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The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life
Curiosity is such a childish word, right?
Not so fast. Just because we grow up doesn’t mean we should lose our wonder at the world, or the people around us. When we do, we lose so much because curious is how God made us to be.
Without curiosity a Christian’s life is incomplete. His relationship with God is incomplete. His connections to others are incomplete. He doesn’t know how to interact with the world around him—politics, media, art, entertainment, science, and so much more simply fly past or overwhelm him. Without curiosity he can never discover deep things, deep connections God tucked below the banal surface of life.
Author Barnabas Piper explores what curiosity is, and how it affects relationships. What if people so sought to learn about each other that the most unlikely people became advocates and friends?
It would be transformative, and it would stem from curiosity.
Not so fast. Just because we grow up doesn’t mean we should lose our wonder at the world, or the people around us. When we do, we lose so much because curious is how God made us to be.
Without curiosity a Christian’s life is incomplete. His relationship with God is incomplete. His connections to others are incomplete. He doesn’t know how to interact with the world around him—politics, media, art, entertainment, science, and so much more simply fly past or overwhelm him. Without curiosity he can never discover deep things, deep connections God tucked below the banal surface of life.
Author Barnabas Piper explores what curiosity is, and how it affects relationships. What if people so sought to learn about each other that the most unlikely people became advocates and friends?
It would be transformative, and it would stem from curiosity.
176 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2017
39 people are currently reading
694 people want to read
About the author
Barnabas Piper
12 books1,150 followersBarnabas Piper is a pastor, author, podcaster, and speaker who lives near Nashville, Tennessee with his family. He writes regularly for He Reads Truth and blogs at BarnabasPiper.com. He has authored several books and Bible studies and also co-hosts The Happy Rant podcast, a popular show discussing issues of faith and culture in a light-hearted, humorous manner.
Barnabas's work can be found in many publications and websites. He can be heard regularly as a guest on various podcasts and speaks at churches, camps, and conferences nationwide.
Barnabas's work can be found in many publications and websites. He can be heard regularly as a guest on various podcasts and speaks at churches, camps, and conferences nationwide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
November 12, 2024
Such a feast of a book! I'm picky with my nonfiction (it has to be very readable and on a topic that interests me), and this one delivered. My only regret is that I didn't read it sooner. 🧡
February 10, 2017
In his last book "Help My Unbelief", Barnabas Piper wrote about doubt and questioning your faith in your Christian walk. We are finite beings who struggle to understand an infinite, powerful God. Not to mention that God chose to reveal himself in a way that sparks questions instead of providing easy instructions and simple answers. This is why God actually welcomes our curiosity. In this book, "The Curious Christian", Piper expands on the content from his previous book and also breaks it down into more practical, everyday applications.
Piper does a great job of demonstrating the significance of curiosity in all areas of a person's life, from relationships, to the workplace, to nature, even music and books. Being curious about our surroundings will help us grow and bring us to a closer relationship with God, therefore making us better image bearers of God. Throughout the book Piper is careful to include scriptural references that tie concepts directly back to Christ and His Word. I especially appreciate the last chapter, "How to Live a Curious Life", that provides tips for being curious and intentional in your life.
The Bible tells us to have faith like a child. Children are naturally curious. Questions are the currency for their imagination. Piper admonishes that as we mature and put away childish things, this certainly does not mean curiosity. He notes that to do so would arrest the development of our souls. Asking and investigating will lead to knowledge and understanding. For example: You are not a Christian, but you are curious about the Bible, this book that Christians claim is the infallible, inerrant, living and breathing Word of God. Your curiosity leads you to seek the truth. You start reading and digging deeper and you are amazed at what you find: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Word - the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus - how He conquered death, hell and the grave and He ascended into Heaven. Your curiosity has uncovered Christ's love for you and eternal salvation. Your curiosity has radically changed your life.
I recommend this book to all Christians who are curious about discovering more out of life as they develop a closer relationship with God. I received this as a free ARC from B&H Books, B&H Publishing Group, on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Piper does a great job of demonstrating the significance of curiosity in all areas of a person's life, from relationships, to the workplace, to nature, even music and books. Being curious about our surroundings will help us grow and bring us to a closer relationship with God, therefore making us better image bearers of God. Throughout the book Piper is careful to include scriptural references that tie concepts directly back to Christ and His Word. I especially appreciate the last chapter, "How to Live a Curious Life", that provides tips for being curious and intentional in your life.
