From Pandemic to Renewal: Practices for a World Shaken by Crisis

by Chris Rice, Jim Denison (reader)

The pandemic changed the world on a global scale. Not only was it devastating in terms of loss of life, it also revealed deep layers of anxiety and brokenness throughout society. Mental exhaustion, economic disparities, and escalating divisions now mark our times. But award-winning author Chris Rice sees the challenges of our day as a historic opportunity for renewal and fresh growth. As he examines eight interrelated crises exposed by the pandemic era, he provides pathways for followers of Christ to bring transformation and healing to their lives and communities. Covering topics ranging from a burnout society and a dangerous bipolar world order to our own divided selves, Rice helps readers to understand this emerging world that will reshape our lives for decades to come. Drawing from his work across divides domestically and around the world, and writing with vulnerability and honesty about his own failings, he sets forth transformative practices that can move us toward social healing and spiritual renewal.

Genres: Nonfiction

Audio CD

Published May 23, 2023

Reviews

[Conrade Yap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt, the pandemic has changed the world in more ways than we know. For the first time worldwide, people see lockdowns and travel quarantines. Many go for mandatory vaccinations. Masks are required in public places. Corporations tell people to work from home. Even churches have to go virtual. As the world reels from two years of pandemic lifestyles, many no longer recognize the normal they once knew. Many businesses like restaurants and retail have suffered to the point of totally shutting down. Churches too have seen their numbers plummet to the point where formerly regular members no longer attend physical church. On the flip side, there have been some positive post-pandemic developments as well. Some experience the freedom of working from home without compromising their work productivity. They testify of better work-life balance. They also benefitted from turning "transit time" into profitable work time. Author Chris Rice looks at the whole situation to bring us three critical insights. First, we gain a deeper insight into our inner struggles. The pandemic has become a form of X-Ray to expose the things we do not usually see. Stress and emotional challenges take on a new dimension. Bipartisan politics worsen by the increased use of social media. Digital platforms take on a new level of significance. People brace themselves to enter a new world never seen before. Secondly, we are connected far beyond our shores. We see a deeper interconnected future about how events far away can impact us up close and personal. Like the way covid spreads from Asia to America, and to the rest of the world, it is no longer possible to quarantine any potential problems. No longer can we simply mind our own business or think we do not need the rest of the world. We are more connected and dependent than we think. Thirdly, the pandemic has opportunities for us to build upon. This is where the majority of the book will be centering upon. Rather than be shaken up negatively by the pandemic, why not re-adjust our sails positively? With this paradigm shift, the author sets out to do just that. This book covers the eight pathways from pandemic to renewal across various realms, covering economic, moral, social, political, religious, and several other aspects.

Chapter One deals with frantic anxiety which is becoming more intense in a digital world. Activism, workaholic lifestyles, and an always-on Internet addiction have impacted our relationships with others as well as our mental health. Burnout which was a problem pre-pandemic worsened during and after the pandemic. Rice diagnoses the problem not because of despair but because of our inability to say no to more. He terms it "excessive positivity" which is that can-do attitude that refuses to back down from the temptation to achieve more by doing more with more. He suggests replacing the idolatry of "more" with joy as a determinant kind of antidote. Spend time doing things that spark joy.

Chapter Two begins with a lament about the growing disparity in this world. Covid-19 has widened this disparity. Taking lessons from the parable of the Good Samaritan, Rice gives us five challenges to be transformed from bystanders to peacemakers. Lest we pass like the other side. Chapter Three highlights the problem of nationalistic fervour that is more polarizing than unifying. One of the most touching stories is about Christian leaders from China, Japan, and Korea visiting a war museum. After seeing gruesome images of the war atrocities, they hugged one another, putting aside nationalistic grievances, and pledged to never let such evil happen again. Chapter Four looks at the state of American politics to point out the need for Christians not to be disengaged from politics in the name of separation, but to engage constructively through prayer and "prophetic advocacy." Chapter Five is an attempt to take the log out of American eyes so that one can see clearly the power disparity and the needs of the world. In doing so, we can see opportunities for believers in the developed world to find ways to heal the world. Chapter Six becomes more personal and warns us about friendship with the world that is actual enmity with God. Such friendship includes our infatuation with worldly success and public recognition, when in fact, these things lead us deeper into idolatry. Using recent examples of key Christian leaders who had fallen, we learn about the seduction of power. Learning to be comfortable with our own vulnerability is key to preserving private integrity. Chapter Seven looks at the three dangers in our modern world: Technological disruptions; Environment Decay; and the false dichotomy of a world divided into US-versus-China. We need to rise above these challenges of seeking wisdom; showing care; and engaging in peacemaking opportunities respectively. Chapter Eight looks at the role of the Church. Rice gives us six essentials in reforming the Church for modern times.

