Extravagant Personality of Jesus - Experiencing the Playful

I must agree with the other review. Heart changeing indeed. This is no average book, with no average message. Aldredge is able to give a vivid 3D perception on the personality of Jesus. Breaking away from the "norm" - this book will make you experience Jesus like you have never done before.

I was skeptical about the first chapter. Is Jesus really playful? It was hard for me to swallow. But I'm so glad I kept reading!! This book really helped me know Jesus more intimately. Since reading it, I have recommended it to everyone I know and sought out other John Eldredge books! Love, love, love this book and this author!!

Eldredge's latest book is simply wonderful. He writes just like he speaks, in soft tones and with creative language. I love the way he brings his sense of the stage to his work. It is a real pleasure to read.

Specifically with this book, John captures so many interesting facets of Jesus' personality that I feel he accomplished his goal of introducing us to the real Jesus that's been hidden behind the "religious fog". By way of example, the first chapter on Jesus' playfulness is solid gold. I've been in church all my life and never heard ANYONE point out that quality. Or chapter nine regarding Jesus' cunning. Priceless. John nails the chariture of Christians being naive and gullible, but he does it without being harsh or condemning.

The last third of the book really shifts focus following a chapter that straight-forwardly calls the reader to trust Jesus for salvation. The ending chapters dwell on how to let the personality of this great man influence how we live day to day. While it doesn't have the feel of "how-to" Eldredge gives plenty of practical steps and much "you-need-to-be-aware" advice. The Enemy is strong and tricky. John seeks to shine the light of truth on what keeps many Believers from experiencing Jesus the way he's described--the way he really is.

Not only did I completely enjoy this book, it will surely be a reference for my teaching in the future. John uses many examples from the Gospels that will serve as great illustrations. I have also given a copy to a seeking friend because of the beautiful way Christ is exposed and explained.

I hope you will take the risk and read this book. I'm sure you won't regret it.

John Eldredge's latest title, "Beautiful Outlaw" is his first since switching publishers. After a longtime association with Thomas Nelson, he's now writing for Faithwords, home of the great Billy Coffey. The subject of "Beautiful Outlaw" is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. Eldredge feels that many (most?) Christians have a distorted, incomplete, or one-dimensional view of Jesus, and he feels so strongly about this that he wants to set the record straight for all believers.

My take on this book is mostly positive. It's well-written, engaging, and anything but boring. The reader will be enlightened and encouraged to love Jesus more, because once you know Him, you can't do otherwise.

Eldredge takes many familiar stories about Jesus and expounds on them in an informative and inspiring way. I am praying my way through this book, asking God to reveal Himself to me, and, while I think there's more to be revealed, this book has done wonders so far in the two weeks since I received it.

Longtime Eldredge readers will find may ideas familiar. At various times while reading "Beautiful Outlaw", I was reminded of "Wild at Heart, "Epic", and "Waking the Dead", to say the least. But this book stands on its own. It's not a rehash of the same old ideas.

Now, the concerns: I have read many books over the past several years which have one thing in common, despite coming from authors with very different perspectives. It's amazing that writers as diverse as Mark Driscoll, Donald Miller, John Eldredge, Matthew Paul Turner and Frances Chan, among others find common ground, but in this case, they do. Here it is: they all have messages which contain, although conveyed in different ways, the idea that (my paraphrase) "most of Christianity is getting some major things wrong, and I'm here to set it straight. If Christians will see things as I present them here, then the Church will finally be what it should be."

In a way, I cannot argue with Eldredge (or the other authors mentioned above) on this point. I've been a believer for 35 years, and have seen more distortions, false beliefs, harmful mindsets, groupthink, and general untruthfulness than I can list for you here. I think back to what I was taught, and what I have taught others, and I can only shake my head and pray that God will undo the damage already caused. There are some ideas out there, shared among Christians, which badly need to be addressed.

That said, there's a right way and a wrong way to do so. I think Frances Chan has it most right: he simply says, without bashing others who disagree "let's open our bibles, and see what God says about this topic with as little bias as we can." He remains respectful of those with whom he disagrees even as he says specifically why they get it wrong. His heart is for the Church to be as good as it can be.

Eldredge, too, has a heart to see Christians see Jesus correctly, but in doing so, he insults most Christians who have differing perspectives. Sometimes, incorrect perspectives do harm, and they should be pointed out. But there are times in this book when he goes a little too far. For example, the first chapter has a section titled "The Poison of Religion", then refers to some beliefs, such as Jesus being primarily a peacekeeper, as "nonsense". Well, it is and it isn't. If someone thinks Jesus is only a peacekeeper, then Eldredge is right to call him out. But much of the tone here is dismissive of any who see this differently.

Because of my diverse church experience, I have come to the conclusion that most denominations, while flawed, carry with them an expression of God that He has ordained for them to have. Pentecostals worship God in ways that make non-charismatics uncomfortable, but most likely we will all worship God in heaven in ways we currently think is undignified. Presbyterians may come across as "the Frozen Chosen", but their adherence to, an insistence on, correct doctrine is valuable and necessary. The Social Justice types are often deemed by conservatives as too light on sin, but their caring for the marginalized who struggle with sins, poverty, and addictions are reflective of a merciful God. The fundamentalists who are derided for their unwavering commitment to preaching about God's wrath, and judgment, are proclaiming a message that Jesus Himself proclaimed in several occasions.

The bottom line is that just as a bouquet looks best when it's represented by different flowers of varying colors, so also is the Church beautiful because of its diversity. God gives different believers passions for different things which are important to Him. Some--in fact, many--Christians take their "thing" and try too hard to make it everyone else's "thing". By doing this, and by disrespecting those who see Jesus from different perspectives, we set ourselves up to be used by Satan (the word "devil" means "one who divides") to harm the cause of unity among Christians.

