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How Jesus Saves the World from Us: 12 Antidotes to Toxic Christianity Paperback – April 18, 2016

by Morgan Guyton (Author), Jonathan Martin (Foreword)

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Christianity has always been about being saved. But today what Christians need saving from most is the toxic understanding of salvation we've received through bad theology. The loudest voices in Christianity today sound exactly like the religious authorities who crucified Jesus.

This is a book for Christians who are troubled by what we've become and who want Jesus to save us from the toxic behaviors and attitudes we've embraced. Each of the 12 chapters proposes an antidote for the toxicity that has infiltrated Christian culture, such as "Worship not Performance, "Temple not Program," and "Solidarity not Sanctimony." Each chapter includes thought-provoking discussion questions, perfect for individual or group study.

There are many reasons to lose hope about the state of our world and our church, but Guyton offers one piece of good news: Jesus is saving the world from us, one Christian at a time.

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Editorial Reviews

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Powerful. Provocative. And true. Morgan Guyton makes the startling and convincing case that Jesus came to save the world from us -- human beings who have the propensity to pervert Good News into Bad Rules. With passion and wit, Guyton turns Jesus' message back around to a radical way of justice for the world. If you've been tempted to dump Christianity, give this book the chance to convert you to the possibility of a deeper life in and with God. --Diana Butler Bass, author Grounded: Finding God in the World -- A Spiritual Revolution

Morgan Guyton's new book is intelligent, passionate, insightful, challenging, and a compelling read. It will jolt you out of comfortable but confining Christian ruts and help you be healed from twelve common and dangerous religious toxins. It's strong and needed medicine!--Brian D. McLaren, author/speaker/activist (brianmclaren.net)

I'm pretty sure that Morgan Guyton doesn't stray far from the monkey bars, because How Jesus Saves the World from Us looks at so many familiar texts upside down. Guyton lets the pages flutter until they make more sense inside out. His perspective swings with life and the unexpected, so that I can't wait for the world to be saved from me.--Carol Howard Merritt, Author of Tribal Church and Healing Spiritual Wounds

Morgan Guyton's new book, "How Jesus Saves the World From Us" is one of the most refreshing books I've come across in some time. Guyton takes on the prominent toxic, modern-day distortions of Christianity and lays out a compelling vision for what the world could be like if Christians would finally begin to follow Christ. His explorations of what it looks like to be a faithful Christ-follower will be convicting to everyone who reads them, but at the same time, you will find yourself being enraptured again with the person of Jesus and his radical vision for the renewal of our world. This book made me want to become a Christian again. Guyton's first book is truly transformative. May it be the first of many more to come. --Brandan Robertson, Writer, Activist, Speaker, The Nomad Blog on Patheos

In this book Morgan Guyton shares his tremendous ability to reframe familiar and often polarizing categories with insight illumined by Scripture and human experience to invite, and even provoke, his readers to participate in God's reign with renewed compassion. --Laceye C. Warner, Associate Professor of the Practice of Evangelism and Methodist Studies, Duke University Divinity School

With insight born of profound personal experience and deep theological reflection, the author leads the reader on a transforming journey into the heart of the Christian gospel. He artfully challenges conventional distortions of core doctrines while respecting those who may differ from his interpretations. Groups and individuals seeking to understand and live as faithful Christian disciples will find How Jesus Saves the World from Us a much needed guide for continuing the journey toward the fullness of salvation. --Kenneth Carder, United Methodist bishop (retired)

Morgan Guyton is helping heal a Christianity that has become infected with the pathogens of American culture. As Morgan prescribes antidotes for a toxic Christianity, he does so with keen insight and crisp writing. More importantly, Morgan does all of this with the grace and humility of one who genuinely loves the church and longs for her well-being. I am grateful for Morgan Guyton's important and timely voice. --Brian Zahnd, Pastor of Word of Life Church, St. Joseph, Missouri, Author of A Farewell To Mars

About the Author

Morgan Guyton is Director, NOLA Wesley United Methodist Campus Center. He is also a United Methodist pastor, blogger, and author of dozens of articles featured in Red Letter Christians<.i>, Huffington Post Religion, Think Christian, Ministry Matters, United Methodist Reporter, and Rethink Church.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 18, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0664262236
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0664262235
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.41 x 8.5 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #1,692,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,222 in Evangelism
- #2,669 in Christian Social Issues (Books)
- #19,478 in Christian Spiritual Growth (Books)
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Morgan Guyton is the co-director of the NOLA Wesley United Methodist Campus Center with his wife Cheryl. His first book How Jesus Saves the World From Us: 12 Antidotes for Toxic Christianity is being published by Westminster John Knox Press. He blogs at www.patheos.com/blogs/mercynotsacrifice and has contributed dozens of articles to Red Letter Christians, Huffington Post Religion, Think Christian, Ministry Matters, United Methodist Reporter, and Rethink Church.