The Bible tells us to have faith like a child. Children are naturally curious. Questions are the currency for their imagination. Piper admonishes that as we mature and put away childish things, this certainly does not mean curiosity. He notes that to do so would arrest the development of our souls. Asking and investigating will lead to knowledge and understanding. For example: You are not a Christian, but you are curious about the Bible, this book that Christians claim is the infallible, inerrant, living and breathing Word of God. Your curiosity leads you to seek the truth. You start reading and digging deeper and you are amazed at what you find: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Word - the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus - how He conquered death, hell and the grave and He ascended into Heaven. Your curiosity has uncovered Christ's love for you and eternal salvation. Your curiosity has radically changed your life.
I recommend this book to all Christians who are curious about discovering more out of life as they develop a closer relationship with God. I received this as a free ARC from B&H Books, B&H Publishing Group, on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2017
I have never thought about the concept of curiosity in the context of Christianity. Often, in my personal experience, there is an aversion in many Christian circles to curiosity driven by fear of temptation toward sin. When I saw the title of this book I must confess I thought, "Why would a Christian author write about curiosity?" Let me say that I am glad that he did.
Barnabas Piper's "The Curious Christian" is amazing in that it made me curious about curiosity. How curious am I? How curious should I be? In this book Piper explores what he calls a "godly curiosity". He asserts that curiosity should be an intentional effort in the life of a Christian, and after reading this book I think he is right. How do we find out more about God? Curiosity drives us to the Scriptures. How do we find out more about the people around us that need the Gospel? Curiosity about the people and their situation. This book will challenge you to examine your level of curiosity, increase it, and leverage it for godly purposes. My personal favorite part is the last segment that gives some practical steps to help grow in curiosity. Are you a curious Christian? Read this book and find out.
Barnabas Piper's "The Curious Christian" is amazing in that it made me curious about curiosity. How curious am I? How curious should I be? In this book Piper explores what he calls a "godly curiosity". He asserts that curiosity should be an intentional effort in the life of a Christian, and after reading this book I think he is right. How do we find out more about God? Curiosity drives us to the Scriptures. How do we find out more about the people around us that need the Gospel? Curiosity about the people and their situation. This book will challenge you to examine your level of curiosity, increase it, and leverage it for godly purposes. My personal favorite part is the last segment that gives some practical steps to help grow in curiosity. Are you a curious Christian? Read this book and find out.
March 22, 2017
Curiosity is an interesting thing. For some, it is a childish idea; a nuisance that is only a waste of time. But for others, it is curiosity that spurs on their discovery of new ideas. For Christians, Piper argues, it is an integral part of knowing God better and serving others more.
I really enjoyed the perspective Piper puts on curiosity in the Christian life. He argues for its importance and how our curiosity can help us try to understand God better in His creation and His Word. How can we truly say we love God if we are not curious about Him and wanting to know Him better?
Along those same lines, Piper argues that we can't truly love others if we aren't curious about them. How will we get to know and understand them if we show no interest in who they are as people? This portion of the book really stood out to me as an excellent primer for why we should be investing in those relationships with others and trying to get to know them. This is what is truly meant by loving one's neighbor and being willing to serve them.
I really liked this book. It might be the best book I'll read this year. Barnabas Piper really knows how to write in a real way, one that is applicable to real life and what we go through each day. I highly recommend Christians check this book out and seek to be more curious every day.
I really enjoyed the perspective Piper puts on curiosity in the Christian life. He argues for its importance and how our curiosity can help us try to understand God better in His creation and His Word. How can we truly say we love God if we are not curious about Him and wanting to know Him better?
Along those same lines, Piper argues that we can't truly love others if we aren't curious about them. How will we get to know and understand them if we show no interest in who they are as people? This portion of the book really stood out to me as an excellent primer for why we should be investing in those relationships with others and trying to get to know them. This is what is truly meant by loving one's neighbor and being willing to serve them.
I really liked this book. It might be the best book I'll read this year. Barnabas Piper really knows how to write in a real way, one that is applicable to real life and what we go through each day. I highly recommend Christians check this book out and seek to be more curious every day.
March 27, 2017
I’m biased because I absolutely love this author, but I’ll try my best to be as objective as possible.
First of all, I must admit that the theme of the book wasn’t very appealing to me in the beginning; thus I assume I actually belong to that group this content was intended to.
I found very interesting this idea of how curiosity makes us live exciting lives, but we’re also encouraged to wonder from a place of truth seeking.
My favorite chapter is the one that describes the part curiosity plays in doubt and skepticism. I also loved almost every single quote in the book.
