The Velvet Covered Brick: Christian Leadership in an Age of Rebellion [signed] [first edition]

In the plush executive office suite of a large Texas grocery concern, two men stare coldly at each other. They are brothers and they are Christians. yet they sit silent, miles apart across a mahogany desktop, Howard and Charles Butt are at war. Their battlefield is the family business and their conflict a power struggle for the top spot. How this struggle is resolved according to the Christian principles of authority and submission serves as the focus for The Velvet Covered Brick. Howard Butt's theme is "Christian Leadership in An Age of Rebellion", and he believes its key words are authority and submission. In an age which romanticizes revolution, authority and submission are more necessary than ever in the organization of the church, family business, and government. What does Butt mean by authority and submission? He sees them as biblical ideas and quotes Paul to the Ephesians: "Submit yourselves to one another in the fear of God". Authority exercised and submission accepted represent the secret of social order, an organizational how-to of Christian Love. Authority and submission are two sides of the same coin and are revealed by Christ himself. His death was supreme submission, his resurrection ultimate authority. The Velvet Covered Brick is a rebellious book. It takes unfashionable words, authority and submission, and dares to suggest their relevance today. It is written by someone who describes himself as "middle-aged, affluent, and suntan-white" but who has revolutionary things to say. It is deeply Christian and personal in tone yet even "like-minded souls" will find it refreshing and full of surprises.