Religion Books

After reading The Shack, I thought - "Wow, now there's a book that talks about a god that is miles apart from the God reavealed in the pages of Scripture." Now comes another book that again misses the mark of Scripture .. in this case of what the true Church (and its local expression) is all about. All I ask people to do is please read this book for what it is FICTION -- and get your theology (in this case your theology of the church) from the Bible!

"The Kingdom of God is like...." Jesus loved to use parables and stories from every day life to describe what God dreams of for his people. The two authors of this book have done the same, and the result is enlightening, inspiring, and hopeful. You will laugh and cry, but most of all you will be touched deeply by the description of what life in the Kingdom can be like.

Sure, the story at times drifts into a bit of idealism, but that's the point. And if you are totally and unquestioningly committed to the institution of the church today, this book will probably cause you to feel defensive. But if you dream of something more for the church, if you have experienced the politics and the pettiness of people who just don't seem to "get it" when it comes to the Kingdom, if you have ever been hurt or disillusioned by the church, this book will give you hope that there is something more, something better that Jesus envisioned. And you can still discover it today.

I highly recommend this book, not as a recipe or how-to book for house churches, but as a refuge where you can get away from the institution and the misrepresentations and rediscover something of what the Kingdom of God is all about. In fact, if the church were to really listen with an open mind, this book would be a tremendous gift to a church that needs to change, and in many cases wants to change, to be the church God dreams of.

THIS BOOK WAS VERY FAST READING AND GIVES YOU PAUSE TO THINK REGARDING WHAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD REALLY SHOULD BE, WITHOUT ALL THE BEAUROCRACY OF THIS WORLD GETTING IN THE WAY. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO WANTS A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

This is a short easy to read novel that will comfort those who are tired of traditional forms of church and the institutionalization of Christianity. Since it is fiction, it is a fast read, but it is limited in making a persuasive case for what it sets out to accomplish. I think it's a good beginning.

Some great compliments to this book which lay out the biblical reasons why the traditional church isn't according to God's will as well as a presentation of a better alternative are "Pagan Christianity?" by George Barna, "Reimagining Church" by Frank Viola, "Life After Church" by Brian Sanders, and "Body Life" by Ray Stedman.

Jake Colsen is the author of So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore. Jake Colsen does not exist. Rather, he is a pseudonym for the combined work of Dave Coleman and Wayne Jacobsen. You may recognize Wayne Jacobsen as one of the founders of Windblown Media, the company that published a little book called The Shack--a little book that has gone on to sell well over a million copies. As The Shack has found international renown, it has pulled in its wake Windblown Media's two other titles, both of which are written or co-written by Jacobsen.

So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore is a story about a man named Jake who is an associate pastor at a fast-growing mega-church. In the book's early pages he encounters a man named John whom he comes to believe may just be the Apostle John. Overhearing what John teaches he realizes quickly that his Christian faith is almost hopelessly rote and anemic. "Although I had been a Christian for more than two decades, I had no concept of who Jesus was as a person and no idea how I could change that." This book covers a span of months or years which sees him grow from a pastor of immature faith to a man of wisdom and mature faith.

The book is framed around continued encounters with this character John. In fact, almost every chapter begins with Jake thinking or worrying about a particular issue, only to have John quickly and mysteriously materialize. John helps Jake overcome his fears and his questions and then disappears to leave him to think about and to implement the things he now knows.

The predominant theme of the book is issues surrounding the local church. The overall teaching is that the church as most Christians understand it is a human institution designed primarily to gain and to protect power. The Bible, according to the authors, does not teach that Christians should be part of any kind of institutional church. This is not to say that we should leave mega-churches to join smaller house churches; rather, we should abandon this kind of church model altogether. While the authors do not clearly or precisely share what Christians should or can do in its place, it seems that it would look something like this: "Instead of trying to build a house church, learn to love one another and share one another's journey. Who is he asking you to walk alongside right now and how can you encourage them? I love it when brothers and sisters choose to be intentional in sharing God's life together in a particular season. So, yes, experiment with community together. You'll learn a lot. Just avoid the desire to make it contrived, exclusive, or permanent. Relationships don't work that way." By the book's closing pages, Jake has left the church and now meets irregularly with an irregular group of people from his community. This is presented as being a form of authentic spirituality that is closer to the biblical model than that which is practiced by the vast majority of Christians today. It is the better alternative to church as most Christians know and experience it.

