"Sacrilege" by Hugh Halter

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Hugh Halter. Sacrilege: Finding Life in the Unorthodox Ways of Jesus. Baker, 2011. 

Sacrilege is a book out to answer one question: What does it mean to be like Jesus? The premise of the book is that Jesus was sacrilegious (that is, he de-sacralized, treated as not holy, things which had been treated as holy) and as his followers we ought to be as well. To explain what he means by this, Halter follows in the steps of the likes of Bonhoeffer and Dallas Willard in centering his answer to the books question on the beatitudes, with lots of practical advice and personal stories along the way. 

In a church which clearly needs to rethink what it means to be like Jesus, this book comes as a big step in the right direction. No book could say all that needs to be said on this topic, but what Halter does have to say is worth listening to and think about. Personally, there was not much new here; people such as Bonhoeffer and Dallas Willard have said it before, and I have read them. However, for many individuals in our digital age, who have never read a book 20 years old let alone 50, those books will be nigh inaccessible. Here, then, is a viable alternative. 

Conclusion: 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Recommended. Sacrilege is filled with good words, such as teachings about hospitality, humility, and Sabbath; most Christians will benefit from reading this book. 

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group".


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