Sometimes, I make connections between God’s truths and movies/books/tvshows, and, yeah, I’ve felt a bit guilty in the past because there is this thing in me that says that I should only quote the Bible if I want to talk about God. However, this book showed me that I can also honor God by recognizing his principles in everything I see/hear.
**I received a copy of this book from B&H Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own**
First of all, I must admit that the theme of the book wasn’t very appealing to me in the beginning; thus I assume I actually belong to that group this content was intended to.
I found very interesting this idea of how curiosity makes us live exciting lives, but we’re also encouraged to wonder from a place of truth seeking.
My favorite chapter is the one that describes the part curiosity plays in doubt and skepticism. I also loved almost every single quote in the book.
Sometimes, I make connections between God’s truths and movies/books/tvshows, and, yeah, I’ve felt a bit guilty in the past because there is this thing in me that says that I should only quote the Bible if I want to talk about God. However, this book showed me that I can also honor God by recognizing his principles in everything I see/hear.
**I received a copy of this book from B&H Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own**
May 17, 2019
Barnabas Piper is the son of John Piper, but this book was primarily inspired by his mom, whose spirit of curiosity opened up the world to him as a child. Piper argues that curiosity is, in fact, an important spiritual discipline that should be cultivated by Christians. “Curiosity,” Piper says, “is dynamic and demands movement."
Curiosity is important in all areas of our life: from relationships, to the workplace, to nature. Curiosity fuels a healthy relationship with God. Curiosity is one of the components of a vibrant child-like faith. “In order to represent God to the world, we must know Him, and to do that we must learn. We must search for truth about His nature, His character, and His work. We must explore both His Word and His world. We absolutely must be curious if we are Christians. Without it we cease to grow and we become incapable of fulfilling our purpose in life. If we start by growing in this divine curiosity we will then be prepared to begin exploring this weird, complicated messy world that is full of so much amazing truth and beauty and so many awful lies and horror."
Piper says that curiosity is connected to Christ’s mission for us: "Curiosity is a primary tool for fulfilling the mission of Christ. Without it we are distant from and clueless about those who need Jesus most." Curiosity shouldn’t be confused with the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge in and of itself is not necessarily valuable or God-honoring. "Knowledge is worth as much as what you do with it or how it shapes you. If you have profound knowledge of life-altering genetic research and do nothing with it, then it is worth less than if I use my sports trivia knowledge to spark a new friendship. If you’ve graduated from seminary and are well-versed in theology, it means nothing unless it is expanding your heart for Jesus and for those who still need Him."
He says, "Curiosity leads to discovery of great truth throughout all of life. Without it we tread the same paths to and from work, in and out of relationships, through our churches, across the pages of books and Scripture, all without ever seeing what’s really there." If we believe that we are made to grow, then we must be open to be challenged and to the process of discovery.
In reality, most of us run away from that which is different: “When most people see something that makes little sense to them, instead of engaging it, they cringe, cross the street, and hustle on their way, leaving it for someone else to deal with.” In fact, “Few people have the intentional curiosity to understand the opposing position and to explore what other positions there might be. We create false either/or constructs instead of recognizing the gray, the gradient that actually represents most issues. Instead we get stupid, simplistic thought arguing for extremes instead of reasoned, balanced thought willing to show respect to the persons on the other side.” "Godly curiosity keeps us from becoming simplistic legalists who just label everything as either good or bad."
In this sense, Piper’s book is particularly timely. Despite the incredible access we have to information via blogs, books, podcasts, etc, the vast majority of us inhabit very small echo chambers and only experience our opponents as digested and caricatured through the safe voices who inhabit our echo chambers.
As the graduate of a diverse evangelical undergraduate school where I was exposed to evangelical thinkers across the spectrum and then an attender of a liberal mainline seminary, I’m grateful for the exposure I’ve had to thinkers across the ideological spectrum. To engage such a spectrum in a helpful manner, one needs to have deep roots in one tradition. Catechesis is important. But too many neither root deeply nor truly explore broadly. Instead, we wall off our poorly rooted bushes and call it a day.
A curious thinker, on the other hand, admits that he doesn’t have all of the answers is open to being proven wrong. "Curiosity often leads people into uncomfortable situations or realizations, but it’s the kind of discomfort that comes with stretching and expanding and growing—the pain after a good workout, the mental fatigue of wrestling through a tough text.” Curiosity, in other words, can help root us deeper.
