Book: Epic – The Story God Is Telling and the Role That Is Yours to Play

Author: John Eldredge

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Details: hardcover, 5×7 format, 104 pages

Reviewer: David Kinnaman

Maybe the re-circulated air at 30,000 feet (which is where I read John Eldredge’s newest book, Epic) makes mere words on a page more appealing. Maybe that explains why I liked Epic so much. But the altitude certainly doesn’t help the taste of food – or much else, for that matter – so I doubt that’s it. 

Epic is one of the best books I have read this year. Actually, the diminutive, 104-page book is one of the best descriptions of the message of Christianity – or the Story, as John describes it – that I have yet encountered. It makes the Gospel clear. Imaginative. Compelling. 

It recasts the Story’s four main Acts (Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration) by showing how those themes are captured in our culture’s favorite movies and literature. With frequent references to such films as Lord of the Rings, Apollo 13, Star Wars, Gladiator, Titanic, and the Matrix – as well as timely quotes from great writers like G.K. Chesterton, John Milton, C.S. Lewis, and William Shakespeare – Epic helped me to envision the Great Story of Christianity from a fresh perspective. 

Importantly, the book also contains a lot of Scripture. The descriptions of Heaven and Hell as well as Satan and Angels gave biblical fuel to the book’s content. This is not a book about theology, but John touches on often misunderstood parts of the Christian story – such as the problem of evil, free will, and eternal punishment – by describing them in their proper context, as understandable elements of the story.

Although the cover art seems out of sync with a youthful audience, the frequent references to films and the simple, short format will appeal to young adults and many teenagers. In fact, the book will be of significantly less value to people who are not familiar with popular films since much of the book’s imaginative power comes from these references. The language is accessible and appropriate for believers and for seekers. And I can imagine lots of ways the compact hardback could be put to use: in small groups and house churches, as gifts for friends and family members, and as the basis for a sermon series.

Maybe the highest praise I can give the book is the feeling I had after turning the last page. I wished I could give a copy to every person on the plane, believing that the content – just a few hours of reading – could fire each person’s imagination for the God of Heaven, writing His Epic for every soul to find their place. At least the flight attendant got my copy. And if you knew my passion for collecting books, giving away a volume that I love leads me to suspect the effects of oxygen deprivation at 30,000 feet. Though I doubt that’s it.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 20th, 2004 at 9:26 am by Terry and is filed under
Warning: Parameter 1 to wp_jroute() expected to be a reference, value given in /home/barna/www/www/components/com_wordpress/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 183
Book Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the
Warning: Parameter 1 to wp_jroute() expected to be a reference, value given in /home/barna/www/www/components/com_wordpress/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 183
RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.