The Quiet Revolution :: Jay Hein

• The Quiet Revolution: An Active Faith that Transforms Live and Communities by Jay F Hein on Amazon

I've heard the phrase so often, until reading The Quiet Revolution I didn't realize "faith-based" was a recent 21st century buzzword! In some ways the content of The Quiet Revolution uses too many pages, words, and too much space to tell a story that could be the subject of a short print or online newspaper/magazine series, but then again, I lot of people passionate about certain causes or already trying to make a difference would do well to read and be encouraged by the many ways local individuals and non-profits have changed the lives of individuals and neighborhoods, that in turn have rippled far and wide into the larger society. Neighborhood groups? Church committees/commissions, sessions, vestries, (consistories, councils) etc??

Chapter 7 on page 163 opens with "This book has celebrated President Bush's creation of the faith-based initiative to fuel a wider compassion agenda aimed at desperate human needs." The next paragraph explains, "Through smart government reforms as well as creative and bold new funding initiatives, faith-based and community nonprofits found expanding markets open to them, including federal grant competitions."

In my review of late Boston Mayor Tom Menino's Mayor for New America, I wrote,

"Mayor for a New America leads us to ask questions about the role of government in different settings; in any case and place, how much government is too much? How much is not enough? Does a poorer or a literally poverty-stricken constituency legitimately need more services and more direct governing? How much can we expect under-educated and historically underserved populations to do for themselves? The work, the mystery, and sometimes the magic of politics helps create better lives."

Although some government participation (providing funding, population studies, decisions about where moneys go) on all levels is necessary, it's impossible to discern local needs from a long geographical distance. Most real, meaningful, living truly happens at the local, micro-level, between individuals and within small groups.

Despite being inspired by the George W Bush faith-based initiative, this book is totally non-partisan, as is the entire concept of actively changing lives because of your religious convictions. Just as in more formally political arenas, the work, the mystery, and often the magic of faith-driven, faith-inspired, faith-convicted individuals and groups helps create better lives. This excellent read can help you discover what may be possible in your own locale.

• My Amazon Review: discover what may be possible