The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within

A manifesto for living a Christian life that is wild, daring, untamed and, largely it seems, untried. McManus' passion gives rise to a strident tone and his milataristic imagery and decidely male outlook may be off-putting to the femministas but - without question - this is a book that grabs one's attention. And let's face it, a lot of churches don't know how to speak to men. Most of the churches I've visited over the last couple of years have about two-thirds women in the pews. I think this is because the average evangelical church in North America today has adopted a Jesus who is a pale imitation of his true self. If you're feeling a little uncomfortable with worship songs that sound like Jesus is your boyfriend, or playing nice all show more the time, or if you're maybe - just maybe - looking for an expression of your faith that is a little more challenging than standing up to sing (and sitting down when you're told) this might be the book for you. Frankly, it was nice to hear speak my language for a change. show less

Rhis small book "The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith within" is heavier in its content than in its size of its pages. I have read a number of McManus’ books in the past and the one that had that had the greatest impact and a message I believe the people of God need to hear is this book.

Erwin throws down the gauntlet and challenges Christ followers to abandon their safe, domesticated, and civilized faith to live the way Christ called his followers to live. McManus titles this manner of spending one’s life for Christ, the barbarian way.

McManus says to be barbaric is whenever you choose to live a faith of faith even when it takes you in a world of uncertainty. When this type of faith is unleashed it sometimes leads us into show more places of danger and also brings undesired disruptions in our life. He gives biblical life examples of how the followers of Jesus lived on the edge yet always trusting in their Lord. One he mention was the story of John the Baptist sending word to Jesus while in prison, and when Jesus did not save John from prison or death. McManus says, “Actually, God’s will for us is less about our comfort than it is about our contribution. God would never choose for us safety at the cost of significance. God created you so that your life would count, not so that you could count the days of your life.”

The author points out that Jesus did not endure death on the cross just so that we would be nice people who behave themselves. McManus says, “The civilized build shelters and invite God to stay with them; barbarians move with God wherever He chooses to go.” Oh how domesticated Christians are far too easily pleased and willing to avoid the battle for the soul of the world. McManus instead emphasizes in this book how Jesus calls us to a different way of wild and untamed Christianity as described of the Christ followers in Acts 17:6 “These men who have turned the world upside down.”

This book is a fire starter which I highly recommend to anyone looking to grow in their passion or find a passion for the Gospel. I have read a vast number of books in my time this is on my list of some of the best I have enjoyed reading. show less

Last year, while attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit with Steve Zerbe, I got to hear Erwin speak and was dumbstruck by his communication method. I have since done all I can to dive into atleast one other McManus book - UPRISING - which is actually the book we’re going through as a small men’s group Bible Study!

I picked this book up at Willow Creek two weeks ago when I was there for the NEXT GENERATION conference and had the opportunity to hear McManus for the second time.

This book, “The Barbarian Way” is based on what I heard McManus speak about last year at the Leadership Summit.

The fact that I started AND finished this book should be proof enough that it was a VERY great book!

“The Barbarian Way” is Erwin show more McManus’ attempt at explaining the need for another “breed” of Christian - since the term “Christian” has become little more than a term representing “good people”.

The basis of the book - each of us that call Christ our King have an in-grown need to “fight for the heart of our King”!

Some of the highlighted paragraphs that are now in my book:

# “Perhaps the tragedy of our time is that such an overwhelming number of us who declare Jesus as Lord have become domesticated - or, if you will, civilized. We have lost the simplicity of our early faith.”(p.12)
# “…there is within you a raw and untamed faith waiting to be unleashed.”(p.13)
# “Christianity has become our Shawshank, and our redemption will only come if we find the courage to escape the prison we have created for ourselves.”(p.17)
# “Some barbarians survive the night in the lion’s den; others experience their darkest night and wake in eternity.”(p.41)
# “We’ve created a religious culture in which - even though we’re the most blessed society in the history of the planet - our best-selling literature still focuses on how we can be more blessed.”(p.48)
# “Innovation is a life skill. When we’re surrounded by civilization, innovation tends to be motivated by boredom.”(p.52)
# “But I want to warn you, the closer you walk with Christ, the greater the faith required. The more you trust Him, the more you’ll risk on His behalf. The more you love Him, the more you will love others.”(p.53)
# “How is it possible that, for many of us, being a good Christian is really nothing more than being a good person?”(p.65)
# “I think there’s a problem when people talk about meeting God or knowing god and yet remain unchanged by God.”(p.66)
# “If you are a follower of Christ and you have allowed yourself to be domesticated, you have lost the power of who you are and who God intends for you to be. You were not created to be normal. God’s desire for you is not compliance and conformity. You have been baptized by Spirit and fire. Asleep within you is a barbarian, a savage to all who love the prim and proper. You must go to the primal place and enter the presence of the Most High God, for there you will be changed by His presence. Let Him unleast the untamed faith within you.”(p.82)
# “Jesus was anything but the poster child for status quo.”(p.114)

I would DEFINITELY recommend putting down the $16.99 for this book (actually, the receipt says I only paid $13.59 + tax!) show less

The fact that every point the author makes is illustrated with either a major motion picture or a personal illustration was my first clue that the book's depth would go no farther than the wading pool. The author throughout seems to lay claim to novelty, but the truths he presents have been evident for a century to those whose eyes are open to the decline of Western Christianity. What the author took 147 pages to describe could have been succintly put in 15. With loaded terminology like 'barbarian,' 'warrior,' 'revolution,' 'untamed,' non-'domesticated,' etc. McManus seems to equate authentic Christianity with bucking the system. McManus writes: 'Jesus was making clear that being a disciple was never intended to be the equivalent of show more being molded into a stereotype,' yet he sees no problem in stereotyping authentic Christians as barbarian warriors. While this is surely not his intent, the impression is given that to follow Jesus is to be a rugged individual unencumbered by the restraints of authorities (including biblical authorities).
The author shows more interest in being 'outside the box' than 'outside the camp.'
I was most disturbed by McManus' (intentional or unintentional?) downplaying of the significance of God's written Word in favor of 'mystical and miraculous' special revelation. (See p. 77)
This being said, there were some redeeming tidbits. Here are some of the best quotes:

'God's will for us is less about our comfort than it is about our contribution.'

'So many of us have put our hope in teaching our children about God rather than guiding them into an experience with God. We essentially civilize our children rather than guide them to the barbarian way. I am concerned that there are many who have grown up in church and have been effectively Christianized but have never genuinely met Christ.'

'Our goal must not be to populate the Christian religion but to bring people into a genuine relationship with God.' show less

I will never forget the moment I completed the first chapter of this book. I was sitting in my truck waiting on my son to get out of pre-school. Something within the text struck deep at the core of my soul, and I wept.

This is one of the two books that I required my Renovating Life students to read. It challenges you to be bold and to fight for the heart of your king. Your potential is limitless when you join God where He is working. 160 pages

This was a most compelling read for me. McManus challenges me in a way that few authors do. His desire for absolute authenticity in his Christian life is amazing. And when I read his books or hear him speak, I am always convinced that there is so much more to the disciple's life than what I have. He pushes me - and I need that!

McManus always offers narrative gems that inspire my preaching. This simple and straightforward book lays out direction for the beginning Christian life, or for the life of faith gone stale. The call is to go beyond the bounds of safe religious notions, and to pursue God's way into the uncharted realms of front line Kingdom living, work, and service.