loved this book! I laughed, cried and nodded my head in agreement throughout this book, There's a chapter for everyone, I was really encouraged by this book, I wanted to read it because I learned the author is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and as a parent, I really want to understand what the life of faith and experience of church is like for people on the spectrum.
What surprised me is how much I personally resonated with his observations, I have never heard of his podcast, but based on this book he is theologically solid and also humbly honest about the double standards Christians sometimes have and the emotional or cultural things we sometimes think of as part of our faith.
If you have ever felt out of place in church or struggled to know how to help those who do, this book is for you, Warning: If modern church culture makes perfect sense to you, and you always fit in seamlessly, dont read this, As for the rest of us
While American church culture and American culture at large seems largely designed for the extroverted, its estimated that half of the American population is introverted, and theyre often left wondering how, even if, they fit in the kingdom of God.
As one of them, popular radio host Brant Hansen brings news, Its wonderful, refreshing, and neverbeensaidthiswaybefore good news,
In his unique style, Hansen looks to answer questions that millions of people carry with them each day:
If I dont relate to God as emotionally as others do, is something wrong with me
How does one approach God, and approach faith, when devoid of the “good feelings” that seem to drive so much of evangelical church culture
How does God interact with those who seem spiritually numb
Is the absence of faithbased emotion a sign of that God has moved on or was never there
What if we arent good at talking to people about our faith, or good at talking to people at all
What if Im told Im too analytical, that I “think too much”
Where does a person who suffers from depression fit in the kingdom Is depression a sure sign of a lack of faith
This book is good news for people who are desperately looking for it.
And for their loved ones!
Its also for those who want to believe in Jesus, but inwardly fear that they dont belong, worry that dont have the requisite emotionbased relationship with God, and are starving for good news.
Blessed Are the Misfits is going to generate discussion, and lots of it, Its simultaneously highly provocative and humbly personal, Its also leavened with a distinct, dry, selfeffacing humor that is a hallmark of Hansens onair, writing, and public speaking style, I've been a fan of Brant Hansen's writing for quite a long time, I can still remember my first encounter with his words over a decade ago: a blog post declaring that he and his family were giving up church attendance in favor of a different sort of gathering with other people of faith.
At that time, he kept a blog called Letters From Kamp Krusty, where he sometimes poked fun at the strangeness of church culture, at other times tackled more serious issues such as acceptance and doubt, and at other times engaged in outright silliness such as singing sometimes literally the praises of toast.
What I always noticed and appreciated even in those earliest days was Brant's repeated observations that many Christian circles don't often know what to do with those who don't quite fit the mold.
It's easy to welcome and accept and engage with the ones who seem well put together, those who carry themselves confidently or who articulate faith issues well, It's more difficult to do so with the shy or awkward, those struggling with disorders or disabilities, the ones who dare to express doubts or questions,
In that sense, Blessed Are the Misfits: Great News for Believers who are Introverts, Spiritual Strugglers, or Just Feel Like They're Missing Something is a culmination of what Brant has been writing about for years.
The warning he includes at the very beginning partially quoted above names that he wants to speak to all those who have often or always found trouble trying to relate to fellow believers in traditional contexts or ways.
Much like the title, many of this Blessed Are the Misfits's chapters follow the model of the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew, declaring various groups of misfits "blessed, " He addresses groups such as those who can't easily access their emotions, those who struggle with prayer, those who struggle with "imposter syndrome," skeptics, and those on the autism spectrum, among many others.
Every chapter provides a combination of personal anecdote, scriptural insights, and assurances that one shouldn't feel so lone that in fact there are many others wrestling with similar issues, and that God loves them all regardless.
Brant himself is quite open with his own struggles throughout his book, As a selfconfessed introvert, skeptic, and "Aspie" person diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, he weaves his own story into many chapters, This is not a memoir per se, but one of the reasons he wants to include and reassure many of the groups that he does is because he himself falls into them.
He knows the issues well, and his form of selfconfession and exploration allows the reader dealing with similar things to enter into what he shares more easily,
I found Blessed Are the Misfits a wonderful exploration of why so many don't feel like they fit into traditional church culture or ways of expressing faith, He helps show that such things don't mean they aren't or can't be loved by God, In fact, he says, we often see that Jesus tends to spend more time with the outcasts, the square pegs in the culture's round hole, who have been deemed unfit, unclean, and unworthy.
