Army of Priests

I first read The Irresistible Revolutionover 18 months ago, and I have leant it out to many readers since then. It is, without doubt, one of the most significant books in defining my faith. Shane Claiborne uses stories from his own life to correct errors that have kept the church from fulfilling their duty to the poor and to an alternative way of life.

Shane’s message is simple: Christ came not just to snatch a few faithful people out of this world, but to create a revolution to undermine the power base of Caesar (that is, the corrupt society in which we live). Shane takes particular aim at the myth of redemptive violence (that violence can be used for good) and the myth of consumerism (that possessions can give you happiness).

For Shane, following Jesus is a costly yet ultimately rewarding affair. He repeatedly makes his case against churches which seem to undermine this reality by playing instead to the existing culture. Examples would include Christian calls for war instead of love following September 11; or churches using large sums of money to build comfortable auditoriums for weekly meetings when the homeless spend every night on the streets.

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