by Lisa Graham McMinn

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review by Lisa Delzer Cox

WHAT DOES IT MEAN to be content? And why can't I be? I never really thought about how much my culture and its influences play into my restlessness. It's one thing to say, “Oh, we live in a busy culture,” or “I'd like to be less busy,” but what does that really mean? Lisa Graham McMinn addresses these questions in her book The Contented Soul.

As I began with McMinn's first chapter, “Invitation to Contentment,” I felt thoroughly uninvited to the contentment party. Yeah, right, I thought; I'm glad it's working out for the disciple Paul, but this is a different world. In my head I received what I expected—another book telling me to savor life and smile so that everything would be fine, and another book directed toward a rich upper class audience devoid of the primary problems that crush me regularly under their weight. Walking through the leaves and giving a buck to a homeless person haven't worked for me yet, my inner voice told me sarcastically as I set the book aside and moved on.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking about what I had read as I went on with my daily work, however, and as I forced myself into honesty I realized that I ought to continue reading. It also struck me that perhaps this world isn't more busy than it was when Jesus was teaching; just busy in a different way. As I continued into the second chapter, my criticisms fell away into growing enthusiasm. McMinn echoes the thoughts I've been having recently about our world and puts into words what I had yet to piece together from my cranial ramblings.

Entering chapter two, McMinn makes excellent comments about being consumers in a materialistic culture. She describes historical views of the soul and power struggles as well as humanity's fights for and against autonomy. She develops the theory of why Americans have worked so hard to find their identities through consumption to the end that they are no longer capable of forming their own identities. The book flows easily and is both detailed and concise in a practical, understandable context. In addition, McMinn does an excellent job at alternating relevant, encouraging stories with history in a manner that is fascinating and engaging, and she succeeded in breaking down my defenses to a place where I could read her and then examine my own life without feeling pressured, accused, or condemned.

Another aspect I appreciate about McMinn is her ability to convey the importance of our need to change while also considering the fact that often the older we grow the less willing and able we are to make drastic life changes. She doesn't expect everyone to quit their jobs and become hippies; she understands we can only do that of which we're capable. At the same time, she offers a challenge to do everything we can to lower our ecological footprint and think about those around us when we go to make any decision, even one as small as buying milk. Through challenges “we gain an appreciation for what we are capable of enduring, learning, mastering” (51). McMinn also shows examples of how we can create peace for ourselves even in the most basic of tasks: “Our culture isn't set up for sipping and savoring meals. But we can make eating a more meaningful part of our day by protecting it as an opportunity to slow down, to be more intentional about what we eat and where it comes from, and to seek ways to build fellowship into our eating” (115).

Touching on another vital element of contentment, McMinn integrates the importance of community and how this value has fallen into sincere disrepair in our culture. Expanding the discussion in chapter eight, she compares our individualistic culture with collectivist cultures and with biblical descriptions of how we are called to live and how our interactions with others affect our own lives. We often forget that though Jesus did indeed go away to pray and be alone, he always returned to his disciples to continue his work in the world.

McMinn examines pain and suffering also—our own and others', both alone and in the light of community. For the first time, I found contentment and peace regarding the age-old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” McMinn addresses suffering and pain along with the question of why bad things happen at all, and encourages her readers in reflection.

Perhaps there needs to be many more exclamation points added to the book's title: The Contented Soul!!!!: The Art of Savoring LIFE!!!!!!!!! Although I enjoy McMinn's quiet spirit and peaceful explanations, the more I read the more passionate I became about its subject and the more convinced I was of the importance of the topics it addresses. I surely plan on reading this book several times a year, if only to seek guidance in recentering my life.

However enthusiastic I appear, admittedly there were a few places where my hackles rose. In addition to the difficulty I had with the first chapter, I struggled with page 130 where McMinn makes broad assumptions about what Christians believe. I found this a bold move, considering that the church has been arguing about such things for centuries, and theologies and belief structures are wide even within how most people define Christianity. Also on page 130, her reference to a future “bodily resurrection, in which one day we will be restored to a perfect embodied state” comes in stark contrast to pages 126 and 127 where she strongly criticizes our quest for an ideal body on earth. I felt her reasons as to why a perfect body in heaven is supposed to be strong motivation for behaving here on earth were not developed.

Each chapter ends with queries for further reflection. In general, these queries are excellent; they revisit key points and encourage discussion that is vital if we are truly going to change our lives and worlds and live in a manner akin to God. However, although this book begs for action, it also begs for discussion and communication, and unfortunately some of the queries are dreadfully leading and calculated. Rather than formulating the questions as jump-off points for a broader discussion, they seem designed as homework—set to make sure the reader was paying attention by asking him to parrot back quotes from the chapter just read.

If I'm honest with myself, this book really did raise my defenses—probably inevitable with a book of this magnitude, one that cuts straight to the heart of what makes me so unhappy. All things considered, it is amazing that my defenses didn't simply throw this book in the trash at the first hint that my way of life might not be good enough for God and that I've got to work even harder in a world where I'm already giving more than I'm able and spending most of my days fighting exhaustion. However, I believe this is McMinn's point: We're working too hard and yet not achieving anything. As I complete the final pages I find myself planning to madly distribute copies to friends, family, and everyone else I see. For the truths in this book transcend the words on its pages. There is an amazing truth and vision in The Contented Soul. There are truths about our culture, about our world, about God. If we are truly willing to look for the core formed deep inside ourselves by our culture and the subtle understandings we have gathered, we will also find truths about ourselves. McMinn has succeeded in giving us a challenging, motivating text with which I really resonate. I would encourage all to read this book slowly, absorbing its pages and considering how its words can make us content yet powerful, rebellious, and godly people.

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