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Customers find the book insightful, with one mentioning how it helps examine the real meaning of church. Moreover, the writing style receives positive feedback for being articulate and well-written, with several customers appreciating the chapter on Poetry not Math. Additionally, the book's sound quality resonates with readers.

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13 customers mention "Insight"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, making good points and helping readers grow their faith, with one customer noting how it helps examine the real meaning of church.

"...vision is progressive, but he is following it in search of genine spiritual connection, not correct doctrine...." Read more

"...This is a winsome, beautifully written, passionate presentation of the central truths of Christianity."..." Read more

"...and the simple discussion questions at the end of each chapter...." Read more

"In this engaging and easy to read book, Guyton brings a fresh perspective on the Gospel and reminds us that our fallen selves are always at risk of..." Read more

13 customers mention "Language"10 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's language, finding it well written and articulate, with one customer noting its accessible style for all readers. They particularly like the chapter on Poetry not Math.

"...I particularly loved his chapter on Poetry not Math...." Read more

"...This is a winsome, beautifully written, passionate presentation of the central truths of Christianity."..." Read more

"I loved this book. It expresses a lot of the frustrations that I deal with in college ministry...." Read more

"To be perfectly honest, this book is somewhat disappointing. I'm not entirely in disagreement with the concluding points in most of the chapters...." Read more

3 customers mention "Sound quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the sound quality of the book, with one noting its accessible yet sound reworking, while another mentions its use of acoustic guitars.

"...charismatic older students armed with acetate overhead sheets, acoustic guitars, and Jesus in my pants praise songs...." Read more

"...As a mom with gay children, chapter 10, Outsiders and Insiders, resonated with me. This book reinforced wonderfully, what I already knew...." Read more

"An accessible yet sound reworking of the inaccurate and unhealthy theology pervasive in heavily evangelical areas like mine (Oklahoma)." Read more

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Harry Marks
Warning: May cause a change of heart
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016
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Morgan Guyton has created a gem. He draws on sources like Henri Nouwen and Father Richard Rohr, but not for an intellectual structure. His vision is progressive, but he is following it in search of genine spiritual connection, not correct doctrine. His confessional, experiential orientation will convince you of insights that might leave you dry if they were only ideas.

Yet I did find the insights helpful, also. The chapter "Communion, Not Correctness," convicted me, as his metaphor of playing jazz perfectly captured the problem with seeking religious truth as The Truth. But his chapter on "Poetry, Not Math" was just as effective in helping me think about treatment of scripture, and "Honor, not Terror" about right and wrong, even though I was already using the concepts Guyton explains.

I made a list of his chapters, each focused on a way that Jesus saves the world from us, that is, ways that genuine spiritual seeking in a Christian framework will overcome the toxic effects of triumphalist, tribalist or self-justifying religiosity. I put a star by each of the twelve that "everyone should read" (i.e. that expounded really important perspectives) and found 8 of the 12 in that category, with each of the other 4 being at least helpful. In each case his approach is about communion, that is, creating common understanding as a basis for genuine Christian community, not about correctness. In my view that is a real achievement.

The heart of his perspective is captured in the second chapter, called "Mercy, Not Sacrifice." In it Guyton lays out the essential incarnationalist thrust of progressive Christianity, which he later states to be the idea that in experiencing Jesus as the mercy of God we are led to become that mercy to others. It is not any renunciation by us which incarnates God, i.e. no sacrifice, but only our embodiment of the forgiveness, acceptance and love we have ourselves experienced.

Christian readers will find themselves nodding to recognize ideas latent in their spiritual walk but which they have never heard enunciated. Non-Christians will find themselves grimly nodding to recognize ways that Christians have turned them off and even offended them, which could have been prevented simply by taking Jesus seriously.

