BOOKS: The Purpose Driven Life

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Merry Christmas to all you great folks in the Body of Christ!

This book THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE) was give me and my 22year old son by my husband for a gift. It is a book that is meant to be read together. Our son has been searching for direction He recently moved form home. I pray for him each day to grow back to his Catholic roots and get into a closer realtionship with Jesus. ( as I do for all my children) Just wondered if there were any insights or reviews on this book Thanks M.h.
 
I bought the book, did not finish reading it, that is a common trait with me. 😦 All in all, I would give it an 8 1/2 out of 10. It is from a born again point of view, however the concepts in it are positive. For instance, realizing being a Christian is about serving others, doing God’s will etc. 👍
 
I only made it to day 8. It was way too cheesy and simple for me. It was like “God loves us” now ponder that all day. It is not a Catholic book and was given to me by a friend. I could see it helping people though, especially those who do no know much about Christ and why he came, or what we as Christians should do and act.
 
I’d recommmend “Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Frances DeSales.

It’s the Catholic “Purpose Driven Life” with a lot more ‘meat’ to it.
 
I bought the “Purpose Driven Life” but only completed a couple days before putting it down. “Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Frances DeSales sounds better and I actually read a bit of that too. I checked out a very old copy from my parish library. I wanted to renew it, but I never seemed to be around when the parish library was opened, so had to drop it in the ‘returned books’ box. It was a few weeks overdue at that.
 
At my predominantly-Black Baptist Church, our new pastor had figured he could get a lot of sermons out of the book. As well, I think we were each given a copy of the book. I am now in RCIA, and I did not previously give any credit to “The Purpose Driven Life” (but now I wonder).

I also got a “Purpose Drive Life” bookmark for Christmas. It is made to look like a hand-stamped leather bookmark. But I smelled it and there is no leather smell. The bookmark stretches a little when I pull on it and it smells like it is made out of polyvinylchloride. Now I prefer a real sacramental instead of an imitation. Such as the rosary, or the Miraculous Medal.

Fortunately, I did get some good things for Christmas. I bought myself a booklet about the “Seven Sorrows” and the “Seven Dolors”. And I bought myself a Chaplet Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows. The chaplet rosary isn’t as nice as I hoped it would be. The beads are plastic. I can use it and I am using it. Maybe sometime I will find a better quality one. I was really looking forward to Christmas when I would finally get the chaplet. And you know what? In looking forward to Christmas, I was often meditating on Our Lady’s sorrows.
 
As a convert to the Catholic faith - from evangelicalism… I thought this book was terrible. CHESSY CHEESY CHEESY. Typical born again fluffy, happy, stuff. I could have written it much better I’m certain.

I remember thinking all the way through it… This book is for non-catholics… Because catholics are taught the purpose of their lives from the get-go!

“To know and to love and to serve God in this life and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven”.

That is the purpose driven life. That is all we need to know. All that pop-evangelical-happy-born-again-psychology is a long road around the simple truth. It also makes you focus on yourself rather then the Creator.
Yes, I did read the book.
 
I saw one of his videos and he quietly attacked the Church.

I wouldn’t reccomend this to a fellow Catholic.

Besides, what is a purpose driven life without the sacraments. “Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Frances DeSales is an excellent book.

:blessyou:
 
Here is another classic.

**The Sinner’s Guide
**By: Ven Louis Of Grenada

tanbooks.com/shop_image/product/sinn1031.jpg http://www.tanbooks.com/shop_image/design/spacer.gif
This is probably the most famous book of the favorite writer of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Vincent de Paul, etc. St. Teresa of Avila credited this book with having converted over a million people in her time. This is the most persuasive book we know to encourage people to abandon sin and embrace repentance and virtue. The logic is relentless and effective. For mastery of subject, command of Scripture and total impact on the reader, no book surpasses The Sinner’s Guide!

tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/247/
 
**An Introduction To The Devout Life
**By: St. Francis de Sales

tanbooks.com/shop_image/product/intr1253.jpg http://www.tanbooks.com/shop_image/design/spacer.gif The person intent upon gaining Heaven should first resort to a competent guide to reach that Goal of all goals. And no better guide exists than An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Doctor of the Church. Easy to read, being laid out in short chapters, yet it is thorough, authoritative, reliable, kind and gentle–a mirror of its author. A book to be read again and again, and to make your guide for the rest of your life!

tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/416/
 
Even alot of protestants consider this Purpose Driven Life and the movement its sprung to be an appeal to the flesh at the very least. Upon close examination, you’re find many are well, to be kind-not recommending it.
 
