Book Review: Christian Compassion: A Charitable History
WCIU Journal: Social Justice Topic
October 4, 2021
Reviewed by Beth Snodderly, Editor, Ralph D. Winter Research Center
Christian Compassion: A Charitable History, by Monty L. Lynn
Eugene OR: Wipf & Stock, 2021.
WCIU constituents will find much to interest them in this book. In addition to four familiar names finding a place (Ralph Winter, Glenn Schwartz, Jim Harries, and Viv Grigg), this book resonates with a number of Winter’s key themes.
The author’s overview of the ways compassion has been practiced throughout history has some parallels to Winter’s eras of mission history. Helpful charts for each broad historical era enable the reader to track insights and themes related to compassion and charity, such as:
• Formation and sacrifice
• Contentment and simplicity
• Salvation and service
• Liberation and justice
• Peace and humanitarianism
• Mutual aid and community development
Sprinkled throughout this charitable journey are other concepts and themes Ralph Winter frequently wrote about: disease, organized structures for doing good deeds (such as the monastic communities), and missionary contributions including modern medicine and hospitals, famine relief, and reduction of polygamy and infanticide. I found it particularly interesting to read about support from Martin Luther for Winter’s views about glorifying God in one’s work week. The author writes that for Luther, “good works included ordinary tasks within one’s vocation and daily life.” The book’s discussion of the holiness movement and the social gospel (during John Wesley’s time), with the “later the divide between works and words of progressive and conservative Protestants,” brings to mind Winter’s article, “The Future of Evangelicals: Will We Regain the Kingdom Vision of Our Forefathers in the Faith?” The author describes the divide between “works and words” in a discussion of Lausanne ‘74. He refers to Ralph Winter’s “unreached peoples” speech to illustrate evangelical concerns about preaching the “Word,” with Samuel Escobar and Rene Padilla’s contributions at Lausanne illustrating the importance of social justice.
Other features of the book include a number of helpful illustrations. My favorite was “The Christ of the Breadlines,” in which Jesus is seen standing among the poor in line to get bread. This follows a discussion of Matthew 25:40b: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Side bars catch the reader’s eye, some with provocative titles: “Skete Monasticism,” and “Foundling Wheels, ” in addition to “Dependency” (where we find Glenn Schwartz and Jim Harries), and “Incarnational Mission.” About the latter, the author writes, “A person who inspired many in the late twentieth century to ‘go and do likewise’ was Viv Grigg. Grigg’s incarnational mission approach paired evangelism and economic development while living in solidarity among the poor, generally in cities of the Global South.”
A closing insight is relevant to the contemporary times we find ourselves in. Many claiming to be Christians are not speaking up on behalf of the poor and downtrodden; they are not stepping up to fight the pandemic. In fact, in some cases, the world sees that Christians are doing the opposite. The author concludes, “It is clear that Christians can grow insensitive to injustice. When this occurs, the potency of the church weakens.”
I highly recommend this book for students of international development, executives of relief and development organizations, and anyone with an interest in seeing how God and God’s people have been active throughout history.