Of course I would be drawn to this model, too, if my church was anything like the one Jake comes from. His congregation is much like a drunken fraternity. The pastor is an angry man who holds tightly to his power, who expects people to lie to protect his reputation and who is having an abusive affair with a vulnerable congregation member. The members of the church are petty and divisive, heartlessly shunning those who disagree with them, demanding immediate restitution for any perceived wrong, persecuting children who do not properly memorize their verses, and fighting for positions of prominence within the local church. Overall, the authors give an exceedingly negative portrayal of the local church. It is a portrayal that includes all the stereotypes so treasured by those who hate Christianity. The church members are hopelessly ignorant, able to recite chapter and verse but knowing nothing of the "heart" of Scripture. Hence even two lifelong pastors react with apparent shock when they learn that "church" in the Bible primarily refers not to an institution but to a people (as if no Protestant has ever bothered to distinguish between the visible and the invisible church). Against this brutal portrayal of Christian community, the authors present their alternative. And needless to say, it looks awfully good in comparison.

While So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore is theological fiction, the reader may well note that there is little reference to the Bible. Because it is fiction we might not expect to see direct references to particular passages (and, indeed, we do not) but there is little by way even of indirect references. John assumes a certain knowledge of Jesus and common sense spirituality and uses this as his bridge to the hearts and minds of the reader. Rather than saying, "The Bible says this..." he tends to say, "This is what the church is like... Doesn't my version look better?" And of course, with such a dysfunctional church in mind, it really does look better. He looks to the New Testament church on occasion, but is awfully selective, taking only those elements that further his case.

Though Jacobsen does occasionally affirm that institutional churches may do some good, the theme of the book comes through loud and clear. In the appendix Jacobsen says, without any apparent trace of hyperbole, "I can tell you absolutely that my worst days outside organized religion are still better than my best days inside it." And from cover-to-cover, the book is heartlessly negative towards the local church. Christians should, and perhaps even must, withdraw. But the case is made through emotion and through false comparison. Those who hold closely to Scripture may affirm some of what Jacobsen teaches in this book, but they must reject its overall message.

Very informative, easy to read. Instructions were complete and explicit. The double spacing made it a fast read. I wanted to do a workshop on it so more people could have awareness. The information was fascinating and the fact that we all have spirit guides was new learning for me.

I first became aware of this book by an email from Sounds True. My first thoughts were, it seems cool but I never heard of the author before so I deleted the email. Maybe a couple of weeks later, got another email from Sounds True saying he would be on Oprah's Soul Series. I then googled his name, went to his website, and explored around. Even took his Soul Type quiz. Anyways, I did watch the Oprah interview. I liked most of what I heard, so I decided to order the book. I'm now on Part 2 and look forward to finishing the book, however a few things concerns me. One of the main reasons I bought the book is for confirmation and clarity. He over simplifies this with the meditations at the end of the chapters. I mean if we could all connect with our spiritual guides that easily we wouldn't even need his book right? Let along pay the now $650 for three sessions with him. Alot of people won't be able to afford that. Makes me question his integrity as a psychic. I would just give everyone who bought my book a summary reading; a list of their soul age, soul type, primary & secondary missions, fears & phobias, desires, primary & secondary challenges, investigations, and talents. That way you wouldn't be dependent on me. Also there are two of his ideas I disagreed with ... first, he told Oprah that the soul cannot change levels within the current lifetime. As if our growth & evolution depends on the astral plane? He said you have to experience what some call the 'life review' to go up a level. What of Near Death Experiences and OBEs? Second, on page 136 he talks about annihilating your fears. Doesn't sound too loving or enlightened does it? In conclusion, I recommend this book for insights and reference and to someone already connected with their spiritual guides. If your not, you'll probably want to check out other paths. I plan on checking out the Michael Teachings myself. Namaste!

