The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God Reviews

• Author's death means something!

  
  By A2NTC4420E7LGX on 2000-06-03
  One never knows why tragedy strikes but if it is God's will that Brent Curtis' tragic death somehow brings more notoriety to this book in order to help people strengthen their faith and that John Eldredge can come out and say his friend's death only reaffirms to him what they wrote in this book then I praise God that John sincerely believes the truths that he shares with us because I certainly do.

  After hearing Chuck Swindoll recommend this book I picked myself up a copy of the Sacred Romance. Few books better characterize the passionate relationship God seeks with us despite our sinfulness and faults. I highly recommend anyone who enjoys this book to also pick up a copy of the Journey of Desire, the sequel to this book. Coupled together they highlight powerful truths about God and about our lives that may shake the way you view your very existence. Life is a struggle and both Curtis and Eldredge can empathize with you. And certinaly it carries the mark of any doctrinally sound book -- that in the midst of disappointment, pain or heart break,no relgious formulas, traditions or idols will give you the healing, fulfillment or joy that you REALLY seek -- they point you back to God for all the answers. That is why I also say as good as this book is the best it can do is point you back to God and the Bible for that is where the story of God's sacred romance with us is unveiled! God bless.
  
  

• Disappointing

  
  By AJHAITUQNSB6F on 2001-01-06
  I picked up this book because of the rave reviews it was receiving in many Evangelical circles. My desire was to read a book that argued for the importance and role of the heart in loving God without disregarding that of the mind. I expected a logical argument for the role of the heart in love-- something this world needs more of!!

  What this book brings instead are lots of stories, and imperatives, with some scripture, although more of it is paraphrased than not.

  So as to avoid seeming too cynical, the book does have its good points in that both authors are good story tellers and that in and of itself brings certain literary effects to the text. However, it's important when anticipating this book that you know that you're getting a story and not so much a truly astounding piece that is spurring on of a greater understanding of God.

  Another problem I had was the fact that it is so "Me" focused when it is in fact the most Holy God we are to love. We love because He first loved us. The action is entirely God focused and has value because of Him. Period. Our love is the appropriate response to Him. It's not because we like it or we benefit it or because it fulfills us. It's because He deserves and demands it.

  Milton, Edwards, Lewis, Bunyan and even Donne (a collected progression of course) are wonderful works that deal with the same subject, but in a more challenging and revrant manner.
  
  

• A cup of cool water on a hot day!

  
  By A1U0KH1K52P754 on 2002-10-01
  The Sacred Romance was such a refreshing read. Perhaps it was just the timing in which I read the book, but I would recommend it to everyone. Here's why:

  The opening chapter of the book (The Lost Life of the Heart) spoke to me very strongly - it made my heart pound. I have never had a book do that to me before. I was the one the authors wrote about in the first chapter. It describes what happens when we come to a point of being burned out in our spiritual life - or perhaps is it better to say overwhelmed by the weight of everything around us. It is so easy to be distracted into focusing on our own little stories.

  The authors guide the reader to remember that God is up to something big. He is working out in history His own big story. Each of our lives is a little story within that big story. However, so many people get caught up in their own little story, that they forget that God has a role for them in His big story. This causes us to lose heart along the way. Our problems overwhelm us when we forget God's big story.

  Okay, but why is this book so good at reminding us of that?

  The authors paint the picture of a wild God - the Lover of our souls who pursues us restlessly. They look thoroughly at both the Old Testament and the New Testament. But, this book isn't preachy. The authors go beyond Scripture, while staying Scriptural. They look at Literature and Cinema, old and new. What is this longing presented to us throughout history - why all the stories of the lost love pursued by her lover? Because, deep down inside, we all want to be loved and pursued. The authors show us that the Bible presents us with the story of the Lover of our souls pursuing us. God longs to meet our deepest needs. The authors claim that the intimacy God desires to share with us is "an intimacy much more sensuous, much more exotic than sex itself" (p. 161).

  Ask yourself what the following names have to do with God. Forrest Gump, A River Runs Through It, When Harry Met Sally, Robert Frost, Soren Kierkegaard, The Hobbit, Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, Henry V, Pilgrim's Progress, and Helen of Troy. These, and more, are used to teach us what God wants from us.

  Chapter 12 (Coming Home) was worth the price of the book.

  I have only one negative comment. I was frustrated by the incomplete bibliography. Hey, it's the scholar in me.

  I loved this book so much that I bought a copy for every Sunday School teacher that teaches under my ministry. This is the best book on the overall message of the Bible that I have ever read. I believe everyone, not only Christians, should read this book. I believe it will help non-Christians see what Christians believe, even if the non-Christians don't agree with our beliefs. It will be worth your time and money!
  
