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Rethinking Life: Embracing the Sacredness of Every Person
Drawing on Scripture, church history, and his own story, Shane Claiborne explores how a passion for social justice issues surrounding life and death--such as war, gun ownership, the death penalty, racial injustice, abortion, poverty, and the environment--intersects with our faith as we advocate for life in its totality. Many of us wonder how to think about and act on issues of life and death beyond abortion and the death penalty--yet the heated debates in our churches and the confusion of our own hearts sometimes feel overwhelming. What does a balanced, Christian view of what it means to be "pro-life" really look like? Combining stories, theological reflection, and a little wit with a Southern accent, activist Shane Claiborne explores the battle between life and death that goes back to the Garden of Eden. Shane draws on his childhood growing up in the Bible Belt, his own change of perspective on how to advocate for life, and his years of working on behalf of all people to help We need a new movement that stands up for life--without exceptions. This moving and incredibly timely book creates a larger framework for thinking about God's love and our faith as we embrace a consistent ethic that values human life from womb to tomb.
288 pages, Paperback
Published February 7, 2023
48 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Shane Claiborne
53 books591 followersShane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living "as if Jesus meant the things he said." Shane is a champion for grace which has led him to jail advocating for the homeless, and to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to stand against war. And now grace fuels his passion to end the death penalty.
Shane’s books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, Common Prayer, Follow Me to Freedom, Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, his classic The Irresistible Revolution and his newest book, Executing Grace. He has been featured in a number of films including "Another World Is Possible" and "Ordinary Radicals." His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Shane speaks over one hundred times a year, nationally and internationally. His work has appeared in Esquire, SPIN, Christianity Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been on everything from Fox News and Al Jazeera to CNN and NPR. He’s given academic lectures at Harvard, Princeton, Liberty, Duke, and Notre Dame.
Shane speaks regularly at denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe.
Shane’s books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, Common Prayer, Follow Me to Freedom, Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, his classic The Irresistible Revolution and his newest book, Executing Grace. He has been featured in a number of films including "Another World Is Possible" and "Ordinary Radicals." His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Shane speaks over one hundred times a year, nationally and internationally. His work has appeared in Esquire, SPIN, Christianity Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been on everything from Fox News and Al Jazeera to CNN and NPR. He’s given academic lectures at Harvard, Princeton, Liberty, Duke, and Notre Dame.
Shane speaks regularly at denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 22, 2023
Holy smokes. Best Christian book I have ever read. It’s such a wake up call for Christians in America… including me.
April 24, 2023
So well researched and interesting to see the roots of church history blended into issues at the forefront of justice in America today.
March 8, 2023
A little long winded and repetitive but very informative.
October 26, 2024
Still don’t agree with all the things Claiborne or Red Letter X-tians say but genuinely enjoy reading him say them.
Only major complaint: the book is inundated with Claiborne name-dropping his famous “friends” which gets annoying pretty fast.
Only major complaint: the book is inundated with Claiborne name-dropping his famous “friends” which gets annoying pretty fast.
December 21, 2023
I’m totally sympathetic to the premise of this book— that evangelical Christians have too narrowly defined “pro life” as “anti-abortion,” and that a consistent ethic of life must also affect our views on war, capital punishment, etc. But while I celebrate the book for raising these concerns and pointing us in a more holistic direction, I mostly found this treatment of complicated issues to be very surface-level. Maybe a good pick for someone who is just starting to think in “seamless garment” terms, but not for those hoping for a more robust biblical or political argument.
February 6, 2025
This book contains a LOT of information. That’s part of the reason it took me so long to read. Making no mistake though this book is worth it. Like anything else I’ve read from Shane Clayborne, this book is masterfully crafted, and causes me to pause and look at my fellow human beings as creations of God. Regardless of political ideology, this book will convict you. If you were looking for answers as to how we as a church should be handling modern issues, read this book. If you want to know how the early church handled older issues, read this book. Fair warning though, Shane pulls no punches and holds the church to the highest standard he possibly can.
April 10, 2024
Every Christian who believes that all lives matter and who wants to know what it means to embrace a consistent ethics of life must read this book.
May 25, 2023
SUMMARY: Christians have been called hypocrites because many are staunchly pro-life for unborn babies, but dubiously pro-life for people outside of the womb. In Rethinking Life Shane Claiborne leans on the lessons and examples from the early church as he details a framework to build a consistent life ethic. Simply put, a consistent life ethic means our advocacy for the unborn should not be divorced from our advocacy for all forms of life.
