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Impossible People: Christian Courage and the Struggle for the Soul of Civilization
The church in the West is at a critical moment. While the gospel is exploding throughout the global south, Western civilization faces militant assaults from aggressive secularism and radical Islam. Will the church resist the seductive shaping power of advanced modernity? More than ever, Christians must resist the negative cultural forces of our day with fortitude and winsomeness. What is needed is followers of Christ who are willing to face reality without flinching and respond with a faithfulness that is unwavering. Os Guinness describes these Christians as "impossible people," those who have "hearts that can melt with compassion, but with faces like flint and backbones of steel who are unmanipulable, unbribable, undeterrable and unclubbable, without ever losing the gentleness, the mercy, the grace and the compassion of our Lord." Few accounts of the challenge of today are more realistic, and few calls to Christian courage are more timely, resolute―and hopeful. Guinness argues that we must engage secularism and atheism in new ways, confronting competing ideas with discernment and fresh articulation of the faith. Christians are called to be impossible people, full of courage and mercy in challenging times.
239 pages, Hardcover
Published June 2, 2016
60 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
Os Guinness
88 books355 followersOs Guinness (D.Phil., Oxford) is the author or editor of more than twenty-five books, including The American Hour, Time for Truth and The Case for Civility. A frequent speaker and prominent social critic, he was the founder of the Trinity Forum and has been a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and a guest scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies. He lives near Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 19, 2016
One of the finest works on the state of Christianity I have ever read. Guinness is a prophet for out time. A must read for any serious Christian who wants to understand the times were are living in and how to approach the future.
July 7, 2017
I can't even begin to say how much Os Guinness' works have benefited my life and Christian worldview. This book has given me answers to so many of the questions I've had regarding how our culture is shifting from Christian to secular/modern. His knowledge of philisophy and his way of stating those concepts plainly so a lay person can understand them are a gift to any Christian seeking a deeper understanding of what is happening in our world today and how we should react biblically. Every Christian should read and consider the things put forth in this book. In short, thank you Lord, for Os Guinness.
July 3, 2017
Summary: Delineating the advance of modernity and its negative consequences, Guinness calls upon Christians to be the "impossible people" who both resist and positively engage the culture to "serve God's purposes in this generation."
I've been reading the work of Os Guinness since my student days when he wrote The Dust of Death and it is my feeling that his many books are really one extended and developing argument both describing modernity's impact upon the culture in it's movement away from God and its exhaustion of its Christian heritage, and the nature of Christian faithfulness in the face of these developments.
What distinguishes this book for me seems to be a certain urgency, captured even in the title Impossible People. He explains his choice of this striking phrase:
"The term impossible man was used to describe the eleventh-century Benedictine reformer Peter Damian (c. 1007-1073). Dante placed Damian in the highest circle of paradise as a saint and the predecessor of Francis of Assisi. A thousand years ago, as in our own time, there was little regard for truth or for the integrity and purity of the Christian faith. Nor was there much sense of the gravity of sin, so the church was easygoing, corruption was rife and the moral and theological rot was as pervasive among the clergy and the leaders of the church as among ordinary people.
. . .
Unquestionably, the term impossible man was ambiguous. It could be taken either as a
compliment or an insult. Doubtless, many of Peter Damian’s generation admired him for his stand, just as many hated him for his fervor, and many were frustrated and made
uncomfortable by what they saw as his intransigence. In other words, the same term could express either admiration or exasperation, as it will again today. But all that was irrelevant to Peter Damian. He spoke, wrote and acted solely with an eye to the audience of One. He could not be deterred by other voices. He was faithful to Jesus alone and above all. His faith had a backbone of steel. He was the impossible man. (pp. 30-31)
Guinness proposes that distinctive witness in our time will be much like that of Damian, and will require of us the qualities of "impossibility" evident in Damian -- not only integrity and courage, but spiritual power that apprehends the dynamics of spiritual warfare behind the principalities and powers dominating modern life, and the weapons of such warfare, which is not against other people, whom we are called to love and win.