Bottom line: "Beautiful Outlaw" contains some very helpful teaching, and I recommend it. I only wish Eldredge would have toned down, or left out completely, his attacks on those who have presented different perspectives on Jesus to us over the years.

"More words about Jesus are helpful ONLY if they bring us to an experience of Him"
- J. Eldredge, Beautiful Outlaw

When I received an email announcing Beautiful Outlaw a few weeks ago, I felt a surge of hope, followed immediately by a flash of fear. It's been a long time since I was able to see Jesus clearly, and I've been slowly starving for him. My pastor shouts for Jesus. The radio sings for Jesus. My books drone about Jesus. But does anyone REALLY know him? John Eldredge dared claim to know Jesus well, and to have written this book to introduce others to him. I hoped he was right, but I feared yet another disappointment.

From chapter one, this book was a slow read for me. It gives a reader so much to ponder, to mull and consider and savor. I'd read a bit and think a while.
Read a bit.
Think a while.
Beautiful Outlaw is an exquisite, 17-course meal, bringing ancient flavors and exotic textures, foreign to our stultified palates, and so very real and colorful and satisfying. It broadens the mind and experience, giving hope and confirmation that there is so much more to be known of Jesus.

When I read Wild at Heart in 2003, Papa God spoke through it to my heart. I said to others, 'This book is no miracle, but God used it to work a miracle in me.'
Of Beautiful Outlaw I report, "I honestly believe that John sat down with Jesus, and Jesus said, 'Ok, here's what I want you to write...'"
I love Jesus all the more for doing that.

And John, I thank you for listening, and for writing.

Reading Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge has been one of the most fantastic reads I have done in quite some time. John takes the reader through a journey of understanding what it must have been like to witness Jesus as he walked the Earth as a man. The author does an excellent job pointing out the masculine features of Christ. The author also provides an extremely well laid out position regarding religion and how many forms of it have stripped Christ of his masculine identity. I highly recommend this book to men who are looking to find a masculine connection through Christ and for others who are struggling with the concept of a rule laden religion. The author points out that reading the Bible gives the reader a 2 dimensional look at scripture much like watching television with the sound off and reading the captions on the screen. John Eldredge does a great job pointing out that Christ, along with a masculine emphasis, can change the way a reader looks at Jesus.

Reading a John Eldredge book has always been life changing for me. My anticipation of Beautiful Outlaw was fueled by my experience with such books as "Wild at Heart" and "Walking with God". The very title is intriguing and exciting! From the first page to the last, I found myself, laughing, weeping, searching my heart, asking tough questions, wanting to hide, daring to read on. I was instructed by the Lord to sit and read this book with a notebook and pen available. I knew then that he was going to speak to me through this book, and that this book is very important to him.

Jesus is vivdly brought to real life through the pages of this book. John helps us to experience familiar stories in the bible in a totally different way. But this book also captures Jesus' heart for us! He knows that we know and accept him as savior. But he wants us to KNOW him, really know him! Because to KNOW him is to be hopelessly in LOVE with him, and to love him is to totally and completely TRUST him! He wants relationship with us, desires our friendship, wants to live his life through us so that we can fulfill his call on our lives.

I was both encouraged and challenged by this book. As much as showing me Jesus as he really is, it also showed me who I really am with him! I had no idea that I held Jesus at a distance in some areas of my life. I had no idea I actually thought it was unholy to consider Jesus my FRIEND. I had no idea that I had offense towards Jesus for some things that have happened to me in my life where I felt he could have intervened.

Beautiful Outlaw is a must-read for anyone searching for answers. I have been praying this prayer since finishing the book: "Oh Jesus, help me to let you be my friend, so I can learn to love you as you really are, and then be able to trust you with all of me".

Offering a pleasingly different insight into the character of Christianity, John Eldredge’s Beautiful Outlaw invites readers to see a different side Jesus—in fact, a different side in each chapter. The author offers intriguingly human images, backed up with Biblical passages read, not as conventional theory, but as real life. The character that emerges is neither an ethereal squeaky-clean vision with glowing halo, nor a fiercely threatening lawyer, but rather a God who cares, listens, takes action, angers, loves… shown by an author who invites readers to find the words, and break through the gloom of “religious fog.”

Author John Eldredge offers many examples from real life, other writers, and the Bible, making Beautiful Outlaw a fascinating read, as well as a challenging one. Multiple themes thread together, and even if you struggle to relate to one, another will catch your attention. When life’s profusion and fun invite the author to see God’s humor in creation, I find myself reading ahead to learn of Jesus’ “disruptive honesty.” Humility, truth and love might be easily recognized in Jesus’ life, but “cunning,” “scandal,” “playfulness”? Together the chapters weave a picture of a Christ who is more, far more, than the image in worship songs or the helpless babe grown up to bland sacrifice.

Beautiful Outlaw is an intriguing book, a great basis for a Sunday school series, and an enjoyably challenging insight into the Christian faith.

Disclosure: It was a great basis for a Sunday school series at our church.

"There is nothing so suffocating as religious legalism..." That's John Eldredge's belief and in this fine work he does a good job of debunking much of that religious legalism.

In pointing out time and again, the differences between the laws of God and the laws of Man, he helps us meet the real Jesus, not the plastic Jesus, not the orthodox Jesus, and not "Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild," but the real Jesus, the Jesus He intended to be, and the Jesus He would have us know: A Jesus with a playful, disruptive, extravagant personality, a Jesus so different that much of today's church would, indeed, label him an outlaw because He is so different than the Jesus it would have us know.,

"Sadly, for too many," he writes, "the Christ they know is too religious to love, too distant to experience, and too rigid to be the source of life...if you want (to know) Jesus, you are going to have to end the relationship with the religious glaze..."

Organized religion has captured Jesus and molded Him into its own image.