I guess I had high expectations to read something different and more profound than lots of other "self-help" books on finding your purpose.
I can summarize this book: ask your guides.
That's the advice that is given in each of the 10 sections, with 10 levels in each section.
I can barely figure out where I fit on any of these levels and VERY scant information is given, particularly at the end.
For instance, if I think I fit into the "Investigation of Betrayal," basically it says to get over the betrayal and move on to trust. And I quote: "The investigation of Betrayal usually begins with an event, then becomes all about overcoming the risk, uncertainty, to recover the ability to rely on other people using the advantage: trust." If I think I fit into the "Investigation of Failure," get over your failures and move on to success.
Duh.
Had I known this book would have offered little information, and lots of meditation and speaking with soul guides, then I wouldn't have bothered with the book.

I loved this inciteful and enjoyable book. I learned so much about my fellow humans and me.

leads you to meaningful meditations to understand what is important to your spiritual life in a way that makes sense in the physical world. Being at a transition point in my life, I gained confidence I was heading in the right direction. I made new personal goals based on the instructions as they related to me.

I ordered this book for an ethics class I'm taking, but so far it's an excellent read! The chapters are informative and easy to read - definitely something I would enjoy away from class.

A wide spectrum of analogy and comparative findings.
The study of the origins and development of religions throughout the centuries is quite impressive.
Well researched.
Recommended to all those who are interested in the history of religions, and their social influences on various communities.

One of the hot-button subjects in both the world and the United States - and maybe even the biggest - is religion. When we get U.S. generals declaring that Islam worships some sort of strange, alien god or gods, it shows not only bigotry but ignorance as well. Perhaps it would help to read a book like Huston Smith's The World's Religions to get insights into other faiths.

What The World's Religions isn't is around as important as what it is. It isn't a comprehensive look at all the religions of the world; instead, Smith focuses on seven principal religions in terms of adherents and influence. It doesn't favor one belief over another but looks favorably on all of them. It isn't a history text: there is only the minimum amount of history necessary to explain a religions ideology. It isn't interested in the negatives of a religion: if you're looking to bash Christianity or Buddhism, go elsewhere.

What the book does do is explain the basic ideas behind a septet of faiths: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity. These can be divided into two basic groups of Western and Eastern religions. The Eastern religions are more exotic to the majority of Westerners (such as Americans) with a greater inclination to introspection and less of an emphasis on the divine (in fact, Confucianism seems more like a philosophy than a religion). Unlike the Western religions (of which Islam can be included as it has both similarities to Christianity and Judaism and shares common roots), the Eastern ones are not fully exclusive: it is possible to be both a Taoist and Confucian. The Western religions, on the other hand, place more emphasis on history.

What the book also does is show the difference between theory and practice. These religions are often very high-minded, but they practiced by people who will often put their own personal interests ahead of everything else and pervert the meaning of their faith.

When volumes - and sometimes whole libraries - can be dedicated to just one aspect of one of these religions - it's hard to really capture seven faiths (plus a little chapter on "primal" religions) within 400 or so pages, and Smith is wise enough to not even try. This is an introduction and an overview of these religions and you'll find much lacking if you expect greater detail. And while some of the ideas expressed in this book may be new or complicated to a general reader, Smith does a good job of laying out these ideas in as basic a manner as possible. It's not a perfect book, but I think it fits in the category of "must-read"; this is one small way of removing ignorance from the world.

This book is great if you are looking for knowledge on several major religions. It offers history, origins, comparisons, and numerous other aspects of each religion. I feel personally that I now have a greater understanding of questions I previously had. Even though I consider myself a Christian, I have new found respect for those who are not. Another great point is that I noticed no personal bias of the author. I really like this book, yet I only give it 4 stars due to the style of writing. There were many areas the writer could have used more layman terms with out diluting the topics at hand.

I purchased this book on behalf of a friend who is thrilled with it.

I have not read the book.

Sincerely,
George J. McClelland

i read this book a few years ago it was an extremly good book i would read again!!!! A+++++++++++

this is a truly inspiring book, Kidd is an incredible author. Gives readers a view into what life was like back in the 60's for black people. Inspiring tale of self journey, and family

After being decidedly unimpressed with the first Sue Monk Kidd book I read (The Mermaid Chair), I was afraid this one would be similarly the literary equivalent of a Lifetime movie. I was pleasantly surprised: while it has the same airy style that enables you to motor through the pages, it has substantially more weight.