This incorporation of the spiritual powers behind the cultural forces confronting Christians seemed to me more clearly drawn than in any of Guinness's other books, which emphasized clear understanding of cultural forces, and our calling to distinctiveness of thought and life in their midst. I cannot recall in other books where Guinness so clearly affirms the reality of the miraculous and works of power as he does here.
There also seemed to be a greater urgency in Guinness in his denunciation of what he sees as the church's compromises both of integrity and doctrine, including what he sees as the rapid, revisionist shift in the understanding of human sexuality in broad swathes of the church as it embraces the social construction of reality rather than transcendent understandings that have been held through the church's history. He decries a generationalism within the church which prevents the passing of the baton of faithful witness and presence from elder to rising generations in our present time.
Part of Guinness's concern is for what he sees to be modernity's impact on the wider culture as well as upon the church. He sees in such things as the interest in singularity a kind of "tower of Babel" hubris bound to disillusion. Likewise, perhaps in his best chapter, he explores the lingering spiritual memory of modern atheism, that he describes as "life without an amen."
There is much here I appreciate in his analysis of our present cultural moment. His grasp of the pluralizing, privatizing, and relativizing elements of a modernity rooted in the social construction of reality describes the water we swim in and often have become accustomed to. I wholeheartedly affirm his description of what it means to be "impossible people" and particular the call to a recovery of spiritual power in a materially affluent but spiritually flaccid church.
What I think would have made this case more compelling to me would have been to apply this analysis not merely to the politics of the left, but to our idolizing of politics of all stripes. He takes several swipes at Barack Obama (who was sitting president when he wrote this) but is silent about the politics of the right. I personally believe that one of the things that would make Christians the "impossible people" he would have us be is to forsake all political alliances to left or right to be a prophetic voice toward the versions of idolatry and corruption across the spectrum of our political life.
I also wonder if Guinness's word about generationalism might have carried more weight were this book to have been co-written with a millenial. My sense is that this is a work that will resonate well with those of Guinness's own generation, but much less well with many of those he most needs to convince of the case he is making -- millenials -- if they even pick up this work.
That would be regrettable because the matters Guinness raises are ones of grave concern if true, and ones around which the church needs consensus. We are, sadly as Guinness notes, often divided in the church across the same fault lines as our culture, including those of generation, as well as ethnicity, economic status, and social class. Guinness has been a principled voice for the civil and public engagement of Christians in the wider culture, one respected in many quarters both here and abroad. My hope is that in whatever years remain for him (hopefully many!) he will find more partners across these divides who dialogue, dream, and pray together about what it means to be the "impossible people" he describes. Perhaps that would be something all of us might aspire and pray toward, within our own potential spheres of influence, as well as in our own faith communities.
I've been reading the work of Os Guinness since my student days when he wrote The Dust of Death and it is my feeling that his many books are really one extended and developing argument both describing modernity's impact upon the culture in it's movement away from God and its exhaustion of its Christian heritage, and the nature of Christian faithfulness in the face of these developments.
What distinguishes this book for me seems to be a certain urgency, captured even in the title Impossible People. He explains his choice of this striking phrase:
"The term impossible man was used to describe the eleventh-century Benedictine reformer Peter Damian (c. 1007-1073). Dante placed Damian in the highest circle of paradise as a saint and the predecessor of Francis of Assisi. A thousand years ago, as in our own time, there was little regard for truth or for the integrity and purity of the Christian faith. Nor was there much sense of the gravity of sin, so the church was easygoing, corruption was rife and the moral and theological rot was as pervasive among the clergy and the leaders of the church as among ordinary people.
. . .