As he has been doing for years, Brant wants to show that what was good news for Jesus' original audience is still good news for many who need it today.
ARC received courtesy of Netgalley and the Publisher, in exchange for an honest review
To say that this was simply a “good read,” would be an understatement.
IMO, this book was a refreshing breath of air, given by an author who is unpretentious in his musings and more than relatable to his audience of misfits, square pegs, ragamuffins, and other weird folk, who dont quite fit in with popular church culture.
As a selfproclaimed “ragamuffin” chica, I loved reading this book, so much so that I went ahead and purchased his previous book, “unoffendable, ”
Giving this one:brilliant,
I dont really buy into the whole selfhelp phenomenon, religious or otherwise, Selfhelp strikes me as common sense, . . But there were two reasons I picked up this book:
, Brant Hansen is one of my favorite people on the planet,
. I ama misfit.
Now Im so glad I picked this one up, because this book is my spirit animal, Its hilarious, awkward, moving, honest, and inspiring, Building upon a compelling biblical foundation, Brant Hansen brings hope and connection to people like us, the awkward, the unemotional, the depressed, the skeptics, the unnoticed, the lonely, the introverted, the shy, the misfits.
I have way too many good things to say about it, Ill spare you a twentypage essay and just say that I encourage anyone who is a little confused by American church culture to give it a try, For those who feel like you dont quite fit in, for those who have any hint of doubt that God could love someone like you, look here, Youll find good news.
Side note: I wouldve been awesome at that Dewey Decimal bingo he mentioned, What a relief! Someone finally wrote a book daring to discuss some of the things Ive wondered about for a long time, As believers in Christ, we cannot and are not supposed to be built the same, We were created with different strengths, interests, and ways of expressing our thoughts and feelings, Yes, evangelism is a wonderful thing, It isnt the only thing though, Some of us are comfortable talking to other people about Christ and about our experiences with him, Others write stories, serve in hospitals, or rebuild bridges after an earthquake, Our culture values extroversion with its chatter, small talk, and social media interaction, If you read the Bible and study the character and personal lives of church historians and leaders, I think you will find God values service in a much broader sense.
That is what this book is about, Its message is refreshing, honest, and can lead to some wonderful discussions with friends and family, It has also prompted me to do some indepth private journal writing, challenging me to get real about how I experience my relationship with Christ and how I serve and worship God.
I am generally an introvert, but I dont think I am as much of an introvert as the author of this book, Still, I recognize parts of myself in each chapter, Im glad he took the time to write this book, I read all three of Brandt Hansons books indays, I couldnt put them down, the perspective was just so refreshing, While my favorite was Unoffendable, I highly recommend all three, There were some sections in this book and “The Truth About Us” which were good but I didnt necessarily relate to, but then there were other chapters that would be applicable to anyone and I enjoyed tremendously.
The best praise I can give Brants books is that as Ive read them had a lot more joy and charity in my dealings with others, I plan on rereading all three since this first time was a quick pass, Highly recommend! Like an honest conversation with an old friend, long into the night, Grab some toast and brew another pot of coffee, you need to hear this, . . Brant Hansen is a sharp guy with a gift for presenting the gospel in fresh ways to the average listener, Hansen also is on the spectrum, and as someone diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, connects with those who dont feel like they fit in,
The best and the frustrating gifts of Hansen are on full display in Blessed are the Misfits, Blessed are the Misfits is Hansens invitation into the Christian life to anyone who has ever felt estranged in the church or like their experience of the faith isnt the same as others.
Hansen tells us thats its okay if you dont have the same emotional experience as others do, if you suffer from depression, or struggle with doubt, Hansen tells us that, “The absence of feeling is not the absence of love, ”
What I appreciate most about Hansen is that he does all of this without watering down the gospel and the implications of the gospel, The truth of the gospel is anchored in the character of God, not in ourselves, Hansen says, “Our feelings have nothing to do with whether God loves us or is still involved in our lives, ”
Hansen has a wonderful way of connecting with those who feel disaffected by the American evangelical church and drawing them in, I was surprised to see that while Hansen spends a fair amount of time critiquing evangelicalism, at the same time he doesnt allow the reader to optout of church, Despite her flaws, we need the church,
While there is much to commend in Blessed are the Misfits, a few things rubbed me the wrong way, In order to connect with his audience, Hansen at times strawmans the church and offers unhelpful generalizations,
This isnt a book for everyone, but Blessed are the Misfits is a great book for the disaffected Christian or the spiritually uncertain,
For more reviews see sitelinkwww, thebeehive. live.
.RTC
This is one of those books that will challenge you towards wisdom and grace, This one is a must read, Some Christians can go through life with all the rituals and constructs with no question or pause, Then there are the rest of us who do not always feel as if we belong, We notice the assumptions and quirks,
This book offered a voice that echoes with my own in many ways, It was refreshing to read and find out I am not alone in occasionally feeling like an outcast or misfit,
A lovely and wellwritten book about the "rest of us, " This book is hard to describe. Funny, honest, heartbreaking, and hopeful, Profoundly awkward and
utterly profound, If you don't "get" modern, western church or Christianity, but you still want to follow Jesus, this book is a good place to start,
FYI: I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, ed at my blog: sitelinkBabbling Books
“Pretty sure Ill be seated at the misfits table, Pretty sure there wont be any nonmisfit tables, now that I think about it, ”I was having a low point when I decided to click “Read Now” on this book on NetGalley, and Im glad I did, You know those books that make you feel like someone has reached deep into that lonely, aching place of your heart and given it that extra special squeeze it so desperately needed, well, this is one of those books.
I didnt know anything about the author, Brant Hansen, before choosing this book to read, I found out through reading it that the author is speaking from many of the perspectives hes writing to, hes a misfit just like us, Dealing with Aspergers syndrome, nystagmus and being an introvert, hes able to come alongside the misfit believers and talk to us in a way others cannot, It was clear from the title that the misfits were meant to represent those who struggled to feel that they were connecting with God spiritually, They didnt understand emotional worship, they thought they were missing something when they saw other believers who seemed to “have it” and they didnt get why they were so introverted in their faith when others werent.
This was the beauty of the “misfit” Hansen was appealing to, Ive never read a book that honestly sought after these people, my people, me, And so thats why I gave the book five is because the author really manages to get after and talk to these people in the kingdom of God.
He laughs with us and teaches us at the same time,
Alive with laughter, practical biblical knowledge and warm friendship from someone who understands the struggle, Hanson is able to capture the unique beauty and grace of being a misfit.
He illustrates Gods love for the marginalized through Jesus, the radical and uncommon nature of Christs choosing the unknown and unlikely people and how in most cases God did not look for the people everyone expected, but chose the people no one wanted.
His stories are immensely relatable, things those of us on the outside, the questioners and seekers have all wondered if others felt but never dared to reveal ourselves, His assurances that emotions are not the end all is a refresher to the push of culture today and he breathes new life into the idea that being awkward, introverted and a struggler are not the worst things in the world to be.
Sometimes these things are what draw you closer to the arms of the Father, One of the many quotes I highlighted in this book was the one below and I love it because it reminds me of a truth Ive known but never been able to express.
The truth that there is more and sometimes, when youre a misfit, you know it and you seek it from God all the time and when others dont it makes you feel like youre wrong, but Hansen is here to tell us that maybe thats just not the case.
“Lovers yearn, but religious people dont, Religious people have their rules, and they have them in full, Theres nothing to yearn for, But God calls us to relationship, and that means yearning, ”The writing style of this book is unique, Honestly the best way I can describe it is like sitting down to have a conversation with a friend and just letting the conversation go where it goes because sometimes thats just how it feels, like talking to a friend.
Hansen can be a little jumpy in his writing and some of his stories seemed out of place for the narrative, but these are nitpicks to the overall wonderful message he was able to get across with this book.
While I can disagree with him that God has favorites and I agree that God is a healer but sometimes, because of the fallen nature of man, not everyone will be healed, I cant explain enough how wonderful it is to read a book that really resonates with me.
Right now, so many Christian books are about watered down gospel and watered down struggle, But this author is willing to tackle the real struggles while still staying true to the God of Scripture, A humble thank you to him for this book, for his honesty in writing it, and his wisdom in sharing it, Ill leave this review with one last quote, and its another really good one, Being a misfit means youre often left out and kept out, but so was Jesus and you know what, that didnt stop Him from loving the world anyway, Hansen writes in his book about this great love for the marginalized and how we as misfits need to remember that Christ was a great misfit too, He died for everyone, the misfits and the nonmisfits, so that they may know eternal life,
So, in sum:
, Humans make no sense Love them anyway.
I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley from Thomas NelsonW Publishing in exchange for an honest review,