Crazy Love

Jul 26, 2011 Hansen Wendlandt rated it 1 of 5 stars

If you like the idea of a cool surfing Jesus, who sends most surfers to hell for not being deeply committed Christians, this is a book for you! If you need your regular boost of weak theology, flat Bible interpretation, and smiling preachers talking about a distinctly depressing God, this is a book for you! To be fair, Crazy Love does in fact add a touch of narrative creativity and useful morality to the basic, useless evangelical message: that God loves everyone, but if you don’t believe just r...more If you like the idea of a cool surfing Jesus, who sends most surfers to hell for not being deeply committed Christians, this is a book for you! If you need your regular boost of weak theology, flat Bible interpretation, and smiling preachers talking about a distinctly depressing God, this is a book for you! To be fair, Crazy Love does in fact add a touch of narrative creativity and useful morality to the basic, useless evangelical message: that God loves everyone, but if you don’t believe just right and act just so, God will smite your @$%…
One thing Francis Chan adds to that weary tripe and trope is a refreshing invitation to downsize. Despite his all-too-regular message that God will bless true believers, and his obvious and unobjectionable call to donate more of our blessings, Chan embraces solidarity with the poor and repudiates any hint of the prosperity gospel, in ways uncommon to the evangelical community. This is a highlight amidst his general failure to escape ‘boring American Christianity’ (21).
Another creative aspect of Crazy Love is its view of creation. Chan’s God does not simply and magically create a universe full of pretty furniture, but takes billions of years to make everything, from the value of laughter to the feeling of E-minor. If Chan could apply that sort of non-literal reading to even a few of the hundreds of Scripture passages he quotes, he might preach himself into a decent book. He does have, after all, a gift for turning a useful phrase (“Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want to be saved from the penalty of their sin.” (70), “There has to be more to our faith than friendliness, politeness, and even kindness.” (130), “We never grow closer to God when we just live life; it takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness.” (170)), and he can craft a clever sermon illustration (history as a movie about God, in which you have a minor role as an extra, (42); and check out the shocking Biblical imagery of filthy rags! (60)).
As it is, however, Crazy Love brings nothing special to Christian literature. Meanwhile it forces us to deal with theological inconsistencies (Is the book right, that God must punish sin (34) or the video that God can choose to punish us?; are we supposed to read the Gospels “from the perspective of a twelve-year-old” or “objectively”? (85)), and downright bad Christian advice (prayer is never an excuse for skipping the doctor (41)). (less)

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Dec 01, 2012 Kate Davis rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, religion

I've had a serious theological problem on literally *every* page of this so far. Here are some highlights:

Chan is dismissive of life, even it's highest joys and lowest sorrows, because the story is about God, not people. So that's all that matters. In addition, a person's life boils down to how many people they've "saved" (which seems to mean "have gotten to say a prayer"). Not sure where this leaves, say, Mother Teresa, who focused more on taking care of people than convincing them to say praye...more

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May 12, 2013 Yarndog rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have to be honest, I disliked this book. I respect what Chan tries to accomplish and for the choices he has personally made, but I disagree with him wholesale on many levels. The theme is very Catholic in nature; I deserve nothing, I am not worthy, I must constantly suffer, accomplishing personal goals and dreams are only a manifestation of greed and selfishness. Guilt, guilt, guilt. Ok, fine, I admit it; I am a former Catholic.

I applaud him for walking the talk; downsizing his house, taking...more I have to be honest, I disliked this book. I respect what Chan tries to accomplish and for the choices he has personally made, but I disagree with him wholesale on many levels. The theme is very Catholic in nature; I deserve nothing, I am not worthy, I must constantly suffer, accomplishing personal goals and dreams are only a manifestation of greed and selfishness. Guilt, guilt, guilt. Ok, fine, I admit it; I am a former Catholic.

I applaud him for walking the talk; downsizing his house, taking the same salary as when he first started, choosing a much smaller footprint for church expansion, etc. Goals and dreams come from God to begin with, so why are they bad?

I don't agree we should all downsize and live at the same economic level to eradicate poverty. He mentions the movement where we all live on $46k per year and donate the rest. Redistribution of wealth has been tried and it doesn't work, i.e. communism. I don't think it is necessary to demean ourselves and jump on the sword in order to help our fellow man.

I offer the Parable of the Talents. In it the Master rewards the servant who not only used his talent, but multiplied it. He punished the servant who played conservative and didn't use the talents given. I offer Doctors Without Borders as an example of using God given talent for good, yet not demeaning themselves.

He promotes a radical philosophy that says "you downsize so others can upsize." To back this up he refers to the Apostle Paul who mentions that in the Jewish culture those who had plenty shared with those who were needy, as someday it might be reversed. There is nothing wrong with this, in fact, it is admirable. However, he ignores that Paul also stated it shouldn't be a case of now the other person has is easy while you suffer.