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Jason Micheli
having found the local Methodist churches ‘sleepy’ at best, I’d decided to check out First Year Fellowship
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
I first Morgan Guyton when we were first years- not freshman- at the University of Virginia during a gathering of the First Year Fellowship, which was a college extension of Young Life’s para-church ministry. I’d only become a Christian maybe 18 months before coming to college and, having found the local Methodist churches ‘sleepy’ at best, I’d decided to check out First Year Fellowship. Initially, it seemed awesome. It was on campus. Everyone was my age, looked like me, thought like me. It was led by a few charismatic older students armed with acetate overhead sheets, acoustic guitars, and Jesus in my pants praise songs.

In hindsight I can say that First Year Fellowship was a tribe of evangelical students of a particular Calvinistic strain but I did not have such categories at the time. I only knew after a few gatherings that I did not belong. The performance of my worship was not demonstrative enough. My certainty was short on such things as substitutionary atonement. My questions about unbelievers, my gay friends, and prayer were not welcomed. My pushback was push-backed. The Christianese slang and idioms felt ill-fitting on me. Having come to the faith in a United Methodist New Church Start, Woodlake UMC, a seeker sensitive church, I was not prepared for Christians who took their beliefs seriously enough to stigmatize other Christians.

The usually unspoken exclusion I felt at First Year Fellowship eventually kick started a long running commentary in my head that I was not a good enough Christian which inexorably led to unproductive and even shaming attempts on my part to justify myself before God rather than rest in Christ’s justification of me.

What I know now was that I was a victim of a form of toxic Christianity. And it was, toxic. It made me feel physically ill. It made me ashamed, physically and emotionally, of who I thought I was as a Christian.

I met Morgan at that First Year Fellowship- at a fall retreat, actually, in which we all went skinny dipping, and Morgan sports a bear suit underneath his clothes so you can imagine that left an impression- and my first impression of Morgan was how I thought he’s so completely different from me but the two of us are completely different from this group. The thing we have in common is that we have nothing in common with this gathering of Christians. Neither of us belonged.

I count it is a source of pride that, though Morgan and I agree on very little or, rather, we disagree on much, he and I were the only two disqualified by the Young Life Organization from being leaders of First Year Fellowship. Given my experience, I’m not sure why I applied- whether it was masochism or infiltration. I was blackballed because I would not concede to my interviewer that his deformed and useless hand had been ordained by God for a higher purpose.

I’m not sure why Morgan was rejected, but I suspect it’s because, as a Christian, he can be hard to take. During First Year Fellowship gatherings, Morgan would frequently raise his hand and stand to share what Jesus had compelled him to do or say, or whom he was called to love, this week, or what he was wrestling with in the Spirit at present. Honestly, listening to Morgan in those moments was exhausting.

In other words, Morgan was the kind of guy that made you realize why people wanted to kill Jesus.

There’s only so much urgency of faith that sinners and almost Christians can tolerate before they respond with a cross.

If Morgan wears his heart for God on his sleeve, then there’s a piece of it on every page of his book, which is better understood by the title he originally gave to it Mercy Not Sacrifice, for Morgan’s refrain is the prophets’ own reminder that God does not desire the practices and gestures by which we try to ameliorate our situation vis a vis God rather God wants a beautiful, poured out life from us. In How Jesus Saves Us, Morgan uses his own story, revealing some of his own saddness, insecurities, and shame along the way, to expose the ways in which our piety and practices mask the very sorts of ideologies from which Jesus has already saved us.

I’ve no doubt that Morgan’s book will be life-giving because his oddness in a way all those years ago helped to save me from the self-loathing that self-justification inevitably begets. He was part of God’s antidote for me of the toxic Christianity which had infected my newly chosen faith.

If prophets are not welcome in their hometowns, it’s understandable that we’d be uncomfortable at times with them in our pulpits. I’m not sure I possess the truthfulness, spiritual energy, or courage of my conviction to ever want to be a part of Morgan’s congregation (and I mean that as the highest compliment), but I’m grateful that Morgan is a leader in my Church with a capital C and that through this book his voice will afflict many with the right kind of nightmares.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: May cause a change of heart

5.0 out of 5 stars having found the local Methodist churches ‘sleepy’ at best, I’d decided to check out First Year Fellowship

Warning: May cause a change of heart

having found the local Methodist churches ‘sleepy’ at best, I’d decided to check out First Year Fellowship