I got busy and let this volume fall by the wayside. What a mistake! This collection features an impressively wide assortment of authors reflecting on virtually every facet of the world that was 2020. Still relevant and interesting at the end of 2022. Well worth a read.

ARC provided

The summer of 2020 came in the depths of the pandemic, punctuated by the police-involved death of George Floyd, painfully caught live on camera, resulting in massive demonstrations and disorder in many cities. Two magazine editors, Anne Snyder of Comment, a Canadian-based magazine, and Susannah Black, at the Bruderhof sponsored publication, Plough Quarterly came together to invite a number of Christian thinkers engaged in public square discourse to write articles that attempted to analyze what was happening in our society, draw upon the past, and think imaginatively about the future, renewal, and the role followers of Christ might play in fostering a hopeful future drawing together a fragmented body of Christ and wider society.

The collection brings together an impressive list of thinkers whose essays were written over the four seasons beginning in the summer of 2020 through the spring of 2021. Some of the better known contributors include Mark Noll, N.T. Wright, Marilynne Robinson, Michael Wear, Jeffrey Bilbro, Doug Sikkema, Amy Julia Becker, Oliver O’Donovan, Peter Wehner, and Jonathan Haidt. All told, there are nearly fifty essays in this collection.

The discussion ranges from Mark Noll’s analysis of epidemics past to essays exploring the breakdown of public trust to an interview between Cherie Harder of The Trinity Forum and Marilynne Robinson ranging from Calvin to the common good. Michael Wear, an adviser in the Obama White House surveys our political landscape and profiles Joseph Lowery, one of the last survivors of the Civil Rights movement, who walked with King under the shadow of death, and our call to walk with Jesus even as we engage all the perils of the political in this time. Oliver O’Donovan explores politics and political service.

The essays talk about the importance of place, the local, and the spiritual practices that sustain us. Amy Julia Becker talks about how congregations like hers may fight racism at the local level. Anthony M Barr contributed some of the clearest thinking on the nature of policing and police reform that could be a starting point for many local conversations. Irena Dragas Jansen offers one of the more interesting essays describing what our country looks like through the eyes of a new citizen. Katherine Boyle, an entrepreneur describes the death of Silicon Valley–the eco-disasters, the hopelessness that claims more lives than COVID, the failure of the tech world to save us, and yet the way of being it has promoted as Silicon Valley becomes everywhere.

Aryana Petrosky Roberts describes coming home to the political conflicts in her own family, the inability to hear one another and the breakthrough of praying together, inviting Jesus into the political mess. Stuart McAlpine takes us deeper into prayer, into the prayers of repentance and lament we desperately need to engage and are so hard for us. Michael Lamb explores the implications of Joe Biden’s call for an Augustinian Concord in his inaugural address.

The book includes interview transcripts, some of the best from interviews with Cherie Harder of The Trinity Forum, one of the organizations that joined the Breaking Ground project. One of the very best of these was with Jonathan Haidt and Peter Wehner on “Arguments of the Sake of Heaven.” They explore our contemporary epistemic crisis and polarization, recall the passion of the Inklings for truth that led to vociferous argument, and what is required to foster good arguments in our public squares. Duke Kwon and Gregory Thompson combine to contribute an essay on the call of the American church to own its own responsibility for our nation’s racial history–our love of gain and our failure to make recompense for slavery’s injuries. Charles C. Camosy explores the horror of our nursing homes which the pandemic revealed and the challenge of an ethic of life that includes dignified elder care.

Amid the serious and important conversations, Tara Isabella Burton’s “On Good Parties” comes as a ray of light. Tara loves parties and sees good ones as “a practice for living.” They teach us how to love well and see ourselves as part of a community, they celebrate events in our real lives and the appreciation of one another. She made me look forward to good parties once again.

Even with all that I’ve written here, I’ve but skimmed the surface of all the good and imaginative thinking in this collection. I’m impressed with the wide array of people from police officers to theologians who contribute to this collection. But isn’t this what is needed in our communities across the land–for a coming together of a wide array of people who care about the rents in our social fabric who talk and listen and pray and think and imagine what could be?
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

This book is a compilation of articles written and published during the first year of the pandemic. It's a nice collection but a lot of the articles are written more scholarly. I can see taht this would be hard for mainstream readers to truly dive into.