Chan further points to a singular verse in the Bible where it says to sell all of your possessions and give to the poor as being the singular Truth we should all live by. His example of this Truth in action is of the guy at his church, upon hearing the Truth, donated his house to the church and moved in with his parents, stating it didn't matter where he lived as long as he has a house in Heaven. While this is noble, it says God is finite. Everything I have read or heard says God is infinite. God's ability to provide isn't like a pie, where there are only eight slices, and if you have two slices someone else gets none.

My other problem with Chan's singular Truth is it focuses on only one line, "...sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor..." He ignores what comes before and after that statement. In that passage, Mark 19:16-26, Jesus prefaces his answer to the rich man by saying "If you want to be perfect..." Later on the passage states "The disciples were astounded. 'Then who in the world can be saved?' they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, 'Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.'" The before and after is significant and can't be ignored for it makes the entire passage less dogmatic, and open to other interpretation than just what Chan offers.

In summary, my fundamental problem with Chan's book is the idea we must demean ourselves in order to help out our fellow man. Dreams and goals are not bad, they are good. Milton Hershey gave away his fortune, but didn't skimp on accomplishing his dreams and goals. Opportunity eradicates poverty...give a man fish or teach him how to fish. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Chuck Feeney, and Abraham Flexner are modern day examples of those, like Hershey, who multiplied their talents in the spirit of the Parable of the Talents, and gave back to society. We should share our skills, talents, and abundance, but I don't think we need to tear ourselves down to do it. Thanks for listening.(less)

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Apr 09, 2011 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, christianity-theology

Crazy Love is a fairly slim volume divided into ten chapters which are subsequently split up into titled sections which flow together. Chapters one through three are an overview of the basics of the awesome majesty, power, and love of God. Chapters four and five specifically address the oxymoron of “lukewarm Christianity,” and the rest of the book outlines what true biblical Christianity looks like and challenges believers to give up seeking a comfortable Christian life (another oxymoron) and to...more

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Feb 13, 2009 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of those WOW! books that cause you to read something and then quietly close the book, lay it on your lap and meditate on what you have just read. So many times while reading this I had to stop and wrap my mind around what I just read. Francis Chan has taken the very things that I need to focus on and concisely and passionately expressed them in this book in a way that I totally get. How to live my life in a way that I am showing a God who loves me that I love Him back. Francis writes...more

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Jan 14, 2009 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Totally whooped my tail. Probably THE most convicting spiritual book I've ever read. Challenges you out of any luke-warm tendencies. Challenges you especially in the realm of giving financially and sacrificially. Really, really good - prepare to be challenged out of your mind.

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Jul 05, 2008 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Matt by: Cornerstone Simi Valley Podcast

This book is incredible. One of my all time favorites. Chan takes simple truths we have heard our whole lives, but actually challenges and dares us to change our lives.

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Aug 14, 2012 Adriane Devries rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: spirituality

When asked if Crazy Love’s author Francis Chan believes God calls us to live a radical, crazy life, Chan responded, “It should be the only thing that makes sense,” and in these pages he gives compelling evidence pointing to a church that is not living Biblically. He compares modern American Christians to a boy asking a girl on a date, but not wanting to drive her to the restaurant or to pay for her meal. Likewise, for many Christians the cost of truly obeying Christ is too high, calling into que...more

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Aug 04, 2008 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not a very good Christian these days - heck, I'm not even sure if I qualify as Christian, since I'm not big on evangelism - but I do believe that the way Christ lived is the way we should live - loving, giving, sacrificing, and with minimal possessions.

So I find myself wondering how there can be so many wealthy Christians in the world; doesn't hoarding and having so much when others have so little go against Christ's teachings?

I'm glad to know now - after Chan's call to live "to the median...more

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Sep 13, 2008 Kathi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kathi by: Jesse

i read this book this weekend. yeah. good. makes you respond to good questions. what does it look like to BE a Christian,not just say we are? can we continue to just THANK GOD for our blessings, and not give them to those in need? are we just trying to give the required amount, or the least we can to be seen as good enough? do we give out of our love for Christ or are we trying to buy His love or bargain for positioning in Heaven? really, what is a lukewarm Christian (am i one?)? and what does G...more

