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nadoislandgirl's review against another edition
2.0
It's the OG WWJD.
I have to give this book props for making you think. What does being a Christian really mean? What does that look like in daily life?
The book is correct: a believing Christian shouldn't look just like everyone else.
The mode in which these people answer the question: 'What would Jesus do?' seems a bit stilted. Many of the people declare their NEED to suffer. A pastor who has rallied his affluent church to a renewed devotion to following Christ decides to leave to serve the poor rather than disciple these followers. And they politically campaign against 'the saloon' and 'whiskey-men.'
The book is not well-written, its idea of Christian seems to me a kind of rule-keeping, but it is still worth the read if only to make you think.
I have to give this book props for making you think. What does being a Christian really mean? What does that look like in daily life?
The book is correct: a believing Christian shouldn't look just like everyone else.
The mode in which these people answer the question: 'What would Jesus do?' seems a bit stilted. Many of the people declare their NEED to suffer. A pastor who has rallied his affluent church to a renewed devotion to following Christ decides to leave to serve the poor rather than disciple these followers. And they politically campaign against 'the saloon' and 'whiskey-men.'
The book is not well-written, its idea of Christian seems to me a kind of rule-keeping, but it is still worth the read if only to make you think.
karinaleonard's review against another edition
5.0
This book is the inspiring origin of the motto "What Would Jesus Do?". It argues against hypocritical lifestyles where action does not agree with belief and encourages all to live their religious beliefs in business, family, and politics, as well as to abandon worldliness and help others. His vision of all following in Christ's steps and asking, "What Would Jesus Do?" is what I, as a member of the LDS church, believe is Zion and what the millennium will be like.
ashlash's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
celeste57's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
In Sheldon’s 1897 classic, a minister challenges any willing members of his congregation to not make a single decision over the course of an entire year without first asking “What would Jesus do?” in the same situation. It’s a challenge that not only rocked and radically changed their own city of Raymond, but one that reached out and impacted other, larger cities in the nation, as well. Watching the faith of these characters bloom over the course of the novel, not just in spite of the testing they were experiencing due to their oath but because of it, was incredibly powerful.
A handful of characters stand out here, but most especially: Henry Maxwell, the aforementioned minister; Rachel Winslow, a soloist with an incredible voice who now much decide how she will use it; Virginia Page, a young heiress prayerfully deciding how best to use her wealth for Jesus; and Edward Norman, the editor and publisher of a local newspaper. These four were my favorite perspectives to follow, especially those of Rachel and Norman. I did think that Sheldon didn’t show us enough of their inner struggles over their decisions, however. Every single person who took “the pledge” as they called it, save one, stuck to it without wavering, which is lovely but not incredibly realistic. I found every such character beatific to a fault. They reminded me of stained-glass windows: beautifully refracting the light that shown through them but flat in and of themselves.
I first read this book when I was 17, and heading to my first out of state church camp. While I struggled some with the writing and the language, it effected me profoundly. I had been wearing a W.W.J.D. bracelet everyday for years without fully understanding the story that inspired the saying. I reread it almost half of my lifetime later as I attended an out of state church camp for the first time as an adult chaperone for my church’s youth group, and it hasn’t lost its power. It was a solemn but inspiring reminder that every life can have an impact, if we will only try to walk in His steps as best we can. This is something that I know I’ve failed at, time and again. But thankfully, we never run out of chances to try again. So that’s what I’m doing for the countless time; trying again to live my life more thoughtfully and intentionally, while asking myself often what Jesus would do in any given situation.
While this book did positively impact my life, I would feel dishonest if I didn’t discuss what I see as the drawbacks of the book. Firstly, it’s not actually very well written. I’ve read plenty of classics from the same era that have held up far better, because the author captured something of true conversation in their writing. Everything about this book feels stilted and unrealistic, even for the time in which it was set and written. If ever there was a book that was stiff, it’s this one. And for a book so short, it feels like it lasts forever. It’s very dense.