  

• God's perspective on my life

  
  By A2NZYCLRH6PLP4 on 1999-12-22
  I heard about this book on my local Christian radio station. At the time, my husband had left me and I was feeling a lot lost, insecure and confused. This book showed me a different and more healthy way to look at my situation. This was God's situation, not mine. It pulled me out of my small story and helped me to rest in him while He handled the events in my story. It's wonderful. I am recommending it to everyone who is struggling with loss or doubts in their life.
  
  

• Some good points, but many problems

  
  By A1OWF6SF97JDVD on 2001-07-08
  This book has received much attention, and consequently deserves a little analysis. In short, while I found much that is good and helpful in this book, I also found it to contain many logical fallacies and some highly questionable theological ideas.

  Theologically, the authors make a precious few points where they come across as very God-centered in their doctrine. For most of the book, however, the emphasis is on man. The accompanying workbook is especially bad in this department. At one point, the workbook asks, "What might be desirable in you that God moved heaven and earth to get?" (p. 110). This question could easily be taken to be assuming that God saves us because of something He sees in us, rather than *despite* what He sees in us. While there is an important point here about God seeing us as valuable, there is also the possibility of grave theological error. This is just one example of many. Throughout the book there is careless wording such as this that could easily mislead a young Christian.

  While the authors clearly seem to be in the conservative evangelical camp, they manage to quote scripture out of context (for example, quoting Ephesians 1 when claiming that man is at the center of God's plans) and to rely on extrabiblical sources (literature, film, etc.) which are often treated in their analysis as if they has the same authority as scripture. They sometimes quote carefully edited passages of a paraphrased version when the original text doesn't fit their point.

  The authors of this book describe their experience of coming to know God's love after having taken some hard knocks during the course of thier lives. I think their book speaks well to people who have had similar experiences to their own. However, they seem, throughout the book, to generalize and to assume that everyone has the same background and experiences as they, and that everyone should have the same experiences as they. They often talk about what this world and this culture do to us and how they affects us. They speak as if their experience were true universally, which it isn't. This elementary logical fallacy, known as "hasty generalization", is just one of many, and occurs repeatedly throughout the book.

  I would not recommend this book. I think it has become popular because its strong man-centered approach makes people feel good about themselves. While it may be helpful to someone trying to deal with certain psychological issues similar to those dealt with by the authors, the logical and theological errors are simply too many and too serious.
  
  

• If You Must Read, Do So With Caution
  By A2OJ01RWWB4U78 on 2000-12-16
  I am shocked and disturbed that only one review so far has given this book less than 5 stars. While I am pleased for the work that God has done through this book in some people's lives, I fear that it comes at a grave cost. This book comes dangerously close to portraying God as a pining lover who has been victimized by a wayward beloved and just hopes and hopes that the apple of his eye (his created people) will return, but is powerless to effect a meaningful change. I suspect that there has been and will continue to be an awful lot of navel gazing due to this book. If you plan to read Sacred Romance, please read as a Berean (Acts 17:11) and compare this book with Scripture. What I would HIGHLY recommend instead is reading Jonathan Edwards' sermon series "Charity and It's Fruits". In this series, Edwards explicates 1 Cor. 13:1-10 and maintains a Biblically proper view of God as Ultimate Sovereign and Majestic Lord of Hosts while offering meaningful instruction to the Christian for daily living. There are certainly many, many Christian works which are superior in both theological understanding and literary merit to Sacred Romance. Look into some of the old classics (i.e. before this century, e.g. Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, John Owen, John Bunyan, Augustine, etc.) to compliment your reading of the Bible and current authors. I think that you will find a vast wealth of passion for God and depth of spiritual insight which is lacking in many modern authors.
  
  
• The Sacred Romance
  By A12QKKSEINDZSP on 1999-12-17
  This book ruined my life, in a good way. It met me right where my needs were. I have bought probably 20 copies of this book to give to my friends. Everyone who has read it has said that it seems like it written directly to them. By far the best book I've ever read.
  
  
• Full of Error
  By AEYEAH3C78BBZ on 2004-01-29
  This book is full of error, especially when viewed from a Reformed viewpoint. It is indicative of the sorry state of the Christian world that such a book can gain so great a following. The authors misuse the Bible, equate experience with Scripture, and make God into something He is not. They are mystics, relying on their own thoughts more prominently than Scripture. They rely heavily on other mystics, mainly Catholic, such as C.S. Lewis, St John of the Cross, G.K. Chesterton and Phillip Yancey.

