Blurb that drew me in:
Exploration highlights specific episodes and characters of the Biblical narrative from Moses to Herod. These details are later used as examples, specific instances, pictures in the mind, as the study group uses the re-picturing tool to explore selected expressions from theology — Messiah, demon, Immanuel, sin, grace, the divine experienced as father, the divine experienced as Christ, the divine experienced as Holy Spirit. These pages text look at various aspects of mission, drawing on both scriptural and secular sources and examples. Finally, Exploration: A Field Manual uses re-picturing to explore the idea of “church” and how it might be re-imagined — faithful to historic roots, and yet new for the new data we have.
The book is quirky. To me that's a term of endearment and praise: I like quirky. In particular quirks which are related to purposes of helping the reader to engage better with the material and thoughts. The laudable purpose of the quirks of presentation in this book are to support the books aim to be a discussion and consideration resource rather than a fount of knowledge. And so I applaud the aim to present material in a way that invites the reader to the work that the author wants to stimulate. In a sense, the author doesn't want us to read a book; the book is merely a convenient way to bring readers to reflect, together. It is more intended to be a reflection and consideration starter than a 'read'.
So, I do have to declare in reviewing this book, I didn't 'use' it right. I read it like a book, but the introduction did prime me to read it as a leader of conversations, a small group leader and a convenor of reflection. I asked of it, 'will this help groups I know and have known to think together?'; I brought it into dialogue with my own experience of leading small group discussions of various kinds.
One of the consequences of the author's pedagogical aims is that the appearance of the text has a poetical feel to it. Sentences are lined out as a visual reminder that consideration is invited rather than racing through an argument. Obviously one could still race through, but the interruption of habitual reading techniques by lining out is a good idea in my view. Many of us do similar things for parts of a text we are writing.
To change the rhythm of eye movement.
To signal that something is being emphasised.
To suggest a pause to reflect.
The difference here is that it is for all of the text. The danger might be that it becomes something to which the reader habituates and may lose some of that impact over time. I leave you to decide, for me there was something of that. But I'm not sure what else one might try.
I have to admit, though, that the contents failed to keep me engaged. Whether that's on me or the volume, I can't tell. I think though, that much of what I read was a kind of summary paraphrase but I didn't feel it helped me to gain insight. Maybe I didn't read far enough....
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In the interests of your own assessment of what I say, here's a declaration of interest. I received an e-copy of this book as part of an undertaking to give at least a short review of it within a month of receiving it, hence this postscript. I've no obligation to be favourable in my review -or otherwise. I often find that I need more than a month to read or review books, so my further note is to say that my review may not be complete or maturely reflected on; I may think differently about things further down the line when I've reflected more.
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Exploration at ProgressiveChristianity.org Website #ExplorationAFieldManual
About the Author
Richard Shore earned a PhD from Duke, and an MBA from U. Toledo. He held a variety of academic, and industrial positions. He also impersonated John Muir, the naturalist, to the delight of thousands. And, since the 1970’s he has been synthesizing important understandings of sociology, theology, and economics to help lay people see ways to be faithful while so much is changing, including even the way we use words, thus to systematically re-invent ourselves.
