Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace

I've worked my way through this book in fits and starts over the past several months which hinders the task of "reviewing" a work. For those who want a brief synopsis of the text, Volf's afterword gives a great 4-point summation of the book's intentions:
> To present a "case for Christianity"
> To present a particular reading of the Apostle Paul
> To present a particular reading (in the Finnish tradition) of Martin Luther
> To do so in a way that bends and blends the categories of "theological" and "spiritual" writing

That's a good summation of what Volf accomplishes here, and the accomplishment is brilliant: He achieves that elusive point of being utterly convincing that he's broadly read and deeply studied...that he has truly mastered the show more content about which he writes (and since that content is the writings of Paul and Martin Luther, that is no small feat)...WITHOUT falling over into the over-explanation and "and furthermores..." that are the bane of most theologians.

This is a book that ANYONE can read with profit, including scholars of Paul and Luther. It is a gift from a master theologian with a fine sense of how to speak to the true issues of our day. show less

Begins with careful explanation of giving, to others and where God fits in, then moves on to forgiving, and being forgiven. The writing is methodical but this makes it too long to be of wide appeal but if you persist there is a very good explanation of satisfaction atonement and unity with Christ. Good interaction with modern literature and films, final chapter addressed, (a bit late), to a sceptic about the very idea of God. Ends up recommending Paul and especially Luther's understanding of him.

Engaging treatment of giving and forgiving. Volf shows what theology should be: he draws from Scripture, tradition, history, and his personal life in a playful and sober way while exploring his topics. While the discussion can touch on emotional topics, Volf never employs cheap sentimentalism or manipulation. More accessible than Exclusion and Embrace, though not as hard-hitting.

An exploration of the questions of how we can find the motivation to give in our increasingly graceless culture and how we can learn to forgive when forgiving seems counterintuitive or futile. Volf draws from popular culture and from a wide variety of literary and theological sources to provide us this compelling invitation to Christian faith as a way of life.

Good stuff! One of these books that are easy to read but then need reread because there is so much in them - Volf is like that.

good book, textbook on forgiveness

Forgiveness, Giving