  The authors have two grave misunderstandings that pollute the entire book. First, they have no understanding of human depravity. Where the Bible says that the heart is deceitful and full of wickedness, the authors believe it to be essentially good as long as we understand the importance of a Sacred Romance. Where the Bible teaches that no one seeks after God, the authors teach that all of us seek after God. They quote G.K. Chesterton who said, �every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God.� In their view, all we do, whether good or bad, is really a search for God. We all seek after Him, whether we know it or not. Inside of each of us is the desire to know and experience goodness. The second great misunderstanding is in God�s omniscience � His ability to see everything, whether past, present or future. They teach a form of �open theism� which says that God can only see certain things in the future, but is unable to see what decisions or choices humans will make. Hence God was surprised when humans rejected Him and did not know that Adam and Eve would sin. Of course this contradicts the Bible which says that God knew who would love Him before the world was even created.
  
  There are literally hundreds of errors in this book but I will focus only on some of the major ones.

  � The book is based on the importance of the heart, yet the authors never identify what the heart is. It seems that in their view it represents only good. This blatantly ignores what the Bible teaches about the heart being deceitful and wicked. They teach that it is only wicked when we are outside of the Sacred Romance with God.

  � The authors paint God as being sad and heartbroken, hoping against hope that we will choose to love Him. It smacks of Arminian theology taken to its fullest extent and reduces God almost to the extent of making Him sound like a whining child.

  � The teaching that is based on the Bible is often dubious or plain wrong. The authors often quote from The Message, relying on that poor paraphrase when it suits their purposes and when the proper translations do not. This shows especially in Ephesians 1 which they use to say God created the world for our purposes, not God�s. The authors use The Message to teach that Job lost faith in God when a better translation shows he clearly did not. They also say that in Matthew 24 Jesus tells us that in the Last Days people will have lost the Sacred Romance. This is a ridiculous misinterpretation of this chapter.

  � The book paints God and our relationship with Him in sexual terms. This far exceeds what we read in Song of Solomon and other places in the Bible. The portray God as One who seeks to have an almost sexual relationship with us. He �desires from us � an intimacy much more sensuous, more exotic than sex itself.�

  � �God is not after obedience, sacrifice or adherence � He is after us.� Teaching like this downplays the importance of following God�s decrees for us. This, of course, is a necessary symptom of teaching that does not follow the Bible. When we rely on our minds more than the Bible this type of teaching is inevitable.

  � The authors rely heavily on the teachings of others as well as books and songs, much more so than they do on the Bible. For example, several pages are dedicated to showing how Lieutenant Jim from Forrest Gump was actually discovering the Sacred Romance through drugs, alcohol and sex with prostitutes.
  
  � There is almost no importance placed on studying the Bible or praying. The tools God gives us to be transformed into His image are ignored in favor of just understanding our hearts and God�s heart. This is a book dedicated to sanctification � the process of living as God desires us to live � that ignores what God Himself teaches about this.

  � There is no mention of Jesus coming to atone for our sins. The authors seem to say that Jesus had to come to seeks us out and find us � not to save us from hell and take our punishment upon Himself.

  � A knowledge of God, in the view of the authors, is less important then feeling, experiencing and romanticizing Him. The book bears this out as there is little within it to increase the reader�s knowledge of God. Yet classic Christianity teaches that we can best learn God�s will for us by having knowledge of Him and what He commands of us.

  One major annoyance I found with the book was that the authors quoted many sources without citations. This is usually a sign that an author has quoted inaccurately or far out of context. Even many Bible passages are quoted without citations.

  In the end analysis, the authors have created an inaccurate metaphor for God�s relationship towards us, have attempted to prove it with the Bible and being unable to do so have had to rely on poor paraphrases and mysticism (which can be defined as �trying to know God outside of the Bible�). Their teaching bears only a vague resemblance to the Christianity of the Bible and should be avoided at all costs!
  
  

• Beyond excellent!
  By A159QD870X7YM7 on 1999-11-24
  By drawing upon many other literary works of great thinkers, the authors have presented many universally pondered life-questions in an incredibly romantic way. This logically sound, well written book has illuminated God's purpose for all of creation and all of the good and bad in it. If you've ever wondered why God could allow so much injustice in the world, or how a great God could ever really care about you, or why so much of the best life has to offer falls short of true completeness - read this book. This is the first book I've ever felt compelled to write a "review" about. I read it three weeks ago and still am excited about it. I am now buying 7 more to give for Christmas presents. Any thinker, Christian or not, should enjoy this work.
  
  
• Sacred Romance
  By on 2003-04-23
  My Bible study group used this book and its accompanying workbook/journal for a group study. Several of us did not like this book at all. It is deficient in scriptural support to a large extent. The authors seem to place all blame for the emotional problems in a believer's life totally on the devil, with little or no mention of Man's own sinful nature, which does not disappear when one is born-again. They seem to spend about 95% of the book wading through the mire of the readers' emotional issues based on perceived past traumas and trying to explain away the Gospel as God sending His Son to earth mainly to tell us all how much He loves us and to further "woo" us back to Him--no mention of the fact that He came as an atoning sacrifice for OUR sins, not the devil's.

  Way too many pages are spent in in-depth contemplation of this "sacred romance" into which God is trying to draw us, with way too many long and drawn-out analogies and references to pop culture songs and storylines, and not nearly enough space is devoted to scriptural evidence of what is required by Man in this "romance"--faith, reading the Bible, prayer, obedience, etc.

  There's a huge over-emphasis on "love" and not enough emphasis on "truth" in this book. If you are interested in deep, scriptural contemplation and want to know what God has to say about working through emotional issues and drawing closer to Jesus, read a book such as Kay Arthur's "As Silver Refined", or, better yet, read the Bible itself.
  
  

• Life changing, heart shaping, wonderful, real reading
  By on 1998-05-20
  This book is one of hundreds written by Chrisian authors offering new hope after life/self examination... the difference with this book is that it delivers. Probably the most influencial book I, as well as several friends, have read in the last five or six years. Easy to understand, hard to race through. Each chapter asks you to examine parts of your life, including the hard parts, and forces you to come face to face with a God who has an incredible amount of love for you. Absolutely fantastic.
  
  
• Does A Book Get Any Better Than This?
  By A3Q3TFXKMSHUD8 on 2000-03-05
  I was amazed at the beauty and detail of this book. The topics of The Fall and Heaven were especially interesting. This reading is great for seasoned and new Christians alike. I imagine it would be a spiritual boost to even the non Christian as it addresses questions like "Why is there evil in the world?" with a new edge. Of the many pieces I've read on the Character of God and the meaning of life, this is the only one I feel passionately enough to recommend. A must have!
  
  
• Insightful look at the void passion and romance once filled
  By AMWSZ61FILX2J on 2002-05-03
  This is an excellent book, and one that captures the lost passion so many of us live without. The authors attempt to demonstrate how much our lives are truly designed to be passionate, and drawn to God. There are two major themes: The first is that God desires a relationship with us. The second is that our lives are often confined to the "smaller story" and we seldom play out the role God has in mind, choosing instead to go through the motions of daily events - devoid of passion and romance.

  Often the depictions of God in the Christian Church cast Him in the role of a distant dictator. This is the metaphor I grew up with. A closer look at the Scripture reveals a God who is passionate and desires more than anything a right relationship with us. The authors discuss this concept at length and provide Biblical backing for the theology.

  The more compelling aspects of the book were the more practical. A close look at our lives reveals our fears keep us trapped in the mundane, and keep us from risking the "larger story" we are called to be a part of. We have lost the romance, the spark, and the adventure, of our youth, to be replaced with a cold logic and practical drudgery, and small stories. The depictions of the hope and grandeur of our dreams from youth are depicted with such stark reality, that it jars you awake to the fact that so much of what we call maturity is a lack of trust, adventure, and passion. There is a longing in each of us for something more, this book shows what that is.

  An excellent book, but one that must be discovered on your own. I chose not to go into detail in the review, as this book is not about the "what" of our lives, as some technical self-help rulebook would be, but rather about re-discovering the passion and romance we long for. Take a risk, immerse yourself, and prepare to be awakened.
  
  

• A Captivating Book
  By AZ50HY6MWLRDT on 2002-01-06
  As a person who was acquainted with Brent Curtis for several years before he joined John Eldredge and wrote this book, I looked forward with anticipation to attending the first conference where the authors presented this material. At that time, the book was in process and was not released from the publisher until more than a year later. My life had already been radically altered to become more real, more true, and, yes, more vulnerable and able to admit failure in my relationships that it been. But after attending the first conference and later when I read and studied the book in a small group, I found that my heart was forever captured and changed by a God who is more than acquainted with my arrows and who knows my deepest desires and longings. Furthermore, I discovered that my longings were not something to be shunned, but something that were placed there to draw me into the great heart of God and to bring me to a place of deeper joy and life than I dreamed cvould be possible. Over the past 10 years, not only has my life radically and solidly been changed for the better by the truth in this book (as well as in John's subsequent books "The Journey of Desire" and "Wild At Heart,") but so have the lives of numerous of my friends who have read these books. Though it may seem to be impossible, I have come to KNOW at the deepest levels of my being that I am enjoyed and treasured by my Creator and my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This God has been lovingly pursuing me through the long, dark tangled woods of my life journey as well as through the sunny meadows. Because of this God and the truth spoken in this book, the pain of life continues to be transformed into joy which is beyond explanation.

  If this book does not captivate and change you as radically as it did me, please do not get too discouraged or write off the value of the book. We all go through times when certain books mean more than they might at other times. If that is the case, I trust that you will experience the same positive life results through some other source. The truths cannot be denied because they are much bigger than either the book or the authors!

  For female readers (and for the men who love them) I would highly recommend a book by Jan Meyers, entitled, "The Allure of Hope."
  
  

• ...Out of the dark night he leaps like a stranger to cripple and to bless...
  By A73HVSFWOQCJB on 2005-09-14
  My guess is that readers who think they already have a good handle on life and Christian doctrine will probably be disappointed with this book. Likewise, this book will disappoint readers who want to see concepts like faith, hope, love, idolatry, grace, election, predestination, etc., expressed in religious language with which they are familiar, and not in language (and metaphors) in which people of our culture commonly express what is important to us and what drives us. Many thoughtful, ardent, traditionally-minded, well-meaning Catholics, Calvinists, etc., will not like this book.
  
  Readers, however, who are desperately asking questions like, "Why do I have to hurt so much? When can I finally get out of the situation I am in? Why am I so burned out even though I have done everything I know to be faithful to Christ? How can I be so lonely? Why does this addiction keep re-surfacing? What is God doing here?" will probably find this book a God-send. I re-read this book recently at precisely such a time in my life, and it was wonderful. It reminded me that God is not after my religious devotion and doctrinal comformity, he wants my *heart*, the deepest center of myself, and that he may well invade my life in a way that hurts me, that strikes me as ruthless and devastating, in order to get it. God is committed to my sharing and radiating his glory--nothing less. Amazing.
  
  In my view, one of the best aspects of this book is its emphasis not just on what God has promised to share with us (beauty, intimacy, adventure, glory), but *when* he will share it. Yes, we get a substantial foretaste now, but our deepest longings will be finally, fully satisfied only when we see him. Until Jesus comes back, God will mess with our lives and our idols in order to make sure that we don't get distracted by anything less than the awesome destiny he is preparing for us. As eloquently expressed toward the end of this book, God can use memory, imagination, and a passion for glory (i.e., faith, hope, and love) to help us wait and long with patience for the day when glory and unhindered intimacy with himself will really be ours.
  
  
• an awakening
  By on 2000-08-30
  By far, this is the most profound book I have ever read. I had no idea what to expect after being told this was a book I needed. I didn't know what hit me. It turned my belief system upside down. As a lifelong Christian, I had never been exposed to this type of thinking, I almost couldn't believe what I was reading. We are indeed being pursued, I had no idea how much. Now I see it in my life almost every day. What a difference this book has made in my life. Imagine what it could mean if everyone read it and it had the same effect!
  
  
• A Very Special Book, Indeed
  By A5WP87R6BJWWR on 2001-05-18
  I've read many books that are written to help bridge the relationship between we humans and our Lord, God, and Savior. Sure, inspiration books are a dime a dozen at any bookstore; but this one is indeed special. Brent Curtis and John Eldredge have come together (sadly, Curtis, from what I understand, is no longer with us but happily with God now) to bring about a wonderful life changing book.

  The book begins with the honest realization that we cannot ever truly comprehend the Lord. His ways are mysterious indeed. Yet at the heart of His ways is a very simple primace of love, at the heart is the heart of the matter. God loves us with an all powerful love. It was this love that brought forth the action of Creation (not evolution, but true Creation as in Genesis). It was this love that brought forth the years and years of dance between God and man that takes place throughout the Old Testament. And it was this love that brought forth the greatest moment in history--God became a man, God became one of us. He let Himself be born in the flesh. He let Himself be tempted and challenged. And He let Himself be killed on a cross...only to ressurect three days later.

  God is the supreme actor in History. God is the one that is center stage. But He is willing to bring us into a dance with Him if we only see and hear the invitation. Those who see and hear this invitation are brought into a wild ride that is not always safe. Not always sane. But always amazing and life changing.

  I believe in my heart of heart, soul of soul, that God loves me. This book helped me see this as I read along side of it the Gospels. If you let yourself see and hear the invitation of salvation and redemption, you too will find that God loves you and wants you to share the stage...share the supreme stage...heaven...with Him. God does not want any of us to go to hell. But it is our choice to make this decision.

  Read this book, open your heart and your mind, and you too will be changed for the better. Its a frighteningly honest book, so don't expect a comfortable reading...it will challenge all the heart ache and all the demons that you (and I) have in our hearts...but it, through showing God's love, will free you.
  