My Thoughts
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There is a lot of good stuff in this book. Beginning from the challenges caused by the pandemic to the modern challenges that plague society at large, author Chris Rice maintains a consistent assertion: That we learn to be peacemakers wherever we are and whenever we can. One notices that the issues pertaining to the pandemic are dealt with in the first half of the book. The second half comprises existential issues like the political divide in America, xenophobic tendencies in the name of nationalism, racial and economic discrimination, and other modern challenges that we face now. For every issue, Rice guides us toward recognizing them before suggesting ways to deal with them. More importantly, he points out the crucial roles that the Church and the believer can do. The discussion questions at the end of the book help readers to engage with the issues more deeply. Several of these questions relate directly to particular quotes that demand critical engagement. Some of the more challenging ones relate to the call to political engagement. This is not an easy one, especially considering the need to keep Church and State separate. Yet, politics affect us all. We need to learn how to engage constructively, especially when there's widespread polarization that is dividing communities across the nation. Christians need to be peacemakers to build as many bridges as possible in a world of constant tensions that could easily spark hatred and violence. Rice gives us tips on ways to do just that.

I like the way the author not only highlights the problems of today, but also points us to be part of the solution. The author builds a strong case for his three crucial insights and applies them across the moral, political, socio-economic, technological, and theological domains. I find myself nodding in agreement as I turn the pages of the book. With many ideas and suggestions on how to move forward, I find Rice's approach very balanced and practical. For each challenge, he puts forth multiple ways to deal with it. Not all the ways are relevant at any one time but it is hoped that readers can keep them in the arsenal of solutions, and discern wisely when and where to use them. Whether we call it a reminder, renewal, or a refreshing of our calling, this book can give us the kick we need to get off our comfort zones.

Chris Rice (DMin, Duke University) is director of the United Nations Office of the Mennonite Central Committee, an international relief, development, and peace agency. He served as cofounding director of the Duke Divinity School Center for Reconciliation, and has worked through the academy, churches, and faith-based organizations to heal social conflicts in East Africa, Northeast Asia, and the American South. He is coauthor of Reconciling All Things and More Than Equals, which both won Christianity Today Book Awards. Chris and his wife, Donna, have three adult children and live in New York City.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Addresses eight global crises exposed by the COVID pandemic and how Christians may be agents of healing and transformation.

We’ve been through a crisis unlike what most of us have ever faced. Not just some of us in some places. But all of us. In every place. It’s one that has left its marks in our bodies, in our families and social networks, in our politics. Even where the marks are not visible, there are scars on our psyches. That’s what a deadly global pandemic does. And it exposed other crises in our world–political polarization, inequities, corruption, international tensions and a crisis of truth. For many, it exposed a poverty of spiritual resources, evident as much as anything in what seems our frantic effort just to move on and put the pandemic behind us. But the marks remain, and the crises the pandemic exposed remain. Christians are a people who don’t believe in moving on, but in renewal and transformation, often out of suffering, deep pain, and crisis. That’s because we believe in a God who has entered the world’s suffering, pain, and death in his Son, and who brought life, renewal, and transformation out of the darkest hour. But the question is, how does this bear on our experience of the last years and the crises we continue to face?

Chris Rice has lived a life at the intersection of the world’s pain and the gospel’s renewing power, from interracial community development efforts in Mississippi, to the halls of academia, to international relief efforts, and to pleading the cause of the world’s poor at the United Nations. Then the pandemic isolated him for a time in New England with his father and gave him to think about the challenges and opportunities of renewal in a post-pandemic world. In this book he identifies eight crises exposed more clearly during the pandemic and transformative Christian practices to address these crises. His eight chapters dealing with these are:

1. Bearing Joy for a World of Frantic Anxiety. In a world of rising anxiety expressed in a focus on activity, excessive positivism and activism turned to violence, Rice proposes the virtue of joy born out of a life of contemplating being the beloved of God.

