Customer Reviews

Sex, Sushi, and Salvation: Thoughts on Intimacy, Community, and Eternity

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A friend approached me the other day and recommended that I give Christian George's book a shot. "What is it called again?" I asked, blushing at the title. I'm not much of a reader, but was assured that this book would meet my cravings for a captivating story, complete with asian flare and down-to-earth experiences about world travel. Little did I know, Christian would talk about hunting vampires, resisting the urge to have sex with a Russian prostitute, and recount the time in Japan when he lost his sushi virginity. It reads like Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz," only on theological steroids!

Being a martial artist, I am always on the look out for things on a deep level. Striving to master and maintain the body, a Christian is no different from a practitioner of any other art. Christian also trained in aikido, and relates those principles to the Christian experience. His book takes you back to your center of your substance by explaining that you exist to glorify God in all things. The distractions of this world bring only temporary happiness and cannot satisfy the soul.

Christian strikes the pressure points of the soul by reminding us that time spent with God is really where we find fulfillment in life. I'm going to buy five copies and give them to my closest friends.

A friend of mine gave me this book to read. I thought it was going to be just another Christian book, with a good message. It isn't. It engages my generation, it is brutally honest - something so sorely lacking in Christian books today, and best of all, theologically straight. I am making plans to buy 4 or 5 for gifts to friends. Two of whom do not know the Lord. They would read this book, and find it refreshing, instead of being soft and mushy, like other Christian books they've been given. My generation is being called the last great hope for spreading the gospel. If this is the case, Christian George's Sex, Sushi, and Salvation, is certainly to be a part of this. My generation is tired and worn out with books with platitudes, but with no serious considerations for the statement's consequences. It's about time we had an author to punch through all that, and give us meat, when all we've gotten from churches and friends is milk.

Parents and grandparents, take note. Christian George's book is not JUST
for the younger generation. It is a wonderfully honest book that is full of insights about God and how he is working in the life of an incredible
young man. I could not put it down, and I have shocked my grandchildren
and nephews by giving them a book with "sex" in the title.This is a great gift for birthdays and upcoming graduations, and you will learn a thing or two yourself. I expect to hear great things from this very "real" writer with such compelling writing skills.

At a time when Christianity may be shrinking in North America, there are alternately fascinating and frightening rumblings among 20-somethings across America. Sex, Sushi, and Salvation brings a significant new voice to the mix of those seeking to understand and influence the next generation. Christian George resonates with and speaks to many of the themes and yearnings that animate the so-called emerging church movement such as authenticity, community, the recovery of mystery and the arts. Unlike some within the emergent church, George evidences not only intimate acquaintance with current sensibilities among young adults (he is after all, a 20-something himself) but also retains a strong anchoring within the historic church extended in time and space. George seems not believe that orthodoxy threatens relevance! George's study of art together with his classical theological training combine to make Sex, Sushi, and Salvation a unique contribution to the lively conversation surrounding diverse attempts to forge a path for Christian living in our time. A welcome voice indeed!

This is a great new book from an exciting, young author whose hair is on fire for the Lord. I appreciate the way that every point that Christian George develops is an avenue to present the gospel. This book is a faithful exploration of the question, "Why are we here?" with meaningful and biblical insight. This is a great book for 20 and 30 somethings to spurn love of the savior in their hearts. He provides opportunity to consider what the Lord has done and the price he paid. The familiar language and raw descriptives make this book an excellent tool to give to co-workers and friends 'so that' they may know the truth.

He writes in a manner that is easy to read, his personal stories connect the reader to the writer comfortably, but the matter that he writes about is food for hungry souls...good food, like Sushi!

P.S. - Love the Jack Handey quotes

Christian George's book took me by surprise. I am guilty of rarely finishing a book - I've got ADBD (attention deficit book disorder). But this book kept my rapt attention from cover to cover.
I'm a reader, not a writer, so I can't do justice to this review. I'm just one more voice recommending this book with no reservations.

