Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality

by Richard Beck

Overview

I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Echoing Hosea, Jesus defends his embrace of the unclean in the Gospel of Matthew, seeming to privilege the prophetic call to justice over the Levitical pursuit of purity. And yet, as missional faith communities arewell aware, the tensions and conflicts between holiness and mercy are not so easily resolved. In an unprecedented fusion of psychological science and theological scholarship, Richard Beck describes the pernicious (and largely unnoticed) effects of the psychology of purity upon the life and mission of the church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621890102
Publisher:	Cascade Books
Publication date:	03/04/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	212
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Richard Beck is Professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University. This is his first book but he has published extensively in the empirical literature concerning the intersection of Christian faith and psychology.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: Mercy and Sacrifice 1

Part 1 Unclean

1 Darwin and Disgust 13

2 Contamination and Contagion 21

Part 2 Purity

3 Morality and Metaphors 33

4 Divinity and Dumbfounding 51

Part 3 Hospitality

5 Love and Boundaries 73

6 Monsters and Scapegoats 91

7 Contempt and Heresy 107

8 Hospitality and Embrace 120

Part 4 Mortality

9 Body and Death 143

10 Sex and Privy 154

11 Need and Incarnation 165

Conclusion: Elimination and Regulation 181

Bibliography 199

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Theologians write endlessly about how Christian faith should affect our morality, our philosophy, and our spirituality. Richard Beck is the only one I know who asks what it has to do with what turns our stomachs. He writes bluntly and stunningly about the engagement of grace with our visceral dynamics of disgust and avoidance. Our complex, precognitive repulsions toward groups, behaviors, and persons stem from deep patterns in our nature. But, unredeemed, those patterns also block us from the gospel path. Beck combines biblical interpretation, theological wisdom, and dramatic psychological insights to give an earthy and exciting take on the Christian life."

—S. Mark Heim
Samuel Abbot Professor of Christian Theology
Andover Newton Theological School

"In his thoughtful, engaging, and even sometimes humorous style, Richard Beck tells the church that it is time to get dirty. With one leg hip-deep in theology and the other in psychological science, Beck persuasively argues that the church's obsession with purity is a costly pursuit, one fraught with serious psychological and sociological consequences. You may not always agree, but you will be challenged in new ways to think about the church's mission."

—Peter C. Hill
Editor, Journal of Psychology and Christianity

"Richard Beck has my vote as the liveliest voice in the contemporary integration of psychology and theology. In Unclean, he weaves together his sophisticated grasp of psychological research and theological reflection in a manner that is both prophetic and inviting. This is one of those rare books that can be helpful to those who love the church and also to those who have been hurt by churches. Beck writes with an integrative and formative rhythm that kept stimulating my mind and pulling at my heart. These ancient Biblical concepts of mercy, holiness, and hospitality have been implanted anew with deeper meaning for me."

—Steven J. Sandage
Professor of Marriage and Family Studies
Bethel University

"I am thankful that this insightful and important work has come to print. Richard Beck has woven together important themes from various critical conversations—psychology, theology, biblical studies, and missional ecclesiology—with exceptional artistry. He has ventured across the purity boundaries of academic disciplines for the sake of a large picture of the hospitality of God. His readers will be well rewarded for welcoming this ambitious and immensely practical book."
— Mark Love
Director, Resource Center for Missional Leadership
Rochester College  

"Richard Beck's insightful book is a must-read for those who want to embody Christ's love in the world. Moving beyond mere sentimentality, this book exposes why we are so prone to alienate "the other" and how we may pursue  a way of hospitality and love. This is a deeply human, and humanizing, book."
—Mark Van Steenwyk is a founder of the Missio Dei community in Minneapolis and a general editor of JesusRadicals.com.

"I believe that this is one of the most important books that I have read in the last decade....it is one of the few books I would recommend to every Christian psychologist....Seriously, you really should read this book."
—Rodney L. Bassett, as reviewed in the Winter 2012 issue of theJournal of Psychology and Christianity,

Editorial Reviews

Beck’s skillful writing and psychological wisdom make this book a thought-provoking read.

Reviews in Religion & Theology, Volume 20, Issue 4, September 2013 - Sue Dickinson

...The value of this book is that it begins a conversation that needs to be explored. Many of the discussions to date about human sexuality have ignored the impact of a disgust reaction on the ways that people respond to those discussions. A more honest recognition of personal response will allow a more honest conversation. For that reason, I am grateful for the contribution this book makes...

The Expository Times, Vol. 124, No. 8, May 2013 - Marion Chatterley

"...Noteworthy and full of insights, Unclean is a recommended reading for anyone interested in the psychological- and theological- aspects of purity in the church..."

Psychology of Religion, Vol.24, No 2, 2012 - David Jimenez-Cardenas