ViralHope: Good News from the Urbs to the Burbs (and Everything in Between) [Paperback]

JR Woodward (Editor), Scot McKnight (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2010

The gospel. The good news. Too often we boil it down to four steps, an easily memorized list of axioms, a diagram on the back of a napkin. But in the midst of all this, we seem to lose the wonder, poetry, and transformational nature of the gospel.

In ViralHope: Good News from the Urbs to the Burbs (and everything in between), fifty authors take on the task of sharing the good news for their city, together weaving a beautiful tapestry of the gospel in all its depth and complexity. These essays reveal how the gospel lives and breathes in neighborhoods around the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book so deeply encourages me because it reminds me, you, us, and the rest of the world that no one monopolizes or owns the Gospel but rather the Gospel owns... and liberates us." --Eugene Cho, Pastor and Blogger; Founder of One Day's Wages

"What a delight to read these posts from people on the ground working out the Gospel in their cities and `burbs' in ordinary, everyday life. This is the kind of down-to-earth reporting we need right now. I will definitely be using this little gem for my work." --Alan Roxburgh, Author of The Missional Leader

"ViralHope inspires me to live more of the kingdom now." --Kelly Monroe Kullberg, Author of Finding God at Harvard and Finding God Beyond Harvard

"ViralHope is a unique and enticing collection of postcards from a veritable who's who of the missional church from across the Western world. It provides us with articulate and varied perspectives on how missionaries to the West are conceiving the good news in and for their various contexts. A worthy read." --Alan Hirsch, Author of The Forgotten Ways

"There has been a lot of talk the last decade about 'the kingdom of God' and being 'missional.' Going beyond mere explanation, ViralHope shows you what these terms mean. In fifty wonderful snapshots, ViralHope demonstrates that in many places and times the decade of talk has produced mature reflection and bountiful fruit." --Todd Hunter, Author of Giving Church Another Chance

About the Author

JR Woodward (editor) helps people and communities discover and live up to the sacred potential. He is the co-founder of Kairos Los Angeles, a network of churches in L.A. He is also co-founder of the Ecclesia Network and the Solis Foundation. You will find him tweeting at @dreamawakener.

The foreword was written by Scot McKnight and here are the contributors in the order they appear: Len Hjalmarson, JR Rozko, Brad Sargent, John Chandler, Sivin Kit, Brother Maynard, Danny Gutierrez, Dave Kludt, Kurt Fredrickson, Winn Collier, J.R. Briggs, Noel Heikkinen, Dustin James, Jim Pace, Erika Haub, AJ Sherrill, Andrew Perriman, Raffi Shahinian, Benjamin Sternke, Joey Tomassoni, Brian Hopper, David Fitch, Christine Sine, Jonathan Dodson, Jason Clark, Kathy Hanson, Alistair Johnson, Greg Larson, Brian Russell, Sonja Andrews, Jamie Arpin-Ricci, Nathan Colquhoun, Todd Hiestand, Doug Paul, Luis Fernando Batista, Even Hanson, John Santic, Mark Van Steenwyk, Ryan Bell, Joe Racek, Audrey Blumber, Tony Stiff, Maria Drews, Jason Coker, Matt Rogers, Andrew Bleyer, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Bob Hyatt, Jon Tyson and Christ Backert.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Ecclesia Press (April 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982623607
• ISBN-13: 978-0982623602
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift To Christians & Churches Everywhere, April 5, 2010

By 

Jamie Arpin-Ricci - See all my reviews

This review is from: ViralHope: Good News from the Urbs to the Burbs (and Everything in Between) (Paperback)

This collection of short, but profound explorations of the Gospel in unique contexts is a real gift to the Body of Christ. Through story and context this book offers great depth while not sacrificing accessibility. The diversity of perspective and experience still speaks to the unity of truth. Well worth it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, theological, refreshing, April 28, 2010

By 

Patrick Oden (San Dimas, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ViralHope: Good News from the Urbs to the Burbs (and Everything in Between) (Paperback)

Over the past month I've had the privilege of reading some of the most refreshing, exciting books of missional theology I've ever come across.

The first was Untamed by Alan and Deb Hirsch. This is a profound work of truly creative, constructive theology that points towards new ways of thinking about our life with God in this world. The second was Sun of Righteousness, Arise! by Jurgen Moltmann. Moltmann's 60+ years of deep, academic thinking are poured into this very profound celebration of God. Though both are very personal and inviting, they are also somewhat removed from direct application. What, then, do we do with the profound thoughts we read in such books?

This is why I'm so absolutely excited about ViralHope. Here we have a collection of fifty short theological narratives about what the Gospel means in specific contexts, as understood by men and women in these contexts, who work in and pray for these contexts every day. This is not a collection of the supposed superstars of contemporary Christianity. This is a collection of theological, practical insights by those who are very rarely in the spotlight, but who are yet still clearly called by God to join in with his wonderfully varied work throughout this world. Some are trained as pastors, others are not. All have a passion for the continuing work of God in and seek to express what it means to share this good work in very specific settings.

What is so great about this collection is how holistic their understanding of the Gospel is expressed. We are reminded of a Gospel which calls people into a deep relationship with Christ, saving us from our sins, and calls us to continued participation with each other and with all our neighbors in helping and hoping together in spiritual and practical ways. Indeed, this is a great book to discover more fully the actual theology of the missional/emerging movements as understood, and as practiced, by those who are living the life Christ has called us to live in different parts of the world. But don't think of this as dry, sterile theology. Rather, there is in every chapter a passion, a zeal, a hope in life with Christ, empowered by the Spirit, that helps this go beyond merely an informational text. It is immensely inspirational, pointing the reader back to the source of our hope and the possibilities that arise out of this hope.

I realize that I needed the refreshing and reminder of the hope that is found in Christ, and no doubt I'll be returning to this book regularly for that reminder. In these many essays there is none of the usual embrace of critique, or negativity, or irony, or other of the more critical aspects that the missional/emerging movement has probably far too long embraced. Here, we read of hope, light, peace, joy, opportunity, even in the midst of struggles honestly expressed.

The book itself is divided into five parts, and each of these parts has ten essays. Because each essay is written by a different contributor there's definitely a variety of style, quality, interest, and tone. Each are fairly short, only a couple pages or so. Even still, there's a richness of depth and passion that's only possible by men and women truly living out what they are writing about. The overall package, however, is more than the sum of its parts, as it shares this wonderful, invigorating, hope-filled, holistic work of the Spirit in bringing the Good News to the places it is so very much needed.

ViralHope is interesting on a theological level,it is inspirational on a spiritual level, and it is motivational on a practical level. It is a book that is very much needed as it goes beyond just telling us what to do or what to say. It shares with us the stories of God's work in our contemporary world, inviting us to participate in our contexts as we participate more and more with the God who so loves the world he sent his only son.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Tales of Real-Life Good News, April 7, 2010

By 

M. Ebberts - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ViralHope: Good News from the Urbs to the Burbs (and Everything in Between) (Paperback)

ViralHope powerfully weaves many unique storytellers into an inspiring collection of real-life good news. The book challenges and encourages me to view my own community in a fresh perspective--to share the only news that doesn't get old--with people around me.