Customer Reviews

Holy Curiosity: Encountering Jesus' Provocative Questions

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Winn Collier writes with a pastor's heart and a journalist's inquisitiveness. The combination fits well as the title to his new book, Holy Curiosity. In it, Collier takes a look at a handful of well-placed, probing questions that Jesus asked His followers.

Unpacking these inquiries create a fascinating framework for successful Christian living today. With questions like: Who condemns you? Why are afraid? How much bread do you have? Why do you doubt? What do you want? Collier hits on heart issues like shame, fear, doubt and desire that often prevent Christians from living in authentic, deep relationship with God and others.

Collier weaves in ancient and contemporary insights for a well-rounded, soul-stirring read that ends all too soon. Any Christian who wrestles with questions of faith will find a kindred spirit here.

What an amazing gift to be able to hear a speaker's and a writer's voice develop. Winn is a dear friend and shepherd and it has truly been my privilege to hear his voice grow, change, and deepen as his own journey has taken him to new places. Holy Curiosity, in my opinion, is hearing his writer's voice at a new level. With the ending of each chapter, I longed to continue reading, to hear more of his heart and what he would say, entwined with the questions of the Christ. If I have any complaint about the book, it is that it was too short. I wanted to continue to hear more of what Winn would say in his Winn-way with his redeemed heart discussing Jesus' questions.

It was also interesting for me to read Holy Curiosity because I had been a part of the community where Winn first began to explore Jesus' questions in a sermon series. I enjoyed the series, but I enjoyed reading Holy Curiosity much more. Perhaps the difference is that the ideas were taken to the next level, or perhaps the fact that I was alone with the book rather than in a community of listeners. But no matter what, I found myself my own experience echoed in the characters of Scripture to whom Jesus asked these profound, soul-searching questions. I found my struggles, heartache, sin, and searching in Christ's questions and I also found something of who God is forming me to be (and has been forming me to be) in the encounters Winn explores. It was a profound experience when I would allow Christ to speak through words he spoke long ago in a very different context.

Holy Curiosity will be a book I will re-read and which will shape my understanding and knowledge of who Christ is and His loving approach toward others as well as myself. I hope you also find truth and life in Winn's words as he echoes the heart of Christ toward humanity. I know if you take your time and allow the words to speak to you, they will speak, and Jesus' questions from hundreds and hundreds of years ago, will touch your soul in ways you never imagined.

Thank you, Winn. What a privilege to hear your voice again.

I love questions. For me, a good question should lead to a good answer that in turn leads to even better questions. I'm not scared of questions, not afraid to question, and appreciate the way a good question can get after the truth in specific and meaningful ways. Along comes this book, and from the opening pages I am reminded of my love for questions, my understanding of Jesus' questions, and ... wait a minute. A twist? A book that uses my questions against me?!?

"Jesus' questions probed the soul, and they were not easily ignored. He posed one question to a grieving sister emptied of hope. He directed one toward a friend who couldn't muster up the courage to trust, and another toward the ears of a band of piously religious hypocrites.... These Jesus-questions refuse to stay put in dusty Palestine.... We discover that Jesus' questions - first tossed in their direction - become our own disorienting, gracious queries. this soul work, this asking of true heart-deep questions, is an art we learn from Jesus.... [But] if our questions become the goal, we are no longer being honest but merely using our questions to hide. This will never do." (from chapter one)

Collier crafts new questions and new responses to age old questions popping up in the gospels around Christ and the Disciples, while still remaining true to the text. And he turns our ideas of safety and security upside down when we think of Jesus and the way He responded to His followers.

"Jesus did little to provide calm. Rather, He tugged at His followers' fears, prodded and provoked them. Following Jesus meant surrendering any assured solace in the most basic human acts.... Perhaps God wants to move us to a deeper peace than we know, a deeper joy and rest than we have experienced - but perhaps we have to move through our insatiable fears of losing control to get there." (from chapter three)

And that's where I think he has meddled with me - in a good way. Questions are tools of control, and I've been guilty of being small, of hiding behind my faux depth. Jesus' questions, framed in His life and continued interaction with us, are deeper and more curious than I've been following. But I'm encouraged to keep asking, to keep resting, to allow those questions their place in me, in my journey, in my own growth in him.

Curiouser and curiouser.

I am always amazed with what Winn has to say... and what God says through him. This is a work I have looked forward to and I trust Winn will deliver again! I'll have more of a review after I have actually read it!

It's been a long time since I've read a book that reveals the character of Jesus in such a fresh & fascinating way. Unlike wishy-washy spirituality books like 'The Third Jesus' which seem to be all the rave at the moment, this book focuses not on trying to make a Jesus that everyone can modify for their own benefit, but focuses directly on his simple, probing one-line questions that you'd normally glance over without a thought. its that simplicity that opens up a labyrinth of truths that Winn masterfully examines with an equally wonderful writing style. I've read his work before in Relevant Magazine and that alone forced me to pick up his book - the first of many I hope to read.
My only slight complaint would be in the vein of repeatedly coming back to his son for illustrating a point, which seemed a little less imaginative than I would have hoped. Either way, this is a must-read for anyone.

Excellent book... Winn is really a gifted author... His ability to retell the biblical stories and the biblical story inspires me to believe that there may actually be a different, more real way to read the bible and follow Christ in the humdrum of a cultural Christianity that has lost its aliveness... I especially felt moved to look at Jesus again as someone who is very curious and interested in those around him rather than a commander and chief. As a result, I want to be more interested and curious of others - which is really a great gift to give someone.

In Holy Curiosity, Winn Collier examines one of the most poignant aspects of Jesus' ministry. Collier uses some of Jesus' most revealing questions to illustrate something that a large majority of people try to avoid: a curious faith.

Collier shows that the questions Jesus asked cut right to people's hearts, exposing their greatest need. He wasn't afraid to ask questions that had difficult answers, and expressed the characteristic that, according to Collier, all true friendships have: genuine curiosity.

The book has a meandering style, but has more of a linear and organized flow than other works of this style, such as Blue Like Jazz. Collier's frequent reference to his children is interesting, as he uses his relationship with them in comparison with his relationship with God. He uses stories of his friends and family to illustrate certain points, and his ability to connect them to the reader is amazing. I felt as if I wanted to get to know them better.

Holy Curiosity is an exceptional journey through the dialogue of Jesus Christ. Collier shows that the wisdom and grace Jesus showed his contemporaries is available to us today. Definitely a great read.