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Donald Miller

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Searching for God Knows What Paperback – January 1, 2004

by Donald Miller (Author)

4.6 461 ratings

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In Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller's provocative and funny book, he shows readers that the greatest desire of every person is the desire for redemption. Every person is constantly seeking redemption (or at least the feeling of it) in his or her life, believing countless gospels that promise to fix the brokenness. Typically their pursuits include the desire for fulfilling relationships, successful careers, satisfying religious systems, status, and escape. Miller reveals how the inability to find redemption leads to chaotic relationships, self-hatred, the accumulation of meaningless material possessions, and a lack of inner peace. Readers will learn to identify in themselves and within others the universal desire for redemption. They will discover that the gospel of Jesus is the only way to find meaning in life and true redemption. Mature believers as well as seekers and new Christians will find themselves identifying with the narrative journey unfolded in the book, which is simply the pursuit of redemption.

"Miller . . . writes on faith with candor and passion reminiscent of Frederick Buechner and Anne Lamott." -The Oregonian

"Like a shaken snow globe, Donald Miller's newest collection of essays creates a swirl of ideas about the Christian life that eventually crystallize into a lovely landscape . . . [He] is one of the evangelical book market's most creative writers." -Christianity Today

"For fans of Blue Like Jazz, I doubt you will be disappointed. Donald Miller writes with the wit and vulnerability that you expect. Sharing stories of his upbringing and his journey in more recent years, he perfectly illustrates important themes in a genuine and humorous manner .. . For those who would be reading Miller for the first time, this would be a great start. -Relevant

"Whenever people ask me about Donald Miller, I notice the first thing I say is, 'That guy can write.' Having met Don, I also know he seeks to live what he writes, or better said, he writes what he lives. That, I think, is the top credential for a person who writes about ultimate concerns-spirituality, meaning, purpose, life, God, and joy. In Searching for God Knows What, you'll find more of his great writing, honest feeling, and spiritual insight to help you on your journey. -Brian McLaren Pastor, Author-www.anewkindofchristian.com

Print length

246 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Thomas Nelson Inc
Publication date

January 1, 2004
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0785263713
ISBN-13

978-0785263715
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, serves as campus ministry leader at Reed College. His writing voice is casual and somewhat eccentric, while his theories—largely derived from experience rather than extensive study—are at times brilliant, at times questionable and rarely supported by outside sources. The book covers a great deal of territory: Miller's walking away from God as a teenager and returning to his faith; the competitive nature of human relationships, painfully demonstrated through junior high memories; the meaning of morality and religion; the essence of true Christianity. But Miller's main theme is dissatisfaction with the way Christianity is taught and practiced. He says the religion ought not to be presented as a formula, its tenets broken down into bullet points to fit modern Western thought patterns. At its heart, Miller argues, Christianity is relationship. Interested people should be presented with biblical stories rather than steps to salvation. Miller also believes that many Christians behave correctly but their actions lack meaning: "The tough thing about Christian spirituality is, you have to mean things. You can't just go through the motions or act religious for the wrong reasons... this thing is a thing of the heart." However, Miller offers only faint suggestions to replace the formulaic or systematic approach to faith that he denounces.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Nelson Inc; Later Printing edition (January 1, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 246 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0785263713
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0785263715
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #367,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,818 in Religious Leader Biographies
- #8,828 in Christian Spiritual Growth (Books)
- #11,109 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 461 ratings

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Donald Miller

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Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and Business Made Simple. He is the host of the Coach Builder YouTube channel and is the author of several books including bestsellers Building a StoryBrand, Marketing Made Simple, and How to Grow Your Small Business. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Elizabeth and their daughter, Emmeline.

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Thats What She Said

Most Christian's won't like this book

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2017

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Most Christian's won't like this book. People don't like to be told that being a good person doesn't earn their ticket to Heaven. Most of us refuse to identify with the diluted beliefs of those tagged as "lukewarm believers" mentioned in the New Testament.

If you're looking for a book to help you find God, you have and have not found it here.

You've found an author who has properly and courageously expounded on the real heart of Christianity. That is, the heart. You've found a book that will make you fall in love with Jesus. Like, literally fall in love. A love beyond your wildest imagination.

You have not found an author who has mapped out the perfect time of day to pray, the correct way to pray (to get them answered), or the right denomination to join.

Written with honesty, Donald Miller exposes his own short comings and sins, relating to every reader, all the while modeling his devotion to Christ and the real message of Christianity. The Bible is a love letter to you. Seemingly inspired by the widespread reckless authorship of hundreds of "Christian self help" books, corrupted theology and truth represented on TV and all of our social media, Miller takes a stand that not many Christians would be brave enough to do.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Christianity has slowly been veiled in different categories; each misrepresenting it in a catastrophically disfiguring way. Whether created out of good intentions of pastors, authors, speakers or society, or perhaps it is malignant effort, we have lost sight of the Truth of God. The truth is, He loves us. He loves us with a passion and you cannot see or feel that love until you come to know Him through the Bible. Miller bravely throws the curtains back, exposing the ugly attempts we have made in creating a god that fulfills our needs rather than forming a relationship with Jesus.

