS!' * * So might any Christian say for whom faith functions like a comfortable chair and a lot of good will. If you are comfy and satisfied, then what you have might not be faith after all, explains Peter Rollins. Christian faith only has meaning if it affects the ways that people live their lives. For many who are not Christians, critiquing Christianity from the outside, this sort of 'faith' appears all-too common and is an easy target. Perhaps Christians are simply those possessed of an ideology that keeps them passive, childlike, and ineffectual, they seem to think. Rollins has crafted a series of parables that shatter these realities and popular perceptions. Parables that demonstrate how genuine faith is radical---and has never been concerned with escaping the world we inhabit, but rather, with engaging in it more fully. That genuine Christian faith has never capitulated to injustice but rather fought against it at every turn. In opposition to those who would claim that Christian faith embraces God at the expense of the suffering world, Peter shows how the true believer embraces God only inasmuch as he fully embraces a needy world. 'I remember driving around Belfast with Pete, sitting in the front seat listening to him tell these parables that he'd written---thinking, 'Everybody needs to hear these.' And now you can.' ---Rob Bell, author of Jesus Wants to Save Christians

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Don't be fooled by the slender spine of this unusual book. Rollins, the Irish philosopher/po-mo theologian who has previously published How (Not) to Speak of God and The Fidelity of Betrayal, upends some of Christians' most cherished platitudes about God in his newest outing. He cautions readers that the book is not to be read quickly, for acquiring information, but to be savored slowly for possible transformation. Mostly, the book lives up to this billing. Rollins recasts some of the most familiar parables of and stories about Jesus, sometimes subversively—as when he proposes a version of feeding the 5,000 that shows Jesus and his disciples pigging out on meager resources while the multitudes look on, starving. His point? That Christians are the body of Christ, and when we oppress the poor and hoard scarce resources, we are saying that represents the kind of God we serve. Although not all of the parables work equally well—some could use further illumination—Rollins is a tremendously talented writer and thinker whose challenges to Christianity-as-usual should be well-received by the emergent church crowd, if not beyond. (Apr. 1)
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From the Inside Flap

" Religious writing is usually designed to make the truth of faith clear, concise, and palatable. Parables subvert this appraoch. In the parable, truth is not expressed via some dutsy theological discourse that seeks to educate us, but rather ita arises as a lyrical dis-course that would inspire and transform us. In light of this, the enclosed parables do not seek to change our minds but rather to change our hearts."

                                                        - Peter Rollins

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 194 pages
• Publisher: Paraclete Press (April 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557256349
• ISBN-13: 978-1557256348
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 4.5 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #284,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Rollins is a widely sought after writer, lecturer, storyteller and public speaker. He is also the founder of ikon, a faith group that has gained an international reputation for blending live music, visual imagery, soundscapes, theatre, ritual and reflection to create what they call 'transformance art'.

Peter gained his higher education from Queens University, Belfast and has earned degrees (with distinction) in Scholastic Philosophy (BA Hons), Political Theory (MA) and Post-Structural thought (PhD). He is currently a research associate with the Irish School of Ecumenics in Trinity College, Dublin and is the author of the much talked about How (Not) to Speak of God. His most recent work is entitled The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales. He was born in Belfast but currently resides in Greenwich, CT.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Parables for the Present Day April 29, 2009

By Chad Estes

Format:Hardcover

According to a recent article about heart/brain communication, research shows that fibers in the nervous system are 90% dedicated to sending messages to the brain and only 10% going out from the brain. "Neurally speaking," states Rollin McCraty, PhD, "the heart sends far more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart." If that is the case I need to read more books that connect straight with my heart, not just ones that simply stimulate my thinking. Peter Rollins new book, "The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales" does just that.

In 33 short chapters Rollins weaves tales designed to bathe readers in the possibilities of faith, love, freedom and forgiveness. And in the same way that Jesus told parables to shock his listeners; Rollins uses this literary technique to poke his readers. I ended several of the sections with a laugh, a chill, or an audible gasp as a point was driven home.

He follows each tale with some of his own processing that went into the story as a jumping off place for reflection. This is helpful in understanding Rollins thoughts, but the processing doesn't end with reading the book. These tales stick with you. Several times I found myself grabbing a friend or family member and saying, "Sit down, you have to listen to this story!" as I read aloud to them and entered into meaningful conversations. This book will serve as an excellent resource for discussion groups as they engage with these narratives.

I highly recommend this book!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Creative Christian Release of the Year July 1, 2009

By Walter Eberle

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Who else is doing this stuff? Peter Rollins expands some ideas from his other books to create over 30 original parables that will make you think harder about tenants of your faith you may take for granted. This book is a beautiful work of art as well as a finely crafted device for helping communicate transcend truth where normal language sometimes breaks down. As Jesus realized, some things can only be communicated via story, our modern systematic theologies often fail to articulate the most profound aspects of the way of Jesus. Rollins commentaries are also very helpful, though I would recommend reflecting on each story yourself before moving on to Rollins explanations, surely Rollins would welcome his work speaking to different people in different ways. Part of the beauty of parables is there is usually an ambiguity that makes the medium of the parable or short story all the more valuable. In my opinion, this is the most thought provoking book I have come across in quite a long time, and is a great intro to Rollins' (timely) thinking.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's so good that you need to keep putting it down. May 27, 2009

By Michael Stavlund

Format:Hardcover

Orthodox Heretic might not be Pete Rollins' most challenging book, but it is surely his most powerful. Having shown his academic chops in his previous two books, Pete shifts gears to show us some true subversion, along with the depth and breadth of his hermeneutic.

This is a collection of parables, each of which acted like a tiny explosive device as they detonated slowly and successively, crumbling my understanding of the world and of Christianity, and showing me something much more beautiful, messy, powerless, and true. Here, Pete displays creative and courageous exegetical skill, his radical interpretation of the essense of Jesus' teachings and practice, and his deep understanding of human nature. What he leaves us with is a kind of Christianity that supercedes belief: a life of love and sacrifice and fidelity.

So on second thought, perhaps it is Pete's most challenging book: not challenging to understand, but extremely challenging to live (and I'm sure it was quite challenging to write). Because in it, Pete challenges our very confidence in our ideas of God, pointing us away from the heresy of orthodoxy, and toward orthodox heresy.