2. Centering the Vulnerable for a World of Rising Disparity. The pandemic, thought to be the great equalizer, exposed inequities in death rates, high stock values and long food lines, and great inequalities in the distribution of vaccines. The way of the gospel is the way of the Samaritan on the Jericho road, taking costly steps to focus on the world’s vulnerable.

3. Being Peacemakers for a World of Surging Polarization. Rice recounts some of the unhealed wrongs he has encountered among those with whom he works and the power of the word “we” as we think of who “our” people are. He speaks of the Antioch moment where the gospel crosses boundaries of hostility, of the church’s peacemaking mission as we pursue restorative justice and hold truth and love together in these efforts.

4. Redeeming Power for a World of Political Mediocrity. Rice assesses both the potential for great good and great evil in the exercise of political power. He considers our contemporary polarization, paralysis, and pessimism, and the value of political love in action for the sake of the vulnerable, practiced in prayer, pursuing “purple” spaces, and local opportunities to pursue the common good.

5. Making Transnational Disciples for a World of American Blinders. Rice talks about the American blinders of both how we may believe ourselves saviors of the world and our lack of perception of how American power is perceived elsewhere in the world. He invites us to grow as transnational disciples through expanding what we read, through empowering majority world leaders, and pursuing international friendships.

6. Pursuing Private Integrity for a World of Public Validation. For many of us, what we do, what we have, and what others think of us is the focus of our lives. Rice calls Christians to private integrity, who we are out of public view, through personal examination, vulnerability with others, and communal safeguarding.

7. Cultivating Moral Imagination for a World of Unprecedented Dangers. Amid the dangers of technological disruption, environmental degradation, and the bi-polar China-US conflict, he bids us to imagine a moral world yet to be through forsaking our reliance on technological solutions and our lust for dominion, through instilling hope, through “thinking little,” through practicing non-violent communication, and making climate change personal. He also advises that more Americans might spend time learning Chinese! I thought this perhaps the most prescient chapter in the book.

8. Renewing the Church for a World Longing for Hope. The pandemic, in Rice’s view, has been a time of pruning for the church, a prelude to its renewal. He believes renewal consists in knowing our destination, reforming Christian formation, going deep into congregational life, creating new wineskins for mission, learning to function as ambassadors in the public square, and rooting our lives in intimacy with Christ.

What is striking as I look over this list is that it is about the formation and renewal of Christian character. Joy. Vulnerability. Peacemaking. Political love. Discipleship. Integrity. Moral Imagination. All of this is woven in the context of ecclesial communities. Rice makes a compelling case that this renewal of Christian character has far-reaching consequences, extending to the anxious, the poor, those at enmity, to our politics, to the nations, to our social lives, and to the existential dangers of our time–whether technological, environmental, or nuclear apocalypses.

Chris Rice opens a conversation we desperately need to have. There is no getting back to life before the pandemic. We live in a different, and in many ways, scarier world. How then will the people of God live? Will we bring spiritual understanding to what we have been through, and to how we might live amid the dangers and challenges and opportunities of our new situation? Will we stop fighting old battles and resist the temptation to simply return to our old patterns? This book, including the discussion guide provided for groups, can be an instrument for Christian communities to take stock and discern what it can mean to hope for renewal out of the ruins of these last years.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Vincent Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Chris told me that he was writing a book to help the church emerge from COVID-19, my initial reaction was negative. Please, Lord, not another How-to do-book! Church leaders are discouraged over empty pews, loss of members, and a society which is shifting from indifference to hostility toward the church. Many pastors are suffering from ministerial burnout and want to quit.

I can commiserate with them, because I experienced the same discouragement in a church development project in Japan. In retrospect, it is apparent that my frenzied attempts to do something that would promote church growth were indicative of my failure to do the kind of things which this book encourages us to do: Remember that the church belongs to Christ--not to me. Be still before the Lord and listen to his voice. Repent of hyper activism and wait for God to show me what he wants me to do. Steep myself in God's Word and keep my soul happy in Jesus. Cherish the little flock over which God has appointed me as shepherd.