Opening Breaking Ground: Charting Our Course in a Pandemic Year, one of the first observations readers make is that each essay begins with a date. This date is significant as it grounds each essay in that specific moment of time causing the reader to recall where they were and what they were doing on that same date. For example, reading about Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd’s murder, protests in Portland, Oregon, the 2020 Presidential elections, and the January 6 capital insurrection immediately conjured images of participating in those events or viewing them in real-time from home. Other essays are not tied closely to a specific event but focus on themes and universal experiences from the year such as family, vaccines, and economic changes. The insights provided by the essays offer the opportunity to reflect on the lived experiences with the advantage of a wide-angle lens.
Reading these essays is not a quick or uplifting experience. The essays require slow, thoughtful reading and consideration due to both heavy subject matter and the academic and thoughtful tone of each essay. The essays are beautifully written and exhibit fluidity in moving from modern topics as they were occurring to philosophical topics of justice and virtue and quoting ancient philosophers with ease. Many of the contributors are names well-known to readers such as N.T. Wright and Mark Noll. Others were unfamiliar and resulted in new authors being added to a growing list of individuals to follow and their books added to a never-ending to-be-read pile. As such Breaking Ground serves not only as a well-developed panoramic view look into this twelve-month time-period but also serves as an induction to a way of thinking and a group of thinkers. Although all essays are from a Christian-humanistic lens, it is important to note that authors included individuals of other religious backgrounds as well including Jewish and Muslim.
In addition to a diverse list of contributors, Breaking Ground has pulled together a significant list of partner organizations which include numerous think tanks and institutes. In the essay “Breaking Ground: Christian Civic Humanism for a World Renewed,” editor Susannah Black writes that “theologically orthodox, these groups and individuals—American, English, and Canadian—are otherwise varied in their political approaches, theological stream, civil sphere, and civic mission” (location 7720). This is an important reminder that these essays are not monolithic or homogenous in the views presented. Readers will be challenged to think carefully and to consider other viewpoints. As such, joining with others to read and reflect on the essays would be time well-spent.
Breaking Ground: Charting Our Course in a Pandemic Year is highly recommended. Readers will benefit from reading these essays now as we continue to work through the time frame covered in Breaking Ground and as we enter a third COVID-19 year. Beyond immediate reading, Breaking Ground has created an important and much needed look at responses to the events of this time-period as they were occurring which will be used in the future as primary source documents to study this period.

This book has been written in real time during a year that created awareness of our society’s differences. It started with the pandemic (COVID) and then the film of the murder of George Floyd. In the United States and I suspect the world has become a state in which our beliefs, opinions and interests no longer range in a continuum but has become concentrated at opposing extremes. It has many articles of what Christian leaders think — reflections and proposals on what should happen. It is a collection/anthology of different views on how to best serve and renew our society.

Reading this book of essays has made me think of what has happen with society. I thought about how people are afraid and at the same time “lost.” Where does one safely communicate? Where is hope? The articles speak indirectly to these questions. It’s an important book that everyone should read.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

If there is any specific life-changing event at the turn of this decade, it would nonetheless be Covid-19. Never before have there been so many deaths, fears, disruptions to the local economy, and global repercussions for the general public, businesses, friends, families, and loved ones. From multinational corporations to non-profits like charities and churches, the arms of the pandemic have spread like wildfires affecting every continent, every country, and every culture. In early 2020, a group of thoughtful individuals came together to ask the question: "What would a post-pandemic world look like?" Refusing to accept a mere "Things will never be the same again," the contributors boldly attempt to see the future through renewed thinking of the many facets of life we have often taken for granted. That is not all. Even after removing the pandemic factor, there remains a deep-seated self-deception among people that they are presumed correct until proven otherwise. That sets the stage for arrogance and pride that refuses to learn, to the detriment of our future generations. We need a way to help us humbly learn from our mistakes and to break new ground for growth and human progress. This collection of essays is written by individuals who hail as cultural critics, scholars, speakers, businesspersons, professors, psychologists, philosophers, poets, political observers, professionals, researchers, venture capitalists, and many more. Written between June 2020 to June 2021, the writers explore issues pertaining to three types of needs, the need to:
1) See Clearly and Deeply
2) Learn from the past
3) Imagine the future

