Also by this author: QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories, Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies
Published by Eerdmans on March 12, 2024
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life
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Amid culture wars and church division, Michael W. Austin calls us back to the authentic Way—following Christ in humility and love.
American Christians have lost the Way. We chase power and comfort and coat our self-righteousness in a Christian veneer. We comfort ourselves that we follow the rules and go to church, so life will work out for us. But we have forgotten what it means to truly follow Christ.
Michael Austin brings us back to basics of the Christian life: humility and love. Drawing on Philippians and 1 Corinthians, Austin reminds us how Jesus, in love, poured himself out for others. This other-centeredness stands contrary to vainglorious affirmation in our lives, online and off—and it is the key to healing the deep divisions in our communities.
Austin guides the reader through spiritual disciplines to aid in the formation of this virtue, from praying the Psalms to building healthy communities. For Christians seeking transformative union with God, in their souls and society, Humility is the ideal companion.
Humility is lacking in today’s society—Christian and secular. From influencers to celebrity pastors and more, technology has allowed us to showcase ourselves and society has often rewarded the most arrogant. Michael W. Austin’s Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ is a timely and reflective exploration of humility as a core Christian virtue. In a world rife with division and conflict, Austin calls believers back to a path of humility and love, emphasizing the importance of following Christ’s example in everyday life. The book challenges contemporary Christians to reassess their priorities and embrace a lifestyle marked by genuine humility and service.
Austin highlights humility as integral to the way of Jesus, a necessity for living in God’s kingdom community. For him, humility goes beyond just a lack of self-aggrandizement but rather a God-centered way of being in the world. Empire emphasizes the love of self. The Kingdom of God emphasizes the love of God and others. In the opening chapters, Austin presents humility—and a litany of character traits that become associated with it—as a trait neglected in modern life. He gently calls readers back to humility conceptually and then closes the book with a series of practical examples.
Humility and love mean engaging in nonviolence—to have the humility to not fight back. It means engaging in just peacemaking—having the humility to stand in the gap with the marginalized and oppressed. It means living simply—having the humility to forego ostentation. It means living locally—thinking about our neighbors and not our audience. Humility concludes with a call to persevere. It’s not always easy to take the sacrificial route of love but Austin reminds readers that it will reap an eternal reward.
One thing to note is that Humility is partially taken directly from (and is certainly a spiritual cousin to) Austin’s larger work Humility and Human Flourishing: A Study in Analytic Moral Theology, published by Oxford Press. This book is basically a layperson level translation of that one—and at a much more accessible price point as well!
A second thing is that, maybe because of this translation from an academic work to a trade paperback, there is an odd mix of dense thinking and pastoral overtones. Austin spends a lot of time summarizing other writers, giving a lot of platitudes, generally exhorting people toward love and humility, but his ideas and thoughts do not always—in my opinion—tie together in a cohesive way. Austin is also, at times, insufficiently radical in calling out his evangelical audience. In a polarizing age, I suppose one must tiptoe on eggshells, but Austin appears to keep some things vague in order to not too explicitly call out his primary readership.
In conclusion, Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ is fine. Michael W. Austin offers a compelling call to return to the humble way of Jesus, providing both theological insights and practical guidance—but he ultimately comes up a bit short in actually making his ideas concrete and practicable.