Piper suggests that "Open-mindedness, at its best, is humility and grace blended with curiosity—but not without conviction. It means being open to listen to others, to take what they say and interpret it as graciously as possible, to consider alternative and opposing points of view to see if they have merit. It means really listening—listening for meaning and intent rather than just for the chance to offer a counterpoint. And it means looking for truth in what one hears. Notice none of that requires the release of conviction. I don’t need to give up on my beliefs about Jesus in order to listen graciously. Rather my beliefs about Jesus should be the very reason I listen graciously. I don’t need to ignore Scripture to be curious about what other people believe. In fact, Scripture gives me security in my curiosity. … We have nothing to fear from the world if our curiosity is truly seeking God’s truth and is anchored in His Word and character. We can’t catch the world’s evil like a cold."
If people were willing to slow down and understand their opponent’s beliefs, "Tension and infighting would diminish because people would be curious enough to learn what others really said and really meant instead of construing meaning and creating drama or conflict.”
In short, “Without curiosity we cannot be what God designed us to be. We cannot know Him or His truth as we ought or care for His creation as He wishes. We cannot understand this world or its Creator or its faults or its blessings. Curiosity is where that all begins, and curiosity must begin at God Himself—searching, asking, digging, discovering, growing. If we start there, His image will reflect and His voice will resonate from us into a world that needs it deeply.”
Curiosity is important in all areas of our life: from relationships, to the workplace, to nature. Curiosity fuels a healthy relationship with God. Curiosity is one of the components of a vibrant child-like faith. “In order to represent God to the world, we must know Him, and to do that we must learn. We must search for truth about His nature, His character, and His work. We must explore both His Word and His world. We absolutely must be curious if we are Christians. Without it we cease to grow and we become incapable of fulfilling our purpose in life. If we start by growing in this divine curiosity we will then be prepared to begin exploring this weird, complicated messy world that is full of so much amazing truth and beauty and so many awful lies and horror."
Piper says that curiosity is connected to Christ’s mission for us: "Curiosity is a primary tool for fulfilling the mission of Christ. Without it we are distant from and clueless about those who need Jesus most." Curiosity shouldn’t be confused with the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge in and of itself is not necessarily valuable or God-honoring. "Knowledge is worth as much as what you do with it or how it shapes you. If you have profound knowledge of life-altering genetic research and do nothing with it, then it is worth less than if I use my sports trivia knowledge to spark a new friendship. If you’ve graduated from seminary and are well-versed in theology, it means nothing unless it is expanding your heart for Jesus and for those who still need Him."
He says, "Curiosity leads to discovery of great truth throughout all of life. Without it we tread the same paths to and from work, in and out of relationships, through our churches, across the pages of books and Scripture, all without ever seeing what’s really there." If we believe that we are made to grow, then we must be open to be challenged and to the process of discovery.
In reality, most of us run away from that which is different: “When most people see something that makes little sense to them, instead of engaging it, they cringe, cross the street, and hustle on their way, leaving it for someone else to deal with.” In fact, “Few people have the intentional curiosity to understand the opposing position and to explore what other positions there might be. We create false either/or constructs instead of recognizing the gray, the gradient that actually represents most issues. Instead we get stupid, simplistic thought arguing for extremes instead of reasoned, balanced thought willing to show respect to the persons on the other side.” "Godly curiosity keeps us from becoming simplistic legalists who just label everything as either good or bad."
In this sense, Piper’s book is particularly timely. Despite the incredible access we have to information via blogs, books, podcasts, etc, the vast majority of us inhabit very small echo chambers and only experience our opponents as digested and caricatured through the safe voices who inhabit our echo chambers.
As the graduate of a diverse evangelical undergraduate school where I was exposed to evangelical thinkers across the spectrum and then an attender of a liberal mainline seminary, I’m grateful for the exposure I’ve had to thinkers across the ideological spectrum. To engage such a spectrum in a helpful manner, one needs to have deep roots in one tradition. Catechesis is important. But too many neither root deeply nor truly explore broadly. Instead, we wall off our poorly rooted bushes and call it a day.
A curious thinker, on the other hand, admits that he doesn’t have all of the answers is open to being proven wrong. "Curiosity often leads people into uncomfortable situations or realizations, but it’s the kind of discomfort that comes with stretching and expanding and growing—the pain after a good workout, the mental fatigue of wrestling through a tough text.” Curiosity, in other words, can help root us deeper.
Piper suggests that "Open-mindedness, at its best, is humility and grace blended with curiosity—but not without conviction. It means being open to listen to others, to take what they say and interpret it as graciously as possible, to consider alternative and opposing points of view to see if they have merit. It means really listening—listening for meaning and intent rather than just for the chance to offer a counterpoint. And it means looking for truth in what one hears. Notice none of that requires the release of conviction. I don’t need to give up on my beliefs about Jesus in order to listen graciously. Rather my beliefs about Jesus should be the very reason I listen graciously. I don’t need to ignore Scripture to be curious about what other people believe. In fact, Scripture gives me security in my curiosity. … We have nothing to fear from the world if our curiosity is truly seeking God’s truth and is anchored in His Word and character. We can’t catch the world’s evil like a cold."
If people were willing to slow down and understand their opponent’s beliefs, "Tension and infighting would diminish because people would be curious enough to learn what others really said and really meant instead of construing meaning and creating drama or conflict.”
In short, “Without curiosity we cannot be what God designed us to be. We cannot know Him or His truth as we ought or care for His creation as He wishes. We cannot understand this world or its Creator or its faults or its blessings. Curiosity is where that all begins, and curiosity must begin at God Himself—searching, asking, digging, discovering, growing. If we start there, His image will reflect and His voice will resonate from us into a world that needs it deeply.”
February 26, 2017
I definitely enjoyed reading Barnabas Piper's newest book, The Curious Christian. In this book, he explores what it means to be a curious person and argues that Christians should be more curious. The first half of this one was my favorite. It is "To Be Christian is to Be Curious." The second half was also good. It is "Curious About….?" In this second section, one of the many things he addresses is the importance of reading books!!! How could I not love that chapter?!
In his own words,
I will do my best to show how curiosity is one of the most significant ways we have to be image bearers of God, how it can deepen and expand our relationships with others, how it can lead us to an entirely more significant impact on society, and how it will lead us deeper into beautiful relationship with God for all time. Curiosity leads to discovery of great truth throughout all of life. Without it we tread the same paths to and from work, in and out of relationships, through our churches, across the pages of books and Scripture, all without ever seeing what’s really there.
One of the points he emphasizes throughout is that real curiosity seeks TRUTH.
We don’t get to define truth or select it. Instead we must recognize and adhere to it. Truth is what is real, what is, but it is more than this—much more. If all we did was look around and determine truth by what we saw, we would end up exactly where are: in a society where truth shifts, morphs, changes, and loses credibility and value each day. Instead we must recognize that truth expresses reality as it ought to be. It is a standard for reality not just a reflection of what currently exists and happens.
He continues,
Truth reflects some aspect of God’s character and persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in some way—though no truth in this world can display any of them fully. It displays His plan, work, or creation as He intended it to be and will one day make it again. This is the ultimate real and while it is a great adventure we do not choose what it will be. We do not pick the ending or the workings or the plot; the Author does that. Truth is entirely shaped and determined by God. All truth is God’s truth and reflects this Trinitarian reality.
He argues that curiousity "is the key to sorting it all out, to making a way forward, to actually fulfilling the vocational calling we have to reflect God’s image. We are not only created to reflect and echo God, we are tasked with doing so in all of life…In order to represent God to the world, we must know Him, and to do that we must learn. We must search for truth about His nature, His character, and His work. We must explore both His Word and His world. We absolutely must be curious if we are Christians. Without it we cease to grow and we become incapable of fulfilling our purpose in life. If we start by growing in this divine curiosity we will then be prepared to begin exploring this weird, complicated messy world that is full of so much amazing truth and beauty and so many awful lies and horror."
I loved this book. Why? Because it made me think and rethink how I see the world. I'd never really given much thought to if I was curious, or to what degree I was curious. But Piper shows that there are many ways to be curious. And we don't have to all be curious about the same things in the same ways. Our different ways to be curious makes us unique in a way.
One of my favorite quotes:
Without curiosity we cannot be what God designed us to be. We cannot know Him or His truth as we ought or care for His creation as He wishes. We cannot understand this world or its creator or its faults or its blessings. Curiosity is where that all begins, and curiosity must begin at God Himself—searching, asking, digging, discovering, growing. If we start there, His image will reflect and His voice will resonate from us into a world that needs it deeply.
See that is food for thought!!!!
In addition to discussing curiosity, Piper discusses perspective. And I thought how the two relate to one another was important.
