Awesome, fresh perspective on faith
358812
Loved this book from the beginning.  Deep subject that was approached with wisdom, insight, and a whimsical touch. Never read anything like it before. Highly recommend.
4782494
Unblinded Faith is a daily devotional designed to help the reader identify those barriers which obstruct one's view of what it means to be a Christ follower.  Elisa Pulliam brings fresh insight and a beautiful perspective on selected passages of Scripture which call the reader to take an honest look at what it means to be "all in" with God.  It's a perfect daily devotional for women of all ages.  The title brings to mine the chorus we sang a few years ago "Open my eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him and say that we love Him...."
2426042
This book is a refreshing look at True Faith as compared to the 'word of faith' diatribe that is currently flooding the Christian book market. All illustrations are referenced with the Bible in context and the studies at the end of the chapters are actually very good and build on what the author was teaching. This is, in my humble opinion, a very good book by an author that, at least in the Midwest, is not very well known. Highly recommended!
1024140
Pamela E. Hedrick takes me back into the classroom, with her debut book, Do You Now Believe? In this short, yet jam-packed gem, Hedrick schools us on the balance required between faith and reason.

Faith enables reason. But an uncritical faith  a credulity or an unthinking belief that clings to certitude at the expense of understanding  can undermine faith itself and at least slow down the response to the grace of ongoing conversion (p. 77).

What I garnered from reading this book is that many of us have preconceived notions about God and faith, that inhibit us from fully understanding what God wants us to know about Him. It is when we can search beyond our limitations that we position ourselves to understanding God better. It is through this growth of understanding that we experience a transcendence; a conversion. We move from the intellectual to the experiential. We grow in love for God.

Hedrick takes us through the Gospels of Mark and John, using scriptural passages, to prove her points. I found this book to be intellectually stimulating; very thought provoking. I began to look at the questions that Jesus asks in these Gospels, from a different perspective. Hedrick has opened my eyes to Scripture, in a way I have not looked at it before. In my opinion, that makes for one treasured professor of Theology, as well as an excellent writer too.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to better understand Scripture, from a theological understanding.
2155944
If you have always thought that there's "more" to being a Christian than just believing and attending a good church, this book is for you.

McManus gives a unique perspective on living the Christian life without the "tamed" religious aspects of many churches.  It's all about having dreams, purpose, taking risks, and trusting God.

Far from being wacky theology, this book is grounded in Biblical principles.  It's a short book and reads easily in just a few hours.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting to explore their faith and expand their limits, but doesn't get into heavy theology, traditional "teaching" or the preaching/teaching seminars.
4795441
As someone who grew up in a faith tradition and has evolved in her faith, this book was a breath of fresh air. About 15 years ago, I began to question religion as I knew it. Things that I had been taught for decades (I am now 60) did not add up anymore. I was firm in my knowledge that Jesus' teachings, especially the Sermon of the Mount, were as relevant today as they were in his time and to his audience. It was the baggage of organized religion that I questioned. It had become cumbersome and interfered with my relationship with the Rabbi, which ticked me off. Several things happened at roughly the same time. U2's song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" became my battle cry. I stumbled across authors with different voices from what I had heard all my life...Brian McLaren, Marcus Borg, Brian Zahnd, and many more...that helped me find my own voice for the first time in my life. My husband still isn't sure if that was a good thing or not ;) Now that I have gone through the deconstruction and reconstruction of my faith, I found Tom's book. It affirms many things that I felt all along but again, needed another's voice to hear. I cannot recommend this book enough. Organized religion may not be your cup of tea. You may not believe in God or many of the teachings of the church. I can tell you that the teachings, the ethics of Jesus are timeless and the way to live fully, without the baggage of a church or faith tradition. Gandhi had a deep appreciation for The Sermon on the Mount and applied that teaching to his life as a Hindu. Give Tom a chance to show you the value of being a secular follower of Jesus. What can it hurt to read his words?
4947552
Tower speaks lovingly, yet directly. I loved how thought provoking each chapter was and how the prayers at the end of each chapter helped me to verbalized my own prayers to God.

I would recommend this book to anyone needing a fresh perspective on their relationship with God.
1301788
Just when you think you have little or ineffective faith, you are primed for Jesus and you'd be surprised what he thinks of your desperation and need.

I was drawn into Shauna's re-telling of these stories I've read hundreds of times and found myself holding my breath in anticipation of what Jesus would do. Shauna unlocks what we're all holding close to our chest and points us to Christ, saying you have just the kind of faith He wants.

