Unleashed by Erwin McManus

Unleashed: Release the Untamed Faith Within is the first book that I have read by Erwin McManus. I have seen him speak at the Catalyst West Coast conference back in 2009 and was very intrigued with his creativity in bringing a message. This book is no different. It was previously released in 2005 under a different title, The Barbarian Way. When I first read that, I wasn't sure what to think as barbarian doesn't have the greatest ring to it; it speaks to me of someone that is a rebel, completely against you, and won't conform with the masses. And as I kept reading I still found that to be true, but through McManus' creative style of communication, he completely flips the traditional context of the word barbarian and turns it into a way of thinking and a way of life for the Christian. He says this on the back cover of the book; "Jesus never made a pristine call to a proper or safe religion. Jesus beckons His followers to a path that is far from the easy road. This is the barbarian way: to give your heart to the only One who can make you fully alive. To love Him with simplicity and and intensity. To unleash the untamed faith within. To be consumed by the presence of a passionate and compassionate God. To go where He sends you, no matter the cost." McManus says that Christianity has become civilized and safe and I believe he has a point. So McManus uses the picture of a barbarian to challenge us to break free of that safe, religious idea of Christianity and to look at in a barbaric, uncivilized manner. It's about realizing that there is more to this life than what most Christians have made it out to be and it's going to take a huge step of faith. It's a life that needs to be changed for me personally, as I think I've become very accustomed to the safe, easy, and comfortable life of a Christian.

"The barbarian way is a journey that discovers the power of an untamed faith. And while this journey may genuinely the narrow road that Jesus spoke of where very few enter in, what I do know is that if you choose this path, you will for the very first time live a life completely unleashed."
Erwin McManus

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze for providing this complimentary book to read and review. You can purchase the book here on amazon.com.