As Promised: The Way of the Wild Heart

Having read all of John Eldredge's books, I looked forward to reading his newest book, "The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for the Masculine Journey."

I have talked with a few people that began to read it, but stopped reading a few chapters in because it seemed to only repeat the content of "Wild at Heart." I have to agree that I felt this way initially, but as I continued and upon finishing the book, it stirred my heart in a totally different manner.

To me, "Wild at Heart" and "Captivating" were both revolutionary. They delivered a message I think we desparately need to hear: men and women are made in the image of God and each has an important role to play. In my opinion, the purpose of those books was to wake us up and encourage us to live the life God has called each of us to live.

"Waking the Dead" was crucial in its own right and carried the message a bit farther. I have described the message of "Waking the Dead" as saying, "Now that your heart is awakened, you need to live from it fully. This is how you do that."

"The Way of the Wild Heart" simply continues the themes of those books and encourages men to seek God as their Father and receive from Him all they need. The main premise of the book proposes that there are five stages each man goes through and to live in them fully, he needs to be initiated into them. The five stages are as follows: (1) Cowboy, (2) Warrior, (3) Lover, (4) King, and (5) Sage.

Not only does Eldredge describe each stage, but he provides an analysis of how to raise a son through each stage.

Overall, I felt Eldredge delivered another crucial message. Like any book other than the Bible, it has its faults, but I derived great benefit from reading it. God used this book to continue to stir my heart toward deeper intimacy with Him.