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A review by danielle_w
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane C. Ortlund
5.0
I read this with my husband and at one point he commented, "this is going to be a Christian classic". Indeed, I've seen many people encouraged, helped, and spurred on by this book, and have been grateful to experience the same in mine.
In a pervasive church culture (thinking of my own familiar evangelic, reformed, orthodox Baptist circle, though I'm sure expands much beyond that) where culture wars, analyzing and dissecting the Bible like a science textbook, and making Jesus out to be a neo-Beowulf character of 'true masculinity' are pushed, this was a breath of fresh air. What I mean is, I glimpsed the true Christ in this book and He is glorious. Glorious and gracious and, well, gentle and lowly. The word 'balm' has been tossed around a lot in reviews of this book, but it is the perfect descriptor. And for someone who struggles with assurance of salvation like me, it was a respite on a wearying road.
No doubt this will be a book we return to often in my house (my husband is already reading it again) and I pray it will be used to turn Bible-believing Christians humbly towards the heart of Christ, teaching us who Christ really is rather than manipulating His character for our own political and personal agendas.
In a pervasive church culture (thinking of my own familiar evangelic, reformed, orthodox Baptist circle, though I'm sure expands much beyond that) where culture wars, analyzing and dissecting the Bible like a science textbook, and making Jesus out to be a neo-Beowulf character of 'true masculinity' are pushed, this was a breath of fresh air. What I mean is, I glimpsed the true Christ in this book and He is glorious. Glorious and gracious and, well, gentle and lowly. The word 'balm' has been tossed around a lot in reviews of this book, but it is the perfect descriptor. And for someone who struggles with assurance of salvation like me, it was a respite on a wearying road.
No doubt this will be a book we return to often in my house (my husband is already reading it again) and I pray it will be used to turn Bible-believing Christians humbly towards the heart of Christ, teaching us who Christ really is rather than manipulating His character for our own political and personal agendas.