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The Dangers of a Shallow Faith: Awakening from Spiritual Lethargy
A Call for Every Christian to Move from Shallow Living to Deep Faith
In The Dangers of a Shallow Faith , renowned theologian A.W. Tozer warns believers in Christ against the great danger of spiritual lethargy. He urges Christians to be aware of the times in which they live and to recognize how attempting to live a life for God on autopilot will actually undermine their faith. For Tozer, the risks are so significant that "breaking out from the tyranny of spiritual lethargy--whatever the cost--should be the number-one priority of every Christian."
In this never-before-published compilation, followers of Christ will discover anew the importance of standing boldly against spiritual and moral slumber. They will also see the importance of remaining awake in the face of constant temptation and distraction. Discover the spiritual awakening and change the Holy Spirit can bring to your life as you surrender completely to God and walk in a deeper faith!
In The Dangers of a Shallow Faith , renowned theologian A.W. Tozer warns believers in Christ against the great danger of spiritual lethargy. He urges Christians to be aware of the times in which they live and to recognize how attempting to live a life for God on autopilot will actually undermine their faith. For Tozer, the risks are so significant that "breaking out from the tyranny of spiritual lethargy--whatever the cost--should be the number-one priority of every Christian."
In this never-before-published compilation, followers of Christ will discover anew the importance of standing boldly against spiritual and moral slumber. They will also see the importance of remaining awake in the face of constant temptation and distraction. Discover the spiritual awakening and change the Holy Spirit can bring to your life as you surrender completely to God and walk in a deeper faith!
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
1266 people are currently reading
1870 people want to read
About the author
A.W. Tozer
665 books2,106 followersAiden Wilson Tozer was an American evangelical pastor, speaker, writer, and editor. After coming to Christ at the age of seventeen, Tozer found his way into the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination where he served for over forty years. In 1950, he was appointed by the denomination's General Council to be the editor of "The Alliance Witness" (now "Alliance Life").
Born into poverty in western Pennsylvania in 1897, Tozer died in May 1963 a self-educated man who had taught himself what he missed in high school and college due to his home situation. Though he wrote many books, two of them, "The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy" are widely considered to be classics.
A.W. Tozer and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, had seven children, six boys and one girl.
Born into poverty in western Pennsylvania in 1897, Tozer died in May 1963 a self-educated man who had taught himself what he missed in high school and college due to his home situation. Though he wrote many books, two of them, "The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy" are widely considered to be classics.
A.W. Tozer and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, had seven children, six boys and one girl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
January 16, 2022
First sentence: The evangelical church in America is facing some serious hazards that threaten to bring it to the brink of apostasy.
Although A.W. Tozer died in 1963, his words for the church (and for the world) seem to be written for this generation. Perhaps because to some extent truth is truth is truth is truth. Perhaps because the church seemed to be heading towards danger then if you had eyes to discern it, and has plunged further in with each passing generation so that now very little discernment is needed to see what is obvious.
Tozer argues that the church--much of it, some of it--is spiritually (and somewhat morally) lethargic and is in need of awakening. To what degree and extent the church or "the church" needs awakening, believers may always quibble.
One observation I have is that things that did concern Tozer greatly now seem so ordinary, so casual, so "normal" that they no longer concern us. Or rather they rarely concern us, and to "major" in these "minors" make us the weird, strange, out-of-touch ones. For example, Tozer's thoughts on television and movies. There are still some believers who ponder and reflect on the rights and wrongs of specific titles. Should I watch this movie? Is this series okay for me to watch? But those that object to EVERYTHING are few and far between. We see that as too extreme. One could easily dismiss Tozer as being irrelevant...if you wanted to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Here's the thing, Tozer IS relevant. You don't have to read very far to realize this. Tozer has a very God-centered, Jesus-centered, Word-centered way to see the world. Not just bits and pieces, but the world at large. Because of this, his writing is hard to ignore or dismiss.
His works are thought-provoking. I may not agree 100% with every single sentence in every single book. But I will be sure be thinking deeply about what I'm reading.
My top five quotes:
Boredom with religion is conceivable, but being bored with God is not. Those who have encountered God and His mighty, awesome presence could never come to the point of boredom.
The true Christian has an insatiable appetite for Christ and the things of Christ, while the world has no such appetite. Christ stands alone, and He does not imitate; neither does He court the world in a lame attempt to win the world.
When truth has been revealed in the Word of God, our business is to find out what that truth is, and in all of our teaching conform to that truth. We are not to edit or change it, but to let it stand just as it is. Nonconformity to the truth brings disaster. The enormity of the disaster depends upon the high level or the low level of the facts you have before you. No one who holds a right concept of God can go far wrong in anything else. All the mistakes that have been made, all the great fundamental errors, have rested on a wrong concept of God.
