I really wanted to like Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola. I really did.

Unfortunately, like the other works by these two authors I just could not get into the groove of their prose. Leonard Sweet in particular writes in a style that does not resonate with me. I’m not sure what it is, but I find his prose more distracting than engaging, more ‘hip’ than helpful. (And let’s be honest, anyone who writes a book called SoulTsunami is way too hip for a baptist preacher like me.)

My exposure to Frank Viola has been limited, but the same seems to apply as well. There’s just something about their approach to the material that I don’t ‘get.’ I think I must be becoming more uncool or something.

The core premise – to reinstate the supremacy of Christ in our theologies and lives – is something that I can give my whole hearted consent to. It is just the execution that perplexed me.

All the same, that’s not to say that Sweet and Viola won’t resonate with you. The things about the book that did not work for me were entirely stylistic and preference-driven. Their content was excellent and worth at least exploring.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 :“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”