"To have a consistent ethic of life is to be comprehensive in our advocacy for life and to refuse to think of issues in isolation from each other. It is a fundamental conviction that every person is sacred and made in the image of God," Claiborne writes.
"It requires pursuing whatever allows people to flourish and fighting everything that crushes life. That means that all these difficult issues -- the military, guns, racism, the death penalty, poverty, and abortion -- are connected, and we need a moral framework that integrates them. That's what it means to be pro-life for the whole life."
In the first third of the book, Clairborne establishes the revolutionary vision of the early church in regard to its view on life as he articulates a biblical framework for building a consistent life ethic. The early church unequivocally always valued all life, speaking against infanticide, denouncing the gladiatorial games, and even questioning if a Christian could serve in the military.
"Followers of Jesus were a contrast culture, a holy counterculture, who stood on the side of life...Anyone could love their friends, but Christians also loved their enemies. In a culture of death, they were the champions of life. In a culture of hatred, they were people of love. In a culture of fear, they were fearless. And that's why people paid attention to them. Christianity was not just a way of thinking, it was a way of living. It was not just taught, it was caught. In the New Testament, Christians were referred to it as 'the Way.' Christianity was a lifestyle, a totally new and different way of living in the world."
The middle third of the book pivots to the legacy of racism while briefly touching on abortion. Learning about our past and recognizing our past is immensely important, yet a third of the book is devoted to the topic. It was repetitive and if you have heard Clairborne speak or have read some of his other books the anecdotes and stories are familiar. Instead of repeating himself -- we would have preferred him to reference his own book such as Beating Guns for guns and Executing Grace for the death penalty, and referencing other's books such as Unsettling Truths , which he references frequently, or The Color of Compromise for the legacy of racism or Postcards from Babylon about the church being corrupted by power.
We do appreciate him highlighting the complexity of human nature and that we are not prone to treat others in the image of God. We also appreciated his focus on the history of humans not valuing other human lives. With that said, it seemed Claiborne needed to get some things off of his chest. For instance, he touched on the major social issues that happened during COVID which seemed out of place within the overall arc of the book.
Rethinking Life concludes on a high note where Claiborne lists seven ways (Communicate directly, one-on-one, affirm the best in others, be quick to confess, mute negativity, surround yourself with life-giving people, protect your joy and do a content audit) Christians can be a force for life in the world while encouraging face-to-face communication with a large helping of humility and love.
While there is valuable information in Rethinking Life, particually at the beginning and the end we do not recommend the book for learning about a consistent ethic of life. For that we suggest Resisting Throwaway Culture by Charles Camosy.
KEY QUOTE: "Love and fear are enemies. Much like opposing magnets, they cannot occupy the same space. Fear casts out love, and love casts out fear. The invitation is to imagine what America could look like if love shaped our policies--on immigration, guns, abortion, the death penalty, poverty, healthcare, racial justice, and every other issue. And I would suggest that Christians have the leading role to play in making that vision a reality."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate topics for a disillusioned church.
"To have a consistent ethic of life is to be comprehensive in our advocacy for life and to refuse to think of issues in isolation from each other. It is a fundamental conviction that every person is sacred and made in the image of God," Claiborne writes.
"It requires pursuing whatever allows people to flourish and fighting everything that crushes life. That means that all these difficult issues -- the military, guns, racism, the death penalty, poverty, and abortion -- are connected, and we need a moral framework that integrates them. That's what it means to be pro-life for the whole life."
In the first third of the book, Clairborne establishes the revolutionary vision of the early church in regard to its view on life as he articulates a biblical framework for building a consistent life ethic. The early church unequivocally always valued all life, speaking against infanticide, denouncing the gladiatorial games, and even questioning if a Christian could serve in the military.
"Followers of Jesus were a contrast culture, a holy counterculture, who stood on the side of life...Anyone could love their friends, but Christians also loved their enemies. In a culture of death, they were the champions of life. In a culture of hatred, they were people of love. In a culture of fear, they were fearless. And that's why people paid attention to them. Christianity was not just a way of thinking, it was a way of living. It was not just taught, it was caught. In the New Testament, Christians were referred to it as 'the Way.' Christianity was a lifestyle, a totally new and different way of living in the world."
