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Pivot Points: Adventures on the Road to Christian Contentment
For Marvin Olasky, the journey from Judaism to atheistic Communism to Christ was only a beginning. This compact memoir describes his pursuit of both truth and contentment amid various challenges.
200 pages, Paperback
Published March 13, 2024
11 people want to read
About the author
Marvin Olasky
58 books46 followersMarvin Olasky is a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute and an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute. He also chairs the Zenger House Foundation, serves as a Zenger Prize judge, and is the author of 29 books. From 1992 through 2021, he edited World.
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February 9, 2024Currently reading a preview of this book before it is published. This is really Part 2. Part 1 is the book Lament for a Father: The Journey to Understanding and Forgiveness
Pivot Points: Adventures on the Road to Christian Contentment, A Memoir by Marvin Olasky.
Releases March 13.
Preorder now
Amazon: https://buff.ly/3OECqYH
Christianbook: https://buff.ly/3wiwvCe
Pivot Points: Adventures on the Road to Christian Contentment, A Memoir by Marvin Olasky.
Releases March 13.
Preorder now
Amazon: https://buff.ly/3OECqYH
Christianbook: https://buff.ly/3wiwvCe
July 29, 2024
Summary: Pivot points of a compassionate conservative, a memoir tracing the journalistic and writing career of Marvin Olasky, former editor in chief of World magazine.
Encountering Olasky
My only other encounter with Marvin Olasky was reading his book Abortion Rites. I was stunned to find this pro-life Christian write about the prevalence of abortion in in the U.S. pre-Roe v. Wade when abortion was outlawed. It gave the lie to the illusion that banning abortion would eliminate it. He estimated that there were as many as 160,000 abortions a year in the non-slave population of pre-Civil War America. He went on in that book to propose a more sophisticated strategy than laws that included moral suasion and compassion.
I discovered someone who combined conviction with uncompromising honesty and journalistic integrity, and a healthy dose of compassion. In fact, this last quality would follow him as he was characterized as the “Father of Compassionate Conservatism.” All these qualities, as well as a self-deprecating humility characterize this memoir of a journalist who went from an atheist-communist to a committed Christian editor of a Christian news magazine, World. Olasky traces that life journey as a series of pivot points.
Olasky’s Pivot Points
Atheist Communist to Theist.
The first “Act” in the book describes Olasky’s journey from a Jewish upbringing to atheism, and in the context of the Vietnam war to Communism. for Olasky, Communism was a kind of addiction. Coupled with his turn to journalism from philosophy, Olasky became a rising star in Communist circles. Meanwhile, biking across America with his new wife, he began a career art a small Oregon paper. Neither the job nor the marriage lasts long. Subsequently, he is accepted into a Ph.D program at the University of Michigan. Here, he makes his first major pivot. At 3 pm on a November day, he sat down to read a work of Lenin and by 11 pm that night, walked out of the library, not yet a Christian, but a theist.
From Marriage to Tenure in Texas.
While at Michigan, Olasky meets Susan Northway, who he marries. Both want to know more about God and come to faith in a Baptist church in San Diego while he was fulfilling a one year appointment. He recounts his growth in an Indiana church while working on a Christian anti-Communist Crusade, followed by a brief stint at Dupont that ended when he could not lie in publicity for a chemical linked to bladder cancer. Then, he accepts a tenure-track position at University of Texas, teaching journalism. He is forthright about his Christian stance in his writing, but productive enough that he wins tenure. And it seemed time to settle down
From Research and Writing to Political Insider
Then life changed again with an offer of a research fellowship in Washington, resulting in the publication of The Tragedy of American Compassion. In the book, Olasky critiques government funded social welfare programs as a failure because of the impersonal, bureaucratic nature of them. He advocates “compassionate conservatism” and faith-based personal interventions. A niche publisher picked up the book. Then Newt Gingrich discovered and touted it. Suddenly, Olasky was in great demand, and his language of “compassionate conservatism” was picked up by George W. Bush in his presidential campaign. His account of the rise and fall of faith-based efforts warns of what has often happened when religious conservatives engage in politics.
Magazine Editor and Professor
During his brief brush with politics, Olasky agreed to become editor of a Christian news magazine, World. As a result, he could practice what he taught. These chapters were some of my favorites in the book. He describes the journalistic independence of World. Although working in the evangelical world, they enjoyed board support for controversial articles about evangelical figures. They set standards for rigorous, non-partisan journalism. And they trained young interns, who lived with the Olaskys and were subject to his red pen, becoming better writers in the process.
From Turbulence to Contentment
Then comes the Trump years. World offended subscribers supporting the former president in its reporting. Then the board shifts, introducing a World Opinions section not subject to editorial oversight. Olasky describes the painful process of resigning and his struggle to grieve and forgive. He had planned to retire and hand off his work. Instead, World shifted under his feet. But he ends in a space of contentment and praise, although I sense this story is still unfinished.
The book also includes two appendices from this period. One is a reflection on the World shakeup. Olasky offers insightful comments about living by journalistic integrity. The other describes how he saved World millions by honest reporting on election fraud claims. While other news outlets got sued for false claims about voting machines, they told the truth no one wanted to hear.
