Craig T. Owens

Our current culture sets tolerance as a high virtue, so those who exhibit the greatest levels of tolerance are upheld as the model for everyone else. On the other hand, intolerance is an ugly label for anyone to have. So what do you think when you hear that Josh and Sean McDowell have teamed-up to write a book called The Beauty Of Intolerance?

Many times there is a generational clash of worldviews: today’s grandparents and parents tend to hold to viewpoints which many of today’s youth find intolerant, mean, or even bigoted. Does that mean that the older generations are unenlightened, and the younger generations have seen the light? Or does it mean that the younger generations are rebelling, while the older generations are holding the line? Josh and Sean have become the “translators” between these two starkly-different worldviews.

It starts, the McDowells say, with an understanding of the word “tolerance.” It turns out that the this word has taken on a new meaning with younger generations, but that doesn’t mean that the younger generations don’t value what the older generations do. For example, consider a t-shirt that Josh McDowell designed. The front of the shirt says, “Intolerance is a beautiful idea.” But the back of the shirt clarifies this statement by reminding us:

• Mother Teresa was intolerant of poverty.
• Bono was intolerant of AIDS.
  Nelson Mandela was intolerant of apartheid.
• Martin Luther King was intolerant of racism.
• Jesus was intolerant of bigotry.

It turns out it’s not just the word “tolerance” that needs a tune-up, but also words like “respect,” “dignity,” “acceptance,” “morality” and “truth.” Fortunately for us, The Beauty Of Intolerance leads us through a modern-day understanding of all these terms.

Using true-to-life dialogue between parents and children, Josh and Sean help both generations see how intolerance really is a beautiful thing. The McDowells guide us through conversations we might encounter at home, in school, in the government, at church, and in day-to-day living. They give us the tools necessary to help everyone see that intolerance can be a beautiful thing!

For anyone who wants to speak the truth lovingly and convincingly across generational lines, The Beauty Of Intolerance is a must-read book.

I am a Shiloh Run Press book reviewer.