Book Review: Wild at Heart

Wild at Heart – Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul
By John Eldredge
(Nelson Books 2001, 222 pp)

This book is for young men, husbands and fathers who are seeking a biblical definition of masculinity. In a modern society where manhood is largely shaped by the demands of work, Eldredge invites men into a journey of their hearts that will help them to live a more purposeful life for God.

The book title – Wild at heart – suggests that the only way for a man to break out of his ‘Christian boredom’ is a return to his boyhood, when the desires of his heart were still untempered. In fact, those desires – to fight and make a difference for himself and others, to live an uncompromising life and not just ‘settle down’, and to be deeply passionate towards the woman he loves – are still within his heart. However, the devil has his strategies of scarring the heart through life’s crucibles. The challenge, therefore, is to counter those strategies to recover and discover his masculinity.

Society can get by with nice Christians, but increasingly it needs great ones – men with unusual courage and faith who can rise up to the spirited defense of the Church. This book compels the reader to live an extraordinary life for God.

(A book review which I've written for SJSM's Seasons of Life)