
THE SPIRITED BOOK CLUB DISCUSSES BRIAN D. MCLAREN’S & GARETH HIGGINS’ BOOK, ‘THE SEVENTH STORY: US, THEM & THE END OF VIOLENCE’
The world seems to be falling apart, but it’s really the story we’re telling that needs some help.
BOOK OVERVIEW
The story we tell about the world shapes how we live. In a fable for grown-ups, presented alongside essays by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins, you’ll examine six familiar stories that have repeated through history, which have taught us all how to dominate, fear, or withdraw from the world and the beautiful people in it. There is a Seventh Story, a path of openheartedness toward others, and reading this book will inspire you to look anew at the world and your neighbors in creating it. Facing fear, aggression, and violence with the strength to love, and change your story.
Click here to purchase the eBook, available now.
And click here to read more about the other part of this project, a children’s book about “Us” and “Them”.
How Jesus invites us into the Seventh Story
Gareth Higgins and Brian McLaren describe how Jesus invites us into the Seventh Story:
[Jesus] radically interrupted the six stories, saying that instead of getting stuff and keeping others from getting stuff, you can’t actually possess stuff for yourself alone in the first place. Instead of building walls, you are invited to show the same kindness toward your neighbor as you would want them to show to you, to celebrate his joys, to grieve her losses. Even more provocative: instead of defeating enemies, you are asked to love them. We call this the reconciliation-liberation story.
The most revolutionary, if you will, part of the Seventh Story … is this: in each of the six stories, humans are masters of “our” domain, the world is divided into “us” and “them,” and the purpose of life is to be a selfish economic unit, producing bounty to keep for yourself and your group. The six stories are all based on reacting to other people’s desire; they invite separation at best, and violence at worst; and they seek to avoid suffering…. And in a world where we have the power to destroy ourselves, they are evolutionarily inappropriate.
But in the Seventh Story, human beings are not … masters of “our” domain, but partners in the evolution of goodness.[1]
How Jesus lived out the Seventh Story
McLaren discusses freedom to create a better story, and how Jesus lived out the Seventh Story:
I think it would be dangerous if there was some version of the Seventh Story imposed upon everybody to achieve world peace. There is something about the Seventh Story that needs to be powerful without exercising power, and needs to be persuasive without backing people into a corner. Something about it has to involve freedom and discovery and choice….
What we need isn’t a storyline that wants to erase all the others. What we need is story space that invites people, in whatever story they’re part of, to stop and wonder, “I don’t like where this story is going, and I don’t like how this is going to end. Is it possible there’s a better story to tell? Could we make a change and find a better ending?” That, to me, is what good news is about. For example, Jesus went around saying, “Repent.” I don’t think that necessarily means we should feel guilty and shameful about things we’ve done. I think it means rethink the story of your lives and open yourself to a different and better ending.
Jesus doesn’t give up on his story, but to the very end, he lives this Seventh Story. In the resurrection stories, he doesn’t come back saying, “Okay, enough of that love story. I’m going to come back a second time to get revenge on all those people.” The story of the resurrection is, “Let’s keep this story going.” He tells his followers to go into the whole world and keep this story going. Jesus lives and dies by a story of love, and the protagonist of the story is love.
Reviews for The Seventh Story
“This book offers an easy to understand explanation of the stories in which we are all caught up, stories that keep us stuck in a cycle of violence and war. It also offers a powerful alternative story, one that can turn the world around if only we are willing to try living into it.” —Rev. J. Day (Amazon)
“Simple, Profound, well documented, quick read and worth rereading probably many times. Like everything simple not so easy to implement but worth a daily intention. Make a commitment, do the work and change the world.” —Doris G. Hoskins (Amazon)
This little book has helped me contextualize the outbreaks of violence all around, from major conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, down to the attentional violence of ignoring the plights of people society deems disposable. And, the extensive list of alternative stories I can read or watch gives me a great way to retrain my brain. — (Amazon Customer)
CLUB DISCUSSION dates
BOOK CLUB meets Thursday, June 13 @ 12:00 – 1:00 pm AZ (MST)
++Book discussion facilitated by Sheri Brown
About the authors

Brian D. McLaren (L) is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a core faculty member and Dean of Faculty for the Center for Action and Contemplation. and a podcaster with Learning How to See. He is also an Auburn Senior Fellow and is a co-host of Southern Lights. His newest books are Faith After Doubt (January 2021), and Do I Stay Christian? (May 2022). His next release, Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart, is available for pre-order now and will release in May 2024. Read more about Brian McLaren.
Gareth Higgins (R) was born in Belfast in 1975, grew up during the northern Ireland Troubles, and now lives in the U.S. He writes and speaks about the power of storytelling to shape our lives and world, peace and making justice, and how to take life seriously without believing your own propaganda. He has been involved in peace-building and violence reduction in northern Ireland and helping address the legacy of conflict. Higgins received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Queen’s University Belfast, and helped teach the world’s first graduate course in Reconciliation Studies at Trinity College Dublin. He also helped found the Wild Goose, New Story and Movies & Meaning festivals. Read more about Gareth Higgins.
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