John Eldredge’s bestseller Wild at Heart challenged men in particular to pursue an epic, active life with God that involved mind, soul and heart. He picks up this theme in The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for the Masculine Journey. Eldredge suggests that God has created six stages in the life of a man the Beloved Son, the Cowboy, the Warrior, the Lover, the King and the Sage and that the passage through these stages is both natural and crucial for the male spiritual life. The Way of the Wild Heart is a guide for honoring these stages, even reclaiming those missed through calamity, carelessness or abuse, and leading other men (and boys) through this process as well. Once again Eldredge skillfully explores his theme using examples from Scripture, world cultures and modern storytelling, as well as instances in his own life and the lives of his growing sons. This book is not simply a repeat of earlier material; rather it is about application, and as such it is both compelling and challenging, stirring the soul and the heart toward change. Eldredge’s insights will benefit any man and the women who wish to understand and love them whether he be fatherless or sonless, 18 or 89.
Howard Shirley is the author of Acts for God: 38 Dramatic Sketches for Contemporary Services. He writes from Franklin, Tennessee.