  

• Working out their angst without power to change.
  By on 1999-09-25
  The authors seem to be in a Romans 7 spiral, downward, without the promise of the power of Romans 8 to change, heal, forgive or forget. Without much actual biblical thinking, and with an amazing number of secular and 'thoughtful' refrerences, I end where I began- with no hope for healing. Yet both authors are excellent story tellers and openly honest about their own struggle. The only two examples of people who succeeded in the Sacred Romance end with their spouses' deaths from cancer... That's romance? Instead, read Pilgrim's Progress.
  
  
• God's Passion
  By on 2003-02-09
  The Sacred Romance is a journey of love. This book is crucial to any Christian struggling through their faith. It truly is a stream to any dry heart. I highly recommend this "love letter from God" , especially to those long-time believers who have (in our service and striving ) forgotten the wildness of our God.It captures the essence of a follower of Christ-total passion and wild abandonment to the Lover of our hearts. In memoirs,poetry excerpts,and personal examples from their lives,John Eldredge and Brent Curtis make you passengers on their journey of recapturing their First Love. This book is among the best I've ever read- you will never look at life the same way!
  
  
• sappy rehash
  By AGK370N3LNIBU on 2000-12-23
  I do not recommend that you spend your precious time reading this book. There is nothing here that C.S. Lewis and Jonathan Edwards did not already write, and that more eloquently and lucidly. (...and certainly less sappy -- it seemed as though the authors had written this book just after spending considerable time at a medieval fair). I read the book only because of the hype that surrounded it in evangelical Christian circles. It was as if every Christian i knew had bought it and devoured it, all of them praising it with the same, eery enthusiasm (not too unlike the perennial "millenial craze" that raises its ugly head from time to time in certain circles -- remembmer "88 Reasons why Jesus is coming back in 1988"). After reading it, such zeal appeared both surprising and disturbing to me (i'm exaggerating of course, but only a little bit). The only noteworthy thing about the book is its gaudy prose. Please read C.S. Lewis instead, or Piper, or even better, Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, John Bunyan, and other Puritan authors (e.g. Francis Rous).
  
  
• Just Awful and Devoid of Any Sound Theological Premise
  By A12290FFW21IYA on 2005-06-02
  I am in complete agreement with reviewer "zmusicman" in absolutely panning this book. I found The Sacred Romance to be so poorly written that at many times I could absolutely not understand what the point was at which the authors were clumsily trying to arrive. Okay, one thing was clear: God is courting us and trying to get us to enter into a "romantic" relationship with Him, which promises to enter us into the whirlwind adventure of our lifetime. Hmmm, I have to wonder if the authors were somehow referring to the theological concept of Divine Eros, which has been expounded upon by the Church Fathers and in Orthodox Christian (and perhaps Roman Catholic?) theology. However, their arguments and illustrations show that even if they have heard of Divine Eros their understanding of it is faulty and extremely shallow, resulting in a self-centered, thirsty for self-esteem sort of "I'm OK, You're OK" relationship with the almighty God. This is not surprising in light of the fact that this book was written by "evangelical" counselors (not respected theologians) more bent on emotions and warm fuzzies than on the Truth in relation to God's relationship with man, man's fallen nature and sinfulness, the Eros of the Holy Trinity, Christ's Incarnation, etc.
  
  The next big problem that I found lay not in the idea of "romantic" adventures in the Christian life (for if you read the lives of the saints you will find this, as this concept is not new, much to its credit.), but in the so-called messages of the heart and messages of the arrows. Basically these are the things that either help or hinder our relationship with God. However, according to Curtis and Eldredge, all of the wonderfully happy and pleasant things occurring in our lives are helpful and all of the not so pleasant, mean, and traumatic things that others have inflicted upon us are arrows from Satan to keep us away from God. This is, of course, ludicrous and completely unscriptural as the Bible teaches that all things are under God's providence and, although the Devil can harm us, not every unpleasant and uncomfortable occurrence is necessarily from the Evil One or even to his temporary victory. Many "arrows" are allowed to occur and are even blessed by God for our spiritual growth and health (obviously the cultivation of humility is not a big priority for these guys as it might make someone uncomfortable). The result: humans remain a bunch of "whiny spiritual babies" who can't take the pain required to gain the Kingdom! This is obviously dangerous to our souls and I fear that all of the earnest but misinformed readers and workbook filler-outers who buy into this pseudo-psychology (as tempting as it may sound) are placing themselves in spiritual danger.
  
