Manning, Brennan - The Ragamuffin Gospel

[Judy Hamilton]

Have any of you guys/gals read this book?

If you have ..do you recommned it??
And if you do...why??

if you have read it and do not recommend it as a good book..why not??

Thanks

Judy

[Hans Deventer]

I haven't read it. I have read two other books by Brennan Manning though. Based on that knowledge, and based on the apparent popularity of the Ragamuffin Gospel, I myself certainly want to read it, so at this point, I'd recommend it.

[William Hunter]

I have read this book 3-4 times and will read it again. I have a new small group starting in my congregation on Sunday evenings and they are using this book as the base of their discussions. I gave my full support for this material to be used there.

Manning seems to get past all the nonsense and shallowness of our culture and ministers to the real person---and probably to most people in our culture---for I thik most are not sure they are worth much, do not count, can't find meaning for this life and are just trying to make it, etc. Manning soes a great job of bringing the love and grace of God to where most people live.

When my youngest daughter was at ONU she told me they were reading this book as a student body that semester and recommended I get it. I did and then she told me Mannig was coming to speak at Olivet. I drove 6 hrs. one way to go hear this man in a chapel service and it was worth the effort. He is far better in person than in print and his books are wonderful.



Have any of you guys/gals read this book?

If you have ..do you recommned it??
And if you do...why??

if you have read it and do not recommend it as a good book..why not??

Thanks

Judy

[Judy Hamilton]

AWWWW!!! I would have made the same drive to hear him!!

I have Kris to thank for my ever expanding library!!!
Thanks Hans and Willaim for your comments

i am relishing in this book

Judy

[Andrew J. Pottenger]

This book helped change the way I view Christianity. I remember first reading it on a drive home to Colorado from somewhere in Kansas, and seeing for the first time how the gospel truly is "good news," rather than another department store in the Mall of Religions to choose from.

Manning boils the gospel down to its bare elements: Jesus' love for the outsider. It is readable enough for an unchurched non-believer, yet it doesn't dumb anything down. It is the simple, unvarnished good news of Christ.

I sent a copy of this book to a friend of mine who is currently serving in Iraq. His fiance told me recently he's devouring the book, and talking about it with several of the other guys with him. He and his fiance, I believe, are fairly new believers (within the last couple of years or so), and so I felt this was a great book for him to really understand what Christianity is all about, outside of the religious belief system.

[Andrew Henck]

"The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning is by far one of my favorite books. I have read it several times now and just finished re-reading it again during my trip to South Africa. I would highly recommend it. In fact, it comes with discussion questions in the back of the book--so read it with a small group or a book club. I did this last summer and thoroughly enjoyed this as well.

I have underlined things everywhere in this book but one of my favorite parts is below...

"Jesus comes for sinners, for those as outcast as tax collectors and for those caught up in squalid choices and failed dreams. He comes for corporate executives, street people, superstars, farmers, hookers, addicts, IRS agents, AIDS victims, and even used car salesmen. Jesus not only talks with these people but dines with them--fully aware that His table fellowship with sinners will raise the eyebrows of religious bureaucrats who hold up the robes and insignia of their authority to justify their condemnation of the truth and their rejection of the gospel of grace"

Enjoy reading!

[Brad Mercer]

I'm nearly finished reading "Ragamuffin Gospel". I first heard of Brennan Manning back about 6 years ago, when Nelson Bradford sent me a cassette tape of Manning speaking at Olivet on God as Abba Daddy. I had used that phrase, so Nelson thought I'd like the sermon. It blew me away. I was listening to it in the car, on the way to a friend's house, and I wound up just sitting in the car in front of his house with tears streaming down my face as I listened to the last few minutes. He said what I had been saying, only way better than I could ever say it, and it felt so good to hear someone do that. It always does.

Ragamuffin Gospel hasn't impacted me quite like that tape did, but it's really good. I certainly agree with it, and think it's an important message to absorb down to the marrow of our bones, and not just nod our heads to and then get back to earning God's love. I, too, have underlined several statements in it.

By the way, Andrew Henck: "by far one of my...."? I've always wondered what that phrase means. ;-) It looks like a thing could be "one of my favorites" or "by far my favorite", unless you have, say, 3 books that you like way, way more than books number 4 and below. "One of my" always sounds like it's taking back whatever "by far" is granting. ;-)

Love,
Brad

P.S. I just wanna be a blessing. ;-)

[Andrew Henck]

Well Brad Mercer...

You've been a blessing...

;-)

Hope you are doing well! Enjoy your day!

[BobHunt]

Maybe some of you have read a previous post, but my writing class mentor said she met Brennan Manning. Someone took her arm and said, "Virelle, I want you to meet someone" and took her over to where he was. She said he is a quiet humble man but speaks with great wisdom and love.

[Mike Schutz]

Hope you don't mind me adding to this thread so late.

Brennan has been a "friend" for quite a few years. (I place quotation marks around friend because I am sure I am one of thousands who consider Brennan a friend.) When I was chaplain at ENC, Tony Campolo was on campus and I asked him about the best speakers he has ever heard. He told me that I have to meet this guy Brennan Manning, that he was one of the best story tellers he ever heard. So I read Ragamuffin Gospel, and then invited Brennan to campus. We had him on campus every other year for over a decade.

A favorite Brennan story - I pick him up at the airport in Boston, and he is dressed in a jogging suit and a baseball cap. Here he is: an alcoholic, fighting cancer, wearing a baseball cap that says "No Fear." That's Brennan.

Grace and peace.

[Hans Deventer]

Hope you don't mind me adding to this thread so late.

Mike, no addition is ever late. They are always welcome.