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May 06, 2013 A Nelson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book gives a Christian a lot to think about. What does the Bible say about our Christian life? Could it be that Western, comfortable, affluent Christians have been "resting" too long in the Grace of God. Certainly, God's Grace is more than enough to secure an eternal life with Him. And it is ALL gift, nothing WE need to do. But, what if, in the meantime, we are missing a fullness of the Christian life in truly loving and giving to our neighbors. A neighbor being, of course, the people withi...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Ryan Stepanovich rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a book that I truly needed at this point in my life. The messages that Crazy Love is pushing and that Francis Chan is emphasizing are so relative to my life, and are actually helping me with my outlook and attitude toward life. He relates the stories of the bible, and the lessons they teach us, to our lives and common troubles that the reader is most likely going through. Not only does he teach us what the bible is stressing and how it relates to our lives, he tells you that it isn't ju...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Sagely rated it 2 of 5 stars

A lot of friends really enjoyed Francis Chan's Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. For a few months, it seemed everyone was reading it or at least had copy they meant to be reading. But no one ever actually recommended it to me. Maybe Crazy Love is the kind of book you read but don't recommend.

I finally borrowed a copy from our meetinghouse library. I'm looking for books in it that I recommend to others. This won't be one I'll pass along.

Chan doesn't saying anything I outright disagree...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Travis rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was quite surprised at some of the reviews here. Personally, I approach books that deal with God looking to listen and learn from others experiences and take what I can incorporate myself from those things I feel I can improve on - in other words, pretty much everything. Some people seem to struggle with his views on loving God. We are all different so, of course, it makes sense that everyone experiences their walk differently so I can understand the statements from both sides on how they rela...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Bryon rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Am I showing God the kind of crazy love that I ought to be showing him?" asks Pastor and New York Time bestselling author, Francis Chan. "...God has become so familiar to us that He becomes common." He wrote Crazy Love to give some perspective to a church whose members are in the comfortable habit of avoiding the things that make God mad.

An online video accompanies each chapter of Crazy Love. In each video, Chan gives a brief talk expanding on the concepts in the book. It's a nice personal touc...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Loretta rated it 2 of 5 stars

While the intent and premise of the book are good, the writing style just really didn't resonate with me. Chan supposedly spends the first 3 chapters setting up WHY we are supposed to be so overwhelmed with love for God that we WANT to live the life he spends the rest of the book talking about. It falls flat. His picture of God in at least the first two chapters is not one that woos, it is the harsh 'love me or else' God and somehow we are supposed to be ok with that because he's God. He somewha...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Andrew Mcneill rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was a good book. It's short, simple and easy to read. It talked about God's love and how our response should be enthusiastic and selfless living.

I have some criticisms though. I think he could have spent more time on who God is and what he has done in order to ground our response to God. He spent most of the time focusing on our response to God and that left the book slightly lop-sided.

The chapter on lukewarm Christians was an important warning shot to people who live careless lives without t...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Bradley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just flip through the ratings on this book. It looks like that there are about two possible reactions for a devout Christian to this book. It seems like about 60%-80% swear by this book, and the rest dismiss it on theological grounds.

For me, all through high school, theology was my god. God's love, God's grace, and God's compassion didn't register for me. I "saved myself" by knowing how to refute consubstantiation and by knowing what year the Council of Chalcedon was. I could argue with the abs...more Just flip through the ratings on this book. It looks like that there are about two possible reactions for a devout Christian to this book. It seems like about 60%-80% swear by this book, and the rest dismiss it on theological grounds.

For me, all through high school, theology was my god. God's love, God's grace, and God's compassion didn't register for me. I "saved myself" by knowing how to refute consubstantiation and by knowing what year the Council of Chalcedon was. I could argue with the absolute best about predestination infant baptism. But it was all shallow, and it was all empty. The 18 inches between the head and the heart are some of the longest in the world. Forget love; it never really struck me that the infinite creator of all the world actually liked me.

A lot of things have changed for me in the last few years. I struggled deeply with suicidal depression and I nearly lost. I was a broken individual let down by my church, my friends, and most especially myself. I could say the words "Jesus loved me" over and over again, providing verse after verse to prove it, but in my heart, I believed God didn't like me one bit. God reached me in the darkest stage of my life, and today I'm the happiest man in the world.

I'm not going to say that this book changed my life forever and ever and therefore you need to read it and love it. But God used Francis Chan in my life to make me ask questions that I wouldn't have asked otherwise. I realized that I couldn't put God in a box. He is greater than anything I could ever imagine and, unbelievably, *He likes me*.

I guess, if I have a point, I said all of that to say this: I know as well as anyone else that the theology here is kinda suspect. I understand that there's a lot more emotional arguments than rational arguments. But you know what? I'm not sure that that matters too much. Is theology very important? Yes. Should you hammer Chan for misinterpreting some verses, making a few stretches, and throw out the challenge that the book offers? I think that that's a cop-out. Chan isn't saying that everyone needs to sell everything and live in a van or a commune or something. But you need to be willing to. At least, that's what Jesus told the rich man in Matthew 19.

