Active Theology

Josh White knocked it out of the park with his first book. A few years ago, I discovered White’s music from a Spotify playlist and checked out a handful of his sermons from his church, Door of Hope, located in Portland. Everything he works on has pointed me towards Jesus, so I was very eager to read his first book (this was the first time I pre-ordered something on Amazon!). 

First and foremost, this book is an excellent study on the cross and Jesus’ very last moments before his death. Josh’s writing is engaging, thought-provoking, deeply introspective, and relatable. White doesn’t hide from the fact that life and faith are complex. One of the major themes throughout the book is forgiveness. In the first chapter, White defines forgiveness as “a word dimly understood, challenging to define, and even more difficult to give or receive”. (page 10) This statement speaks to the core of this book. Over and over, the upside-down, unfathomable forgiveness of God is mentioned page after page. 

Out of the topics that White hits on, “ladder theology” stood out as a repeated theme that exists in contrast to the forgiveness of the cross. He says, “ladder theology is the default setting of human existence; it is the religious impulse in all of us to prove our worth through effort, to climb our way to a heaven that has already come down to us”. (xxvi) Throughout the book, this idea is juxtaposed against the cross. For me, this is one of the strongest teaching points and offers a great way to contrast our attempts to earn forgiveness with what is freely offered in the gospel. He sums up this idea towards the end of the book by saying, “He is the ladder…”. Jesus is the answer to our ladder because he is the only way, the only way to “climb” to the Father.  

One of the most beautiful things about this book (and what kept me from putting it down) are the memoir fragments that are sprinkled throughout the book. Spoiler alert, but I’m still thinking about the story of him biting off a fish’s head! White is an excellent storyteller, so the way that he retells pieces of his life are engaging, brutally honest, and so purposeful to this book. It allows the reader to connect with him on an emotional level. As he pulls back the curtain on his life, it’s obvious that we’re all humans wrestling with the same things. I typically don’t have emotional reactions to books, but White’s personal stories had me laughing, feeling understood, and even made me cry. What I love about these stories and personal reflections is that the reader witnesses White wrestling with forgiveness, self-worth, the very things he’s teaching throughout the book. These stories make the deep theological concepts of the book easier to grasp and live out.

After finishing it, I quickly thought, “I will probably read this again someday.” I don’t have an official Top 5 list for books, but I know for a fact that I would put this book on that list. It’s full of gospel truth, hope, encouragement, raw emotion, and it points my heart and mind to how amazing Jesus’ sacrifice and forgiveness are. White is honest and relatable, which makes this book great for anyone, especially those asking big questions about faith and eternity. This is a great addition to your bookshelf!

by Craig Archer

Craig is a worship pastor at Wallula Christian Church and the creator of Active Theology. He loves coffee dates with his wife, reading, and riding his bike. A few of his favorite things are third wave coffee, vanilla ice cream, and plain t-shirts.