Holy Fools: Following Jesus with Reckless Abandon (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: theatrical righteousness, ultimate holy fool, secret goodness, God the Father, Holy Spirit, Thomas Merton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Some books on ‘spirituality’ are so narcissistic they give me hives. But this is the real deal: It’s ancient and fresh, self-deprecating and reader-challenging, irritating and soothing. It challenged me and made me want to grow up.”—Kevin Miller, Executive Vice President, Christianity Today International

“I loved this book! If you think McDonald’s is a banquet, don’t read this book . . . which serves up a literary feast usually found only in secular writers and laureates. Those wild and wooly desert fathers have never been in better hands.”—Leonard Sweet, Drew Theological School, George Fox University

Product Description

If your spiritual life has become bland, safe, and completely flat, it may be time to look to some unlikely mentors: a band of "holy fools" who are unabashedly ragged, adventurous, and sold out for Christ. Pastor Mathew Woodley offers a fresh view of "holy folly," an ancient spiritual approach that combines humor, irony, spiritual discipline, surprise, radical compassion, and passionate faith--many qualities that our postmodern world hungers for. The holy fools--from the desert fathers to Christ himself--challenge us with an unconventional and unsettling approach to our spiritual journey. Unlike many of us, the holy fools of old were gutsy enough to push against the grain of society and the church--even to the point of appearing extreme and foolish. But God also used them to ignite the church to follow Jesus and bring His love to the margins of society--and he can use you in the same way.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: SaltRiver (May 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414316305
• ISBN-13: 978-1414316307
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #497,650 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a fool and I don't care., June 30, 2008

By	LynnMarie "Lynnie" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed "Holy Fools". The cast of characters, the holy fools of ancient and modern day, made me chuckle. The holy fools had and have something that a lot of people lack today, passion. Passion fills their every sinew with a sweet unquenchable purpose of glorifying God. You have Abba Simon who polished trees and Theophilus and Maria who dressed up as a mime and prostitute and went through town acting like loonies, all because they practiced secret goodness and wanted no acknowledgement or praise from anyone. Then you have a disabled man named Alan who overflowed with joy and love for God at receiving a Bible and a little girl, Roberta, who accidentally crushes the silver cross on the communion table during Sunday worship ... and these are just a few! This book challenged me to take a real long look at my life and how I respond to everyday events and people. What I really like is at the end of each chapter there are questions for reflection. They ask tough but good questions. It helps a lot that the author, Matt Woodley, shares his struggles and shows a humbling vulnerability throughout the book. He isn't looking down saying this is how you should live but he is walking alongside us saying we all need to do this, myself included, openly admitting when he hasn't. The stories of the holy fools, especially the Ultimate Holy Fool, Jesus, makes me want to strive to be a fool and not care what anyone thinks or has to say about it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fast paced, July 19, 2008

By	David B. Olshine (South Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Matt Woodley's Holy Fool's is for the holy and the unholy. His style is fun, fast paced and provocative. I found myself one minute laughing and the next moment examining my own heart. Woodley peels away the layers of what it really means to live in the 21st century as a holy fool. This is a super book!

David O

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Color outside the lines, December 6, 2008

By	C. J. Wynne "Slider" (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I heard a pastor refer to "Holy Fools" in one of his messages and decided to check it out. The stories of the people committed to their faith no matter what were encouraging and inspiring. These weren't perfect people by any stretch of the imagination, matter of fact most were prone to mistakes which I believe made it the most appealing. These were frail human beings who gave their best in humility and often in anonimity to glorify God and serve/love their fellow man. Mathew Woodley makes the case that it's OK even desirable to color outside the lines of "normalcy" of the Christian faith and to live a life abandoned to the status quo. Woodley's writing is accessible and thoughtful making this book an enjoyable reading experience.