Comments on: Some Thoughts On Brennan Manning (and The Furious Longing of God)

By: thomas

thomas — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:50:15 +0000

Thank you for your post on Brennan Manning. I do share your thoughts about him and his works. I do confess that his words, that “God loves me as I am and not as I should be”, were used by God to begin the transformation of my life. They gave me the courage to leave the road of a performance-oriented and head-centered faith and journey the road less travelled: the one of weakness, of grace and of learning to experience the great and tenacious love of my abba within my heart.

By: Zach

Zach — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:02:53 +0000

One thing I have learned from Brennan is that it is much more important to come to the reality that I am loved than thinking that I have my theology down pat.

I have jumped through all the religious hoops I care to jump through. So as a reminder to myself… my 4 month old boy has this author’s namesake.

More than anything, I want my son and also my daughter to know that they are loved. Moreso than being right. No matter how much they ever screw up like their father has.

Thank you for shining a little light on this ragamuffin author.

By: E.

E. — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:32:22 +0000

Your post puts into words how I feel about Brennan Manning. His “theology,” if you could call it that, is for the broken ragamuffin’s club for which I am a card-carrying member.

It’s not for everyone because not all are broken ragamuffins. Good for them… (I suppose)!

I visit your blog now and again and I think I have even quoted you off to the right on mine.

I also favorite you.

Keep up the good work. “E.”

By: Ragamuffin

Ragamuffin — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:08:45 +0000

I chose my moniker as a nod to the influence and help Manning’s book (and Rich Mullins’ music) had on my life. “The Ragamuffin Gospel” was one of a handful of books I read 3-4 years into my Christian walk that talked me off the ledge and gave me hope again. The spiritual beatdown of legalism and a view of God that was way out of balance in favor of being harsh and unyielding left me worn out and ready to give up on this whole notion of Christianity.

Thank you, Brennan. I love a good systematic theology study as much as the next guy, but your books and the way you live literally saved me from ruin.

By: iMonk

iMonk — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:34:44 +0000

Yes.

Different ways of writing. Capon is extremely “blue collar” while Manning is a bit more poetic and polished. But both have the same view of grace, though Capon is more about working with scripture and theology and Manning is about Christian experience.

By: dubbahdee

dubbahdee — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:56:19 +0000

I have not read Manning, but some of what is said of him here reminds me of the sort of themes I have experienced in the writing of Robert Farrar Capon. He has had a profound effect on me, similar to what some of you write regarding Manning. Anyone sufficiently familiar with both to compare/contrast?

By: MP

MP — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:38:28 +0000

Monk–
Did you ever notice the people who most need help with their kids are also the ones least likely to accept it?

Brennan Manning is not for everyone but he should be mandatory reading for the guilt-ridden, the legalist, and the doctrinal purist. They (we) need him most and are also the least likely to sympathetically read him, feed on his big idea, and overlook his mysticism, repetitiveness, Catholicism, imprecision, and other things for which he is so often ignored, excoriated, or picked at.

By: Michael Awbrey

Michael Awbrey — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:09:02 +0000

Thanks for pointing this book out. I hope to pick it up and read it sometime!

By: Jeremiah

Jeremiah — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:37:00 +0000

In my youth, I spent many years hopping between churches with my family because they could not find one that fit well and I got dragged along for the ride. The result, for me, was a season that lasted a few years that left me very jaded about church and God. Unable to take church seriously anymore, I walked away from the church into what would be the most difficult years of my life so far.

Then, one Easter, I was given a copy of The Ragamuffin Gospel: The Visual Edition which was comprised of some of the most impactful pieces from the Ragamuffin Gospel. I was floored, not only by the artwork, but by the things I read. My favorite still being:

There was a small town where almost everyone went to the same little church. One man was caught doing some very bad things, and he was banned from church. When he went to the doors on Sunday morning, they told him to go away. The man walked away and complained to God, “They won’t let me in, Lord, because I’m a sinner.” God answered him, “What are you complaining about? They won’t let me in either”

Later on in the day I rushed out to my favorite Borders and, after soeme searching, found a copy of the actual book. The intro alone to this book still makes me tear up. And having read the comments to this blog, it’s wonderful to see that he has impacted so many people with his work.

By: iMonk

iMonk — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:13:48 +0000

Lion and Lamb, A Glimpse of Jesus