A review by mxbenjaminrose
Weird: Because Normal Isn't Working by Craig Groeschel
3.0
There is a lot of good in this book. Groeschel’s motivations for writing it are admirable: to address the lukewarm Christianity so prominent in America today. He advocates for the “narrow gate” - the fact that real Christianity is different, radical, even weird. I think that’s an important principle.
I do have a few quibbles, but before I go into that, I should make something clear. I don’t think this book was written for me. He clearly wrote it with an audience in mind, and that audience understands marriage and parenting and the ebb of flow of middle-class America. Even more importantly, that audience is familiar with many years of church life without experiencing a fire for ministry. My age, worldviews, and my personal passion for ministry created a disconnect for me as I read this book. Nevertheless, it has some great stuff.
My main quibble is this: the format doesn’t really work for me. In my opinion, Groeschel spreads himself too thin trying to cover as many topics as he does. In addressing time, money, relationships, sex, and values, he shows how being weird should affect every area of life - certainly an important lesson. However, there are countless books just like this one that address only one of those issues and are able to do so in much greater detail. With only chapter specifically about marriage, or church, or Sabbath, he doesn’t have much opportunity to break into the depths of those topics.
All that aside, I have some important things to ponder after reading this book. If you feel stuck in American Christendom and wonder if being normal is all there is, give this book a read. Especially if you feel trapped in the middle-class, 2-car, 2-kid, American Dream and don’t feel like you’re connecting to the supposed life-changing Gospel….this book is for you. May it help you become weirder than ever before.
I do have a few quibbles, but before I go into that, I should make something clear. I don’t think this book was written for me. He clearly wrote it with an audience in mind, and that audience understands marriage and parenting and the ebb of flow of middle-class America. Even more importantly, that audience is familiar with many years of church life without experiencing a fire for ministry. My age, worldviews, and my personal passion for ministry created a disconnect for me as I read this book. Nevertheless, it has some great stuff.
My main quibble is this: the format doesn’t really work for me. In my opinion, Groeschel spreads himself too thin trying to cover as many topics as he does. In addressing time, money, relationships, sex, and values, he shows how being weird should affect every area of life - certainly an important lesson. However, there are countless books just like this one that address only one of those issues and are able to do so in much greater detail. With only chapter specifically about marriage, or church, or Sabbath, he doesn’t have much opportunity to break into the depths of those topics.
All that aside, I have some important things to ponder after reading this book. If you feel stuck in American Christendom and wonder if being normal is all there is, give this book a read. Especially if you feel trapped in the middle-class, 2-car, 2-kid, American Dream and don’t feel like you’re connecting to the supposed life-changing Gospel….this book is for you. May it help you become weirder than ever before.