The middle third of the book pivots to the legacy of racism while briefly touching on abortion. Learning about our past and recognizing our past is immensely important, yet a third of the book is devoted to the topic. It was repetitive and if you have heard Clairborne speak or have read some of his other books the anecdotes and stories are familiar. Instead of repeating himself -- we would have preferred him to reference his own book such as Beating Guns for guns and Executing Grace for the death penalty, and referencing other's books such as Unsettling Truths , which he references frequently, or The Color of Compromise for the legacy of racism or Postcards from Babylon about the church being corrupted by power.
We do appreciate him highlighting the complexity of human nature and that we are not prone to treat others in the image of God. We also appreciated his focus on the history of humans not valuing other human lives. With that said, it seemed Claiborne needed to get some things off of his chest. For instance, he touched on the major social issues that happened during COVID which seemed out of place within the overall arc of the book.
Rethinking Life concludes on a high note where Claiborne lists seven ways (Communicate directly, one-on-one, affirm the best in others, be quick to confess, mute negativity, surround yourself with life-giving people, protect your joy and do a content audit) Christians can be a force for life in the world while encouraging face-to-face communication with a large helping of humility and love.
While there is valuable information in Rethinking Life, particually at the beginning and the end we do not recommend the book for learning about a consistent ethic of life. For that we suggest Resisting Throwaway Culture by Charles Camosy.
KEY QUOTE: "Love and fear are enemies. Much like opposing magnets, they cannot occupy the same space. Fear casts out love, and love casts out fear. The invitation is to imagine what America could look like if love shaped our policies--on immigration, guns, abortion, the death penalty, poverty, healthcare, racial justice, and every other issue. And I would suggest that Christians have the leading role to play in making that vision a reality."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate topics for a disillusioned church.
February 5, 2024
A book that asks good questions but answers them poorly.
I am going to say 2.5, but I think the book is worth reading, even though I found it to be one of the most aggravating books I have read recently.
You might think, good, a book like this should ruffle feathers. I will admit, there was a bit of that, but I was prepared for those feelings, and expected more than I got.
No, the main reason this book nearly got thrown across the room a dozen times is that it was poorly done! I am perhaps not the intended audience, since I have long considered the pro-life movement in Evangelical culture to be lacking in compassion and solutions to the very real problems the pro-choice movement claims to solve. I don’t fit with my “red” brothers and sisters, but I am not “blue” either.
What I was hoping for was really convincing arguments for the positions I often struggle to know where to stand on. Should I be a pacifist? Should I be against the death penalty? What other hidden ways is my culture one of death rather than life?
The strong points that earned this book a 3 star rating on here rather than a 2:
The one section of the book that tells real stories of people impacted by some of our society’s anti-life institutions. And the section of the book that recommends actions we can take personally to be more whole-life affirming. Especially the suggestion of proximity—getting close to people who the world would often like to forget or eliminate. This was very powerful.
As a distant 3rd, the section on abortion was also useful. If I was the intended audience, I think some of the “have you considered this consequence or this situation” might have been eye opening. As it is, I had already considered these things. On the other hand, the nuance and granularity with which he treats abortion was inconsistent with the LACK of nuance with which he treated every other topic.
I was reading this book for a book club and took a lot of notes. Here is a small sample of some of the issues I have with the book.
He begins with a misreading of the story of the Tower of Babel to make the point that diversity is better than monoculture. Fine, convince me, but not with a gross oversimplification of a pivotal event in human history and our relationship with the creator God. It read like a youth group Bible lesson: “I have a truism I want to share with the youth—how can I relate it to the Bible? Ooh, that’s cute and will make it memorable!” It was not a serious treatment of the topic, the thesis, or the Bible. And since it was the first chapter and is a thread throughout the book, it was a weak start.
In the 4th chapter there are more glaring examples of poor scholarship and misreading of the Old Testament. So frustrating. This is actually the kind of biblical “understanding” that leads people to dismiss whole swaths of scripture because it doesn’t fit their narrative.
There are a lot of anachronistic demands upon history and historical figures to fit the author’s idea of what is righteous. And more misreading of ancient texts. Some topics are so briefly discussed that they should have been left out to make room for better arguments to support the main assertions of the author.
