Faith of Leap, The: Embracing a Theology of Risk, Adventure & Courage [Paperback]

 

 

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A book review by Heather Smyth
[...]

When I first saw The Faith of Leap I eagerly jumped right into the pages. I agree with the authors that as Christ followers that we are 'called to an ongoing, risky, actional, extravagant way of life 'a life resonant with that distinctly wild 'and yes Christlike 'faithfulness of their Lord and Master'. In fact, I believe that at times in my own life that I have lived out my own stories of great faith, in obedience to what God had asked of me, even when others questioned my actions. I have also walked alongside friends who have their own stories of great faith, patiently waiting on God to fulfill His promises. I have witnessed some great stories of faith. More than that, as I read the Biblical accounts of men and women who have trusted God in great faith, they resonate deep within me. The story of Abraham heading up the mountain to offer his son Isaac as sacrifice to God, the trusting, faithful response of Abraham to his son, 'God will provide a lamb, my son' and Abraham's response in naming the place where the sacrifice was made 'The LORD Will Provide' are foundational to my own understanding of who God is and my understanding of faith. I was excited to read of more stories of people who have lived out or are in the process of living out their own 'faith of leaps' and to be encouraged in my own faith journey of trusting God in obedience to what He has called me to.

In the end, I found this to be a good textbook about the theology of faith, but really, the reading of it was tough. When I think about my friends and the faith stories that they have lived out or even my own stories of faith, they are exciting and wild, filled with groaning and waiting for God to show up in the everyday-ness of life. I couldn't wait to hear how God would show up next, in my own story or in the story of others. Oh how those stories were missing in this book.

That said, there were many stories of faith and wild adventure outlined in the book. Included in the book were many biblical stories, historical stories and fictional stories but there were few modern day examples of people living today. There were a lot of fictional examples and I learned a lot about Frodo from The Lord of the Rings and his grand adventures. And really, while I like Frodo and all the other hobbits as much as the next person, and while I can relate to their struggles and triumphs, in the end, they are just characters and their journeys are just made up from a clever imagination.

But what about the real, stories of regular people -individuals, families, churches and communities that have lived out their own leaps of faith? Those who have faithfully obeyed God when what they were called to do seemed ridiculous or questionable to those around them, where are their stories? They were few and far between, scattered throughout the pages.

Even more, what about those same groups of people who are in the middle of the their leap of faith, who are still waiting, risking and trusting for God to answer their prayers and to fulfill His promises to them? I mean, when I read the story of Abraham and Isaac on the mountain, I already know the ending. I know that God provides. But what was it like for Abraham to walk up that mountain? 'Come along Isaac' God will provide.' That is the Faith of Leap! How do you live in the moment of that faith? How do you walk alongside someone in the middle of their story? Oh how these stories were missing from this book.

Yes, we need to hear biblical, historical, fictional and modern day stories that are complete, that have a beginning and end where God has called his children, where people have responded in faithful obedience and God has responded and fulfilled his promise. These stories all serve to build a foundation of faith and help me and help us in the day-to-day of being obedient and waiting in faith.
By leaving out these stories, modern stories and 'in the middle of' stories, this book was left with a big hole.

To be honest, it's been a while since I have read this book. And while I was excited to start reading, I trudged through the middle and skimmed through the end. This book churned up a lot of emotions and frustration in me and I am surprised that as I revisit this book at the strength at which these have surfaced again.

In the end, I will continue to live out my own stories of faith and share these stories with others. I will continue to stand beside my friends who are in the middle of their own 'faith of leap' and encourage them with the stories of Abraham and Noah and others who have walked before us, knowing that God is faithful and that The LORD Will Provide.

If you are looking for a book about the theology of faith, this is it. You've found it. But if you want to experience the 'faith of leap' for yourself, then save yourself some time and step out in faith, in obedience to what God has called you to do and live it out for real life. You won't be disappointed.

Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. The Faith of Leap: Embracing a Theology of Risk, Adventure, and Courage. Baker Books, 2011. 224 pgs.

