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Summary: Wild at Heart: Layman's guide to carnal Christianity.
Review: If the book Wild at Heart is intended to help Christian men better their lives, it falls far short of the mark. This work by John Eldredge is one of the worst "Christian" books that I have read and could be appropriately titled: A Layman's guide to Carnal Christianity. Of the many issues that need to be addressed in this book there are some more evident than others and these issues beg several questions.
One question that needs to be asked is this: Have we come so far in Christianity that we need to use secular examples, like "Tristan" in the movie Legends of the Fall, for Christian men to model themselves after? This person who curses God, rebels against the laws of man and of God, encourages his brother to have premarital sex as soon as possible and then makes a pass at his fiance, engages in extreme alcohol abuse and orgies, worships pagan gods with his Indian friend, etc., is a proper example of what a Christian man should be? And, what's more Eldredge asserts that this kind of man is what women really want. Have the Christian women in this country fallen so far away from the word of God that they long for lost and lonely men of the world who cannot be counted on to do what is right? I don't think so.Another question that is brought to one's mind as you read of Eldredge's references to hanging out in bars with his buddies is: What happened to being "set apart" for God? What about guarding your testimony? If the Christian man looks and acts like the rest of the lost world, how will he have an influence on them when he tries to share the gospel of Jesus Christ? I think Eldredge has lost his way with this book in that he has forgotten what is most important in the life of any Christian and that is that we should be conforming to the image of Jesus. The scariest thing about this book is that you realize that John Eldredge has been highly acclaimed for it. If Eldredge is an example of the best that the Christian community has to offer, we are in trouble.
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Summary: Beware feminist 1 star reviews about this book
Review: I have noticed that the people giving this book 1 star are mainly women. They do not want to admit that the heart of a man is described in this book. This saddens me, but unfortunately (for the women), they are only telling themselves something that is not true. This book DOES describe a man's heart. And it does so beautifully. If a woman is unsettled by it and doesn't like it, she can toss a '1 star' rating to make her feel better, but the truth of this book remains. its like walking out into the bright sunlight- you can cover your eyes and say "there is no sun", and you might even convince yourself it isn't there, but the truth is that you are only deluding yourself.
Same with feminisism and this book. A feminist can throw a towel over her eyes and say 'this book is old fashioned stereotypes', but it wont change the objective fact that the words in this book ring true. They strike at the very heart of a man. I read this book and learned things about myself; things that have been suppressed by our neutered society. I have found, in my experience, that today's leftist society has 2 primary fears: Christophobia (fear of christianity) and Hominophobia (fear of masculinity). This book shows all women what men are made out of. It is the truth. Plain and simple, this is what we truly are. A woman is not a man, so she has NO BASIS upon which to say the words in this book are false. Every woman giving this book 1 star is an example of a woman who THINKS she knows what a man is. But obviously since she is NOT a man, she has no rational basis for her rating; she is simply than projecting her hominophobia. If the woman doesn't like what is described in this book, then she is simply denying what men really are. I have known so many men that have read this book. EVERY single one of them agree- this book describes what is in our heart. A woman can accept that truth, or tell herself that its a lie. But it will still be true.
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Summary: A Book for Men & Women, Regardless of Politics...
Review: In "Wild at Heart", Eldridge shows God as he molds His own spirit into Adam & Eve. Then Eldridge shows how the Sin in the Garden has traveled down the generations. It fills ALL of us with confusion and pain about exactly these same God-given attributes. While we retain them to this day, we just don't know how to use them... "...Then comes Adam, the triumph of God's handiwork. It is not to any member of the animal kingdom that God says, "You are my very image, the icon of my likeness." Adam bears the likeness of God in his fierce, wild, and passionate heart. And yet, there is one more finishing touch. There is Eve.
