Peter Rollins is a Northern Irish author focused on radical theology and postmodern Christianity. Drawing heavily from continental philosophy, his work explores faith not as a set of beliefs, but as a way of being in the world. Rollins critiques traditional interpretations of Christianity that emphasize religious identity and dogma, proposing instead an approach that celebrates doubt and complexity. Through his writings and experimental communities, he offers a provocative vision of faith as a continuous challenging of traditions and an openness to the new.
Arguing that God has traditionally been thought of as a type of product that will make you whole, remove your suffering and give you the truth, Rollins contrasts this with an approach to faith that invites us to embrace suffering, face up to our unknowing and fully accept the difficulties of existence
"Peter Rollins knows one magic trick - now, make sure you watch closely. It has three parts: the Pledge, the Turn, and the Prestige. In The Divine Magician, each part comes into play as Rollins describes the way God works in our world today, and how this connection helps us understand the truly radical message of Christianity. The Divine Magician interrogates traditional religious notions from a refreshingly original perspective, undermining the commonplace debates involving dogma, doctrine, and tradition. Rejecting our preconceptions of what the spiritual and the religious mean, Rollins argues for a deeply material faith that finds meaning not in a set of beliefs, but in a passionate commitment to the world. This incendiary reading of Christianity breaks the boundaries of religion and overturns the tables of conventional wisdom. It offers hope for those seeking a depth and density in life, calling for the existing church to disappear, only to reappear in a fundamentally new and dynamic form."--Publisher's description.