  Finally, I must return to my original critique in once again stating that this book is terribly written. The authors rarely finish a coherent thought. Entire chapters are presented without a lucid conclusion. The quotes from scripture are taken out of context (such as the rambling on Job) and, worst of all, they use literature and film in an attempt to prove their theological assertions as being true. I am not saying that fiction and the arts cannot contain glimpses of the truth, illustrate a point, or even be biblically based- of course they can. However, they are not the Canon of Scripture or Church Tradition. The last time I checked my Bible there was not a Gospel according to Forest Gump or an Epistle to the Last of the Mohicans (of which the authors referred only to the movie, not the novel). Thus although these films most definitely contain Christian themes they cannot possibly prove theological precepts as being true or false! On a different note, after reading about 145 pages of nonsense and boo-hoo heartstring tugs disguised as personal accounts on the spiritual life, the authors finally caught my attention with a rudimentary introduction to spiritual warfare. "Alas", I thought to myself, "They are starting to speak my language!" My excitement soon waned when two or three short pages later they made an offhanded and clumsy reference to the concept of spiritual "detachment" without even citing it as the drowning of the passions or crediting it to St. John Climacus' Ladder of Divine Ascent and the monastic tradition of the Orthodox Christian Church. Why would they, after all? Why not just make the public think that you've reinvented the wheel by making the spiritual life easy, carefree, and painless? Self-denial, discipline, and obedience just don't sell books. So Curtis and Eldredge apparently decided to merely borrow the term, clean it up, polish it and paint it, and present it to the unsuspecting masses in a spiritual "get rich quick/miraculous diet pill" sort of way: It might work, but it will most likely destroy you. Come on Christians, its time to go back to your roots and seek the Truth of Christ. He may ask you to change your ways, it may sometimes be unpleasant, but the pay off is eternal.
  
  
• Well worth your time.
  By A1HZTGNJYMBY0A on 1999-11-29
  I have read many a book with a first chapter that would catch my attention, or pique my interest. I have never read a first chapter that had me sobbing on my bed over things long forgotten - actually, long pushed away. Blindsided, now I understand that word. This is a good book, friend. I don't know if you'll be sobbing after the first chapter, but I do know it will be worth your time to read it. I helped me very much. I recommend it, and give it to others.
  
  
• Okay, But Definitely NOT Outstanding
  By A2K40JBQHJY1HH on 2002-06-21
  I must admit that the hype surrounding this book may have raised my expectations too high. Curtis and Eldridge provide a new perspective here on a human being's need for a love relationship with God. While containing many references to the Scriptures, the basic themes within the book are elaborations on Biblical truth rather than expositions of Biblical truth. In other words, this volume is built AROUND the Bible rather than UPON the Bible.

  The fresh, vivid nature of this work may motivate some readers to open their hearts to a more intimate walk with Jesus Christ. After reading Eldredge's third volume in this series, "Wild at Heart" and being favorably impressed, I was disappointed in the quality of this initial undertaking. A far better book on the same subject is A.W. Tozer's "The Pursuit of God."
  
  

• An Epiphany in Print
  By A3C3TVE4K8QX7U on 2004-05-02
  I experienced a dilemma while reading this..I didn't want to put it down!! Yet I had to stop every few pages, sometimes after just a few lines, to let the message 'soak in'. The content of this book was life-changing for me. I've been in church all my life, and born again for over 20 years, but so much of what we hear about His love for us can become rote...devoid of any meaning beyond the academic. The picture painted here will transform all the platitudes into a vibrating truth that will quicken the Spirit within the reader, and bring breathtaking life into the journey.
  
  
• Has the Capacity to Change Hearts
  By on 2004-01-26
  The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge

  I almost skipped over this book until I saw the subtitle: "Drawing Closer to the Heart of God." Once I started it, I could hardly put it down. The authors remind us that the Sacred Romance really begins with the Trinity as the most perfect and intimate relationship, that we long for such intimacy because we are made in God's image and likeness, and why "less-wild" relationships can never completely satisfy us. God is a "lover at heart, from all eternity." Then His Heart was betrayed by the fallen angels. But in spite of the pain of that betrayal, He not only created and gifted an Eden-ic world to humanity, and made us His beloved, but He took the enormous risk of giving us freedom, because "He didn't want puppets, He wanted lovers." The fall in the garden is seen not as disobedience or theft of fruit, but as a betrayal of love. The authors quote Yancey, saying that reading the Old Testament and the prophets is like hearing a lovers' quarrel through the apartment wall. Then, after 400 years of silence, our heroic Lover, Who cannot abide the separation, comes to save us through the Cross. "Greater love hath no man...." God is the initiator, the pursuer. Sometimes we think that we have to do it all, reach out for God, call Him to us, try to find Him, or say the right prayers in the right way. The refreshing insight of this book is the almost poetic portrayal that He is already relentlessly pursuing us! This is a book way beyond entertaining. It has the ability to change hearts! I think that the reason some biblical scholars may have trouble seeing the value in this book is because of the littleness of their scripture-parsing approach. This book speaks to the unfettered potential of the mystic's soul.
  
