Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive by John Eldredge

Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive Reviews

• 
  Hannah

  This book spoke to me. It was like the words were jumping off the page as I read. Everything made sense.
  
  'Waking the Dead' will always hold a special place in my heart because it is the book that helped me find my feet again when I had been down and who-knows-where for a long time. Nothing made sense, I was reluctantly giving up my faith, desperate for something to cling on to. Then I found this book on a friend's bookshelf - my interest was piqued by the title. I read the intro and knew I had to read the book. I kept my friend's copy for nearly a year - I eventually bought my own! I highly recommend this book to anyone questioning their faith or just wanting to know more and how to go further.
  John Eldredge offers actual things you can use - he doesn't just say 'ok, go be more prayerful' - he helps you out, gives you suggestions, makes you see your life as it is and what it could be. Excellent God-inspired book. :)
• 
  Andi

  Recognizing Goodness - A Review of Eldredge’s Waking the Dead
  
  Something happened with children of my generation (people some call Generation X) and those kids that followed mine. Somehow, through no one’s intention or desire, we became people who were taught both that self-esteem was absolutely essential for help AND that we are not really worth that much in the scheme of things. Somehow, when we started teaching kids that they were valuable and worthy and then started allowing them to act like any way their pleased because of that, we lost a lot of people.
  
  I see it in my students who both believe they are entitled to pass my classes but also believe - in the same, exact moment - that they don’t deserve anything and are worthless. I’m sure there’s a psychological basis for this stuff that I just don’t really comprehend, but I do see this terrible paradox - arrogant, insecure people demanding what they don’t deserve and missing out on what they do - simple love and respect - the things they should receive because they exist. This is sad.
  
  So as I read John Eldredge’s book Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive, I was struck by this dichotomy and the way that Eldredge makes it accessible. What a freeing piece of information. That I can make mistakes and royally screw up and still be loved, but that because I am loved I should desire to be more like the one who loves me. That really is something.
  
  Eldredge is writing, in part, against a teaching that many of us who were raised in the church received - the teaching that, ultimately, we are evil at core, “Fallen,” and thus must spend most of our time cleaning ourselves up and making ourselves right. I have long bristled against this concept because I see so many people, myself included sometimes, so beaten down by this idea that they are “evil,” unlovable, and ugly, as my grandmother used to say.
  
  And Eldredge isn’t saying that people are perfect or that we don’t need to try any more to be better people. But the reason, he claims, that we seek to be better is because the core of who we are is loved - our hearts are loved by God. Imagine that difference - we do not seek to be better because we are wretched but because we are beautiful and glorious. We want to be better for the One who loves us. Wow.
  
  Here is freedom. As Eldredge says, “Everything you love is what makes a life worth living.” Yes, that’s it. I love God; I love people; I love animals and music and art and writing (I really love writing). And these are the things I live for. These are the things that are glorious in me and in the world around me. These are the things that make me who I am, and if I can only live more fully into the person I was made to be, well, then how much more lovely will I be.
  
  I wonder if we taught this to children - that they are beautiful and glorious, really, truly, at their core and that they need to live more fully into that - if we taught kids that if they love art, they should paint or if they love math, they should multiple - instead of teaching them that they are great but that what they love isn’t - if we didn’t break kids hearts with lessons about “practicality” and “earning a living,” would we have kid who were both confident but aware of their limitations. Would we have kids who don’t feel entitled but instead blessed and adore but one who makes them want to be better people? I wonder.
  
  Waking the Dead by John Eldredge - Waking the Dead by John Eldredge
  
  
• 
  Frank

  Book Review: Waking the Dead by John Eldredge
  
  "Waking the Dead" is a title that grabs your attention. It's even more of an eye-opener when you realize the author is not talking about the unsaved who have not yet found Christ. He's talking about us Christians.
  
  "How can this be? " you may wonder. Even though we have Christ in us, all too often we're swallowed up by the events of our day to day lives so that to a large degree we're oblivious to spiritual reality. So much so that Christ, in his love for us, may feel like grabbing us by the lapels and shouting: "Wake up!"
  
