Customer Reviews

The Critical Journey, Stages in the Life of Faith, Second Edition

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Janet Hagberg has written one of the most helpful books I know for Pastors and Christian Educators. Those of us who have searched wide and near for a complete model of growth and been disappointed with Rick Warren's truncated version will likely find The Critical Journey to be a better fit.

I am buying multiple copies and using them in my classes and coaching sessions. Her newest version is even better than the earlier copies.

I have used this book with several study groups since I read it as required reading in Spiritual Direction training. It is a must read for any person who is ever unclear about the way different Christians respond to things. This books changed the way I view my life. It has shed so much light on my relationship with God. We were not meant to go through this journey of faith alone, and this book is the absolute best word on that subject.

This is an extremely helpful book for Christians and Christian leaders to understand the stages of spiritual formation of individuals and of congregations. Hagberg breaks down the Christian journey into very understandable and comprehensive stages that are relavent and make great sense. I would recommend it to all who want to have a better understanding of their own and other's journey in Christ.

Hagberg does an amazing job explaining in a way that is easy to grasp how we grow spiritually. It not only helps me as I work with others but it has helped my own spiritual growth. I recommend it highly.

I read this book in the midst of chaos in my own faith journey. It provided clarity and a language from which to shape my journey. It provides both Biblical language and the emotional understanding to help anyone who is interested in pursuing a lifelong journey with God. I have made this required reading for my staff and we discuss it often. It does not offer trite expressions or your typical answers, it helps you understand where you are in your spiritual journey and what to expect next. Whether you are just starting this journey or have been on it a long time, read this book!

The author takes us on a whirlwind tour of a totally new way of thinking about our spiritual journey. In my experience, most people get stuck at only half of their God-given spiritual potential for growth, and Hagberg is showing us how much more there is. There are stages of growth in Christ that most of us haven't even begun to get involved with.

Although I think the book could have stood to be longer and more detailed, it is a five-star book in my opinion anyway. Great complement to the works of people like Richard Foster and Dallas Willard.

I have read and re-read this book as I travel through the stages of faith. It has helped me to understand what is going on, what God is striving to accomplish in me and how best to respond. Seeing how others have lived through these stages has made accepting the hard parts of the journey easier and to rejoice in the progress that I can see. The book will help anyone struggling to understand what is going on in our life of faith and how that journey can overtake the rest of our lives. I recommend reading it and pulling it out in a few years to read again.

Love this book. I now use it as critical reading for my Seminary students and staff. Love how it integrates "where" we are spiritually to "why" we are where we are spiritually. A great resource for those interested in growing spiritually. A great, easy read, yet full of life changing insights.

I really liked this book as I read it. Upon further reflection, however, I am afraid I must disagree with its premise that everyone develops similarly in their faith. I read this for a class assignment, and as we discussed it, I saw people who would think they hit a stage at one point, but the point was so shallow that I am not sure it could really count. Especially among those who grew up in Christian homes, I noticed those who questioned their faith for a week or two, decided to just ignore all their questions and have faith anyways (when really, I think it is often just fear that what you were taught your entire life could be wrong), then proclaim they were in stage 5 as they no longer let little things from the world bother them. Yet I did not see any true substance to their faith becasue they just ignored everything they questioned. I know that probably sounds judgmental and is to some degree. Maybe I just hit "the wall" much harder than most people.

Also, I am not sure I want my faith to develop in the stage 5/6 descriptions they provided. I would rather a deeper faith for me to look like something else more grounded, but since I am not there yet, I do not know how to describe it. I apologize for my ambiguity.

I could not figure out how the authors ascertained that people go through stages and these were the stages and what they looked like. As they quoted no studies they performed or even any Bible to back their statements, I found it sounding nice but lacking. Anyways, I think it is worth a read just because it can explin why some people are on such radical different communication levels. I would actually think it somewhat describes personalities of faith instead of growth of faith, as I know many people who kind of move in and out of the "stages", yet seem to stay mostly in one or two. As we read and learn, we may put on another spiritual persona, but I don't think it has to go in any particular order (though it may). But it has helped me deal with my parents better, as I believe that they are correct in their assessment of certain stages annoying others.

Perhaps the authors' field was just too narrow in that maybe they chose people of just one generation or denomination or who became Christians before/after a certain age in which to study spiritual development. Don't know as they did not say (either that or I missed it, which is highly possible as I had much other reading at this time and skimmed certain parts).

I mistakenly ordered the wrong item however, the delivery was fast the book was in great shape just as described and returning it was a simple and straightforward process.