about you by dick staub

A few weeks ago I received a copy of Dick Staub's new book, About You subtitled Jesus Didn't Come to Make us Christian; Jesus Came to Make Us Fully Human; and I have two confessions to make.  First, the title alone was a tuning fork which was vibrating in harmony with something deep inside of me...namely the belief that the mission of Christ was and is to make us fully human.  So I knew that I was in for a treat when I opened this book.  And second, I have never heard of Dick Staub before, but apparently he is well-written and well-spoken.  This is not his first published book and he has had a nationally syndicated talk radio show (which I know nothing about).  He is also the host of The Kindlings Muse podcast.  So I hope I'm not the only one who didn't recognize the name Dick Staub.

About You is a book about us - about who we think we are and who we truly are.  It's a book about who were were created to be and for what purpose we were created.  Essentially, it's a book about identity.  And what I appreciate the most about About You is that Staub is not content to say that a fully human life is relegated only to a forgiven life.  Surely forgiveness is part of the equation, but what Staub does is he approaches identity from a wholistic perspective.  He seeks to give the gospel of Christ full application to every facet of human life!  For example, what does it mean to have fullness of life in our relationships, at our workplaces and in our work, in our behaviors and in our thoughts and emotions?  What would this kind of life look like?

While I appreciate Staub's wholistic approach to the gospel, I really like his ability to take complex "doctrine" and break it down into simple, easy to understand terms.  At the same time, Staub finds creative and imaginitive ways to intersect biblical truth and contemporary Western culture.  I whole-heartedly recommend About You for those who struggle particularly with knowing who we are and whose we are.  I can also see the value of reading this book for Christian formation as well as for pastors who may want to preach a sermon series on Christian identity (not to mention the really good sermon illustrations). 

Disclaimer: In accordance with local and federal laws, I disclose that I was given a free copy of this book for review by The Ooze Viral Bloggers. No compensation has been received for this review.