As Chris is a gifted writer, this book will hold your interest. The personal experiences that he shares and the insights which he offers can give the reader new hope and vision. I hope that church leaders will read this book deliberately and reflectively. And what better way to show your love for your pastor than by placing a copy of this book in his or her hands.

Vincent Stubbs
Retired Missionary

[John Talbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

"From Pandemic to Renewal" takes a deeper turn than many post-pandemic books I've seen. Sometimes, we have a tendency to try to recover what we had before a disaster, but if you've read Chris Rice before, you know that he prefers to use "re*" words (reconciliation, renewal, restoration, ...) to point us forward toward where God would have us be rather than back to where we were. The pandemic caused most of us to examine the structures that support our lives; in many cases, we found them wanting. This book proceeds from personal to structural to give us ideas, stories and strategies to move forward while acknowledging the pain we are in. The section on lament caught my attention immediately, but the book is filled with stories of joy. Lament and joy often go together as do contemplation and activism. Dr. Rice captures this dynamic and encourages us not to be afraid of hard changes and to embrace the disciplines that lead to joy.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book slowly - and want to turn around and start rereading it. Rice grounds his analysis of our post-2020 world in humility as he shares stories where he has failed, realism as he points out the many challenges we face globally, and most of all, hope in God who is working in and through His people. I loved too that he is able to address American challenges yet keep a clear global perspective throughout the books. A quote from the eARC I read, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher: "In this new era, was we face challenges as near as our own families and as global as the ripple effects of the superpower clash between the United States and China, the call to become new people is about God's choosing. It is not always easy or comfortable. But it ultimately brings great growth and joy. Renewal is where strange and difficult ground becomes holy ground." Amen. Highly recommended.

[Kerry Dearborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so very grateful for this timely book by Chris Rice. Our book group has found it helpful in so many ways, and I would recommend it as an outstanding book for church groups to study together as well. First, Chris Rice is an excellent and humble storyteller, sharing wisdom from the lived truths of his own life. Second, this book presents clear and well-researched analysis of the major challenges of our contemporary world. Third, not only is it profound, but this book is also wonderfully practical, offering life-giving ways to respond to these challenges both personally and corporately. I found it to be a very well-written and refreshing book that offers faith-anchored hope without flinching from facing the very heart-rending issues of our lives. Thank you for all your hard work on much-needed book, Dr. Chris Rice.

[Mulanda Juma]

COVID-19 pandemic created very deep fear that the future of humanity is dark, hopeless and there is no way out of this global threat and other major threats and greater challenges to come. The war in Ukraine, which started while COVID-19 was not over yet, offered additional evidence that, the world is in a circle of major unending crisis without a solution. The book, “From Pandemic to Renewal”, starting from its title, provides a convincing message that there is light at the end of the tunnel, despite the causes of the pandemic. It is also convincing that the renewal from the pandemic is not for some but the entire humanity. As Chris Rice says, indeed, this pandemic offers a new opportunity of the century. The starting point is inner renewal or renewal of one’s life.

[Russell Jeung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Rice's From Pandemic to Renewal is both a needed title and a misnomer. Addressing critical global issues exposed by the pandemic such as frantic anxiety and surging polarization, Rice provides timely spiritual practices that can renew the church and bring hope to the world. Yet don't be misled, this book doesn't just relate to the pandemic, but offers timeless, Kairos principles that the Holy Spirit has always employed. I especially appreciate Rice's integration of personal practices with civic ones. Not only are we to receive God's belovedness and to act with integrity, but we are also challenged to be prophetic and political disciples in the world. Excellent read for one's individual discipleship and for group formation!

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Rice has given individuals and especially leaders of organizations a timely and timeless resource in "From Pandemic to Renewal." I have already applied its eight chapters to my leadership in the publishing-adjacent field I work in - a field that was shaken to its core by the pandemic but has also maintained a sense of renewal and hope and imagination, three of the things that Rice probes in this 200-page book that is wise and yet highly readable.

