Customer Reviews

Heroes of the Faith: Jim Elliot (1927-1956) (Heroes of the Faith (Barbour Paperback))

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

 

 

An easy to read book. Well written. It gives a good summary of the adult life of a true Christian martyr.

What I like most about the book is the brutal honesty of the author. We like to honor martyrs and great leaders as we soft pedal or even completely ignore their faults. Susan Miller does not do this. She does not try to hide Jim Elliot's human side, his character flaws, his stubbornness, qualities that are not flattering. In doing this, it is not a dishonor to the man, but shows that he was just a regular guy, just like you and me, who had major faults and made big mistakes.

One big mistake was constructing the mission station too close to the river. When the rainy season came, an entire year's worth of work was washed away in a few days. Yet he pressed on. I'm sure he was discouraged, but he and the other missionaries pressed on.

The author also makes it clear what set him apart. What caused Jim Elliot to live the exceptional life he led (although short)? What caused him to have so much influence over others? The answer is his unwavering commitment to God and to His will. Throughout the book the author makes it clear that throughout his life, Jim Elliot had a commitment to live a life pleasing to God and to be obedient to God's will even if it meant his death. Although sometimes what he thought was God's will was wrong, and although sometimes the things he did were not necessarily pleasing to God and an encouragement to others, his deep rooted desire to love God and to be obedient to his will is what enabled this man to have the impact he did.

The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is because the book does not explore his childhood or contemplate how he developed the exceptional qualities he had.

One of my friends has the entire collection of "Heroes of the Faith". I have been slowly making my way through the books over the last couple of years, and Jim Elliot was the first one that I read.

When I picked this up I already knew a decent amount about Jim Elliot from watching "The End of the Spear" End of the Spear and reading Passion and Purity,: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christs Control . I would say that as an introduction to Jim Elliot this is a great place to start.

This book charts his struggle to balance spiritual piety with having fun, his struggle to put God first while being in love with a woman (Elizabeth Elliot), and his desire to give everything to God. I felt that this book was a nice companion to "Passion and Purity" because it gives Jims side without you having to read his diary. The reason I enjoyed reading this book and other books about Jim Elliot is because he really was a real person. He wanted to give it all to God, even if that meant giving up what he really wanted (marriage).

I suggest reading the Diary of Jim Elliot and Passion and Purity and Quest for Love if this book interested you at all. I hope you enjoy!

God Bless ~Amy

This book is very informative if you would like to learn about Jim Elliot. It blessed me very much.

It's been a year since I ordered it, and I found out that this book has never arrived.