Being the Body

by Charles W. Colson, Ellen Santilli Vaughn

Charles Colson has been called, "one of the most important social reformers in a generation." Ten years ago in The Body, Colson turned his prophetic attention to the church and how it might break out of its cultural captivity and reassert its biblical identity.

Today the book's classic truths have not changed. But the world we live in has. Christians in America have had their complacency shattered and their beliefs challenged. Around the world, the clash of world views has never been more strident. Before all of us, daily, are the realities of life and death, terror and hope, light and darkness, brokenness and healing. We cannot withdraw to the comfort of our sanctuaries...we must engage. For, if ever there was a time for Christians to be the Body of Christ in the world, it is now.

In this new, revised and expanded edition of The Body, Charles Colson revisits the question, "What is the church and what is its relevance to contemporary culture at large?" Provocative and insightful, Being the Body inspires us to rise above a stunted "Jesus and me" faith to a nobler view of something bigger and grander than ourselves--the glorious, holy vision for which God created the church.

Hardcover ISBN 0849917522

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Christian Living, Christianity, Theology, Ecclesiology

528 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2004

About the author

Almost 40 years ago, Charles W. Colson was not thinking about reaching out to prison inmates or reforming the U.S. penal system. In fact, this aide to President Richard Nixon was "incapable of humanitarian thought," according to the media of the mid-1970s. Colson was known as the White House "hatchet man," a man feared by even the most powerful politicos during his four years of service to Nixon.

When news of Colson's conversion to Christianity leaked to the press in 1973, The Boston Globe reported, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everybody." Colson would agree.

In 1974 Colson entered a plea of guilty to Watergate-related charges; although not implicated in the Watergate burglary, he voluntarily pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Daniel Ellsberg Case. He entered Alabama's Maxwell Prison in 1974 as a new Christian and as the first member of the Nixon administration to be incarcerated for Watergate-related charges. He served seven months of a one- to three-year sentence.

After leaving prison, Colson founded Prison Fellowship Ministries in 1976, which has since become the world's largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families. Today, Colson remains a member of the board of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

A sought-after speaker, Colson has written more than 30 books, which collectively have sold more than 5 million copies. His autobiographical book, Born Again, was one of the nation's best-selling books of all genres in 1976. Another bestseller, co-authored by Nancy Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live, is considered one of the most important books written on the subject of Christian worldview. His most recent book, The Faith, is a powerful appeal to the Church to re-embrace the foundational truths of Christianity.

In 1991 Colson launched BreakPoint, a unique radio commentary that provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. BreakPoint is currently aired weekdays to more than 1,300 outlets nationwide that reach and estimated 2 million listeners.

Today Colson is focused full time on developing other Christian leaders who can influence the culture and their communities through their faith. The capstone of this effort is The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, an online research and training center launched in 2009 for the promotion of Christian worldview teaching. In addition to a vast library of worldview materials, the Colson Center provides online courses and serves as a catalyst for a growing movement of Christian organizations dedicated to impacting the culture. The Colson Center website also hosts Colson's popular weekly Two-Minute Warning video commentary aimed at engaging a younger generation with a biblical perspective on cultural issues.

In 2009, Colson was a principal writer of the Manhattan Declaration, which calls on Christians to defend the sanctity of human life, traditional marriage and religious freedom. Nearly half a million people have signed the Manhattan Declaration. Collaborating with other Christian ministries, BreakPoint aims to launch other ecumenical grassroots movements around moral and ethical issues of great concern.

In recognition of his work, Colson received the prestigious Templeton Prize for progress in religion in 1993, donating the $1 million prize to Prison Fellowship. Colson's other awards have included the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civilian honor (2008); the Humanitarian Award from Dominos Pizza Corporation (1991); The Others Award from The Salvation Army (1990); the Outstanding Young Man of Boston from the Boston Chamber of Commerce (1960); and several honorary doctorates from various colleges and universities (1982-2000).

Reviews

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that being part of the overall body of Christ is very different than being a member of a specific church. We should work together to further the gospel. As long as we agree on the core essentials - Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins, is the one and only way; He died in our place in payment for our sins - then we can accomplish so much more. It's a long book, but full of history and real-life stories. A true joy to read.

[Jean]

Great book. A friend and I read this book and worked the included study guide ~2003. We found it extremely relevant. After all these years, we both still have our copy of the book. We are going to go back through it again (2010).

[Daniel]

Basic REAL discipleship in ALL of my life/worldview

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story telling

A bit turgid in his theology at times but Colson's accounts of the fall of communism and the impact of faithful people are second to none.

[Bud Hewlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me for Father's Day by my wife back in 2003, but I never got around to reading it. Colson began the book with details from the fairly recent (at that time) 9/11 attack. It was interesting to be reading it 16 years later because it provides perspective on many of Colson's concerns at the time and what he was hoping for in the future. In spite of the fact that things in the country have deteriorated beyond what he could have expected, his exhortations for the Church and its role in impacting society are still relevant and well articulated.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, by Chuck Colson of Watergate and Prison Fellowship, talks about the experience of the church. It is filled with interesting stories about his experiences ministering in prisons, and about believers in Eastern Europe (the book was written shortly after the fall of Communism). But, it is filled with the fearfulness and anger that has unfortunately come to characterize much of American evangelicalism, which weakens its overall point.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well-written. Had a big impact on me in college. I'm now a bit more skeptical about simplistic "win the culture for Christ" movements. Also, while this is a book about the church, the ecclesiology is under-developed.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that everyone who calls themselves a Christian should read and put into practice. It was published in 2003, but the message is needed even more today.

[Darryl Updegrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd say not quite as good as How Now Shall We Live, but nonetheless quite an impressive read.

[Katie Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one pretty slowly, just so I could take in a little bit at a time. Colson has a lot of great and thought-provoking things to say about what it means to really "be the church." The word "church" has come to mean the white building with the steeple, but that was not how it was used in the Bible or what God intended for the church to be. As a follower of Christ, this has challenged me to live out my faith in more tangible ways - it might be messy and uncomfortable, but it's not about putting on the Sunday best. Colson draws a lot on his extensive experience and huge passion for prison ministry for examples of how we as Christians should be loving and caring for those the rest of the world has forgotten or prefers to ignore.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful comments on the purpose and role of the Church. Excerpt criticizing trends of 'feel-better religion': "The aim this time.. is support, not salvation, help rather than holiness, a circle of spiritual equals rather than an authoritative church or guide. A group affirmation of self is at the top of the agenda which is why some of the least demanding churches are now in the greatest demand.../ The task of the church is not to make men and women happy; it is to make them holy. And when we seek to please them, we lose them anyway."

[Jason Kanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Chuck Colson focuses on the implications of the body of Christ and is a great argument against lone gun Christianity. Colson and Vaughn weave together compelling stories with a strong call to the church, which is trademark Colson and which makes his books so readable.

[Partridge Public]

Colson, Charles/Ellen Vaughn 204

[Mark Matzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

chock full of good sermon illustrations and anecdotes

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information is decent. I didn't enjoy the questions and Bible study at the end of the chapters. it seemed too forced to me.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some sections were excellent, but others got bogged down in marginally relevant details.

[Nick Woodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not as good as The Body.