Black Sheep and Prodigals: An Antidote to Black and White Religion
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- Create Date：2021-06-20 06:55:52
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Dave Tomlinson
- ISBN：1473611024
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Summary
'Very interesting， it's all about not alienating people
before they even think about crossing the threshold of where you worship。' Chris Evans， BBC Radio 2
Do you feel more at home on the edges of faith than at the centre？ Would you call yourself a bit of a black sheep？
Too often Christian spirituality has been associated with conformity， or a subculture where people don't feel able to ask questions。 But Dave Tomlinson， author of How to be a bad Christian， doesn't think it has to be like this; instead， our spiritual communities can be 'laboratories of the Spirit' - places where we can explore issues of faith and spirit with openness， imagination and creativity。
Welcome to black sheep spirituality - where doubts and questions are an essential part of faith; where difference of opinion is a sign of a secure community; where divine revelation is embraced wherever it is found - in the arts， science and the natural world as well as religious tradition; and where faith is something that is lived and practised rather than embalmed in beliefs or ritual。
'Theology for anyone and everyone' BBC Radio 2
Do you feel more at home on the edges of faith than at the centre？ Would you call yourself a bit of a black sheep？
Too often Christian spirituality has been associated with conformity， or a subculture where people don't feel able to ask questions。 But Dave Tomlinson， author of How to be a bad Christian， doesn't think it has to be like this; instead， our spiritual communities can be 'laboratories of the Spirit' - places where we can explore issues of faith and spirit with openness， imagination and creativity。
Welcome to black sheep spirituality - where doubts and questions are an essential part of faith; where difference of opinion is a sign of a secure community; where divine revelation is embraced wherever it is found - in the arts， science and the natural world as well as religious tradition; and where faith is something that is lived and practised rather than embalmed in beliefs or ritual。
'Theology for anyone and everyone' BBC Radio 2
Reviews
Anna Williams
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Thought provoking。 Well worth a read。
Nancy
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A thought provoking book。 Wish there were more vicars like Dave Tomlinson concentrating on the essence of religion which is to ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’。 A wonderful reassuring read。
Kathy S
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This book is *EVERYTHING*。 It is incredibly rare when you find yourself agreeing with every single page and sentence。 You consider yourself agnostic， humanist， spiritual， questioning or （ESPECIALLY） christian？！ Go read this book。 I know of so many people whose minds would be blown by the poignancy， honesty and truth contained in this book。 The bottom line？ Deeds， not Creeds。
Lucy Allison
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 First non fiction book to make me nearly cry - every Christian should be required to read this， especially if they think they have all the answers about religion。"Then， finally， we will be able to greet our own self， arriving at our own door， and， smiling， stand tall on the inside to declare: This is me！ This is who I am！ I have arrived。 I am home。" First non fiction book to make me nearly cry - every Christian should be required to read this， especially if they think they have all the answers about religion。"Then， finally， we will be able to greet our own self， arriving at our own door， and， smiling， stand tall on the inside to declare: This is me！ This is who I am！ I have arrived。 I am home。" 。。。more
Caroline A Leveaux
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This is a wonderful and - for me - important book which has reset my spiritual compass and made me feel much more hopeful， less weary and overwhelmed。 It is a book for grown ups of all faiths and none。 A practical， clear call to look not always to formal religion but to Jesus and what he did， in all his radical love of others and his world。 And that， that means not always conforming - 'Such faith will not focus on creeds and doctrines， but on a way to be in the world。 It will be about compassion This is a wonderful and - for me - important book which has reset my spiritual compass and made me feel much more hopeful， less weary and overwhelmed。 It is a book for grown ups of all faiths and none。 A practical， clear call to look not always to formal religion but to Jesus and what he did， in all his radical love of others and his world。 And that， that means not always conforming - 'Such faith will not focus on creeds and doctrines， but on a way to be in the world。 It will be about compassion， justice and peace， about spiritual evolution， community and transformation， not dogma'。 Yet there is nothing either ponderous nor strident in this book - quite the reverse， it is upbeat in tone， it is hopeful and has moved me away from feeling so overwhelmed by the problems of the world 。。。。 and is easy to read。 Which was a relief - I often find books on faith impossibly dense or， worse， patronisingly simple。 Not this one。 There are many take aways for me here， but the best is Easter - at last a clear narrative around why Christ died without it feeling like God using sons as currency。 Not he died to pay for our sins， but he died and yet forgives us - and what that means for the rest of us。 I will ask my church this Easter to consider the St Luke's service where there is an additional focus on the the world now and a recommitment - it feels like anyway - to our role and potential as humans - Christian or not。 Or I think that is what it is about and will reread it I am sure many times。 So， I would say this is a book for you - wherever you are in your spiritual journey or none。 This will help me in my daily life and has restored my hope。 I hope it will do the same for you。 。。。more
Richard Stableford
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As someone who moved away from the established church after being a member for 35 years including being a lay reader for 20+ years， but also as someone who still is a committed Christian， I find Dave Tomlinson's writings very helpful。 In this book he looks at a number of topics， including many doctrines and gives us a different and thought provoking take on them。 I agreed with much he said， but the greatest benefits came from those areas when I didn't immediately agree as they made me look at wh As someone who moved away from the established church after being a member for 35 years including being a lay reader for 20+ years， but also as someone who still is a committed Christian， I find Dave Tomlinson's writings very helpful。 In this book he looks at a number of topics， including many doctrines and gives us a different and thought provoking take on them。 I agreed with much he said， but the greatest benefits came from those areas when I didn't immediately agree as they made me look at what I did actually believe。 。。。more
Mark Taylor
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There is not a word in this book that I do not agree with。
Kath
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I am grateful to Dave Tomlinson for his ability to express the difficulties involved in subscribing to any black and white religion。 I recognise a lot in his description of the way he was brought up in a strict church and how he needs freedom from those restraints。 He is pastorally sensitive and his conclusion that 'faith is a passionate inner conversation。。。an internal argument between belief and doubt。。。but the important thing is to keep the conversation going' is one that resonates with me。 H I am grateful to Dave Tomlinson for his ability to express the difficulties involved in subscribing to any black and white religion。 I recognise a lot in his description of the way he was brought up in a strict church and how he needs freedom from those restraints。 He is pastorally sensitive and his conclusion that 'faith is a passionate inner conversation。。。an internal argument between belief and doubt。。。but the important thing is to keep the conversation going' is one that resonates with me。 However there were times when I was left dissatisfied。 Maybe the foundations became too watery; the phrase 'don't throw the baby out with the bath water' comes to mind。 I'm not quite sure why he continues to believe in Jesus as such a strong inspiration and why he would choose Christianity over anything else。 He must have to recite the Creed in his job but that seems odd considering it appears he doesn't believe in most of it。 Perhaps I am still taking the black and white approach so that is my fault not his！ My question is really 'Where do you draw the line？' and that must be down to individual integrity if the salient facts cannot be proved。 。。。more
Richard
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