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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Set in vignettes, Miller writes in a fresh and thought-provoking way about Christianity. He is all too willing to question if Christian "culture" truly aligns itself with Christianity as found in the Bible. A good read. I've read it twice now, and it was highly encouraging to me! Challenging too...
All in all, not bad... I think Don Miller is evangelistic in his theology and clings to some fundamental theology that I struggle with. It is a great coming of age type collection of essays that really made a decent movie.
A couple complaints to start with and then I'll get to my favorable bits.
First, the marketing around this book is misleading and/or dated. The subtitle is "Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality," but the book—although it attempts to break some traditional molds—is still an out-and-out Christian book, written by a Christian author. Also, I generally hear this book referred to as a book on "progressive Christianity" ... and it may have been *at the time,* but Blue Like Jazz is almost 20 years old now, and it feels pretty dated for a book people refer to as "progressive." Still, it's much better than just about any other Christian book these days, very willing to break free of Christianity's conservative/nationalist trappings. It's an old breath of fresh air, but fresh are all the same.
I can't say that Blue Like Jazz felt *amazing* 100% of the time, or even 60%. Or 40%. But there were particular passages that really resonated with me, passages in which Miller taps into some criticisms of the Church that I have been feeling rather poignantly these days. For those of you who are curious, those criticisms can be found on pages 132 and 214. It is primarily because of those criticisms—and they way they resonated with me—that I've given this book 4 stars. I am always very welcoming to books that are good food for thought.
Aside from the philosophy of this book, I will also add that Donald Miller writes in a rather entrancing way and is generally very good with words and his style of narration. To that end, I must add that Miller is responsible for one of my single favorite passages about the act of writing in general, and that passage can be found on page 187.
Overall, Blue Like Jazz is a well-written book that, although now somewhat dated, offers some much needed criticism for Christianity and the Church. This is my second time reading through Blue Like Jazz and I think it was time well spent.
First, the marketing around this book is misleading and/or dated. The subtitle is "Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality," but the book—although it attempts to break some traditional molds—is still an out-and-out Christian book, written by a Christian author. Also, I generally hear this book referred to as a book on "progressive Christianity" ... and it may have been *at the time,* but Blue Like Jazz is almost 20 years old now, and it feels pretty dated for a book people refer to as "progressive." Still, it's much better than just about any other Christian book these days, very willing to break free of Christianity's conservative/nationalist trappings. It's an old breath of fresh air, but fresh are all the same.
I can't say that Blue Like Jazz felt *amazing* 100% of the time, or even 60%. Or 40%. But there were particular passages that really resonated with me, passages in which Miller taps into some criticisms of the Church that I have been feeling rather poignantly these days. For those of you who are curious, those criticisms can be found on pages 132 and 214. It is primarily because of those criticisms—and they way they resonated with me—that I've given this book 4 stars. I am always very welcoming to books that are good food for thought.
Aside from the philosophy of this book, I will also add that Donald Miller writes in a rather entrancing way and is generally very good with words and his style of narration. To that end, I must add that Miller is responsible for one of my single favorite passages about the act of writing in general, and that passage can be found on page 187.
Overall, Blue Like Jazz is a well-written book that, although now somewhat dated, offers some much needed criticism for Christianity and the Church. This is my second time reading through Blue Like Jazz and I think it was time well spent.
Perhaps I am not in a good place to read it or maybe I should read it in book form rather than through audiobook. Personally, I have wrestled through many of the authors questionings of his past. It made me anxious as I felt transported back to a darker time in my spiritual life. I'm sure it's a good book for the right person and the right time. Maybe I will pick it up in the future but for now, it wasn't what I needed to read. If I want to, I'll be picking back up at chapter 11.
I love Donald Miller's writing. Everything in this book is exactly what I've been feeling put into words.
i love donald miller’s writing, and i was excited by the subtitle, “nonreligious thoughts on christian spirituality.” that i think was a little misleading. this book is very religious. i liked his candid questioning of faith and of institutional christianity, how he has come to see spirituality as a mystical and wholly unique experience to everyone who feels it. that being said, it was still rather jesus-y for me. i’m not sure i know how to explain it. it wasn’t preachy, but i didn’t feel like it was wholly open either. he talks about how one of the things he hates about christianity is how it looks down on everyone else, on all other religions. and yet, there was still a sort of condescending tone throughout of “i’ve come to love jesus, and you can too!” but still. all in all, i thought it was lovely.
I liked this book for the most part. It's very accessible, non-judgmental, and not too preachy. However, I could not get a handle on the author, whether he was scatterbrained, full of himself, whiney etc.
As a fairly moderate Christian and someone growing in faith, I recommend this book because the messages and ideas are easy to stand behind and believe God's message.
As a fairly moderate Christian and someone growing in faith, I recommend this book because the messages and ideas are easy to stand behind and believe God's message.
Exactly what the sub-title says: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality. For Christians and non-Christians alike, this collection of essay memoirs is thought-provoking, funny, insightful, and a must-read.