Our Good Crisis: Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes

by Jonathan K. Dodson

We live in an age of crisis. Financial crisis, political crisis, environmental crisis--the list goes on. We're confronted with calamity every time we read the headlines. But behind each of these lurks another kind of crisis, one we find harder to define: a moral crisis--a crisis of goodness. Behind financial crisis is unrestrained greed; behind political crisis is the lust for power. To properly address the crises that plague our world, we must be formed as people of moral goodness. We must cultivate virtue. But the cultural headwinds are strong: outrage and fragility, persecution and affluence, injustice and impurity. In this wise and practical book, pastor Jonathan Dodson takes us back to the Beatitudes, the centerpiece of Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount. Dodson examines each of the Beatitudes in the context of the new morality that buffets our society today, presenting a compelling portrait of the truly good life, both personal and social. Jesus' vision of the good is stunning: heaven meets earth, mercy triumphs over judgment, peace transcends outrage, grace upends self-righteousness. Here is an account, not of dos and don'ts, but of genuine moral flourishing.

Genres: Christian, Christian Non Fiction

184 pages, Paperback

Published March 17, 2020

About the author

Jonathan K. Dodson (M.Div, Th.M) is happy husband to Robie, and proud father to Owen, Ellie & Rosamund. He is the lead pastor of City Life Church and a leader in PlantR and Gospel Centered Discipleship.com. Jonathan is also author of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Raised? Finding Jesus by Doubting the Resurrection and The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing (September, 2014). He enjoys listening to M. Ward, smoking his pipe, watching sci-fi, and following Jesus.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Underlying the various crises of our culture is a moral crisis, a crisis of good into which the virtues of the Beatitudes can speak, leading to moral flourishing.

Sexual assault and other misdeeds. Financial misdealing. Political divisiveness. Consumerism that is consuming the planet. Jonathan K. Dodson contends that underlying all of these crises is a moral crisis. A crisis of good. Dodson speaks from experience. He grabs our attention in the opening words of this book:

I picked up the phone and said hello.

"Jonathan, this is Amy." I hadn't spoken to my old girlfriend since she'd moved to Alaska a decade ago.

"Well, okay. I've been meaning to call you for a long time. I need to tell you something. When we were dating, I got pregnant and had an abortion. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it. I just felt like it would send you on a different path, away from ministry, so I kept it to myself."

Our crisis of good reflects that we live in a context where we no longer clearly know what is the good, nor are learning the virtues that lead to virtue, to acting with integrity in personal and public settings. For Dodson, the Beatitudes in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, offer a pathway to grow in the virtues that lead to goodness and foster our moral flourishing.

Dodson devotes a chapter to each of the beatitudes. In an age of self, "the big me," poverty of spirit grasps our bankruptcy before God, how desperately we fall short of his righteousness, that brings us into the kingdom and a humility that becomes a gift to others. We live in an age of distraction that diverts us from the mourning that brings real comfort and not mere diversion. Meekness calls us out of a culture of comparing with others how big of piece of the world's pie of glory we are getting. Instead, the meek inherit God and all that is in Him. We move in a culture of expedient values rather than being rooted in the righteousness of God that pursues justice for all and not just ourselves.

Dodson goes on in succeeding chapters to discuss mercy in an age of tolerance, purity in an age of self-expression, peacemaking in an age of outrage, and persecution in an age of comfort. One thing I thought he nailed with regard to peacemaking, was how often we are either more concerned about being right than making peace or more concerned about keeping a superficial peace to tell the truth about grievances that are coming between us.

Dodson weaves three helpful elements through his discussions: astute cultural analysis that relates to each of the Beatitudes, elaboration of the meaning of the Beatitude, and helpful practical examples of how the moral goodness of each of these Beatitudes might be expressed in our lives. Each chapter concludes with several reflection questions.

We are in an age of moral outrage coupled with a lack of moral compass. Even in the church, we mobilize around moral crusades while an onlooking world is disgusted with our moral hypocrisy. Dodson both diagnoses our moral crisis, and offers the Beatitudes as our course of treatment.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Tyler Recker · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This book is excellent. It offers a cultural critique, but does so winsomely. It critiques evangelicalism at times, but does so optimistically. It critiques me, but does so graciously.

We are told (rightly) that we live in a secular age, a distracted age, an age of expressive individualism, of consumerism, and so on. One of the things that is refreshing is how Dodson points to the Beatitudes (the central teaching of Christ’s Kingdom) as the response to that. In doing so, I think he reminds the reader that while our age may have its challenges, the way forward is still the way of Jesus.

While reading, I was repeatedly struck by how nice it would be to live in a land that was characterized by the Beatitudes of Jesus rather than the beatitudes of the world... and thankfully, one day we will. Now, we do so in part in His Church, but one day we will do so fully.

