With Unveiled Face

With Unveiled Face (149pp, £9.95) is the new book written by my dad. I got my copy via my mum yesterday. I've read most of it in draft already, but it's good to see the finished thing. The book, as the subtitle suggests, is a pastoral and theological exploration of shame.  This book is coincidently published not long after Alan Mann's Atonement for a 'Sinless' Society has been published.  The argument of Mann is that sin is no longer a concept that is understood or even recognized by today's postmodern society and instead the problem of our society is shame.  If Mann is right, and personally I find much of which he says convincing, With Unveiled Face is an important contribution to  this discussion.

I'm not sure whether it is because he's my dad, but I enjoy reading his writings. I recently re-read Care in a Confused Climate and suggested it is a helpful introduction to the role of the church youth-worker, see here. Some of the book is heavy going, although not unreadable, but it is also full of interesting comments. For example, towards the end of the book, there is a short section called The Christian Church Must Refuse to Play the Fame Game, here Goodliff writes:

Evangelicalism too often wants its heroes and trophies in a way that panders too much to the spirit of the age. It creates its 'well-known public speakers' who ply the pathetically small world of Evangelical conferences and holidays, the organisers of which use the fame of the speaker of musician to attract the (fee-paying) delegate or holidaymaker, and make the event financially viable I wonder what Jesus Christ would make of it all? (129)

This resonates with me a lot, for during my mid- to late teens as I discovered the world of Soul Survivor, I wanted to be the next Matt Redman, leading the masses in worship. I wanted to produce albums with front covers of me looking pensive. I don't think I was alone in this. Have we established the Christian celebrity or elite, which we long to be a part of?  In the same way, our culture encourages our young people to believe they can be the next pop idol, fashion model, tv star; this only leads to 'increase[d] levels of "chronic" shame, both amongest those who fail to achieve their aspirations to be famous, and amongest those who pay the price of fame in the currency of such psychological disorders and mental health problems as anorexia, substance abuse and depression' (50-51).   

This has not been a review of the book, I've only picked out when short section which got me thinking.  There is much in here  that is worth reading.

Comments

[ash]

sounds like an interesting read indeed. This whole sin thing is something I've thought about for a while, although not had time to reflect so much recently I think i'll be coming back to it.

[graham]

Ah, your Paul Goodliff's son! Sorry, I've read your blog for a while now, but I never made the connection.

Paul was my regional minister until his "promotion" recently. Wonderful guy.

Looks like a good book on a surprisingly rarely written about topic. I've been waiting for it to come out for quite some time now. (Now I know what to ask for for Father's day!)