Review of Blue Like Jazz
Posted by theresa | Dec 6, 2008
Book Review by Theresa Grosh*
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
This book is not about jazz music at all! In memoir-style, Miller shares his nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality. For someone like me who was (gratefully) born and raised in the church, I appreciate the fresh insights on Christian living that Miller shares. The author gains many of these insights from his colorful collection of friends including Tony the Beat Poet, Penny who is always right, Andrew the Protester, and his pastor Rick.
Some common themes that run throughout the book include his battle with self-absorption, Christianity versus Christian Spirituality, and loving all people regardless of our feelings toward them or their beliefs. He shares radical examples of seeking to reproduce the likeness of Christ such as confessing the sins of the church to the debaucherous students of Reed College, purposefully (and sometimes painfully) living in community with five other Christian guys, and tithing his meager writer's earnings.
Miller salts his stories and spiritual musings with a dry wit keeping the book light-hearted and easy to read all the while bearing his soul through stories of his shortcomings and lessons learned. Rather than formulaic or programatic, Christian living is freeform, unresolved, from the soul. Some would say, a lot like jazz.
*Theresa read Blue Like Jazz as part of a monthly book discussion group at Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ. The above review was prepared for the congregation's December newsletter. A special thank-you to the Youngers from Allegheny Center C&MA who passed along a copy, assuming that we'd eventually read it and recommend it to others ;-)