I read most of the Purpose driven life and found that there were some good thoughts about focusing on Jesus Christ and scripture and not focusing on yourself. I think that it may be “Evangelical Fluff” for some strong Catholics but remember eveyone is following their own walk. Some may need some Evangelical fluff to bring them back to the beautiful faith that they once shared with their family. Please don’t discount books just because they are not by a catholic author, remember it is the relationship with Jesus Christ that we all soooo desperately need.
 
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johnq:
I saw one of his videos and he quietly attacked the Church.

I wouldn’t reccomend this to a fellow Catholic.

Besides, what is a purpose driven life without the sacraments. “Introduction to the Devout Life” by St. Frances DeSales is an excellent book.

:blessyou:
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Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂 I’ll try reading that book sometime. I’ve already read “The Purpose Driven Life”, but didn’t really like it.

Blessings,
JMJ_Pinoy
 
One of my best friends was a cradle Catholic who left the church to become “non-denomination.”

He is firmly Protestant, but thanks in part to the “Purpose Driven Church,” he now goes to Mass with another Catholic friend on Sunday. He says his former Bible-based churches never spent enough time on the Bible, insted worrying about being “seeker friendly” and preaching from email forwards*. So now he gets a guarenteed 3 readings per week and a homily that is at least loosely related.

Now if I can just get him to believe in the Eucherist… 🙂 (and before anyone freaks out, he doesn’t take Communion when he goes to Mass)

(*though I have seen Priests do this too).
 
Mother's helper:
Merry Christmas to all you great folks in the Body of Christ!

This book THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE) was give me and my 22year old son by my husband for a gift. It is a book that is meant to be read together. Our son has been searching for direction He recently moved form home. I pray for him each day to grow back to his Catholic roots and get into a closer realtionship with Jesus. ( as I do for all my children) Just wondered if there were any insights or reviews on this book Thanks M.h.
Click to expand...
I have not read the book, but did a “purpose driven” film/workbook with some co-workers for a few weeks. Overall, it was positive and the theological message was sound. But watch with a critical eye for false maxims. For instance, in the film, he said, “When the Bible is shut, God’s mouth is shut.” I told my co-workers, that is utter nonsense, and that God constantly works in our lives. So watch out for stuff like that. But overall, I’d give it closer to a 7 out of 10. I can’t speak for the book, though.
 
my wife and i participated in a neighborhood group which metweekly to go through the workbook and the book. i expected the book to be less Catholic than it was. i agreed with much that the book said, but they kept slipping in some “the bible is the sole authority stuff” and plenty of modernized poor translations. things like 2 tim 3:16 - " The Bible is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness" instead of “all scripture is inspired …”. i pointed out that scripture Paul was referring to was the Septuagint and that the new testament didn’t exist. i then added in that the Septuagint contained Maccabbees, so if they believe Paul’s words are inspired, they ought to be reading a bible with the deuterocanonicals in it. didn’t seem to make much impact.

the book was really a lot of fluff, but then again if you had never gone to church in your life one might be saying “wow this is good stuff”.

God bless,

dave
 
I have read most of the book. The author makes some good points. The best was that “it isn’t about you”. After a few chapters I found him being disparaging about the catholic faith in subtle ways- “solitary saints”. He understands the “church” from an isolated point of view. I put it down to read a “solitary saint”- the diary of St. Faustina.

teri :bible1: :bible1: :coffee:
 
I haven’t read much of the Purpose Driven Life, but one thing that really bothers me about it is the marketing hype surrounding it. Christian book sellers put out a “complementary journal” and a “Purpose Driven Life Soundtrack” to sell separately. I feel they are just doing that because they know such things will sell because it has “Purpose Driven Life” on it. That bothers me a lot.
 
My neighbor, a fallen away Catholic, keeps giving me little booklets on the Purpose Driven Life. For Christmas, she gave me a stone cross with a Psalms reading on it. Very pretty, nice reading.

She is trying to convert me and I am trying to bring her back home. :rolleyes:

Simple readings from scripture will never hurt anyone. The only problem lies in when they put their spin on it.
 
It is probably going to be marketed like the Prayer of Jabez

cast my vote for St Francis deSalles too!!!
 
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