The Divine Magician

December 8, 2014
More-traditional Christians will undoubtedly find Rollins’s book a theological provocation, as he takes familiar parables, characters, and terms—in this case, the Crucifixion of Jesus and the tearing of the curtain in the temple—and rewrites their conventional interpretations. Yet Rollins (The Idolatry of God) also disturbs the theologically liberal, and even the avowedly secular, revealing that behind the “magician’s curtain” Jesus is a trickster who rebels against rules and revolutionizes religion. While affirming the Crucifixion and its language of faith, hope, and love, Rollins also exposes its limitations. He redefines these concepts to a degree, but he is not in the business of total reconstruction; he leaves that to the reader. He is philosophical throughout, and at times enigmatic, but he clarifies his points with pop-culture references, everyday parables, and illustrative diagrams. This book is unsettling, as intended, but anyone who wrestles with big theological questions in a post-secular world will find Rollins’ work as exhilarating as it is disquieting. Agent: Greg Daniel, Daniel Literary Agency.

January 1, 2015

Theologian Rollins (The Idolatry of God: Breaking Our Addiction to Certainty and Satisfaction) uses magicians, superheroes, and Star Wars to illustrate the complexities of a simple message: the mystery of faith isn't really a mystery. He contends that it is something that has been lost on the church, buried and hidden in strict dogmas, and tricked out of practice by stodgy doctrines and traditions. But Rollins's optimism offers a different perspective. Rather than accept religious illusion as presented, why not watch it vanish--much like a magic trick--and then accept its reappearance with a fresh perspective? One that is healthy, loving, tolerant, and fulfilling, yet never shirks from its original form? In other words: the coin that disappeared under the cup is still a coin--only one's perception has changed. God is love, Rollins argues, and that should be the fundamental expression of a new church. VERDICT This revolutionary reimagining of modern Christianity is redundant at times and often sways from its beaten path, but Rollins's faithful readers--as well as emerging, curious, and enterprising dabblers in religious philosophy--will appreciate its bold interpretations, poignant underlying message, and progressive understanding of what it means to discover and practice your faith.--Erin Entrada Kelly, Philadelphia, PA

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