Customer Reviews

Reordered Love, Reordered Lives: Learning the Deep Meaning of Happiness

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I have read a number of Naugle's essays and find them unfailingly brilliant. I really wanted to like this book as Augustine is a favorite area of study. Some of my disappointment may be due to my own familiarity with the subject, so this can still be a good introduction to Augustine.

I heard professor Naugle interviewed on Mars Hill Audio. He talked about the seven vices and the seven virtues. I was intrigued so I ordered the book. The book had quotes from Schaefer, C. S. Lewis, Plato, Aristotle, N. T. Wright, Kathleen Norris and a host of others. No one could doubt that Naugle is well read.

The problem with the book is that it comes across at times as a mixed bag of common evangelical maxims for living the Christian life. The book is so peppered with quotes that I lost the argument at times. Most of the quotes I have seen multiple times before in other books. Most of the advice on the Christian walk I have seen in other better books.

The book is good. The doctrine seems mostly sound. It is far deeper than most of the drivel written this century. It is good to be reminded of the spiritual disciplines and how our lives should be ordered around Christ. He quotes so many authors that he does bring up some new perspectives on the old truths. I recommend the book, but there is nothing here that you couldn't get from better authors like Lewis, Schaefer and Richard Foster. This book might be a good starting point to the old masters.