Social distancing, isolated, separated, quarantined, and all manner of disconnection are wreaking havoc in society and our relationships. From anti-vaxxers to the protests over mandatory wearing of masks, contributors deal with the issue of peace. The George Floyd protests highlight the underlying tensions and unresolved discriminations that have been papered over in the past. Each lockdown brings out poor human reactions against the government, against people, and against community sensitivity. We cannot continue to deceive our own bubbles of self-reliance and forget the importance of community. We need healing and reconciliation more and more. One way to chart the future is to learn from history. Historian Mark Noll shares how our present crisis is nothing new. In the 6th Century, the Church too had to grapple with a plague, and how that has impacted the way we minister to one another. The Black Death in the 14th Century also scarred much of society and the Church. The key learning is to take "small steps to strengthen" existing establishments; build "positive relationships" with those close to us, and treat society challenges as opportunities for Christian witness. NT Wright warns us against reverting quickly to a same old business as usual mindset after the pandemic. Instead, we ought to recognize the failure of trust in Mammon and to take on the tasks of "growing flowers" rather than cultivating an environment for weeds to flourish. Staying safe individually is one thing. A healthy society is much more important. Like TS Eliot's penetrating statement, "the whole earth is our hospital," this pandemic has exposed the vulnerable faultlines of our individualistic society. It is no longer enough to mind our own business. We need to learn to do our part to love our neighbour. From environmental concerns to human relationships, this book covers a wide variety of issues that demand our attention.

My Thoughts
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Just like the pandemic has affected all parts of society, this book is an honest appraisal of how our existing economic, social, political, and humanistic systems are impacted. While the world tends to hope for a quick return for the good old days of pre-pandemic activity, the pandemic should be an opportunity for us to take stock of our existing systems so that we could tweak them, test them, toss away, or totally transform them. Instead of depending on experts to give us simple scientific solutions to complex social issues, we need the wisdom to deal with these challenges of life. While the pandemic has exposed many issues of society, one of the most polarizing aspects remains political. This is not simply about official political systems, it is also about the use (and abuse) of power throughout society. The George Floyd case is a current example of racial polarizations which, unfortunately, has been exploited by those thirsty for quick political success. Social media too has become a divisive platform. No longer can one simply skirt aside issues of politics and religion. The path forward is to learn to accept and to be generous with our love.

There is a firm sense of conviction in the articles in the book. Generally, all agree that we are called to be better than what we currently are. The faults in our systems and human relationships have always been there. The pandemic has only exposed them raw which many people would find most uncomfortable. In addressing the injustice surrounding racial discrimination, it takes a violent police beating of George Floyd to spur greater awareness of something we have all known or suspected all along. The political divide between the major political parties continues to battle with each taking positions on each side of any issue, be it vaccines or conspiracy theories.

The key question of how to increase the common good is best answered by Marilynne Robinson's comments to let the beauty of a vision inspire us not just to do better but to be better than our current selves. More importantly, she urges Christians not to be shy to witness but to be bold in proclaiming Truth as they are. Perhaps, in view of the rising politicization of the evangelical world, there is an opportunity to practice peacemaking and reconciliation among fellow believers.

Those of us who are familiar with biblical principles would recognize some of the recommendations made by the contributors. Courage, generosity, care, share, compassion, humility, justice, and many virtues as described in the fruit of the spirit, are all in action. There is also an apologetics angle against surrendering public engagement and debate to atheists, agnostics, secularists, or groups that are bent on marginalizing the Christian witness. This book boldly takes the bull of societal challenges by the horns to pave a way of example for the rest of us to do the same. Breaking ground is a clever title. Not only does it break ground for a post-pandemic society, more importantly, but it is also about breaking any hardened hearts in us among possible changes within us and without.

Anne Snyder is the editor-in-chief of Comment magazine and oversees the project, Breaking Ground. Anne is also a 2020 Emerson Fellow, a Senior Fellow of The Trinity Forum, and a Fellow at the Center for Opportunity Urbanism, a Houston-based think tank that explores how cities can drive opportunity for the bulk of their citizens. Anne spent the formative years of her childhood overseas before earning a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College (IL) and a master’s degree from Georgetown University. She currently lives in Washington, D.C.

