Page 2 – Brennan Manning – All is Grace
Behold Jesus crucified! Behold his wounds, received for love of you! His whole appearance betokens love: his head is bent to kiss you; his arms are extended to embrace you; his heart is open to receive you. O superabundance of love, Jesus, the Son of God, dies upon the cross, that man may live and be delivered from everlasting death!
Three hours later Manning awoke undone. He calls it a theology of delight that “God not only loved me, but also liked me.” His awakening to grace would prove to reshape the direction of his life.
The memoir was often hilariously biting in its appraisal of modern Christian leaders and trends. His first task as a Franciscan priest was to help lead an intentional community before “intentional community” was a buzzword. His time laboring at a farm was before “being green” was hip. And of course drinking alcohol, which has become what all the cool preachers are doing:
I know there is a cadre of young Christian leaders these days who find talking theology over beer to be something exhilarating and edgy, as if combining the two hadn’t occurred to anyone before. I believe these men have historical amnesia. Paul and I were doing that when those guys weren’t a thought.
All of this points me to take a harder look at what is new and popular and edgy, and realize that the old story of grace is better (not to mention there is nothing new under the sun). If nothing else, Manning’s memoir is a clarion call to grace. Brennan Manning, a failed son, failed priest, failed husband, failed step father, failed church leader and raging alcoholic becomes a poster child for the transformational power of grace. I found myself wondering anew about Bonheoffer’s argument against cheap grace, which Manning admits being criticized with. And to which he freely admits being guilty of. He says, “Some have labeled my message one of ‘cheap grace.’ In my younger days, their accusations were a gauntlet thrown down, a challenge. But I’m an old man now and I don’t care…” As he says elsewhere “God loves you as you are, not as you should be.”
With the aggressive arguments and theological arm wrestling I have experienced over the past several years, which in some ways have jaded me toward theology, this message is a breath of fresh air. More than an edgy gimmick, it is the grounding hope of Christian theology, the hope of the world – vulgar grace.
Brennan Manning’s memoir begins with the line you don’t always get what you ask for. After seventy plus winding years of success and failure it ends with his forgiveness and hope and most of all grace, leading to peace and a new line, a better line, I guess sometimes you do get what you asked for.
C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. He is also author of a number of books, including most recently How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church (Brazos Press, 2019). Connect with him online at: C-Christopher-Smith.com
 Reading for the Common Good From ERB Editor Christopher Smith "This book will inspire, motivate and challenge anyone who cares a whit about the written word, the world of ideas, the shape of our communities and the life of the church." -Karen Swallow Prior Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletter & download your FREE copy of this ebook! |
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