I wanted to like this book. I wanted it to powerfully convince me. I am half way to being a pacifist already, I should have been an easy sell. Instead I am mostly just powerfully convinced that the author supports his claims in a biased manner without properly addressing possible contrary arguments or evidence. We need better scholarship and better arguments for this stuff—unless there AREN’T any—I hope that’s not the case.
I am going to say 2.5, but I think the book is worth reading, even though I found it to be one of the most aggravating books I have read recently.
You might think, good, a book like this should ruffle feathers. I will admit, there was a bit of that, but I was prepared for those feelings, and expected more than I got.
No, the main reason this book nearly got thrown across the room a dozen times is that it was poorly done! I am perhaps not the intended audience, since I have long considered the pro-life movement in Evangelical culture to be lacking in compassion and solutions to the very real problems the pro-choice movement claims to solve. I don’t fit with my “red” brothers and sisters, but I am not “blue” either.
What I was hoping for was really convincing arguments for the positions I often struggle to know where to stand on. Should I be a pacifist? Should I be against the death penalty? What other hidden ways is my culture one of death rather than life?
The strong points that earned this book a 3 star rating on here rather than a 2:
The one section of the book that tells real stories of people impacted by some of our society’s anti-life institutions. And the section of the book that recommends actions we can take personally to be more whole-life affirming. Especially the suggestion of proximity—getting close to people who the world would often like to forget or eliminate. This was very powerful.
As a distant 3rd, the section on abortion was also useful. If I was the intended audience, I think some of the “have you considered this consequence or this situation” might have been eye opening. As it is, I had already considered these things. On the other hand, the nuance and granularity with which he treats abortion was inconsistent with the LACK of nuance with which he treated every other topic.
I was reading this book for a book club and took a lot of notes. Here is a small sample of some of the issues I have with the book.
He begins with a misreading of the story of the Tower of Babel to make the point that diversity is better than monoculture. Fine, convince me, but not with a gross oversimplification of a pivotal event in human history and our relationship with the creator God. It read like a youth group Bible lesson: “I have a truism I want to share with the youth—how can I relate it to the Bible? Ooh, that’s cute and will make it memorable!” It was not a serious treatment of the topic, the thesis, or the Bible. And since it was the first chapter and is a thread throughout the book, it was a weak start.
In the 4th chapter there are more glaring examples of poor scholarship and misreading of the Old Testament. So frustrating. This is actually the kind of biblical “understanding” that leads people to dismiss whole swaths of scripture because it doesn’t fit their narrative.
There are a lot of anachronistic demands upon history and historical figures to fit the author’s idea of what is righteous. And more misreading of ancient texts. Some topics are so briefly discussed that they should have been left out to make room for better arguments to support the main assertions of the author.
I wanted to like this book. I wanted it to powerfully convince me. I am half way to being a pacifist already, I should have been an easy sell. Instead I am mostly just powerfully convinced that the author supports his claims in a biased manner without properly addressing possible contrary arguments or evidence. We need better scholarship and better arguments for this stuff—unless there AREN’T any—I hope that’s not the case.
August 13, 2024
It’s been a while since I’ve been challenged like this before. It’s not that these topics are new to me, or that I have disagreed with them in the past, not at all. I’ve always been leaning towards pacifism, I’ve had discussions with friends on Gun Control and abortion before, but until I read this I had never noticed how little I care for the wellbeing of other people, despite wanting peace in the world. I’ve realized that I have been very indifferent to people’s struggles since “I have my own battles too”. I’m thankful that I picked up this book and that I read it, I know I will read it again at some point. The intention is to keep growing.
Now I want to talk about why I’m only giving it four stars, I’ve thought about it for a while, I had been feeling this way since the beginning, but I realized towards the end of the book how left leaning Shane Claiborne is. He spoke on many truths and facts, and it could be that he just lives in a different area than me, but I couldn’t agree with a few of his points. To me it felt as if the battle he was fighting was coming from a place of dislike of the right. I understand that when we get political we will find people to disagree with no matter what side they are leaning towards, but it felt mainly targeted towards the right leaning Christian’s. Maybe I just know more Republican Christian’s than Democratic, but in my experience I’ve seen less hate coming from the Republican side than the Democratic. This could be explained by my experience but towards the end I did feel as if the right was being judged harder than the left.
Still believe that there’s much I can learn from this book.
