Dwight Longenecker - The Romance of Religion: Fighting for Goodness, Truth, and Beauty

Praise for TheRomanceofReligion

This book is witty, whimsical, and deadly serious. With panache and aplomb, Dwight Longenecker sets out to prove that Christianity is, in every sense of the word, fabulous. And does he succeed in his quest? I encourage you to read it to find out.

MICHAEL WARD, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW,

BLACKFRIARS HALL, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD; PROFESSOR

OF APOLOGETICS, HOUSTON BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

If youve never thought about the Christian faith as romance and story, then this book will introduce you to a whole new way of thinking.

FRANK VIOLA, AUTHOR OF

GODS FAVORITE PLACEONEARTH

Dwight Longenecker has invented a new branch of thought: rollicking theology! Out of the legacy of Chesterton, Lewis, and Tolkien, he gives us images to play with that also pierce like a two-edged sword.... A great book to give to skeptics, friends, and exhausted Christians.

RONDA CHERVIN, PHD, PROFESSOR OF

PHILOSOPHY, HOLY APOSTLES COLLEGE AND

SEMINARY; CATHOLIC WRITER; EWTN PRESENTER

We have been living through a golden age of Christian apologetics fed by powerful writers, and Dwight Longenecker is among them. As a Christian Romantic inspired by Chesterton and Lewis, he knows that Imagination can be our path to Truth. In The Romance of Religion, he uses it to bring the Christian faith to life, revealing Christianity to be the adventure, the quest, we have all been looking for.

STRATFORD CALDECOTT, G. K. CHESTERTON RESEARCH

FELLOW AT ST BENETS HALL, OXFORD; AUTHOR OF

BEAUTYFORTRUTHS SAKE AND THE POWER OF THERING

I always knew I was a religious romantic; in this book, Dwight Longenecker shows me why, while writing with the paradoxical wit and wisdom of a twenty-first-century G. K. Chesterton. Even if you dont consider yourself a romantic, or a religious person, this book may just make you long to join in what C. S. Lewis called the Great Dance.

WILL VAUS, AUTHOR OF MERE THEOLOGY:

A GUIDE TO THE THOUGHT OF C. S. LEWIS

If youve ever thought religion was dull, boring, or irrelevant, think again. The Romance of Religion attunes your senses to the wonder and whim lurking behind every Christian doctrine. Here Dwight Longenecker offers theology that sings. His tune captures our longings for heroism and purpose, epic quests and great battles, and reveals how they all point to a fairy taleone that is true and divine. Read this book, hear this song, and let it sweep you into the Great Adventure. Chesterton would be proud.

BRANDON VOGT, BLOGGER AND AUTHOR

OF THE CHURCH ANDNEW MEDIA

Longenecker is a master storyteller with a penchant for alliteration. A lesser writer might be held captive by the rhythm and rhyme in The Romance of Religion and lose sight of the reality. Not so, Dwight Longenecker: his subtitles are catchy, yet imbued with logicand they drive the reader down the trail of self-realization and off into the sunset, into Love and Light, to become extraordinary by becoming what they were meant to be. I couldnt stop reading.

KATHY SCHIFFER, SEASONS OF GRACE BLOGGER

Combining a pastors knowledge of where people are, and a writers desire to help them see what they havent yet seen, and adding a good bit of wit, Dwight Longenecker presents the Christian adventure in a way that can win a hearing among those who dont believe it and help those who do see truths they hadnt seen or seen so clearly.

DAVID MILLS, EXECUTIVE EDITOR,

FIRST THINGS JOURNAL AND WEBSITE

Like a crusading preacher of the Middle Ages, Dwight Longenecker stands at the gates of our city, begging us to join him in battle. The Romance of Religion trumpets the notes of love, sacrifice, and mystery. In an age where everyone wants to be spiritual but not religious, Longenecker challenges us to take up the cross of the only religion with romance: Christianity.

TAYLOR MARSHALL, PHD, AUTHOR OF

THE CRUCIFIED RABBI AND PRESIDENT OF

THE NEW SAINT THOMAS INSTITUTE

In The Romance of Religion, Dwight Longenecker invites the reader to gather shield and buckler and ride off with him to discover the romance within the great countercultural quest that is Christianity a continual fight for life, love, and truth set amid the tilted windmills of modern ideologies, trends, and entertainments. In an era of dark antiheroes like Dexter Morgan and Walter White, Longeneckerwith wit, keen literary insight, and a deceptively deft handmakes the case for old-school, faith-informed heroism, where the way to victory runs counter to the worlds understanding, and the depths of our wounds are remarkable not for their power to deter, but for guiding light they emit as we move forward. TheRomance of Religion brings together magic and superheroes and idols and villains and even the strong, remarkable women without which no great adventure is complete. It makes time spent with any other romance seem less than satisfying, indeed!

ELIZABETH SCALIA, AUTHOR OF STRANGE

GODS: UNMASKING THEIDOLSINEVERYDAY LIFE

Dwight Longeneckers newest book is the perfect antidote to the theologically fuzzy, feel-good rock concert that passes for worship in so many current Christian circles. By reminding the reader that discipleship is meant to be so much wilder, more dangerous, and more unruly than a sermon series or community project, he gets us back to an understanding of Christianity that is beautiful, profound, and fulfilling to the deepest parts of our souls.

CARI DONALDSON, AUTHOR OF POPE AWESOME AND

OTHER STORIES AND BLOGGER AT CLAN-DONALDSON.COM

From evangelical student to Anglican and Catholic, Dwight Longenecker has lived the spiritual quest for truth, beauty, and goodness, and in The Romance of Religion he encourages us to step out of our comfort zones and engage in the great battle. He does so with zest, panache, and wielding the ready sword of wit and wisdom. This is a rumbustious read and a true inspiration.

MARCUS GRODI, FOUNDER OF THE COMING HOME

NETWORK; AUTHOR; HOST OF EWTNS JOURNEYS HOME

With his customary candor, and in the lively, well-turned phrases for which he is famous, Dwight Longenecker wipes away the cobwebs from the bold claims of orthodox Christianity. He shows the reader how the religious impulse, honestly followed, is not a means of living a dull, respectable life. Instead it is a daunting, life-changing challenge, which we do our best to evade or wish away through a thousand little subterfuges. But he wont let us get away with that. Hes in love with the risk required in facing up to Realitywhich always exceeds and explodes our man-made categories. This book is a roadmap for a journey into the unknown and the eternal.

JOHN ZMIRAK, AUTHOR OF THE BAD

CATHOLICS GUIDE TOTHECATECHISM

Many people think of religion as a subject that is either dull or divisive, but in The Romance of Religion, Longenecker reveals that it can be exhilarating and romantic. Religion deals with the deepest question in life, the ones that most touch our hearts, and his new book makes a passionate case for why we must fight for goodness, truth, and beauty in religion and in all of life.

JIMMY AKIN, SENIOR APOLOGIST,

CATHOLIC ANSWERS

2014 Dwight Longenecker

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