 This book is for the fledgling believer who has just begun to walk in faith- what a way to begin their approach to the Bible. And for the believer who's read and heard these accounts many times- a breath of new life and fresh eyes to stir their soul again.
1667723
The author here talks a lot about how normal people think so differently from the average millionare/billionare, and he's completely spot on. This book was made for normal people to look at their life a completely different way, and to shake things up. I was very engaged and really thought that it was worth reading. Finally, attributing God, and not being afraid to show that you are Christian, and that you have God on your side, is also an amazing thing that I never bothered to think about. Now that I know what I do from this book, I feel it's definitely made me reconsider past beliefs and put more faith into God to believe in him and that his plans for me are the best ones~
3357764
After reading this book, my faith has been re-energized, and I have an even greater respect for God's power in our lives.  This book can be read beginning to end, or by picking and choosing the chapter that fits what you need that day. If you are someone who is trying to start reading the Bible, or new to the Bible, this book will be a great guidebook for you, by helping you understand the verses and offering suggestions on how to use the information in your daily life. If you are a seasoned Bible reader, this book is great because it truly gives you a new appreciation for God's word, and gets you excited about increasing your faith. Kim also provides thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter that are great for any Bible Study, self study, or book club. She provides additional verses to read to take study further. Kim's faith, dedication to God, and her revelry in His glory overflow on the pages and leave the reader feeling inspired and ready to be the best she can be.  I will recommend this book to all of my friends.
4514620
Amy Jill Levine is one of my favorite theological writers today.  She provides a very fresh perspective for 21st century Christians by helping us frame the original texts of our faith by examining them in the context in which they were originally written.  A must read for anyone who wants to effectively understand the Christian scriptures and apply them to 21st century life.
2197470
I loved having my theology expanded by the insight the authors bring, insight that is ancient, biblically grounded, and solidly Christian, and yet new and fresh. Exploring the mystery of God, a mystery that is unashamedly revealed in Christ, and yet a mystery that is also revealed to be immense and incomprehensible, is very rich. Chapter after chapter I was learning and growing and seeing familiar truths with new eyes. In several chapters they moved me from thinking either-or (either Gods sovereignty OR human freedom; either boldly ask God to change things in prayer OR trust God to know best what should happen) to the richness of both-and. I love that these authors are building on the solid rock that is Christ, while opening my eyes to see the mystery of God and its practical implications in fresh ways.
2447261
Bravo. I attend Redeemer Presbyterian and Trinity Lutheran Lower East Side in NYC. Pastor Bell's book is the first book that I've encountered since the writings of CS Lewis and Tim Keller that propel my faith forward in such a way. I've read and watched online a number of critiques and attacks on Pastor Bell (including one by MSNBC anchor Bashir who supposedly attends Redeemer). But I can't honestly understand their basis. They come across as blind zealots who aren't really listening to what he's saying. Bell writes with honesty, humility and his take on the Gospels and the narrative of love and redemption through Jesus as revealed in the old and new testaments is thought provoking and brilliant and offers a vantage of our faith that is logical and inspiring. In many instances he demonstrates plausibly how age old orthodox dogma likely misses the mark. If you or someone you know struggles with the angry punitive G*d or the hypocrisy of many churches or the self-righteousness of many Christians, I implore you read this book or give it as a gift. It may literally change your life.
2959736
I have SO MUCH LOVE for this book!
As a Christian, I love that CHEESUS interrogates faith while also showing lives of people who both believe and don't. It feels like most books about faith are one-sided, but this one gives multiple perspectives on faith and belief, commenting on the absurdity of these fake miracles while also allowing room for belief. I don't know if this was intentional, but I found it wonderfully ironic that there were never any scripture passages or verses used to defend or deny Cheesus--it made me think about how so many debates about religion aren't actually really about religion but something deeper and more personal. Del is a lovable, relatable and vulnerable protagonist. Her grappling with faith is very human and real. I fell in love with Gabe right away and how he and Del complimented each other with different perspectives. A great and unique debut--well done!
1905548
This book is great for anyone who is trying to find faith - or maintain it - but doesn't know where to start. The author, Rick Warren, writes from his heart and reminds me of a modern-day C.S. Lewis. I highly recommend this book.
4018127
Another excellent book from Ex-Preacher!  Personally, also as an ex-preacher, I completely identify with the content of this book, as I am sure will many ex-Christians whether or not they were involved in the ministry.
So many Christians find it impossible to believe that former believers, especially preachers, could refute their long held faith and become atheists or agnostics. Instead of accepting that the change had been caused by investigation, reason and factual evidence, they suggest a number of shallow reasons such as `they were never really believers' or `the devil invaded their minds.' The author not only addresses this issue and the very real struggle that a believer experiences during the years of doubt, questioning and investigation, but has also included a number of very moving testimonies from others who no longer accept faith in god as a reality.
I thoroughly recommend this book, together with the author's previous books, not only for those who have left the faith but also for anyone with doubts and questions about religion.
836598
This is a quick read, and well worth your time.  As other reviewers have mentioned, this book doesn't present anything new (but really, God does not change, so how could it?).  However, Stephen's honesty, humor, and conversational writing style presents aspects of God's character in a fresh way that was a good reminder and good food for thought for me.  Theologically sound and easy to read, I recommend picking this up as a great reminder of how awesome God really is.