Book Review: Unleashed

Are you deeply entrenched in civilized Christianity? Are you content in and with your faith? Is your faith caged inside you like a trapped tiger? What would your life be like if you unleashed your faith? How would you answer these questions? They were brought to my mind as I read the book "Unleashed, Release the Untamed Faith Within" by Erwin Raphael McManus.


"Unleashed" was previously released as "The Barbarian Way" by Erwin Raphael McManus. I must admit I was stunned by the words barbarian, barbaric, and mystical. A barbarian is, well, a savage person. Right? Hence being barbaric would mean being savage. Right? The word mystical conjures up images of wizardry. Right?


I had to look up the definition of barbaric. Yes, it is a characteristic of a barbarian. Barbaric is a characteristic more complex than primitive savagery but less sophisticated than advanced civilization. The definition gets more interesting. Barbaric is a characteristic marked by a lack of restraint, a wild, bizarre, unsophisticated quality. Have you read the first few chapters of the book of the Acts of the Apostles lately?


Erwin Raphael McManus jumps directly into making a case for a faith in Christ which is both barbaric and mystical. He makes the case for an untamed, unrestrained, and less sophisticated faith. He makes the case for true spiritual faith being in the realm of something mystical. We are talking about the spiritual. God is a Spirit. Those who worship him must do so in spirit and in truth.


I found "Unleashed" very difficult to put down once I started reading it. I found myself going back and reading some portions again. I found myself saying "Oh my" and "Wow" over and over. My conclusion is this: I have been challenged. I am weary of "safe" civilized religion. I am weary of "normal" religion. I am ready to step outside the normal and be unrestrained in my faith in Jesus Christ. I accept the challenge, even if it makes me barbaric. How about you? I recommend "Unleashed" by Erwin Raphael McManus to any and all, to both the mature and the new Christian.


I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."