About the book:
How the Jesus Movement transformed the church--and can transform you
God has always been passionate about turning unlikely people into His most fervent followers. Prostitutes and pagans, tax collectors and tricksters, the pompous and the pious--the more unlikely the people, the more it seems to please God to demonstrate His power, might, and mercy through them. America in the 1960s and 1970s was full of many such unlikely characters--young men and women who had rejected the conformist religion of their parents' generation, iconoclasts who didn't follow the rules and didn't fit in. It was the perfect setting for the greatest spiritual awakening of the twentieth century.
With clarity, humor, passion, and purpose, Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn tell the remarkable true story of the Jesus Movement, an extraordinary time of mass revival, renewal, and reconciliation. Setting intriguing personal stories within the context of one of the most tumultuous times in modern history, they draw important parallels with our own time of spiritual apathy and outright hostility, offering hope for the next generation of unlikely believers--and for the next great American revival.
Because God can always bring a new Jesus Revolution.
My review:
This book was incredibly fascinating! I had heard of the Jesus Movement but didn't know much about it, which was why I wanted to read this book. I was not disappointed! I loved learning about what was happening culturally, politically, spiritually, etc., that led to the hippies and then ultimately to the Jesus Movement. Almost all of these names were new to me; it was incredibly interesting to learn about Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbee, key figures in the movement, and especially Greg Laurie, who was mentored by them, and also played a big part. He had a very tough childhood, which makes for an even more amazing redemption story. His life story was encouraging, surprising and interwoven very well with the broader story Laurie and Vaughn were telling. The writing was well done, easy to read and moved along nicely. I was never bored. I loved the references to music; Larry Norman was actually the only name I knew from this period because of DC Talk's remaking a couple of his songs and he was talked about here, along with other musicians, some Christian, some not. Finally, there was a chapter about how it could happen again and we can pray for it but ultimately it's up to God. I laughed, I cried, I learned so much! I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, the '70s in particular, Greg Laurie's story or one of the most amazing revivals in our nation's history!
I received this book from Baker Books. I was not compensated for this. All opinions are my own.
The Authors
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Photo by: Josh Del Greg Laurie
Greg Laurie is senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, with campuses in California and Hawaii. He began his pastoral ministry at the age of 19, leading a Bible study of 30 people. Today, Harvest is one of the largest churches in America. More than 5.6...
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Photo by: Jonathan Whitten Ellen Vaughn
Ellen Vaughn is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and inspirational speaker who has written or co-written more than 20 books. Former vice president of executive communications for Prison Fellowship, she collaborated with Chuck Colson on a number of...
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