Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to...

Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or ... | Frank Schaeffer | Some very good and timely stuff here. A good read!

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Crazy for God: How...

	Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or ... Frank Schaeffer Da Capo Press, 2007 - 448 pages average customer review:based on 66 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Frank Schaeffer grew up in Switzerland's L'Abri, an idealistic community founded by his parents, the American evangelicals Francis and Edith Schaeffer. By the time he was 19, his parents had achieved global fame as best-selling authors and speakers, l'Abri had become a mecca for spiritual seekers worldwide ? from Barbara Bush to Timothy Leary ? and Frank had joined his father on the evangelical circuit. By the age of 23, he had directed two multi-part religious documentaries and had helped instigate the marriage between the American evangelical community and the anti-abortion movement. But as he spoke before thousands in arenas around America, published his own evangelical bestseller, and worked with such figures as Pat Robertson, Jack Kemp, Jerry Falwell, and Dr. James Dobson, Schaeffer felt alienated, precipitating his own crisis of faith and eventually resulting in his departure. Schaeffer has since become a successful secular author. He was reduced to stealing pork chops from the grocery store in LA, rather than take on any more high-paying evangelical speaking gigs. With its up-close portraits of the leading figures of the American evangelical movement, Crazy for God is a uniquely revealing and powerful memoir, which tells its story with empathy, humor, and bite.

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A Story that Needed to be told!

I first read Frank Schaeffer's book "Baby Jack The Novel" and felt it was a brilliant story and well written. I never realized that this author was the also the same guy who was one of those fundamentalist leaders who helped marry the religious right to the GOP. In his newest book "Crazy for God" the author writes a very personal and brutally honest memoir, that opens up and exposes the underbelly of the evangelistic movement; where he was a big mover and shaker in that christian community.

His book takes us on an emotional journey with his dysfunctional family. He shares what it was like growing up in a community in Switzerland founded by his evangelical parents. His father was a leader in that religious community and it seemed to be his predetermined destiny that he would follow that same route himself. The book is so full of side stories and insights on his earlier life that the book almost comes across as a novel.

His story is fascinating and full of authentic introspection - almost too honestly written. The authors leaves himself totally exposed with all his warts and blemishes. He gives the reader a rare and different look at some of various leaders of the fundamentalist moment, like Jerry Farwell, and Pat Robertson. The book may open some eyes and minds about the dangers of politics and religion; but for those who are deeply into the faith, I think they may not too impressed by the authors concerns. Personally, I found this book fascinating on many different levels- politics, religion, family, sex, social relationships, power and the ever present egos.

The book is as much about family life, as it is about religion and belief systems. In the end, one comes away believing that the author is still evolving and seeking answers. His quest seems much more open and honest then it ever was in his earlier life. I learned a lot about the author that I liked and it only deepens my appreciation and respect for him even more as a novelist today.

"Crazy For God" could become a must read book for serious seekers looking for their own authentic path to enlightenment, or at least some inner peace. The book is an eye-opener, from someone who was on the inside and was one of their respected leaders. I highly recommend this book!

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Some very good and timely stuff here. A good read!

For me, "Crazy for God" was very worth reading on a number of levels. Granted, some sensitive souls (me included) may need to take the AA sharing approach of "Take what you like and leave the rest". Frank is a very good writer. The book flows easily from chapter to chapter, and I found it hard to put down. As I tried to read Chapter 56 aloud to my wife about Frank's last time with his Dad in the hospital remembering skiing together, I kept having to stop reading, I was so choked up. In Chapter 57 Frank revisits the abortion issue, and the way we Evangelicals over-simplify (to our shame and detriment) complex ethical problems, be they abortion, capital punishment or so called "justified" wars. It's an excellent chapter, the thoughts expressed ought to be required reading. For me it was the heart of the book.

Unlike Frank, or my own adult children, or my wife, I did not grow up in a practicing Christian home. I was a "Jesus Freak" of the early 70's from a very, very dysfunctional background. Somehow it just seems that those of us who find and surrender to Jesus after a childhood without him, go on relating to Him differently than those who were "inoculated" to Christianity from the beginning. Frank, like my own own children, is one of these. Could it be something to do with Jesus' words that those that are well don't need a physician, that He came to seek and to save those (like me at 19) who are lost? I still haven't figured this out. But, Crazy for God has helped me get a better feel for what my children must be struggling with trying to relate to (and take ownership of) the faith they grew up with.

Finally, I was a teenager in both local Swiss and then international schools from 1965 to 1969, learning to smoke dope in Geneva at the same time as young Frank. And like Frank, my parents were too occupied to make a difference. This part of the story was just fun to read. It blows my mind now to realize that all this L'Abri fellowship stuff was going on just a few miles away!

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Chock Full of Backhanded Compliments

A book, I think, that is easily misunderstood. I'm glad he wrote it. I'm glad I read it.

Great story, very relatable

Written in a way that keeps you stuck in the book for hours, Frank's story is so unusual, so unique, everyone should read it.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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