Unquestionably, the term impossible man was ambiguous. It could be taken either as a
compliment or an insult. Doubtless, many of Peter Damian’s generation admired him for his stand, just as many hated him for his fervor, and many were frustrated and made
uncomfortable by what they saw as his intransigence. In other words, the same term could express either admiration or exasperation, as it will again today. But all that was irrelevant to Peter Damian. He spoke, wrote and acted solely with an eye to the audience of One. He could not be deterred by other voices. He was faithful to Jesus alone and above all. His faith had a backbone of steel. He was the impossible man. (pp. 30-31)
Guinness proposes that distinctive witness in our time will be much like that of Damian, and will require of us the qualities of "impossibility" evident in Damian -- not only integrity and courage, but spiritual power that apprehends the dynamics of spiritual warfare behind the principalities and powers dominating modern life, and the weapons of such warfare, which is not against other people, whom we are called to love and win.
This incorporation of the spiritual powers behind the cultural forces confronting Christians seemed to me more clearly drawn than in any of Guinness's other books, which emphasized clear understanding of cultural forces, and our calling to distinctiveness of thought and life in their midst. I cannot recall in other books where Guinness so clearly affirms the reality of the miraculous and works of power as he does here.
There also seemed to be a greater urgency in Guinness in his denunciation of what he sees as the church's compromises both of integrity and doctrine, including what he sees as the rapid, revisionist shift in the understanding of human sexuality in broad swathes of the church as it embraces the social construction of reality rather than transcendent understandings that have been held through the church's history. He decries a generationalism within the church which prevents the passing of the baton of faithful witness and presence from elder to rising generations in our present time.
Part of Guinness's concern is for what he sees to be modernity's impact on the wider culture as well as upon the church. He sees in such things as the interest in singularity a kind of "tower of Babel" hubris bound to disillusion. Likewise, perhaps in his best chapter, he explores the lingering spiritual memory of modern atheism, that he describes as "life without an amen."
There is much here I appreciate in his analysis of our present cultural moment. His grasp of the pluralizing, privatizing, and relativizing elements of a modernity rooted in the social construction of reality describes the water we swim in and often have become accustomed to. I wholeheartedly affirm his description of what it means to be "impossible people" and particular the call to a recovery of spiritual power in a materially affluent but spiritually flaccid church.
What I think would have made this case more compelling to me would have been to apply this analysis not merely to the politics of the left, but to our idolizing of politics of all stripes. He takes several swipes at Barack Obama (who was sitting president when he wrote this) but is silent about the politics of the right. I personally believe that one of the things that would make Christians the "impossible people" he would have us be is to forsake all political alliances to left or right to be a prophetic voice toward the versions of idolatry and corruption across the spectrum of our political life.
I also wonder if Guinness's word about generationalism might have carried more weight were this book to have been co-written with a millenial. My sense is that this is a work that will resonate well with those of Guinness's own generation, but much less well with many of those he most needs to convince of the case he is making -- millenials -- if they even pick up this work.
That would be regrettable because the matters Guinness raises are ones of grave concern if true, and ones around which the church needs consensus. We are, sadly as Guinness notes, often divided in the church across the same fault lines as our culture, including those of generation, as well as ethnicity, economic status, and social class. Guinness has been a principled voice for the civil and public engagement of Christians in the wider culture, one respected in many quarters both here and abroad. My hope is that in whatever years remain for him (hopefully many!) he will find more partners across these divides who dialogue, dream, and pray together about what it means to be the "impossible people" he describes. Perhaps that would be something all of us might aspire and pray toward, within our own potential spheres of influence, as well as in our own faith communities.
November 2, 2018
Os Guinness is always worth reading. His review of what is happening in society and its impact on Christianity is thought provoking and insightful.
July 25, 2018
An interesting book. He has, to my mind, an unecessary emphasis on the church accepting the reality of demons and angels in the modern world. While they are certainly around, I feel like encouraging the church to talk more about them could lead to irrational and emotional responses. But his overall point about modern culture turning either to anarchy or transhumanism is well-put, as is his call for Christians to be "unclubbable" in our unique call to stand as beacons of our faith--warning the world of their dangerous path, while also permitting them to go down that path, as God did when the Israelites requested a king.
