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Unexpected Destinations: An Evangelical Pilgrimage to World Christianity
From Billy Graham to a Trappist monastery, from Capitol Hill to the helm of the Reformed Church in America, Wesley Granberg-Michaelson’s personal pilgrimage has covered the length and breadth of Christianity in America. Now, drawing upon forty years of his own spiritual journals, this elder statesman of the church crystallizes his wide-ranging experiences into a sharp, lively memoir.
Unexpected Destinations reveals a unique encounter with evangelical piety, Catholic contemplative spirituality, Reformed theology, Pentecostal practice, and ecumenical efforts ― an encounter that dares to envision unity between all these strands of Christianity. It provides fresh historical insights into the evangelical subculture of the 1970s, sheds new light on how denominations today grapple inwardly with such issues as homosexuality and missional renewal, and poignantly relates the joy and pain of one man’s spiritual life journey.
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Unexpected Destinations reveals a unique encounter with evangelical piety, Catholic contemplative spirituality, Reformed theology, Pentecostal practice, and ecumenical efforts ― an encounter that dares to envision unity between all these strands of Christianity. It provides fresh historical insights into the evangelical subculture of the 1970s, sheds new light on how denominations today grapple inwardly with such issues as homosexuality and missional renewal, and poignantly relates the joy and pain of one man’s spiritual life journey.
Watch the
312 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 12, 2020
Good insight into the evangelical left.
May 26, 2012
For the Presbyterian Outlook
Wesley Granberg-Michaelson recently stepped down from his position as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America. This was the latest episode of an eclectic working life we learn about in this recent memoir. Other episodes include his years serving on Senator Mark Hatfield's staff, then as the general manager of Sojourners Magazine, founding the New Creation Institute in Montana to address environmental concerns, and then directing the church and society work of the World Council of Churches. Along the way he was one of the founders of Christian Churches Together.
But his memoir is not a chronicle of these and other events of his life. It is built around four themes, the widening of his early evangelical consciousness, Christian ecumenism, his struggle to find an authentic devotional life, and his persistent interest in institutional leadership. These are the lenses through which he tells his life story. Each episode connects with one or more of these themes. At the same time his story takes on the rhythm of breathing, alternating inward and outward movements. It is as though he sees his life as an example of what one of his mentors, Elizabeth O'Connor called, the Journey Inward, Journey Outward (HarperCollins, 1975).
Granberg-Michaelson grew up in the atmosphere of Norwegian pietism, which in this country became an important part of the broader evangelical subculture. His grandfather Gundersen had an enormous influence both upon him and that evangelical world. Naturally his parents, particularly his mother, were formative in his religious formation, along with the independent church the family attended. Involvement in the evangelical youth ministry, Young Life, also played an important role. This evocative story of his upbringing will resonate with those of us who grew up evangelical in the 1950's or 1960's.
From an early age, though, there were always windows beyond the cozy embrace of that somewhat self-enclosed evangelical world, beginning with Roman Catholic and Jewish childhood friends. He describes an upbringing in the shadow of the bastion of evangelicalism, Wheaton College, to which his family and church expected him to go. So his decision to attend Hope College in Michigan set off a bit of a family crisis. But Hope represented his entrance into denominational life and the Reformed world. Going on to Princeton Theological Seminary, he found his interest in politics stimulated by the ferment of the sixties. Rather than follow a traditional ministry path, he began his work on the staff of Senator Mark Hatfield. Those were years of seeking to find his way as Christian, wanting to go deeper on the one hand and yet also connecting with the real issues of war and poverty. This led to his involvement with the Church of the Savior community in Washington and Sojourners.
It may be that Granberg-Michaelson’s lasting influence will be his passion for bringing Christians together. His ecumenical vision is much wider than that of the World Council. He has looked for tangible ways to include Roman Catholics, Evangelicals and Pentecostals in the conversation. This is reflected in the way the book begins and ends with reflections on his involvement with the World Pentecostal Congress in Stockholm which he attended representing the Global Christian Forum.
Wesley Granberg-Michaelson recently stepped down from his position as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America. This was the latest episode of an eclectic working life we learn about in this recent memoir. Other episodes include his years serving on Senator Mark Hatfield's staff, then as the general manager of Sojourners Magazine, founding the New Creation Institute in Montana to address environmental concerns, and then directing the church and society work of the World Council of Churches. Along the way he was one of the founders of Christian Churches Together.
But his memoir is not a chronicle of these and other events of his life. It is built around four themes, the widening of his early evangelical consciousness, Christian ecumenism, his struggle to find an authentic devotional life, and his persistent interest in institutional leadership. These are the lenses through which he tells his life story. Each episode connects with one or more of these themes. At the same time his story takes on the rhythm of breathing, alternating inward and outward movements. It is as though he sees his life as an example of what one of his mentors, Elizabeth O'Connor called, the Journey Inward, Journey Outward (HarperCollins, 1975).
Granberg-Michaelson grew up in the atmosphere of Norwegian pietism, which in this country became an important part of the broader evangelical subculture. His grandfather Gundersen had an enormous influence both upon him and that evangelical world. Naturally his parents, particularly his mother, were formative in his religious formation, along with the independent church the family attended. Involvement in the evangelical youth ministry, Young Life, also played an important role. This evocative story of his upbringing will resonate with those of us who grew up evangelical in the 1950's or 1960's.
From an early age, though, there were always windows beyond the cozy embrace of that somewhat self-enclosed evangelical world, beginning with Roman Catholic and Jewish childhood friends. He describes an upbringing in the shadow of the bastion of evangelicalism, Wheaton College, to which his family and church expected him to go. So his decision to attend Hope College in Michigan set off a bit of a family crisis. But Hope represented his entrance into denominational life and the Reformed world. Going on to Princeton Theological Seminary, he found his interest in politics stimulated by the ferment of the sixties. Rather than follow a traditional ministry path, he began his work on the staff of Senator Mark Hatfield. Those were years of seeking to find his way as Christian, wanting to go deeper on the one hand and yet also connecting with the real issues of war and poverty. This led to his involvement with the Church of the Savior community in Washington and Sojourners.
It may be that Granberg-Michaelson’s lasting influence will be his passion for bringing Christians together. His ecumenical vision is much wider than that of the World Council. He has looked for tangible ways to include Roman Catholics, Evangelicals and Pentecostals in the conversation. This is reflected in the way the book begins and ends with reflections on his involvement with the World Pentecostal Congress in Stockholm which he attended representing the Global Christian Forum.
May 25, 2011
Wes Granberg-Michaelson is a groundbreaking church leader (and all-around nice guy) who has led a really interesting, widely varied life, crisscrossing the spectrum of Christian experience both in the U.S. and around the world. He writes about his life with wisdom, candor, and even compassion, providing not only a first-person travel diary through American Christianity over the last six decades, but also a wealth of insight for church leaders at every level.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews