Because We Love Him

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY FEB 11, 2002

The late Cranford's passion was discipleship. Having founded a training program in which he spent many years mentoring dozens of men, he worked to distill much of his teaching into this book before his death. Interwoven with countless biblical texts, this book seeks to define what holiness is for fallen human beings and to give many practical steps for those seeking a deeper relationship with God. Cranford challenges readers to a more serious level of discipleship. His critique of the church, that "worldliness" has caused it to become lax in discipleship, will certainly strike a chord with many readers. Yet at times his tone becomes strident and even smug, lacking the grace and humility of other parts of the book. In addition, his antiquated language (people are almost always referred to as "man" or "men") and frequent use of Christian slang will limit the book's audience. Finally, many readers seeking spiritual formation will find Cranford's answers a bit simplistic. In his discussion of temptation, for example, he states that an initial act of obedience will make "our desires toward that particular temptation quickly dissipate." Unfortunately, this is not always the case. With a foreword from Henry Blackaby, Cranford's call to "embrace a life of holiness" will find a market, particularly among very conservative Christians, but its appeal to the larger Christian audience will be very limited.