The characters are engaging and believable (another reviewer questions why the protagonist doesn't act terribly mature, but she IS only a teenager after all!), and the plot includes historical and personal drama (African Americans gaining the right to vote and socially oppressed people's responses to racism).

This is also a rare novel in that while many would consider it to be in the genre of Beach Book, the women depicted are not superficial and do not seem like 2-dimensional "yay, girl power!" characters. They are strong, smart, conflicted women who are determined to make the world what they want it to be, whether questioning racism, letting newfound sexuality develop, or even creating a new religion.

I enjoyed this so much. It has a "To Kill A Mockingbird" feel to it. I couldn't put it down. I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did.

The book is more aimed at someone between the ages of 12-16, particularly female. Kidd portrays well the frailty of this girl, coupled with her insecurities and joys. Her relationships to the people around her are those I find unreal a little bit- saintly people who are completely forgiving. although the main character is real enough, the people around her settings seem fake, enough so that it makes it hard to relate. your call people!

The book was received quickly and was in great condition. We were very satisfied with the entire transaction.

This book is a synapse of the original full-lentgh book. It was not as good as other accounts I have read of near-death experiences. I felt as if the book was written to advance a religious point-of-view.

Very quick and interesting read...I work at Hospicecare of Southeast Florida and I shared the book with 3 of our Pastors employed here and they also enjoyed the journey.

This is a book that everyone should read. It was mentioned in our Sunday School lesson and sparked my interest. I am usually a "non-reader". I prefer to wait for the movie; however, I read this book in two days.

As many others have noted here, I had high hopes that his book would give more spiritual insight into heaven and faith. However, I was left wanting. The content of the chapters were loosely strung together and the repetition of phrases and lack of cohesion was frustrating. I've yet to finish the final chapters, and I'm not even certain I'll waste my time. The most positive thing I can say about the writing--it had the potential to be a really good book.

This book is written for men but should be read by every wife or wife to be - even young Christian women who are dating. It truly gives an insight into what may be on a man's heart or what may have wounded his heart. This insight can be invaluable to the strength of the relationship and the understanding of the wife's role in the man's life. This could result in a more meaningful and deeper marriage relationship!

John Eldredge is writing from a fundamentalist perspective, and is part of the backlash against the feminist movement among other things.
The following are my major concerns with Eldredge's book:

1) Eldredge speaks right past anthropological scholarship that regards gender as a social construction.
2) Eldredge takes stereotypes of masculinity and femininity and makes them normative and ordained by God.
3) Furthermore, Eldredge's stereotypes are rooted in sexist notions of manhood and womanhood.
4) Eldredge uses decontextualised texts from the Bible to uncritically support his argument.

May I suggest an alternative, a book more rooted in Scripture and scholarship than 'Wild at Heart'; namely, 'New Adam' by Philip Culbertson.New Adam: The Future of Male Spirituality

This book is extremely insightful. It is invaluable to men in todays society who have not been taught how to be men. It is a must read. However, it is just about as good for women, especially mothers of young boys. It can help them to understand why little boys must jump in mud puddles and climb trees.

Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul This is an incredible book that literally was used by God to change my life for the better! John provides valuable insight into what makes a man tick, and what he longs for more than anything else. You MUST read this incredible book, or your life may likely suffer a HUGE loss!

I read the book, saw the videos, and sat through the seminars at church, trying to keep an open mind. In the end, I was sickened and disgusted by the author's attempt to fuse the kingdom of Heaven with the earth below, and make the church try to act more like the world. His loose interpretation of scriptures along with his numerous examples drawn from Hollywood, et al, is really treading on dangerous ground. When we use our emotions and our "feelings" to gauge our relationship with God, instead of relying on what the Bible has to say, we are in trouble. Does Eldridge not realize that a lot of man's attributes are not what God originally intended, but are a result of man's fall from grace (original sin)? This book may make you feel good about yourself and be ready to go slay the proverbial dragon, but it is fantasy, NOT reality!!! The fact that millions of Christian men have bought into this nonsense "hook, line, and sinker" is a sad testament to how much the Church of Jesus Christ has succumbed to the enemy's seduction in modern times.

This is a book that should be read by every Christian; especially those whose main contacts are within their churches. Written by the head of the Barna Group and based on the group's surveys about the church, this book reveals what those outside of the church think of Christians. It's not a flattering picture. The book goes on to explore the various areas and reflects on what Christians might be doing wrong or other ways to communicate the truths of the Bible that might be more easily understood by those they are trying to reach. It is a book which will cause you to think and pray and has the potential to change your life.

This book shares a scienitific based review of how the unchurched view mainstream Christianity. Though frank and sobering, the results will not be surprising to most Christians. Rather than reflect God's love, Christians all too often reflect judgementalism. I took the book to heart and will try to be mindful of the way that I image God and the church to the world. It is a "must read" for every Christian who deals with everyday people, especially for Christians who live in larger metropolitan cities or college towns.

Great book about how those who are not Christians think about those who say they are,

I agree that the church has to change but can someone please tell me why we (the church) should go to the "world" and ask the "world" what the church of Jesus Christ should look like?

This is a great book, but it's not complete.

The book does a wonderful job of showing why Christians look unattractive in the eyes of those who are not part of the faith. To complete the picture, I would recommend George Barna's excellent books "Revolution" and "Pagan Christianity"?

These two books explain why most churches are unattractive to both Christians and non Christians alike, and ("Pagan Christianity" especially) gives a great deal of historical evidence for why this is the case.

The title of my Review says it all, and since there are already over 130 Reviews, I will make this short. This is simply the best comprehensive modern systematic theology in one volume on the market I have seen in 40 years of ministry. Why? It covers charismatic, evangelical, historical, liturgical and every other angle theologically, is reader friendly, loaded with footnotes and references from every Christian persuasion, and yet not avoiding thorny and difficult topics usually only tackled by very independent writers. No wonder it has sold over a quarter of a million copies in such a short time.

The study of doctrine should be important to any professing Christian. Understanding what you believe is essential. I have yet to read all through this book but plan on going through it in the next year. I am greatly looking forward to it.

This a fantastic book!,Imagine a book on Theology for everyman to enjoy,From the scholar to the layperson,everyone can enjoy understanding who God is.And this gentleman seems to write from a perspective of really loving God and people too,without any desire to impress anyone with his knowledge as Mr Grudem could easily do,This is a masterpiece and I cannot overemphasize how enjoyable and solid this hefty volume is,We need more men like this to break down these wonderful truths for us and yet they are still as meaty and can be as deep as you need to go with them,I thank my God for using Mr Grudem to bring this to us,all Glory to Him!!

Having spent a few months working through Grudem's Systematic Theology, I'm convinced it is a very important book. I think this will go down in church history as one of the best systematic theologies ever written, and can easily hold its own place on a shelf with works by Calvin, Gill, Henry and Poole. It's a great book to read straight through (if you have a lot of time on your hands) or to use as a reference for specific topics or questions you may have. It's laid out very well, user friendly for laymen, and has great supplementary info at the end of the chapters as well as at the back of the book. A great Reformed theology textbook and a great gift for any believer, whether in seminary or not. Youth pastors should be teaching this book instead of hosting gatherings for playing air hockey and eating pizza.

Fantasticly easy to read systematic theology with some challenging questions at the end of each chapter.
Can't say I liked the hymms section because I didn't really know any of them to be honest (pentecostal / charismatic background sorry) but would be helpful to some.

I've tried reading a few systematic theologies before like Berkhofs, Hodge, Torey and even Calvins Institutes. All hopeless complex and I found myself stuggling. Grudems book is great for students who want a good understanding of Christian theology, but don't want to spend hours struggling with Archaic language and overly scholarlised books.

Grudem has a gift for making complex assertions simple facts. The other guys seem to do things the other way around. Not that there isnt any value in the other authors, but for me I found this book most helpful.
He is quite conservative and rigoursly biblical. Its not an historical or philosophical theology either so it should be renamed biblical theology.

