I had the privilege of meeting Desmond Tutu on two occasions when he visited Melbourne. The first at Breakfast at Bishop’s Court with Archbishop David Penman and the second in St Paul’s Cathedral where he addressed over 2000 young people. Both occasions remain vivid in my mind and confirmed for me Desmond Tutu as a Christian prophet and activist, truly a man of God who sees in the “least of my brothers and sisters” the face and presence of the divine. This latest book “God is not a Christian”, will trouble some particularly those for whom there is no room to see the flaws and failures of Christianity to address a range of human rights issues throughout the ages and the implication that Christians have pursued agenda’s which have failed to liberate communities from exploitation and tyranny often in the name of God.
The book is a collection of sermons, sayings, speeches and addresses given by Tutu over the years and includes a number of personal reflections and moments of anguish. Throughout the pages the reader is taken on a snap shot of Tutu’s faith journey and the content covers a range of topics. Each account gives the reader a glimpse of Tutu’s deep understanding and appreciation of scripture alongside his intellectual and spiritual insights to the application and meaning of the texts as he applies them to injustice. Tutu is no armchair justice advocate as his own life in South Africa where he experienced discrimination and inequality that makes him well equipped to speak from heart, mind, temperament and authority.
For me three sections of the book stand out. The first is the emphasis on restorative justice and forgiveness as witnessed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. The second is when Tutu visits Rwanda as part of a church’s delegation to the country after the bloodbath and genocide of 1994. He tells of the impact on him and his companions when they realise they were walking on the remains of those who had been killed in the attacks in this church. The third is his description and explanation of Black theology and the challenges this approach makes to Western and European traditions. He makes a strong case for how Christianity is culturally framed and how our own life experiences influence the way we understand Jesus for the times and in the places we each live. This includes how we give expression to the two great commandments “to love God and to love our neighbours”.
This book affirms Desmond Tutu's Christian leadership in the Anglican Communion as a prophet for our times, and his style a model for those who accept episcopal responsibility. He is not afraid to name the atrocities and abuses committed by governments, corporations or the church and states categorically that no religion has a monopoly on God’s goodness, virtue or truth.
In this book Tutu does not claim to be a scholar, yet his prophetic words and actions demonstrate a deep and profound understanding of scripture and the vulnerability and the brokenness of our world. Many will find his directness disturbing and challenging. Sacred words and expressions are deconstructed in light of the contemporary world and its rampant commitment to individualism and the Free markets approach to living standards, discrimination and exploitation of the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Desmond Tutu has not shirked controversy in this book. It is an easy and compelling book for all to read who struggle to proclaim God’s love for a world where the principles of justice, forgiveness and mercy are absent from the everyday life experiences of millions of people. A worthy addition to every person’s library.
