Spirituality of Gratitude

May 11, 2015
While many books reveal how gratitude benefits our lives—grateful people have better health and relationships, for example—Kang’s approach is quite different. Far from a self-help treatise, this devotional collection of 52 short chapters explores gratitude as a means of understanding God’s grace. Kang does not shy away from difficult experiences, opening with reflections on where gratitude can be found in dark times such as a fall from grace or a pervasive sense of isolation. One of the book’s strengths is the author’s strong familiarity with the Bible, often bringing Hebrew or Greek words into the mix or explaining how a biblical custom might have relevance for gratitude today. For example, he says that human brokenness is necessary in order for us to become an offering to God, much like grain offerings were broken into bits before being offered at the altar in the book of Leviticus. Another strength is the author’s obvious erudition; he is widely read in poetry (T.S. Eliot, Emily Dickinson), literature, and many popular theologians, including Henri Nouwen, Søren Kierkegaard, Parker Palmer, and C. S. Lewis. A weakness, however, is the meandering state of the book’s final section, which is loosely gathered around the theme of “the path of gratitude” but lacks the cohesion that characterizes the rest of the book.

Starred review from July 1, 2015

Prolific Kang (A Guidebook to Prayer; Scripture by Heart; Deep-Rooted in Christ) is the pastor of New Life Vision Church in Los Angeles and has written several books in his native Korean. His success is a welcome reminder of the influence of Korean culture on the United States and the power of the Christian faith in Korean communities in both Asia and this country. Kang is a writer of controlled and balanced eloquence, and his heartfelt and intelligent prose here delineates the notion of the acceptance of God's grace with gratitude as an opportunity for understanding of the world and for a richer experience of God's glory. Kang's elegance is something all preachers should study and emulate. VERDICT A smart, subtle essay in Christian spirituality from a pastor who deserves (and may find) wider renown as a spiritual writer.

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