Perspective comes from seeing things differently, from experiencing things widely. Perspective comes from feeding curiosity and giving it a chance to roam and see and feel. And it comes from seeing and experiencing all these things in a context of biblical truth. Perspective feeds curiosity because it sees life from different sides and from different points of view. Curiosity then feeds perspective because it asks and seeks and explores and finds new points of view and hidden truths. Most people in the world are strangers to us. We don’t know them. We know nothing about them. We view them as stranger than us. Or we don’t view them as anything at all because they are nonentities to us. Only curiosity overcomes this.
And…
Some will read this and think I am saying we should only read Christian fiction and watch Christian films. Good gravy, no. All that will do is turn you into a sheltered, unrealistic, fearful idealist with no concept of the real world or how to function in it. If you are a discerning person you can learn much of God, of people, of God’s creation through distinctly non-Christian stories and depictions of reality too. If we do not expand our horizons, we are missing out on the people who love those horizons and the artists who create them.
And…
Do not assume anyone or anything has nothing to offer you. If God made it then it has value, and if it is a person then he or she bears God’s imprint the same as you. It is arrogance to treat anyone or anything as valueless and uninteresting. If, then, all created things have value and hold interest, we should ask questions, and only humble people are free to do this. Asking questions is an admission of ignorance and a tacit statement of need. Pride abhors this stance. Proud people are embarrassed to ask questions and to look vulnerable. Pride kills curiosity quicker than anything. So foster humility by constantly looking at the expanse of God, His creation, and all you don’t yet know about it.
Barnabas Piper on reading:
Nothing has grown and shaped my curiosity like books. I do not think there is a single medium in the world that so effectively shares information, opens new worlds, and ignites the imagination as books. It would seem you agree since you are, after all, reading or listening to a book. Books are largely what made me want to write. Books have shaped my perspectives on God, friends, sports, civil issues, faith, church, art, and nearly everything else. I read for fun and I read to learn. My greatest risk in reading is that I will collect knowledge but do not act on it, that I will become a card catalog of knowledge instead of being intent on bringing my curiosity to bear in the world.
A novel shows truth, it presents a deeper layer of truth that, if described, would be boring at best and unrecognizable at worst. But when we find it woven in a story, we know it to be true. Good vs. evil, nobility, honesty, courage, friendship, self-sacrifice—these are truths that fiction reveals in a way nonfiction often struggles to do.
In his own words,
I will do my best to show how curiosity is one of the most significant ways we have to be image bearers of God, how it can deepen and expand our relationships with others, how it can lead us to an entirely more significant impact on society, and how it will lead us deeper into beautiful relationship with God for all time. Curiosity leads to discovery of great truth throughout all of life. Without it we tread the same paths to and from work, in and out of relationships, through our churches, across the pages of books and Scripture, all without ever seeing what’s really there.
One of the points he emphasizes throughout is that real curiosity seeks TRUTH.
We don’t get to define truth or select it. Instead we must recognize and adhere to it. Truth is what is real, what is, but it is more than this—much more. If all we did was look around and determine truth by what we saw, we would end up exactly where are: in a society where truth shifts, morphs, changes, and loses credibility and value each day. Instead we must recognize that truth expresses reality as it ought to be. It is a standard for reality not just a reflection of what currently exists and happens.
He continues,
Truth reflects some aspect of God’s character and persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in some way—though no truth in this world can display any of them fully. It displays His plan, work, or creation as He intended it to be and will one day make it again. This is the ultimate real and while it is a great adventure we do not choose what it will be. We do not pick the ending or the workings or the plot; the Author does that. Truth is entirely shaped and determined by God. All truth is God’s truth and reflects this Trinitarian reality.
He argues that curiousity "is the key to sorting it all out, to making a way forward, to actually fulfilling the vocational calling we have to reflect God’s image. We are not only created to reflect and echo God, we are tasked with doing so in all of life…In order to represent God to the world, we must know Him, and to do that we must learn. We must search for truth about His nature, His character, and His work. We must explore both His Word and His world. We absolutely must be curious if we are Christians. Without it we cease to grow and we become incapable of fulfilling our purpose in life. If we start by growing in this divine curiosity we will then be prepared to begin exploring this weird, complicated messy world that is full of so much amazing truth and beauty and so many awful lies and horror."
I loved this book. Why? Because it made me think and rethink how I see the world. I'd never really given much thought to if I was curious, or to what degree I was curious. But Piper shows that there are many ways to be curious. And we don't have to all be curious about the same things in the same ways. Our different ways to be curious makes us unique in a way.