  Eldredge effectively uses movie and literary references to help us realize that, just like Neo learned in The Matrix, just like Frodo learned in Lord of the Rings and just like Luke Skywalker learned in Star Wars, things are not what they seem. There's a much bigger reality playing out all around us. We each have a great destiny but are in a heated spiritual battle we often don't recognize.
  
  The author opens the book with a quote from Saint Irenaeus: "The glory of God is man fully alive. " Eldredge shows us ways to re-awaken spiritually, to become fully alive and enjoy more of the abundant life Jesus promised us in John 10:10.
  
  The writer speaks of four spiritual streams: Walking With God, Receiving God's Intimate Counsel, Deep Restoration and Spiritual Warfare. He encourages us to develop a deeper relationship with God and explains how we are all broken due to various trials and circumstances of life. Jesus wants to come into our hearts and heal those broken areas, one by one.
  
  God has created each of us to bring glory to Him. We each have talents He has given us and when we use them in a proper manner, it glorifies Him. Yet, many times we become discouraged from using our talents, perhaps even being critcized as vain for seeking to use what God has given us.
  
  Eldredge explains how prayer and fellowship can encourage an individual to shine to the glory of God. He mentions a friend, Leigh, a member of his church who has a gift of dancing and had always dreamed of dancing onstage yet she had been discouraged from using her God-given gift. The author explained how his brethren and he worked with Leigh and she finally had some opportunites to display the gift to the glory of God.
  
  "Waking the Dead" is a deep book. It's not one that can be breezed through, instead it's a springboard for Bible study, prayer, and quiet pondering. We went through the book in our men's Bible study group at work. One of my study partners, Kevin, told of how his brother hadn't been doing much with his life, read the book and is now heavily involved in mission work.
  
  God does, indeed, want us to be fully alive for His glory and our joy.
  
  
  -- Frank Lewandowski
  
  
• 
  Meredith

  The good insights are buried in a continuously meandering style. John Eldredge tends to ramble, and with so many analogies, I think he sometimes forgets to return to his thesis.
  
  The thesis itself is a mixed bag (man's heart created good). I found a couple of his points questionable (our parents taught us lies about our hearts??), but some of his insights were really outstanding (chapter 11: "Fellowships of the Heart" was a gem).
  
  In this book are hidden snippets of his life story, and I kept wanting more of them, and less "waking the dead". I would really like to read his autobiography, if he ever writes one.
• 
  JJ Vancil

  This book is about the heart & it connects with the heart. John Eldredge is a master of telling stories and this book is proof. Countless personal stories & pictures from epic tales litter this book and add to its truth an emotional connection that moves the heart. The core truth and theme of this book is that the heart is good and needs to be set free & guarded. Moreover, we are at war and our heart is the goal. He attacks the false doctrine that we are wicked (after receiving Christ) and desires to set free those who continue to live in bondage long after they've come to Jesus. After the call to live out of a fully alive heart, Eldredge gives us 4 streams of discipleship that, if applied, will allow us to walk in freedom. The streams are walking with God, receiving God's intimate counsel, deep restoration and spiritual warfare. Few books have had the sort of impact in my life as this one. Pick it up & live out of your good heart.
• 
  fleegan

  This was a God book. It was pretty clever. The author uses a lot of literary and movie examples to make his points and that's kinda neat, so instead of it being all, "hey! we should be like David and slay giants and pray and write songs!" the author is more, "hey! remember the part in the Matrix where Neo..."
  
• 
  Margaret

  An excellent book, this author is new to me and I will certainly continue on with his books. Very insightful and not "preachy" which I love.
• 
  Matthew

  4.5 stars. Good book.
  
  I read one of his other books, Wild at Heart, with a small group of guys in my freshman year of college. In retrospect, I don't think all of my friends understood the purpose of that book. They'd dress up in armor and beat on each other. It's unfair but true, my friends at the time gave me a negative sense of that book and the author.
  
  Now, years later, I finally get around to reading Waking the Dead and I'm pleased. This book is engaging and full of good wisdom. If you're a believer then it will inspire you to take spiritual warfare seriously, and to delight in God's presence and His plan. The central idea of the book is that our redeemed hearts are good/treasure and give glory to God (as opposed to the widely held belief that we are all terrible people and must feel guilty for all the forgiveness God seems forced to give us).
• 
  Thomas

  Excellent work. John Eldredge is a gifted writer. He had a way of putting my secret thoughts on paper, in a way that made me say, “Hey, that’s just how I felt.” This is a must read for Christians in particular, because he deals with our core issues – our heart and the relationship we need to have with the Creator.
  
  One aspect that stood out to me in the book was that everyone has a part to play. Each of us can contribute something. And each one of us can be used of God. The book brought to life the whole of chapter 3 from the book of Colossians. Summarized in verse 23 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23 New Living Translation
  
• 
  Robin

  It's only been three days since I read it (and I read it all in one sitting - fighting a cold lol) but I think I can honestly say this book is a life-changer. Yes, you're right, that does seem entirely premature, and all I can say is, when you know, you know. Okay, even that sounds simplistic but beyond that I cannot go. :)
  
  So, why haven't I read this before?? My copy is a re-print from 2016, and it was originally published in 2000, but somehow I don't think I'd have believed it in the first year of the new century. I think I needed the past almost two decades of life experiences to show me how accurate this book is.
  
  Wholeheartedly recommended!!
• 
  Ron

  Great idea; incomplete development.
• 
  Gina Welborn

  I loved this book. Read it twice. This summer it's on my Re-Read stack.
• 
  Dean Huber

  John Eldredge talks in this book about hearing the voice of God. & about half way through this book I did hear the voice of God & he said to stop reading this book. Ok, I'm kidding about hearing the voice of God but I am not kidding about stopping my reading of this book. I've read "Wild At Heart", another book by John Eldredge & about half way through that I also stopped reading. Why? As a Christian of over 35 years, I was uncomfortable with the way Mr. Eldredge interprets & uses scripture. There was just too many times in both books that his use, or more accurately, partial use, of Bible verses where he twists scripture to make his point. That is just not acceptable. He may be a godly man, he may understand the Bible well but I just could not agree with his methods & interpretations of the Bible. I had high hopes for what the book promised but the contents just did not agree with my understanding of the Bible & his use of scripture.
• 
  Benjamin

  Waking the Dead is one of the best and most important books about the Christian life I have ever read. The truths communicated by this book are simple but deep and profound. Eldredge establishes the primacy of the heart early in the book, and then proceeds to unveil "four streams" by which we walk to awaken the heart and and become fully alive. This is a must read for any man or woman seeking a deeper life with Christ.
• 
  Joel Wentz

  John Eldredge takes a lot of flak for over-generalizing (especially with statements regarding gender) and for a prose that is almost overly accessible, possibly a little too "dumbed down." And while I can't say I disagree with either of those criticisms, I also believe he is on to something radically important here. The "warfare worldview" he advocates for has a massive impact on how one understands life's struggles and the role of God. His assessment of the human heart hit me in a powerful way, and I found myself personally moved. The daily prayer he offers is a remarkable liturgy that I am planning to incorporate into my regular prayer life.
  
  Overall, I would genuinely recommend for those of us (and I include myself in this!) who look down our noses at Eldredge's work to give this one a second look. You may find yourself compelled by his arguments, and then you can go to Greg Boyd for a more academic look at a "spiritual conflict worldview."
• 
  Nyssa

  It was a good book. He speaks full of emotion and pursuing that desire for every believer to be intimately connected with God. His examples definitely incite that passion within readers, but seem less likely to be sustainable as a life practice. He speaks of the heart being primarily good, and I just don't agree with that being expressed in scripture and since that was a main principle throughout the book it took me awhile to get past his vocabulary to recognize what was true.
  I suppose I would recommend it in certain cases. It is a good book, and I greatly appreciate his heart and love for Christ, I just didn't find all of his claims to be grounded in truth.
• 
  Laura

  I started this book about three years ago and skipped around and kept putting it down...probably because it was hitting too close to home.
  
