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Summary: The Purpose Driven Life
Review: I feel this could be the most important book (besides the Bible) a person could read, especially a person that calls him/herself a christian.
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Summary: Finally starting to understand
Review: Were you raised a Christian but still have trouble "understanding" it all? That was me and it sounds cliche, but I really feel I've finally "walked into the light" after reading this book! While I wish all could benefit from it, I think that may be a challenge for non believers as it is very dependent on readers already having a level of acceptance in His word. Many of the negative reviews I've read on this book were by readers who appear not to accept the very first sentence of The Purpose Driven Life -- "It's not about you." That is hard to accept in the culture we live in today, but Rick Warren understands that and makes great sense of it all with an easy writing style. If you have questions while you're reading it, you can email the PDL staff from their website!
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Summary: Life Changing!
Review: I have enjoyed The Purpose Driven Life. It helps you to look at your life and find what is truly important. Where does God fit into your life. If you have ever asked yourself why am I here...this is the book to help you answer that question for yourself.
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Summary: Naa
Review: The Book "starts" at the wrong place, the author flees from any self-help idea and decides to start with God. What does that mean? I'm afraid if you want help, you have to start with you. God can help. The worst flaw of the book is the "translations". Ever hear of the Bible translation the "Message" ? No? It was written recently in a paraphrasing-the-Bible-manner. I'm afraid when we start paraphrasing the Bible we end up with many different Bibles. In the first few pages I read "The Bible says, 'Self-help is no help at all.....'" I looked up the verse and saw a real bible verse, but it was when I saw the translation (The Message, perhaps) I realized people were misusing the Bible for their own personal beliefs. It's find to believe your own things, leave the Bible alone. For those who really need "purpose" in their lives and our struggling, you'll have to realize eventually that NO BOOK CAN CURE YOU, however there are many books that can help you realize this. Of course there is the Bible which SPEAKS OF truth, the book itself isn't. "Way of Happiness" by Fulton J. Sheen. The four noble truths that Buddha speaks about will definetly help all. For those who are ready, Krishnamurti writes on all topics that may concern you, his writings will guide you to truth without the bs as shown as in this purpose driven book. Good luck to all. God bless.
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Summary: Is this what Christianity has become?
Review: I find it difficult to believe that our Christian faith is being reduced to a "program" for spiritual growth. I also have difficulty believing that one man seems to think he has all the answers for how this "growth" is going to occur. Enter Rick Warren. I'm hoping that his motives are right, but his intense marketing of Christianity leaves me to wonder. This is shallow Christianity at it's best, designed to appeal to the sheeple - those who just believe what they are told without questioning the Scriptural validity of what is being said. It's a "feel good" message. "Fluffy" is how I've been describing it. It was difficult reading the book as he quotes various paraphrases of the Bible, taking many of the verses out of context, all to make the Word of God say what Rick Warren thinks it should say! This is downright dangerous. When I looked up some of these same verses in the King James version of the Bible and read them in context, they weren't saying what Rick Warren says they were at all. At one point he said, "God's Word says ..." and proceeds to tell us what the Bible says a Christian is like who doesn't belong to a church family. I have yet in all my years of study EVER found what he is saying in the more accurate versions of the Bible. Because there are no footnotes, in order to find where in the Bible he's talking about, you must turn to the back of the book and try and look up the references. I have to wonder if this was deliberate. If people don't look up what he's saying, then they'll just believe it all! (I seriously doubt if most people will look up the references.) I also have problems with the fact that many non - believers think this is a great book. My Bible says that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. The cross of Christ is not a popular subject among those who don't know the Lord. So what does Rick Warren suggest that we do? Water down Christianity to the point that it's palatible to the masses. No "negative" messages or you might turn people away. The way I see it, this is "another gospel" and SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS!!!
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Summary: The recruiting manual for Corporate Christianity
Review: Rick Warren gets a lot right.
The meaning of life is all about God - not us. The search must start with Him and His purposes and, in that context, we find meaning, wholeness, fulfillment and purpose.The basic tenents of Christianity are clearly explained and simply stated - a tremendous resource for those new to the faith. Beyond that, however, the author runs out of gas. If he is walking in the gifts, fruits and fulness of the Holy Spirit, he doesn't write about it. The third person of the trinity is strangely absent and so are the power, gifts, and personality of the Holy Spirit. Not to mention the wonder-working power of God. Instead, Warren pulls out a how-to-be-a-good Christian recipe that is one part small group, two parts church. With echoes of Hilary Clinton's "it-takes-a-village to raise a child" speech, Warren tries to sell the idea that only in full participation in church programs can a Christian grow and mature. I expect this book will become the manual for the professionals in the world of corporate Christianity. It suits their purposes perfectly.
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Summary: Some Recommendations
Review: This book is not bad, but some people have legitimate concerns about it. For example, read the review on the Discerning Reader web site. Also, I would recommend Vincent Cheung's books. They are available for free on the web. Search the web for "vincent cheung theology," and I think you will find him.
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Summary: NOT EXACTLY
Review: I read this book and found it irrelavent to my life.
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Summary: An excellent book
Review: I really appreciate the way it explains God's purpose for us in our life. I don't think you need literal translations to understand the points that are being made. There is only one infallible, so approach this one with the same cautiousness as you would with anything. Take from it what you can...let God speak to you specifically through the book. It's not going to have the same magic formula for everyone.
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Summary: A Man with an Agenda
Review: I was very excited about Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life as I started reading it. But as I went through day by day as the instructions suggest, I found that I was not discovering my Purpose in Life, but rather being directed to attend church and be a good church member. This book is really about how to support your church--not how to find God's Purpose for YOU. If you want to learn how to be the perfect Church member, being active, supportive, loyal to the your church no matter what--being a "servant leader" and so forth, you will make your pastor's job much easier and certainly, if everyone in church does it, your church will become paradise. However, how you run the rest of your life is up to you!
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