In The Faith of Leap Frost and Hirsch encourage the reader to leave the idols of security and safety behind and live out our adventure with God. They remind us that faith always involves risk, that God calls us to make a leap for him and, in that leap, to have the "faith of leap". In order to develop these themes, Frost and Hirsch explore the difference between community and communitas, as well as liminality and how these things affect our churches and are lived out in our mission. Their final chapter then points us to our own communities as the places in which we live out this adventure through the "risk of neighborliness."

There is much to be praised in this book. Chapter five is clearly the highlight, as Hirsch and Frost directly assault our idol of security in an argument and encouragement to get over our risk-averse tendencies. Indeed, far too many churches and Christians are more concerned with safe-guarding their own existence rather than with being actively involved in the mission of God, no matter the cost. However, what these churches have lost is emphatically not their sense of adventure. What they have lost is their sense of calling. Thus begins my disappointment with this book.

In the preface Hirsch bemoans the fact that out of tens of millions of books exploring theology they were unable to find a single study on the nature of adventure itself. Assuming Hirsch was correct as he wrote this preface, he is still correct as I read this book, and perhaps with good reason. What you do not have here is a serious study of the nature of adventure - "its role in shaping our thinking about God, our experience of life, or our participation in mission, church, or discipleship." (13) Instead, you have a recasting of Christian mission in the language and framework of adventure and risk. In doing this, Frost and Hirsch draw on excellent sources, and yet they seem to fail to learn many of the lessons therein.

One of my favorite quotes on this subject, which appears in the introduction, comes from The Lord of the Rings. I am sure you know it. Frodo and Samwise are approaching Mordor, discouraged, hungry, tired, and ready to finish their quest and die. Samwise then says to Frodo:

"The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo, adventures as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of stories went out and looked for because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of sport, as you might say. But that's not the way of it with the tales that really mattered or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually - their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn't. And if they had, we shouldn't know, because they'd be forgotten. We hear about those as just went on - and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same - like old Mr. Bilbo. But those aren't always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we've fallen into?"
We can learn many true things about adventure from this quote. Adventure is not something you seek but something that happens while you faithfully answer a call you did not look for... strike one. Adventure is not something that those in it often find enjoyable or desirable, but what you must do in being faithful.... strike two. Adventure is not, primarily, about deeds of daring-do but about trudging on, faithfully, through difficulties.... strike three.

Perhaps there is a reason for there not being any sustained and serious theological examination of the idea of adventure. Perhaps it is because Tolkien got these three truths exactly right. If adventure is not something you seek but, instead, something that happens to you, then whence this book? If adventure is not enjoyable or desirable, when rightly understood, then why are we trying to dress it up otherwise? Further, why would we encourage more of it? And if adventure is about faithfulness in the face of difficulties then why would we try to embed adventure in our churches instead of embedding faithfulness and perseverance?

The answer, I think, also lies in the same quote from Tolkien. People who hear adventures, instead of living them, think of adventures in ways which are unrealistic and wrong. This is further compounded by Hollywood. We watch adventure movies in which hours, months, or years of training are compressed into a montage of flowing images put to catchy music (you can't beat classic Rocky for this) so that we can quickly move on to the 'adventure' part of the story. Of course, the same is true even in biblical stories. Joseph spends years toiling away in obscurity, remaining faithful and persevering, before any 'adventure' occurs. This is the way of real life.

A serious theological study of adventure would have to include a study of our cultural distortions of adventure, our misplaced desires for impossible levels of excitement, and our inability to maintain the years of faithfulness necessary in preparation for whatever 'adventure' God may have for us. It would also involve many of the things Frost and Hirsch included in their book, such as an attack on the idol of security, a calling out of Church's lack of mission, and an examination of how 'adventure' is part of community formation. I suppose that what I am saying is that this book contains only half of the story. In so doing, this book can, unintentionally I am sure, be setting people up for disappointment and disillusionment. If we come to Jesus for adventure and find, instead, that we are called to years of faithfulness in which we, ourselves, may or may not see any of the fruit of our labor then our expectations, false though they were, will have been dashed on the hard rocks of discipleship and we may, in some ways rightly, feel ripped off and move on believing God did not deliver on his end of the bargain. Of course, grace will lead many through this problem despite the damage we will have done, but that is no excuse. When we falsely represent the call of Christ, and what to expect in answering it, we are playing an incredibly dangerous game.