Rice has long been a thought leader through his work at the Duke Center for Reconciliation and now via a United Nations relief office. You will find his book to be a practical resource for years to come. Highly recommended.

[Tim Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pandemic was a demon, and my soul still feels sore. I’m glad for an exorcism in the form of Chris Rice’s book From Pandemic to Renewal: Practices for a World Shaken by Crisis. As he points out, “. . . we don’t learn from experience. We learn from reflection on experience.” The book invites us into deep reflection on the world that has emerged from the pandemic as Chris surveys topics such as frantic anxiety, rising disparity, surging polarization, and political mediocrity. Drawing from a lifetime of ministry, Chris’ wisdom is sharp, honest, and practical. If you’ve been looking for a way to redeem and integrate the difficulty and challenge of the pandemic, this is your book.

[Rose Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Rice is, at heart, what religion is about. Religion binds up what has become divided for the healing of the whole body. Rice, drawing on his transnational work as a Christian peacemaker, missioner, and reconciler brings the best of the faith to our contemporary challenges. "From Pandemic to Renewal" is a love letter to young Christians: Don't let others steal Jesus from you. There is a power in scripture and Christian tradition that can meet the needs you face today in a post-pandemic, climate-confused, politically divided culture. Claim it. This easy-to-read, engaging, and hopeful book comes with discussion questions for each chapter.

[Donna Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I handled the Pandemic pretty well. I had a few challenging times, but my area of the country was not as badly affected as others. Then it ended, but it didn’t end. In many ways the dominoes of continued effects still are falling, and this is more of a challenge for me. I have been seeking ways of peacemaking in a polarized world. This is a healing and challenging read. Anyone with a family, business, church or has friends that have been split apart should read this book.

[Ron Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author brings a lifetime of reflection and engagement in justice and peace concerns. He shares richly from his own life's work, of what he's observed and learned and weaves in quotes from many other Christian writers in this engaging work. Each huge, seemingly intractable issue heightened by the pandemic that could leave us stuck in paralysis or blame, is met with possibilities of response that open up something new to happen.

[Nancy Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Rice uses effectively the lens of the Pandemic and his wide personal experience to view the reality of “what is” in our world today. He also gives us hope and practices that help us enter into God’s healing of ourselves and our world. It is a useful tool for lay people as well as those in positions of responsibility in the church and in institutions of power that can effect change. Nancy Rich

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific book. Rice has worked in Mississippi, Africa, Asia, the Duke Center for Reconciliation and the United Nations. He brings his vast experience along with his wide reading to the challenges our world faces today. He provides incisive analysis and solutions that bring in a needed moral dimension to how we care for our world and especially those most marginalized. I highly recommend it.

[Paula Rinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book a rare find is the author's ability to step outside an American
take on culture and change. Reading it is like boarding a helicopter with a personal
guide to all the possibilities the pandemic has ironically produced. This is a golden
moment for the church and Rice tells us how to make the most of this time.
P. Rinehart

[Joel Wentz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-written, deeply thoughtful reflection on the sociocultural changes the pandemic has wrought. While there was nothing particularly paradigm-shifting, or outright new, for me in this, I really appreciated the author's tone, candor and posture towards the future. It's an encouraging read, and worth some time if you are a church or ministry leader.

[Eric Kurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a timely and compelling vision for a fresh and new faith, for a world and church that desperately need renewal. Chris brings a wealth of experience, which he shares with honesty and humility in laying out a vision for transforming crisis into opportunity. A helpful companion in the journey toward shalom.

[Mary Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very enlightening! Chris presents an insightful and comprehensive exploration of the unprecedented global pandemic that shook the world. This book is a timely and essential read for anyone seeking an understanding of the pandemic and it’s aftermath.

[Peter Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As many of us emerge from a season of doubt and confusion post-pandemic, Chris's practical insights are timely and encouraging. Grab a friend and read his book together because by the time you have finished its pages, you'll be ready for meaningful action with others. A five-star read.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very enlightening.

Chris presents an insightful and comprehensive exploration of the unprecedented global pandemic that shook the world.

This book is a timely and essential read for anyone seeking an understanding of the pandemic and it’s aftermath.