Barbarian at the Gate

The Barbarian Way
By Erwin McManus
Nelson Books, 148 pages

Ruben Aguilar

Barbary
c.1300, "foreign lands" (especially non-Christian lands," from L. barbarus "barbarous" (see barbarian). Meaning "Saracens living in coastal North Africa" is attested from 1596, via Fr. (O.Fr. Barbarie), from Arabic Barbar, Berber, ancient Arabic name for the inhabitants of N.Africa beyond Egypt. Perhaps a native Arabic word, from barbara "to babble confusedly," which may be ult. from Gk. barbaria (see barbarian)


Given Erwin McManus’s reputation for sacking dedicated leaders of his Mosaic church, some of his most wounded flock may have been given to ironic chuckles when first learning of his 2005 title: The Barbarian Way. To see the carnage left in McManus wake reminds one of Tom and Daisy, the fictional characters in The Great Gatsby who F. Scott Fitzgerald tells us were “careless and smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” Former employees, youth workers, pastors, and members may be forgiven for experiencing a bit of déjà vu when reading this book. Its thesis, tone, philosophy, and theology are very much like the man: earnest but hollow, passionate but cranky, ambitious and yet, ultimately, aimless.

One of the many frustrating things about the Emergent church movement and their leaders is their penchant for modifying language and definitions to suit their purposes. To most people, a barbarian is a marauder, a thieving non-Christian given to rage and reckless abandon. To McManus, it is a true Christ-follower. To most evangelicals, mysticism is an aberrant doctrine dealing with the direct union of the soul with God through contemplation. To McManus, it is a unique and transcendent connection to the Creator of the universe. McManus’s thesis is clear right away: to be a good Christian is to be an uncivilized Christian. What does this mean exactly? I don’t know if McManus is entirely sure himself. On page thirteen we are told that the barbarian way is “about love, intimacy, passion, and sacrifice.” Even if we were to accept his definition of barbarian, what right-thinking Christian would deny the importance of these qualities? What evangelical group is warring against the movement of love and sacrifice? If Erwin knows, he isn’t telling. On page thirty five he tells us the barbarian life is filled with uncertainty, mystery, and risk. Well, whose isn’t? Taking risks seems to be a high priority with McManus and he goes to great pain to warn that to be in God’s hands is not safe: “It is a path filled with uncertainty and unlimited possibilities.” How exactly does one achieve that one can only guess. There is no real substance here only empty platitudes. We are told to have an “untamed faith,” to be an “innovator,” to possess a “dangerous mind,” to live a “primal” life. But what does that mean? How does one know if he is living the barbarian life and not one devoted to his own pleasures? McManus draws a list of unnamed members of his church who have chosen vocations all over the world as varied as doctor, film editor, fashion designer, chef, and psychologist. The lesson to be learned by this is that these members decided to “pursue the dreams that were waiting to be realized.” So how is this relevant to living a godly life? And what makes this kind of positive thinking much different than say, an Anthony Robbins or Ken Blanchard? There are long passages quoted from the life of John the Baptist which are fine but the question remains: how should we then live? McManus doesn’t bother with the details. He later offers a story about a rebellious friend who refused to return to God unless it snowed. McManus fervent prayer and faith prove him to be a true barbarian in this passage. Fine. But there are plenty of Christians with similar faith and devotion to God. What exactly is so different about this kind of faith, this uncivilized form? And why does he feel the need to brand Christianity in general as a “religion of conformists?” It is just one of the many assertions in this misguided book.

The McManus in Barbarian Way has a cranky contempt for rituals: “The Christian civilization is held together by rules and rituals; the barbarian revolt is fueled by the passion of God and guided by the mission of God.” It is a curious passage from a pastor who regularly encourages baptism, tithing, and the Lord’s Supper. He doesn’t like the word “Christian.” He prefers Christ follower. He discourages Christian parents to teach their boys to be gentlemen. They instead ought to teach them to be barbarians. He seems to prefer “conversation with God” over “prayer.” Some of the differences would seem petty if it weren’t for the fact that McManus has stated that one of the biggest threats to the cause of Christ is Christianity. Some in the Emergent Church movement seem alienated from the traditional church and would like nothing better to strip some of the timeless traditions one by one. McManus is at the forefront of this movement. Ironically, in his attempt to attack the traditional church, he is hearkening back to an old-style Gnosticism. His latest book, Soul Cravings, celebrates the idea of finding God within oneself. This shouldn’t surprise anyone closely reading Barbarian Way. At almost every step of the way, the book winds its way back to the incomparable, all-important me. The book seems to be one long yelp for self-fulfillment. The book jacket cries out: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within. There are no verses about the faith coming from hearing and hearing from the word of God. There is not much here for the mature Christian . You should just heed the mantra: be a barbarian. Be uncivilized. Everything else will take care of itself.

For the new Christian, there isn’t much to see here. Like his other books, McManus relies on the slogan, the catch-phrase, the counter-intuitive buzz-word to stir up a frenzy. In this case, it is “barbarian.” Like his claim that Christianity is the biggest threat to the cause of Christ, it is designed to attract attention and conversation. And it does. In a recent poll, McManus was ranked high in the list of most influential Christians. His book and tape sales have racked up good sales, his lecture schedule is always booked, and his church has seen a great expansion in the past six years. Tragically, the barbarian is no longer at the gate. He was invited in long ago.