His writing and thinking is philosophical and poetic, leaving in the dust the hundreds of trendy Christian self-help books that sell out quickly, pacifying readers with their prayer-by-numbers methodology. He brought me back to "Confessions" (St. Augustine), which I read earlier this year (and which floored me), and it's evident that Miller has a calling to uncover the evils that have infiltrated the heart of Christ's message, purpose, and gift.

I may need to revise this review because this book changed me. He spoke all the Truths of God that I have been feeling while reading through the Bible, and it was something of a gift to see these thoughts and provocations in a beautiful written word. I could not put it better myself, so quoting Miller, "Being a Christian is more like falling in love than understanding a series of ideas."

18 people found this helpful

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mamgeorge

Of course Jesus is relational

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2020

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Mr. Miller challenges cold orthodoxy without dismissing its central (and necessary) objectivity. Of course Jesus is relational. Of course Christianity is relational. I feel ashamed someone has to write a book to remind us or make it plain. And it is not due to the Bible lacking clarity on the point. I am so thankful that after so many years to have these words affirmed by another.

The Bible is SO NOT written like a Salvation pamphlet or doctrinal treatise. This to me this is an embarrassingly obvious detail for any theological analysis or discussion. As a trinitarian (a view I believe is solidly supported in scripture), I can not ignore the simple fact Jesus never explains THAT doctrine in a dialog.

No, He says things like John 6:53b: “...Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves."

Talk about getting your attention. I can not imagine a more powerful visual for forcing someone to look at you squarely in the eyes to see if you are sane. "Truly truly". It is so in your face, and so unlike any normal conversation, it instantly exposes your beliefs about the speaker.

I love how Mr. Miller reminds us of Isa 53:2b "...He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him."; or the implication that His time in Nazareth left Him with a "hick" accent.

I do have some disagreements (his view of politics and flawed leadership leave many unanswered questions), but overall believe this book helps to focus on the person of Christ as revealed in His Word. I have found the insights very helpful in approaching God sincerely, and helpful in valuing others more freely.

2 people found this helpful

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SoozeSays

Insightful and entertaining - a worthwhile read

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2012

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This was my first book by Donald Miller and the first book to be read by my new neighborhood book club. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a compelling series of essays on...what the author thinks we're looking for in our lives and why...Mr. Miller has an interesting take on Christianity, psychology, and how the two are connected, as well as what we are searching for in our lives. There are also essays on the circus, morality, and a very unique take on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet - and yes, he manages to connect them. In his musings on why he has done some of the things he's done...there is a lot that rang true to me (i've got lots of self help books on my shelves too...) and things I totally disagreed with; still, I'd recommend this highly, not only for the author's interesting view of the world...but also his compelling writing style. Read it and we'll talk amongst ourselves.

2 people found this helpful

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Chad Davies

An Apologetic for a Relational Faith

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2006

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I won't go on at length here on what a number of other reviewers have already said but try to merely add my impressons from my perspective.

I've been looking for a book like this for a long time: an apologetic that argues for a faith that is based on relationship rather than rules. While there is much here than some readers may find objectionable in terms of theology, it is the general overarching theme of the book that is startling, breathtaking and, ultimately, deeply liberating.

For the last couple of years I've been wondering what the "message" of the Emerging conversation/postmodern movement might be. While no single book can capture all of the layers and complexities of the conversation, I think Miller does a wonderful job putting forth a summary of what may be the main point: that we are created for relationship with our maker and restoring and living in the relationship is what we should strive for as human beings.

While some of the theology of the book by put some readers off, the greater message of the work is more than worth the time it takes to read it. I strongly recommend this book to all who are searching for a deeper faith. I plan to buy copies for a lot of people that I know are asking the types of questions this book speaks to.

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

D. Engel

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2017

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great book :)

Mrs G

An enjoyable read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2009

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This book goes into my Best Ever Top Ten List. It was a rare combination of funny, stimulating, unpretentious and clever. I had to make notes as I read as there were so many gems I didn't want to forget.

2 people found this helpful

hollyhock

Four Stars

Reviewed in Canada on September 28, 2014

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Book was in great condition. Well written and easy to read.

Franz Kiffka

Very cool, honest, interesting, funny book.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2010

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This is a very good modern informal book written by a guy wondering what he sould be doing. He tells of how he started writing a self help book which changed and he found other ideas, people and thoughts which fill the book. Facinating, very funny at times, spiritual, deep, honest, some times profound great read. Inspirational book for modern times and modern people.

3 people found this helpful

Honest Pete

Four Stars

Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2016

Verified Purchase

good

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