I see myself buying copies of this to put in the hands of fellow millennials (and younger) as I think it effectively points to the counterculture, still-relevant way of Jesus in a secular age prone to dismiss Jesus as obsolete.

[Ramone Bellagamba · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Discipleship Book That Needs To Be Read

Jonathan Dodson points a way forward for the Church with a return to the Beatitudes. The moral chaos of the 21st century is here to stay and Dodson is pointing us to embody the way of the Kingdom through obedience to the Beatitudes. What makes the book a recommended read is his cultural exegesis of American culture that he aligns with a corresponding beatitude that engages that aspect of culture.

[Nitoy Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

We look at The Beatitudes as golde rule for Christians to live by. We have read on books about it or listen to it as a sermon. Sometimes we put those words of Jesus on the pedestal either look at and admire how lovely those words are. Some put it on the pedestal and let it’s stay there. We manage to let the most important sermon get lost because of we tend to find it mere pretty words or irrelevant in our times.

However, we dont usual go for it as an antidote to present social ill. We never look at it as an answer to gender fluidity, social media outrage or anything to what this society is going through. Yet in Our Good Crisis, with a superb blend of personal stories and biblical insights leads us clarity of what lead us here, what the future holds for us and what can God’s Word do about it. Every Beatitudes corresponds to certain ills of our society and finds its cure from the words of Jesus. It feels like Dodson updated The Beatitudes for this generation, to fit relevant events that shapes our culture. Pastor Dodson gave us a tremendous encouragement for the contemporary crisis. We could find great Bible passages on answering the ills of our times but having it in one

The truth is, as Dodson points us to the Beatitudes, we look through the lense and see that the message of Jesus crosses time, culture and space. Dodson shows how much these words from Jesus is so important and vital for our inner crisis that builds up a bigger crisis that leaks to our society. This book is not on its way of bashing folks in our culture but give a balm called the Beatitudes that will sooth our sinful hearts. As you go through the book, you can see how Dodson balance controversial issues with sensitivity and the upward call to come to God.

Our Good Crisis is the book for the #MeToo movement. Accessible, well written and insightful, never has it been the applying of the Scripture is much needed in our chaotic times. This book definitely is spot on. Jonathan Dodson answers this generation biblically, intelligently and compassionately. He handles the Scripture with a fresh prespective that really can make a difference in our times. Highly recommended!

My verdict:

5 out of 5

(Review copy of this book was provided by InterVarsity Press)

[Zach Barnhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dodson consistently writes great books that serve pastors, churchgoers, and even the religiously curious. Really enjoyed his take on the Beatitudes by insightfully pointing us to our culture's inverse of Jesus' Beatitudes (the distracted, the fame-seeking, etc.), and how the Sermon on the Mount's opening passage corrects these ways of life. What Dodson does so well is point us away from legalism and to Christ Himself as our example for these Beatitudes. Would be an excellent resource for a small group study (discussion questions included).

[Conrade Yap · Rating 4 out of 5]

The word "crisis" nowadays is very much an understatement. With the recent pronouncement of the Covid-19 as a pandemic, many people are living in a state of an emergency. There are chaos in many places, though some may say organized pandemonium. He presents a whole potpourri of moral conundrums that are fast becoming confusing and troubling. He compares and contrasts the difficult choices behind abortion, sex, financial scandals, and various forms of injustice on age, gender, ethnicity, etc. He also questions the way the society at large have been using (or abusing) the word "crisis." How can it be good? In order to answer that, author Jonathan Dodson adopts three approaches. The first is the etymological approach, to study the origins of the word 'crisis.' He goes all the way back to the original mention of trees in Genesis, namely, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. Secondly, he traces the history of how the word crisis has developed through the ages. What was originally used for moral judgment, the word has evolved to describe "momentary uncertainty." This parallels the rise of relativism and comes at a time where there is increasing dilution of moral clarity. He laments how this leads to the confusion surrounding the essence of what is good and what is not.
Finally, Dodson takes us through the "Greatest Moral Document," also known to many of us as the beatitudes of Christ. Going through all nine of the beatitudes, the author uses each beatitude to target a particular trend or moral choice in society. He uses "poor in spirit" to hit out at individualism and selfishness. By admitting we are poor and humbled in the first place, we will not easily give in to self-focused programs that arise out of our own loss of identity. In "Blessed are those who mourn," we are faced with the reality of tragedy and senseless acts of violence. We are encouraged to re-examine the way we become distracted by technology, habits, and harmful acts to our neighbours. In "Blessed are the meek," Dodson address the topic of true humility. This helps us see our true inheritance in terms of the value of heavenly rewards instead of the temporal treasures of the earth. In "Blessed are those who hunger after righteousness," we look at the dilemmas surrounding moral choices of right vs wrong. Personal values must line up with spiritual virtues. Human preferences must align with biblical principles. Avoid self-righteousness, and don't mix it with true righteousness. In "Blessed are the merciful," we learn to see the difference between tolerating the wrong to boldly upholding the right. This calls for firmness rather than stubbornness. The former calls for controlled resilience while the latter refers to those who are intolerant of people who don't see their point of view. "Blessed are the pure in heart" gives us the opportunity to let ourselves decrease, that God many increase. Let our own self-importance take secondary stage. For inner purity is about letting go of our own prejudices and trusting God to take charge, especially when we feel we are helpless. In "Blessed are the peacemakers," Dodson cautions us about letting anger deteriorate into offensive behaviour. We are called to see peace not as an absence of conflict but the presence of constructive engagement. He brings us back to the meaning of true shalom. In "Persecution," we are reminded about how privileged we are in our modern society. Learn to care for the have-nots, and the less privileged. Remember the persecuted even as we brace ourselves for future trials that may come.