One of my favorite quotes:
Without curiosity we cannot be what God designed us to be. We cannot know Him or His truth as we ought or care for His creation as He wishes. We cannot understand this world or its creator or its faults or its blessings. Curiosity is where that all begins, and curiosity must begin at God Himself—searching, asking, digging, discovering, growing. If we start there, His image will reflect and His voice will resonate from us into a world that needs it deeply.
See that is food for thought!!!!
In addition to discussing curiosity, Piper discusses perspective. And I thought how the two relate to one another was important.
Perspective comes from seeing things differently, from experiencing things widely. Perspective comes from feeding curiosity and giving it a chance to roam and see and feel. And it comes from seeing and experiencing all these things in a context of biblical truth. Perspective feeds curiosity because it sees life from different sides and from different points of view. Curiosity then feeds perspective because it asks and seeks and explores and finds new points of view and hidden truths. Most people in the world are strangers to us. We don’t know them. We know nothing about them. We view them as stranger than us. Or we don’t view them as anything at all because they are nonentities to us. Only curiosity overcomes this.
And…
Some will read this and think I am saying we should only read Christian fiction and watch Christian films. Good gravy, no. All that will do is turn you into a sheltered, unrealistic, fearful idealist with no concept of the real world or how to function in it. If you are a discerning person you can learn much of God, of people, of God’s creation through distinctly non-Christian stories and depictions of reality too. If we do not expand our horizons, we are missing out on the people who love those horizons and the artists who create them.
And…
Do not assume anyone or anything has nothing to offer you. If God made it then it has value, and if it is a person then he or she bears God’s imprint the same as you. It is arrogance to treat anyone or anything as valueless and uninteresting. If, then, all created things have value and hold interest, we should ask questions, and only humble people are free to do this. Asking questions is an admission of ignorance and a tacit statement of need. Pride abhors this stance. Proud people are embarrassed to ask questions and to look vulnerable. Pride kills curiosity quicker than anything. So foster humility by constantly looking at the expanse of God, His creation, and all you don’t yet know about it.
Barnabas Piper on reading:
Nothing has grown and shaped my curiosity like books. I do not think there is a single medium in the world that so effectively shares information, opens new worlds, and ignites the imagination as books. It would seem you agree since you are, after all, reading or listening to a book. Books are largely what made me want to write. Books have shaped my perspectives on God, friends, sports, civil issues, faith, church, art, and nearly everything else. I read for fun and I read to learn. My greatest risk in reading is that I will collect knowledge but do not act on it, that I will become a card catalog of knowledge instead of being intent on bringing my curiosity to bear in the world.
A novel shows truth, it presents a deeper layer of truth that, if described, would be boring at best and unrecognizable at worst. But when we find it woven in a story, we know it to be true. Good vs. evil, nobility, honesty, courage, friendship, self-sacrifice—these are truths that fiction reveals in a way nonfiction often struggles to do.
April 28, 2019
I remember a relative in the family of one of my college friends telling me about his bright young son (maybe grandson) before going to school. He was inquisitive about everything and was encouraged to love learning. But after a year in first grade he shut down; he didn’t ask questions or chat about his observations anymore. His father (or grandfather) blamed it entirely on the school system, took the boy out, and taught him at home. I think he said it took a few months for the little guy to regain his curiosity. A nurturing environment was all he needed.
I remembered this story while reading Barnabas Piper’s book, The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life. His premise is as simple as that subtitle. We need curiosity in our lives to worship the Lord fully, engage our world courageously, and live together as God directs. We may call it by another name: invention, devotion, problem solving, hospitality, or even perseverance; Piper draws all of those things together into curiosity. That’s what we need.
By having curious minds we will take interest in others and in the culture around us. We will share stories and listen to others share theirs. Too many of us believe we have resolved the answers to the big questions and fear the answers or exploration others have found if they differ significantly from our understanding. Our school system presses us into this mold: know what’s being graded and repeat that answer for the test. If you ask too many questions (particularly the wrong sort of questions), you’ll get shamed or possibly kicked out.
From behind our overprotective hedge, we don’t have anything like this passage in mind:
Piper encourages us to lean into God’s mark on the world by asking questions and taking an interest in what’s around us. How is the Holy Spirit active in our community? What new avenues can we take in love, joy, peace, and the rest that will worship our Lord more wholeheartedly and love our neighbor more selflessly?
This review may come too late in the season, but I think The Curious Christian would make a great graduation gift. It’s a short, well-written book that could light a fire under people who feel a little hemmed in by undefinable cords. Its message is easily one of those that seem obvious at first blush but need to be repeated and applied in various ways to truly stick. It’s easy, enjoyable reading, though it could be improved by adding some stories.
