Gospel Privilege: The Unearned Advantage That’s Meant for Everyone, by David Joannes. Within Reach Global, 2021. 245 pages.
Find yourself with an unearned spiritual advantage—the grace of the gospel?
“This book is a clarion call for the gospel-privileged to stand in advocacy for and in solidarity with the gospel-deprived, to step beyond our borders, even when it’s risky or uncomfortable, and to share the rich privilege of knowing Christ,” says mission mobilizer and ministry leader David Joannes.
There’s a lot in this book. The author weaves together scripture, history, data, quotes from other books, and stories (primarily but not exclusively from people serving with his ministry in East Asia). The author also tackles moralistic therapeutic deism, consumerist and individualistic approaches to Christianity, Christian nationalism, and today’s debates about social justice.
I found chapter two particularly strong; it explains the issue of gospel access and illustrates it with the story of a woman in China whose life was transformed by the gospel. That might be just what you need as you work on a talk, lesson, or sermon on that topic. Chapter five unpacks a biblical understanding of social justice, leaning on recent work from Tim Keller, and brings it to life with a compelling story from the life of an indigenous missionary in East Asia.
Note that the book seems to assume an American readership and directly challenges American Christianity.
To learn more, visit the author’s website. You can get the book from Amazon (or elsewhere). The Kindle edition is US$9.99 while the paperback is selling for US$12.00. Joannes also wrote The Mind of a Missionary.