Reviewed by: Ceil Carey, retired public librarian and long time book discussion leader

Introduction

Book or Media Title:

Called to forgive

Author or Producer:

Anthony B. Thompson with Denise George

Publisher or Studio:

Bethany House

Publication or Release Date:

2019

Format (i.e., print book, ebook, CD, DVD, movie, TV show, YouTube video, etc.):

Paperback

Length (i.e., 350 pages, 1 hour 45 minutes, etc.):

255 pages

OVERVIEW

Reverend Thompson’s wife Myra was one of the victims of the June 17, 2015 Charleston shooting. She actually was leading the Bible lesson that evening at her church and was one of the members who warmly welcomed Dylann Roof into their midst and asked him to join their study. She lost her life an hour later when Roof killed nine of the worshipers.

After that shooting, instead of the expected racial tension, anger, looting and violence that might be predicted, Charleston citizens chose to unite peaceably, partially due to the forgiveness extended to Roof and particularly that coming from Reverent Thompson himself.

Called to forgive digs into the circumstances around the shooting and why and how Thompson could extend forgiveness. The topic of Christian forgiveness is actually dissected and looked at from all sides. The book is well written and highly recommended and the Bible study questions at the end of the book make this a great choice for a small group.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5):

5

Suggested Audience:

All contemporary Christians should be interested in today’s racial issues and how some of this plays out in our world.

Christian Impact:

Forgiveness is the main topic of this book, not only the forgiveness that the author extends to his wife’s murderer but forgiveness in general.

Other Notes (Optional):

Also contains:

-in depth Bible study questions for each chapter

-Appendix 1: A call to prayer from the bishops of South Carolina

-Appendix 2: Charleston shooting, trial and remembrance timeline

-Appendix 3: The ten stages of Biblical forgiveness

-Appendix 4: The resolution to recognize, denounce and apologize for the city’s involvement with slavery

-Appendix 5: Myra’s Bible Study on Jesus’ parable of the sower (from Mark 4)

-Notes for each chapter

Interested in reviewing a book, movie, album, or other type of media for our website? We would love to hear from you! Find out more about how to submit media reviews.