Passion: The Bright Light of Glory by Louie Giglio is a compilation of transcripts from talks given at the Passion Conferences, which Giglio founded. The transcripts read like essays, all by the big names in Christian preaching and writing, such as Beth Moore and John Piper. The Passion Conferences are geared toward college-aged students, so this book is very current and relevant. The speakers expound on various Christian living topics while using culturally engaging examples and direct, to the point, speech.
A book like this is very hard to review. Since there are many different authors/speakers contributing to this tome, it's hard to give an across the board critique. Around 50% of the essays/speeches are by Giglio and are very in line with what the Passion Conferences are about and match the tone and theme. Some of the speakers transcripts I really enjoyed and some I honestly thought were awful. This seemed to be in line, though, with my opinion of the contributors other works. For example, I'm not a fan at all of John Piper's books. I was not a fan of his talks included in here either. Frances Chan, on the other hand, I often find refreshing and honest and I found him that way in this book as well. All that to say...if you enjoy the writings of any of the authors included (Giglio, Chan, Piper, Moore, Christine Caine, and Judah Smith), you will likely enjoy their talks. If you aren't a fan of them, those are a set of pages that will be lacking for you.
As far as content, yes, it is geared toward the college-aged, but it is the basics of Jesus following that most, if not all, believers need instruction and reminding of. While the more spiritually mature may find some of the talks a little light, everyone will find something in this book. The question is just a matter of how much you will find.
Overall, if you are looking for some short readings from some of your favorite authors, this is the book for you. If you are interested in the Passion Conferences, this is the book for you. If one or more of the speakers in this book really connect with you, this is the book for you. But I wouldn't necessarily call this a must read. A nice read, but not a must read.
I was provided this book free of charge in return for my honest review.
A book like this is very hard to review. Since there are many different authors/speakers contributing to this tome, it's hard to give an across the board critique. Around 50% of the essays/speeches are by Giglio and are very in line with what the Passion Conferences are about and match the tone and theme. Some of the speakers transcripts I really enjoyed and some I honestly thought were awful. This seemed to be in line, though, with my opinion of the contributors other works. For example, I'm not a fan at all of John Piper's books. I was not a fan of his talks included in here either. Frances Chan, on the other hand, I often find refreshing and honest and I found him that way in this book as well. All that to say...if you enjoy the writings of any of the authors included (Giglio, Chan, Piper, Moore, Christine Caine, and Judah Smith), you will likely enjoy their talks. If you aren't a fan of them, those are a set of pages that will be lacking for you.
As far as content, yes, it is geared toward the college-aged, but it is the basics of Jesus following that most, if not all, believers need instruction and reminding of. While the more spiritually mature may find some of the talks a little light, everyone will find something in this book. The question is just a matter of how much you will find.
Overall, if you are looking for some short readings from some of your favorite authors, this is the book for you. If you are interested in the Passion Conferences, this is the book for you. If one or more of the speakers in this book really connect with you, this is the book for you. But I wouldn't necessarily call this a must read. A nice read, but not a must read.
I was provided this book free of charge in return for my honest review.
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