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A combination of psychology and theology exploring the tensions between the exclusivity of a holiness based on notions of purity and the inclusivity of mercy.
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
Echoing Hosea, Jesus defends his embrace of the “unclean” in the Gospel of Matthew, seeming to privilege the prophetic call to justice over the Levitical pursuit of purity. And yet, as missional faith communities are well aware, the tensions and conflicts between holiness and mercy are not so easily resolved. At every turn, it seems that the psychological pull of purity and holiness tempts the church into practices of social exclusion and a Gnostic flight from the world into a “too spiritual” spirituality. In an unprecedented fusion of psychological science and theological scholarship, Richard Beck describes the pernicious (and largely unnoticed) effects of the psychology of purity upon the life and mission of the church.
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
Echoing Hosea, Jesus defends his embrace of the “unclean” in the Gospel of Matthew, seeming to privilege the prophetic call to justice over the Levitical pursuit of purity. And yet, as missional faith communities are well aware, the tensions and conflicts between holiness and mercy are not so easily resolved. At every turn, it seems that the psychological pull of purity and holiness tempts the church into practices of social exclusion and a Gnostic flight from the world into a “too spiritual” spirituality. In an unprecedented fusion of psychological science and theological scholarship, Richard Beck describes the pernicious (and largely unnoticed) effects of the psychology of purity upon the life and mission of the church.
Price: $29.99
Pages: 212
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc.
Imprint: Lutterworth Press
Publication Date:
23 February 2014
Trim Size: 9.02 X 6.02 in
ISBN: 9780718892562
Format: Paperback
'This book left me stunned by an overwhelming impression of the kind of struggles some Christians have to come to terms with. This is a book that any young, or even not so young, earnest Evangelical would do well to engage with. Consequently one can only praise Beck for this tour de force.'
— Neil Broadbent
...Noteworthy and full of insights, Unclean is a recommended reading for anyone interested in the psychological- and theological- aspects of purity in the church...
— David Jimenez-Cardenas
...The value of this book is that it begins a conversation that needs to be explored. Many of the discussions to date about human sexuality have ignored the impact of a disgust reaction on the ways that people respond to those discussions. A more honest recognition of personal response will allow a more honest conversation. For that reason, I am grateful for the contribution this book makes...
— Marion Chatterley
Beck's skillful writing and psychological wisdom make this book a thought-provoking read.
— Sue Dickinson
— Neil Broadbent
...Noteworthy and full of insights, Unclean is a recommended reading for anyone interested in the psychological- and theological- aspects of purity in the church...
— David Jimenez-Cardenas
...The value of this book is that it begins a conversation that needs to be explored. Many of the discussions to date about human sexuality have ignored the impact of a disgust reaction on the ways that people respond to those discussions. A more honest recognition of personal response will allow a more honest conversation. For that reason, I am grateful for the contribution this book makes...
— Marion Chatterley
Beck's skillful writing and psychological wisdom make this book a thought-provoking read.
— Sue Dickinson
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Mercy and Sacrifice
Part 1: Unclean
1. Darwin and Disgust
2. Contamination and Contagion
Part 2: Purity
3. Morality and Metaphors
4. Divinity and Dumbfounding
Part 3: Hospitality
5. Love and Boundaries
6. Monsters and Scapegoats
7. Contempt and Heresy
8. Hospitality and Embrace
Part 4: Mortality
9. Body and Death
10. Sex and Privy
11. Need and Incarnation
Conclusion: Elimination and Regulation
Bibliography
Introduction: Mercy and Sacrifice
Part 1: Unclean
1. Darwin and Disgust
2. Contamination and Contagion
Part 2: Purity
3. Morality and Metaphors
4. Divinity and Dumbfounding
Part 3: Hospitality
5. Love and Boundaries
6. Monsters and Scapegoats
7. Contempt and Heresy
8. Hospitality and Embrace
Part 4: Mortality
9. Body and Death
10. Sex and Privy
11. Need and Incarnation
Conclusion: Elimination and Regulation
Bibliography