Dug Down Deep: Not Your Ordinary Theological Primer

I had, of course, heard of Joshua Harris; having been in church for 17 years and served as a youth counselor for many of those, I couldn't avoid hearing about how he "kissed dating good-bye."  I made many bad decisions as a young adult until ultimately led to Christ, and had mixed feelings about what I heard about his suggestions but I never had the chance to read the book for myself.

Harris is a married man now, with three children and a thriving pastoral ministry.  As many of us do, he has matured and he has knowledge to impart.  Knowing about, but never having read anything by him, I opened this book with eager anticipation.  I was not disappointed.

The subtitle of Dug Down Deep is "Building Your Life on Truths that Last," and the central scripture is Luke 6:47-48 where Jesus described "the only true foundation for life."  Harris sets the stage with his own experiences and his longing for us to have a solid foundation on which to build our faith.

There are many books that can teach you about the definitions of "church-y" words like "doctrine," "theology," "atonement," and the like.  You can pick up a dictionary -- or visit dictionary.com as I often do.  However, this book is so much more than a mere list of definitions.  Neither is it a dry recitation of those definitions with fancy words and difficult-to-follow sentences.  Harris walks us through systematic theology using glimpses of his own walk, timely and relevant scripture references and the works of theologians both past and present.  The definitions are relatively easy to understand and the examples are often poignant, always appropriate.

This book is useful both as a source for the beginning of your study of church doctrine and orthodoxy, and as a reference as you mature in your faith and come to your own realizations of what those words actually mean to you personally.

It is both easy to read and understand AND mature.  I'll want all my children (ages 14, 18 and 21) to read it but also my husband, who leads a growing men's ministry.

Thank you, Mr. Harris, for a text that is  informative and riveting; useful and meaningful; literate and loving.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this 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.”