My Thoughts
Dodson has essentially turned "crisis" into an opportunity to point us back to the origins of the word. By doing that, he reminds us not to base our understanding of "crisis" according to modern subjectivity but on the strong foundations of its original meaning and how it relates directly to the beatitudes. Dodson starts on a somber note, making himself vulnerable as he shares his own setbacks. In that manner, he tells the reader that he is not speaking from some moral high ground, but is sharing his ideas from a fellow member of a sinful human race. That is especially appropriate given the nature of this book, which is about moral judgment and ethical values at stake. Moving from personal confession to public application, the author shows us how the beatitudes of Christ directly addresses the moral confusion of our day.

I appreciate the fresh approach that Dodson has given with regard to teaching the beatitudes. Many begin with a deep treatment of the Biblical text before bringing in the applications. One example is in the popular "Inductive Bible Study" approach that goes from Observation of the Test; to the Interpretation; and subsequently the Application of the text. Dodson approaches it from another angle. He highlights first the reason for the need to study the beatitudes. He then describes the emptiness of the world values before ushering in the venerable teachings of Jesus. This is possible because the list of beatitudes are not only brief but easily understood at first glance. While there are deeper insights to be discovered, the first cursory glance would keep us mindful of the blessings that come with each virtue.

Why do we need this book? If there is one reason, it would be remindering ourselves that we are susceptible to moral flaws and misjudgment. Only by comparing ourselves to the biblical standard can we appropriately know and to decide what is right thing and what is the wrong thing to do, at least on a spiritual and ethical standpoint. Like how Dodson says it: "The Beatitudes are a vision of the kingdom breaking into earth." When believers do just that, they are practicing what they have been praying all along in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in heaven as it is on earth."

Jonathan K. Dodson is pastor of City Life Church in Austin Texas. He is also founder of the Gospel-Centered Discipleship.com that aims to produce resources for discipleship.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

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

[Matthew S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are in a moment of tension in our history. The pace of change is ever increasing and instability abound around us. Jonathan does a masterful job of pointing out the error of our culture virtues and where they fall short for responding to these tense moments.

I loved the juxtaposition of culture values against the blessing and orientation of the Beatitudes. Each chapter did a great job of drawing the reader deeper into each Beatitude and drawing rich reflection for abiding in Christ and our response. Our platitudes and cultural virtues are insufficient for others and ourselves. We are blessed and we can bring blessing to the world around us as we are in step with the Beatitudes.

Highly recommend for those looking for resources for your church and resources to help people consider cultural engagement from a gospel centered perspective.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no accident that this book was published at the outset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nor is it an accident given the political, racial, and economic chaos of our times. Dodson's book is exactly what we need right now to help us live the best way in these dark days. Written from a winsome and thoroughly Biblical perspective, Dodson helps us to navigate the polarizing extremes of our times with the way of human flourishing that Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount. Few books are as timely as this one has been, and few are as wise as the insights here. I have to wonder what would happen if we all read, reflected, and walked in the way Jesus calls us to in order to overcome the chaos of our times with true moral goodness.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good little book on the Sermon on the Mount and how to apply it today! Timely and intriguing book. It may not be timeless in that some of the examples my not age well, so if you are reading this review in 2030 it may not speak to you now like it did to me today! Just be warned but I liked this book a lot!

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Good Crisis

Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes

by Jonathan K. Dodson



InterVarsity Press

IVP

Christian

Pub Date 17 Mar 2020







I am reviewing a copy of Our Good Crisis through Intervarsity Press and Netgalley:









We live in an age of great crisis. On the news we hear of one great Calamity after another. We did with financial crisis, political crisis as well as environmental crisis. But behind each one of these crisis is a crisis harder to find, a Moral Crisis.





This book reminds us that we must be formed as people of moral goodness. We must cultivate virtue. But the cultural headwinds are strong: outrage and fragility.













