Holy Boldness: Practices of an Evangelistic Lifestyle

Paul R Dekar, Holy Boldness: Practices of an Evangelistic Lifestyle (Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2004) Reviewed by Darren Cronshaw Paul Dekar grounds a broad understanding of evangelism in spiritual and lifestyle practices. Like Ignatius' exercises or Wesley's methods, Dekar offers some basic direction to strengthen discipleship and thereby evangelism. Though from North America, Dekar draws on his experience in Australia including teaching at Whitley College, particularly in exploring reconciliation and celebrating everyday spirituality. He writes; `The journey to holiness is wide-ranging and includes even those parts of one's life that seem humdrum.' (p.38) The book's themes are holiness, boldness and spiritual practices. He explores 15 spiritual practices in 4 sections - humility, justice, mercy and seasonal celebrations. The book is about spiritual formation as much as evangelism, though Dekar assumes that the best evangelistic lifestyle is one that is formed in the likeness of Christ. Lifestyle evangelism, he says, arises from an overflow of experiencing God's love. Never one to limit faith to personal experience, Dekar explores jubilee as well as prayer, compassion as well as play, listening to culture as well as God, and dialogue as well as testimony. Sometimes the connections between a suggested spiritual practice and evangelism are made explicit, but more often this is left to the reader and their small groups (using the helpful questions at the end of each chapter). This review originally appeared Mission Horizons: Newsletter of the School of World Mission, No. 18 (December, 2004), p. 3.