Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality
Ebook
Overview
”I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Echoing Hosea, Jesus defends his embrace of the “unclean” in the Gospel of Matthew, seeming to privilege the prophetic call to justice over the Levitical pursuit of purity. And yet, as missional faith communities are well aware, the tensions and conflicts between holiness and mercy are not so easily resolved. At every turn, it seems that the psychological pull of purity and holiness tempts the church into practices of social exclusion and a Gnostic flight from “the world” into a “too spiritual" spirituality. Moreover, the psychology of purity often lures the church into what psychologists call “The Macbeth Effect," the psychological trap that tempts us into believing that ritual acts of cleansing can replace moral and missional engagement. Finally, time after time, wherever we see churches regulating their common life with the idiom of dirt, disgust, and defilement, we find a predictable wake of dysfunction: ruined self-images, social stigma, and communal conflict. In an unprecedented fusion of psychological science and theological scholarship, Richard Beck describes the pernicious (and largely unnoticed) effects of the psychology of purity upon the life and mission of the church.
”Theologians write endlessly about how Christian faith should
affect our morality, our philosophy, and our spirituality. Richard
Beck is the only one I know who asks what it has to do with what
turns our stomachs. He writes bluntly and stunningly about the
engagement of grace with our visceral dynamics of disgust and
avoidance. Our complex, precognitive repulsions toward groups,
behaviors, and persons stem from deep patterns in our nature. But,
unredeemed, those patterns also block us from the gospel path. Beck
combines biblical interpretation, theological wisdom, and dramatic
psychological insights to give an earthy and exciting take on the
Christian life."
--S. Mark Heim
Samuel Abbot Professor of Christian Theology
Andover Newton Theological School
“In his thoughtful, engaging, and even sometimes humorous style,
Richard Beck tells the church that it is time to get dirty. With
one leg hip-deep in theology and the other in psychological
science, Beck persuasively argues that the church’s obsession with
purity is a costly pursuit, one fraught with serious psychological
and sociological consequences. You may not always agree, but you
will be challenged in new ways to think about the church’s
mission."
--Peter C. Hill
Editor, Journal of Psychology and Christianity
“Richard Beck has my vote as the liveliest voice in the
contemporary integration of psychology and theology. In Unclean, he
weaves together his sophisticated grasp of psychological research
and theological reflection in a manner that is both prophetic and
inviting. This is one of those rare books that can be helpful to
those who love the church and also to those who have been hurt by
churches. Beck writes with an integrative and formative rhythm that
kept stimulating my mind and pulling at my heart. These ancient
Biblical concepts of mercy, holiness, and hospitality have been
implanted anew with deeper meaning for me."
--Steven J. Sandage
Professor of Marriage and Family Studies
Bethel University
"I am thankful that this insightful and important work has come to
print. Richard Beck has woven together important themes from
various critical conversations--psychology, theology, biblical
studies, and missional ecclesiology--with exceptional artistry. He
has ventured across the purity boundaries of academic disciplines
for the sake of a large picture of the hospitality of God. His
readers will be well rewarded for welcoming this ambitious and
immensely practical book."
-- Mark Love
Director, Resource Center for Missional Leadership
Rochester College
"Richard Beck’s insightful book is a must-read for those who want
to embody Christ’s love in the world. Moving beyond mere
sentimentality, this book exposes why we are so prone to alienate
"the other” and how we may pursue a way of hospitality and
love. This is a deeply human, and humanizing, book."
--Mark Van Steenwyk is a founder of the Missio Dei community in
Minneapolis and a general editor of JesusRadicals.com.
"I believe that this is one of the most important books that I have
read in the last decade....it is one of the few books I would
recommend to every Christian psychologist....Seriously, you really
should read this book."
--Rodney L. Bassett, as reviewed in the Winter 2012 issue of
theJournal of Psychology and Christianity,
Product Details
- Title : Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality
- Author: Beck, Richard
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Publication Date: 2011
- ISBN: 9781621890102