Rod Bower

On July 24, 2013, Anglican priest Rod Bower put up these words on the roadside sign of his Gosford parish church. Next he posted them on Facebook, sparking a social media revolution. The post was shared thousands of times—suddenly the one-time butcher was on the public stage. Today Fr Rod has close to 65,000 followers on social media. He uses this platform to raise questions about Australia’s corporate soul, to assert that we are all brothers and sisters—asylum seekers, Muslims, those show more identifying as LGBTI, Indigenous Australians . . . And for such messages, the death threats pour in. How did a shy adopted kid from the country become this steadfast conscience of Australia, preaching both peace and disruption? Part life story, part love story, part manifesto, Outspoken describes an evolution as surprising as are Fr Rod’s views about Christianity. Utterly frank, both philosophical and funny, this is a singular book by a singular person. It illuminates the life and work of the man behind those signs. show less

This book was a lot more complex than I thought it would be. History, philosophy, theology. Father Rod is a deep thinker and tells his story and beliefs well. He is also brave, challenging the church and narrow concepts of Christianity and promoting a social justice seeking way of life. There should be more like him.

The "church-signs guy", Father Rod Bower, has written a book. It's an easy read and you get three books in one. The first part, "Just My Story", tells how Rod grew up and came to be an Anglican priest. In itself it's a fascinating and engaging read. Part 2 is called "Just Matters" but I think it's in two parts also. The first three sub-sections cover the activity of engaging in social justice issues in the community. It contains some great stories. Towards the end the mood shifts to a more show more theoretical, or theological, treatment. Here, there is great wisdom and insight into humanity, God and the possibilities of a better world. show less