The Light in Our Eyes

“In a rare spirit of sympathy with the criticisms (and healthy bit of humor), [Nicholas] McDonald makes a compelling case that replacing a joyless Christianity with a joyless deconstruction is a dead end. The path to recovery begins by being disillusioned with disillusionment, finding a road to more joy (not less) and thereby finding one’s way back to the genuine Jesus. This is a desperately needed book.”—Richard Lints, senior advisor of Redeemer City to City (NYC) and senior professor of theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“In The Light in Our Eyes, McDonald invites us to reclaim a vision of Christian faith that isn’t bound on either side by argumentation and contemporary political positions. This charming, insightful, and funny book casts a vision for faith that is, in fact, quite ancient. This narrative is for those who are weary of a Christianity that has become a collection of position papers and who hunger to re-remember the dreams of Jesus.”—John Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author/illustrator of The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

“Many people are disillusioned by what they believe to be Christianity but what is, in fact, a false narrative that McDonald calls ‘the story of escape.’ In reality, Christianity is a wondrous drama of rootedness and renewal, and this book invites readers to be ‘re-storied’ and to embrace faith in Jesus with a restored imagination. The church may have many cracks, but—to riff off a song by Leonard Cohen—sometimes that’s how the light gets in, guiding us back to the beauty of God. With this book, McDonald rings the bell that still can ring and beckons us to listen and look.”—Wesley Vander Lugt, theologian and author of Beauty Is Oxygen: Finding a Faith That Breathes

“This book couldn’t be more timely. For the church’s flawed—occasionally even toxic or bullying—witness, McDonald offers an understandable response to her hypocrisy, tribalism, and abuses. He invites us to discover that Jesus’s gospel and dream for the world offers us hope and love in richer and more life-enhancing ways than we could ever imagine.”—Mark Meynell, writer, pastor, and mentor, formerly Europe and Caribbean director for Langham Preaching, and author of several books including A Wilderness of Mirrors and co-editor of Not So with You: Power and Leadership for the Church

“The Light in Our Eyes offers those struggling with doubt, disillusionment, and deconstruction the room to name and acknowledge what is legitimately troubling within contemporary evangelical Christianity, while encouraging a more ancient, global, and hope-filled vision of the Christian faith.”—Mark P. Ryan, executive director of Sage Christianity and associate professor of congregational theology and cultural apologetics at Calvin Theological Seminary—Missional Training Center

Nicholas McDonald is the Associate Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian church in central Indianapolis and has served in ministry for over fifteen years. His previous positions have included roles in youth ministry and four years as the Campus Minister of Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Missouri. McDonald received his degree from Gordon Conwell Seminary and studied creative writing at Oxford University. He writes regularly for The Gospel Coalition and is the author of Faker. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and their three children.

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