Soul Detox: Clean Living In A Contaminated World (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
Soul Detox breaks down the worldly bad habits we have and then shows how it impedes our walk with God and other Christians. Then the author concludes by telling you to pray about your problems. This book has the characteristics of an opener to a classic christian living guide and then it leaves the reader to figure out the rest on your own. The book's ending is a bit deflating. I am not well versed in modern christian writing so the narration rubbed me the wrong way in a couple places. I was expecting profound perspective from a spiritual leader but only found common sense tales and catch phrases from a motivational speaker type. The buildups and funny life lessons seemed very "cookie cutter-ed". The writer's tone made the material feel scattered at times and unnaturally forced at others.The book does make some very good points about life practices, bad habits, and tendencies that people take for granted but it could have been so much more. The author seems like he is trying hard and if he would cut down on the buddy-buddy, cool normal guy conversation points and fill in the gaps with more in depth practical application points this would have become the lifestyle challenging book it was meant to be.My one big gripe is the last chapter. We are reading your book to learn something and gain perspective. I find enjoyment in these books because I am challenged to shift my perspective and way of thinking. This isn't the kind of book that someone would just start reading out of the blue. The last chapter left the impression that the author was not very serious about the book. He congratulates the reader for making it through his small book and then accuses them of wasting their time and missing out on great truths if they didn't take the whole book seriously. Call me old fashioned but I don't think that patronizing sarcasm is the best method to get a point across to an audience that feels deeply connected to the subject matter. The statements cast a negative implication on an otherwise heartfelt conclusion to the book. Overall the book wasn't bad and it's content would probably make a good theme for a study group. I would recommend it to someone looking for a perspective on the christian view of the perils of worldly living. While there are certainly some good principles and ideas on how to 'flag' toxic behaviours, emotions and relationships in ones life, I found this book lacking in other areas. Perhaps Groeschel goes into this further in other sermons or writings, but I found there to not be enough emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit during all of this. Groeschel points out several times that a persons perception and ability to gauge their spiritual health can get easily distorted - yet, he barely explores WHO gives us clarity (or how) and the ability to discern truth from lies. I personally think his discussion on 'clean living' (aka, holiness) would be greatly enriched if he spent the time to further explore the dynamics of what it means (and looks like) to be in a healthy & working partnership with the Holy Spirit.
What do You think about Soul Detox: Clean Living In A Contaminated World (2012)?
This book is amazing. From this point on, will always think about how my actions reflect on my life
—michael
Good points scattered throughout, but lacked enough coherent structure to really pull me in.
—April
What can I say? If you haven't read this you need to!
—zachagresti
