Costly Grace

Starred review from April 9, 2018
Schenck, an evangelical minister widely known for his outspoken pro-life views, tells the personal story of his three religious conversion experiences in this revealing memoir. Born into a Jewish family, he came to believe in Christ as a teenager; pursued a right-wing, politically-driven faith as an adult; and finally experienced a spiritual reorientation that brought him back to what he views as the true meaning of the gospel. Schenck’s marijuana-hazed adolescence took a life-altering turn when he attended church with a friend, an experience that inspired him to join the ministry. He initially worked with heroin addicts at a residential center before his strong political views took him to Washington. There, what began as a sense of moral urgency to protect life became self-righteous, hate-fueled anger toward anyone with opposing views. Schenck’s superb self-critical writing draws readers in with tales of, for instance, rebuking President Clinton during Holy Communion (an act for which Schenck was nearly arrested) and stealing funds raised to help women with unexpected pregnancies. Gradually he comes to realize his flawed thinking (“In private times of reflection, I was ashamed. My unguarded midnight thoughts became more uncomfortable all the time”). As he fell deeper into the power games of Washington, an encounter with the work of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer inspired Schenck to reconsider his faith and the lessons of the gospel. Addressing libertarian evangelical ideologies, this powerful book is a universal call for a change of heart in both the political and sacred realms.

April 15, 2018
Christian activist and minister Schenck provides a provocative autobiography centered on the evolution of his life as a person of faith.Born into a nominally Jewish family, the author and his identical twin brother, Paul, shocked their parents by converting to Christianity as teenagers and, soon thereafter, jumping headlong into evangelical ministry. While still rather young, the brothers moved wholeheartedly into the nascent anti-abortion movement of the late 1980s. From the rise of Operation Rescue, Schenck describes in page-turning detail his life at the heart of the abortion controversy. The author seems to have been at almost every important event and turning point as evangelical Christianity reached its zenith of political influence in the George W. Bush years--and as it began a slide into confusion, infighting, and muddled morality over the past decade. Having set himself up in Washington, D.C., targeting politicians and others of influence, Schenck became a well-known face of the religious right, often conferring with members of Congress and being interviewed by the press. But years of fame, travel, legal troubles, and near zealotry took their toll on the author and his family. Early in the Barack Obama era, an encounter with the works of German writer Dietrich Bonhoeffer caused Schenck to re-evaluate his ministry and his priorities, including his involvement with "the politicized religion that had infected me and millions of others back in the eighties, when American evangelicals entered into their Faustian pact with Ronald Reagan's party." The author's seemingly sudden change from a card-carrying fundamentalist to a moderate on almost all controversial issues may be difficult to grasp, but some readers may be most startled by what Schenck put his wife and children through during three decades of unabated activism.An informative book that leaves the author exposed throughout as the center of attention, as opposed to God.

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May 1, 2018

Schenck gained notoriety as part of the radical prolife movement Operation Rescue. As evangelical conservatism matured, Schenck moved into the mainstream of the Republican party. This memoir details his three transformations from a teenage Jewish convert to a prolife activist preacher to an evangelical pastor seeking authentic Christianity. The author is clear that he has not abandoned his faith, but that his beliefs have matured. He describes a stage in life when his "pastoral side...just wanted to care for souls, but my political ambitions were quickly gaining control over my way of seeing the world." His activism almost destroyed his family. Later in life, he researched neo-orthodox theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and rediscovered a different perspective of grace. In addition, he recognized the dangerous stance of the evangelical church conflating Republican party values as biblical values. Bonhoeffer transformed the author's thinking and actions toward others. Schenck has not changed his beliefs or moral stances but now occupies a unique space as president of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute calling for grace to transcend partisan divides and seek biblical answers to complex issues. VERDICT For those interested in the intersection of religion and politics. Recommended for large public and academic libraries.--Ray Arnett, Anderson, SC

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