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Searching for God Knows What

by Donald Miller

Searching for God Knows What Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller's provocative and funny book, he shows readers that the greatest desire of every person is the desire for redemption. Every person is constantly seeking redemption (or at least the feeling of it) in his or her life, believing countless gospels that promise to fix the brokenness. Typically their pursuits include the desire for fulfilling relationships, successful careers, satisfying religious systems, status, and escape. Miller reveals how the inability to find redemption leads to chaotic relationships, self-hatred, the accumulation of meaningless material possessions, and a lack of inner peace. Readers will learn to identify in themselves and within others the universal desire for redemption. They will discover that the gospel of Jesus is the only way to find meaning in life and true redemption. Mature believers as well as seekers and new Christians will find themselves identifying with the narrative journey unfolded in the book, which is simply the pursuit of redemption.

Miller . . . writes on faith with candor and passion reminiscent of Frederick Buechner and Anne Lamott. -The Oregonian

Like a shaken snow globe, Donald Miller's newest collection of essays creates a swirl of ideas about the Christian life that eventually crystallize into a lovely landscape . . . He] is one of the evangelical book market's most creative writers. -Christianity Today

For fans of Blue Like Jazz, I doubt you will be disappointed. Donald Miller writes with the wit and vulnerability that you expect. Sharing stories of his upbringing and his journey in more recent years, he perfectly illustrates important themes in a genuine and humorous manner . . . For those who would be reading Miller for the first time, this would be a great start. -Relevant

Whenever people ask me about Donald Miller, I notice the first thing I say is, 'That guy can write.' Having met Don, I also know he seeks to live what he writes, or better said, he writes what he lives. That, I think, is the top credential for a person who writes about ultimate concerns-spirituality, meaning, purpose, life, God, and joy. In Searching for God Knows What, you'll find more of his great writing, honest feeling, and spiritual insight to help you on your journey. -Brian McLaren Pastor, Author-www.anewkindofchristian.com

Review:

"Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, serves as campus ministry leader at Reed College. His writing voice is casual and somewhat eccentric, while his theories — largely derived from experience rather than extensive study — are at times brilliant, at times questionable and rarely supported by outside sources. The book covers a great deal of territory: Miller's walking away from God as a teenager and returning to his faith; the competitive nature of human relationships, painfully demonstrated through junior high memories; the meaning of morality and religion; the essence of true Christianity. But Miller's main theme is dissatisfaction with the way Christianity is taught and practiced. He says the religion ought not to be presented as a formula, its tenets broken down into bullet points to fit modern Western thought patterns. At its heart, Miller argues, Christianity is relationship. Interested people should be presented with biblical stories rather than steps to salvation. Miller also believes that many Christians behave correctly but their actions lack meaning: 'The tough thing about Christian spirituality is, you have to mean things. You can't just go through the motions or act religious for the wrong reasons... this thing is a thing of the heart.' However, Miller offers only faint suggestions to replace the formulaic or systematic approach to faith that he denounces." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

Miller reveals how the inability to find redemption leads to chaotic relationships, self-hatred, the accumulation of meaningless material possessions, and a lack of inner peace.

Synopsis:

In Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller's provocative and funny book, he shows readers that the greatest desire of every person is the desire for redemption. Every person is constantly seeking redemption (or at least the feeling of it) in his or her life, believing countless gospels that promise to fix the brokenness. Typically their pursuits include the desire for fulfilling relationships, successful careers, satisfying religious systems, status, and escape. Miller reveals how the inability to find redemption leads to chaotic relationships, self-hatred, the accumulation of meaningless material possessions, and a lack of inner peace. Readers will learn to identify in themselves and within others the universal desire for redemption. They will discover that the gospel of Jesus is the only way to find meaning in life and true redemption. Mature believers as well as seekers and new Christians will find themselves identifying with the narrative journey unfolded in the book, which is simply the pursuit of redemption.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
readongrassinsun, May 19, 2009 (view all comments by readongrassinsun)
Miller has has a very unique and often humerous style of writing. Although the way he expressed his ideas were very original and entertaining, some of the main focuses of the book were treated by him as if he'd come up with an extremely new way to look at things, when in reality they were already common ideas, such as christianity being about a relationship and not a formula.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780785263715
Author:
Miller, Donald
Publisher:
Nelson Books
Author:
Miller, Donald
Subject:
Christian Life
Subject:
Bible - Study - New Testament
Subject:
Devotional
Subject:
Christian biography
Subject:
Biblical Studies - New Testament
Subject:
Christian biography -- United States.
Copyright:
Publication Date:
October 2004
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
246
Dimensions:
8.56x5.38x.69 in. .52 lbs.

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