Men are not willing to let God be what He says He is. They attempt to change, correct, alter and apologize for God, in an attempt to make Him be other than what He is. God is, and we had better accept Him as He is. God is, and the angels want Him to be what He is. God is, and the elders and the saints and heavenly creatures want Him to be what He is. We had better want Him to be what He is, and conform ourselves to what He is. No lasting structure can be built on a bad foundation.
Believe about yourself what God says about you. Believe you are as bad as God says you are, and believe you are as far from Him as God says you are. Then believe in Christ and that you can come as near to Him as He says you can, and accept what He says about you as being true.
Although A.W. Tozer died in 1963, his words for the church (and for the world) seem to be written for this generation. Perhaps because to some extent truth is truth is truth is truth. Perhaps because the church seemed to be heading towards danger then if you had eyes to discern it, and has plunged further in with each passing generation so that now very little discernment is needed to see what is obvious.
Tozer argues that the church--much of it, some of it--is spiritually (and somewhat morally) lethargic and is in need of awakening. To what degree and extent the church or "the church" needs awakening, believers may always quibble.
One observation I have is that things that did concern Tozer greatly now seem so ordinary, so casual, so "normal" that they no longer concern us. Or rather they rarely concern us, and to "major" in these "minors" make us the weird, strange, out-of-touch ones. For example, Tozer's thoughts on television and movies. There are still some believers who ponder and reflect on the rights and wrongs of specific titles. Should I watch this movie? Is this series okay for me to watch? But those that object to EVERYTHING are few and far between. We see that as too extreme. One could easily dismiss Tozer as being irrelevant...if you wanted to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Here's the thing, Tozer IS relevant. You don't have to read very far to realize this. Tozer has a very God-centered, Jesus-centered, Word-centered way to see the world. Not just bits and pieces, but the world at large. Because of this, his writing is hard to ignore or dismiss.
His works are thought-provoking. I may not agree 100% with every single sentence in every single book. But I will be sure be thinking deeply about what I'm reading.
My top five quotes:
Boredom with religion is conceivable, but being bored with God is not. Those who have encountered God and His mighty, awesome presence could never come to the point of boredom.
The true Christian has an insatiable appetite for Christ and the things of Christ, while the world has no such appetite. Christ stands alone, and He does not imitate; neither does He court the world in a lame attempt to win the world.
When truth has been revealed in the Word of God, our business is to find out what that truth is, and in all of our teaching conform to that truth. We are not to edit or change it, but to let it stand just as it is. Nonconformity to the truth brings disaster. The enormity of the disaster depends upon the high level or the low level of the facts you have before you. No one who holds a right concept of God can go far wrong in anything else. All the mistakes that have been made, all the great fundamental errors, have rested on a wrong concept of God.
Men are not willing to let God be what He says He is. They attempt to change, correct, alter and apologize for God, in an attempt to make Him be other than what He is. God is, and we had better accept Him as He is. God is, and the angels want Him to be what He is. God is, and the elders and the saints and heavenly creatures want Him to be what He is. We had better want Him to be what He is, and conform ourselves to what He is. No lasting structure can be built on a bad foundation.
Believe about yourself what God says about you. Believe you are as bad as God says you are, and believe you are as far from Him as God says you are. Then believe in Christ and that you can come as near to Him as He says you can, and accept what He says about you as being true.
May 15, 2020
Excellent book. A necessary read.
December 5, 2025
“𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒚𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒚—𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕—𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓-𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏.”
It really saddens me to have to say this about an A.W. Tozer book, but I simply did not find this book as spiritually enlightening as I was hoping it would be. It read quite differently than any of his previous books that I’ve read and loved. There was a lot of repetition in what was being said in this particular book to try to drive the point home, but it kind of did the opposite for me and made the point seem less strong and true. After some research, I found the reason for this to be because this book is a compilation of his past sermons and such like, in which he would have repeated certain points for listeners. I’m more used to the written prose style Tozer used in the books he labored over himself, rather than the ones James Snyder compiled and edited. My favorites of Tozer are The Knowledge of the Holy, The Pursuit of God, and God’s Pursuit of Man. All three are extremely rich in spiritual insight and can be reread numerous times and still continue to be immensely beneficial.
All that being said, this book did still have some really good points and takeaways that I greatly appreciated. I would still highly recommend it to others to read even though I was a bit disappointed in it.
.
.
.
Quotes:
•The Bible has no compromise whatsoever with the world.
•To negotiate with the world is to forfeit the sense of God's presence.
•It is not by reading the Scriptures in the original languages or in some contemporary version that makes us better Christians. Rather, it is getting on our knees with the Scriptures spread before us, and allowing the Spirit of God to break our hearts. Then, when we have been thoroughly broken before God Almighty, we get up off our knees, go out into the world and proclaim the glorious message of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
•True Christianity is a mystery, a wonder, something alien and transcendent in this world. The Christianity of the New Testament is incomprehensible to the world. There is absolutely no way to build a bridge between the world's standards and the Church's standards.
•What this generation of Christians needs is not religious entertainment to satisfy carnal appetites; rather, it needs some biblically based literature that challenges and stirs the soul to deeper appreciation of God and Christ and the whole plan of salvation. It is true that what we feed is what grows. If we feed the carnal nature and its appetite, that will be the overpowering aspect of our life. If we feed the spiritual, our appetite for the things of God will grow.
•Boredom with religion is conceivable, but being bored with God is not.
•No cheap thrill can ever replace the ecstatic joy of knowing Jesus Christ.
•When truth has been revealed in the Word of God, our business is to find out what that truth is, and in all of our teaching conform to that truth. We are not to edit or change it, but to let it stand just as it is.
•You cannot know truth about yourself unless you first know truth about God.
•We must contend but not be contentious.
•Our ability to change our mind is our hope.
•Backsliding begins with the heart.
•Whenever talk of God and His Word and His work in the world bores us, be sure that we are wrong inside.
•Everything has a consequence.
•For what we are will determine our destiny.
•Free choice is as necessary to holiness as it is to sin.
•It is virtually impossible to help a person until he comes to the point of realizing he needs help and in what areas of life he needs help.
•The flesh is with us always, and unless conquered on a daily basis, it will bring nothing but trouble.
•A discouraged heart always exaggerates everything.
•Time alone with God, with an open Bible, can change a heart filled with defeat into a heart rejoicing in the unchangeable promises of God.
•Freedom to do good is the Christian’s liberty.
•Work is not a result of man's sin; working in sorrow is a result of man's sin.
•Any Christian worth his salt will find something to do in the kingdom of God.
•If God gave you possessions, thank God for them. But break with the grip of the world's philosophies and make God everything. If God is everything to you, you can have anything else and it will not hurt you.
•Remember, you have not done anything about truth until you have acted on it. If it is a statement, it is to be believed. If it is a command, it is to be obeyed. If you have not believed or obeyea, you have not done anything, and you have postponed your Christian life.
•If there is ever a time when we need to be honest, it is when we are alone in the presence of God.
•If you want to be holy—if you want to serve God—you have to give time to God.
•No man can afford to lose his soul.
•There is only one way to make good on an intention, and that is to turn it into action.
•Wherever we do the will of God, we are free. Wherever we break from the will of God, we are slaves.
•What happens to your soul cannot be blamed on heredity or on environment.
•Nobody will ever be truly saved until he knows he is a sinner.
•Battles are always lost before they are fought.
•Remember that without prayer, you cannot win; and with it, you cannot lose. Granted, of course, that it is true prayer, and not just the saying of words; and granted that your life is in harmony with your prayer. If you fail to pray, you cannot win. For the Lord gave us the example of anticipatory prayer-getting ready tor any event by seeking the face of God in watchful prayer at regular times.
•Either God is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.
•I firmly believe that true faith rises in the soul of the man or woman who will fall on his face before an open Bible and allow God to be God in his life.
•God desires to bring our lives into the full sunlight of His favor. That requires not serving ourselves or pleasing others or ourselves, but giving ourselves completely, in absolute surrender, to God through the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. The end result is living the intentional Christian life.
It really saddens me to have to say this about an A.W. Tozer book, but I simply did not find this book as spiritually enlightening as I was hoping it would be. It read quite differently than any of his previous books that I’ve read and loved. There was a lot of repetition in what was being said in this particular book to try to drive the point home, but it kind of did the opposite for me and made the point seem less strong and true. After some research, I found the reason for this to be because this book is a compilation of his past sermons and such like, in which he would have repeated certain points for listeners. I’m more used to the written prose style Tozer used in the books he labored over himself, rather than the ones James Snyder compiled and edited. My favorites of Tozer are The Knowledge of the Holy, The Pursuit of God, and God’s Pursuit of Man. All three are extremely rich in spiritual insight and can be reread numerous times and still continue to be immensely beneficial.
All that being said, this book did still have some really good points and takeaways that I greatly appreciated. I would still highly recommend it to others to read even though I was a bit disappointed in it.
.
.
.
Quotes:
•The Bible has no compromise whatsoever with the world.
•To negotiate with the world is to forfeit the sense of God's presence.
•It is not by reading the Scriptures in the original languages or in some contemporary version that makes us better Christians. Rather, it is getting on our knees with the Scriptures spread before us, and allowing the Spirit of God to break our hearts. Then, when we have been thoroughly broken before God Almighty, we get up off our knees, go out into the world and proclaim the glorious message of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
•True Christianity is a mystery, a wonder, something alien and transcendent in this world. The Christianity of the New Testament is incomprehensible to the world. There is absolutely no way to build a bridge between the world's standards and the Church's standards.
•What this generation of Christians needs is not religious entertainment to satisfy carnal appetites; rather, it needs some biblically based literature that challenges and stirs the soul to deeper appreciation of God and Christ and the whole plan of salvation. It is true that what we feed is what grows. If we feed the carnal nature and its appetite, that will be the overpowering aspect of our life. If we feed the spiritual, our appetite for the things of God will grow.
•Boredom with religion is conceivable, but being bored with God is not.
•No cheap thrill can ever replace the ecstatic joy of knowing Jesus Christ.
•When truth has been revealed in the Word of God, our business is to find out what that truth is, and in all of our teaching conform to that truth. We are not to edit or change it, but to let it stand just as it is.
•You cannot know truth about yourself unless you first know truth about God.
•We must contend but not be contentious.
•Our ability to change our mind is our hope.
•Backsliding begins with the heart.
•Whenever talk of God and His Word and His work in the world bores us, be sure that we are wrong inside.
•Everything has a consequence.
•For what we are will determine our destiny.
•Free choice is as necessary to holiness as it is to sin.
•It is virtually impossible to help a person until he comes to the point of realizing he needs help and in what areas of life he needs help.
•The flesh is with us always, and unless conquered on a daily basis, it will bring nothing but trouble.
•A discouraged heart always exaggerates everything.
•Time alone with God, with an open Bible, can change a heart filled with defeat into a heart rejoicing in the unchangeable promises of God.
•Freedom to do good is the Christian’s liberty.
•Work is not a result of man's sin; working in sorrow is a result of man's sin.
•Any Christian worth his salt will find something to do in the kingdom of God.
•If God gave you possessions, thank God for them. But break with the grip of the world's philosophies and make God everything. If God is everything to you, you can have anything else and it will not hurt you.
•Remember, you have not done anything about truth until you have acted on it. If it is a statement, it is to be believed. If it is a command, it is to be obeyed. If you have not believed or obeyea, you have not done anything, and you have postponed your Christian life.
•If there is ever a time when we need to be honest, it is when we are alone in the presence of God.
•If you want to be holy—if you want to serve God—you have to give time to God.
•No man can afford to lose his soul.
•There is only one way to make good on an intention, and that is to turn it into action.
•Wherever we do the will of God, we are free. Wherever we break from the will of God, we are slaves.
•What happens to your soul cannot be blamed on heredity or on environment.
•Nobody will ever be truly saved until he knows he is a sinner.
•Battles are always lost before they are fought.
•Remember that without prayer, you cannot win; and with it, you cannot lose. Granted, of course, that it is true prayer, and not just the saying of words; and granted that your life is in harmony with your prayer. If you fail to pray, you cannot win. For the Lord gave us the example of anticipatory prayer-getting ready tor any event by seeking the face of God in watchful prayer at regular times.
•Either God is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all.
•I firmly believe that true faith rises in the soul of the man or woman who will fall on his face before an open Bible and allow God to be God in his life.
•God desires to bring our lives into the full sunlight of His favor. That requires not serving ourselves or pleasing others or ourselves, but giving ourselves completely, in absolute surrender, to God through the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. The end result is living the intentional Christian life.
January 19, 2023
This book really hit home on the dangers of a shallow faith and many sections spoke to me personally in my Christian walk. Edited by James Snyder to add some modern day thoughts, since Tozer passed away in 1963, it is well organized chapter by chapter, touching on things such as lethargy in reading the Bible and praying, as well the push/pull from the world, getting too busy for God, but not waiting on Him.
This is not a ear-tickling book and makes you look at how your Christian faith and walk are going.
This is not a ear-tickling book and makes you look at how your Christian faith and walk are going.
February 9, 2018
The first chapter of this book is a wonderful example of why Tozer is called a prophet. Though he died in 1963, Tozer put his finger on the pulse of today's church and diagnosed our condition masterfully. The chapter is a great opener for a book seeking to awaken a soul from spiritual lethargy because it awakens the longing of a Christians heart, be it ever so quite, for revival.
For me personally, this book came at a time when I was awakening from my slumber. It was one of many tools the Lord used to disrupt my sleep and reignite the passion in my heart for a awakening in our generation. We have lost the power of holiness in our churches today. We flourish in activities, music, elegant preaching, exciting worship, but we lack the power of the Holy Spirit which changes lives, empowers to overcome sin, moves hearts to repentance.
The time for awakening is now and this book is a great way to begin!
For me personally, this book came at a time when I was awakening from my slumber. It was one of many tools the Lord used to disrupt my sleep and reignite the passion in my heart for a awakening in our generation. We have lost the power of holiness in our churches today. We flourish in activities, music, elegant preaching, exciting worship, but we lack the power of the Holy Spirit which changes lives, empowers to overcome sin, moves hearts to repentance.
The time for awakening is now and this book is a great way to begin!
January 31, 2017
I didn't enjoy this book as much as Tozer's others. Yes, we need to take our faith seriously. But the applications Tozer made all seemed more to do with d0- and don't-list kinds of Christianity (read your Bible, pray, avoid worldly entertainment) and less so with matters of the heart (Love God, walk humbly, show mercy). But some of his predictions have been spot on. The man really was a prophet in our time (well, in the 20th century, anyhow).
November 6, 2020
Tozer's delivery does not leave you guessing, it is bold and convicting. Refreshing truth that I needed to hear.
Much, if not all, of what he observed lacking within the evangelical church in the 1950's, has now come to pass. Some may dismiss him as being self righteous, I do not. He was able to give a voice to some of my own misgivings and challenged me to change some things I have come to tolerate. I am adding this to the books that need to be read over and over.
Much, if not all, of what he observed lacking within the evangelical church in the 1950's, has now come to pass. Some may dismiss him as being self righteous, I do not. He was able to give a voice to some of my own misgivings and challenged me to change some things I have come to tolerate. I am adding this to the books that need to be read over and over.
February 7, 2018
Have you ever read a book and thought, "The bulk of that book was excellent but there were several things in the content that made it sub-five-star in ranking?" This was the case for me when I read, "The Dangers of a Shallow Faith." So much of what Tozer wrote was a spiritual encouragement, at times---many time, reaching into the realm of admonition to my own heart. That was so good. The book was a book that encouraged me, challenged me, built me up, confronted me, etc. It offered some very helpful thoughts about what causes spiritual lethargy and what the answers are for such. I'm guessing that for the most part, the reader of this book will be challenged and encouraged in his/her faith, so I definitely would not want to throw the baby out with the proverbial bathwater.
There were just a couple of issues in the book that made it harder for me to give it a higher rating. First, the stage for the book was set by an introduction written by a guy names James L. Snyder, who compiled and edited the book. Snyder placed on Tozer the title of a modern day "prophet." Placing such a mantle on Tozer leaves one in the precarious position of knowing that he can never disagree with what "the prophet" has spoken. Thus, the title, "Prophet" is misplaced. Why use such terminology? It merely confuses. Why not simply say that pastor and theologian, A.W. Tozer has a very strong and much needed message for the church today.
Second, Tozer gets very confusing in his chapter titled, "Living the Dynamics of God's Kingdom," when he tries to explain the power behind words. What Tozer wrote came across as a convoluted mess as he tried to make a valid point and that valid point is basically, "If the Holy Spirit isn't at work in a person's life and you try to share God's truth with that person, the words are useless. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to take the words of truth and empower those words." The chapter had good points but some of what Tozer was trying to explain was just outright confusing.
I'm certain that as God's people read through Tozer, many will be encouraged and challenged in their walk with Christ. It's not Tozer's finest writing but not one that should just be outright rejected.
There were just a couple of issues in the book that made it harder for me to give it a higher rating. First, the stage for the book was set by an introduction written by a guy names James L. Snyder, who compiled and edited the book. Snyder placed on Tozer the title of a modern day "prophet." Placing such a mantle on Tozer leaves one in the precarious position of knowing that he can never disagree with what "the prophet" has spoken. Thus, the title, "Prophet" is misplaced. Why use such terminology? It merely confuses. Why not simply say that pastor and theologian, A.W. Tozer has a very strong and much needed message for the church today.
Second, Tozer gets very confusing in his chapter titled, "Living the Dynamics of God's Kingdom," when he tries to explain the power behind words. What Tozer wrote came across as a convoluted mess as he tried to make a valid point and that valid point is basically, "If the Holy Spirit isn't at work in a person's life and you try to share God's truth with that person, the words are useless. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to take the words of truth and empower those words." The chapter had good points but some of what Tozer was trying to explain was just outright confusing.
I'm certain that as God's people read through Tozer, many will be encouraged and challenged in their walk with Christ. It's not Tozer's finest writing but not one that should just be outright rejected.
January 20, 2021
7/10
“We are not worshiping God on the throne but have come to the point of worshiping the shadow of the throne.”
The Dangers of a shallow faith is an invective against the stale form of evangelicalism that remains to this day. Tozer saw the state of the church, and more impressively its direction, and called for another path of personal devotion and higher standards. Essentially a bottom up, not top down church. Each member is responsible for themselves and their growth. He calls us to look to the future, rather then living off of the success of the past. The church still needs this message as we act as though Billy Graham is still one of our great leaders. This is laughable, we have no great leaders, no great theologians in evangelicalism. It’s a dying version of Christianity looking on a gilded past the covers its rotting foundation. And yet, its still beautiful because of what it represents, and Who it worships, even when it does so so poorly.
The Bible does not compromise with the world, it corrects it.
Activity for activities sake. The church fills its calendar to validate its own existence.
No longer to feelings stem from within, they are induced from without
Christianity is not a democracy. You are responsible for yourself to Christ. Don’t worry so much about the theology of others, rather worry about yourself and see if you’re moving towards Christ.
“We are not worshiping God on the throne but have come to the point of worshiping the shadow of the throne.”
The Dangers of a shallow faith is an invective against the stale form of evangelicalism that remains to this day. Tozer saw the state of the church, and more impressively its direction, and called for another path of personal devotion and higher standards. Essentially a bottom up, not top down church. Each member is responsible for themselves and their growth. He calls us to look to the future, rather then living off of the success of the past. The church still needs this message as we act as though Billy Graham is still one of our great leaders. This is laughable, we have no great leaders, no great theologians in evangelicalism. It’s a dying version of Christianity looking on a gilded past the covers its rotting foundation. And yet, its still beautiful because of what it represents, and Who it worships, even when it does so so poorly.
The Bible does not compromise with the world, it corrects it.
Activity for activities sake. The church fills its calendar to validate its own existence.
No longer to feelings stem from within, they are induced from without
Christianity is not a democracy. You are responsible for yourself to Christ. Don’t worry so much about the theology of others, rather worry about yourself and see if you’re moving towards Christ.
June 21, 2022
Otro libro más de Tozer terminado y, por tercera vez, vuelvo a quedarme impresionada de los libros de este hombre. La forma en la que escribe, tratando temas profundos pero de una manera tan simple, es simplemente impresionante y captivante, haciendo que sus libros se lean rápido y fácil.
Concretamente en este libro trata los peligros a los que se enfrenta la Iglesia de Dios y los cristianos en el día de hoy (como por ejemplo: falsas doctrinas o el querer hacer de la misa un espectáculo que satisfaga las necesidades de las personas antes que dar alabanza a Dios) y cómo hacerles frente (hace mucho hincapié en la oración y sobre todo cómo esta debe ser una constante en la vida de la vida de una persona).
He de decir que, aunque el libro está dividido en tres partes para mi las dos primeras las he visto iguales (o muy muy similares) dado que tratan los “problemas” y en la última vienen las “soluciones”
April 23, 2025
An easy but personally challenging read. I can imagine Tozer preaching this book in a church and getting a ton of responses for people to take their faith seriously.
The book is written to the evangelical church. If Tozer saw the evangelical church I think he would be heart broken.
He talks about the need for people to be entertained in church, to be fed with shallow Theology/ doctrine as well as the need to consume and not be active in their faith. He talks about the worship being about the band and not god, he talks about reading the Bible for magical phrases opposed to getting to know the character of god. He discusses being too busy or not busy enough for God as well as other topics.
The short autobiography of Tozer at the end was good but I think it may have been better to have it at the beginning.
The book is written to the evangelical church. If Tozer saw the evangelical church I think he would be heart broken.
He talks about the need for people to be entertained in church, to be fed with shallow Theology/ doctrine as well as the need to consume and not be active in their faith. He talks about the worship being about the band and not god, he talks about reading the Bible for magical phrases opposed to getting to know the character of god. He discusses being too busy or not busy enough for God as well as other topics.
The short autobiography of Tozer at the end was good but I think it may have been better to have it at the beginning.
November 22, 2025
Excellent timeless book about the dangers of spiritual lethargy. Lots of great warnings and challenging things to wrestle with. Every Christian should read this through and do some serious self examination!!
October 8, 2025
This was a really good book. Great reminders. It's a book I will put on my yearly reads list.
December 25, 2022
The Dangers of a Shallow Faith was a good read. Convicting at times and makes you really examine your own faith. So many truths to what is going on in the world/church now, even though it was written a while ago. Worth the read.
January 7, 2017
The most important part was his definition of describing spiritual lethargy as living off of yesterday's momentum. Outside of that the book wasn't my favorite and i didn't feel the need to finish reading it.
August 9, 2025
This is the first book I read by A.W. Tozer. My father owns all of his novels and loves him, so I had to read his work myself to see why he’s held in such high regard. Honestly, I can see why now!
As a Christian, I enjoy reading religious nonfiction novels. This one isn’t the type to hold your hand. Mr. Tozer didn’t cover this book with flowery writing and pretend to be your friend. Instead, he told you exactly what you needed to hear, especially if you’re the type of person who can be lackadaisical with your relationship with God. I’m guilty of this, just like every other sinner can be! Despite him pretty much saying “you’re a sinner and you need to get smart if you’re going to spend eternity with God”, he made his points while also caring about you.
His writing style was fascinating. His sentence structure was long, yet simple. His constant use of adjectives caught my attention and made the novel interesting, but didn’t wander away from the points he wanted to make. It makes me sad knowing he had passed away long before I was born; it would have been exciting to have a conversation with him about his thought process.
If you’re a believer who tends to have trouble staying focused when it comes to your relationship with God, this is the novel for you! I plan to read his other novels over time as well. My father isn’t the only fan of A.W. Tozer in my family now!
As a Christian, I enjoy reading religious nonfiction novels. This one isn’t the type to hold your hand. Mr. Tozer didn’t cover this book with flowery writing and pretend to be your friend. Instead, he told you exactly what you needed to hear, especially if you’re the type of person who can be lackadaisical with your relationship with God. I’m guilty of this, just like every other sinner can be! Despite him pretty much saying “you’re a sinner and you need to get smart if you’re going to spend eternity with God”, he made his points while also caring about you.
His writing style was fascinating. His sentence structure was long, yet simple. His constant use of adjectives caught my attention and made the novel interesting, but didn’t wander away from the points he wanted to make. It makes me sad knowing he had passed away long before I was born; it would have been exciting to have a conversation with him about his thought process.
If you’re a believer who tends to have trouble staying focused when it comes to your relationship with God, this is the novel for you! I plan to read his other novels over time as well. My father isn’t the only fan of A.W. Tozer in my family now!
February 20, 2021
Eu cred că relatarea despre Felix, din cartea Faptele Apostolilor 24, este un semn pe autostrada vieții care ne spune tuturor: „Ai grijă, la punctul acesta este o curbă vârf de ac.” Felix a pierit la o curbă vârf de ac. Felix a pierdut ceea ce nu-și putea permite să piardă. Dacă Felix și-ar fi pierdut serviciul, pute trece peste asta. Oricum l-a pierdut doi ani mai târziu. Dacă și-ar fi pierdut soția, putea trece și peste asta. Dacă și-ar fi pierdut sănătatea și pe asta ar fi putut trece. Dacă și-ar fi pierdut chiar viața, chiar și asta și-ar fi putut permite. Noi toți trebuie să murim. Dar el a pierdut ceea ce niciun om nu-și poate permite să piardă. Felix și-a pierdut sufletul. Nimeni nu-și poate permite să-și piardă sufletul. Nimeni nu-și poate permite să-și piardă acel tezaur prețios pentru care zicem „mâine...mâine...mâine.”
A. W. Tozer
A. W. Tozer
October 23, 2022
Even though Tozer addressed the church 70 years ago, his concerns for the effects of shallow faith and lethargy of the believers are even more applicable today. In a society that is used to things being easy, where immediate gratification is blossoming, and everything is concentrated around the flourishing of the individual self - we need a stern reminder of where we stand as believers, as communities, as Jesus followers and as a Church at large.
His writing is straightforward and at times it might sound harsh or unapologetic - but it comes from a deeper desire and care for our souls to be vigilant and attuned to God's heart.
His writing is straightforward and at times it might sound harsh or unapologetic - but it comes from a deeper desire and care for our souls to be vigilant and attuned to God's heart.
April 23, 2025
Not really finished, but I've been so overcome by the time I got to around 30% that I stopped reading and commenced thinking about it. It appears that the Dangers of a Shallow Faith are many.I am still thinking, meditating, about it.
With books like this one, I often buy the actual book so that I can highlight, underline, scribble my thoughts and/or comments related to what I've read. So that's what I'll do with the book.
I do recommend it. It's very intense though, so don't be surprised or afraid to take it on. It's definitely worth reading, and often because it's a good refresher to take one's spiritual temperature. We definitely don't want to come up lukewarm! (See.Revelation 1)
With books like this one, I often buy the actual book so that I can highlight, underline, scribble my thoughts and/or comments related to what I've read. So that's what I'll do with the book.
I do recommend it. It's very intense though, so don't be surprised or afraid to take it on. It's definitely worth reading, and often because it's a good refresher to take one's spiritual temperature. We definitely don't want to come up lukewarm! (See.Revelation 1)
October 1, 2025
Tozer calls every believer to see the glory of God and the value in sacrificing all in obedience for His glory. Contrasted with the popular Christianity's rather anemic call to have Christ and live your best life now, it is shocking at times. But then so is Christ's call to take up your cross and follow Him. Tozer's writing is saturated with scripture and so filled with its power. So, as you read it and it exposes the lazy habits, blind spots, or compromises in your life, just remember that it might be the Bible that is correcting you and not just Tozer. By the end, you will feel energized to give your all to our Savior.
August 11, 2019
Definitely a “light a fire under your faith” book full of inspiration. I agree with almost all of his writings but do hesitate to buy into his balance between grace and legalisms.
Full heartedly agree that grace isn’t just a life pass to do as you want, but I don’t necessarily believe there is a do/don’t do list for salvation.
That being said, I LOVE when he describes how one can always put off praying and reading the Bible. I am a huge violator in this regard and this quick read helped reignite my priorities!
Full heartedly agree that grace isn’t just a life pass to do as you want, but I don’t necessarily believe there is a do/don’t do list for salvation.
That being said, I LOVE when he describes how one can always put off praying and reading the Bible. I am a huge violator in this regard and this quick read helped reignite my priorities!