Final Comments
Marvin Olasky offers hope that journalistic integrity is neither an oxymoron nor a joke. Sadly, his is a conservative voice largely absent from our current discourse. He looks at complex issues, ferrets out the evidence, and follows the truth where it takes him. He showed compassion not merely in his writing but in his personal care for interns. He strikes me as one, in our highly polarized moment, who occupies the courageous middle. He also mentored several generations of journalists. I hope they will lead a return to integrity in their profession. Above all, Olasky models living by faith and offers an example of Eugene Peterson’s “long obedience in the same direction.” All these things make this succinct, fast-moving memoir worth the read.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
Encountering Olasky
My only other encounter with Marvin Olasky was reading his book Abortion Rites. I was stunned to find this pro-life Christian write about the prevalence of abortion in in the U.S. pre-Roe v. Wade when abortion was outlawed. It gave the lie to the illusion that banning abortion would eliminate it. He estimated that there were as many as 160,000 abortions a year in the non-slave population of pre-Civil War America. He went on in that book to propose a more sophisticated strategy than laws that included moral suasion and compassion.
I discovered someone who combined conviction with uncompromising honesty and journalistic integrity, and a healthy dose of compassion. In fact, this last quality would follow him as he was characterized as the “Father of Compassionate Conservatism.” All these qualities, as well as a self-deprecating humility characterize this memoir of a journalist who went from an atheist-communist to a committed Christian editor of a Christian news magazine, World. Olasky traces that life journey as a series of pivot points.
Olasky’s Pivot Points
Atheist Communist to Theist.
The first “Act” in the book describes Olasky’s journey from a Jewish upbringing to atheism, and in the context of the Vietnam war to Communism. for Olasky, Communism was a kind of addiction. Coupled with his turn to journalism from philosophy, Olasky became a rising star in Communist circles. Meanwhile, biking across America with his new wife, he began a career art a small Oregon paper. Neither the job nor the marriage lasts long. Subsequently, he is accepted into a Ph.D program at the University of Michigan. Here, he makes his first major pivot. At 3 pm on a November day, he sat down to read a work of Lenin and by 11 pm that night, walked out of the library, not yet a Christian, but a theist.
From Marriage to Tenure in Texas.
While at Michigan, Olasky meets Susan Northway, who he marries. Both want to know more about God and come to faith in a Baptist church in San Diego while he was fulfilling a one year appointment. He recounts his growth in an Indiana church while working on a Christian anti-Communist Crusade, followed by a brief stint at Dupont that ended when he could not lie in publicity for a chemical linked to bladder cancer. Then, he accepts a tenure-track position at University of Texas, teaching journalism. He is forthright about his Christian stance in his writing, but productive enough that he wins tenure. And it seemed time to settle down
From Research and Writing to Political Insider
Then life changed again with an offer of a research fellowship in Washington, resulting in the publication of The Tragedy of American Compassion. In the book, Olasky critiques government funded social welfare programs as a failure because of the impersonal, bureaucratic nature of them. He advocates “compassionate conservatism” and faith-based personal interventions. A niche publisher picked up the book. Then Newt Gingrich discovered and touted it. Suddenly, Olasky was in great demand, and his language of “compassionate conservatism” was picked up by George W. Bush in his presidential campaign. His account of the rise and fall of faith-based efforts warns of what has often happened when religious conservatives engage in politics.
Magazine Editor and Professor
During his brief brush with politics, Olasky agreed to become editor of a Christian news magazine, World. As a result, he could practice what he taught. These chapters were some of my favorites in the book. He describes the journalistic independence of World. Although working in the evangelical world, they enjoyed board support for controversial articles about evangelical figures. They set standards for rigorous, non-partisan journalism. And they trained young interns, who lived with the Olaskys and were subject to his red pen, becoming better writers in the process.
From Turbulence to Contentment
Then comes the Trump years. World offended subscribers supporting the former president in its reporting. Then the board shifts, introducing a World Opinions section not subject to editorial oversight. Olasky describes the painful process of resigning and his struggle to grieve and forgive. He had planned to retire and hand off his work. Instead, World shifted under his feet. But he ends in a space of contentment and praise, although I sense this story is still unfinished.
The book also includes two appendices from this period. One is a reflection on the World shakeup. Olasky offers insightful comments about living by journalistic integrity. The other describes how he saved World millions by honest reporting on election fraud claims. While other news outlets got sued for false claims about voting machines, they told the truth no one wanted to hear.
