September 14, 2009
Arguably the most influential evangelical in America, Warren gets full biographical treatment by Sheler, former religion writer for U.S. News & World Report
and author of Is the Bible True?
Sheler leaves no rock unturned in Warren's life and uncovers much about what drives the founder and leader of the 22,000-member Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif., who has trained pastors in a network of 10,000 churches in 162 countries. In offering a behind-the-scenes look into the making of a megachurch and its pastor, Sheler paints in rich detail Warren's boyhood and family life—including such personal episodes as a tragic honeymoon and his depression. The author is careful to show diverse opinions about Warren, including those who believe the pastor, initially very green in international relations, allowed himself to be used by interests that oppose U.S. foreign policy. Sheler includes the story of Billy Graham's blessing and his apparently passing the mantle of America's pastor to Warren. For Americans who believe that's an important role, this book is a vital biography to have on the shelf.
October 1, 2009
Uncritical but detailed biography of one of America's most influential living religious figures.
U.S. News& World Report contributing editor Sheler (Is the Bible True?, 1999) provides a needed overview of the life of Rick Warren, founder of the 25,000-member Saddleback Church and author of the mega-seller The Purpose Driven Life (2002). The author's near-hagiography glosses over most of the criticisms of Warren, but the book is accessible and provides important background for anyone with an interest in the preacher. Beginning with a historical discussion of Warren's Southern Baptist upbringing, Sheler covers Warren's parentage and adolescence. An accomplished teenage preacher, Warren was ordained at age 21. After completing a seminary degree, he and his wife moved to Southern California to start a new church from scratch. Warren had carefully studied the urban American landscape for places to begin ministry and settled on the Saddleback Valley area of Orange County. Beginning with a small Bible study group he cobbled together upon arriving, he launched a church in 1980 that would reach an attendance of 200 in less than a year. As the Saddleback Church grew by the thousands during the ensuing two decades, so did Warren's role in the American Evangelical landscape. From his work leading ministerial conferences on evangelism came the bestselling book The Purpose Driven Church, followed by The Purpose Driven Life, a publishing success of the first order. This new renown drove Warren into unexpected circles of influence, exemplified by such experiences as receiving a phone call from Benjamin Netanyahu while waiting in line at Starbucks, or delivering the invocation for Barack Obama's inauguration. In the final chapters of the book, Sheler looks at Warren's struggle to stay focused on ministry and to refocus in light of his success and fame.
Evangelicals will be delighted, and most readers will at least be intrigued.
(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
November 1, 2009
Sheler (contributing editor, "U.S. News & World Report; Is the Bible True?") offers a biography of one of the giants of contemporary American evangelical Christianity and, although described as "unofficial," it's done with the input of Rev. Warren, his family, and his associates so readers get an authoritative treatment that is current to mid-2009. From Warren's early choice of a life as a servant of Christ, Sheler follows Warren's work and his ever-deepening and expanding commitment. Sheler hits all of the high pointsthe growth of Saddleback, Warren's megachurch in California, the huge success of his books, his international work, and the Obama inaugural invocationbut he doesn't shy away from the difficulties or controversy either. VERDICT Warren's name guarantees that any library serving anyone who is a fan will see interest in this book. Readers interested in church growth will follow Warren's work with Saddleback with interest and be able to glean much from it. Buy for demand and expect quite a bit of it.Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 15, 2009
Shelers sober, smooth-reading life of the founder of Californias Saddleback Church makes it abundantly clear why hes considered Billy Grahams successor as Americas pastor. Warrens an all-around straight shooter, as he puts it, a man with a purposeGods purpose. A gift for undomineering leadership made the presidency a boyhood dream, but in high school, becoming a pastor, like his dad (though not as peripatetic as his dad), became his goal. Inspired by the church-growing movement, he matched and arguably exceeded its premier exponent, Bill Hybels of Illinois Willow Creek Community Church. Would-be emulators among his peers prompted his first best-seller (The Purpose Driven Church, 1995) and then the all-time nonfiction best-seller, The Purpose Driven Life (2002), which enriched him enough to start PEACE Plan to encourage all churchgoers to help the worlds needy, beginning with African AIDS orphans. And then Barack Obama requested him to pray at his inaugural, which became controversial in both the asking and the execution, partly because of Warrens unassuming answers to loaded questions. A creditable profile of an appealing man.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)