Creation comes to its high point, its climax with her. She is God's finishing touch... Eve embodies the beauty and the mystery and the tender vulnerability of God... The reason a woman wants a beauty to unveil, the reason she asks, 'Do you delight in me?' is simply that God does as well.... Can there be any doubt that God wants to be worshiped? That he wants to be seen, and for us to be captivated by what we see?..." This book challenged my "A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle" politics until I understood what Eldridge is truly saying: We are not as God intended; we remain wounded and broken by the Sin in the Garden. Our politics are a response to our innate inability to relate -- internally and externally -- as God designed. Instead of the (brief) joy and completeness of Adam & Eve, we find ourselves and our relationships plagued variously with anger, resentment, deceit and infidelity, jealousy, abuse, emotional and physical frigidity and impotence, and above all: self-doubt. Eldridge's answer? Briefly: "Let go & let God" by actively seeking and embracing our wounds, then bringing them to God as Christ, the greatest of healers. An extraordinarily powerful book, "Wild at Heart" is right up there with "The Ragamuffin Gospel" (Brennan Manning) and "The Challenge of Jesus" (N.T. Wright) in changing my life. All carry me into the cradle of God's love, and Christ's healing of my heart gets stronger every day.
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Summary: The message sounds good, but...
Review: This book came highly recommended to me. His message has an appealing ring to it and sounds great. But I want my adventure to come in following Christ. Eldredge made it sound like I should follow the example of William Wallace and if I'm not, then I've been sidetracked from what it means to be a man. I'm a man, I loved Braveheart, I love adventure, but I am wary of a message that seems more based on movies first and Scripture second. Movies can be helpful for illustrating points. I use them in sermons myself. However, I am truly concerned about what lens he will have men looking through: movies made by men or the Word of God. When he did use Scripture (sparingly), I hade major disagreements with his interpretational leaps. Additionally, he says he isn't advocating Open thiesm, but he certainly came too close to that line for me. He gave no treatment of verses involving the fruit of the spirit or humility or having a servant heart. I have no idea how those fit into his theology of what it means to be a man made in God's image. Certainly Christian men in the church do need waking up. There is a struggle. But again, even though at times he tried to imply otherwise by pointing to a need for an intimate relationship with God, he always left me feeling that a movie character was the better example. Oh, and if it is not in God's plan for you to ever have a wife, then you will also come away feeling less of a man. I could go on and on with my points of disagreement. I won't. I'll just end it by saying I don't think this book is able to stand the test of Scripture and I can not in good conscience recommend it be used in the church.
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Summary: Deeper Understanding
Review: This is the first book that I have read by Eldredge, but it won't be the last. I found the book to be very insightful regarding the process that we sometimes call "the masculine journey." Eldredge is an entertaining writer who shares several of his own experiences, both successes and failures. So I know that he is on the same journey that I am on. The book offers a nice blend of information from a biblical, psychological and cultural perspective. Some of his critics have argued that he makes women out to be very dependent creatures who are just waiting to be rescued. This assessment can only come from a very superficial understanding of the psyche and the journey of life. As a male Christian Counselor with over 17 years of experience, I can easily identify with the life tasks that Eldredge describes in my own journey as well as the journeys of many of my clients. The sections regarding the development of our shame and the our false self are particularly important. I can recommend this book to men and women.
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Summary: Here's What I Got Out of This Book
Review: I read this book and it stirred my heart to be adventurous, to battle, to rescue... in the following context:
1) Christian men want to be adventurous. The adventure as a Christian is moving by faith in believing that a miraculous God can come through for you - inspite of what the circumstances say and cause you to see. Do you believe that God can part your sea for you to cross over to the other side?
2) Christian men want to battle. The battle comes against worldly wisdom instead of Godly wisdom, our carnal flesh contrary to the Spirit of God, and the devil who fights our Christian faith EVERY day. Do you believe God can help you in your battles against your Goliaths?
3) Christian men want a beauty to rescue. The beauty that we rescue is rescuing our family and fellow church members against worldly wisdom, the carnality of the flesh, and the devil by reminding them who they are in Christ. What's more exciting than using God's word to edify, exhort, and comfort those close to you. Do you believe that God can redeem your family? When I read the word "nice" in this book, I thought of well-intentioned men who need to be reminded that there is an adventure to live in the spirit, a battle to fight in the spirit, and a beautiful soul to rescue in the spirit. I was one of those nice people and I'm glad I was reminded and stirred up to move in the power that is found in God's word. What helped me as I read this book was to continually ask, "God, how do want me to interpret what is written here? Help me to see what you're saying and not want man is saying?" When I did that, I left the stuff that was not for me behind.
