Review of The Furious longing for God by Brennan Manning
Brennan Manning is author of The Ragamuffin Gospel and The Wisdom of Tenderness. He has been criticised for downplaying sin and judgment, for reprinting the same idea in multiple books, and for playing loose with Scripture.
In his latest offering, all three criticisms hold; but there is a danger of focussing on the defects and missing some of the useful material and deep insights.
Regarding the issue of sin and judgment, Manning does acknowledge the criticism levelled at him. He claims there is judgment of sin in this life via the pain and suffering that it brings; but does not speculate on judgment in the next life. He does comment that the more we recognise our utter depravity, the more we will be amazed at the way God longs for us.
Manning does repeat stories from earlier books in this one, and especially the motif of "Abba's child". However, I read this book first and was touched by many of the stories, before reading other Manning material and seeing the repetition.
In regards to his use of Scripture, I think Manning is a lot tighter in this book than earlier work. He demonstrates that he has researched Scripture in context.
However, the theme text is from Song of Songs chapter 2, and is applied to God. There is much tradition for such an application, most famously with Bernard of Clairvaux.
While the longing and tender love described in that chapter is part of the character of God because God is love, and inspired the Scripture, it grated a little to read that text as a love poem from God rather than as wisdom literature within the context of the metanarrative of the Bible. I think Barry Webb in Five Festal Garments offers a better reading of that Scripture.
However, those criticisms aside, this is a book which seeks to reorient our usual understanding of God. It is especially helpful for those who tend toward a works-based or doctrine-focused, or head over heart style of faith.
Its essential message is that God loves us unconditionally and longs for relationship with us furiously. It is an exploration of the incredible dimensions of God's grace in the spirit of Philip Yancey.
He contrasts this gracious God with the other "gods" of Christians:
The splenetic god of alternating moods, the prejudiced god partial to Catholics, the irritated god disgusted with believers, the warrior god of the "just' war, the fickle god of casuistic morality, tut-tutting over our little weaknesses, the pedantic god of the spiritually sophisticated, the myriads of gods who imprisoned me in fear.
Manning enthuses that a heart understanding of God's love and longing will reduce fear, make us immune from the praise and criticism of others, will shift us from "should' pray to "must' pray, will help us to see our own potential for God's kingdom-making through Jesus' tender gaze.
Manning leads the reader through this transformation with a skilful weaving of quotes, biblical input and stories.
It finishes with a desire to see the community of God transformed into…
prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever-greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would live in… the very heat of Christ, into… the flame that consumes, purifies and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness and extravagant, furious love.
That sounds an exciting community; a community that might attract others to it on a daily basis.
