Rating: 
Summary: How to Take A House
Review: This book came highly recommended, so I sat down with it happily, though already a bit wary of its contents. But the more I read, the more disgusted I became. Eldredge is a smart man, but his ideas here are overly-strict if not simply misguided, and completely lacking in biblical support. He consistently used Bible verses to support his claims that with five minutes of study, one could see he was interpreting incorrectly.My main problems with the book were two: he puts man and woman into tight containers, leaving no breathing room for either, and his description of "how to take a house," which proves to be an overarching theme throughout the book. He gives both man and woman three basic life premises, all six of which I felt like I strove for. Does that make me asexual? His description of what "all boys do" left me feeling robbed--I did very few of those things. He championed physical aggression as an important part of being a man, ignoring Jesus' nonretaliation ethic. The same went into his "how to take a house" discussion. He used an anecdote saying that the way to take a house was to run up to it, guns blazing, throwing grenades and blowing everyone up inside it. No, John: the way to take a house is to walk inside, and come out as friends. That takes infinitely more strength and courage and love. Honestly, not recommended at all. John kind of dropped the ball on this one.
Rating:
Summary: A New Guru in town.
Review: How do you describe John Eldredge, or even define what he passes off for theology? Would "pretender to the throne" be accurate, or even a mixer of pop psychology/Hollywood movies/feel-goodism be appropriate? I've had a difficult time with this book I suppose anyone can write a book, but he is a clever one, mixing modern day cultural movie heroes like Braveheart into the mix of theology, and claiming that's where men's hearts should go. He denigrates Mr. Fred Rogers as a "wuss," and says most men are bored with their lives, and that's total arrogance and filled with ambiguities. How does he know? He hasn't talked to me or some of the men I know. He writes a book, as if he's a modern day prophet or something, when in fact he steps off the deep end into cultural relativism and uses dubious films instead of practical biblical heroes. I wouldn't recommend this for anything. Find yourself some other books which address your calling in a far more intelligent manner. And by the way, Fred Rogers was a marvelous model of a man!!
Rating: 
Summary: Punch him in the mouth, son.
Review: I read this book for a newly formed Bible study group. Wild At Heart is our first read. I certainly wouldn't call the book a disaster, and I haven't read enough Christian books to know how it rates with others, so I gave it two stars rather than one. However, I think the entire book is a little silly. Others have expounded on some of the same themes in the book that are silly as well, like urging his FIRST GRADE son to punch a class bully or discovering God while climbing a big rock. Men are men because they LISTEN TO GOD in their hearts. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3 I don't read anything about being a wild man in that passage. I'm also quite weary of this "wounded child" theory that every psychologist doles out on a daily basis. We can't blame everything on our parents. If I'm not happy, I don't think it has anything to do with the fact that I never wrestled my Dad and bloodied his nose! The author goes to such a length to descibe a "man's man" that I think he has issues himself. The phrase "nerd alert" comes to mind. The author does make some decent points about God's image of man. I firmly believe that we are beautiful because God made us in him image. I also think it is important for men, particularly fathers, to teach their children what God wants. For me, that is being a devoted and loving husband/father and working on a daily basis to give Glory to God by being a "light of the world" to them. Perhaps that's simplistic and a little passive for the author, but that's the way I see it.
Rating: 
Summary: God used this book to save our marriage
Review: I am amazed at the negative reviews this book has received. Perhaps the men writing them are just not at the place yet where they need to hear (and can hear) what Eldredge has to say. I find it profound. My husband picked up this book recently and read it and it so convicted him and showed him his woundedness, and has turned our marriage around - from close to divorce to recognizing how close he came to allowing it to be destroyed and repented. This has been an eye-opener to me as well and I can say that what eldredge has to say about women resonates with me so clearly. Because of hurts in his childhood and lack of "manly" input by his dad, my husband had become a very passive man, not exactly the rescuing type, but I see his heart begining to come through and desiring to be the MAN God created him to be. I am hopeful my 17 year old son will also benefit from this book and save his future wife from some heartache. I believe that if the Lord leads you to read this book, you will be blessed and begin a journey of profound change, both men and women and their sons. Give a copy to those men in your life that you love and want to see healed and whole in their masculinity.
Rating: 
Summary: Wild for Women
Review: The roles of men and women, in both society and the church, have been misinterpreted and dicombobulated as of late. Eldridge doesn't write to clear up this whole mess. Rather, he has written a book that illuminates the essential God-given characteristics men embody. This book is in no way sexist, and he doesn't forget his female readership. He isn't even advocating overpowering women. Honest confession permeates throughout, including testimony from other men struggling to find their real identity. I believe Eldridge has done a fine work of pointing out strengths and weaknesses in men's make-up and gives them an apparatus with which to identify and soul search. I could see how any man would walk away from this book with a renewed sense of purpose and identity in Christ. I would highly recommend any woman read this book for an insightful view to the inner-workings of men's struggle for real manhood as God ordained. I found it helpful in better understanding the males in my life, and who doesn't need that every now and again.
Rating:
Summary: Touched My Heart
Review: Wild At Heart was recommended to me by a Christian counselor who has been working with us on some family issues. As a wife and mother of 2 boys, this book touched my heart. It helped me understand the heart of a man and how it works with a woman's heart in Christian terms. I recommend it highly for both men and women who are working to keep their marriage and family spiritually healthy.
Rating:
Summary: What a disappointment :-(
Review: This highly touted book is a disappointment, already and I'm only to page 30. The premise that man is born to be wild, that God is a wild man, the lack of understanding of God, himself and who he is, is astounding. Even more astounding, or maybe rather, predictable, is all of the wild acclaimation about the greatness of this book. Eldredge's glib annoying words such as doctrinal nazis, don't go far early in endearing those of us that really care about scripture to him. But upon arriving at page 30 one finds that Free-Will is at the center of man's wildness. Man begins in the wilderness not because he doesn't belong in the garden but because the garden is not yet created. Man is/was supposed to extend the garden to cover the earth in reality, thus, bringing culture NOT anti-culture to the world around him (The Cultural Mandate, later called the Great Commission). NO, I've not finished the book, YES, I will continue but I fear that I can see where it is going based upon this OPEN THEOLOGY, and confused view of the 'risks' that our God takes as if, God isn't in total control. Scary and sad :-(( john
Rating:
Summary: Great book...
Review: Ok..lot's of interesting reviews. I give a 4* because when you mix Scripture, movies, experience this book doesn't go a,b,c ...z it goes a, g, b, q, z. That said it's a great book because it communicated a few things very well in a way you want to read. One person had 3 and I agreed with those but here is my one. Have passion and don't feel like being a Christian means you can't. So have some things you want to get done at work that make a difference and work hard at them. He makes a good case that effort/passion to be a man for your wife is what we do so don't give up if it's not easy all the time. Stay with Christ/God but don't just roll-over or give up or not do anything to be a nice guy. Roll your sleeves up, wake up and get in the game man. The folks who wrote that this or that don't work for them because of the scripture part need to just read the book and write down the 3 things they got. If they are a man true to theselves most likely they will come away ready to make a difference at their work, their marriage, their church and the world. Great book.
Rating:
Summary: A Call for Men to put themselves emotionally on the line
Review: Reviewing the reviews I find that although most like this book there is an important point many are missing. I too am a counselor and have found this book very useful in couples counseling. Using it this way I have read and re-read the book and discussed it with men and women. In doing so I have come to understand that (1) Eldridge does describe the core of a man's soul, a core men in general are afraid to face. (2) that many women have told me that this book speaks to their desires and needs as well, not just what they need from men but what they need inside themselves. (3)that the real call of the book is to put one's self on the line, make a commitment spiritually and emotionally, to rise and embrace one's courage. I also think that is the call of Christianity, to commit ones self in a courageous way and to put ones self on the line emotionaly and spiritually. The real spiritual journey is to understand what Christ is asking us to commit to. We can never find that line through political correctness or through adherance to the "law". Eldridge asks us all to embrace the journey through the wilderness in our souls, to not just walk in the woods with more than a whistle. This is a soul journey not a physical journey, yet in making the journey we also engage our physical lives as we live out the character we develop along the way. A person's spritual journey should not be timid.
Rating:
Summary: God In Man's Image
Review: Wild At Heart is a deeply moving but ultimately dangerous book. A professed Christian, author and counselor John Eldredge seeks to help heal the hearts of men and women who have been made to think that they are less than what they are. Eldredge's compassion for the hurting is abundantly obvious and commendable. He rightly points out culturally popular but deplorable ideas about masculinity and femininity and the harmful effects they have on people. However, the severe lack of biblical fidelity in Wild At Heart necessitates the rejection of the book as a whole.
Eldredge presents us with a truncated version of God, a God who risks and whose will for our lives culminates in the discovery and release of our true, inner selves. In terms of God's attributes, the informed reader will recognize the closeness of Eldredge's views to that of Openness Theology, which centers on an unbiblical understanding of God's Omniscience (see especially pgs. 31-32). With regard to the gospel, Eldredge trades in the biblical message of salvation from sin for a gospel of gender based self-actualization. This is seen especially in his mishandling of Isaiah 61, (pgs. 128-129), which serves as somewhat of a centerpiece of the book.
The basic thesis of the book is that men are wild at heart because God is wild at heart. But the massive irony of Eldredge's view of God is that he is unwilling to let God be as strong as God claims to be in Scripture. In seeking to unleash the wild strength of the heart of man, Eldredge has attempted to shackle the power, authority and knowledge of the only One to whom all strength and glory are rightly ascribed.
True spiritual growth and healing can only come in connection with a correct understanding of God. Undoubtedly many have gained some benefit from Wild At Heart, but at what cost? Can something that is not substantially based in truth be truly helpful? Believing error may provide perceived satiation, but in reality it leads us away from the only One who can truly help and heal.
These words are not meant to be mean-spirited or injurious to John Eldredge nor to those who've loved his books. They do however reflect a legitimate concern about the lack of biblical soundness in Wild At Heart, and they can (and should) be substantiated. Because space does not permit a complete critique, I invite interested readers to examine my full critique of Wild At Heart. I would also invite any comments or criticisms of this critique, as I have tried to be as fair to John Eldredge as possible and as faithful to the Scriptures as possible. You can find the critique and my email address at: http://www.churchofthegoodshepherd.info/resources.html
Soli Deo Gloria!
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