Book Review: _Blue Like Jazz_ by Donald Miller
For the Christian who is disillusioned with the fundamentalists (and the fundamentals), along comes Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz, supposedly the youthful and honest voice of modern Christianity (I wouldn’t know for sure – old fart that I am). Miller writes with a very casual style – more fitting to random and disjointed diary entries. But I suppose that is what gives the book its seemingly authentic and honest veneer. Yes folks, here is a Christian who attends a secular college, gets drunk, hangs out with the dopers and attends anti-Bush rallies. Not that any of that particularly bothers me; I remember fondly the ol’ days of the Pentacostal Jesus movement from the early 70’s. “Don’t get high on drugs man, get high on Jesus. Hey wait a minute man, God said we were to care for the herb of the field – ehem, er…right man..??” Honesty means rebelliousness, I suppose.
The book was recommended to me as a means of questioning my questions, and doubting my doubts. However, this book merely frustrated me. Miller’s tepid theology is of the ‘feel good’ variety. He admits that he never really doubts his faith in Jesus, so rather than try and know him, gains self gratification by a variety of good deeds: feeding the homeless, donating time to charities, and making banners for anti-Bush rallies. Oh yes, and smoking the occasional weed. Not that there is anything wrong with his good deeds; giving is an admirable trait. However this does not make one’s faith grow – I know this from experience. At this point in my life, to save my faith, I need something convincing and convicting about the reality of Jesus Christ and the holy nature of God. Sorry Don, but endless similes and metaphors just ain’t gonna cut it. Ten pages of meaningless Don Rabbit cartoons don’t make matters much better.
On a side note, I found the entire chapter entitled “Confessions” nauseating. Miller attempts to win fellow college students to Jesus Christ by personally apologizing for the 11th century crusades. Did people really talk like that at his confession booth, or was it as contrived as it seemed?