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Summary: What the naysayers don't seem to get....
Review: I find the charges against Elldredge regarding his "not using proper exegetical, zoological and anthropological ignoring Christs' charge to 'be not like the pharisee who strains the gnat'... YOU FOLKS MISS THE POINT! This book is not the scripture... but people (and Eldredge points out MEN in particular) ARE NOT READING the scriptures! Chiefly because the 'CHURCH' (here used loosely as the scriptures point out very clearly the 'Church' is people not buildings or congregations) has emasculated men into being 'nice'... and very few 'bricks and mortars' (not using Church) are able to 'sell' the idea of loving the WORD of God.
Eldredge, and God Bless him for it... IS A Purposed Pendulum swing to get men off their ... ahem, 'comfort zones' and begin to take the proper dominion THE SOVEREIGN has designed for him...
By that I mean... we are all called to recognize that it is 'not flesh and blood we wrestle, but darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places (which I believe is part of the subject of his next book, 'Waking the Dead') and there is an awful lot in the WORD regarding being 'overcomers' (read: Romans 8 and Rev. 2-6) instead of being 'victims' or in the case of the emasculated men Eldredge speaks of, victims of the church AND of the enemy. Face it... the enemy DOES not want men to 'take their proper places in the church'...
GOD DOES not want arrogant men, controlling others. Eldredges' book is a beginning of the JOLT men need to stop complacency in the CHRISTian church and BE whom God has called them to BE... not just DO-ers. We are Human BEINGS not Human DO -ers. I found the book very helpful in reminding me to imitate CHRIST. We are all called to this scripture: "In HIM I move and have my BEING!" Hope this helps... we don't need more Pharisees...
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Summary: Heresy
Review: This book uses the dangerous allurment of flowery language and "feel good about yourself" theology to suck it's readers in to thinking that it's doctrinally sound. But a closer look reveals misquoted Scripture and a doctrine that extols the 'self' instead of Jesus Christ. Page after page reveals open-theistic thinking and Freudian ideologies. Eldridge blames personal sin on others in his life and encourages the reader to do the same.
If you read it, make sure to measure it carefully against the Word of God. Eldridge contradicts Scripture a LOT! Beware.....
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Summary: Quit your whining
Review: This was an excellent depiction of what men are going through and how they can cope with life's struggles. I hope that the other reviews do not discourage anyone from reaading this book, it is excellent. I find it very interesting how people can read a book to find "the secret" to a man's soul and then when they are finished, they dog the book. As if they know what the real secret is and just wanted to check if Mr. Eldredge was in line with their beliefs... I thought the book was in line with Biblical values and had some very good practical application. Sometimes super spiritual people read much further into the "true" and "deep" meanings of things instead of taking them for face value. I thoroughly enjoyed the booked and hope you do too!
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Summary: Its about time!
Review: I found some of the other reviews here to have perhaps missed the point of this book. While John's analogies sometimes have some loopholes, they're not theology, so there's no real problem with that. John is painting us a picture, not giving a lesson in hermeneutics - and i think he is painting that picture very well. His foundation for Biblical man is revolutionary at this time, and is indeed biblically based if you read the bible with no bias. Its about time that we've began talking about this, because I've found myself incredibly frustrated most of my life -my dad didn't have a dad, so there wasn't much manly love you know what i mean? And this book adressed the issue head on - Men need a Father, need to know what it means to be a man, and need God (who is not male, but bears the characteristics of both male and female.) After all- God created male, so he knows what male is all about. I highly recommend this book, mostly to men of course, but woman as well. And i recommend it non-christians as much as christians. This book doesn't lay down some 'rules of manhood' that must be followed. This is not a religious book. but rather gets into the 'heart of a man' where the main issue lies. If men and woman can actually start BEING men and woman, and understanding their roles and who they are - we'll see family life once again in top form, and the things that hurt us like divorce, broken family, sexuality issues etc. will begin to fade away...
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