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| Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 460 reviews)
Sales Rank: 959
Category: Book
Author: Donald Miller
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Studio: Thomas Nelson
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
Label: Thomas Nelson
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0785263705
Dewey Decimal Number: 277.3082092
UPC: 020049024874
EAN: 9780785263708
ASIN: 0785263705
Publication Date: July 17, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 455 more reviews...
 Nothing groundbreaking, would give it a 2.5 if I could. November 29, 2008
The book was OK. I finished it. There was nothing I would call groundbreaking in this tome. He's an engaging writer in his own way (sory of reminds me of a poor-man's Bill Bryson).
Strangely enough, the front cover states, "Nonreligious Thoughts On Christian Spirituality". This is untrue. Take, for example, the last paragraph:
"...But what song will you sing when your soul gets set free?...If you haven't done it in a while, pray and talk to Jesus...Ask Him to forgive you of self-addiction, ask Him to put a song in your heart."
Now, whether or not one agrees with his thoughts, this doesn't sound very "Nonreligious," does it?
 Jazz like me... November 16, 2008
Have you ever encountered someone who seems to be on the same wave-length... the second pea in your pod... ? This book was that very experience for me.
Made me blue... November 12, 2008
I was disappointed in this book. I expected a book about a man's search for and conclusion to finding God. However, the God that Donald Miller found is a bit short of the God of Scripture. Too often his solutions to his search were to better the world. If God is who he says He is, then when you find him you have no way to do anything but just worship Him and continue to worship Him. The state of the earth is so minor to the state of those that don't believe Him.
I wish Donald spent more time thinking of Man's state before God.
 Blue Like Jazz November 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is an interesting read, but not as good as people say. I finished it in a few days, but the message (as some other reviewers write) isn't that great.
First, his writing style is odd. It's as if he's trying very hard to deadpan, but after awhile it really just sounds stupid. For example, when talking about a married couple he knows: "She is very much in love with him, and he with her. Sometimes, when I am visiting them, they grab each other's butts as if I'm not even in the room. It's embarrassing. People shouldn't grab each other's butts with me sitting in the room." A few lines later, "I was in the wedding. I read a poem. I look incredibly handsome and skinny in the pictures." (143)
Sometimes this deadpanning is humorous, other times its just stupid.
Second, I didn't agree with his theology that Christianity isn't something to believe in. He almost believes in a mystical form of Christianity in which "wonder" is the goal, but worship and reading the Bible are too confusing and not worth his time. He often replies in the book that "I think I'm a Christian" etc. On page 230 he writes, "'Yeah I know,' I told her. 'I know God loves me.' And I did know, I just didn't believe. It was such crap, such psychobable." Now, thats a good point couched in bad language, but it falls short because he doesn't explain it. Doesn't explain how its often hard to believe that, and how Christians struggle with faith.
Third, he criticizes other Christians A LOT. I found this disconcerting. He discusses his search for a church, and he simply hated the people who went to these churches he didn't like. On page 224 he says that people at churches in America would have made fun of a friend of his with a lisp, but that everyone at Reed College was open and NO one would make fun of him there. Really?
At the end of this book I found myself questioning what it was that Miller actually believes. I find it strange that someone with so many questions and criticisms is considered a Christian voice in America.
But you can read and decide for yourself. I doubt I will read another one of his books.
Why am I reading this? November 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have not read this book in its entirety, but I'd say I've read about 2/3 of it, skipping around. The reason that I haven't read the whole thing is that it's simply too fluffy for me to read it straight through. I just wanted to begin with that disclaimer.
I was loaned this book by a friend who had recommended many great books for me to read. With such a cool title, I was excited to sit down and read this book. I am not exactly sure how I would classify myself in terms of religion. I was raised a Christian but am closer to being agnostic now, though I still have a special place in my heart for Christian theology and tradition. I thought that this book, which claims to be "non-religious," would be a good read that would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, Mr. Miller is anything but non-religious. Throughout this book, he comes across as the kind of abrasive postmodern Christian that makes me want to turn and run. Namely, Miller is all about wallowing in guilt, and moaning about how awful and repulsive we humans are. He seems to have a severe problem with self-obsession, and desires to transfer this shortcoming to all humankind. Look, I know humans can do horrible things, but it's this kind of negativity that turns me off from Christianity.
But it's not the theology that's the biggest problem with this book. It's the writing itself. This book is really just a collection of essays. That's fine, I enjoy essay collections. But, as we all learned in high school English class, an essay should have a clear point, with every sentence furthering the argument. Miller's essays ramble on page after page, are full of unrelated anecdotes, and have bizarre metaphors that only serve to cloud the meaning of whatever he's trying to convey. There are a few times throughout where he has a shining moment where he says something bordering on the brilliant. But then these instances are buried between pages of what amounts to fluff. It's the kind of situation in which you read three pages, then stop and look back through those three pages and realize that you don't remember anything that you just read.
One of the biggest shortcomings of this book (related to the overbearing religiosity) is that I was expecting Miller to be open-minded. He is anything but. He has a very narrow world view and perspective on Christianity. Furthermore (as other reviewers have mentioned), he seems to be trapped in an arrested adolescence. How old is he, 30? His words read like those of someone half his age. Many times, he mentions past irresponsible actions of his, which I expected to be self-deprecatory, but he always stops short of saying (or even hinting) that irresponsible things he's done in the past are wrong; he simply seems to mention them like they're no big deal. There is not alot of soul searching or questioning here, just alot of "here's what I think." I could have used more soul-searching, more questioning, more doubt. Something to justify the "non-religious" claim in the title.
In many places throughout the book, Miller comes across as a sweet guy, a genuine man of faith who only wants to do right by Jesus, and I commend him for that. Still, why did he write a book about it? And why am I reading it? The two biggest problems with this book: it's not really "non-religious," and it is about twice as long as it needs to be. It gets two stars instead of one because Miller occasionally has moments that are insightful and well-written.
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