OK, so not all of the stories make sense. Pulling out all of your teeth is over the top. Got it. Fine. But maybe putting your head and your logic above your love for God is dangerous. And I can hear you know. That's not what YOU'RE doing. Well, if you're damned sure about that, fine, then the book wasn't written for you. But it helps a lot of people who need to hear what this book has to say. Lukewarmness is a problem in the church today, and Chan's message, whether you deem is intellectual enough for you or not, is something that the church today has to hear.

So many people have missed the point of this book in the reviews. It isn't about condemning people to Hell and it doesn't boil you down to how many people you saved. It does the opposite. It frees you up to live you life with a true sense of passion and purpose. St. Augustine one time said "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and then do what you want." It isn't about moving to Ethiopia, but about loving God back. Chan understands this. I don't believe Chan wants you to move to Ethiopia. But if that's what it takes for you to love God back, so be it.

As for condemning people to Hell, it does ask everyone to seriously contemplate their faith. Matthew 7: 21-23 still exists, even if we don't like it. Those are (to me) some of the scariest verses in the bible, and it's important to discuss it openly. But as opposed to condemnation, you can approach those verses with the understanding that Jesus both likes you and loves you more than you can possibly imagine and that his grace is stronger than you can imagine.

This book isn't without its faults. Two friends of mine that I think very highly of gave this book a one-star rating, and I'm sure that they weren't just plugging their ears to reject the premise. They aren't luke-warm. After all, theology is still very important. We don't need to "please God" like the book seems to imply. Christ's righteousness is enough for us, which is great because our righteousness is as dirty rags to him anyways (Isaiah 64:6). This may not be the best book for a recent convert because of the theology. It could be possible to incorrectly get the idea of works based salvation from this book. However, this book helped breath new life into my relationship with God. It restored my perspective on love and liking not only between Jesus and me, but also between me and my community. This book powerfully delivers a message that the American church needs to hear.(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Clay Winters rated it 5 of 5 stars

Crazy Love is exactly what you feel and think about even before you're half-way through finishing this book. The depths that Chan goes to to describe the awe-inspiring, overwhelming, all-natural love of God leaves you stunned, silent and thought provoked. This may or not be a direct quote but it pretty well sums up what he has to say: "God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful love. Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it? It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe--the Cre...more

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Aug 07, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion

Crazy Love is a book that will challenge you to a more committed Christian life. The author reminds us that Christianity must go beyond being nice and avoiding the big sins. We must get a proper vision of the greatness and power of God. We must neither trifle with disobedience, nor try to earn spiritual standing through legalistic obedience.

Francis Chan writes, "This book is written for those who want more Jesus. It is for those who are bored with what American Christianity offers. It is for th...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Tung rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-seminary

Chan is one of the most popular pastors in America – and with good reason, as he’s an amazing speaker with an enormous passion and deep love for Jesus. Crazy Love is the best-selling work that really put him on the map. The crazy love that Chan speaks of in this book is not God’s love for us, but rather the kind of love Christians should be showing God in response to His love for them, and how such a reaction would seem crazy to other people (especially other Christians). This book is directed a...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Scott Holstad rated it 1 of 5 stars

Didn't enjoy. Didn't view it as very realistic. Francis Chan has written a book that claims one must be totally, obsessively "in love" with Jesus Christ or all bets are off. On page 68, he asks "Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus?" Later in the book, he describes a woman he clearly holds up as a model of this. On page 100, he writes

"Have you ever met someone who was utterly and desperately in love with Jesus? I have. My wife's grandma Clara.

I spoke recently at Grandma Clar...more Didn't enjoy. Didn't view it as very realistic. Francis Chan has written a book that claims one must be totally, obsessively "in love" with Jesus Christ or all bets are off. On page 68, he asks "Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus?" Later in the book, he describes a woman he clearly holds up as a model of this. On page 100, he writes

"Have you ever met someone who was utterly and desperately in love with Jesus? I have. My wife's grandma Clara.

I spoke recently at Grandma Clara's funeral, and I could honestly tell the mourners gathered that I had never known anyone more excited to see Jesus. Every morning Clara would kneel by her bed and spend precious hours with her Savior and Lover; later in the day, just the sight of that corner of her bed would bring joy-filled tears and a deep anticipation of the next morning spent kneeling in His presence."

Seriously? Really? I guess I'm not utterly "in love" with Jesus then, nor do I really want to be. I don't want to weep at the sight of my bed, knowing I'll be spending hours praying there sometime soon. I'm sorry, but I don't get giddy over Jesus. I can't view him as my "Lover." I guess I'm one of the "lukewarm" people Chan rips in this book. Sorry Francis, maybe in your eyes, I'll burn in hell, but I simply can't find myself "in love" with a higher being I've never seen or met in person or had an interactive verbal exchange with, etc., et al. I consider myself a Christian. Struggling, yes. Difficulties, yes. But "saved" nonetheless. More importantly, I'll bet not even 1% of 1% of Christians out there meet Chan's definition of being "in love" with Jesus. It's a silly notion. I pray, frequently. I feel like God hears me and sometimes it seems like he might be listening and interacting, but not audibly. Like I believe in air which I can't see, I believe in a god who I can't see, but I'm not freakin' "in love" with him. I believe I love God. I try to. Sometimes it's honestly hard, particularly when you see hypocritical, self righteous Christians living lives that Jesus would recoil against. I despise most self-professed Christians and feel that if Jesus were to come back today, he would view the majority of those who believe in him as being little different from those of his day, what with the dogma, the judgmental attitudes, the intolerance, etc. I guess when it comes down to it, I'd rather have an intellectual relationship with God and try to exercise faith in my belief, rather than engage in having schoolboy crushes on a supreme deity. I think you have to get high to do that. What kind of stuff is Chan smoking anyway? A loser book by a holier than thou asshole. I'm sorry I opened it.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 ChristaAnne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I did not expect to enjoy this book much, but I figured being that it is so popular perhaps I should give it an honest read before judging it. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed it more than I anticipated.

I appreciated that Chan urges readers to take God’s holiness and power seriously (that’s rarely done these days!) and I appreciated that he calls people to obedience to God’s Word and tries to wake up a slothful Church. His book quite simply reiterates the text of the children’s hymn: trust an...more I did not expect to enjoy this book much, but I figured being that it is so popular perhaps I should give it an honest read before judging it. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed it more than I anticipated.

I appreciated that Chan urges readers to take God’s holiness and power seriously (that’s rarely done these days!) and I appreciated that he calls people to obedience to God’s Word and tries to wake up a slothful Church. His book quite simply reiterates the text of the children’s hymn: trust and obey. In a nutshell that is His message. If you are going to be a Christian, then be willing to take up your cross and live for Christ regardless of the sacrifice it requires. And if you claim to be a Christian and you really have no fruit in your life, then you should probably reexamine whether or not you truly are a Christian, because true faith always bears fruit. Some have claimed he is a legalist. I do not necessarily agree with that assessment though I could see how some might come to that conclusion. Anytime there is a call to obedience the ‘legalism’ term seems to get thrown out there. The reality is God calls us to be holy and obedient, and he gives grace to enable us to obey Him. Christians are identified by fruit, and if there is no fruit then there is reason to question whether there is genuine faith.

There were a few (rather big) negatives about the book for me: In his call to obedience, I got the impression that sacrifice meant leaving what you do and finding some way to be in a full time ministry of one sort or another. There seemed to a definite divide between the secular and the sacred instead of seeing all of creation and life under the lordship of Christ, and therefore all callings being legit even if they are not labeled ‘ministry’. This grated against my reformed worldview. He references his wife’s grandmother at a theatre performance and when asked what she thought of the play her response was “Oh honey, I really don’t want to be here right now.” He asked her why and she responded, “I just don’t know if this is where I want to be when Christ returns. I’d rather be helping someone or on my knees praying. I don’t want Him to find me sitting in a theater.” He gives this and other stories as examples of those truly committed to Christ. Examples like this lead one to think that unless you are praying, in Church, feeding the hungry or ministering you aren’t really living in obedience. I think glorifying God includes much more than doing things for God or being in full time ministry, and I think God intends for us to enjoy what he has given us. Chan tries to drive home the point that Americans are wealthy and generally take pleasure in things rather than in God. He is absolutely correct in leveling this accusation against American Christians. I just do not completely agree with his conclusion. Westminster Catechism Q1: What is the chief end of man? A: The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. I doubt Chan would disagree with the catechism, but the book would leave me to think the chief end of man is to be in full time ministry doing something for God rather than glorifying and enjoying him. Obviously, there is overlap in glorifying God and serving him, and I am not by any means denying that, but God may call some to be car dealers, painters, gardeners or whatever else, and they can glorify and serve him as much in that capacity as others that are in vocations geared toward ministry. God is at work at all times in all kinds of ways and in all kinds of places. I think Chan would agree with that, but the examples he used don’t necessarily come across that way.

The book also has overtones of very individualistic Christianity. It’s all about me and Jesus. There isn’t much covenant thinking going on at all...not that I expected it.

Oh yeah, one other little pet peeve: I hate it when people use odd terms to describe God or His attributes. Crazy Love? Really? I know what Chan means, but crazy is never a term I would use to describe God or His love. I’m sure to most it is petty, but it gets on my nerves. :-)

Chan’s book is very simplistic and easy to read--for some that is a positive, for others it may be a negative. All in all I think he gives some food for thought.
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Jul 02, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm always skeptical when approaching a book like this. Why? Because I've taken classes on rhetoric and argument, and these books tend to use a lot of emotional manipulation to support the argument presented in the book. Emotional manipulation can take the form of a bizarre, crazy story that is meant to move you...and, of course, it's a true story as well. At church, it usually ends in an altar call.

These kinds of stories inhibit real emotion, I believe, and a story like what I just described a...more

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May 20, 2012 The Charispastic rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is best described as a selah book. By that I mean it’s a book that asks the reader to stop and listen. The basic premise is simple: The amazing God who created this great big universe is madly in love with us. If we fully embraced that love, we’d go bananas for him. (And for the author, going bananas is mostly defined by giving freely of one’s time and money.) The book appears to be largely targeted at lukewarm Christians. In fact, it contains a whole chapter that seeks to define how a...more This book is best described as a selah book. By that I mean it’s a book that asks the reader to stop and listen. The basic premise is simple: The amazing God who created this great big universe is madly in love with us. If we fully embraced that love, we’d go bananas for him. (And for the author, going bananas is mostly defined by giving freely of one’s time and money.) The book appears to be largely targeted at lukewarm Christians. In fact, it contains a whole chapter that seeks to define how a lukewarm Christian acts and believes. It also appears to be aimed somewhat at non-believers. Those who are already living fully surrendered to the love of God wouldn’t find new revelation in these pages.

Things I liked about this book:

•It avoids belittling the church, placing emphasis on lukewarm individuals instead of lukewarm institutions.
•It well defines what a lukewarm Christian looks like (which, I admit, is kind of an odd thing to like about a book).
•It places value on the priesthood of all believers (though not in those terms).

Things that could have been better abut this book. (Isn’t that a lot nicer than saying, “Things I didn’t like about this book”?):

•The book read more like fleshed-out notes to a sermon series than a well-developed treatise on the subject of living a life under the influence of God’s great love. I would often expect the author to delve deeper into a topic, only to be disappointed when he moved quickly to his next point.
•In its attempt to avoid criticizing the church (which, again, I liked about the book), he does little to extol it. Although the author is not promoting rogue Christianity, he does very little to stress the importance of the Body of Christ. He offers no real advice on how we can spur one another on in pursuit of the loving God. Christianity is a corporate faith. As such, any attempt to paint a picture of what a passionate Christian looks like should include a discussion of the Body and our placement in it.
•It offers no help for readers when they hit an inevitable wall in pursuit of loving God. By painting a broad picture of what a committed lover of Jesus looks like, the author sets up a target for readers to shoot for. It’s inevitable that many will miss the mark and get discouraged along the way. I know that it’s a lot to ask the author to include abundant advice on dealing with the hurts and hang-ups that hold us back, but at least some recommendations on where to look for help would be nice.

Bottom line: The book has a good premise and offers several inspirational segments, but it would best be read in chorus with other books that plummet the depths of Christ love (say, for example, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, by Jeanna Guyon). I would recommend this book to someone coming out of a heavily legalistic background, but not without supplemental books ready to offer with it.
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Apr 27, 2012 Gavin Breeden rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books

Mark this one under the Good Premise, Terrible Execution category. Chan seeks to combate the "lukewarmness" of the American Church by calling us to live a radical "obsessed" life for Jesus. Lots of good ideas here. The American Church certainly is lukewarm and quickly going the way of the increasingly churchless countries in Europe. Chan argues that our call to live radically is rooted in God's crazy love for us, and that's certainly true. I have no doubt that Francis Chan is a solid follower of...more Mark this one under the Good Premise, Terrible Execution category. Chan seeks to combate the "lukewarmness" of the American Church by calling us to live a radical "obsessed" life for Jesus. Lots of good ideas here. The American Church certainly is lukewarm and quickly going the way of the increasingly churchless countries in Europe. Chan argues that our call to live radically is rooted in God's crazy love for us, and that's certainly true. I have no doubt that Francis Chan is a solid follower of Christ with a big heart for his God and his neighbor. But because this book has made such a big splash in the Church in the last few years, I felt that it warranted a very careful consideration and, to be honest, I found it to be a well-intentioned but profoundly flawed book.

The problem is, the house Chan builds has a pretty soggy foundation. It's not rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, but in this amorphous notion of God's love. In one cringe-inducing paragraph Chan actually asks, so why does God love messed up people like us so much and his response is that he doesn't really know. What? We do know the answer, God loves us because of Jesus. He's united us to Christ and his love for us is because we are "in Christ.". This lack of gospel-centeredness is the biggest problem here, because then all of the imperatives that follow are guilt-driven, not gospel-driven. Sure, Chan says once or twice that he doesn't want us to be motivated by guilt, but simply saying that doesn't remove the guilt-driven ideas throughout the book.

There are some other unfortunate theological choices as well. Chan gives us a heavy individualism with very little attention given to the Church. He talks of taking four day retreats to be alone in the woods with God and uses lots of the warm, fuzzy, quasi-romantic "fall in love with God" language which I keep hoping will run its course in our culture. The book is also not especially Christ-centered and leans heavily on the unhelpful sacred/secular divide in several places. I also think Chan doesn't consider the believer's battle with sin realistically. He acts like we could be 100% sold out for Jesus if we just wanted to, but consider Romans 7 where the apostle Paul-- as mature a Christian that'll ever walk this earth-- bemoans his own divided heart and how he doesn't always do what he wants to do but he does things that he hates. The Christian life is a constant battle with indwelling sin. I spent years of my life trying to be 100% devoted to Jesus and couldn't figure out why I kept failing spectacularly.

The other big problem with this book is how Chan describes this radical Christian life that we ought to be living. He really hammers home the importance of working with the sick and the poor (those in America, but especially those around the world, and even more especially those in Africa it seems-- he mentions people going to Africa a lot) and giving away money, selling possessions especially houses (he mentions people selling their houses a lot). The problem with all that is I can sell all my possessions, spend decades in Africa doing missionary work and still not love Jesus. Chan's call to radical Christianity doesn't necessarily address the primary problem in the American Church, he's just giving us something new and exciting to do, something that's frankly easier than taking up our cross daily and following Jesus.

The problem in the American Church is that we love other stuff more than we love Jesus. And not everyone is called to go to Africa, some people are called to go next door. And not everyone is called to sell their house and downsize so they can give more money away, some folks use their homes as tools for ministry. Chan holds these activities up as the definition of radical Christianity and tells us countless stories (an entire chapter devoted to them, in fact) of people who've done these sort of things. But he's missing the problem, namely, our wayward hearts. He's addressing the symptoms, not the sickness.

As a pastor in the American Church, I don't want everyone in my congregation to sell their possessions and move to Africa. I'd be delighted if some of the did that because of a genuine sense of the Lord's calling. But the Church is a body, Paul tells us, and each member has different functions and different uses. What I want for these people is for them to love Jesus more than they love their houses, their jobs, AND even mission trips to Africa. I want them to be faithful spouses, parents, and children. I want them to be godly bankers, truck drivers, doctors, business owners, teachers, retirees, students etc. I want them to be faithful and boring and I want them to love Jesus more today than they did yesterday.

Radical Christianity takes many different forms, sometimes it means going to Africa and dying for the gospel there and sometimes Radical Christianity means being genuinely OK with the fact that God has called you to be a boring, faithful Christian in your small town. Because what makes Christianity radical is not how much money we give away or how many countries we do mission work in, what truly makes Christianity radical is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which every single day is pulling people out of darkness and into the light and then sending them into every nook and cranny of this world with the good news of a Perfect King and a Coming Kingdom. (less)

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Apr 23, 2012 Tom rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: basic-theology

I'll admit up front that I went into this book with a bias. I've seen Chan give talks and read one of his other books. Something has itched at me about him. This book helps me understand why I have been bugged, but I don't think it's fair for me to speculate too much in public. I'll just say that I understand now why he chose to leave his church, seemingly sell his family's possessions and "follow the Spirit" wherever. I don't think he could have published this book with a straight face unless h...more I'll admit up front that I went into this book with a bias. I've seen Chan give talks and read one of his other books. Something has itched at me about him. This book helps me understand why I have been bugged, but I don't think it's fair for me to speculate too much in public. I'll just say that I understand now why he chose to leave his church, seemingly sell his family's possessions and "follow the Spirit" wherever. I don't think he could have published this book with a straight face unless he eventually did so.

I'll just say that this book is really one chapter, one sermon, stretched into 180 pages through a saturation of scripture quotes (not a bad thing) and repetition.

My positive take is that Chan is UNDERSTANDABLY concerned about the state of American Christianity and HIGHLY COMMITTED to his understanding of the gospel and the God he sees in Scripture.

My theological take is that Chan knows only the law (not the Gospel) and, ironically for a Pentecostal, does not seem to trust the Holy Spirit to produce fruit, seen and unseen, in the lives of those who hear the Word in faith. Chan's "gospel" is a new and higher form of the law (love) and nearly entirely misunderstands grace, faith, and baptism. He will acknowledge salvation by faith alone, but the entire message of the book is salvation by love alone, as evidenced by a very particular experience of God, personal righteousness, and works of the law. It is a strange thing to speak against love, but in our present reality where the old Adam hangs around our necks even as we are new in Christ, we live by faith, not sight, not love, not feelings. Love is wonderful when you feel it, but it is fleeting, it is not primary and it is not justifying.

By his logic, Chan does not want us to trust in the Spirit's work in Word and Sacrament, but instead asks us to turn our eyes back onto ourselves and look for signs of real/true/crazy love for God and love in action for others. I.e., if we are not Beyonce for God, we are not saved. Instead of the authentic paradox of a sinner-saint like the father in Mark 9, "Lord I believe, help my unbelief," Chan sees things in black and white. You are "all-in" or "all-out."

My pastoral take is that his style and tone can only fail to produce the type of Christians he is calling for. Martin Luther's Heidelburg Disputation includes, "The law says, 'Do this' and it is never done; grace says, 'believe this,' and behold everything is already done." Chan's crazy love at best produces obedience, but cannot give freedom, or ironically, love. Love is only love when it doesn't score points.

I don't feel like taking the time to unpack my takes any further, but if you want to engage in conversation or push back, please leave a comment. (less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Ben De Bono rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology

I honestly don't like being the person who winds up disparaging books that everyone else seems to adore. I enjoy excellent work and do my best to avoid a cynical perspective that looks for reasons to be critical. Nevertheless I seem to often find myself as one of the lone dissenting voices amid a cacophony of fawning praise. And so it is with Crazy Love.

My friend, Dave, mentioned in his review that Francis Chan seems to be one of the most genuine people out there. I'd have to agree. This book i...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Brandon Lehr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Do I truly grasp God's love for me?
In return, do I love God with all my heart, soul, and strength?
What does it look like to live out this love for God in our day to day lives?

If you have ever found yourself asking these questions, you are not alone. In fact, if these have never crossed your mind, maybe now would be a good time to start!

Francis Chan explores these thoughts in his book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. It seems Francis experienced what most people did who grew up in th...more Do I truly grasp God's love for me?
In return, do I love God with all my heart, soul, and strength?
What does it look like to live out this love for God in our day to day lives?

If you have ever found yourself asking these questions, you are not alone. In fact, if these have never crossed your mind, maybe now would be a good time to start!

Francis Chan explores these thoughts in his book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. It seems Francis experienced what most people did who grew up in the church. We learned the songs, memorized John 3:16, and tried to keep ourselves from the really bad sins, but one day (Lord willing) we woke up, looked around, and wondered if this is really the way Christianity was supposed to be. Everyone else is playing along, so why do I feel as though I'm missing something?

Somehow through all of the rules and routines, we never came to the place of a full out confrontation with the Living God. Without this face to face, none of what we have learned to mimic, becomes real.

So now that you have been awakened to the reality of God, it is essential to learn all you can about who this God is. Chan stresses the importance of finding this truth in the Bible, for this is where God has chosen to reveal himself to us. In the first chapter, Chan explains some of God's key attributes such as His Holiness and what it means to be eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, and just. He then shares two instances from scripture where men have stood before God and their reaction to what they saw. John and Isaiah both experienced what it was like to be in God's presence. Each were driven two their knees and convicted of their sin and unworthiness. God is not to be taken lightly.

Yet we are still faced with question of whether we truly love the Lord our God with all of our heart, or do we just give him enough to try and pass the test. What else in our lives is taking the love and longing that we should have for our Savior? Are we giving him our best, or just our scraps? What does it look like to live in loving obedience to the one who has given all to us? Chan starts by showing us what it looks like to be lukewarm towards God. This section is very convicting. I saw myself and my guilt in so many of the profiles he portrayed. One thing I found especially haunting, was his explanation of the parable of the sower, he warns us not to assume that we are the good soil. Ouch!

Chapter five is devoted to showing us what it looks like to live for God. Again each profile is convicting. Oh, how I fall short. It is encouraging though to read of very practical ways to live out our faith and obedience to our great God. One thing is made perfectly clear. God isn't just asking for some of us, he expects us to give him our all.

Francis Chan shares himself and his love for God in an easy to read and understand book, which still maintains the power to convict and cut to the heart of the matter. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God is an excellent book for new Christians and for those, like me, who need to be reminded of these truths so vital to the Christian walk and faith. His clear, heart-felt language allows the seriousness of the subject to come through, while encouraging the reader to long for renewed love and devotion to God.
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Nov 15, 2011 Janelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Francis Chan introduces Crazy Love as a novel solely on pleasing God and worshipping Him for who He is and not what you can get from Him. He tells his audience that there is no time for compromising. Though this is an unpopular message Chan speaks on this topic for a period of chapters and how we are to treat this relationship with God as one held to the highest esteem. He tells us that everything that we do should glorify God and anything outside of that should not be because we were created fo...more

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