I think, perhaps, the most part is at the start, where he talks about the rabbi Jonathon Sacks and his perspective on Jewish history. Sacks agrees that the Jews are fighting a losing battle, and indeed have always been fighting a losing battle. They lost against the Babylonians, against the Persians, against the Romans, against countless others. But the manner in which they lost has allowed them to survive and outlast all these "winners".
I think, perhaps, the most part is at the start, where he talks about the rabbi Jonathon Sacks and his perspective on Jewish history. Sacks agrees that the Jews are fighting a losing battle, and indeed have always been fighting a losing battle. They lost against the Babylonians, against the Persians, against the Romans, against countless others. But the manner in which they lost has allowed them to survive and outlast all these "winners".
November 30, 2018
maybe 3.5 rating - Reads like an essay for the most part and at times seems a little like a "know-it-all" at times. And pet peeve, but he overused the word "titanic" as a description and it got annoying. I thought it was a well-written book and he makes a number of true, good points, but it wasn't necessarily helpful to me as a Christian. He seems to have a very dour view of Christianity and over-chided American believers. I don't know about you, but I know a lot of Christians who are strong, Biblical, faithful, and caring contrary to what the author seems to think about us. He sometimes lumped all "Christians" (Catholics to fundamentalists) in the same group, which inevitably causes problems in his arguments. Also, it was thought-provoking how he constantly talks about "Jewish-Christian faith" and I think I understands what he means, but it made me confused. The faith of the old testament is very different from the faith that believes in both the old and the new testaments.
October 24, 2023
Certainly, this is worth another read. It was almost over my head in some spots, but I certainly caught the brilliance of his arguments and his challenge to be an impossible person. What a great twist on the title that I thought was going to be about how to do we exist with all these impossible people around us. Instead, we are to be the stubborn people and stand up for what we believe in and the Judeo-Christian values that this country was founded on. The three discussion questions at the end of each chapter are thoughtful and poignant along with a personal prayer asking God for our help in these turbulent times. Probably should also go back and read the companion book entitled "Renaissance".
November 14, 2018
A couple months ago, I resolved to read as many of Os Guinness's books as I could get my hands on over the next year or two. Neither Impossible People nor A Free People's Suicide nor The Global Public Square has made me want to change this goal. Like the other few books that I have read by Guinness, this one was remarkable for its clarity of vision and practical steps forward. Guinness is brilliant in his observations of the problems with both the culture and the church in its failure to adequately provide answers. But the courage, hopefulness, and biblical fidelity make all of Os Guinness's writings (hopefully) well worth your time.
May 12, 2017
Os Guinness helps me, yet again, wade thru the cultural confusion and complexity to a place of clarity . He shows how we arrived here, the origin and consequences of ideas past, present and potentially future. I'm exhorted, challenged, encouraged and blessed to move forward in faith to live a life committed to Christ, come what may, with a clearer understanding and a deeper hunger to know Him.
August 31, 2017
It's likely anything Guinness writes will get 5 stars from me. He is simply a brilliant observer of history, human nature, and culture. In this book, written in 2016, Os is exhorting Christians to their necessary task in growing darkness to speak and to act with fortitude and winsomness, "willing to face reality without flinching". These will be the impossible people. I have highlights throughout, and need to read this again to keep his challenges, so well described and back up, fresh!
August 3, 2018
As a moderate in these fractious times, I am always interested in understanding the different points of view. Guinness lays out the socially conservative position with intelligence and compassion and respectfulness. He loses me sometimes because I get bored, honestly I skimmed towards the end a bit, but I really appreciate his stance that no matter the politics or faith, we are to love our neighbor first. Plus he is knowledgeable and he gave me alot to think about and opened my mind a bit.
July 9, 2020
This is another good book by Os Guinness, who thinks deeply and encourages the reader to do the same. This book completes what was started in his previous book Renaissance. The two together are much better than either alone. Building on the previous book, the author not only provides his analysis of the problems in society (where they come from etc.), but more importantly what can and should be done by those of us who want to be faithful to Jesus.
April 27, 2021
Definitely some brilliant commentary on the times we live in. I appreciated his discussion on modernity and the forces shaping our times and impacting the church. His commentary on generations was also useful.
