Evaluation of Thesis and Presentation

Yancey introduces each chapter by describing a correlating event in history or in his own life as to why this mentor matters, the impact the mentor had on him, and why we should study them. Each chapter takes the reader through the life and times of the mentor, their work, and the impact they have made on society. Yancey uses these spiritual guides to focus on one or two key issues that he has personally struggled with in his own Christian faith and how these mentors seemed to fight or struggle with the same cause.

While Yancey provides the reader with numerous reasons why these people matter and how they made an impact on his life, he is not scared to show them as flawed individuals. He does not hide their issues with sin, whether that is adultery, homosexuality, or even denying Christ, but shows that despite their sins, God has used these thirteen individuals to reclaim his faith. As Yancey presents these flawed individuals it seems as though he begins to appreciate them more because they are imperfect and he identifies with them not being the only one to struggle with faith.

As the book progresses through the mentors, Yancey begins to open up more and divulge more of his personal life. It is helpful to the reader who may be struggling with their own doubts on faith to see this popular Christian writer being vulnerable with his doubts, troubles, failures, and struggles. Some chapters near the end of the book almost seem to be more about Yancey and his journey than about the individual he is spotlighting. As a reader who has many struggles and questions about life and faith, Soul Survivor helps me feel like I am not alone. I can identify with Yancey because of our shared background in a legalistic church, in addition to the racist society that was around us. It took many years and a work of God to help us both overcome those horrors of our early years. In a time when many Christians tend to not show their vulnerabilities and present themselves with this perfect spiritual walk, Yancey’s stories about his doubts and whether or not he even believed what salvation means, is refreshing to me.

Through most chapters he provides the reader with several helpful concluding paragraphs about what he learned from the individual. This summation provides a wonderful way to tie the chapter to a close and leave the reader with one or two takeaways. Some chapters, on the other hand, do not provide this summary of what he learned from that mentor; instead, the chapter is spotted with little snippets of what he learned from that individual.

The book is not without its flaws as some chapters seem to provide superficial overviews, like the ones on G.K. Chesterton and Dr. C. Everett Koop, which can make the chapter feel incomplete even wonder why they were included in a book of only thirteen individuals. This is in part due to the brilliance of the other chapters that take the reader to the time and place of that mentor and of Yancey himself. The details and the storytelling of these chapters are amazing and not only provide the readers with lessons to learn, but cause the reader to ponder questions about their faith and past. At the end of each chapter, the reader understands why these people mattered to Yancey and can feel his passion for them. The chapter closes with several recommendations from Yancey on how the reader can learn more from that individual by providing several recommendations of their work and biographies. Yancey is able to convey a passion that motivates the reader to study these individuals, see why they matter, see why they changed the world, and how it can be applied to anyone.

What I appreciate about this book is how Yancey shows what other Christians should learn from the selected mentors. A common theme found in many of these individuals is how they chose a simpler life. They chose to give up or not seek the materialism of the world and instead seek contentment in their spiritual journey, finding it within their case. Their lives may have been full of poverty, but the way they helped people, encouraged others, and made a difference, they lived rich and fulfilling lives. One of the best examples of this is the chapter on Gandhi in which Yancey describes how Gandhi read the New Testament and admired the way Jesus lived. The theme of this chapter is that Gandhi, a Hindu, better exemplified Christ than many Christians do: he cared for the needy and marginalized and lived out the commands of Jesus to love another oftentimes neglecting his own well-being.

Soul Survivor leaves the reader inspired: the reader is motivated to not be afraid to ask the hard questions about God and faith. The reader is stimulated to seek answers and be open to the numerous ways God can speak to the individual, even through non-Christians and non-traditional mediums. The reader is encouraged to learn more about these individuals and examine those in their own lives who have acted as a spiritual guide. Soul Survivor shows how God can take an individual that was subject to the worst of church behavior and heal and transform this person. God would then use Yancey and his struggles to help and encourage others who have struggled with similar stories.

Personal and Ministerial Applications

Soul Survivor is not just a story of Philip Yancey’s faith, but has numerous applications for the reader. First, Yancey studied some of the greatest authors in the world and he saw the power of their words. He felt a desire within him to write and he sought out that passion. As he explored his passion and gift for writing, the words became even more powerful for him:  he decided to pursue writing further to help others but mainly to explore the deepest and hardest questions of his own faith and begin to repair the hurt. I believe this is a reminder for each of us that God has granted us a gifting that can be used to not only serve society, but serve the church and Christians as a whole. While many of us do not have the gift of writing like Yancey, God has given each of us a gift to be used for some specific purpose. I believe it is important for me to continue to explore what my gifts are and how I may use them. As I have struggled to find my passions for many years and how they can be used, this book is a great reminder of not wasting what God has created us to do.