Also, from a theological perspective, Sheldon was very much a proponent of the Social Gospel movement, and it felt as if, based off of my exposure to him through this book alone, he was basically proclaiming that you couldn’t be a true Christian without being involved in social reform. This was more than likely not his intent, it’s just the vibe I get from the book. And while I absolutely agree that faith without works is dead, and that we have to put feet on our faith instead of keeping holed up within the buildings where we worship, something about the social reform arm of this feels a bit invasive or something. Anyway, that’s just a subjective issue on my part. But the writing is the main drawback here, thought the message is powerful enough to overcome it.
All of that being said, this is a book that has mattered to me for close to half of my life now. It’s a book I think about often, and I’m glad I decided to return to it. It’s a wonderful reminder that the church is not meant to gather on Sunday mornings and then forget their faith for the rest of the week. We as Christ followers are supposed to go and do and share. Our faith is to be active, and the core of us, and willing to help others in any way we can. Because that’s what Jesus would do.
lilli_nez's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kargoforth's review against another edition
4.0
This was the original "What Would Jesus Do" before the craze of the phrase. It is a classic and thought provoking story. It will challenge the reader.
emily_123's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
powellen's review against another edition
3.0
The book itself was engaging, but I thought the focus was a little off. The question Sheldon says believers should pose is "what would Jesus do?" - but what threw me off was that this question implies 1) that we try to do what God Himself did, which although the question did not seem to be taken to the extreme in the book leads to a flawed mindset. Yes, believers are called to "have the same attitude as Christ" walking in humility (Phil. 2:1-11) and to love others as He first loved us (1 John 4:10-11), and overall to walk in the will of God. But merely imitating Christ from what we read in the four gospels may leave Christians wondering "well, I'm sure I'm not supposed to go around forgiving sins and healing people like Jesus did, but what would Jesus have done in my situation here?" The answer is, we simply do not know "what Jesus would do" - He is God and we are not. It does not seem the right question to ask. Here, I think, is where I disagreed with Sheldon's point that asking "what would Jesus have me do" is the same as asking "what would Jesus do."
2) Something I missed throughout the most of the book was why people should try to do as Jesus did. It didn't come across clearly to me that the Gospel was at the heart of going out and doing good deeds. Sheldon's point appeared to be more that people must try to do as Jesus would do, and then we're able to stand rightly before him. To a point followers of Christ are ones whose faith in Christ as the power of salvation brings about works ("if your saving faith doesn't change you, then it's not a faith that saves you"). Yet there was little to no discussion that I could find on this point. Walking as Jesus did is not what saves a man - Christ's death and resurrection and the Spirit's work of regenerating the heart is what saves man. The Gospel is the power of God to save, yet without clearly coming back to this central truth, Sheldon's book seemed more an appeal to working one's way to living acceptably before God with a heavy emphasis on reforming society - which also raises the question, is the point of walking in Jesus' steps to reform society?
Perhaps I missed something. These were just my thoughts after finishing the book. Granted, it does have engaging and relatable characters for the most part. I think it has some power and really good themes throughout that are relevant to today's culture. But my overall view of the book is tainted by the flawed or perhaps incomplete approach the author advocates of what it means to follow Christ.
2) Something I missed throughout the most of the book was why people should try to do as Jesus did. It didn't come across clearly to me that the Gospel was at the heart of going out and doing good deeds. Sheldon's point appeared to be more that people must try to do as Jesus would do, and then we're able to stand rightly before him. To a point followers of Christ are ones whose faith in Christ as the power of salvation brings about works ("if your saving faith doesn't change you, then it's not a faith that saves you"). Yet there was little to no discussion that I could find on this point. Walking as Jesus did is not what saves a man - Christ's death and resurrection and the Spirit's work of regenerating the heart is what saves man. The Gospel is the power of God to save, yet without clearly coming back to this central truth, Sheldon's book seemed more an appeal to working one's way to living acceptably before God with a heavy emphasis on reforming society - which also raises the question, is the point of walking in Jesus' steps to reform society?
Perhaps I missed something. These were just my thoughts after finishing the book. Granted, it does have engaging and relatable characters for the most part. I think it has some power and really good themes throughout that are relevant to today's culture. But my overall view of the book is tainted by the flawed or perhaps incomplete approach the author advocates of what it means to follow Christ.
loverboy's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Suicide