Well worth it, its a massive book and its heavy. make sure you get a hardcover version, softcovers just wont cut it!!

I truly recommend this book to anyone who wants to walk in a manner worth of the Lord.

I tend to be very hard on myself in my walk with God. This book helps me to put my walk with God in a proper perspective. I plan on reading this book once a year to remind myself of the principles that Mr. Lewis has taught me.

This book is the best book on Christianity written since the Bible.

Every Christian should read this book after having read the Bible thoroughly.

MERE CHRISTIANITY represents an excellent distillation of Lewis' thought on the essential elements of Christianity. He knows, of course, that the word 'mere' can mean 'simple' or 'basic' but that it once meant 'pure' or 'essential'. This book gives you the supreme elements of Christian thought, but in simple, accessible terms. That is, of course, Lewis' forte--to depict the complex with a very light touch. Here he talks about such notions as human nature, Christian morality, virtue, and the triune God and he does so in chapter/segments slightly longer than sound bites. The reader is neither stretched on a rack of jargon and chop-logic nor asked to bear up under an onslaught of endless, vague verbiage. S/he is given the unvarnished truth of Christianity in clear terms and manageable segments. One can 'read in' the book, as one reads in the Bible or the Book of Common Prayer. This is the perfect introduction to Christian thought and the perfect introduction to the insights of Lewis the believer.

I've been a Christian basically all my life, and had up to this point, never read anything by C. S. Lewis. Now having read "Mere Christianity", I'm completely baffled as to why I waited so long. C. S. Lewis' style is very conversational, intelligent, and spiritually moving. His argument for Christianity is convincing, and his passion and love for Christ come through in his words. I've read other Christian books, mostly through the Sunday school at church, and they all pale in comparison to the wit and passion of C. S. Lewis. Pick up this wonderful book, your life could very well be changed by it.

Mere Chistianity is divided into 4 books: 1. Right & Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe, 2. What Christians Believe, 3. Christian Behavior, and 4. Beyond Personality: Or First Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity.

In Book 1, Lewis strikes an early, direct blow against relativistic thinking: "If anyone will take the time to compare the moral teaching of, say the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Hindus, Chinesese, Greeks and Romans, what will really strike him will be how very like they are to each other and to our own" (p. 6). There are basic, universal moral standards: "men find themselves under a moral law, which they did not make, and cannot quite forget even when they try, and which they know they ought to obey" (p.23). "I am under a law; that somebody or something wants me to behave in a certain way" (p. 25). Who but God wrote this law on my heart?

Personally, I've never met anyone who denied that Jesus was a great moral teacher. Yet, in one way or another, plenty of people try to deny His Divinity. In Book 2, Lewis tries "to prevent the really foolish thing that people often say about Him. `I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God'....A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic [sic]...or else he would be the Devil of Hell" (p. 52). Along these very same lines, Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli present the options as "Lord, Lunatic, or Liar." "Now the Christian belief is that if we somehow share the humility and suffering of Christ we shall also share in His conquest of death and find a new life after we have died and in it become perfect, and perfectly happy creatures. This means something much more than our trying to follow His teaching" (p. 60).

In contrast to any notion that God's law is intrusive, oppressive, or stifling, Lewis starts 1943's Book 3 with the reminder that "moral rules are directions for running the human machine" (p. 69). Explaining the "cardinal virtues" (i.e., prudence, fortitude, justice, and temperance), he notes that "a man who perseveres in doing just actions gets in the end a certain quality of character. Now it is that quality rather than the particular actions which we mean when we talk of a `virtue'" (p. 80). Book 3 closes with chapters devoted to forgiveness and pride, as well as the "theological virtues" of faith, hope, and charity.

