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Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom

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Why does the allegiance that radical terrorists give to their false cause exceed the allegiance that most Christians today give to Jesus Christ?

In Insurgence, bestselling author Frank Viola presents a radical proposal for Christians. Namely, that we have lost the explosive, earthshaking gospel of the kingdom that Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles preached. Viola argues that we've lost this dynamic, titanic, living gospel and exchanged it for a gospel of religious duty or permissiveness and "easy believism."

In today's politically charged era, Christians on the progressive left as well as the conservative right both equate their particular viewpoints with the kingdom of God. Viola challenges and dismantles these perspectives, offering a fresh and revolutionary look at the gospel of the kingdom.

Viola writes with gripping power, challenging Christians to embrace an unparalleled allegiance to Jesus Christ and his kingdom. This high-octane message is being reclaimed today, launching a spiritual insurgence.

448 pages, Paperback

Published June 5, 2018

486 people are currently reading
322 people want to read

About the author

Frank Viola

64 books206 followers
Frank is a bestselling author and in-demand conference speaker. You can find his books, podcasts, articles, messages, and courses at http://frankviola.org.

Viola doesn't interact on GoodReads. If you want to contact him, you can write him directly with a question or comment at frank@frankviola.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
3 reviews
November 2, 2018
Frank Viola’s new book not only paints a picture of the Kingdom of God but also encourages believers to open themselves to the power of the Holy Spirit so that the Kingdom can break into our world now. Frank writes about an insurgence, a movement of people so deeply connected to and committed to Christ that they have decisively broken out of the world system and now live as citizens of God’s Kingdom. It is revolutionary.

Frank deeply engages Scripture and the writings of others who have written about the Kingdom of God. But this is not a book that merely describes the Kingdom of God. Frank examines the work of the best scholars to help us see the beauty and power of God’s Kingdom so that we are changed and the world is changed.

This is a call to radical discipleship. Frank inspires and empowers believers to become agents of God who join the insurgence which manifests God’s Kingdom in the world. Frank provides examples of believers who have joined the insurgence and become radicalized for the Kingdom of God. He also provides some practical exercises so that readers can begin to implement what they have read. As Frank says, “Reading a book without taking action is like flying a plane without landing.” Frank gives his readers some suggestions so that they can take action to join the insurgence, experience a deeper connection to Jesus Christ and help God’s Kingdom break into our world.

Anyone who has read Frank’s other books will definitely want to read Insurgence. It pulls together many of the themes of his earlier work and advances them to new levels. It is an invitation to the deeper Christian life and an exposition of God’s Eternal Purpose that also offers followers of Jesus some transformative exercises to help us become part of God’s revolution.

I am a Harvard-educated Lutheran pastor who also teaches philosophy at a secular university. I served for six years as the pastor of the northernmost Lutheran church in the United States in a Inupiaq village north of the Bering Strait. Frank's scholarship is excellent. Even more importantly, his commitment to the radical message of Jesus is as deep as anyone's. The message he shares is one we need to hear.

I am buying copies of this book to share.
Profile Image for Aaron Case.
155 reviews3 followers
October 10, 2018
For several years now I have been teaching the two broken gospels. One teaches a magic prayer we say that gets us into heaven when we die. There is no need in this gospel for a relationship with God. Jesus can be savior of one's life but need not be Lord. The other broken gospel leads to legalism. Once given the gift of salvation one must then strive to not lose that salvation. The focus becomes doing and avoiding certain practices and behaviors. Both of these broken gospels miss the heart of Christian life - a relationship with the living God.

This book takes on the same issues I have been sorting through and deepens and expands them. Jesus' message summed up was to repent because the kingdom of God had come near (Mat. 3:2). Repentance means to turn or change direction. Jesus was calling people to turn from the kingdom of this world system to the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. We are called to be citizens of God's kingdom and live under his rule. The beautiful thing about this king is he is humble and gentle and loving, and he empowers his people to life abundantly. If you want to learn the kingdom way, read this book. It will challenge you, but this is the true representation of the gospel of the kingdom - the gospel scripture actually teaches.
3 reviews
June 12, 2018
What an amazing book! I've been following Frank Viola since before his seminal "Pagan Christianity," and this one is another instant theological classic. Here is a text that will challenge you to re-think the definition of the Gospel. Why did the early Christians set the world on fire, and how were they so willing to die for their faith? What did they know that so many modern believers don't? Viola lays out how different versions of the Gospel have developed over time, and challenges the reader to embrace the radical vision of the earliest Christians. They were rocked to the core by their intimate experience of the indwelling Spirit of Christ and were driven by fealty to a new and different kingdom. Viola lays out in detail the awesome beauty of Christ and grandeur of the Kingdom he inaugurated. This book does nothing less than ignite a thirst that may drive you to a joyous, ecstatic, and radical new life.