I did not think his commentary on the public sphere and atheists and Christians coming together on this was particularly helpful. It didn't seem realistic to me.
Best chapters:- 1. New World, Old Challenge, 2. The Greatest Challenge Ever and 4. Exploring the Heart of Darkness
I did not think his commentary on the public sphere and atheists and Christians coming together on this was particularly helpful. It didn't seem realistic to me.
Best chapters:- 1. New World, Old Challenge, 2. The Greatest Challenge Ever and 4. Exploring the Heart of Darkness
May 12, 2021
Well written. I don't agree with every philosophy of os Guinness, but on the main points where it counts, he's spot on. Western culture is now post Christian, and my job is not to be a jerk or try to hide, but to engage culture, to care about people, and to love them where they're at, while not compromising on the truth of God's word.
May 3, 2025
Guinness has long been a prominent commentator on the topic of Christianity & culture. This book serves well as a fine set of lectures on this topic, but didn't really seem to offer much new material. While scripturally grounded and theologically orthodox, it felt a little too generic to be helpful.
September 13, 2018
Powerful
What a powerful assessment of Judeo-Christian principles and how they are quickly being disposed of in our society. What I like best is Guiness’ guidance on how we as Christians should react.
What a powerful assessment of Judeo-Christian principles and how they are quickly being disposed of in our society. What I like best is Guiness’ guidance on how we as Christians should react.
September 17, 2018
Difficult. Some good points throughout. Many references to authors, people and events that not many people would be familiar with. Good 2nd to last chapter, on told to deal with out changing culture.
December 30, 2020
The author compares contemporary modern phylosophy against the Christian religion and also the current societal culture against Christians call by God to live in a holy way. This is a very encouraging book and the points and arguments presented are all in rational and fact based. I have learned a lot from the book recommended reading for all Christians and people seeking to understand.
September 19, 2017
Os Guinness outdid himself with this book. It's timely wisdom exudes from each page. It is truly an incredible work. It may be the hallmark of his work. Read this excellent book!
February 1, 2019
Thought provoking and a good encouragement to lovingly engage atheistic people, thought, and culture.
Worldview.of thought. Philosophy. Living Christian in an atheistic culture.
Worldview.of thought. Philosophy. Living Christian in an atheistic culture.
August 26, 2019
Rather dry, but excellent discussion of the role of Christians in a postmodern society. He offers some compelling arguments and strategies.
April 30, 2020
An absolutely brilliant book. A must read for all passionate followers of Jesus Christ!
May 5, 2020
Very much appreciated the clarity and encouragement found for my heart by spending time reading and contemplating what was presented in this book.
Wonderful read “for such a time as this”.
Wonderful read “for such a time as this”.
October 28, 2023
Excellent, compelling book. Every Christian should read it. Highly relevant to our day.
November 25, 2023
Slow starter but pretty good.
April 2, 2024
This book is very heady. It has great things to say about how to live in our current culture, but Guinness is such an intellectual wrote that I have a hard to remembering what his points are.
February 6, 2017
Most prophetic book I've read in the past ten years.
March 5, 2017
Really good book. I also enjoyed the prayers and discussion questions at the end of each chapter. Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:
“Pilate, Herod, Tiberius, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, the president of the United States, the president of the European Union, the prime minister of Russia and the party secretary of the People’s Republic of China, all these may wield what to most of us is unimaginable power. But in the light of the victory of Jesus on the cross, their power is now hollow, and they are no more than paper tigers in relation to the real power behind the universe. For Jesus has unmasked and disarmed the power that was once the heart of the power behind their power, and he is victorious over all the cosmic forces of darkness too."
“Pilate, Herod, Tiberius, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, the president of the United States, the president of the European Union, the prime minister of Russia and the party secretary of the People’s Republic of China, all these may wield what to most of us is unimaginable power. But in the light of the victory of Jesus on the cross, their power is now hollow, and they are no more than paper tigers in relation to the real power behind the universe. For Jesus has unmasked and disarmed the power that was once the heart of the power behind their power, and he is victorious over all the cosmic forces of darkness too."
