Mark Ellingsen

In a world of pop psychology where therapy rules and i the contemporary Christian sub-culture where prosperity peddlers and purpose driven models abound, Ellingsen provides hope of authentic Christianity taking his cue from sixteenth century reformer, Martin Luther. Sin Bravely is not about reckless abandon or a life of licentiousness, so those who think you can have your heavenly cake and eat it too, or a fool's paradise of wasteful exuberance in this world, Ellingsen will disappoint. No, he is clear that what we ought to be doing is less doing that focuses on ourselves and believing in real grace that frees us we can live genuine lives that focus on others, especially the poor and disenfranchised. Though he sets his sights on Osteen and Warren in the popular evangelical/prosperity school, he also chastises the entire puritan paradigm that Ellingsen claims is co-conspirator in the dealy game of right wing politics and profiteering capitalism, which have led to the ethos that fosters such preying preachers. Readers will find some of Ellingsen's ideas a bit hard to accept, and other ideas hard to follow,especially when he delves into neuroscience and brain-talk. However, if one will zero in on his specific goal of getting you to seriously engage your own sinfulness in its overwhelming reality of tarnishing your entire life and hence getting you to genuinely accept and appreciate God's grace, then you can join the ranks of brave sinners and dream big and serve God and love people in the game of life, and you may be surprised that this is a high that nothing else will provide.… (mehr)