Have you ever found yourself enjoying the edgy writing style of Rob Bell or Shaine Claiborne while simultaneously shaking your head at some of their theology? If you have, I suggest you pick up Sex, Sushi & Salvation. Christian George's new book engages readers with fresh stories and comparisons, and yet he maintains a solid, biblical understanding of Christian theology.

In Sex, Sushi and Salvation, Christian shows us how God alone can quench the hunger of our souls - a hunger that demonstrates itself in our desire for intimacy (sex), community (sushi bars), and eternity (salvation). Christian's passion is to see the Church in the West revive rather than "rot," and he is doing everything he can to wake us up from our slumber of complacency.

Rather than turning to the next fad, Christian takes us back into time, showing us the passion of men like Francis of Assissi and Jonathan Edwards. As one who considers himself "a pilgrim," Christian recounts his adventures in Celtic lands, Transylvania (now Romania), Greece and Italy.

Christian's self-deprecating humor shines in every chapter. His innovative metaphors ("God walmarted himself" to describe the accessibility of Jesus" or "Christians are God's boomerangs... He bends us back to himself") make his book immensely entertaining and highly informative. There are a few moments or lines of this book which will make you laugh out loud.

But never does Christian's humor stop readers from understanding his deep appreciation for the Church and the importance of having a relationship Jesus Christ. More than anything, this emphasis on relationship stands out. Not wanting merely to know about God and God's people, Christian wants to experience these realities fully.

I highly recommend Sex, Sushi and Salvation. I plan on passing it on to some of the 20-somethings in my Sunday School class. Finally! A book that creatively engages the post-boomer generation without abandoning the truths of the gospel.

DEFINITE PROS
1. Vivid imagery. Creative metaphors give a fresh look at what God is up to. (hint: potential sermon material for pastors)
2. Personal stories. Memorable snapshots from the author's life give us a glimpse into how God shows himself to George and even ourselves.
3. Thematic chapters. Each chapter contains stories, metaphors, and biblical teaching, all weaved together, several with a Jack Handy quote!

POSSIBLE CONS
1. This book speaks volumes to complacent Christians, but intellectual skeptics seeking sophisticated arguments for Christianity will be disappointed. This book is commonsensical.
2. Although the book is unified by some important themes (God journeys with us...), each chapter is a patchwork of separate ideas that illustrate these themes. This avoids the boredom of monotony, but some may find it too fragmented.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
George is raucous, relevant, and real. I consider myself fairly well read, but I learned a lot from this book. It wasn't the deep insights that struck me most, but the author himself. When you read this book, you get to know the man Christian George, and through his sharing such intimate moments of his journey, you get to know the God who is also journeying with you.

If you like the apostle Paul, you're gonna love Christian George. In his new book, Sex, Sushi, and Salvation, George gives us a refreshing glimpse of what it really means to follow Christ--grit, grime and all.

If you want a pretty book about Jesus, this ain't it.

Like Paul, George has lived the life of a pilgrim-missionary--sharing the gospel around the globe and seeing with his own eyes the stomping grounds of great heroes of the faith.

And like Paul, he's compassionate but never compromising. The first to admit his pitifully sinful heart, yet living out Paul's mantra, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

God has even blessed him with a thorn in his flesh.

George's edgy-poetic imagery will make you shudder with horror one moment and shiver with delight the next. This book is a convicting punch between the eyeballs in a colorful and conversational tone. Get ready to pack your bags and move out of your comfort zone.

If you find your heart and stomach growling for the real Jesus, if you ache to authentically live out your faith, if you crave the courage to risk it all for the only thing that matters--you need this book.

One only has to read the cover of Christian George's book to realize it is worth investing in. Through Sex, Sushi, & Salvation, George takes readers on a engaging journey. A journey where the realities of life meet the supernatural, unexplainable Jesus Christ in a simple but reachable way. George bridges the great divide between faith and everyday life. He uses his personal journey (bumps and potholes not excluded) as the means to communicate the message. George's writing and creativity make not only the book readable but the ideas found within attainable. Sex, Sushi, & Salvation is a pleasure to read. Creativity meets theology in a challenging but engaging fashion. I recommend George's work to any who have doubt or questions and even to those who believe.