Susannah Black is a senior editor of Plough and has written for publications including First Things, Fare Forward, Front Porch Republic, Mere Orthodoxy, and The American Conservative. She holds a BA from Amherst College and an MA from Boston University.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Plough Publishing House and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

I have to say I did not finish this book. I was not exactly in the right frame of mind for it, especially at this time. I was put off by the political bent and with some, the leftist progressives who have to turn every single thing into name calling and blaming. Some people are not capable of seeing that not all the sheep are going to march to the tune of those who wish to continue non stop control over people. Those who think that instilling fear with false information and no recourse to any alternate information or opinions is the only way to deal with a virus that was created by man to wreak great destruction upon human beings. Not everyone is an idiot.
Actually, I couldn't go any further than the first leftist attack on conservatives. This whole ordeal was only made political by those who realized they could not control everyone. It is a shame.
Those who wrote with a background and knowledge of God had something to contribute. This is not the book for these times, not if the goal is to unite people.

I do appreciate Plough Publishing for asking me to read this book. I am sorry I do not have a better review for it. It really is the only book I have not enjoyed from this publisher.

These essays are really directed more at public officials than the ordinary reader, I think. They mostly concern how governments handled the virus, and what should be the Christian approach to dealing with it. I liked the more spiritually oriented ones which didn't concentrate so much on public policy, such as James Matthew Wilson's beautiful article about contemplation, and the art of poetry, in which he analyses three poems. I will certainly look up his books! Jennifer Frey's contribution in which she criticises the hjypocrisy of experts, and writes about the importance of trust was also extremely interesting.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

One of the great things about Plough's books is they tend to be international, and that really helps here. You get a mix of perspectives on American culture in 2020, the history of evangelical culture and politics, from perspectives that go inside and outside of American evangelical culture. The result is refreshing and interesting even at the moments where you may disagree with the authors.

“Breaking Ground” by Anne Synder and Susannah Black is true to its name. Its founding vision is highly significant in these deeply disoriented times, when life’s familiar rhythms fade away into a future of bleak oblivion. Change of such immense scope and magnitude has created a spectrum of moral opportunity in every society with a dynamic ecosystem of thinkers with the wisdom to discern it and the humility to accept it, and doers with the courage and determination to do something about it productively. This is an urgent clarion call for the fragmented body of Christ to unite together in humility and selfless service to humanity. The Church with all her scars, made resilient by long-standing struggle, is called to lead in service, sacrifice and solidarity. Particularly insightful moral leadership is the urgent need of the hour, in these extremely distressing times. Although the pandemic is a layered crisis that unfolds in stages, it also provides opportunities for brand new beginnings from the ashes of the past.
Even in these extremely difficult times, hope is born anew in our hearts. God’s people are called to do whatever they can to help humankind rebuild themselves in their respective communities. A creative lens shines upon Christian social thought to illuminate it and provide inspiration to the world at large. As Christians filled with Christ’s love, let us orient our hope and direct our steps into a founding vision for the future, by selflessly seeking and striving to imbue weary people with fresh hope, to renew the world in an age of crisis. In the scary face of the pandemic and all its myriad consequences, layers of life as we knew it earlier, have been painfully peeled away, to reveal frightening landscapes. This is the staggering reality of the world today. Faith, hope and love overpowers despair, even in the pandemic. We have a moral call, a selfless duty to live in honest fellowship with our fellow human beings, by seeking to live in justice and equity. Be seeing eyes and listening ears to people around you. Bear their burdens in love. Do the little you can to alleviate the distress of people. Even one drop of rain in the ocean makes a huge difference. Never underestimate your God-given power to do good to the world around you.
Share true communion with each other in your hearts, even in social distancing. There is always a way to reach out to others in distress, to shine your light into their dark corner. We are an integral part of each other’s lives, a social community of all the communities in this world. “No man is an island.” We need to give a wise response to these unprecedented times. We must take responsibility for this moment, to be a blessing to others. “Breaking Ground” does exactly that, in its own way. I highly recommend this groundbreaking book to all readers who wish to reach out a helping hand of fellowship to others and make an impact in today’s pandemic world.