Considering that Lewis was a member of the Church of England, which had approved limited contraceptive use in 1930, much of his commentary on sexual morality is prophetic: "Contraceptives have made sexual indulgence far less costly in marriage and far safer outside it than ever before, and public opinion is less hostile to illicit unions and even to perversion than it has been since Pagan times....Christianity is almost [sic] the only one of the great religions which thoroughly approves of the body - which believes that matter is good, that God Himself once took on a body, that some kind of body is going to be given to us even in Heaven....Christianity has glorified marriage more than any other religion: and nearly all the greatest love poetry in the world has been produced by Christians. If anyone says that sex, in itself, is bad, Christianity contradicts him at once" (pp. 97, 98). "We may, indeed, be sure that perfect chastity - like perfect charity - will not be attained by any merely human efforts. You must ask for God's help....those who are seriously attempting chastity are more conscious, and soon know a great deal more about their own sexuality than anyone else....Virtue - even attempted virtue - brings light; indulgence brings fog" (pp. 101, 102).

I say that "much of his commentary on sexual morality is prophetic," because Lewis also offered some well-intentioned, yet poorly thought out, comments on marriage and sexuality:
* "If people do not believe in permanent marriage, it is perhaps better that they should live together unmarried than they should make vows that they do not mean to keep" (p. 106).
* "There ought to be two distinct kinds of marriage: one governed by the State with rules enforced on all citizens, the other governed by the Church with rules enforced by her on her own members" (p. 112).
I am among those who believe that, had Lewis lived longer, he would have embraced the fullness of the Truth which resides in Catholicism. How much his works would have been enhanced, were they informed by our generation's Catechism of the Catholic Church or the Compendium of the Catechism!

In book 4, Lewis acknowledges the attraction of "a vague religion - all about feeling God in nature, and so on" (p. 155). He warns that such touchy-feely, pseudo-religion cannot lead to "eternal life by simply feeling the presence of God in flowers or music....a great many of the ideas about God which are trotted out as novelties today are simply the ones which real Theologians tried centuries ago and rejected" (p. 155). "If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact." "The more we get what we now call `ourselves' out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become....It is when I turn to Christ, when I give myself up to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own....How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been: how gloriously different are the saints....submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life" (pp. 225 - 227).

This is one of the most profound books on spirituality I have ever come across. For those who are questioning your faith and feel there is nothing in Christiandom that can help you find the answers to why you feel so miserable, why things don't seem to be going your way, this is the book for you. It has no answers, per say, but it does tell of one man's quest to find the living God and some of the revelations he came to while on that quest. A must have for any Christian library.

I found myself laughing aloud one minute and welling with tears the next. This readable collection of thoughts on being Christian is compelling and inviting. It stretches the imagination of what could be and helps to expose some deeply guarded pharisaical practices in church culture. It will be offensive to some who are used to reading "Christian" books.

This is a book well worth reading. It is appropriate for late teens and early twenties since it covers life in a university. It has a great spiritual depth and we have used is as the basis of study in a small group of men. I recommend it highly.

When I read Don Miller's thoughts on human personality and relationship, it is not exaggerating to rate them as powerful as those of C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoffer and Francis Schaeffer. But to run an apple-to-apple comparison, I would pick Lewis in this case for a comparison study, because Miller is not a minister. While Lewis is excellent in using illustrations and allegories to get his points across which might be ambiguous and challenging to understand, particularly when one is not familiar with the literatures he used as references, Miller, while equally personal, sharp and hilarious, is surprisingly and impressively much more articulate in conveying and in the presentation of his observation and analysis from his own experience and interaction with his acquaintances. He nails it when he speaks about human depravity, loneliness, and money (somewhat naïve, but still worth pondering),

"I remember a particular midnight, three weeks into our stay, walking into a meadow surrounded by thick aspens and above me all that glorious heaven glowing, and I felt like I was part of it, what with the trees clapping hands and me feeling like I was floating there beneath the endlessness, I looked up so long I felt like I was in space. Light. No money and no anxiety" (p.199).

"When I was in love, I hardly thought of myself. When I was in love, there was somebody in the world who was more important than me. I think being in love is an opposite of loneliness, but not the opposite. There are other things I now crave when I am lonely, like community, like friendship, like family. [The words alone, lonely and loneliness] say that we are human; they are like the words `hunger' and `thirst.' But they are not words about the body, they are words about the soul.