Interestingly, the book, though long, is written in little bite-sized chunks. So it's more like reading a series of interlinked Tumblr posts than reading a hefty nonfiction book.

Take the risk. Read this book, and open your mind to a new understanding of the faith. Highly recommended.
380 reviews
January 27, 2019
This was a long, slow read. Not because of the content, just the writing style made it difficult. The author spends a lot of time just skimming the surface of his subject, then referring you to something else he has written for a "deeper" discussion. That being said, I do agree with much that he has written and wish Christians practiced his ideology.
12 reviews
June 8, 2018
This is a phenomenal book! So deep and illuminating, but so easy to read. I like that the chapters are really short but they are all so eye-opening.

I thought I understood the kingdom and the gospel until reading this. Getting copies for friends.

I've joined the insurgence!
Profile Image for Jonathan Puddle.
Author 4 books27 followers
July 10, 2018
A powerful and much needed course correction for every individual believer in Earth. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for R. Alan Woods.
Author 13 books33 followers
March 1, 2019
The Insurgency Has Begun!

"Frank Viola has really done it once again and made The Truth crystal clear!"

~ Dr R. Alan Woods, ThD/Princeton/'02
Profile Image for Cathee.
56 reviews3 followers
March 1, 2019
Fantastic instruction for living in the Kingdom today!
6 reviews
December 11, 2022
I read this after reading "Pagan Christianity?" by the same author. I don't think there are any false statements in the book. The content is right. However, it lacks direction, lacks practical tools, and is very repetitive. The book is over 400 pages and could have easily been less than 100. It's not very hard hitting, despite how the author continually gives a sense that it is supposed to be. The author, Frank Viola, points to this book as his top recommendation which comes as a shock to me.

The book is written in bite-size "chapters" which more reflect a stream of devotion-style writing which I think short changes the full development of ideas. I would skip this book and recommend more time in "Pagan Christianity?"!
Profile Image for Justine Trokey.
172 reviews
October 25, 2024
This may be the most impactful book for me this year. It was a much needed perspective shift on what the kingdom of Jesus is truly about and what my place in it should be in relation to my commitment to him. It's also helped me clearly see my relationship to the world. There are a lot of supplemental articles and speeches from the author's website that deepen the reading of this book but are not necessary for understanding and feeling the full impact of this work. I desire to read it again, along with the supplemental readings, and prayerfully consider the action points he recommends. I want to be a member of the insurgence. Jesus is my king.
Profile Image for Ivraym.
9 reviews33 followers
October 25, 2019
I have read many books by Mr. Viola. He is a very avid writer with good classic biblical and historical knowledge. I liked this book to some extent. However, the book is based on discovering the beauty of God and reigniting live for Him. I agree. But the book fell short of its claim in two things:
1) First in fighting legalism. Mr. Viola, in some sense, creates his legalistic ideas and struggles to implement them.
2) The book, while maintaining a love for God as the start point, fails miserably to touch on the concept of evil in the world and scripture. How Satan got into the garden of Eden would be an excellent topic to discuss in his future books. How Satan tempted God to test Job, would be another interesting topic. His worldview is so pure up to the point of being absurdly naive.
Profile Image for Chris Jansson.
1 review
September 1, 2018
This book is one of the most important books I have ever read. It’s one of those books that I will read again and again. In fact I’m reading it again right now. The author Frank Viola has been given a great spiritual gift. He is able to lead us safely through some of the foggy paths that run through the Bible. I suppose that’s why many of his writings start out with the word “Rediscovering”. In this book Frank shows us how to rediscover the true but mostly lost gospel and how it signals the end of legalism and libertinism in the life of a believer. The end results in a drawing together of all true believers into the unstoppable force and movement on this planet known as the body of Christ.
Profile Image for Justin Bowen.
3 reviews
September 2, 2018
Every Christian must read this book. Nothing new is presented, but rather old information that has been mostly lost to us today, especially over the last 100 years. You will feel like you are hearing the Gospel for the first time in much fuller sense. It challenges the shallowness, wordliness and divisiveness of modern day Christianity and calls us to higher calling. It's also very easy to read, formatted in a way that is a bit unusual where instead of chapters, you have 1-5 pages per section that are very quick to read, almost more like a devotional. This is a book that's accessible enough for teenagers and yet deep enough for theologians.
Profile Image for Sandy McFadyean.
52 reviews
January 6, 2019
For any Christian who's interested in first century Christianity and the radical message of Christ.