May 24, 2017
Sometimes a 3-star book for me is like 3 stars of cream cheese evenly spread over an everything bagel. That is not the case here. There are places where this bagel has 5-star cream cheese depth and places where you are wondering if there is any cream cheese there.
Having listened to this as an audiobook I am not able to provide page numbers in this review, but will try to explain the spread of the content-both the shallow and the deep.
A 5-star book for the following reasons:
-The opening challenge to be a positively "impossible person" who stands on a biblical conviction no matter which way the cultural winds are blowing was truly inspiring and helpful.
-There are large sections in which the author is rooting his commentary in biblical authority.
-Throughout the book, there is a very helpful and thought-provoking uncovering of modernism and secularism.
A 4-star book for the following reasons
-His discussion on the topic of generations and the struggle that modernism has with honoring the past was extremely helpful.
-His discussion on seeking how to forge a partnership between atheists and Christians in preserving a society that does not force either religion or secularism on the masses from the top down was also enlightening.
-Overall I do believe he strikes the right spirit of both standing firm with God in His Word and doing so with boldness in the public square, but with humility and compassion.
-Though it is a scholarly analysis it is written with an eye toward applicational exhortation in a devotional spirit. This is noticeable in that each chapter ends with a prayer and discussion questions.
-He helpfully shows that part of modernity is to deny what cannot be seen and that the church has subtly stopped consistently considering the unseen spiritual warfare (from which I believe he makes an unfortunate conclusion and connection that I mention below).
A 2-star book for the following reasons:
-He seems to mention Rich Warren's church as a notable example of positively adjusting to the modern age and reaching out to the world in a biblically faithful way. I strongly object.
A 1-star book for the following reasons:
-The mention of "Evangelicals, Catholics and Pentecostals" in the same breath granting Christian unity to all was very unhelpful. This is my first book by Os Guinness that I have listened to or read, but it seems as if he is ecumenical. Interested in how ecumenical he is I come across the fact that he was part of Evangelicals and Catholics Together (confirming that though faithful in many respects in this book, he clearly is unfaithful in this area of being straight with the gospel).
-He is clearly anti-cessation of the sign gifts. He claims that miracles continued through 5th century and that Augustine denied this until the “facts” convinced Augustine otherwise. In addition, he speaks of cessationism and dispensationalism as growing out of the enlightenment and (unless I am missing something) in some strange sense lumps both together in the same paragraph with Rudolf Bultman and Richard Dawkins. He claims that those who deny the supernatural as cessationists and dispensationalists do are not seeing the same commendable growth Pentecostal and charismatic wings of the church are experiencing.
Having listened to this as an audiobook I am not able to provide page numbers in this review, but will try to explain the spread of the content-both the shallow and the deep.
A 5-star book for the following reasons:
-The opening challenge to be a positively "impossible person" who stands on a biblical conviction no matter which way the cultural winds are blowing was truly inspiring and helpful.
-There are large sections in which the author is rooting his commentary in biblical authority.
-Throughout the book, there is a very helpful and thought-provoking uncovering of modernism and secularism.
A 4-star book for the following reasons
-His discussion on the topic of generations and the struggle that modernism has with honoring the past was extremely helpful.
-His discussion on seeking how to forge a partnership between atheists and Christians in preserving a society that does not force either religion or secularism on the masses from the top down was also enlightening.
-Overall I do believe he strikes the right spirit of both standing firm with God in His Word and doing so with boldness in the public square, but with humility and compassion.
-Though it is a scholarly analysis it is written with an eye toward applicational exhortation in a devotional spirit. This is noticeable in that each chapter ends with a prayer and discussion questions.
-He helpfully shows that part of modernity is to deny what cannot be seen and that the church has subtly stopped consistently considering the unseen spiritual warfare (from which I believe he makes an unfortunate conclusion and connection that I mention below).