When you live on your own for a long time, however, your personality changes because you go so much into yourself you lose the ability to be social, to understand what is and isn't normal behavior. There is an entire world inside yourself, and if you let yourself, you can get so deep inside it you will forget the way to the surface...the soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy.

And what is sad, what is very sad, is that we are proud people, and because we have sensitive egos and so many of us live our lives in front of our televisions (I might add Internet, blogs, computers, and video games), not having to deal with real people who might hurt us or offend us, we float along on our couches like astronauts moving aimlessly through the Milky Way, hardly interacting with other human beings at all" (p.151-152, 154, 172).

With this said, however, Miller's theology, which I consider as a close representation of the theology of the emergent church, is shallow, if not faulty. It is a humanistic, anthropocentric theology, where the gospel has been turned into a social gospel, and Christianity as a means to turn the world into an utopia at the expense of neglecting the fundamental issues of sin, the attributes of God; particularly the justice and holiness and glory of God, the authority of Scriptures and the cross of Jesus Christ, the latter being the linchpin of the gospel. He did so by eliminating these and substituting them with a false notion of the love of God, which is common in the emergent camp (the name Brian McLaren usually pops up when the word "emergent" is mentioned).

One might challenge my statement about Miller's theology and accuse it as if I were beating a dead horse considering the sub-title of the book is "Non-religious thoughts on Christian Spirituality." However, this sub-title both sounds like an oxymoron and is inconsistent with what Miller actually does. How can one write about Christian Spirituality without being religious? These two are inseparable. Moreover, despite "non-religious" claim, he does talk about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, prayer and love. How can one write about these altogether and not be religious? Impossible. Perhaps Miller is trying not to scare anyone away by not giving a religious impression on his book, but it doesn't work. If it is Christian, then it must be religious. He tries not to sound religious but he can't help sounding religious as he discusses Christianity, yet ironically, by violating this non-religious claim by writing religiously anyway about Christianity, he doesn't present Christianity rightly as the Bible teaches, but a heavily diluted version of it, so thoroughly diluted that it barely resembles orthodox Christianity that the Bible teaches. From this perspective, this book is a mess. Though Miller does an excellent job in describing the problems with humanity as well as with the so-called fundamentalist Christianity, but sadly he does not go to the bottom of them, that the true gospel points out and the remedy thereof. Consider for examples,

"Loneliness is something that happens to us, but I think it is something we can move ourselves out of. I think a person who is lonely should dig into a community, give himself to a community, humble himself before his friends, initiate community, teach people to care for each other. Jesus does not want us floating through space or sitting in front of our televisions. Jesus wants us interacting, eating together, laughing together, praying together. Loneliness is something that came with the Fall. If loving other people is a bit of heaven then certainly isolation is a bit of hell, and to that degree, here on earth, we decide in which state we would like to live.

... I should have people around bugging me and getting under my skin because without people I could not grow in God, and I could not grow as a human. We are born into families,... and we are needy at first as children because God wants us together, living among one another, not hiding ourselves under logs like fungus. You are not a fungus... you are human, and you need other people in your life in order to be healthy" (p. 173).

Just like Lewis, Miller is a great writer-psychiatrist-philosopher, but a horrible theologian. My suggestion is to read Miller with caution, disregard his views on theology, learn from his analysis on humanity and combine it with John Piper's Desiring God.

I must say that I am most troubled in my spirit that so many people gave this book a five star rating. I wonder if this guy has ever even picked up a Bible. The only reason I gave it one star is because I could not give it zero.

All I can really say about the book is that the god portrayed in it is not the God of the Bible. When I first began to read, I was impressed with the fact that Donald Miller has actually felt conviction for his sin and I was truly encouraged. Though after continuing on, I realized that it was not a conviction that produced a true repentance which leads to life, but just an emotional and romantic "poor me" story which unfortunately leads to death.

What shocks and concerns me is that someone who hates God as much as Donald Miller does can actually call himself a Christian. This is our fault brothers. This is our fault for being so complacent. If we don't take a stand against this type of humanistic nonsense, this is the "Christianity" that we can expect to keep seeing.

Filled with non-historical half-truths, this is just another postmodern, psychological self-help book which prostitutes Christian terminology to its own demise.

It's time to wake up.