Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Lucado Inspirational Reader: A Review

I had never read any of Max Lucado's books. I know! That's crazy, huh? I've seen him in many Christian book catalogues, so The Lucado Inspirational Reader seemed like a great fit for me-- a (400+ pages!) sampling of his best writings.

It's a neat idea--compiling pieces from different writing and organizing by meaningful topics. Some are simple quotes, other are paragraph stories or several pages long. I have mixed feelings about the book, though. Many were beautifully written and gentle inspirations. Others were encouraging stories of real-life people. They warmed my heart, opened my mind, and made me smile. however, some of his writing took some artistic liberties that aren't quite my style (filling in with his interpretations of what God thought or said in certain Bible stories, in a casual, modern way). Others seemed repetitive or too sappy for my tastes (and I like sappy!). Also, there are several theological points woven in that I disagree with.

My final summary? A neat book, beautiful and encouraging writings, but lacking some truth and depth at times. I would read it as a side-dish-inspirational -book rather than a main course.

(Thank you to Booksneeze for providing a copy for review at no charge. These are my honest and original comments.)

2 comments:

  1. That is what happens, unfortunately, when a Catholic tries to use/read a Protestant devotional. For this reason, I have not read any of Lucado's adult books. But, I love his children's books! They are very sweet, have lovely illustrations, and good messages that all Christians can appreciate. My favorite was always the book, "With You All the Way"; I loved the pictures, adventure, and the story.
    Thanks for the review, and God bless!

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  2. Hi Arafea! Thanks for the comment! I think you are right in many ways--although I have definitely been SO blessed by many of my Protestant sisters and their thoughts and lives. Though I believe the fullness of truth is in the Catholic Church, I know that many other denominations have truth in them and we can learn from their sincerity and faith as well. Someday I pray we are again united. :)

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