I just finished the copy of Pete Rollins latest book " Insurrection " that was sent to me. I have all of Peter Rollins books in my library, so Pete's musing are not new to me. But his latest book will challenge your perception of everything...absolutely everything. Rob Bell, says, " In this book, Pete takes you to the edge of a cliff. And, just when most writers would pull you back, he pushes you off. But after your initial panic, you realize that your fall is a form of flying. And it's thrilling." I can only say when Peter Rollins opens his mind up to re-imaging faith...well, I think this sums it up. It might actually be Pete at the dial...
I can only say, " Insurrection " takes you on a journey to the outer limits of faith. Slowly as you navigate your way through the opening pages of " Insurrection " you begin to loose grip of every dimension of faith. Every dial you begin to grasp and turn you realize you are not in control...vertical gone, horizontal gone, depth gone, clarity gone. Initially...it is frightening.
Peter Rollin's knows the power of the parable, of mystery. Every chapter, Rollin's cleverly opens the door a crack and draws you in and suddenly you hear the door close behind you. There on the outer limits Pete takes you to the liminal place where you left to wrestle with the deepest mysteries of faith...Incarnation, Crucifixion and Resurrection. For most " christians " there is doctrine, and dogma that neatly packages these mysteries that we tuck away in an empty closet in our minds. I was almost getting the sense that these mysteries were never meant to be confined by the parameters and boundaries of doctrine. But only when they are lived to we come close to their truth.
For Rollins, as christians we are never to believe in God, but that we are supposed to live into God. To live a life of mercy, faithfulness, self-control. But we are not truly living Christian lives unless we are dying to ourselves—participating in the death and resurrection of Christ. We only believe in God, by how much we love...people see " what " we believe in by how much we " love."
“I believe in the insurrection.” What is it about? It’s about being invited to transformation. Rollins thinks the apostle Paul had it right. Paul doesn’t talk about who Jesus hung out with. Or about Jesus’ miracles. He says that being a Christian is participating in the death and resurrection of Christ. You die, and you are reborn. You can say, “I believe x, y, and z” but if you don’t think about where you live, and the work you do, and how your consumerism affects others, then that is the truth of your life, not what you SAY you believe. And so the resurrection, the insurrection is about dying, being reborn, transformed, so we are no long the same.
The only part of the book I really struggled with and maybe Peter can help me out was the chapter, " Neither Christian or Non- Christian." That when we get this point of insurrection, living the " Resurrection " that we are beyond all identities yet embrace all identities. Yet almost fence sitting there is this wavering back and forth between being Christian and Non-Christian. He talks about the mystery of worship and liturgy taking us to that liminal space where we deal with the reality of suffering, pain, loss, death and life. But again as far as he has taken us to the outer limits he brings us back to the church...the very structure that controls life and death. I wonder if in a future faith Peter Rollins envisions something other than church...maybe something much more insurrectional.
Anyway, I can not recommend " Insurrection " enough. If you're really ready to die, to explore the outer limits of faith give Peter Rollins control of the dial and join the insurrection.
