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Review: Practicing the Way

Practicing the Way book cover on blue background

This is a book that I thankfully had on hold with the public library for some time, as I've discovered that I need to be more cautious about what Christian non-fiction books I may be interested in adding to my personal library. Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer is a book that I've seen pop up here and there, so I'm glad I finally know a little bit more about the hype (though I'd still very much consider myself on the sidelines). As a side note, this book is listed as the #1 bestseller in Feminist Theology, which I confess I don't know much about, nor have I explored it further.

Book Synopsis

We are constantly being formed by the world around us. To be formed by Jesus will require us to become his apprentice. 

To live by what the first Christian disciples called a Rule of Life—a set of practices and relational rhythms that slow us down and open up space in our daily lives for God to do what only God can do—transforms the deepest parts of us to become like him. 

This introduction to spiritual formation is full of John Mark Comer’s trademark mix of theological substance and cultural insight as well as practical wisdom on developing your own Rule of Life.

These ancient practices have much to offer us. By learning to rearrange our days, we can follow the Way of Jesus. We can be with him. Become like him. And do as he did.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

This is a common occurrence where I decide to check out a hyped book and inevitably find that it's not the right one for me. Since I don't practice or follow contemplative Christianity, this is my fault for not realizing that this author is more well-known for writing on spiritual formation practices than purely on “theological substance” as the premise described. I had hoped to find a practical and biblically grounded book that explored spiritual disciplines, but this book was more a collection of quotes from many contemplative thinkers, many of whom I normally steer clear of in my Christian walk. Again, it's on me to do more research beforehand as I kept wanting to DNF this title the more I continued with it. This is now my second book on the Rule of Life (the first being by Peter Scazzero), and I've concluded that this teaching doesn't interest me or add to my spiritual walk with God. I have to reiterate that I'm likely in the minority in case this practice is beneficial to other Christians.

In terms of this book specifically, I was disappointed that the author mentioned how church attendance, sermons, and Bible studies are good, but have a poor track record at yielding transformation, under Three Losing Strategies. While I don't adhere to legalism based on church attendance, it comes across as though the Word of God is not enough, which is concerning. I don't believe that any spiritual practice we undertake outside of the Bible can be a substitution for it. This book seems to be more geared toward ecumenical audiences by calling people to be an apprentice to The Way, which became a distraction to me over the course of the book as I am more familiar with the language of discipleship and found this catchphrase to be jarring, though I recognize that the Book of Acts does employ The Way. Apprentice made me think too much of the trades, so this was a mental hurdle for myself—to be fair, this term is in the book description which shouldn't lead to any surprise at its usage. The author seems to be popular and well-rated, but I had trouble connecting to this work and its theology. There are likely truths one can glean from Practicing the Way; however, I will seek other books that resonate with me more as I'm afraid I won't be hopping on the JMC bandwagon after this foray.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 🎧
  • Rating: ⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍 if you like reading about contemplative spirituality, skip it if you don't care for those teachings

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