Evangelism has kind of gotten a bad reputation. First, you have the connection to evangelicalism—which is increasingly seen as a polarizing political identity more than a theological one. Then you have all the ways in which evangelism is either done incorrectly or culturally inappropriately. I go back to my mandatory evangelism class at a Christian university and the techniques that were taught, I’ve found through actually talking to non-Christians, are major turn-offs to the Gospel. When the world thinks of evangelism, they either think of a Billy Graham crusade or a guy knocking on your door who just wants to have a conversation.

In Tongue-Tied, Sara Wenger Shenk proposes a new way. It’s a revolutionary way. Simply care for and be friends with and have good conversations with those around you. It’s a simple as that. And as scary. Shenk writes about the need to recover an authentic vocabulary of faith, one not scripted and laden with “Christianese.”

Her prose is both poetic and prophetic, drawing readers deeper into Christ as a mystery to explore with others, not a pre-packaged product to consume and disseminate. She writes about the need to do the hard work of addressing felt needs and caring for the issues the world cares about. The first part of the book explores why we have lost the language to communicate our faith, focusing on the us-versus-them dynamic that that has made segments of Christianity so polarizing. She opines that maybe our unease with evangelism comes with the fact that aren’t really comfortable talking about our faith “off-script.” We aren’t comfortable with mystery or uncertainty, so we narrow our definitions and conversational opportunities and restrict faith-talk to something so narrow as to have almost no meaning outside our pre-determined communities.

The second part is about regaining our fluency and relearning the language of faith that is accessible to all people. And it’s about incorporating the needs of this world—our social justice imperatives—into what salvation and faith are all about. Tongue-Tied is about evangelism, but you can’t lead where you haven’t been—and I might even say that you often do not understand what you cannot explain. Shenk portrays conversations about faith as an ordinary holiness that we must pursue. This isn’t another evangelism method, it’s sanctification. It’s helping others understand their faith enough to talk about it casually and extemporaneously. It’s a beautiful, challenging book that will not reframe how we share our faith, but how we live it out as well.

Why are people "tongue-tied" about religion? Probably, it is due to the lack of Evangelism and evangelistic fervor. Maybe, there are many layers of reasons ranging from disinterest to downright persecution. Perhaps, our culture has become increasingly anti-Christian and it is no longer "safe" to just speak about religion. As author Sara Wenger Shenk notes, "faith talk rarely shows up unless we’re at church." We have lost the art of sharing faith in the public arena. We need to recover not just the skills of sharing the gospel, more importantly, we need to bring back the conviction that the Great Commission is what Jesus has called us to do. We need to recover the language of love. Addressed primarily to her peers in North America, Shenk hopes that we will not let any spiritual malaise or apathy make God into our own image. Instead, we are encouraged to intentionally cultivate a "heartfelt, biblically enriched, and morally grounded faith" that will influence others for Christ.

Written in two parts, Part One excavates the layers of reasons why people are "tongue-tied." Central to her explanation is the meaning of faith. She connects it directly to trust that faith in God is about "speaking openly about what we trust, whom we trust, how we express that trust, and the limits of trust." From this trust, we can then move on to sharing the main message: God's love. Until we reach that point, we will remain "tongue-tied" in some way. In other words, learn to speak from the heart instead of merely from the head. She laments that we are losing fluency in our Christian witness. Noticing the downward trend of "sacred words" used in public, she highlights at least six reasons why there is great reluctance to speak about our faith. These include:
Disappointment or disillusionment with the inherited faith
Superficiality and artificiality of Christians
Doubts about why certain quarters still insist on dogmatic beliefs
Discomfort over how faith relates to the bodies we live in
Rising Nationalism and tribalism in many white majority communities
Lack of resolve to sustain relational quality among family and community.
In tackling the above, Shenk combines several motifs to help us understand the evangelistic demise. Many believers are full of themselves and are merely preoccupied with themselves. They are out of tune with the Spirit of God. Disappointed by love, they highlight the failures of the world and the lop-sided positive views of fellow believers. Worst of all, we silence the stories of others while trying to defend our own forms of conviction. One by one, Shenk dissects the six major problems of our passivity toward the sharing of the faith. She criticizes the way we avoid religious talk in a heavily secular higher education climate.; the way superficiality has taken over much of our conversations; the sad reliance on certainty in order to feel secure in our own definitions of faith; the inability to see every race and every human as being made in the image of God; and more. Thankfully, Shenk didn't stop there. Part Two is where she gives us several ways to redeem the situation. Instead of denial, rediscover the power of sacred words to see more similarity in human needs. Instead of class, ethnic, or social distinctions, learn to grow more human awareness and cultivate space for conversations among different parties. Be sensitive to people's need for the transcendent. Speak appropriate words of kindness and care. Let humility and wisdom guide our relationships. Recognize the need for both science and faith. Instead of segregating faith and secular matters, be willing to share areas of common interests while respecting differences. Respect does not necessarily mean rejection. The author ends with a chapter on how the Early Church was able to thrive despite persecution and multiple obstacles.

My Thoughts
There are many things in this book that resonates with me. Let me mention three of them. First, it is most timely for a refreshing reminder about evangelism for a new generation. One of the earliest books I have read about evangelism was Rebecca Manley Pippert's "Out of the Saltshaker and into the World." It helped many in that generation to get out of their comfort zone in order to share the gospel. Long considered a classic, it accompanies other books like Paul Little's "How to Give Away Your Faith" and Robert E. Coleman's "The Master Plan of Evangelism." It has been two decades since then and times have changed. We now live in a secular, skeptical, and thoroughly cynical atheistic climate as far as faith matters are concerned. This made those of us trained to share the gospel more frustrated about being shut down. It also made those untrained and lesser-equipped believers more reluctant to share the gospel. With widespread intimidation from all sides, overcoming fear itself is a huge barrier. By showing readers the various challenges to the present era, Shenk gives readers the assurance that she understands what many believers are going through.

Second, Shenk verbalizes for us the predicaments and reasons for the large evangelistic silence in many churches. Just like the Church of Ephesus in Revelation that has lost her first love, there is no excuse for failing to be salt and light to the world. The Great Commission needs to be sustained regardless of the challenges we face. Thankfully, the number of equipping steps that the author provides exceeds the number of barriers we face. This serves as an initial starting torque to wake up our quiet or inactive spiritual engines. The longer one sleeps, the tougher the initial "inefficiency." I appreciate Shenk calling this stage "Learning Fluency Step by Step." Ditto that. Rather than assume anyone of us could immediately recall the way to share the gospel, Shenk guides us gently to help us rediscover the need, relive the call, and rejuvenate the enthusiasm for the Great Commission.

Third, this book is instructional for all, even those who have been faithfully sharing the gospel. Evangelism requires the whole Church, the entire team, the combined efforts of the community. Recently, there has been a spate of famous evangelists who have passed away. People like Billy Graham, John Edmund Haggai, Luis Palau, Reinhard Bonke, and others have been instrumental in spreading the message of Christ worldwide. There are very few evangelists today who could live up to their stature. This calls the Church at large to re-examine what strategy and shape evangelism should be for the present and the near future. Knowing our barriers to sharing is already a great first step. The next thing is to boldly move ahead with knowledge and wisdom. The Holy Spirit gives much of the latter. This book provides the former.

Hopefully, those who read this book will not only be less "tongue-tied." They would be unleashed by the Spirit to preach the Word in and out of season.

Sara Wenger Shenk is a theologian, preacher, and the author of six books. She served as president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) for almost ten years, where her blog, Practicing Reconciliation, was lauded as a steady and deeply theological resource in anxious and polarized times. Shenk earned degrees from Eastern Mennonite University, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. For nine years, she and her husband, Gerald Shenk, served as students and teachers in the former Yugoslavia, and she has served on the faculty and administration of Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

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This book has been provided courtesy of Herald Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

The author, a former president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, delves into the issue of theological language in modern culture. Sociologists have noted a significant decline in the use of religious and moral words over the course of the twentieth century. Of fifty terms associated with moral virtue, they found that 74 percent showed significant decline in use. Not only words like atonement and sanctification, but common words like grace, mercy, wisdom, faith , sacrifice, honesty, righteousness and evil. The conclusion is that society is becoming more secular, but also that religious adherents are afraid to use sacred words in conversation and writing.
The author discusses ways to enhance our language and get away from the timidity that so many Christians have when talking about faith. It is not a handbook on religious talk, but a guide to identifying the works of God in everyday life and incorporating it into daily conversation.
One message of this book is to avoid using religious language as a weapon to use against those who disagree with us. The author quotes Anne Lamott who noted: "You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."
As a Mennonite, the author is attuned to social justice issues. Some reviewers have found this offensive. Suffice it to say that if we speak the words of Scripture, many will be offended.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Tongue-Tied" connects to both the faith heritage of the author, when tongue screws were used on her spiritual forebears to keep their mouths from proclaiming what God had done for them, and the modern quandary of her Anabaptist faith stream, where many have lived by the “virtue” of “if you want to know about my faith, ask my neighbor.” European-descended, American Mennonites have become complacent in articulating their faith beliefs and testimonies due to the individualization of faith and a reaction to Bible-thumping, dogmatic apologists.

Sara has provided a way forward that both calls her readers to uphold the best of the faith-telling origins of her faith heritage, and challenges the quiet, insider nature this faith has become for many. To pass on the faith to the next generation and to new bearers, it must be articulated. Sara’s practices of “first listen” and “then submit to mystery” will be sure to counter an egotistical, overly-aggressive, my-way-or-the-highway speech that can befall many of us.

The last part of the book captures the readers’ imagination of what untying our tongues might look like when it comes to times of joy and grief and doubt, when exploring curiosities and big questions, when seeking wisdom and beauty, when examining the Bible and science and faith, and so forth. There are many ways to talk about faith that are authentic to who we are as individuals and faith communities. Sara uncovers a wide array of appropriate, life-affirming faith-speech possibilities that attest to God’s love for us...inviting us to proclaim what God has done for us.

Most of us who put our trust in God, a philosophy, particular ways of life, or close human and nonhuman relationships often pass through seasons of doubt. Beliefs and values that anchored our commitments and ways of being in the world become frayed or irrelevant. We struggle to find a deeper foundation for our trust, hope, joy, and love. Some seasons of uncertainty are short; some seasons of ambivalence seem endless. During those times, we struggle to find the faith that is in us and stammer in speaking what we know with confidence. Tongue-tied: Learning the Lost Art of Talking about Faith is a gift for anyone living through such seasons.

Sara Wenger Shenk, writing with the passion of her heart, mind, and spirit, shows us how faith, particularly Christian faith, can be renewed. In Part 1, she faces squarely into the realities of our current time, especially in the United States, that rightly shake our unquestioned confidence in Christianity as good news and a blessing for all people. Many of us feel silenced by the injustices and suffering that Christians have perpetuated over the last two millennia and into the present. In Part 2, Wenger Shenk invites us to open ourselves to God’s love song that is eternally present around us. Through practices of paying attention for moments of surprise and wonder, grace and gratitude, suffering and insecurity, we may find ourselves coming alive to the God in whom we live and move and have our being.

Wenger Shenk is a trustworthy guide for learning the deeper reaches and power of language for Christian faith. As an active contemplative, educator, and former seminary president, she is deeply aware of the interconnections and complexity of relationships experienced among all living things. She never shies from telling the truth. The book sparkles with words and images, metaphors and stories, especially those found in the Bible or resonating with the biblical witness. Wenger Shenk is unperturbed by mystery and paradox trusting that God’s unfailing love holds all things together in Christ. The voices of poets, writers, artists, scientists, scholars, grandchildren, and friends join her in conversation, and we feel empowered to test our voices in this company of witnesses.

This book is best read slowly with days, or possibly weeks, passing between reading the chapters. Learning and expanding our language for Christian faith takes time. Tongue Tied is a wonderful guide for reawakening us to what our daily lives hold while finding God’s love in the midst of it all.

Gutsy. Astonishing. Mind-expanding. This book will help you if you grew up Christian and have all but abandoned the ability to talk faith with others outside your faith.

Sara Wenger Shenk, recently retired president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), traverses expansive territory as she looks at how Christians can be more comfortable and loving and true to God and Christ as we look for ways to begin, or begin again, sharing what our faith means to us. She taps the wisdom of others with frequent and well-chosen quotes from theologians, professors, writers, ordained and laity, friends, students, fellow teachers, her parents, prophets, and saints. There are lots of end notes, but that widens the truth and story here.

If Tongue Tied is read by enough inquiring minds and open and loving hearts—this book has the potential to change what seems like the current trajectory of Christianity disappearing into a black hole.

In this book Sara asks us to leave behind literalist, fundamentalist views of the Bible; instead, cut loose and trust with your whole heart in “the Spirit’s illuminating presence revealing the Word of God throbbing through the text.” Her prose is frequently both pungent and sublime. Sara writes: “Christian faith talk is constantly in danger of becoming boring. Anyone with a healthy zest for life wants nothing to do with such tedium.”

After painting the bleakness of how far we’ve fallen into the hole of not being able to share our faith, the second half of the book looks at how to do better. This is where small groups or faith formation classes or book clubs will find much meat (sorry Sara, who discusses her own diet preferences briefly) to chew on. But in the spirit of the book, someone whose diet doesn’t agree with your own is not someone to be avoided or argued with. Just discuss, celebrate and go on loving!

The most moving sermons and stories are when our pastors or teachers or theologians tell us how they have been touched personally by God’s work in the world. I remember when my own died-in-the-wool liberal Presbyterian pastor of 24 years revealed in a sermon about her own transcendent experience sitting in a nearly empty church—and how that in turn spoke to and molded me.

Sara’s stories—many very personal—often bring tears to my own eyes, tuning me also to the spirit of God. Here’s just one story she shares from an AMBS New Testament professor emerita, Mary Schertz, describing an intense Bible study weekend: “We feel the energy of the Spirit hovering over us, strengthening, challenging, comforting. Above all, we are not alone. We are not perfect—little hard to be perfect with snot running out of your nose—but we are deeply loved, deeply valued. And here is the saving grace. We are more ready to go out, more ready to love more deeply, more ready to lead from our true selves, rooted, responsible, in community, filled with the Spirit.”

I need to temper my praise for this book with the disclaimer that I shared an apartment with Sara and another friend my senior year of college. I also had her husband (then boyfriend) as my editor in chief of the college newspaper I wrote for. My only complaint about the book is it opens with too many mentions (maybe) that the book is addressed to her peers: educated professionals. It made me wince, because my own husband was/is not an educated professional, technically. Self-educated and professional tackler of myriad amazing projects in his shop maybe, and a praying, faithful Christian that still messes up, yes.

But I hope this book will bring many of us to be much more open and willing to discuss the hard things that sometimes splinter us apart, and lead to renewed faith, practice, and love for God and others.

There are two kinds of people, so goes the joke, those who divide all of humanity into two groups, and those who don't.

There are also two kinds of Christians, those who are loose-lipped about their faith and those who are tongue-tied. Hint: remaining mum about their faith is one reaction of the tongue-tied to the loose-lipped who say more about their faith than is sometimes warranted.

Sara Wenger Shenk is writing largely to the tongue-tied. Frankly, she is writing for me. She gives the readers an analysis of why some Christians are really reticent to say much about their faith. Better still, she suggests ways people can imaginatively recover the language of faith, which is more than simply language about faith. It is language which arises from a loving relationship with God, and can be likened to talking about a relationship with a beloved. Spoiler alert: becoming freer to talk about ones faith is in part a matter of recovering a sense of wonder about the divine mystery.

Wenger Shenk draws from a very deep well. She is a thoughtful, reflective person who uses words with loving care, not just for the words themselves but also for those who have ears to hear what she has to say.






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Interesting Counter And Companion To Learning To Speak God From Scratch By Jonathan Merritt. Having now completed ARC readings of both of these books about Christians speaking about their religion, I can definitely see why Merritt's work is quoted so often in the first part of this work. Whereas Merritt spends much of the back part of his book looking at individual words heard nearly every time Christians speak, Shenk spends more of her time looking at *how* Christians speak. Their tones, their mannerisms, the very way we speak religion as a social construct. Which is a very interesting dichotomy when Merritt's work is also something you've considered. But be forewarned: Shenk *does* come from a "progressive"/ leftist background, so there is quite a bit of "white man evil!!!!" and other standard leftist tropes here, and even a degree of radicalism not even any vegan I've ever encountered professes as it relates to her eating habits (discussed in a late chapter). However, whereas Merritt's work could strike some as being a tad too conservative - he comes from a background where his dad was the President of the Southern Baptist Convention during his later teens/ the early George W Bush years, including 9/11 - the dichotomy continues here with Shenk's leftist background. Which is yet another reason the two books are so intertwined to me, and why they balance each other so well in my mind. Beyond the leftist drivel (and hypocrisies), Shenk makes a lot of genuinely great points and has a truly solid discussion about the need for Christians to reconsider exactly how we speak religion both within our communities and to the larger world, and indeed *that* we need to be more proactive in doing so. Ultimately, the reduced star here isn't over Shenk's beyond-the-scope-of-this-narrative commentary, but because she, as so many others in this genre, prooftexts. In one case late in the text, *literally the next paragraph after decrying the practice*. Still, on the beyond-the-narrative-scope stuff here, the book is very much YMMV level - the more partisan you are either direction, the more you'll love or hate that part of the book. On the actual thesis of the book, the book is enlightening in areas and thought provoking, at minimum, in many others. And thus, very much recommended.