Book Review: Step-By-Step along the path to spiritual maturity

Since humankind has sought connection with God we have looked for ways to describe the process of spiritual maturity. The Old Testament used wandering in the wilderness. Jesus talked about taking up one's cross. The apostle Paul often used the metaphor of athletes training for a race. In The Walk, former NFL running back Shaun Alexander (with help from Joe Hilley)uses the metaphor of walking with God as a framework for describing the process of spiritual growth.

Shaun Alexander - The Walk from waterbrook multnomah on Vimeo.

Alexander's book is definitely a pleasant read. As you might expect, he tells many stories from his life in football. They are well told, and always helpfully illustrate his points. Alexander also has a knack for defining theological terms in clear, simple language. I found him to display good insight into the human condition.

If there is a drawback to this book it is that Alexander seeks to make one's walk with God a simple and clear process. He describes a five stage process to the spiritual walk. He suggests that each stage must be experienced in order. According to Alexander, Christians further along in the walk are best suited to mentor those who are two stages behind them. Although there is much helpful insight given for each stage of the walk, the progress to spiritual maturity is rarely this linear. The stages themselves seem forced to me and I found it difficult to get past that as the book progressed.

The Walk by Shaun Alexander (Chapter 1)

I recommend The Walk with reservations. I think it could be a helpful group study book for a men's ministry and a good gift book for a Christian sports fan.

NOTE: I received a copy of the book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review through their Blogging for Books program.