Does the church need to stop being so risk-averse? Absolutely. Do we need a missional understanding of both church and God? Most assuredly. It is while encouraging these that this book shines. However, in order to overcome these problems what the church does not need is a renewed 'sense of adventure' or a desire to be heroes. What we need is a renewed call to faithfulness, a renewed understanding of our Lord, and a renewed willingness to carry our cross for Christ. While these were touched upon throughout The Faith of Leap they fell well behind the focus on adventure.

Conclusion: 2.5 Stars. Not Recommended. In terms of missional churches, understanding God, or theology there is nothing new here. It is simply re-framed material and, in my opinion, re-framed in an unhelpful and dangerous manner.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group."

As found on my blog: [...]

Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. The Faith of Leap: Embracing a Theology of Risk, Adventure, and Courage. Baker Books, 2011. 224 pgs.

'All disciples of Jesus (not just a select few) are called to an ongoing, risky, actional, extravagant way of life--a life resonant with that distinctly wild--and yes, Christlike--faithfulness of their Lord and Master.'

Thus begins the book Faith of Leap: Embracing a Theology of Risk, Adventure, and Courage. Teaming up once again, missional church frontiersmen Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost collaborate in challenging Western Christians to get out of the safety of the pew and enter the risk of the real world. And for them, such an approach to the Christian life is not optional.

The book's title - 'Faith of Leap' - is more than simply a play on words; it offers an important distinction: Risk and adventure are not merely actions we take once in a while when necessary (e.g. 'leaps of faith'), but rather encompass a posture we need to take to life in the world as followers of Jesus. Our whole lives must incorporate a faith that is willing to risk. I appreciated the emphasis on our whole lives, not just isolated actions. Echoing Stanley Hauerwas I suspect, the authors emphasize this whole life approach to life and mission: 'The church doesn't have an agenda; it is the agenda. The church doesn't have a missional strategy; it is the missional strategy.'

Two key concepts in developing their proposal are liminality (ch. 1) and communitas (ch. 2), terms borrowed from the field of pyschology. Liminality literally means 'a threshold,' which related to Christianity is said to describe the current cultural situation. The church is in a time of transition. Words like 'danger, marginality, disorientation, or ordeal' describe the Christian life in the 21st C. (or at least they should). And naturally, in a time of unpredictability people are drawn together, not by choice, but because of the situation. This is called communitas. 'The bonding is deep; people get to need each other, they get to know and rely on each other.' While I'm not a big fan of new terms, the concept is true to the biblical account: God's people are on a journey - all people, really - and significant circumstances create significant bonds. My lingering question - not easily answered - is this: should Christians go out and seek this 'liminality' all the time (the author's suggestion) or simply be ready to navigate it when it comes along?

The rest of the book (ch. 3-7) provide rationale and examples for Christians to accept risk and adventure in theology and practice. The authors draw from a variety of disciplines and stories to make their case, which begins to get a bit repetitive after awhile, I'll admit. For the church to be truly missional, we need to take risks, be heroic and overcome our fears. All helpful themes, for sure. I'm just not convinced they needed to fill a whole book. I'd rather see risk and adventure explored alongside other aspects of theology and Christian practice, not as a concept by itself as the authors propose here. Perhaps an essay or chapter in another book would have been more appropriate.

The book's greatest strength is probably the repeated emphasis on risk and adventure being for the whole church not just individuals. In an age where personal taste and individualistic spirituality reign supreme, Hirsch and Frost do well to assert that navigating the unpredictability of faith and mission in the 21st C. is not a solo endeavor. I wholeheartedly agree.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone engaged in the missional church conversation who are wanting a little more motivation or rationale to risk implementing missional concepts in your church. 3.5/5.

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