Now I want to talk about why I’m only giving it four stars, I’ve thought about it for a while, I had been feeling this way since the beginning, but I realized towards the end of the book how left leaning Shane Claiborne is. He spoke on many truths and facts, and it could be that he just lives in a different area than me, but I couldn’t agree with a few of his points. To me it felt as if the battle he was fighting was coming from a place of dislike of the right. I understand that when we get political we will find people to disagree with no matter what side they are leaning towards, but it felt mainly targeted towards the right leaning Christian’s. Maybe I just know more Republican Christian’s than Democratic, but in my experience I’ve seen less hate coming from the Republican side than the Democratic. This could be explained by my experience but towards the end I did feel as if the right was being judged harder than the left.
Still believe that there’s much I can learn from this book.
August 28, 2023
What does it mean to be truly pro-life?
Being anti-abortion does not go far enough.
Claiborne, a Christian activist, provides an in-depth examination of all the elements of a “consistent ethic of life.” Throughout the book, he asks the question, “What does love require of us?”
Every person is sacred, Claiborne says, because God created humanity in His image. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27 NIV).” That means everyone. Brown and black and yellow and white. Mother Teresa and Adolf Hitler. Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Brain surgeons and sanitation workers and female impersonators. All are stamped with God’s likeness. Even people we don’t particularly like.
Claiborne includes chapters on the early Christian movement and how it changed when Constantine granted it legitimacy; how Christians have contributed to violence worldwide throughout history; anti-Semitism and genocide; eugenics, racism, slavery, and the death penalty; American exceptionalism; and a chapter on abortion that is one of the clearest analyses I’ve ever read.
For Claiborne, the ultimate authority on life and love is Jesus Christ. He quotes a pastor friend: “We believe in the authoritative, inerrant, infallible Word of God. His name is Jesus.” Claiborne says, “Ultimately, the word Christian means ‘Christlike.’ If something doesn’t smell like Jesus, sound like Jesus, and love like Jesus, it is not Christianity.” A lot of what I hear from people who profess to be Christians does not pass this test.
Pro-life goes beyond opposing abortion. Claiborne quotes a sermon given by the Reverend Doctor Otis Moss III: “I’m pro-life. I’m pro-education. I’m pro-healthcare. Pro-accountability. . . Pro-love. Pro-faith. Pro-equality. Pro-grace. Pro-redemption. Pro-peace. Pro-family, whatever combination that family may be.”
Being pro-life means making sure all people have access to what is necessary for life. Pro-life means insisting on a living wage, free public education, affordable housing, affordable childcare, affordable medical care and prescriptions, food, water and clothing for all. And the list goes on. There is much work to be done. What does love require of us?
Claiborne asks other questions too, and calls us to action. We all can help to bring justice and life to the world:
Jesus taught us to seek first the kingdom of God, and that means asking ourselves some prophetic questions. What would it look like for God’s dream to come on earth as it is in heaven? What would it look like for God’s dream to come to my block, my neighborhood, my city? . . . God’s dream is for us to welcome immigrants as if they are our own flesh and blood (Lev. 19:34). God’s dream is for mercy to triumph over judgment. God’s dream is for us to transform our swords into plows and our guns into garden tools. God’s dream is not for more than one hundred lives to be lost to guns every day in America. . . How can we participate in announcing and ushering in God’s dream? . . . Let us pray that our hearts would be broken by the things that break the heart of God.
Rethinking Life is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I can’t stop thinking about it.
Being anti-abortion does not go far enough.
Claiborne, a Christian activist, provides an in-depth examination of all the elements of a “consistent ethic of life.” Throughout the book, he asks the question, “What does love require of us?”
Every person is sacred, Claiborne says, because God created humanity in His image. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27 NIV).” That means everyone. Brown and black and yellow and white. Mother Teresa and Adolf Hitler. Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Brain surgeons and sanitation workers and female impersonators. All are stamped with God’s likeness. Even people we don’t particularly like.
Claiborne includes chapters on the early Christian movement and how it changed when Constantine granted it legitimacy; how Christians have contributed to violence worldwide throughout history; anti-Semitism and genocide; eugenics, racism, slavery, and the death penalty; American exceptionalism; and a chapter on abortion that is one of the clearest analyses I’ve ever read.