  

• fave Eldredge book
  By A1BHN82FPZAY9Z on 2004-07-31
  This is my favorite book by Eldredge, though I know that is not true for all readers. But that is because I'm pursuing an Enlgish degree and this book has changed the way I see the world. Not only do I now look for God when I read, but I also now see my life as a story. I look for God in my personal dramas.
  
  Granted, the scope of this book is broad, even epic. Eldredge points to the Bible's bigger story like Milton's Paradise Lost. Then he contrasts that with modern concepts of church, tugging on our 'heartstrings': our desire and fear of personal drama. According to Eldredge, those curious emotions are acts of God reaching out for us, romancing our hearts into a more intimate relationship.
  
  Certainly, the 'romancing of God' is Biblical, found in most of the prophetic books and the Gospels. ie - The prophets are always writing of Israel's adulturous heart, and Jesus calls himself the Bridegroom and his church the bride.
  
  He touches such themes as risk, loss, enemies, apathy, confusion, and deep intimacy, which all creates an active reading experience.
  
  Lastly, I loved the ending. It is not quite a 'lived happily ever after' ending, but almost. Eldredge ties in those curious emotions to heaven, for that is when the bride meets the bridegroom in marriage. Though we remember this end, we are not there yet.
  
  
• Relationship Altering Book
  By A27QQIAKZU48Y4 on 2001-01-02
  This book gives an incredibly new and fresh look at our relationship with God. It brings it from a God who is the Author of our lives to a Lover of our souls who is the main character and is wooing us to romance and adventure through every avenue available. The authors of this book give intimate glimpses into their own lives to draw the reader into their own sacred romance with not only the Creator of the earth but also the Designer of our very essence. I highly recommend this book to believers and nonbelievers alike. The concepts and perceptions in it challenge deep spaces of the reader's soul in ways few books can.
  
  
• EXCELLENT thinking, help about a LOVE RELATIONSHIP with God!
  By A1BKQ4ZX8PO2QE on 2001-03-16
  This book is AMAZING! Although I felt it was slow at first, Eldredge and Curtis do *such* a great job of digging deeply into the questions we have in our hearts about God's love and faithfulness. Does He *really* love me? Can I be *sure* He will come through? Am I WANTED and NOTICED? Cared for?

  The authors deal with these questions--not with bumper-sticker answers, but with deep, thoughtful explanations of the love God promises and delivers. This book (and the Holy Spirit using it to work in your heart) have the potential to change your shallow, rule-following Christianity into a dynamic, wild, passionate love relationship with the personal God who has moved HEAVEN and EARTH just to KNOW YOU!
  
  

• Love Affair With God
  By A2KHXEKCXWFYJX on 2001-07-31
  I wasn't sure that I would like this book. I'm the type of person who dwells in the world of logic and "mind-truth". But Curtis and Eldridge took me on a journey through my heart and God's heart.

  Their thesis is that even before the creation, God, in His perfect relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, began to romance us. He created us to be His beloved. But, the "Message of the Arrows" deflected our hearts away from that romance and made us settle on the minor romances of control, performance, and escape to name a few.

  We are not left completely stranded because God lets us in on moments where our hearts know we are part of a greater romance than the ones we are involved in. In fact, God is pursuing His romance with us consistently. The crux of the matter is to allow God to enter into this romance with us.

  The book led me to a discovery. I'm not totally a "mind-truth" kind of guy, I'm a "heart-truth" kind of a guy, too.
  
  

• Who has ears to hear?
  By A2YAKZW94AN45O on 2001-10-18
  The message of this book is not for every Christian because not everyone is at the same place in his/her life journey (i.e., Christian walk). However, if you are tired of playing church, wondering if there is more to this life, wondering what the abundant life looks like, wondering of God understands why you like the things you like, frustrated over why you can't seem to overcome the things (sin, addictions, fear) that plague you, and you have the courage to push beyond the boundaries of the conventional American Christian mindset, then read this book prayerfully and let God Himself speak to your heart. Do not make the mistake of thinking this message is about doing whatever you please. It is about finding within the framework of your current circumstances the life of joy and excitement that God destined you to have from before the foundations of the world. Afterall, He promises to give you the desires of your heart.(Ps 37:4)
  
  

• The Sacred Romance Workbook and Journal: Your Personal Guide for Drawing Closer to the Heart of God
• Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
• The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We've Only Dreamed of
• Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul
• Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive