Skip to content ↓

Book Review – Walking With Arthur

Book Reviews Collection cover image

Walking With Arthur is a spiritual memoir. It is one man’s story of a friend God used to guide him to the Lord. As such it is a story not unlike many every Christian has heard. Yet I never grow tired of hearing how God brings His people to Himself, and the circumstances he saves them from.

1984 was a big year for James O’Donnell. It is the year his father died; the year his salary was cut despite great success in his field; the year he decided to divorce his wife; and the year he met Arthur. Arthur, who was older and had been a Christian for a long time, listened to, guided and helped his new friend. He showed him a glimpse of the power of God working in the heart of one of His people. 1984 went from a year of great darkness to a year of the brightest light.

Having told the story of his conversion, the author turns the book over to his friend. It concludes with an epilogue written by Arthur, humbled at having been used in such a way. “To me, the substance of what Jim recalls sounds more like the work of the Holy Spirit, introducing a prism into Jim’s perceptions of me and what I did. Jim saw and heard what he needed to in order to bring him closer to God” (page 148). And isn’t that just how the Holy Spirit works. Arthur concludes the book by writing, “I am astonished and fortunate to have been so used. But the truth is that if I had been given Jim’s teaching and writing skills, I would be writing a book called Walking With Jim” (page 150).

The book is well-written (despite the use of a few too many colloquialisms) and on the whole the theology is sound. While a valuable book, and one I can recommend (even if not too enthusiastically), I would not consider it a must-read. Still, it has a certain charm and I did enjoy it.

RatingEvaluation
★★Theology/Accuracy
I had a few small concerns, but on the whole it was solid.
★★Readability
Would be 3 if there hadn’t been so many colloquialisms.
★★Uniqueness
There are plenty of books similar to this.
★★★Importance
While it is a useful book, there are certainly others that are more important.
Overall
A good reminder of the importance of being a good and consistent witness to those God puts in our lives.
More About Ratings & Reviews

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (November 21)

    A La Carte: Lessons from Trump’s and Harris’s social media campaigns / What is my spiritual gift? / The messages we receive / 10 mistakes I’ve made in preaching / Big Kindle and book sales / and more.

  • Finn

    I’m a Grandfather!

    Yesterday Abby and Nathan welcomed their first child into the world: Finnegan Safir Nicholas Elfarrah. Because they live just minutes away, Aileen and I were able to be there shortly after his birth to rejoice with them and to meet our first grandchild. We are thrilled beyond measure. And he is cute beyond belief. They…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (November 20)

    A La Carte: Pray till you pray / Do children need to consent to puberty? / Pleading for Sodom / A thought experiment / 10 mistakes when reading the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (November 19)

    A La Carte: Good night, my son / The longing for justice following sexual assault / Daughter of encouragement / Mistakes I made as a theological student / The dangers of disordered love / Kindle deals / and more.

  • What Grieves the Heart of God

    What Grieves the Heart of God?

    What pleases God? What delights his heart? And what displeases God? What grieves his heart? If asked, I think most of us would assume that if we ever grieve the heart of God it will be through denying the gospel or committing a grave moral scandal. Or if we do so as a local church,…