Title: The Ragamuffin Gospel
Author: Brennan Manning
Publisher: Multnomah
General Subject
Matter: Christian Living, the
Gospel
First Copyright: 1990
Type: Hardback
Price: US $19.99/25.99 CAN
ISBN: 978-1-60142-868-4The purpose of The Ragamuffin Gospel is to provide the reader with a different image of an individual’s relationship with God in juxtaposition to the popular concept of God’s acceptance of individuals. The author gives us his purpose statement in the section he has entitled, “A Word Before.” The author states that the purpose of the book is to bring comfort to what he calls “the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt out.”
The theme of The
Ragamuffin Gospel is that salvation or redemption is not earned by anything
that an individual can do. However, the author does not seem to have an
understanding of the true gospel revealed in the Scriptures.
This book propagates a false gospel. The author
was a defrocked Roman Catholic priest. He has written extensively on subjects
that have been deemed to be heretical by main stream Christianity.
There are several problems within this book. I
will list some problems without developing them either from the author’s viewpoint
or from a Scriptural refutation.
In relation to salvation there is no mention of
repentance, there is no reference to a new birth or regeneration as outlined in
the Scriptures. The author promotes a type of special “sealing” that takes
place during infant baptism.
Additional problems with this book include the
author’s approach to redemption and sanctification from a psychological
viewpoint. A major problem is the fact that Manning quotes from false teachers
and philosophers such as Paul Tillich, Carl Jung, Beatrice Bruteau, Henri
Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Francis MacNutt and others.
An example of his false teaching is found on
page 120 of his book where Manning states, “To evangelize a person is to say to
him or her: you, too, are loved by God in the Lord Jesus.” (The Ragamuffin Gospel, 2nd
edition, 2000, p. 120). This is not the gospel. It is not the way to evangelize
those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel includes that fact that
men are loved by God, but they are dead in trespasses and sins and must put
their trust in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
There was nothing about this book that I liked
or could recommend. It is amazing that this book was published and more amazing
that it has found a “reception” in mainstream Christianity.
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I received a free copy of The Ragamuffin Gospel for this review. I received nothing else nor was I required to give a positive review. This review is my own thoughts and opinions.
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I received a free copy of The Ragamuffin Gospel for this review. I received nothing else nor was I required to give a positive review. This review is my own thoughts and opinions.
3 comments:
An unusual post for you Gregg but nonetheless worthy of a read.
This sounds like an excellent book to read and wish the author all the best of luck.
Yvonne.
I read this book several years ago when it was given to a family member who was a young and impressionable believer at the time. I agree with your concerns. It gives false assurance that someone can be accepted by God without the need for repentance and faith in Christ's atoning death.
Hi Gregg, I think that is called another gospel (2 Cor. 11:4).
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