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Review: The Whole Language by Gregory Boyle

The Whole Language by Gregory Boyle

The Whole Language
Gregory Boyle
Avid Reader Press
Published October 19, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Whole Language

Over the past thirty years, Gregory Boyle has transformed thousands of lives through his work as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest and most successful gang-intervention program in the world. Boyle’s new book, THE WHOLE LANGUAGE, follows the acclaimed bestsellers TATTOOS ON THE HEART, hailed as an “astounding literary and spiritual feat” (Publishers Weekly) that is “destined to become a classic of both urban reportage and contemporary spirituality” (Los Angeles Times), and BARKING TO THE CHOIR, deemed “a beautiful and important and soul-transporting book” by Elizabeth Gilbert and declared by Ann Patchett to be “a book that shows what the platitudes of faith look like when they’re put into action.”

In a community struggling to overcome systemic poverty and violence, THE WHOLE LANGUAGE shows how those at Homeboy Industries fight despair and remain generous, hopeful, and tender. Boyle’s moving stories challenge our ideas about God and about people, providing a window into a world filled with fellowship, compassion, and fewer barriers. Bursting with encouragement, humor, and hope, THE WHOLE LANGUAGE invites us to treat others—and ourselves—with acceptance and tenderness.

My Review

Until maybe a couple months ago, I’d never read anything by Gregory Boyle. It only took a few pages of his story to get me completely hooked. I’ve never read anything that resonated so deeply or called me forward in faith and in love for others.

While this is a book anchored in Christian faith, the author is a mystic, so you’ll find quotes from the Bible, other Christian teachers, as well as Muslim poets and Buddhist teachers to illustrate a point. The theology is sometimes different than what I grew up with (I was raised in what would probably be described as an Evangelical/Fundamental Christian church), so that gave me some things to think about. On some things I immediately agreed with Fr. Boyle’s assessment, and on others, I’m kind of still letting those ideas percolate.

The book is truly about how to love others in a way that means forging a connection with them. Meeting them where they are and opening yourself up to learning from them rather than standing on a high perch thinking you’re there to simply help out or hand out.

It’s been really good reading all three of his books. I feel like this is or these are messages that I can’t possibly get enough of. I’m in a situation right now where my family is trying to support another family that’s going through something really rough. And I know how I would have acted in the past. Now, though, I’m acting with the lessons and values in TATTOOS ON THE HEART and THE WHOLE LANGUAGE bouncing around in my head and my heart. It doesn’t mean having no boundaries, but it has changed what I’m hoping to achieve (connection, relationship).

Conclusion

I have all three books as e-books and audio books. I suspect that I’ll be listening through them again going into the holidays. In case it’s not obvious, I absolutely recommend all three books (you don’t have to read them in order) to anyone who’s either a Christian figuring out how to have relationships and craft meaningful community, or anyone interested in the intersection between faith and social justice. If you’re interested in gang recovery programs, you don’t want to miss these books. Homeboy Industries is the largest and most successful gang intervention program in the world.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Fr. Boyle is a white man. He features stories of Latinx, Black and Asian gang members.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used regularly.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some brief mentions of sexual abuse and rape.

Spiritual Content
Fr. Boyle is a Jesuit priest and he shares his faith openly throughout the book. He considers himself a mystic Christian. The core of his message is about loving others no matter who they are or what they’ve done, and being able to see them as valuable and good.

Violent Content
Brief mentions of gang violence, domestic violence, and child abuse.

Drug Content
References to drug and alcohol use.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE WHOLE LANGUAGE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion
Gregory Boyle
Free Press
Published March 9, 2009

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Tattoos on the Heart

How do you fight despair and learn to meet the world with a loving heart? How do you overcome shame? Stay faithful in spite of failure? No matter where people live or what their circumstances may be, everyone needs boundless, restorative love. Gorgeous and uplifting, TATTOOS ON THE HEART amply demonstrates the impact unconditional love can have on your life.

As a pastor working in a neighborhood with the highest concentration of murderous gang activity in Los Angeles, Gregory Boyle created an organization to provide jobs, job training, and encouragement so that young people could work together and learn the mutual respect that comes from collaboration. TATTOOS ON THE HEART is a breathtaking series of parables distilled from his twenty years in the barrio.

Erudite, down-to-earth, and utterly heartening, these essays about universal kinship and redemption are moving examples of the power of unconditional love in difficult times and the importance of fighting despair. With Gregory Boyle’s guidance, we can recognize our own wounds in the broken lives and daunting struggles of the men and women in these parables and learn to find joy in all of the people around us. TATTOOS ON THE HEART reminds us that no life is less valuable than another.

Father Gregory Boyle’s sparkling parables about kinship and the sacredness of life are drawn from twenty years working with gangs in LA.

My Review

I feel like I’ve seen tons of examples lately of what I do not believe or agree with in my faith. I didn’t realize the level to which I was exhausted by and deeply upset about the ugliness of people preaching hate in the name of Christianity. It has kind of made me nervous or hesitant to read faith life books because I’m sometimes afraid I’ll find more of the same “righteous” hate in those pages, too?

My mom told me about this book years ago, but I had never read it. I had an audiobook version, though, so when I needed a new evening read recently, I decided to try out TATTOOS ON THE HEART.

So I began reading this book, and it’s cover to cover a message of compassion. It’s about seeing other people as loved and valuable, even the people that most of us overlook or are afraid of. I couldn’t stop reading. This book put words– and far more than words, because this man and his organization have been living these words for decades– to things that I believe but hadn’t been able to frame into sentences.

I read chapter after chapter, feeling like, here is a person I want to pull up a chair and learn from. This is a person whose life and values I want to emulate. He’s also an incredible reader and storyteller, so sometimes I’d get lost in the book for its personal stories about the people Fr. Boyle has met and experiences he’s had.

I cried and laughed as he related stories about gang members’ and former gang members’ lives. My heart felt full when he told about the way a community emerged to love people that so often get left behind or treated as unlovable or less valuable.

He connects the stories to greater ideas really well, too. Each chapter kind of focuses on one idea and tells stories that show those things in different ways. He talks about God as not only being loving and gentle, but also as One who delights in people.

Conclusion

Reading this book felt like having a full glass of water for the first time after a long, hot day. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear his message, and to hear someone with much more learning in scripture than I have to be preaching that message.

I don’t know. Probably I’m doing a terrible job with this review. I feel like it’s hard to put things into words. After I listened to this book as an audiobook, I bought the ebook. I’ve already gone back to highlight some parts, and I suspect this book will be one I reread periodically, too.

If you want to find out more about the gang intervention program, it’s called Homeboy Industries. They have some cool merchandise and great information about what they do on their website.

Fr. Boyle’s second book, BARKING TO THE CHOIR, is now on my reading list, too. I’ve started the audiobook version already, and it’s just as good so far.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Contains many stories of gang members.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The author is a Jesuit minister and founder of Homeboy Industries. The book references sources from several different faiths but relates Christian values and beliefs throughout.

Violent Content
Multiple references to gang-related shootings and violence. Some descriptions of domestic violence and child abuse.

Drug Content
References to drug and alcohol abuse.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.