July 25, 2020
So, I mostly liked this book. Pretty typical in Tozer style, lots of thought on Christian living. It was good. It threw me off, around chapter 15 or so, when talking about propaganda in advertisements, and radio, TV, and… The Internet. That threw me off, as Tozer obviously died long before the Internet. So I became a bit confused at whose voice I was listening to in this book. Not that it became more or less a good narrative on Christian living, it just threw me a bit. So, not my favorite of his books. But still good.
July 10, 2021
One of the best christian books I’ve ever read, a truly awakening read for ALL christians, especially for those that want to get away from the modern-day cultural based religious system, that has, in essence, nothing to do with what true Christianity really means. This is a book that will provoke you to self-reflection, and, in the best case, to repentance. It’s a call out for all the people that have converted to christianity, as Tozer states several times,based on John 3:16, in a laid back attitude that God’s love is enough to assure them commodity for the rest of their lives.
June 7, 2023
“If God never answered another prayer for me as long as I live, I still want God to know that I want to serve Him until I die. If He never did another thing for me from this day on, if He withdrew His hand and let me go to pieces physically, mentally, emotionally, financially and every other way, I would still want Him to know I want to serve Him just because He is God”
Let this be true of me! God is God and I am thankful! This book was so convicting of the ways that I intentionally or unintentionally have become lethargic in my walk with Christ.
Let this be true of me! God is God and I am thankful! This book was so convicting of the ways that I intentionally or unintentionally have become lethargic in my walk with Christ.
September 26, 2025
I love how this book was prefaced with a warning to the readers that A.W. Tozer kind of lights up the church, but push through because he gets to some good stuff. And itnwas 100% correct. Although it was mostly written over 60+ years ago, pretty much everything he said about the church is still true today.
Tozer is brutally honest with Christians, I would've loved to see/hear him preach. He definitely had a unique way of explaining true faith and what it really means to walk with God. I will be reading some of his other books for sure. I'll probably read this one again as well.
Tozer is brutally honest with Christians, I would've loved to see/hear him preach. He definitely had a unique way of explaining true faith and what it really means to walk with God. I will be reading some of his other books for sure. I'll probably read this one again as well.
April 15, 2019
Recuerda: mientras el pecado, el diablo, la enfermedad y la muerte acampen a sus anchas por la Tierra, las cosas no irán bien. No vives en un mundo que está dispuesto a matener tu salud espiritual.
Si estamos completamente comprometidos a vivir una vida cristiana intencionada disfrutamos de una gran ventaja. Esta ventaja es la opinión que Dios tiene de nosotros. Lo que Dios hace en nuestras vidas hoy no solo tiene consecuencias para el presente, sino para toda la eternidad.
Si estamos completamente comprometidos a vivir una vida cristiana intencionada disfrutamos de una gran ventaja. Esta ventaja es la opinión que Dios tiene de nosotros. Lo que Dios hace en nuestras vidas hoy no solo tiene consecuencias para el presente, sino para toda la eternidad.
October 29, 2019
What an amazing book! To many People in the church are not living up to their full potential. This book addresses that! People are suffering from spiritual lethargy and must be woken up! This book is for sure a wake up call to wake up and be watchful that the enemy does not get a foothold in and draw you away from Christ, less you fall from grace. I highly recommended this book for any believer young and old READ THIS!
November 12, 2019
Worth the read...
Reading this book was a well-timed read for me, personally. The style of writing was appropriate for the topic of the book... like grabbing and shaking or throwing cold water on a sleepwalker. I did see some repetition, as others have stated. But it is still Tozer... and I’ll read just about anything he wrote, due to his spiritual insight and clear, to-the-point style.
Reading this book was a well-timed read for me, personally. The style of writing was appropriate for the topic of the book... like grabbing and shaking or throwing cold water on a sleepwalker. I did see some repetition, as others have stated. But it is still Tozer... and I’ll read just about anything he wrote, due to his spiritual insight and clear, to-the-point style.
January 26, 2025
A wake-up call to Christians
A.W. Tozer has such a wonderful gift of delivering that wake-up call with a mixture of concern and warning , not for the Church, or the church leaders as I first thought, but for you and me, the people of God who make up our churches. Some have said he had prophetic powers; all I know is that this book seemed to predict the spiritual crises facing us today with startling precision.
A.W. Tozer has such a wonderful gift of delivering that wake-up call with a mixture of concern and warning , not for the Church, or the church leaders as I first thought, but for you and me, the people of God who make up our churches. Some have said he had prophetic powers; all I know is that this book seemed to predict the spiritual crises facing us today with startling precision.
October 10, 2025
Tozer was so ahead of his time. Many of the dangers he warned about during his day are still present in the church today. I was convicted many times during this book. I can convince myself that “I’ve arrived” in my spiritual journey, but there is always more I can do, more sin that I can remove, more service I can provide. Until I am conformed to the perfect image of Jesus, I will never arrive. Faith is essential…without it, it is impossible to please Him.
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