For people who have attended church for an extended period of time, perhaps for their entire lives, there is a tendency to get myopic and lose sight of the bigger picture. It is easy for us to see all religious and spiritual matters through the singular filter of our own experience. This can, and often does, result in something less than an accurate look at the reality in front of us. It hampers and distorts our response to the call of Jesus “to come follow me.” It is all too easy for us to follow church traditions, rather than follow Jesus. To be honest, many of us know there is something missing in our churches and in our Christian lives, but we need help to see afresh what we are doing and why we are doing it. As I see it, this is the primary value of Why Aren’t Christians More Like Jesus?, by Michael J. Clemens. The author helps us see how easily and how often we have let the maintaining of our own church heritage and tradition outweigh the real need to come fresh daily to the throne of God and to me more like Jesus in our daily lives. The author begins where he should, looking at Biblical essentials and scripture. Then he helps us look critically at our own history to see where we have derailed over time and where we are still off track today, especially in our Western culture. But, more powerfully, Michael Clemens brings us back to Jesus himself and reminds us of what is eternally important. If you know there is something missing in your religious experience, but you are not sure what it is, this book is a great place to start. Highly recommended.

A scholarly, yet very readable, compassionate, spiritual ‘checkup’ for Bible believers as well as church leaders. This book challenges ‘sloppy religion,’ inviting a more intimate walk with God. I loved it and will read it again. Perfect for group study as well.

Why Aren’t Christians More Like Jesus? The title of this book is as much a statement as a question. It is likely a question non-Christians ask themselves often. It is as likely a question that most “Christians” never ask themselves. For any Christian that sees the validity of the question, it is worth your time to read.

This book was well researched, well written, yet easy to read.

This book explores the disconnect between beliefs and actions by people who consider themselves a Christian. The book is easy to read, occasionally provocative and left me pondering some tough questions. Recommend reading and probably rereading.

 

This book helped me understand many things about my own spiritual journey, and I am so excited to share it with my friends and family who will also benefit from it. Why aren’t Christians more like Christ? This book poses the question and comes with the answers. It explores what it truly means to be a Christian and uses God’s words (scriptures) to back it up. It lays out the simplicity and complexities of what it means to be a follower of Christ no matter what church you attend. This book was a real eye opener for me and I highly recommend it to anyone that wants a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be a follower of Jesus.

With a Catholic background I found this book very insightful. It is a thought provoking work which explores and points out the divide between established religious beliefs and actions people actually take while thinking that they are acting within the faith they profess to have lived by. The book is easy to read, occasionally perhaps controversial and may lead readers to ponder the basics of their beliefs. I highly recommend an in depth read. Francis C. Allan

On behalf of a minister in Ukraine:

Great book! The author does a great job of showing the difference between being a disciple of Jesus and just a mere churchgoer. Christianity has become a churchianity – convenient religion often limited within the walls of church buildings and cathedrals. In some cultures it is even used to promote people’s prestige. That’s so opposite to what Jesus taught in the Gospels.

Good read. Highly recommend it. Asked a friend to buy it on Amazon and ship it to me to Ukraine. Did lots of underlining and writing in my journal.