Second, while each chapter had a specific focus not only on the individual but also a part of Christian life, a theme that I saw over and over was how God spoke to many of these people in the mundane and ordinary parts of life. While many think of God working in these big, miraculous, supernatural ways, Yancey provides examples like Annie Dillard and Frederick Buechner as those who find and see God in the humdrum of daily life. The point Yancey makes is for all of us to be open to how God is working in our daily lives. We miss God thousands of times a day: when the birds sing or a baby coos, while waking or sleeping, in the city or in the mountains, wherever we are God is revealing Himself to us. I must remember these teachings and be open to how God reveals Himself.

While there are many other lessons from Soul Survivor that space will now allow including service, loving the marginalized, and listening to God through non-Christians, the final application for me is mentors. Yancey wrote a touching and inspiring tribute to thirteen individuals who helped shape his faith. What I thought was most intriguing about this is that many of these individuals he has never met. I never thought of mentors being someone whom I have never met or had any real conversation with. Then, I remembered that Dr. Kreider mentioned in the soteriology class that he had several mentors as well he had never met like Bono, Dylan, and Rich Mullins. Soul Survivor inspired me to think about those in my life who have impacted me the most. In my many years of going to church and during my time at seminary, I have only had one actual mentor that I could have conversations with. He was a pastor at a church that I attended when I first moved to Fort Worth, Texas. Other than him, I have not had one. I do think a mentoring program is something that is missing in many churches. I realize that pastors cannot mentor everyone but it could be beneficial to have some type of program where pastors, elders, and other godly church members would be open to mentoring the younger generation.

So who are my mentors? Who are these people that have shaped my faith and taught me more about God? Obviously, due to space constraints I cannot write in detail about these mentors as Yancey does in the book, but I can think about it. The people in my life that have mattered the most have come from a variety of different mediums. In the realm of music, groups such as Jesus Culture and Bethel Music have led me to appreciate worship music in a different way: they have led me to deeper worship and inspired me to seek God more. Authors such as A.W. Tozer and J.I. Packer have awakened in me a greater reverence for God and to think rightly of Him. Author Larry Crabb has caused me to examine myself, my past, and my experiences to cultivate a greater longing for God and how to find satisfaction in Him. Baroque painter Caravaggio first opened my eyes to the brilliance of art; in his paintings, subjects jump off of the canvas, come alive, and are completely beautiful. He inspired me to find how God uses the talents of people to show His beauty, whether or not they are Christian or non-Christian. Finally, Dr. Glenn Kreider has become a mentor for me. I have taken two online courses from him through Dallas Theological Seminary and one in person for which I now write this paper. He was the first Christian leader that stressed the importance of culture and staying relevant for ministry. I have heard a number of bad reasons and excuses people have made for listening to or watching things for the sake of relevance, yet Dr. Kreider made it make sense. He taught me how to listen to the song, emotions, and story to understand what the culture or artist is trying to say. He challenges the students to not just watch or listen, but to truly open oneself up to listening for a greater meaning and purpose behind the presentation. While there are many others, these are just a few that have stuck with me.

Conclusion

Growing up in a strict and legalistic environment similar to Philip Yancey, I can appreciate how he found God and His wisdom in a variety of different individuals that profoundly impacted him. Yancey found mentors through interacting with their material and as he did they influenced, taught, and impacted him. Yancey reminds each of us that anyone can be a mentor, regardless of time or space constraints. In addition, a mentor does not necessarily have to hold the same view or values as you do; God can use their view or words to provide some statement of truth or cause one to search God more. Each mentor provides Yancey, and the reader, with a way to learn from them on how to handle their own longings. Yancey reminds the reader that some longings lead us to becoming the person God wants us to be and toward God Himself, or the longings can lead to a tired and depressed state. From these mentors, Yancey has learned to sense these longings as intimations of something more, worthy of his ceaseless although potential futile pursuit, and to resist the temptation to settle for less. For Yancey, his mentors came along at a crucial time in his life and helped him follow a direction that shaped his beliefs and led him to a more abundant life. Soul Survivor is a book that challenges the reader to think honestly about the church, about one’s faith and personal beliefs. Yancey challenges the reader to not only ask the tough questions of God and Christianity, but to seek out the answers with the help of God and be open to what He is revealing. Soul Survivor is the story of how thirteen unlikely individuals helped one man overcome the hurt to find a true God that is beautiful, loving, kind, and gracious.

 

Bibliography

 

Yancey, Philip. Soul Survivor. Colorado Spring: Waterbrook Press, 2001.