The divine magician
Subtitle: the disappearance of religion and the discovery of faith
By: Peter Rollins
Edition: First Howard Books trade paperback edition.
Publisher: Howard Books
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 189
ISBN-13: 9781451609042
Subjects: Lord's Supper; Christian life; Magic; Christianity
Description: In this exploration of traditional Christianity, the author turns the tables on conventional wisdom, offering a fresh perspective focused on a life filled with love.  The author knows one magic trick-- now, make sure you watch closely.  It has three parts: the Pledge, the Turn, and the Prestige.  In this book, each part comes into play as he explores a radical view of interacting with the world in love.  Rollins argues that the Christian event, reenacted in the Eucharist, is indeed a type of magic trick, one that is echoed in the great vanishing acts performed by magicians throughout the ages.  In this trick, a divine object is presented to us (the Pledge), disappears (the Turn), and then returns (the Prestige). But just as the returned object in a classic vanishing act is not really the same object-- but another that looks the same-- so this book argues that the return of God is not simply the return of what was initially presented, but rather a radical way of interacting with the world. In an effort to unearth the power of Christianity, the author uses this framework to explain the mystery of faith that has been lost on the church.  This book pushes the boundaries of theology, presenting a stirring vision at the forefront of re-imagined modern Christianity.  The author examines traditional religious notions from a revolutionary and original perspective. At the heart of his message is a life lived through profound love.  Just perhaps, says Rollins, the radical message found in Christianity might be one that the church can show allegiance to.
Notes: Includes bibliographic references (pages 187-189).
Table of contents: title: Hocus pocus; title: The pledge. Conjuring something from nothing ; The curse of the magician's curtain; title: The turn.  Saint Paul's optical illusion ; The disappearance of nothing; title: The prestige.  Smoke and mirrors ; The empty cabinet; title: Trickster Christ; title: Behind the scenes.  Outside the magic circle ; Restaging the trick ; The vanishing priest; title: In the name.