Revolutionary Love

by Festo Kivengere

“Revolutionary love” sounds like an oxymoron. Revolution is usually a negative, violent, and destructive change, while love is positive, peaceful, and contented. But true love always changes people. And Christ’s love brings the most revolutionary change of all. Festo Kivengere (1919–88) experienced both kinds of revolution. He escaped Uganda when the brutal regime of Idi Amin seized power. But he could not escape the pursuit of Jesus, who came into his life with radically transformative grace. In Revolutionary Love, Kivengere tells his story of learning to freely receive Christ’s love and freely share it with others.

Genres: Africa

126 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1983

Reviews

[ValeReads Kyriosity]

I wish there had been a little more flesh on this book's bones -- a full biography would have been more satisfying than a collection of snippets. But the gospel shone brightly through what is there, and I am grateful for that.

A favorite quote: "New Testament repentance does not include, as some religions do, a long period of remorse or being put into a sort of spiritual quarantine before you come into grace." God forgives us immediately, and so we ought to forgive one another immediately.

[Becky Pliego]

A short read that will encourage your heart to keep pressing on in loving others as Jesus loved us.

[Frank Russell]

I’m so profoundly grateful for the way this book show repentance and forgiveness.

[Hannah of the Sky]

What a blessing to learn about, and learn from, this brother in Christ from Uganda. Part autobiographical, part devotional, this book explores what it looks like when the love of Christ transforms people. Through Festo's own story of his unlikely conversion and his ministry, and through other powerful stories from around East Africa, we get a glimpse of God's power to change people. We also see what it looks like when believers live together in authentic Christian community. A short read, and worth reading with an open heart.

"I’ll tell you what God does all day long. He spends His whole day mending broken things.”

[Jennifer]

A short book packed with so much substance. As any good book it brought about things I want to learn more about such as the East African Revival.

[Christina]

Recommended by Amy James