If you find church life a bit hum drum and for the goody two shoes of this world have a look at this book. Shows the message as it is. Worth living for to the point of dying for.

The gospel is radical, explosive and controversial.

This book reminded me that faith is a real adventure, and for folk who want out of the mainstream.
1 review
July 15, 2018
Challenged!

We, not a building, are the temple's of the Holy Spirit. It's our individual responsibility to allow God, not man, to transform us into His likeness.
Jesus was a giver. He spent time with the Father and gave as per the Father's plan. Jesus is, and will always be the pattern son.
Profile Image for Georgia.
48 reviews1 follower
May 29, 2019
Very disappointed. Loved Regrace, but this book jumped all over the place. On top of that in the notes, instead of explaining everything, he told you where to find it in another book he wrote. I tried hard to like it, but it just fell flat. It was just like a book of random thoughts and not done very well.
Profile Image for Lynette Karg.
321 reviews5 followers
December 31, 2020
I did not finish this one, but read nearly half of it. The chapters are extremely short and the book is extremely long, resulting in a disjointed work that was hard for me to get into.
Instead of slogging through books like this, I am going to mark them as read and move on to something better.
Profile Image for Jamin Bradley.
Author 15 books7 followers
July 3, 2018
A terrific book on what you need to know about living the kingdom life of Heaven.
Profile Image for Anthony Young.
6 reviews
September 14, 2018
This is a must read for the body of Christ it will radically change your view about church as we've known it. #Radical
13 reviews
December 7, 2018
Best book on the kingdom of God, hands down. Unique insights, powerful narrative, practical action steps. The book is astonishing.
Profile Image for Phillip Block.
143 reviews
March 19, 2020
Insurgence is the latest of several books I’ve read by Frank Viola. In this masterful work, he extends his excellent track record of presenting incisive, practical advice to the practicing Christian community. This is a worthy sequel to Viola’s previous books, Pagan Christianity being among the most informative and important to me.

Insurgence is a challenging read not only because of the depth and impact of its message, but because of its length. The book is 440 pages long. The type is small. There is extra white space on many of the pages due to the page layout chosen by the designer, but even if this were omitted throughout the book, it would still probably run over 300 pages. It takes a motivated and persistent reader to stick it out to the end of this book. In fact, as my ability and willingness to work my way through it waxed and waned, it took me months to finish.

Anyone seeking a comprehensive explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will find Insurgence to be of interest and value. There are countless Biblical references included to support and defend the message of the book. While Insurgence may not suit the average reader’s taste or style, it will satisfy any advanced student of the Christian faith and promise.

Are you the type of person who’s up to the challenge of reading and actualizing these marching orders to the Insurgence? Are you a member of the Christian ekklesia charged with this responsibility? Are you willing to accept commands from above and proceed to the front? If so, this book will be a helpful field manual for you and the others in your squad.

Near the end of the book, Frank Viola states, “...we’ve explored the stunning beauty of the King; how to enter the kingdom; enjoy its riches; and proclaim, embody, demonstrate, and inherit it.” Can you acknowledge and face the difficulties and risks of this mission? Are you ready to join with and lead others in the fight? If so, this is your commission. Put on your armor, summon your courage, and step forth onto the battlefield.
4 reviews
December 17, 2025
Frank Viola’s "Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom" is a prophetic, unsettling, and ultimately life-giving wake-up call to the contemporary church. It refuses to let readers stay comfortable with a domesticated, privatized version of Christianity.

Viola contends that much of Western Christianity has traded the explosive “gospel of the kingdom” for a tame gospel of religious duty on one side and permissive “easy believism” on the other. He argues that Jesus and the apostles announced a dynamic, earthshaking kingdom that reorients every allegiance, including politics, culture, and personal ambition. The book calls readers to recover this original message and to embrace an all‑encompassing loyalty to King Jesus that exposes both legalism and libertinism as counterfeits.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its combination of theological depth with practical accessibility. Viola writes with gripping clarity and passion, making complex biblical themes understandable without diluting their radical edge. His critique of both the progressive left and conservative right for confusing their agendas with God’s kingdom is timely, courageous, and deeply needed in an age of political idolatry. Many readers will find their assumptions lovingly but firmly dismantled and replaced with a richer, more compelling vision of discipleship.