  We all have broken places in our hearts that need healing and this book explained why healing my heart matters (not only to me, but to everyone in my family, church and beyond) and how to get there. The journey is painful but simple and as a result of reading this book I am leaping over pitfalls in my life that used to trip me up every time.
• 
  Adam Heine

  It started slow for me, taking forever to make a point I didn't feel needed to be made (or else repeating a point I'd already gotten). But there's a lot of good stuff in here, about how we're at war, about the truths hidden in our most powerful stories, and about community and how we need to fight for each other. There's a lot I'd forgotten.
• 
  Jamie

  This book changed my husband and I's lives. I saw a 180 degree heart change in him after he read this. He lost his father at a young age, and Jesus healed his heart from that loss through this words of this book.
• 
  Jonathan

  I am not a fan of this author. This is one of his better books. I read it through in college, and I am thinking about skimming it again someday. The final chapters are an intricately written example prayer.
• 
  Jenny Elizabeth

  Oh John Eldredge, you sooth my aching soul.
• 
  Niel Knoblauch

  This book is a glass of ice cold water on a hot day. Really enjoyed it and I take so much away with me...
• 
  Robin Spiva

  Read this with my bookclub and we really enjoyed it. Profound and insightful. John Eldredge is such a good writer!
• 
  Kelli Duprey

  I really love this book. I'm definitely going to read it again!
• 
  Mikey

  I didn’t really connect with it as a whole. I don’t know for sure if it is merely theological scruples I couldn’t get past that caused me not be able to really connect with it on a heart level. I did like and appreciate many of the references to books. Some of the movie references bugged me and the fact that it bugged me, bugged me as well. For example, The Matrix being held up as completely compatible with Christianity. I know as with symbols one can interpret them however one chooses and I myself have even made analogies from The Matrix. However, the message and truth is actually flipped completely upside down in the Matrix. It is from a Gnostic interpretation of reality not a Biblical one. Knowing this it bothers me that it is accepted or heralded so uncritically. It bothers me that I can’t just accept Eldredges take because of being an originalist in the sense that I cannot get passed what the creators of the film themselves intended. It did make me want to read the Narnia series (I have started a few times but never finished every story). Even the wizard of oz book sounded interesting (I never heard the back story of the Tin Wood man). Whether our heart is made instantly good on regeneration or whether we maintain more of a dual nature I will wrestle with but much of what shows up in culture including movies and books reflects the evil unregenerate desire to replace God and suppress the truth with lies.
• 
  Tim

  This is a powerful book. His statement about the "goodness" of the heart are theologically off however we are restored by the righteousness and goodness of Christ. The second half of the book was especially powerful with "deep restoration" being my favorite. I didn't learn a lot new but the way he made his points about spiritual warfare and fellowship just are so powerful and helped me realize anew how crucial it is that we do see and fight the battle before us. Eldridge obviously loves Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia as he can't get away from quoting them over and over again. It adds much color but at some point it does get old. I love both series, but if you're not a fan of either of them, you might be put off by this book.
  The prayer at the end of the book is worth the whole book though. Just praying it through brings the truth of God and who we are in light of Christ into daily reality. It's so freeing and powerful!
• 
  Haley Russell

  “‘Above all else, guard your heart’ (Prov. 4:23)…Having so long believed our hearts are evil, we assume the warning is to keep us out of trouble…But that isn’t the spirit of the command at all. It doesn’t say guard your heart because it’s criminal; it says guard your heart because it is the well-spring of life, because it is a treasure, because everything else depends on it.”
  
  Some decent insights here on spiritual warfare and inner healing. I’m not sure if Eldredge’s book was informed at all by the Sozo ministry out of Bethel, or if Sozo came later, but there’s some language and tools in common. I can’t say I’m 100% on board with everything he lays out, but I do greatly appreciate his thesis that modern-day Christianity has committed a great error operating under the assumption that our hearts are inherently bad. Consider my perspective on that point subsequently adjusted - a lot of prayer and meditation on this topic to follow.
• 
  Jonah Twiddy

  I love John Eldredge, but not for the same reasons I like other Christian authors and and books. It isn't his clear and careful interpretation of Scripture or his accurate depictions of the Christian life, those at times leave something to be desired. What I love is how he brings life and color to what has become at times a drab spirituality which we call "following Jesus". In this book, John tears that view apart and offers a relationship with the Father that is appealing not only for getting into heaven, but for living to the fullest in the here and now by paying attention to what is most important about who we are as believers: our ransomed hearts.