My Beautiful Idol [Paperback]

Pete Gall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2008

The author of My Beautiful Idol is on a quest to be successful---in a lucrative job at an advertising agency, in ministry work, even in his relationships. And in a futile attempt to control the sources of love and security, he has turned these things into idols he can keep in his soul's back pocket. He pulls the idols out when he feels vulnerable and defenseless, and hides them again when things are going well. But the idols keep failing---even when he turns to his own Christian faith. In a creative narrative style rooted in raw honesty, My Beautiful Idol invites readers to identify with the young would-be Christian hero as he seeks God, and as he hides from God. Far from reducing complex matters to simplistic formulas, Pete Gall weaves together stories both sublime and wretched, ego-building and humbling, humorous and painful, and successfully celebrates the messiness of faith, the importance of validating truth, and the unscripted nature of experiencing a God who is intimately involved in all of life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At age 23 Gall walked away from a lucrative advertising job, determined to uphold his ethical standards while revolutionizing the world and the church. Five years later, after dropping out of seminary and quitting jobs with a rehab program, a community center, a home for developmentally disabled men, Bud's Warehouse and a plumbing distributor, he returned to his Midwestern family, musing, What do you call someone who leaves the ordinary world on a hero's journey, but fails? Like Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis) and Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz), Gall is edgy the evangelical way: he keeps sex and swearing mostly offstage, but, like other good guys, drinks, doubts and unleashes scathing sarcasm at the conservative Christian subculture.Now in his mid-30s, Gall mocks his younger self throughout: a fat blond guy with no car, no cash, no direction, no prospects, no discipline. Relentlessly ironic, he may invite misunderstanding: do his harsh criticisms reflect his present view of evangelical reality, or are they meant to show his postadolescent pomposity?Nevertheless, his themes are clear: God doesn't need an image consultant; it is better to be authentic than great; and to achieve authenticity we must forsake our deepest sin and our love for our most beautiful idol: to be our own god. (May)
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Review

Have you ever turned on lights in a basement only to see a flurry of critters running for cover? With a wry mix of insight and transparency Pete Gall lights up a reader's soul. Thank God for a book that becomes an honest friend! But Pete does more than expose our brokenness. He tugs us to join him in walking, stumbling, running - whatever our state and status - into the arms of a God who loves us. This book is for everyone, absolutely everyone, who knows what a prodigal is and needs! -- Dr. Ron Frost, Professor of Historical Theology & Ethics, Multnomah Seminary

Pete Gall approaches life with such honesty and intelligence, it can be a bit unnerving to interact with his story - whether in person or in his books. If you hang in there, you discover that grace is Pete's ultimate aim, and love is his trump card. His spiritual autobiography challenged me to explore my own personal story, hoping to experience the kind of growth and insight I drew from Pete. -- Jeff Johnsen, Executive Director, Mile High Ministries

Pete Gall runs the gauntlet of self-absorption, religious dysfunction, and disgust at the tawdry meanness of his own spiritual veneer - the archetypal path of contemporary evangelicalism. With humor and honesty as his only protections, he takes a beating (and the candid reader will too), but keeps his feet moving out of a genuine hunger for God. -- Greg Paul, Author

St. Augustine invented the confessional memoir. Modern examples are shorter and funnier (think Anne Lamott and Donald Miller). Now comes Pete Gall, who somehow gathers the messiness of his life into an enduring account, one both poignant and whimsical. -- Philip Yancey, Author

[My Beautiful Idol] is a delicate reminder to denounce all that dazzles that does not look like Jesus. It is an invitation to say no to all other lovers and counterfeit hopes, and to put our faith in the God that is blessing the most downtrodden people of this world, the God whose Gospel is good news to the poor. -- Shane Claiborne, Author & Activist

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (March 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310283108
• ISBN-13: 978-0310283102
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,547,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Beautiful Review of a My Beautiful Idol, April 17, 2008

By 

Kristian Andersen "Kristian Andersen" (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Beautiful Idol (Paperback)

My Beautiful Idol is a funny, sad, uplifting, enlightening, and sometimes cringe inducing look into the life of a regular "Christian" guy. Although filled with extraordinary stories, somehow you can't help but find yourself identifying with both his inflated insecurities and wry observations on Christian culture writ large.

A quotable work - definitely worth a read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An honest to God good read!, May 4, 2008

By 

Ron Frost (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Beautiful Idol (Paperback)

I have a standard human package of fears & doubts, including some that wake me up at night! But you won't find me telling others about those little gremlins . . . no way! Then I read Pete Gall's how-to manual in self-exposure! He offers a pathway to freedom that must be close to what a twelve-step program offers an alcoholic. He talks about flawed and failed religion, yet without ever tossing God out in the process. He hits adolescent doubts and adult idols with the spotlight of stark honesty. When the lights are bright enough it all looks silly and I found myself laughing at things that never seemed funny before. When I finished I realized that this book shares courage. It's rare and real. And it's a must read for anyone else who wakes up to whispering gremlins at 3 AM!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deconstructing what it means to be a follower of Jesus in today's world, April 21, 2008

By 

Adam Moore (Waco, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Beautiful Idol (Paperback)

Even though I'm a sucker for memoirs, I'm also kind of skeptical of Christian memoirs from the past couple years. My tendency is to assume they are all just attempts to emulate Donald Miller and to make a buck off the memoir craze. So part of me almost didn't want to like My Beautiful Idol. But I did enjoy it - it's a good book. And even though it is a good story and an enjoyable read, that's not really what won me over. Ultimately this is a book I can recommend because it really made me think, and that's perhaps the most important element I look for in a book.

In the preface Gall sums up his book as "a story about how I'm a butt, and have been for some time now." And then "the catch" - "I was also exactly the sort of Christian people tend to refer to as a hero." The book follows Gall's pursuit of "downward mobility" and tracks his various attempts at ministry, relationships, and finding meaning and significance in life. Gall's theme throughout is that all of these experiences were ultimately a chasing after "a variety of beautiful idols," and "the version of myself I've sought to create." All of this talk about idols is what really got me thinking.

Gall spends a lot of time in his book describing how he created idols of what it looks like to be "a great man of God" or to really make a difference in the world. Through stories from his experiences he does a lot to deconstruct the popular ideas of what it means to be a "successful" Christian or a faithful follower of Jesus. His experiences in ministry also lead to quite critical conclusions regarding typical understandings of what it means to serve God and serve others. As you might have guessed, all of this really caused me to reflect on my own life and desires to be a follower of Jesus. Have I simply created a bunch of idols? Am I worshiping a bunch of self-created ideas of what it means, or might mean, to follow Jesus? I don't know. But these are good things to think about.

In summary, if you are looking for an enjoyable and thought provoking read, and if you enjoy memoirs, then I definitely recommend "My Beautiful Idol." While at times it is a little disjointed (what memoir isn't?), and even though I wasn't particularly happy with the conclusion, ultimately this is a thoughtful book exploring and deconstructing ideas of what it means to be a follower of Jesus in today's world.