"Insurgence" is not merely an analysis; it is a summons. Viola paints a picture of a nonviolent, Spirit‑empowered revolution—a “kingdom insurgence” made up of ordinary believers who have broken with the world’s systems to live as true citizens of God’s reign. The book is filled with memorable insights, piercing questions, and concrete steps that invite readers to move from passive belief to active participation. For anyone hungry for more than cultural Christianity and church as usual, "Insurgence" is a landmark work that has the potential to recalibrate an entire life around Jesus and His kingdom.
Profile Image for Henrik Wågbrant.
1 review1 follower
May 30, 2019
A unique book

Viola's book "Insurgence" is in a sense a truly unique book. It's format with extremely short chapters is not anything I've come across before. In the beginning it sort of annoyed me a bit, but after a while I got used to the format and started to appreciate it. If you're like me and don't immediately fall in love with the format, keep reading, you'll get used to it!
What's more unique is also the content. "Insurgence" is truly the sum of a person's whole life with Christ. The content is dense, and my opinion is that it really represents Viola's heart and total thought. Having read almost all of Viola's other books, this is the single one that summarizes his whole ministry (so far)!
A would classify this book as "biblical theology" exploring the theme of God's Kingdom as a major theme in the Bible. Viola not only explores the Kingdom, but also connects other themes to this theme, calling the Kingdom of God the Eternal Purpose of God. The book can be read as an introduction to the Kingdom of God, a summary of Viola's theology or even as a call to radical living (that is, back to the roots of our faith).
The book is divided into 6 different sections, and includes background, exposition as well as suggestions for practical actions. Though thick it is an easy-read, though not always as easy to digest since it challenges one's worldview and living!
Overall "Insurgence" is a book about the king, Jesus Christ, and his Kingdom. It's total scope makes it one of those unique books that not only tries to explain the whole Bible, but also succeeds doing so in a convenient way.
Personally it is one of the top 10 best books I've ever read and I recommend the book for everyone being serious about their commitment to Jesus.
307 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2018
Having recently read NT Wrights Resurrection of the Son of God, and Surprised by Hope and also in the middle of Jesus and the Victory of God. This had many resonances with these books. This is a more accessible read than Wrights academic workd , and is a key message. I didn't entirely agree with his overlapping of the church and the kingdom. The church has a key role in extending the kingdom, but perhaps not the monopoly!!

Accepting Jesus as Lord and understanding this means spreading His Kingdom is a vital message, and Viola using the language of the Insurgence has caught it well. Recommended reading. Would have liked to see more of the principles of building the Kingdom, but this will be contextually different.
Profile Image for Arna.
54 reviews2 followers
June 18, 2019
Frank Viola writes in a challenging insightful way. He's written this book in impactful bites to be taken as medicine daily to cure us from our heathen mindset. I tried to read this book as I would any other but I got frustrated because he repeats himself a lot as you can with a devotional text. I found my mind saying, "but you have already said this..." and that's okay we need to hear it more. Much of this book is not new to me as I have been a disciple for 60 years but the Body of Christ or the so called "church," today needs this message hammered between the eyeballs. There is a huge difference between a Jesus fan and a disciple. A disciple does what Jesus tells them as Frank Viola rightfully points out.
1 review
June 1, 2019
This book is revolutionary. I had to count the cost of following the Lord Jesus all over as though it were a matter of life and death.

The message is expressed in a simple and powerful way. You can see why a handful of unlearned men turned the centuries upside down. Allegiance to Jesus was absolute.

The author uses scripture to show the Glory of the Lord Jesus by making you an active participant in common Bible stories.

For a book as this, reading again, meditatively and following the 'taking action' guide will be helpful in enforcing the radical message.

A stronger recommendation is needed.
Profile Image for Shiloh.
500 reviews10 followers
May 31, 2020
I have read 2 other of Frank Viola's books and they were fantastic, some of my favorites. Although this book had some great stuff, I found it a little flat. The theme being advancing God's kingdom on Earth fueled out of a passion for Jesus, being enraptured with who He is and how He transforms us. I thought it might have just been me, but after starting another book, I realized all the content is there to present passion, but the author is more of an academic, and that is just how it cam across to me. I still look forward to reading more of his stuff.
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