The Ragamuffin Gospel

A Furious Love Is Hot on Your Trail! 

Many believers feel stunted in their Christian growth.  We beat ourselves up over our failures and, in the process, pull away from God because we subconsciously believe He tallies our defects and hangs His head in disappointment.    Brennan  Manning reminds us that nothing could be further from the truth.  The Father beckons us to Himself with a “furious love” that burns brightly and constantly.  Only when we truly embrace God’s grace can we bask in the joy of a gospel that enfolds the most needy of His flock – the “ragamuffins.”

This revised edition  includes a new epilogue, “The Scandal of Grace: Fifteen Years Later,” and a new section “19 Mercies: A Spiritual Journey” of reading, prayer, and contemplation.

Are you bedraggled, beat-up, burnt-out? 

Most of us believe in God’s grace – in theory.  But somehow we can’t seem to apply it in our daily lives.  We continue to see Him as a small-minded bookkeeper, tallying our failures and successes on a score sheet.

Yet God gives us His grace, willingly, no matter what we’ve done.  We come to Him as ragamuffins – dirty, bedraggled, and beat-up.  And when we sit at His feet, He smiles upon us, the chosen objects of His “furious love.”

“Brennan Manning does a masterful job of blowing the dust off of shop-worn theology and allowing God’s grace to do what only God’s grace can do – amaze.”  ~  Max Lucado, Bestselling author of The Gift for All People

“I found deep comfort in realizing that Jesus loves even me, a ragamuffin, just as I am.”  ~  Michael Card, Musician, recording artist, and author of A Violent Grace

“This is a zestful and accurate portrayal that tells us unmistakably that the gospel is good, dazzlingly good.”  ~  Eugene Peterson, Author of The Message

Story Behind the Book

The world assigns value to people using measurable standards.  Someone is a successful student if she receives A’s.  Someone is a strong athlete if he runs five miles a day.  The Lord, however, knows nothing of standards.  The Ragamuffin Gospel was inspired by Brennan Manning after he discovered firsthand what it means to live by grace instead of performance.  His words bring new life and sweet refreshment to Christians who are tired of never measuring up.