Book review of Faith, Doubt, and Other lines I've crossed by Jay Bakker

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I just left a party to go to my hotel to read the last chapter of Jay Bakker’s book “Faith, Doubt, and Other lines I’ve crossed”.  I’ve had the chance to meet Jay in Minneapolis a few weeks ago.  Kind of an odd duck.  Nice guy.  He told me to read Tillich.  I did.  My brain hurts.  But I forgive Jay.

As for Jay’s book.  It is awesome.  I was half way into the book on the bus from Belfast to Dublin this morning when I started texting my best friend.  The texts went something like:

·      “I’m ordering you Jay Bakker’s new book.  Read it.”

·      “Hard copy sent… couldn’t figure out how to order it for your kindle since my kindle already owns it… stupid technology”

·      “Awesome book.  Heart of Francis Chan.  Head of Peter Rollins (but a lot more understandable)” Sorry Pete.

I then start texting him photos of pages of the book (apologies to Jay's copyright lawyer).  Specifically the part about the church’s view of Mathew 18 being the antithesis of 2 Corinthians 13 (my buddy got to ‘experience’ that in front of a body of “believers” who were doing “God’s will”).

Jay talks about what scandalous, vulgar grace is like.  If you are looking for a book to affirm a certain, doubtless, inerrant view of Christianity…. this is not a book for you.  But if you struggle, doubt or are looking for a deeper relationship with God than the theistic god created in church … this is a great book.  Jay doesn’t apologize for doubting.  His God is big enough.  Jay doesn’t apologize for extending grace to “sinners” and not worrying about if they are “holy” enough.  His God is big enough.  It is vulgar.  NC17 stuff.

The one reason I give it 4 out of 5 starts is because Jay has a long segway in the middle part of the book about affirming LGBTQ in the church.  For me, LGBTQ is a label and that label is not sinful.  A person loving another person, regardless of gender, is not sin… that is just about as stupid as saying my wife is my property.  I don’t like labels.  I understand we want to call one label good and one label bad.  The problem is that I’m as undeserving of God’s grace as the founder of the North American Man Boy Love Association (a pedophile advocacy group).  But that is how scandalous God’s grace is…

All in all … this is an awesome book.  I’ve already ordered 3 copies today for different friends.  It is clearly one for a ‘book club’ and/or discussion group.  I can only imagine how much fun it would be to talk about “you mean Jesus was talking about that guy when he was saying love everybody?  But that guys a prick… “  Scandalous.  Truly Scandalous.