For Claiborne, the ultimate authority on life and love is Jesus Christ. He quotes a pastor friend: “We believe in the authoritative, inerrant, infallible Word of God. His name is Jesus.” Claiborne says, “Ultimately, the word Christian means ‘Christlike.’ If something doesn’t smell like Jesus, sound like Jesus, and love like Jesus, it is not Christianity.” A lot of what I hear from people who profess to be Christians does not pass this test.
Pro-life goes beyond opposing abortion. Claiborne quotes a sermon given by the Reverend Doctor Otis Moss III: “I’m pro-life. I’m pro-education. I’m pro-healthcare. Pro-accountability. . . Pro-love. Pro-faith. Pro-equality. Pro-grace. Pro-redemption. Pro-peace. Pro-family, whatever combination that family may be.”
Being pro-life means making sure all people have access to what is necessary for life. Pro-life means insisting on a living wage, free public education, affordable housing, affordable childcare, affordable medical care and prescriptions, food, water and clothing for all. And the list goes on. There is much work to be done. What does love require of us?
Claiborne asks other questions too, and calls us to action. We all can help to bring justice and life to the world:
Jesus taught us to seek first the kingdom of God, and that means asking ourselves some prophetic questions. What would it look like for God’s dream to come on earth as it is in heaven? What would it look like for God’s dream to come to my block, my neighborhood, my city? . . . God’s dream is for us to welcome immigrants as if they are our own flesh and blood (Lev. 19:34). God’s dream is for mercy to triumph over judgment. God’s dream is for us to transform our swords into plows and our guns into garden tools. God’s dream is not for more than one hundred lives to be lost to guns every day in America. . . How can we participate in announcing and ushering in God’s dream? . . . Let us pray that our hearts would be broken by the things that break the heart of God.
Rethinking Life is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I can’t stop thinking about it.
July 28, 2023
Very powerful book. Much of it is very hard reading, as it catalogues the evil done by the Christian Church (and its complicity in condoning evil or looking away) over two millennia. Which makes sense because Claiborne is clear that if we want to change the world for the better, there first has to be accountability. But throughout, it's clear that Claiborne's passion for social justice -and the many unique ways he goes about realizing it- flows from a heart shaped by his relationship with Christ. That said, his head is not in the clouds of the "sweet by-and-by" brand of religion. This man has the chops to speak what he speaks, having worked with Mother Theresa, ministering for years to men on death row, intentionally living in a distressed neighborhood and being a force for good there. His creative means of changing things -for instance actually melting guns and creating tools with them- is inspiring, theatrical and hard to resist. And he gets results. The last part of the book is about what we need to do and how we need to be as people of faith if we want to heal the world. He is encouraging, provocative, uplifting, creative and above all, practical. Feet-on-the-ground, hands-in the-dirt spirituality. I highly recommend this book.
February 24, 2024
Great look into how Christian Orthodoxy and a consistent life ethic are intertwined. Lot of similarities to his book, Beating Guns into plowshares.
Some really meaningful insights. One thing that made it a bit difficult was that it was from an American perspective. Additionally, he ends with an insight from a Sikh leader, which seems a bit odd to me as a Christian book. Finally, while i liked it talked about a variety of social issues (immigration, death penalty), only one chapter was on abortion. I wish at least one more chapter was on this topic. Feel like I had lingering unanswered questions.
I always love Shane Claiborne’s writing, and I think that this will be a great resource for many Christians. I think a lot of strong conservatives could learn from this book, though a lot of its “liberal” language would turn off that audience. I fear this book is simply preaching to the choir. Nonetheless, it really helped me affirm my position as being pro-life from womb to tomb — Pro-life for all lives.
Some really meaningful insights. One thing that made it a bit difficult was that it was from an American perspective. Additionally, he ends with an insight from a Sikh leader, which seems a bit odd to me as a Christian book. Finally, while i liked it talked about a variety of social issues (immigration, death penalty), only one chapter was on abortion. I wish at least one more chapter was on this topic. Feel like I had lingering unanswered questions.
I always love Shane Claiborne’s writing, and I think that this will be a great resource for many Christians. I think a lot of strong conservatives could learn from this book, though a lot of its “liberal” language would turn off that audience. I fear this book is simply preaching to the choir. Nonetheless, it really helped me affirm my position as being pro-life from womb to tomb — Pro-life for all lives.
