Unclean
Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality
Published on 23. February 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
212 pages
978-0-7188-9256-2 (ISBN)
Description
"I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Echoing Hosea, Jesus defends his embrace of the "unclean" in the Gospel of Matthew, seeming to privilege the prophetic call to justice over the Levitical pursuit of purity. And yet, as missional faith communities are well aware, the tensions and conflicts between holiness and mercy are not so easily resolved. In an unprecedented fusion of psychological science and theological scholarship, Richard Beck describes the pernicious (and largely unnoticed) effects of the psychology of purity upon the life and mission of the church.
Reviews / Votes
''This book left me stunned by an overwhelming impression of the kind of struggles some Christians have to come to terms with. This is a book that any young, or even not so young, earnest Evangelical would do well to engage with. Consequently one can only praise Beck for this tour de force.''Neil Broadbent in: The Christian Parapsychologist Vol. 1 (No.7). September 2012
"...Noteworthy and full of insights, Unclean is a recommended reading for anyone interested in the psychological- and theological- aspects of purity in the church..."
David Jimenez-Cardenas, Psychology of Religion, Vol.24, No 2, 2012.
'...The value of this book is that it begins a conversation that needs to be explored. Many of the discussions to date about human sexuality have ignored the impact of a disgust reaction on the ways that people respond to those discussions. A more honest recognition of personal response will allow a more honest conversation. For that reason, I am grateful for the contribution this book makes...'
Marion Chatterley, The Expository Times, Vol. 124, No. 8, May 2013
'Beck's skillful writing and psychological wisdom make this book a thought-provoking read.'
Sue Dickinson, Reviews in Religion & Theology, Volume 20, Issue 4, September 2013
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Publishing group
James Clarke & Co Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 153 mm
Weight
321 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7188-9256-2 (9780718892562)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2012
Lutterworth Press
€24.49
Available for download
Person
Richard Beck is Professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University.
Content
Acknowledgments Introduction: Mercy and Sacrifice Part 1: Unclean 1 Darwin and Disgust 2 Contamination and Contagion Part 2: Purity 3 Morality and Metaphors 4 Divinity and Dumbfounding Part 3: Hospitality 5 Love and Boundaries 6 Monsters and Scapegoats 7 Contempt and Heresy 8 Hospitality and Embrace Part 4: Mortality 9 Body and Death 10 Sex and Privy 11 Need and Incarnation Conclusion: Elimination and Regulation Bibliography