It's time to free him and let him go. To let him be all that He came to be rather than what the church would have him be.

That's what this book is all about.

The chapter "Removing the Religious Fog" is especially good. Effective. Strong. Worth the price of the book alone.

Do we need another Jesus book? Yes we do. Eldredge has written an incredible series of books, such as Wild at Heart, which have made thousands rediscover what and who God meant them to be. They also showed that we often take the teeth out of Christianity. This book goes further and puts Christ back at the center of our focus. In a time where people, including Christians, try to dumb down Jesus into some wandering hippie or Oprah-Feel-Good-Speaker-of-the-Week, this book brings out who he was and is. Many focus on one or other side of him (human or divine) and don't get the full experience of the fact that he was fully both as this book fully explores. So many nonchristians have no idea who he really is and many Christians don't really know him either. Church is just a social club, something they have to do and how many people have turned into a "work"? So much for the Reformation. This book is part of a new movement to fight back against turning Christianity into just another feel-good, cool thing that people are in to. See also Not a Fan,Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream &Simple Life: Time, Relationships, Money, God.

Pitting the poison of dead religion (and its accomplice--'words on a page') against the delight of experiencing the 'real Jesus', John Eldredge invites the reader to re-discover and fall in love with Jesus. To do so, he elaborates on the human personality traits of Jesus we may have missed--his playfulness, intensity, generosity, honesty, cunning, humility and 'trueness' .... He then gives examples of what loving this very human Jesus will look like and practical suggestions on getting started. Running from anything that 'smacks of religion' is essential, as is being open to experiential 'encounters' with Jesus. The book concludes with an epilogue on the inevitability of suffering in the Christian life and the need to keep clinging to Jesus through it.

There are some things I loved about this book, some that raised warning flags, and at least one area that must be addressed as good-intentioned but in serious error.

I love Eldredge's inclusion of actual portions of Scripture to illustrate the various personality traits of Jesus that he has chosen to emphasize. Eldredge's commentary gives a fresh and convicting realness to these stories of Jesus' ministry and for the most part avoids the pitfall of assuming motives and undisclosed outcomes. I appreciate his evaluation of Jesus as 'cunning' in the way he woos, confronts, delivers, heals, shoots straight and uses intrigue to rescue human hearts and gain their allegiance, rather than resorting to the shortcut of an overwhelming power play to win followers.(103) His final chapter on 'Letting His Life Fill Yours' gets down to the 'how' of obeying, which is requisite to loving Jesus. He clarifies that this is not about trying harder but surrendering self-determination and allowing Jesus' life to accomplish in and through us what only He can. This was one of my favorite chapters!

Eldredge's aim throughout is to stir a fresh expectancy in people for 'encounters' with a living Jesus and to foment a discontent with 'dead religion'. I appreciate his intent but his methodology falls short.

In attempting to warn of the toxins of 'religious fog' he resorts to harshly characterizing people as 'Pharisees', 'churchy', having 'false reverence' and other labels which measure externals without necessarily seeing the heart.

In the process of encouraging people to fall in love with the Jesus they encounter in nature or in random everyday incidents, a reliance on Scripture as the primary communication of God with man is marginalized.

The love that is encouraged looks strangely like infatuation. "I love you for how you make me feel". This may be a starting point but is not the whole deal. Though he mentions that we should not compare or try to duplicate another's experience, the message is clear that to settle for a faith in Jesus not marked by regular subjective experiences and emotional moments is to settle for 'dead religion'.

But hurrah for the brief epilogue that attempts to balance these impressions by warning that even followers of Jesus will suffer at times and must keep clinging to Jesus when the love affair no longer seems rosy. He's onto something here that needs to be injected much earlier in the book--something about the true definition of love as more than just responding with affection when Jesus makes me feel loved.

What are we to do when the feelings die? When bad things happen and it seems to be God's fault? Having faced this very scenario in praying with a hurting woman, Eldredge counsels that we need to forgive Jesus for letting these things happen to us! He acknowledges it's bad theology, wrong-headed doctrine and an alarmingly heretical concept but it doesn't matter, just so long as we go away feeling the love of Jesus again. In my opinion this kind of response to personal discomfort is a dead give-away that our love is really about us and not Jesus. This is a self-centered infatuation that resists bowing to the sovereignty of God, and will struggle to believe in in His goodness when circumstances make us feel otherwise. At some point the truth that we are sinners bent on rebellion against the God that loves us infinitely, must bring us to repentance and humility, not just a quick emotional fix with the 'guilt' pinned on Jesus. Herein lies the hazard of teaching an experiential relationship based on subjective feelings and human standards apart from objective Biblical truth. It is the most glaring error in Eldredge's book.

The chapter titled: Letting Jesus be Himself is likewise pre-occupied with Jesus as a human personality at the expense of introducing Him as Lord of the Universe. Both aspects must be part of a genuine relationship with this "Beautiful Outlaw". The fact greatly understated in this book's treatment of Jesus is that this One we are invited to know as He is, is not merely a `beautiful outlaw' but the King of Kings--both beautiful and sovereign! To replace dead religion with anything else is to trade one self-made religion for another.

Several years ago I read a book by Phillips Yancey called "The Jesus I Never Knew". That book turned my view of Jesus upside-down, confronting me with a picture of the Son of Man as he is actually depicted in the Gospels, not as the church has often presented him. Most of John Eldredge's books have also had the effect of radically challenging my thoughts on who Jesus is, and how I can have a relationship with him.

This book once again jolted me, challenged me, and delighted me. As Eldredge brings Jesus' personality to life, basing all of his illustrations on biblical references, his real personality and humanity jump out at the you. The Creator of our universe, and the Author of our faith as Christians, comes closer. He won't allow you to hold him at arm's length, paint him into a work of art, or put him in a box. This is a Jesus you will laugh with, cry with, admire and fall in love with.

Over the many years that I have been a Christian, someone will often tell me how much they love the Lord, or even ask me if I love the Lord. Sometimes, that's a difficult question to answer. It's hard to love a portrait, or a being presented as so other-worldly that I cannot possibly comprehend him; a man that seems not really human somehow. I certainly cannot fathom all the mysteries of the Trinity. But I can understand and relate to Jesus as a man, a person. The Jesus that Eldredge writes about is most certainly a savior I can love.

John in this book is kind, courageous, tender and true. Saved at an evangelical church, most things made sense to me, most things. What did I do with god talking with me; with the role satan played in my wounding, agreements and bondage; with bible stories told as exceptions rather than examples; with stories about Jesus that made Him sound so real and yet were sometimes represented as uber-holy rather than of a man that was also God? What did I do with the refrain that my new heart is wicked and that my only hope is eternity? What did I do with healing that came not from my own efforts but from the very heart and voice of God? Many teach the bible as a book of exceptions. It always made more sense to me, as John says, "... as a book of examples," of stories of real people just like me. If John stopped at these issues alone this book would be a paradigm challenging work. But the final chapters say what truly needs to be said.

The evil one is, as I've heard, the Father of all lies--there is no truth in him. Satan uses our best intentions and twists them into the very corruption that Jesus opposed. As one that once lived and loved those lies (religion), I've learned to never get angry at others if, like old me, they do not know what they do not know. I expect that many will reject this book as it is so startling and challenging. When I first read Wild at Heart my teenage son said, "Dad, this book will get you in trouble." It did. This book may get me and others in trouble again: It is so worth it.

As one that's walked in the impacts of these truths for over a dozen years I understand the very freedom and life contained in these pages. As a good friend once asked me, "How do we bring these truths to the church in love?" John has done that here. Now it is time for all of us that know this truth to invite others into this message so that they too can understand Christ and what He offers to those that love him--freedom, healing, and life to the full.

John Eldredge has been an incredible influence on both me personally and on my ministry. Wild at Heart and Waking the Dead are two of the most powerful books I've ever read. I use both regularly in my teaching and have encouraged many other people to read them. While his others books aren't quite on the level of those two, I consider most of what he's done (while a bit repetitive at times) to be excellent and highly recommended.

In some ways Beautiful Outlaw continues that trend. There are parts of the book that are vintage Eldredge. Unfortunately, there are also some glaring theological issues throughout. I understand that Eldredge is neither a theologian or a scholar. I don't expect him to be. But he is someone who has devoted his life to ministry and teaching the Word. Theologian or not, that makes him accountable to a higher standard. Much of the error in this book is simply not acceptable for someone in his position.

Let me start with the good. I found much of the book to be a very refreshing read. Eldredge brilliantly presents the human side of Jesus and shows how his personality shines through the Gospels in ways that we often miss. He also stresses the personal side of faith, something that's too easily forgotten when studying theology. As such, the book was a very important reminder to me to not let go of that side of my faith. I say reminder because for anyone who's read Eldredge before that's what it will be. There's not a ton of new ideas from him here. While it's helpful to see them presented in this context, it would be nice to see him stretch himself a bit more as a teacher and writer. That aside, the material is powerful and important.

Unfortunately, that's not the whole story. My biggest complaint with the book is Eldredge's use of the word "religion" According to him religion is what's wrong with modern Christianity. He never defines his term and it quickly becomes apparent that religion is a straw man he's constructed to project onto anything he doesn't like about how other people do church.

This on it's own is obnoxious, especially to those of us who find religion (despite all the ways it has been corrupted) to be a beautiful and powerful part of our faith, one that brings us closer to God. But what really takes the book down is the way Eldredge projects his vague understanding of religion back onto Scripture. He assumes that Jesus was confronting the exact problems that he, as a 21st century Christian, is. At best this is an eye-rolling, hermeneutical error. At worst it's a serious theological error in need of rebuking and correction.

The heremneutical problems don't stop there. Eldredge is determined to draw out the personality of Jesus in Scripture. At times this is done brilliantly. Other times, it's bizarre and problematic. He quotes Matthew 15:22-28 where Jesus metaphorically refers to a Canaanite woman as a dog. It's a confusing and troubling passage and one that deserves serious thought if we're to understand it. Eldredge's answer is to tell us to not bother looking for any deep spiritual truth here. Jesus is just being playful. Ok, maybe. But where's the textual evidence to back up that claim? It's a nice thought but it's completely unsupported by Scripture.

I don't think Eldredge realizes how serious an error he's committing with claims like that. On the surface it seems like a small thing, but what he's doing is projecting his view of Jesus onto the text rather than allowing God to speak to him through the text. Without intending to, Eldredge has undermined the authority of Scripture in a very serious way. It's clear throughout the book that he is in desperate need of a hermeneutics class or two.

The other major issue with the book is the way that Eldredge allows no room for reverence of God or a recognition of his transcendence. He's determined to present Jesus in a highly personal, highly relatable light. He does a great job and what he presents is important. But the fact that he does away with any sort of reverence for God is very troubling. There is a place to come before God as Father, speak to him personally and experience the rich personality Eldredge describes. There is also a place to come before him in awe, recognizing his greatness and holiness. Both are taught by Scripture. Both are necessary for a complete faith. Both draw us closer to God and help us become who he wants us to be.

The other side effect of Eldredge's highly personal presentation is that he winds up with a frighteningly low ecclesiology. At one point he briefly affirms that going to church is important, both those words ring hollow compared to the rest of the book. He spends a lot of time attacking the church and winds up a faith that is very much "just me and Jesus." I find this incredibly problematic and unbiblical. I believe that Scripture quite clearly teaches that we find that personal relationship with God only within God's covenant family. The church is not a nice add on as Eldredge presents it. It is essential.

There are a couple other minor problems with the book. First, it's not very Trinitarian. Eldredge frequently confuses the different persons and roles of the Trinity, which is a bit shocking considering this has been a strength of his in previous work. Second, his instance on The Message as a legitimate (and at times superior) Bible translation is pretty disturbing. I'm fine with people reading The Message but it's simply inaccurate to consider it a translation. It's not. It's a loose paraphrase that is really Eugene Peterson's interpretation of Scripture rather than Scripture itself. If that's understood by the people reading it, I have no problem. Eldredge clearly fails to understand this and winds up presenting it in a way that will lead other people astray.

At the end of the day, I'm glad I read the book. I admire Eldredge and will always owe him a huge debt of gratitude. It makes me sad to see the direction his work is headed in. I know God is continuing to use him powerfully, but he could be used for so much more if he would only get himself some proper theological training and correct some of these issues. This could have been a great book. Instead it's merely a good one with enough theological holes to make it difficult to recommend.

This book will help bring insight into the heart and personality of Jesus. It will draw any one who is willing into a deeper more personal intimate relationship with the Lord. I LOVED this book and have recommended it to many people.

Beautiful Outlaw is causing me to reconsider how I think of Jesus. Somehow, I've missed the fact that he lived on the earth as a man, not as God. He had the same kinds of experiences as me. He got hungry. His mom got in his business. He enjoyed sitting around the campfire telling fish tales with his buddies. He really does understand my struggles and joys because he's been through the same things!

Suddenly, Jesus is not some far away Savior. He's approachable and accessible. He's a True and Faithful friend with a great sense of humor. I want to get to know HIM, not just know about him.

Thank you, to John and the publisher for giving me a copy of Beautiful Outlaw to read and review. It's already changing my relationship with Jesus and I can't wait to introduce him to my friends.

This book has some eye opening stories and points of view that change the perspective of Jesus and my relationship with him. It's 'heart changing' to see Jesus in a different light than I have been taught so many years, and it has freed me to love him and talk with him like I never have before!

I just finished reading "Beautiful Outlaw" by John Eldredge. As background, I need to tell you that I have been a fan of John's for a couple of years. Two years ago John introduced me to a Walk with God that I had never experienced before, and it changed the whole course of my life. Since then I have regularly read John's books and listened to his audio cd's. I must also inform you that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (I'm a Mormon. Back to the book - I liked a lot of the book. There are so many passages of scripture that intrigue me, and thinking about the personality of Jesus in those passages gives me a new perspective. Was he being playful, or was he disappointed? As I consider the different possibilities, then I can go to God and ask for myself what was meant, and my mind is now open to more of what God has to reveal to me. I love the beauty of realizing that Jesus was playful, is playful. It reminds me of the hike we took in the Grand Canyon this Spring with a few of my Band of Brothers. We were making our slow descent into the canyon, and I had about reached my limit. I was praying as I hiked, and I told God that I could handle the slow descent, but no more of the bone-jarring deep steps down sharp inclines. In answer to my prayer, we came upon a new set of bone-jarring steps down into the abyss. I just had to laugh outloud, realizing that God was calling my bluff, knowing that I had much more in reserve than I was giving myself credit for. That is the Jesus that John is trying to reveal to us.

I love how John keeps reminding us that everything Jesus did and does is "love". However you interpret the events and teachings of the scriptures, or the events of your life, first start with the true foundation that it is all based on absolute love for you. "Beautiful Outlaw" provides that message loud and clear. This beautiful outlaw is Love incarnate. I must never forget that.

You knew this was coming...

However, I also disagree with much of what John says, especially in the latter part of the book. He throws out the baby with the bath water. In my experience, God is working in the lives and hearts of good, honest people in every nook and cranny of this large, diverse world. God knows what I need to bring me to Christ, and He provides people and events and opportunities to tutor me and lead me from wherever I am to where He wants me to be. I needed what John had to say, and I have walked more closely to God because of John. However, my brother could not relate to what John says. God will and is providing a different path for him. A Catholic in Italy, and a Lutheran in Finland, and an Evangelical Christian in Texas, and a Mormon in Salt Lake all come from very different worlds, and they will not all hear the same voice in the same way calling them to a relationship with Christ. He mentions the "rigourous Bible classes" of a good friend, who "now hates the Bible." In that same class there may have been, and probably were, others who came to love the scriptures and have made the Bible a daily part of their walk with God. Don't throw out the Bible class because one student didn't hear what they needed.

John also talks a lot about how we should pray, insinuating that calling God "Daddy" will get us closer to a personal relationship with Him than referring to Him as "Heavenly Father". I refute that assertion. In my Church culture we refer to the leader of our congregation as the "Bishop". Whenever I speak with him, I refer to him as "Bishop", in respect for his position and the service he provides to myself and the entire congregation. However, I can still go out and play basketball with him, and when I stuff his shot down his throat, I don't feel it lessens my closeness to him by saying, "Take that, Bishop". The same is true in my prayers. Just because I refer to my God as "Heavenly Father", or use Thee and Thou instead of you does not hinder my ability to feel very close, very personal, very intimate with Jesus.

I can only give a moderate recommendation for this book. I have learned in my life to "take what you like and leave the rest". There is much in this book that I like, and I will take with me, but there is also much I don't like and will leave behind. John is not a prophet. He is merely a teacher sharing his own hope, strength and experience to help those of us who are able to hear what he is saying to develop a closer relationship with God and his Son, Jesus Christ, and I am grateful to John for that.

There are some parts of this book that are good. But some just didn't settle to well with me. As a member of an "organized" religion , I realize the importance of some sort of structure within Christianity. Without some sort organization there is chaos. The same could be said about a family. As a family we cannot all jsut go about our own way. A family needs leadership and direction just like religion. I have read most John Eldrige's books. Will buy more of his writings in the future. This one just didn't quite reach me the way his others have. I think because at core is what I feel is a major issue in Christianity today. We have traded our alters for stages. We give the worship and praise but lack the reverence and awe. We want to recognize the loving and merciful God but forget that He is also a God of justice.

According to the author, Jesus was a lot closer to "Dude" than the seminaries, theologians, and religiously elite of our time have led us to believe. Eldredge goes deep into the culture, witty banter, and playful irony depicted in the dialogue and commentary of the Gospels and extrapolates the very personality of the man who claimed to be God. He explores the humanity of Jesus while maintaining His divinity by cleverly scrutinizing the text with an added bit of educated assumption and conjecture. This book was SO refreshing to see an author actually portray the Son of God as I had previously understood Him...way more human...way more approachable...way more "Dude".

This book completely changed how I view Jesus and made him so much more personal to me. Like many of us, I grew up with a very one dimensional view of Jesus as a perfect man with a kind and gentle way. But he always felt so aloof and distant with the picture I had. This book brings his true nature and character alive, and changed my perspective on the gospel accounts of his life on earth in a way that made me laugh, cry, and really feel for the first time a savior who was truly human with a personality like many of us. Perfect, yes - but also a person with feelings and wit and humor and joy and even anger. John does such a magnificent job of painting a truer picture of Jesus the man than has been made by man's religion. This book will change how you see our Jesus and make you love him in a whole new and personal way.

Like many, I was introduced to John Eldredge through his book Wild At Heart. That book was instrumental in taking my confused, lost, and adrift spiritual life and helping to focus and find meaning in my life as a husband, father,son, business professional and most importantly son of God.

At this point I believe I have read all John's books and found great bits of wisdom and guidance in each of them and I was very excited about the release of Beautiful Outlaw.

After reading the first few chapters I found myself thinking, "this is much different than John's previous works.". The writing seemed a bit more edgy, sarcastic, and a bit defensive. I thought the first half of the book read like a point-by- point defense of Jesus. It seemed rather academic and I found myself thinking, "John, I get it.....where are you going with this?". Then, the book took a sharp turn and I was introduced to a Jesus I had never met before. A Jesus so incredibly amazing. A Jesus that has always been there just waiting for me to say "hello". It was at this point that I found myself reading much slower. I didn't want the book to end. I feel like I have spent time with Jesus every day since finishing the book. What a fantastic gift.

I think this is John's bravest book. He takes a lot of risks that are bound to create some waves. There will be warfare. I commend him for his bravery and will be praying for his heart.

John, thank you for introducing me to a friend that I know will walk with me throughout the rest of my life.

Beautiful Outlaw (2011) by John Eldridge is an excellent treatment of the humanity of Christ. Eldridge points his reader to the humanity of Christ, the ruddiness of him. I tend toward the tradition that bristles at books like this one. The risen Christ is majestic (he is) and unapproachable (he is not). Unfortunately, in focusing so much upon the divinity of Christ, it is easy to miss his humanity. This book may be one of the better explorations of the humanity, the personhood of Jesus. Reflecting on biblical story after biblical story, Eldridge shows the reader that Jesus was not some aloof, distant sage, but a man who felt things, a man who engaged with the people around him. There were some things in the book that seem a little goofy to me (e.g., his son seeing Jesus in a pirate hat), but I wonder if that was not a little bit of Eldridge's point, to see the playfulness and approachability of Jesus.

More than anything, I found myself challenged to begin asking people "Who is Jesus?" and "What does Jesus think of you?" I would recommend this book if you are interested in exploring the humanity of Christ in more depth.

Beautiful Outlaw? What can this be about? What the heck is beautiful about an outlaw unless you are a sociopath? So were my thoughts as I began this latest book by John Eldredge. I liked the subtitle though: Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus. Now THAT sounded like something intriguing and worth reading! As I read, it was as if I had stepped into the first century and was able to watch Jesus and see him as he really lived, talked, laughed, cried and yes, fought verbally against the religious leaders and temple sales profiteers. And to learn that Jesus was cunning... like a snake?? And playful? I must have somehow missed that in reading the Bible. Maybe you are like me and missed it too. Not only did Eldredge bring a fresh and real view of Jesus, but I learned that it was possible, even "normal" to talk to him, to invite him into my daily life in ways I have never done before. I urge you to read this book with an open mind and remove your presuppositions and what he calls the "religious spirit." I have read several John Eldredge books but this one is one I am going to read over and over and listen to the streaming videos at beautifuloutlaw.net. I highly recommend you buy the book and you might want to get some extras because you WILL want to share it with those you care about. I promise. Really.

John Eldredge makes Jesus real and relatable. This book refreshed my spirit and I not only bought other copies to share, I also bought the CD set for a friend who only "listens". This book is valuable in how the author presents Jesus as God and as wanting to be part of us...brought tears to my eyes several times....Great to give to friends and family who are not sure about the robe wearing hippie from Israel....makes Him real and alive in our so different world.

This is probably the best book John has written. I have enjoyed all of his books but this is the best yet.

This is the first book that I have read that actually is about Jesus and who is really was and is. He was not just a Holy man who walked around is a gleaming white robe performing miracles! He was a real man with real characteristics! (He did wear a robe that he had to wash occasionally!)

John tells us that there is so much more to experience with Jesus. He was the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He wants so much more for us. And it's true we can have so much more of him right now.

The book is written in John's relaxed, down to earth style. Yet it's also very powerful. He is able to deliver the points in such a powerful and real way that at times made me crack up laughing as well as weep. It's hard to put the book down. Yet at the same time you just want to sit and think about each chapter.

This is a must read for everyone. It gives you such a real picture of the man Jesus was and is! It also reveals how much more there is available!

Beautiful Outlaw was a wonderful book and one I highly recommend.

As a Christian, I find that I often lose sight of who Jesus really is. So much of what we see in our world today both secular and religious serves to put more distance between Christians and the One who gave His life for us. This book is John Eldredge's attempt to bring us back to a personal, intimate (close) relationship with Christ himself. And he does a great job by reminding us of who Jesus really was and is. It just makes it easier to love someone you know, doesn't it?

The book is really genius in that it is set up to dispel the misconceptions that we let creep into our knowledge of Jesus. Even in many (MANY!) churches, the religious attitude just creates distance because they portray Jesus as this untouchable. Perfection personified. Jesus WAS perfect, but His whole purpose of coming here was (and is!) to get close to us. To draw us to Him. While here, He was fully human and as such he had a personality! He was playful, cunning, fierce, humble and of course loving. He got mad at pious religious attitudes. In fact, that was the stuff that made Him maddest.

Beautiful Outlaw is a great exhibition of His personality through study of his words and actions in the scriptures.

This is a fairly short book, and it's broken int o17 short-ish chapters. Each chapter is focused on one aspect of Christ's character and how that affects us in our relationship with Him. How it draws us closer to him. Solidifies our relationship.

So much of society's "understanding" of Christ and Christianity is just so wrong. It's easy to see how the world looks at Christendom, just watch the news. Search for just about anything in Google and you'll find references. And let's face it, there is a fiercely negative attitude towards Christianity in society. Much, if not all, of that is really the fault of Christians. So many of "us" are so attached to the "religious structure" that we are effectively pharisees. More concerned about the appearance, but rotten to the core. How offensive is that to non-Christians? How offensive should that be to YOU? If more people just lost the "religion" and got down to the "relationship" with Christ, it would be so hard to have a hateful attitude towards Christ and all of us who are filled with His Spirit.

In the final chapters, Eldredge discuses the personal relationship we have with Christ and gives some useful guidelines to see where that relationship truly exists. It essentially comes down to the statement "You will know them by their fruit." There are good examples of how to use this which should help us not only improve our discernment about others around us, but also look into our own motivation. Are we doing it because we feel like we need to out of some religious structure, or are we doing it because of our true heart for Christ?

I'll be honest. There are a lot of Christians who may be offended by this book if they read it. Those are probably the people who are more tied to religion and ritual than an actual relationship with Christ. On the other hand, there are probably people who are not Christians who may read this book and be blown away by how wrong their understanding of Christ was. And how desirable He really is if you just let the rest go and start that relationship. That probably (sadly) goes for Christians, too.

Finally, I didn't actually read this book... I listened to the audio book through Audible. It is unabridged and is narrated by John Eldredge himself. Eldredge does a GREAT job narrating (he's been narrating his own audiobooks for years) and in the past, I've actually preferred the audio versions to the paperbook versions slightly. Just because his intonations make every joke and playful comment perfectly clear. I "get" a lot of that in reading the books, too, but maybe that's true for me because I have listened to the audiobook version of other books in the past.

Was snarred in humor from the very first page; was then held captive as each word sank deep into my heart. Begain reading in the cafe and sent the kids shopping the mall for a little longer so I could linger in the moment of enjoying each and every chapter. Eldredge's style of sharing Jesus and all God's creation in such a plain and practical style leaves no doubt of His love and admiration for us. I can't help but laugh even more now in life as I see the ways God intended for us to laugh. I can't help but cry in moments that he shares His tenderness of love for us and I can't help but to embrace a deeper relationship with Jesus as I have come to know Him so much more through this teaching!

Reading Beautiful Outlaw it is like unlocking and breathing in the scent of jar of luxury fragrance that had been on your wish list but until now had never actually experienced it. You looked at the bottle all the time as it sat on your shelf. You wondered what it actually smelt like. You hear about people experiencing it. Indeed, for years you have used the same scent, just a different brand manufactured by a discount store. But after one smell, the scent is never the same.

After reading this book, how I breathe in Jesus will never be the same. While it is pretty much universally understood Jesus was "fully human" (I repeat it every week in Church through the Nicene Creed), what did "fully human" mean when Jesus lived among us? The answer to that question then goes to what does Jesus being fully human mean for us now?

Beautiful Outlaw provided those answers to me, which I had unknowingly been longing to have answered, and provides so much more. I have never been more excited to read through the Gospels, this time being present in the stories and in Jesus' personality, both fully human and fully divine. Thank you John for this true treasure.

This refreshing book reveals significant aspects of Jesus' personality that have been largely neglected by the church in my lifetime (I'm 52 and grew up in the church). In fact, John Eldredge takes on the "religious fog" that has typically resulted in perceptions of a "lofty" Jesus doing strange, undecipherable things. Take playfulness, for example. When Eldredge first mentioned that Jesus has a playful, humorous side I was skeptical. But this book is convincing. From chipmunks frolicking about to our own bantering and laughing with friends, where else would we think something this good comes from (after all, who created chipmunks, laughter, and us?). But humor isn't the only missing aspect of Jesus' personality tackled here. Jesus had a fierce intention...did you realize that Jesus deliberately took the time at the temple to make his whip from cords before he drove the money changers out of the temple? Jesus was more human than any of us, honest, cunning, and much, much more. If you are a believer, you will fall in love with Jesus all over again. If you are not a believer, this book is for you too; you may find yourself attracted to this beautiful outlaw who was constantly in trouble with the religious leaders of his day. Late in the book is a very good discussion about the practical accessibility of Jesus; that any of us can connect relationally with him and experience his presence and wonderful traits in our own lives. This is a fabulous book, perhaps even surpassing Eldredge's earlier books "Wild at Heart" and "Waking the Dead", and I highly recommend it.

Eldredge brings ancient scripture about our Lord and Savior to life. I have believed for a long time, however his book has helped me see the true Christ. A must read, and don't put it down until you get the message in the middle--and then you won't want put it down

Beautiful Outlaw is a book that discusses the personality of Jesus Christ in an effort to distinguish who He is from what religion has made Him to be: a 2-dimensional character that most people find hard to relate to. The rationale for this is that a meaningful relationship with our Savior comes from the effort to discover who He really is, which involves reading the Bible on how He was when He walked with us. Jesus came to free us, and that involves giving us a full life while walking with Him and alongside Him.

The book is comprised of several chapters, each discussing key points of His character that we may not realize are there. John Eldredge is quick to bring us to the Bible and reflect on the interactions that Jesus Christ had while on this earth. These interactions reveal the intentionality of Christ and show truth on how we may truly have life in full.

Afterward, the author also discusses our response to such truth. How do we react to such a present figure in our lives? Such a discussion affects my response greatly. It fuels more passion and commitment to love Christ in my everyday life, through the small things and the big things. This book is wonderfully written and wakes us up from being tied down to a religion, to be passionately committed to a relationship to Jesus Christ, the only true source of a fulfilled life.

Loved this book and all the insights John Eldridge shares about the personality of Jesus and how knowing Him enables us to love Him even more. Be prepared to read it more than once! Laugh and ponder and be prepared to be amazed at who Jesus really is in all His humanity.

A beautiful glimpse to just scratching the surface of who Jesus is ,not just the Sunday school lesson we refer back to often. To look at him in a completely different light, no longer defining him in the few descriptions we conjure up on the spot. Who knew this comical, bold , surprising heart could contain the limitless attributes that is Jesus .

I've been patiently awaiting this book since I first heard about it a month ago. It arrived in the mail today. The personality of Jesus!? What does John Eldredge know? Why am I so excited!? Already I can feel a shift inside. Already I can feel not just my own excitement, but that of my Father's as well. This is a story I believe John is supposed to tell. A story I am suppose to read and one that will truly effect how I relate with Jesus. In a GREAT way! Grats John. Well done mate. More when I finish the book....

John hits another home run for me with this heart-moving book about our amazing Savior. Some people may find certain parts of this message a bit offensive. However, John's goal is for each of us to discover how truly possible intimacy and friendship with God is through a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus. He really is an outlaw and, in a way, a thief -- for He came to steal our hearts away.

Very interesting. At times it left me scratching my head and forcing me into deep thinking. A good thing, that. At other times it made me want to jump up and scream 'YES!', especially when Eldridge describes most Christian churches and religious people. I plan to re-read this soon. There's a lot of deep stuff here and I'm sure I didn't absorb it all the first time through.

This book confirmed to me that the Jesus I always thought existed, does! That he was always in love with mankind, and that he came to show us just how much! It's incredible to look at Jesus through the eyes of just a normal, everyday person -- just like me. John Eldrege helps you to get back in touch with the God who came to earth. Who LIVED just like US. Who LOVED just like us. Who ate, drank, slept and LAUGHED just like US! This book makes Jesus come to life the way he was when he first walked with us. This is the Jesus I could be best friends with...that I could tell everything to...the Jesus that would love me, no matter what...the Jesus who would make me want to be the very best for him that I could. THIS is the Jesus who picks me up when I'm down, who knocks me down when I get uppity, and who LOVES, LOVES, LOVES ME!!!!! Thank you, John, for bringing him back to life. I am using this book to introduce my friends to THIS Jesus. Wait! Isn't that what Jesus wanted in the first place? For us to introduce and bring our friends to him, too? :-)

This book will most likely rank with Wild at Heart as one of the more enduring works of contemporary spirituality/Christianity. Eldredge challenges his readers to re-acquaint themselves with the Jesus presented by the Gospels, not the Christ of the church that we so often see portrayed. This position is clearly a risk, but this type of territory is not unfamiliar to the author, who has provoked the lethargic, humdrum church with his writing since The Sacred Romance. Is the risk worth it? I think it is, because we are able to look at the truth of the Bible without the "religious veneer" that so often accompanies books about Jesus. And that courage to challenge the institutions we so easily allow to direct our thinking and our beliefs is both refreshing and uncomfortable. Who likes being in the company of the emperor when he's finally told the truth? Thanks, John, for a timely volume. Definitely a book that one should read at least twice.

Very interesting. At times it left me scratching my head and forcing me into deep thinking. A good thing, that. At other times it made me want to jump up and scream 'YES!', especially when Eldridge describes most Christian churches and religious people. I plan to re-read this soon. There's a lot of deep stuff here and I'm sure I didn't absorb it all the first time through.

This book is profound. A great read for ANYONE, regardless of your background or searching. IT is a very real and honest look at who Jesus is. I love the way John Eldredge writes with a real and honest perspective.

This book greatly helped me to know the real personality of Jesus Christ. It allowed me to more clearly see His humanity and His divinity all wrappped up in the one being we call Jesus Christ. The book also talks about the danger of "religion" and how it can hurt our personal love relationship with our God if we let it.

This is a very well written, and scripture supported perspective of who Jesus was when he was on earth and surely must still be. It gives you permission to enjoy Jesus and feel comfortable in your relationship with Him; to have fun, and laugh with Him. It is very freeing.

This book makes Jesus down to earth and relatable without comprising Him being God in the flesh. I'm so sick and tired of how He is portrayed as this one note kind of person that seems to walk around like He's floating on air....

A beautiful glimpse to just scratching the surface of who Jesus is ,not just the Sunday school lesson we refer back to often. To look at him in a completely different light, no longer defining him in the few descriptions we conjure up on the spot. Who knew this comical, bold , surprising heart could contain the limitless attributes that is Jesus .