Paperback of my new book is available now! (Kindle edition coming soon)

Rest Unleashed, Goodness Found and Unexpected Christianity are scheduled to be FREE on Kindle 9/1 to 9/5. This is my promotion preparation for my new book, Identity Snatchers.

Amazon Kindle link

My terse answer was not called for. My 7th book will indeed show the good, the bad and the ugly. It is coming together nicely. This will be the most accurate, comprehensive and meaningful book about the group. So far I have 2 high profile endorsements. I might have difficulty making this less than 500 pages.

One of many things I appreciated about the Reformation Project leadership cohort was that the majority (as in about 80%) of our reading was about non-affirming theology and history. It was challenging to read such material that I almost completely disagree with. But it was really better that way. I learned much more and my own thoughts were challenged. And I even found some places where I agreed.

I think that applies to the ubf situation too. While I was at ubf, I rarely read material that contradicted my KOPAHN worldview. If I did happen to read non-ubf material, it was only to find more support for my ideology.

That all changed when I decided to read the late James Kim letter, and also the letter from his wife. Reading former member material that I completely disagreed with at the time was so helpful. In that case, I realized my own KOPAHN ideology was full of contradictions and very lacking in light of the Christian gospel.

“I think the whole point of reading is not to read about things we are familiar with that make us feel safe and good. It is so boring to just read about ourselves. And once Western readers take freedoms for granted then they’re really in trouble. One of the things that has bothered me since I’ve come to the U.S. is this idea, in a lot of colleges and universities, or even in high schools, that everybody likes to read or talk only about themselves. So if you’re African American, you teach African American lit and you read African American lit and you write about African Americans. Now, I believe the whole point of writing and reading is to learn about things and people that you don’t know. As a writer, I start with a topic I think I know, and of course in part do know, but for me writing a book always becomes a journey of discovery. You are discovering that stranger within you, and for readers, then they open the book, there are two faculties, two miraculous faculties that the act of reading and writing depend on, which form the basis of our imaginations. The first one is curiosity… And the other great thing is that as soon as you enter this world that is both familiar and unfamiliar and you set out on this journey of discovery, the you discover Empathy.”

http://www.unexpectedchristianity.org/identity-snatchers

Joe, I agree with your statement, and find it a cross between amusing and annoying. But I would say that probably many of the missionaries have either little to no clue that they are doing so, or they give little thought that they are doing so (and likely would not welcome being told!), since some of them have virtually viewed themselves as the premier predominant privileged ones who have the right to dictate direction, procedure and policy.

1. She did a very good job of presenting UBF missionaries on their own terms. She gave a voice to their own narrative about themselves.

2. She did not give any real voice to those who have been hurt and damaged by UBF. Acknowledging that they exist somewhere out there is not the same thing as giving them a voice.

3. Too often, she took what UBF says about itself at face value. For example, she repeated the claim that the rate of divorce in UBF is essentially zero. But without thinking too hard about it, I can list many couples married in UBF who divorced. They drop off the radar and no one talks about them anymore. Kim also took UBF’s own hagiography of how the ministry began as a statements of fact. The story of how UBF began could be told in a very different way from what is found on UBF websites. For example, one could present it as a separatist movement that broke away from the Presbyterian Church because Samuel Lee didn’t want to be accountable to anyone. Alternative angles were never explored.

4. Her discussion of racism in UBF was puzzling. Yes, UBF missionaries prized white Americans as sheep. So in that sense, they believed in white superiority. But they constantly criticized America culture and encouraged white Americans to think, speak and act like Koreans.

5. The book has essentially no theological reflection. I suppose the author would say that she was writing as a sociologist, and theological reflection would be inappropriate. But Christian readers may be disappointed by the lack of analysis of the spiritual implications of what UBF members believe and do. For example: Kim’s extensive description of the “soldier spirit” of missionaries and their “theology of sacrifice” should have led to some reflection about what UBF is really promoting. They would say they are merely preaching the gospel. But shouldn’t a gospel ministry focus more on the work of the Holy Spirit than the missionaries’ soldier spirit? Shouldn’t a gospel ministry focus more on the sacrifice of Jesus than on the missionaries’ own sacrifice? One could say with good reason that UBF leaders have idolized their own zeal and sacrifice. But Kim doesn’t discuss this at all.