Final Comments
Marvin Olasky offers hope that journalistic integrity is neither an oxymoron nor a joke. Sadly, his is a conservative voice largely absent from our current discourse. He looks at complex issues, ferrets out the evidence, and follows the truth where it takes him. He showed compassion not merely in his writing but in his personal care for interns. He strikes me as one, in our highly polarized moment, who occupies the courageous middle. He also mentored several generations of journalists. I hope they will lead a return to integrity in their profession. Above all, Olasky models living by faith and offers an example of Eugene Peterson’s “long obedience in the same direction.” All these things make this succinct, fast-moving memoir worth the read.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
June 23, 2024
A few years ago, I enjoyed reading Marvin Olasky's book Lament for a Father, in which he explored the family history and generational trauma that shaped his childhood. In this memoir, he writes about his adolescence, college years, and career through the present day, focusing on "pivot points" where he faced major decisions and changes. The format is unique and interesting, because in addition to focusing on these major transitional moments, he also writes about all of this in the present tense. It's an unusual choice for a memoir, but it shows how ever-present the past can feel, even when you're looking back on events from decades ago.
This book focuses on formative moments from Olasky's past, beginning with his conversions from Judaism to Marxism, and then from communism to Christianity. He also writes about major career transitions, and his paths into academia and journalism. One thing I found particularly interesting is how he accidentally garnered political attention after publishing The Tragedy of American Compassion, an overview of American efforts at poverty alleviation. What started as a niche book release ultimately led to Olasky informally advising President George W. Bush's campaign on poverty-related issues. I'd heard before that Olasky was "the father of compassionate conservatism," but I evidently didn't know what that meant! Even though I grew up reading World, the news magazine that Olasky edited, I was so young during the Bush campaign that I completely missed all of this. It was fascinating to read about.
Olasky writes with his signature clarity and style, and each chapter is short and succinct. This memoir moves at a quick pace, and I found it difficult to put it down. Olasky looks back on past events with humility and perspective, acknowledging his mistakes and failings along with the highlights from his career, and I found it especially interesting to learn about more of his behind-the-scenes work with World over the years, beyond what I knew from the magazine itself. I started reading World cover to cover when I was about eleven, and it's a major touchstone in my life. This memoir also covers Olasky's departure from World in the midst of post-election and pandemic polarization, and he includes more about this in the appendices, addressing this topic in a clear, forthright manner without giving way to resentment.
Pivot Points is a unique, gripping memoir that will appeal to the author's following, and to anyone interested in the premise. I enjoyed this and learned a lot, and also reflected more on the impact that Marvin Olasky has had on my life through his involvement with World magazine. I can describe in great detail how World influenced me through its hard-hitting investigations and willingness to expose inconvenient truths, its book and movie reviews, and its thoughtful columns and opinion pieces. However, as I read this book, I recognized that what I actually remember is only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things I take for granted as fundamental aspects of my worldview, core values, and identity that World helped shape or gave me words to express. I enjoyed this memoir, and am truly grateful for the author's impact on my life.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book focuses on formative moments from Olasky's past, beginning with his conversions from Judaism to Marxism, and then from communism to Christianity. He also writes about major career transitions, and his paths into academia and journalism. One thing I found particularly interesting is how he accidentally garnered political attention after publishing The Tragedy of American Compassion, an overview of American efforts at poverty alleviation. What started as a niche book release ultimately led to Olasky informally advising President George W. Bush's campaign on poverty-related issues. I'd heard before that Olasky was "the father of compassionate conservatism," but I evidently didn't know what that meant! Even though I grew up reading World, the news magazine that Olasky edited, I was so young during the Bush campaign that I completely missed all of this. It was fascinating to read about.
Olasky writes with his signature clarity and style, and each chapter is short and succinct. This memoir moves at a quick pace, and I found it difficult to put it down. Olasky looks back on past events with humility and perspective, acknowledging his mistakes and failings along with the highlights from his career, and I found it especially interesting to learn about more of his behind-the-scenes work with World over the years, beyond what I knew from the magazine itself. I started reading World cover to cover when I was about eleven, and it's a major touchstone in my life. This memoir also covers Olasky's departure from World in the midst of post-election and pandemic polarization, and he includes more about this in the appendices, addressing this topic in a clear, forthright manner without giving way to resentment.
Pivot Points is a unique, gripping memoir that will appeal to the author's following, and to anyone interested in the premise. I enjoyed this and learned a lot, and also reflected more on the impact that Marvin Olasky has had on my life through his involvement with World magazine. I can describe in great detail how World influenced me through its hard-hitting investigations and willingness to expose inconvenient truths, its book and movie reviews, and its thoughtful columns and opinion pieces. However, as I read this book, I recognized that what I actually remember is only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things I take for granted as fundamental aspects of my worldview, core values, and identity that World helped shape or gave me words to express. I enjoyed this memoir, and am truly grateful for the author's impact on my life.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2025
Classic Olasky. Such a great memoir. Love his exploration of some of the main pivots in his life. I had read Lament for a father and it was so good - but this was really wonderful. Olasky has lived
a fascinating life from his years at Yale during the Vietnam era onto his years as a communist, onto his conversion to Christ as well as his years in journalistic academia and the political spheres. Highly recommend. Thought provoking and compelling and very few in our generation can write like Marvin Olasky!
a fascinating life from his years at Yale during the Vietnam era onto his years as a communist, onto his conversion to Christ as well as his years in journalistic academia and the political spheres. Highly recommend. Thought provoking and compelling and very few in our generation can write like Marvin Olasky!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews