Member Review
Review by
Eva Kelly H, Reviewer
Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart
by Brian D. McLaren
So at the moment the situation appears grim. And yet there are plenty of reasons to feel hopeful about the future. To name just a few: (NOTE TO EDITOR—Please insert some reasons to feel hopeful about the future, if you can think of any).
—Comedian Dave Barry
Brian D. McLaren begins the introduction to LIFE AFTER DOOM: WISDOM AND COURAGE FOR A WORLD FALLING APART with this and other amusing quotes. The book is a deeply insightful exploration of how to live with wisdom, resilience, and love in our turbulent times. This rich, thoughtful, and urgent book comes highly recommended.
"Riveting. Challenging. Brave. Devastating. Hopeful." —Rabbi Sharon Brous, IKAR, author of The Amen Effect
McLaren defines doom as the “un-peaceful, uneasy, unwanted feeling” that “we humans have made a mess of our civilization and our planet, and not enough of us seem to care enough to change deeply enough or quickly enough to save ourselves.”
McLaren tells us to live boldly and authentically in a world that often stifles individuality and dissent.
He urges us to address climate change and its devastating impacts.
"Normal is so easy to take for granted," McLaren observes, pointing out how easily we become complacent in the face of looming crises. "Doom is a kind of pre-traumatic stress disorder that arises when our old normal is deteriorating and no new normal has come into view."
"These days, more and more of us are experiencing the stages of grief as a shared social experience," he notes, highlighting the collective trauma of living in a world in flux. "Our whole society seems to be ping-ponging back and forth between shock and denial and anger and bargaining and depression."
Full disclosure: I didn’t finish the book. But I will! The only reason I stopped is because McLaren had so thoroughly gained my trust that I took him at his word when he suggested (with great empathy), "If you are already on the edge of a narrow ledge of anxiety and depression because of personal challenges, grief, or illness, this book is not for you, at least not right now." And he’s right. I’m too deep in the collective trauma right now. I’m still in the painful cycles of grief.
Blending insights from philosophers, poets, scientists, and theologians, LIFE AFTER DOOM offers readers a roadmap for navigating an uncertain future with grace and dignity. McLaren's approach is both thought-provoking and deeply empathetic, providing a path forward in a world that often feels on the brink of collapse.
When I’m ready, I’ll pick the book up again and start down that path. One step at a time, one page after the other. Even in the darkest of times, what else can I do?
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for sending this book for review consideration. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#Christian #Religion #Spirituality #SelfHelp
by Brian D. McLaren
So at the moment the situation appears grim. And yet there are plenty of reasons to feel hopeful about the future. To name just a few: (NOTE TO EDITOR—Please insert some reasons to feel hopeful about the future, if you can think of any).
—Comedian Dave Barry
Brian D. McLaren begins the introduction to LIFE AFTER DOOM: WISDOM AND COURAGE FOR A WORLD FALLING APART with this and other amusing quotes. The book is a deeply insightful exploration of how to live with wisdom, resilience, and love in our turbulent times. This rich, thoughtful, and urgent book comes highly recommended.
"Riveting. Challenging. Brave. Devastating. Hopeful." —Rabbi Sharon Brous, IKAR, author of The Amen Effect
McLaren defines doom as the “un-peaceful, uneasy, unwanted feeling” that “we humans have made a mess of our civilization and our planet, and not enough of us seem to care enough to change deeply enough or quickly enough to save ourselves.”
McLaren tells us to live boldly and authentically in a world that often stifles individuality and dissent.
He urges us to address climate change and its devastating impacts.
"Normal is so easy to take for granted," McLaren observes, pointing out how easily we become complacent in the face of looming crises. "Doom is a kind of pre-traumatic stress disorder that arises when our old normal is deteriorating and no new normal has come into view."
"These days, more and more of us are experiencing the stages of grief as a shared social experience," he notes, highlighting the collective trauma of living in a world in flux. "Our whole society seems to be ping-ponging back and forth between shock and denial and anger and bargaining and depression."
Full disclosure: I didn’t finish the book. But I will! The only reason I stopped is because McLaren had so thoroughly gained my trust that I took him at his word when he suggested (with great empathy), "If you are already on the edge of a narrow ledge of anxiety and depression because of personal challenges, grief, or illness, this book is not for you, at least not right now." And he’s right. I’m too deep in the collective trauma right now. I’m still in the painful cycles of grief.
Blending insights from philosophers, poets, scientists, and theologians, LIFE AFTER DOOM offers readers a roadmap for navigating an uncertain future with grace and dignity. McLaren's approach is both thought-provoking and deeply empathetic, providing a path forward in a world that often feels on the brink of collapse.
When I’m ready, I’ll pick the book up again and start down that path. One step at a time, one page after the other. Even in the darkest of times, what else can I do?
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for sending this book for review consideration. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#Christian #Religion #Spirituality #SelfHelp
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