Customer Reviews

Purpose Driven Life

5 star:		(321)
4 star:		(68)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(52)
1 star:		(89)

 

 

The back cover of this book states that is a "groundbreaking manifesto on the meaning of life." The introduction states that "this is more than a book; it is a guide to a 40-day spiritual journey that will enable you to discover the answer to life's most important question ...." This book did not live up to such promise.

A major problem with this book is in prooftexting,selecting verses to support a given proposition. The author goes beyond prooftexting, however, by relying upon excerpts from unusual paraphrases to make his points. The back of the book contains an extensive list of scripture references, but once you start looking them up in any reliable translation will be sorely disappointed.

Another major problem is a "soft", almost "gospel-lite" emphasis. Infrequent mention is made of the holiness of God, sin, our human flesh nature, the cross, absolute truth, commands of God, His sovereignty, and other concepts which are emphasized in the Bible but which might interfere with a good self image. There is an emphasis on family, on relationships, and even a section on how to be a global Christian. This is a warm, fuzzy, feel-good message, emphasizing what God can do for you.

An entire chapter tells you why you should attend a church without once mentioning Hebrews 10:25. Another chapter discusses unity in the church as a primary goal,but there is no mention of standing for doctrinal purity or truth.

There are parts of the book which appear to contradict each other (e.g., pp. 161, 146). In other places, doctrines which
vanished from the paraphrased scripture support pop up later in the book where they are given lesser emphasis (e.g., "its all for God's glory" gets short shrift on p. 310).

The book is visually appealing, and endorsed by the right parachurch leaders, but exemplifies what is wrong with contemporary evangelicalism. The book could be used as an example of how not to use the the scriptures to support a presupposition. I could not recommend this book to any serious student of the Word.

Churches have been buying this book by the crate to hand out to their parishioners as evangelicals scramble to clamber aboard the latest bandwagon to roar through the aisles of the local church. This book isn't the worst book I've read, but it misses the top 1000 by a long shot. One of its most serious failings is the failure to adequately articulate the essence of the Christian faith - Christ's atoning sacrifice for mankind's sin. Instead, Christianity is packaged as a way to discern your "purpose". It sounds like the book was vetted in focus groups rather than built from a serious consideration of Scripture. This perception is strengthened by the book's cavalier use of Scripture, employing a dizzying array of translations and paraphrases in order to find verses that use the various buzzwords used by the author in a given chapter. Often, the Bible versions used bear only the vaguest resemblance to the actual meaning of the Scripture being paraphrased. This work is therefore a prime example of rampant proof-texting, and the author, as a graduate of a reputable seminary, should know better.

That having been said, some of the content is okay (which is why I can't give the book a 1-star rating), although it's all been said better in other, less vigorously marketed books. It's just disappointing to see the kind of massive effort that has been put forward to get people to read this when there are thousands of better books, including, of course, the Bible. If the effort that was put forth to get churches to spend 40 days reading this stuff (and watching Warren's companion video, which is often howlingly -- and unintentionally -- funny) had been spent on getting people to study and discuss the Bible, it would have been a more worthwhile project.

"The Purpose-Driven Life" by Rick Warren is a religious based explanation of life -- "what's it all about" -- from the perspective of belief and revelation. It's an inspirational book for people who care about teaching America's young generation the difference between right and wrong. And, I'm all for that, especially when it is made into a simple explanation, as Rick Warren makes it. I am a religious person who believes in God, faith, and revelation. But, God also gave me a fair and balanced mind with the ability to recognize the merits of reason and knowledge. I have learned, as St. Thomas Aquinas did, to reconcile reason and revelation as both driving toward the same goalpost and, together, give God's complete explanation of what life is all about and the difference between right and wrong. And, in all fairness, I feel that I should disclose here that the book which helped me to reconcile reason and revelation and simply to understand life is Norman Thomas Remick's "West Point: Character Leadership...". After you finish reading Rick Warren's "The Purpose-Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?", I recommend that you go on to read the Remick book. The books are a contrast in style and presentation, but both have very wonderful and inspirational information.

In this volume, Rick Warren, founder of the famed Saddleback (mega) Church expands on some of the ideas in his previous "The Purpose-Driven Church". Warren tells us that we are created for God's purposes, those purposes being giving God pleasure, being a part of his family, becoming Christ-like, serving others, and spreading the Good News of the Gospel that Jesus has paid the price for our sins. It is pretty much Evangelical Chrstianity 101, peppered with rapid-fire Biblical quotes and memorable anecdotes. Someone who is looking for a basic primer in what the Christian life is all about could do alot worse than "The Purpose-Driven Life".

I especially liked the fact that Warren doesn't assume that everyone reading this book is already signed on for the purposes he discusses. He even realizes that not all of his readers are even Christians. He hits the very basics with an exposition of the gospel and several calls for the unsaved reader to make the commitment to Christ. Another thing I particularly liked in the book was his discussion of how we can discover where we can be of most service to God's kingdom. He talks about several things here -- prayer, Bible study, spiritually discerning friends -- but it was refreshing to see someone say that what you are good at and what you enjoy are also indicators of where you can best serve God. When I was coming along twenty years ago or so, the standard line in most "fervent" evangelical camps was that what you were good at had nothing to do with what God wanted you to do, and that what you enjoyed should be avoided at all costs because it would just be a big distraction from what you really should be doing. I hope this means the Evangelical community is growing up a little.

But there are a couple of problems with this book. Most egregious is Warren's insistance on quoting scripture from various "hyper-modern" translations like the CEV or the New Living Translation or even paraphrases like "The Message" or the Living Bible. (Don't tune me out here, folks. I am *not* in the "King James Only" camp!) Warren says he likes to quote from these versions because "... we often miss the full impact of familiar Bible verses, not because of poor translating, but simply because they have become so familiar! ... Therefore I have deliberately used paraphrases in order to help you see God's truth in new, fresh ways." What the reader (especially the "inexperienced" Christian reader that Warren is writing for) needs to realize is that the reason these translations and paraphrases sound so "new" and "fresh" is that they are just plain bad translations. They don't sound like the old translations because they are changing the meaning of what is being translated! Read this book with an NIV or an NASB Bible in hand and refer to it frequently!

Something I find a little dangerous in this book is Warren's tendency to say things like, "The Bible tells us we are here for the following five purposes..." and "The Bible tells us God wants us to look at our lives in the following three ways ...." and so on. Why does this bother me? Think about it. If I can write a book that can reduce all the things the Bible tells us to a few short lists, then what do we need the Bible for anymore? Warren continually sends us back to the Bible, thank goodness, but it's not clear why he would feel the need to if his book really covers all the things he seems to imply that it does.

Of less importance, but still worth mentioning, is Warren's style of writing. He likes short sentences and short words and lots of lists and little cute decorative pictures in the margins. He has definitely written this book for an American population that expects to see everything said through MicroSoft PowerPoint.

So much for the book itself. Now, about the book in context. Like I said, if you're looking for a primer in basic Christianity, you could do alot worse. But I have a hard time understanding the curent Evangelical fascination with this book because it doesn't present anything that lots of other Evangelical books haven't been presenting (often more eloquently) for most of the past two centuries. The "Experiencing God" Bible study, which was a hit about ten years ago, comes to mind, as does J.I. Packer's classic "Knowing God". There is also Eric Liddel's "The Disciplines of the Christian Life", published posthumously in the mid eighties and John Stott's "Basic Christianity" from the late fifties. If you're new in town and aren't familiar with these older books, starting with Warren's book is just fine. But you really need to know that if you have these books already sitting on your shelf, you aren't going to learn anything new in "The Purpose-Driven Life."

And then there's the marketing campaign. First, Warren, or Saddleback Church, or somebody has actually registered a copyright for the phrase "Purpose Driven". Crassness aside, isn't that a little like trying to claim that you invented the phrase "nutritious and satisfying"? And then there are all the Purpose-Driven (TM) paraphernalia you can buy: the Purpose-Driven Life Journal, Purpose-Driven scripture memory cards with mahogany wood card holder, the music CD, the videos, the t-shirt, the baseball cap, the Purpose-Driven Day Timer, the bumper sticker. (Now, half of those are real and half of them are my own invention. Can you tell which is which?) I'll end my sarcasm here and let all the paraphernalia speak for itself.

End result: 4 stars for content and 2 for the horrid marketing campaign gives this book an average of 3.

There are many reviews here which summarize much of what I discovered about this book, so I will summarize some of my greatest concerns. Even if you are one of the many who has thoroughly enjoyed this book and perhaps find it has changed your life, I'd encourage you to keep reading.

Thesis

Page 25 seems to summarize the thesis of the book. It says "We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives." This seems to say that if the reader finds God he will also find himself and his purpose. This is not the gospel!

Multiple translations

Rick Warren quotes the Bible over 1,200 times in the text of The Purpose Driven Life. To do so, he uses fifteen different translations and paraphrases. Appendix 3 contains his rationale for this and he provides two reasons for the number of translations. The first is that in any single translation "nuances and shades of meaning can be missed, so it is always helpful to compare translations." The second is "the fact that we often miss the full impact of familiar Bible verses, not because of poor translating, but simply because they have become so familiar." He believes this will "help you see God's truth in new, fresh ways."

The author's logic is faulty as the two reasons he provides contradict each other. If a translation introduces something in a new and fresh way it will necessarily introduce new nuances and shades of meaning. The way to remove nuances and shades of meaning is to use as literal a translation as possible so that the words are God's alone and are not interpreted by the translator. The author can then exposit the text, clarifying what might require clarification. This is nothing more than the traditional means of teaching what the Bible says.

Audience

The author aims this book at two distinct audiences - believers and unbelievers. He shows that he is, initially at least, writing for unbelievers by inviting them to pray a short prayer, asking them to say "Jesus, I believe in you and I receive you." He then welcomes them to the family of God. I fear, though, that he uses too many Christian terms and phrases to really connect with unbelievers. Similarly, if he is hoping to reach new Christians, I think the same holds true - the "Christianese" terms and many of the Biblical references may alienate them. On the other hand, if he is hoping to reach mature Christians, much of the book will be too simplistic for them.

We know from the Bible that there is a vast difference between believers and unbelievers. Those who have come to a saving knowledge of Christ have had their very natures changed. They have become adopted children of God and have become heirs to His promises. They have special privileges and they have knowledge and faith that unbelievers do not. This is not to say that a book can or should not be written that attempts to reach both audiences. What it does mean is that an author must be sure to distinguish between audiences, being careful not to mislead either audience.

Warren often fails to differentiate between audiences. For example, in the second chapter he quotes Ephesians 1:4 which reads "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him." The context of this verse shows that the author is referring to only Christians, yet Warren makes no distinction.

The Gospel

The author does not at any time provide a clear explanation of the gospel message. On page 58 he says, "Real life begins by committing yourself completely to Jesus Christ" but never comes closer than that. He never writes about such crucial doctrines as man's sinfulness and need for a Savior or the work of Jesus. He never mentions the importance Christ's life, the cross or the empty tomb. Yet on page 58 we find him leading the prayer of "Jesus, I believe in you and I receive you" and then saying "Welcome to the family of God!" How can a person become a Christian without any understanding of his own sinfulness or of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf?

Warren's gospel seems to be one of purpose. He teaches that man's greatest problem is purposelessness and this book will remedy that situation by helping the reader discover his purpose. Needless to say, this is not the gospel as taught by the Bible. The Bible teaches that man's greatest problem is that he is a sinner and is alienated from God. Purposelessness is insignificant compared to the possibility of an eternity in hell.

Life Application

The aim studying the Bible is application. We are to study the Bible so we can apply what we learn to our lives, with the ultimate aim of conforming ourselves to the image of Christ. Application, though, depends on proper teaching and sound knowledge. It stands to reason that a person cannot apply to his life something he does not understand. Teaching stands as the foundation that application is built upon.
Since Warren does not explain the gospel and the real means of salvation, how can people truly apply what he teaches? If everything is application, what do they really believe in?

Bible Use

We have already seen how the author has used multiple translations as well as his justification for doing so. Of even greater concern is his carelessness in his use of the Bible. He continually removes Scripture passages from their proper context in order to make them suit his purposes. He carelessly applies promises to the reader that clearly do not apply. He also distorts or changes the meanings of certain passages to make them say what he wants them to say. This is well-documented in other reviews on this site.

I can recommend this book only to discerning readers. There is certainly some value in the book, but in my opinion the bad outweighs the good. I would certainly not use this as an introduction to Christianity or as a means of reaching unbelievers.

We must listen to what the head of the Church says about it, rather than Rick Warren. Christ says it is about forgiveness of sins, not putting more people in the worship space. In Biblical language, gospel is what God does for sinners, forgives them their sins, which continues until they are taken to be with Him for eternity, not just at conversion.

The opposite is the law, what we must do or not do for God. This is what this book is about, it puts people back under the law. It centers on rewards earned in this life by applying the gifts God gives for the purpose of growing His church. And this doesn't center around the relationship of justification to sanctification at all! Witness this short quote from this book: "One day you will stand before God, and he will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. ... He will ask two questions: What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?... Second, what did you do with what I gave you?" Then he proceeds on this premise for over 300 pages that it is what we do for God, not what God has done, is doing and will continue to do for us in Christ!

This thus centers the non-discerning Christian into the law, and not the gospel. What is so dangerous about this book is that it comes close at times to the truth, that not one of us can please God with our lives and our doings, but only faith in what Jesus does for us (forgives our sins) counts for eternity.

By using the stick of the law and rewards in heaven as the carrot, Warren thus seeks to turn faith from the obedience that Christ achieved for every sinner to faith in that sinner's obedience to work for Christ. Warren muddles up law and gospel, justification and sanctification in unbiblical ways that this book has to be totally overhauled before it should be used as any guide to Christian living. This is dangerous best seller.

Much more would I refer Christians to excellent book's on true, Biblical Christian living, e.g. Hal Senkbeil's "Dying To Live: The Power of Forgiveness" or Gene Veith's "The Spirituality of the Cross" or Daniel Preus' "Why I Am A Lutheran."

The Purpose-Driven Life is an excellent book, allowing the reader to see the power of the Holy Spirit and how with God's blessing, everything is possible. As an Christian author myself, I have a critical eye for accurate writing and accurate Biblical citation. Although not every quoted scriptural reference is cited, the desirous Bible student can use a concordance and look it up, if need be. I am so excited that Rick's 40 Days of Purpose Campaigns are lighting (Holy) fire in so many congregations! The focus on surrender is particularly close to my heart, for without our total Free-Will surrender to God-Will, very little is possible! May the Lord bless all of you who read this book (the companion journal also makes a wonderful Christmas present to believers and unbelievers alike), and delight in the Divine gifts, healing, and loving relationships that Connection with Christ can bring.God uses the unusual and unique for advertising and marketing of His glory and love for us - including signs and wonders that have always been proof of His Holy Spirit being active in His children's lives. I believe Rick Warren is being successfully facilitated for a unique plan. Much harvest is sure to come!

"Christianity is not a patent medicine. Christianity claims to give an account of the facts---to tell you what the real universe is like.. . .If Christianity is untrue, then no honest man will want to believe it, however helpful it might be: if it is true, every honest man will want to believe it, even if it gives him no help at all." C.S. Lewis, from an essay entitled "Man or Rabbit?" 1946

I'm writing as a fellow Christian, so I hope my criticisms of this book will be taken as exhortations to read something better.

If you are a person seeking God, or a long time believer, I don't recommend that you read this book.

I have three reasons for this:
1) Pastor Warren appeals to giving you a better life, potentially at the expense of helping you to have true faith in God. The book uses marketing, and appeals to "what the Christian life will get you" as opposed to leading you to faith in Christ alone. This is dangerous because the Christian life doesn't always promise satisfaction or some of the other things that people are touting in their reviews. (The Christian life does not need to look or feel like what Warren is espousing to be genuine, real or of value). A good Christian life is not necessarily one where you feel like you've helped yourself.. . .although that is sometimes a benefit of loving God. This kind of writing might feel good to some, but I think it will completely turn others off, or worse yet, make them think they have faith when all they have is a desire to have this kind of life.
2) Pastor Warren is a poor scholar. He does a lot of what Bible students call "prooftexting"; that is, he often takes scripture out of context to prove his points or sound more persuasive. I don't disagree with many of his points, but this is bad scholarship and could cause the uneducated reader to take Warren's words as God's (after all, there are an abundance of quotations from Scripture).
3) Psychologically you should be well adjusted before reading a book like this. This book is not for people struggling with their own identities. DON'T FIND IT IN THIS BOOK. . .FIND IT IN CHRIST. Reading this book is not the be-all-end-all to make your life better, or to make you more "spiritual" or "worthy" of God's love.

If you're looking for something along these lines (easy to read, good motivation to love God, solid theology), but aren't sure where to go to find it, here are some suggestions.

Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
Knowing God, J.I. Packer
The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning
The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey
Pilgrims' Progress, John Bunyan
The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life, Hannah Whithall Smith
Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott
Life Together, Deitrich Bonhoeffer
Desiring God, John Piper
Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer

I am having difficulty review the book because I am rather ambivalent about it. If my first review was too positive, my second review was too negative, so I wish to try to give my thoughts once again.

1.) This book is useful when used in a group. I read through the book with a small group and it was a good discussion starter and had some good basic ideas and principles that can help one, especially a beginner, in spiritual growth. The outline is useful and the author's intention to focus on God's making us holy rather than happy is noteworthy.

2.) At the same time, I didn't think that the book was the best thing since sliced bread. I do have some concerns. For one thing, there were few to no literal translations of the bible that were used. Rather, a hodge podge of questionable "translations" and paraphrases were used and sometimes out of context. Prooftexting, rather than thorough exegesis of passages seemed common.

3.) The author clearly has some familiarity with some of the Christian classics but never really cites them or provides a bibliography for readers. In the bibliography and suggested further reading, all of the readings are from the Purpose driven life series. Where are the references to Brother Lawrence, John Bunyan, Thomas Merton, C.S. Lewis, and others that the author has clearly looked at or mentioned briefly in passing?

4.) I have some problems with the theology of the book, notably its lack of a sacramental understanding of Christian spirituality and its weak ecclesiology, but to me this seems reflective of the mega church growth movement in general.

5.) To me, it seems too programmed, and if fact, it is intended to be a part of a program designed primarily for people in this specific mega church/small group type environment. I suppose I was expecting something more.

I would like to give the book 2.5 stars but I will give it 2 stars since there are enough flaws to prevent me from giving it a three star rating.

This book is amazing. It is good for anyone who wants to live a more fulfilled life, and it has transformed my life. I am a big self-help reader and this one tops them all. Why this one had changed my life so much is that it isn't based on self-reflection but on the word of God and his purpose for our lives.
Each day builds on the next in such a way that you become a changed person. You cannot just take one or two days on its own. To do that would be missing the point. It's a complete journey that takes place over 40 days, however, I know that it will be a handbook for the rest of my life.

Rick Warren is an amazing writer. I'd love to go to his church!! I have purchased 20 books and have handed 15 out to friends and loved ones who I have shared my testimony with. The Holy Spirit just grabbs you when you start reading. I have always desired an inner peace that passes all understanding. This book along with the Bible will give you that.