We live in an age of crisis.
Financial crisis, political crisis, environmental crisis—the list goes on. We're confronted with calamity every time we read the headlines. But behind each of these lurks another kind of crisis, one we find harder to define: a moral crisis—a crisis of goodness. Behind financial crisis is unrestrained greed; behind political crisis is the lust for power.
To properly address the crises that plague our world, we must be formed as people of moral goodness. We must cultivate virtue. But the cultural headwinds are strong: outrage and fragility, persecution and affluence, injustice and impurity.
In this wise and practical book, Pastor Jonathan Dodson takes us back to the Beatitudes, the centerpiece of Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount. Dodson examines each of the Beatitudes in the context of the new morality that buffets our society today, presenting a compelling portrait of the truly good life, both personal and social.
Jesus' vision of the good is stunning: heaven meets earth, mercy triumphs over judgment, peace transcends outrage, grace upends self-righteousness. Here is an account, not of dos and don'ts, but of genuine moral flourishing.
192 pages
"Our Good Crisis is a compass, drawing the reader back to our true north, to God himself. As we walk across the ever-changing landscape of our age, Dodson reminds us of the never-changing goodness of the Beatitudes. God in heaven is the source of virtue, of all that's good, of the very remedy needed for the crises we see in the world and in ourselves. This meditation on the Beatitudes will nourish your soul and exhort you to walk with Jesus, living out his kingdom here on earth, by the power of his Spirit."
--- Jen Oshman, author of Enough About Me: Find Lasting Joy in the Age of Self
"I can't think of a more encouraging and challenging way to spend our time than to dwell on these famous words of Jesus. Jonathan Dodson will help you understand their revolutionary meaning and also apply Jesus' teaching for our cultural moment."
--- Collin Hansen, editorial director of The Gospel Coalition, author of Blind Spots: Becoming a Courageous, Compassionate, and Commissioned Church
Our Good Crisis: Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes is in the following collections: