The Big Relief
The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World
About
We could all use a little--or a lot--of relief from the pressures of life. And there is no bigger relief than the grace of God.
Think of grace as one-way love. A gift with no strings attached. Favor when you least expect or deserve it. Knowing that you don't have to do anything to earn God's approval.
In The Big Relief, popular author David Zahl spotlights grace as the most important, urgent, and radical contribution Christianity has to offer the world. Zahl helps readers understand the beauty and depth of grace, outlining how it provides relief from the guilt, status anxiety, and accelerating demand that characterize so much of modern life. Drawing on the witness of Scripture and a panoply of contemporary examples, he unpacks the theology of grace in fresh and exciting terms, exploring its many fruits--such as freedom, play, surrender, humility, rest, surprise, and joy--in the process.
Zahl invites us to embrace Christianity as a refuge rather than as a project, a beacon of hope instead of a vehicle of shame, and a harbor of refreshment in a worn-out world. Ultimately, he welcomes everyone to receive the gift of relief we so desperately need.
Contents
Introduction
1. Grace: The Relief from Deserving
2. Forgiveness: The Relief from Regret
3. Favor: The Relief from Rejection
4. Surrender: The Relief from Control
5. Atonement: The Relief from Guilt
6. Imputation: The Relief from Status Anxiety
7. Rest: The Relief from Keeping Up
8. Play: The Relief from Productivity
9. Rescue: The Relief from Captivity (and Death)
Conclusion: Love and Mercy
Endorsements
"The central hope (and scandal, and paradox, and challenge) of Christian faith, brought down brilliantly to ground level for all of us weary souls."
Francis Spufford, author of Unapologetic and Light Perpetual
"The Big Relief is more than a good read; it's a breath of fresh air and a burden lifted all at the same time. With eyes to see the theological in the everyday and a deep pastoral sensibility, Zahl calls us to lay down the heavy loads of performance and anxiety and reminds us--once again--that all is grace."
Hannah Anderson, author of Turning of Days: Lessons from Nature, Season, and Spirit
"I genuinely love Zahl's new book. I've never had so much fun reading footnotes! The Big Relief reminds us that grace is a party, a piñata exploding with God's best candy, a free and never-ending gift. This book just might help you fall back in love with the weirdest, wildest theological concept in all creation."
Harrison Scott Key, author of How to Stay Married and The World's Largest Man
"The Big Relief is a wonderfully companionable, expansive work of contemporary philosophy. David Zahl invites us to consider how we get in our own way--through guilt, anxious comparison, accelerated expectations, the need to feel in control--in our frustrated fumbling toward some kind of relief. With warmth and generosity, this book suggests that relief is possible but never underestimates the effort required to feel it. Nothing simplistic or easy-peasy here, and lots to take heart in, regardless of your religious faith or lack thereof."
Kathryn Jezer-Morton, writer and sociologist
"Grace is a miracle--particularly in a world soaked in so many forms of resentment. Ours is an age at war, one that's fueled by blame, punishment, and revenge. We love it all. We find it delicious to watch our enemies suffer. This mindset has made for a generation of young people who are terrified to live. In such an environment, we need a miracle. We need to be reminded of the miracle of grace itself. Grace is how God reaches out to us. Against the backdrop of a culture war, this reality of grace is staggeringly beautiful. David Zahl brings this reality of the otherworldly and divine grace to readers with beauty, depth, and clarity. The Big Relief's articulation of grace frees us from seeing this too-common Christian word (but profoundest of realities) as an idea, or a therapeutic medication, or a self-help concept. Zahl reveals that grace is the nature of a God who comes to us in mercy and gives us freedom. This is a book that speaks good news to everyone in our time. It's a treasure I recommend to all."
Andrew Root, Luther Seminary; author of A Pilgrimage into Letting Go
The Author
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© Kristen Finn David Zahl
David Zahl is the founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, editor in chief of the Mockingbird blog, and cohost of the Mockingcast and Brothers Zahl podcasts. He is the author of Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology,...
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