John Ortberg

1.5 stars

I was under the impression that this was a book about intimacy - specifically, intimacy found in friendship and Christian community. It was really more focused on marriage and parenting, with a bit of our relationship with God thrown in to make it "Christian" and just a blip here and there on friendship or work relationships.

It was one of those books that is so unfocused I didn't walk away with any distinct memory of what it was even about. It used a lot of stories/quotes from other books, Ortberg rambled a lot (I had a hard time seeing how many of his anecdotes were tied to whatever he was writing before and after them), and the book was repetitive. In addition, I found some of Ortberg's interpretations of Scripture a bit sketchy (as in, he read more into the Bible than what is actually there).

While someone could read this and walk away with a good nugget or two (especially if this is their first foray into relationship self-help books), I think most people would be better off skipping this one and going straight to the tried-and-true books on relationships - particularly if they're looking for books that cover more than marriage and parenting.… (mere)

Thoughtful writing on a topic that isn't new, but does need to be brought back into church minds every so often. The theme is, as Jesus taught, that 'eternity' isn't just what happens after we die, but here and now, in God's kingdom.

I have always liked John Ortberg's style; he uses anecdotes from his family life as examples, plenty of Scriptural backing for his thoughts, and a clear way of writing. When he uses long words such as 'purgation' he explains what he means (getting rid of unnecessary baggage).

As with most Christian books this is a reminder rather than anything radical (the subtitle notwithstanding) but well worth pondering on. Recommended.

Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2023/05/eternity-is-now-by-john-ortberg.htm...… (mere)