June 11, 2023
This book is looks at the concept of pro-life from a perspective of compassion that celebrates the sacredness of life, cracks in this foundation (that many ignore) and how we repair this foundation. As someone who has often said I am a pro-choice, pro-life person, Claiborne captures the joyful celebration of life with compassion and a call to recognize the beam in our eyes. For anyone who claims to be pro-life, this is a must read!
September 7, 2023
Grateful for Shane and his willingness to dive into difficult and uncomfortable conversations. Pro life conversations are so vast and complex, and require us to not just force opinions down the throats of others, but to take time, lean in, and listen to those with different opinions and experiences than our own.
This book is thoughtful and will help start a deeper conversation about what “pro life” actually means. Highly recommend!
This book is thoughtful and will help start a deeper conversation about what “pro life” actually means. Highly recommend!
January 28, 2024
This book was so helpful to reasesss what it means to holistically promote life and well-being. I appreciate Shane Claiborne's thoughtfulness and commitment to really look at the life of Jesus and to emulate the way that Jesus treated people. I thought the book was a great balance of reflecting on culture, the Bible, research, and some helpful personal testimony. An excellent, thought-provoking, and inspiring read.
July 6, 2024
The author provides so much information for followers of Christ to use in our lives that I’m going to definitely use this book in our adult bible study class in church. I really liked his new word “protestify” in that it puts faith into action. Having read other works by Claiborne, his philosophy on being a red letter Christian and living his life as a true disciple of Jesus really encourages me and I hope others feel the same.
February 20, 2023
This is a great summary/overview of what I means to have an “ethic of life”. Great for those exploring the issues or wanting to understand a different way of looking at major social issues of the way. The middle section of the book, that dives into how the church has failed many time to promote life, was my favorite part.
September 24, 2023
Sought to encourage a complete ethic of life but was inconsistent in how radical we are to be for life on one topic and then created exceptions and possibilities of being radically sacrificially for life on other topics of life. I would have liked to see a consistent radical self sacrificing ethic of life challenge throughout all the chapters.
March 12, 2024
I loved reading this book. Shane has such a down to earth way of writing that drew me in and kept me interested. I love his passion for peace and his view of the love of God. I don't agree with everything he said, but I appreciate his point of view. I bought a physical copy as soon as I was done with the library audiobook and am looking forward to reading it again and taking notes.
April 25, 2024
From authors like Brian Zahnd and Greg Boyd I have learned about the biblical theology of nonviolence. From Shane Claiborne, I was able to match it with history. He writes beautifully in constant parallel with culture. Nonviolent protest towards injustice is the loving work of Jesus in the world.
“A new world is waiting to be born.
And we get to be the midwives.
Breath in.
And push.”
“A new world is waiting to be born.
And we get to be the midwives.
Breath in.
And push.”
December 15, 2024
A healthy whole life ethic book. Read in order to have a book to recommend for our teenager and to read along side him to navigate conversations surrounding what counts as being pro-life (healthy immigration, abortion, war, end of life care, death penalty, support of single women, gun violence, etc.)and not just anti-abortion. Easy read for heavy topics.
June 11, 2023
Clear, authentic, and complete inspection of what it means to be really Pro-Life. Claiborne diffuses the typical conservative vs. liberal arguments with honest scripture and Christ-following morality. This book is for anyone who cares about life.
December 16, 2023
This book hit deep. It invited me to think a lot about my views and it challenged me. I think this one would make a good book study. I appreciate Shane Claiborne's voice and the work he does for justice and the marginalized.
March 29, 2025
WOW!!!! This book left me with countless things to think about and conversations to have. I am so thankful for Shane's voice and his thoughtful approach to life and to loving his neighbors. I can't stop recommended this book and sharing stories from it!
August 6, 2025
Four stars because I don't agree with all of Shane's arguments or theological positions, but I do love reading his books. He is eloquent and thoughtful and always makes me think a lot even if I don't agree with him on everything. I do recommend this as something to grapple with!
February 25, 2023
A refreshing view of Jesus's message to alway consider what love would do.
March 28, 2023
Highly recommend!
May 22, 2023
Once again, a bold but tender and thoughtful book from Shane Claiborne that addresses the problems facing the church and nation. A challenge, but also a balm and a motivation.
June 13, 2023
Don't let the title fool you; this is much more than a book about the abortion debate. Great, thought provoking read.
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