The Purpose of Christmas

January 15, 2009
Warren (founder, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA; "The Purpose Driven Life") has written a warm and fuzzy holiday book commemorating what he sees as the three purposes of Christmas: to celebrate the Christian God's love for you, to seek salvation through Jesus Christ, and to strive for reconciliation with Jesus Christ and God. This is neither a scholarly exposition on the meanings of Christmas nor a deeply theological meditation on questions of faith and divinity. The wisdom in this book does not rise above Warren's closing advice: "Hold a birthday party for Jesus this Christmas." Warren's book does well what it is supposed to doit gives noncontroversial, unblemished, feel-good holiday cheer to the believer. There are books written to add to the intellectual and spiritual wealth of the public, and there are books written to be personal gifts given with a whole heart from one evangelical Christian to another. This is a gift book, and it's not recommended for library collections.Glenn Masuchika, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., University Park

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