The Beatitudes can be intimidating to Christians, even more so when we get a better understanding of what they mean. This books offers a fresh and honest insight into the beauty and glory of these words of the kingdom. No matter the crisis you may face now or in the future, the author prays that this book will help to guide you.







I give Our God Crisis four out of five stars!





Happy Reading!

[Nate Norberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sermon on the Mount is a masterpiece that I find myself drawn to more and more. I thought this book had some helpful meditations for bringing the beatitudes into our culture.

I did think some of the contrasts set up in the chapters were a bit confusing. "Purity in an Age of Self-Expression" was probably the clearest example. I appreciated the meditations on being pure in heart, and I resonated with some of the critiques of expressive individualism, but I never really understood how they were connected. It read like I was jumping back and forth between 2 different chapters.

However, I really appreciated the hopeful conclusion to the last beatitude. What a great thought to end a book with!

[Parker J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a sweet surprise. It walks through the Beatitudes in principle while also looking at societal realities and how we personally have strayed away from the beauty and love of the Sermon on the Mount. Jonathan exalts Christ, entertains my nerdy side, while also convicting me of my sinful tendencies and my need to lean in on Christ in this gem. Great book to read with others 😜I believe most Christians would benefit from this book!

[Yajaira Marmolejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book! This book has enlarged my understanding and practicality of the beatitudes in my life. It has helped me to really understand what Jesus meant and it’s grandeur. Definitely a must read.

[Erik Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe 2.5. Some good stuff sprinkled in there and GREAT chapter titles. I just didn’t connect.

[Dr. Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sermon-transcripty. Serviceable exposition. Lots of illustration. Short and light. Good enough, but there's many better books on the beatitudes.

[Tyler Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty helpful read in preparing to preach through the beatitudes. Not how I would have approached it, but the insights and angles were helpful food for thought.

[Megan Mae Oitzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the use of the beatitudes to recalibrate cultural morality.

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s young, thoughtful, biblical and to the point. “Our Good Crisis: Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes” is a 192-page softback nicely written and highly germane given our present culture of polarizing and partisanship. Johnathan K. Dodson, lead pastor of City Life Church in Austin, founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, and author of several books, has delivered a homerun in this discussion of the Beatitudes “breaking into the crisis of our everyday lives” (x). And by everyday lives, he especially means, our lives right now, in this environment, in this antagonistic context. Anyone from 16 to 86 will gain immensely from the material between these covers.

Dodson launches into his deliberations defining the word crisis, with its ancient roots in Aristotle and in the Greek New Testament. Crisis is the Greek word for judgment, when Jesus will return to judge (krisis) the living and the dead. Therefore, crisis was originally tied to “fixed moral judgments” of right and wrong. But it has been morphing in meaning so that it has now come to refer to my own emotional state and the episodes of momentary uncertainty. This brings the author to explicate the significance of the Beatitudes for reforming our criteria of good, bad, right and wrong and fostering virtue in our morally ambiguous values-driven world. “Virtue is intentional, not accidental. Integrity works to hold our public and private life together. Character is stamped all the way through” (12).

Each of the remaining eight chapters takes the Beatitudes in order and looks them over carefully, especially from the perspective of our modern moral crisis. The author butts Jesus’ words up against self-discovery, activism, social justice, expressive individualism, tolerance, fragility, outrage, the secular judgmental puritanism, the flood of digital details and news, and so forth. Dodson masterfully handles each Beatitude and its antagonist, guiding readers to reflect on how easily we have been captured by our chaotic era, and the remedy. And the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the antidote through-and-through.

One of the most important insights, out of many, was the role of the church for the Beatitudes. As the author rightly notes, “Jesus isn’t calling just individuals to the character of the kingdom; he’s calling a whole community – the church – to be poor in sprit…we need one another to become what God has called us to be” (37). And he challenges us with our own role in the social disease. Even though “we may be “in church,” our problem is that “our identity is “in self”” (115). Though Dodson is fairly pointed in his discussion, he is never abrasive nor abusive. I can honestly say, he will leave you happily uncomfortable.

One further trait I appreciated in the book was how the author draws together topics that have been allowed to become divisive. Whether social justice or personal justice and judgment or mercy, to name a few, he patiently gives each it’s due, while acknowledging their weaknesses. To put it simply, here’s a young minister who subtly takes the teeth out of the bite between Boomers and Millennials, social justice activists and those who promote the spirituality of the church, etc.

“Our Good Crisis” is just the right book for our time. Ministers, medical professionals and magistrates need to quickly grab a copy and pour over it. Church elders and bible study groups should take it up and work through it. Christians who are social media warriors and those who are podcasters need to read it carefully before they post or broadcast their next item. I highly recommend the book.

My thanks to IVP for sending me a copy of the book used for this review. They gladly did so at my request, and they made no stipulations on me. Therefore, the evaluations I have made in this assessment are mine, all mine! And they are cheerfully made without distress or duress.