When Missionary Dreams Turn Bitter | CT Books

[Also: A Radical Re-reading of Adam and Eve] Also: A Radical Re-reading of Adam and Eve | [View online]( [ChristianityToday.org]( [CT Books newsletter]( Tuesday, May 02, 2017 When Missionary Dreams Turn Bitter One of the best pieces I've had the pleasure of editing at CT was Amy Peterson's [Farewell to the Missionary Hero]( which appeared back in 2015. Her essay looks at cultural and technological developments that paved the way toward a greater willingness, among missionary writers, to candidly confess their failures and frustrations. Failure and frustration certainly loom large in Peterson's recent memoir, [Dangerous Territory: My Misguided Quest to Save the World](. Her big dreams of serving God and teaching English in Southeast Asia turned bitter when a government crackdown began to endanger some of her students and friends. As Rachel Pieh Jones explains in [her review]( this devastating experience left Peterson with "profound questions she couldn't shake"—questions about God's "purpose and character," where he is "when his people suffer" and "when dreams we thought he gave us are crushed." She also began entertaining deeper questions about "the missionary endeavor" itself. Jones, who has lived in the Horn of Africa for over a decade, commends Peterson for her introspection and insight: "These are all the right questions—and if Peterson, after two years abroad, claimed to have answers for them, I probably would have thrown her book against the wall. I had been half-expecting another nauseating white-savior-complex story with a bit of apologetic self-redemption near the end and some faux-authoritative declarations on how to solve all these complex issues. But to my relief, Peterson does actual research, rather than relying solely on her brief experiences, and she presents suggestions more than answers. She nudges the conversation in the right direction with helpful wisdom and the spirit of a learner." A Radical Re-reading of Adam and Eve "Throughout history," writes Leslie Leyland Fields, "Christians have read the story of Adam and Eve as epic, but as an epic of sin and death. The brief account of their lives and their infamous rebellion has served universally as at least a cautionary tale of human greed for forbidden power. In the church, it means much more: Through their disobedience to God, the first man and woman plunged the entire human race and all of creation into death, separation from God." But in his latest book, [The First Love Story](, bestselling author Bruce Feiler reads Adam and Eve in a radically different fashion, focusing instead on how their example of committed love can help shore up the ideal of marital fidelity in a culture all too familiar with divorce and family breakdown. [Is this reinterpretation persuasive?]( Fields, a frequent CT contributor, began the book optimistically. But by the end, she had strong doubts. "Can this secularized version of 'the first love story' succeed in inspiring us to remain committed to a marriage partner for a lifetime? As someone who's been married for four decades now, through immeasurable highs and unspeakable lows, I know it's not enough for me. And I suspect it won't be enough for many others as well." [Matt Reynolds](mailto:ctbooks@ChristianityToday.com), Associate Editor, Books Christianity Today To reply to this newsletter: ctbooks@christianitytoday.com Add newsletter@lists.christianitytoday.com to your address book. [Featured Articles]( [Farewell to the Missionary Hero]( How candid confessions of failure and frustration found their way into stories from the field. Amy Peterson [The Most Dangerous Thing About Being a Missionary in a Hostile Country]( It all depends on how you understand 'safety.' Rachel Pieh Jones [Adam and Eve Can't Save Your Marriage]( What Bruce Feiler's reading of 'the first love story' leaves out. Leslie Leyland Fields More from Christianity Today [Teams in Mission: Are They Worth It? (Part One)]( TEAM missionaries research teamwork. [New & Noteworthy Books]( Compiled by Matt Reynolds [Gleanings: March 2017]( Important developments in the church and the world (as they appeared in our March issue). Follow Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [RSS]( [Subscribe to this newsletter]( In the Magazine [Current Issue]( [Luther's Return to a Gospel of Grace Is Still Relevant 500 Years Later]( [Reading the Reformation in 2017]( [Pro-Life's Reformation Ripples]( [View Full Issue]( [Subscribe Now]( Related CT Newsletters [CT Entertainment]( Reviews and perspectives on movies, TV, and music. [Sign Up Now]( [CT Connection]( The official newsletter of the global media ministry. [Sign Up Now]( [CT Books]( Delivered via email to subscribers weekly. [Subscribe]( | [Email Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Advertise]( | [Subscribe to CT]( You are currently subscribed as: {EMAIL} Copyright ©2017 [ChristianityToday.org]( Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.