A 2-star book for the following reasons:
-He seems to mention Rich Warren's church as a notable example of positively adjusting to the modern age and reaching out to the world in a biblically faithful way. I strongly object.
A 1-star book for the following reasons:
-The mention of "Evangelicals, Catholics and Pentecostals" in the same breath granting Christian unity to all was very unhelpful. This is my first book by Os Guinness that I have listened to or read, but it seems as if he is ecumenical. Interested in how ecumenical he is I come across the fact that he was part of Evangelicals and Catholics Together (confirming that though faithful in many respects in this book, he clearly is unfaithful in this area of being straight with the gospel).
-He is clearly anti-cessation of the sign gifts. He claims that miracles continued through 5th century and that Augustine denied this until the “facts” convinced Augustine otherwise. In addition, he speaks of cessationism and dispensationalism as growing out of the enlightenment and (unless I am missing something) in some strange sense lumps both together in the same paragraph with Rudolf Bultman and Richard Dawkins. He claims that those who deny the supernatural as cessationists and dispensationalists do are not seeing the same commendable growth Pentecostal and charismatic wings of the church are experiencing.
December 3, 2016
As I look back at 2016, I believe "Impossible People" by Os Guinness is one of the most timely and important books I read. Christians and Jews should pause what they are doing this holiday season and consider picking up this book. Guinness does a tremendous job and a terrific service to the reader, summarizing the peril that Western Civilization faces from enemies abroad and at home (and within our Church!)
Guinness notes: "At stake is the attempted completion of the centuries-long assault on the Jewish and Christian faiths and their replacement by progressive secularism as the defining faith of the West and the ideology said to be the best suited to the conditions of advanced modernity." (p.22)
He also states in a later chapter that "[The] future of the world in the next generations will be shaped decisively by the answer to three great questions:
1) Will Islam modernize peacefully in the end?
2) Which faith or ideology will replace Marxism in China?
3) Will the Western world sever or recover its roots? (The subject of this book)." p. 38
This book is a tour-de-force in a defense of Christianity and Judaism and Western Civilization. I found myself highlighting a passage on almost every page and notations in the margins throughout. His social commentary on the current world we live in is unsurpassed in modern writing. I would suggest reading the book slowly, grasping the big ideas and pondering and praying over his commentary.
In the end, Guinness challenges: "[Our] faith in God must always be our defining trust and the compass for our way of life. Living before the absolute presence of God, we are called to be faithful, and therefore unmanipulable, unbribable, undeterrable, and unclubbable. We serve an impossible God, and we are to be God's impossible people. Let us then determine and resolve to be so faithful in all the challenges and ordeals the onrushing future brings that it may be said of us that we in our turn have served God's purpose in our generation. So help us God". p.223
Guinness notes: "At stake is the attempted completion of the centuries-long assault on the Jewish and Christian faiths and their replacement by progressive secularism as the defining faith of the West and the ideology said to be the best suited to the conditions of advanced modernity." (p.22)
He also states in a later chapter that "[The] future of the world in the next generations will be shaped decisively by the answer to three great questions:
1) Will Islam modernize peacefully in the end?
2) Which faith or ideology will replace Marxism in China?
3) Will the Western world sever or recover its roots? (The subject of this book)." p. 38
This book is a tour-de-force in a defense of Christianity and Judaism and Western Civilization. I found myself highlighting a passage on almost every page and notations in the margins throughout. His social commentary on the current world we live in is unsurpassed in modern writing. I would suggest reading the book slowly, grasping the big ideas and pondering and praying over his commentary.
In the end, Guinness challenges: "[Our] faith in God must always be our defining trust and the compass for our way of life. Living before the absolute presence of God, we are called to be faithful, and therefore unmanipulable, unbribable, undeterrable, and unclubbable. We serve an impossible God, and we are to be God's impossible people. Let us then determine and resolve to be so faithful in all the challenges and ordeals the onrushing future brings that it may be said of us that we in our turn have served God's purpose in our generation. So help us God". p.223
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews