Every now and then a book comes out that actually
shakes me up, makes me question what I believe and what I think I know. Erwin Raphael McManus' The Barbarian Way is such a
book.
McManus advocates a return to the ways of untamed barbarism... for the followers of Christ! Denouncing the domesticated
institution that Christianity has become, he urges the faithful to heed the call of Spirit and willingly embrace the many
risks inherent in following the Heart's true calling.
I am neither a Christian nor a follower of Christ, yet - as a
barbarian - I found this book extremely inspirational and practical. McManus writes in an easy-to-read conversational style
and uses many anecdotes from his personal life. Indeed, The Barbarian Way is dedicated to his daughter Mariah, who mentors
him in the ways of untamed faith.
Jephthah the Gileadite, a 'mighty man of valor' who was cast out by his people, raided
the surrounding countryside and later saved it from the Ammonites... John the Baptist, who wore a camel-hair shirt, defied
the power structure by speaking his truth and ate locusts... these are the biblical heroes of The Barbarian Way.
Unlike
many popular Christian books, which attack those who think differently, The Barbarian Way encourages divergence and innovation
attuned to inspiration. Like Jesus before him, McMannus' ire is aimed at the Pharisees and Saducees of his own faith rather
than at some ill-defined outsiders. Indeed, by definition, it is the barbarian who remains the outsider, the antithesis of
the herd that seeks comfort in conformity and safety in numbers.
Regardless of the faith you profess (or lack thereof),
if you would be a barbarian in spirit it behooves you to check out this book. The uniqueness of your path and purpose, the
value of living free, the price of heeding the barbarian call, the corrupting infuences of civilization, the importance of
facing fear head on... all these - and more - are touched upon in this slim but potent tome.
Musing by Thor the Barbarian