I remembered this story while reading Barnabas Piper’s book, The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life. His premise is as simple as that subtitle. We need curiosity in our lives to worship the Lord fully, engage our world courageously, and live together as God directs. We may call it by another name: invention, devotion, problem solving, hospitality, or even perseverance; Piper draws all of those things together into curiosity. That’s what we need.
By having curious minds we will take interest in others and in the culture around us. We will share stories and listen to others share theirs. Too many of us believe we have resolved the answers to the big questions and fear the answers or exploration others have found if they differ significantly from our understanding. Our school system presses us into this mold: know what’s being graded and repeat that answer for the test. If you ask too many questions (particularly the wrong sort of questions), you’ll get shamed or possibly kicked out.
From behind our overprotective hedge, we don’t have anything like this passage in mind:
All of creation resonates with God’s voice, sometimes only as echoes faint, distant, and indistinct. It reflects Him in some way, blurry or clear. Nothing exists that was not created by God and sustained by God. Sustained means that every day He keeps it existing. We have a hard time imagining the opposite of this, so we take it for granted. But without God’s sustaining power, we would cease to exist. We would not fall down dead. We would not crumble into dust or ashes. We would not melt like wax. We would be erased, all of our matter simply gone. Just as God spoke the world into existence–out of nothing, a total void–with His word, so He keeps it in existence daily with His word. And so the world continues to bear God’s mark and echo His divine voice.
Piper encourages us to lean into God’s mark on the world by asking questions and taking an interest in what’s around us. How is the Holy Spirit active in our community? What new avenues can we take in love, joy, peace, and the rest that will worship our Lord more wholeheartedly and love our neighbor more selflessly?
This review may come too late in the season, but I think The Curious Christian would make a great graduation gift. It’s a short, well-written book that could light a fire under people who feel a little hemmed in by undefinable cords. Its message is easily one of those that seem obvious at first blush but need to be repeated and applied in various ways to truly stick. It’s easy, enjoyable reading, though it could be improved by adding some stories.
March 24, 2023
Deeply disappointed by this one. I never imagined that a book called The Curious Christian could be so negative. I don’t remember what the purpose of the first half was, but the message I absorbed was that everything was a sin. Piper engaged in needless fear mongering.
The second half dealt less with fear and Hell (though these topics came back briefly), but also lacked substance.
The entire book is a rambling of opinions. Piper makes generalized statements (“Most people think…” & “Many people do…”) His observations often didn’t reflect my experience and I think it’s fair for a curious person to ask for some evidence. None was offered.
Piper prescribes high level ideals of what we should be and do with no practical guidance of how to get there until the last chapter. I craved examples of how to ask better questions, how to engage the world better, deeper thoughts on viewing curiosity as hospitality, etc. I didn’t find them. When Piper did give examples, they were lifted from the headlines, but discussion was shallow. I thought a few minutes with Wikipedia would have improved this, or better yet, instead of dropping famous names, Piper could have vastly improved the book by practicing what he preached. I wished he’d interviewed friends in order to tell their stories and given personal examples. I doubted Piper’s own curiosity.
The writing itself was atrocious. Piper rails against binary thinking while constantly engaging in stereotypes and straw men. He spends an inordinate effort building up a straw man just to knock it down as a child knocks over his tower of blocks. In one sweep, Piper thinks it’s done and he moves to the next topic. The trouble is that my brain spent so much more time processing the build up, that I had to fight to understand his point was the opposite. The book would be much better if he just said what he meant. It would be so much more encouraging and hopeful without all the negations. Instead, it read like Leviticus with a list of what not do to. I thought this book lacked grace.
Further annoying me in the writing style were large font quotes every few pages. They didn’t add anything to the book. There was space to dive deeper, but this book was stuffed with filler quotes and repetitive thoughts.
The “Christian” part was nearly absent. Piper throws the words “God,” “Jesus,” and “Holy Spirit” around a lot, but there is no scriptural basis. He paraphrases a few stories from the gospel more than halfway through the book and quotes scripture for the first time with about 20 pages left.
If you choose to read this book, I suggest you reflect on Philippians 4:8 as you read it.
The second half dealt less with fear and Hell (though these topics came back briefly), but also lacked substance.
The entire book is a rambling of opinions. Piper makes generalized statements (“Most people think…” & “Many people do…”) His observations often didn’t reflect my experience and I think it’s fair for a curious person to ask for some evidence. None was offered.
Piper prescribes high level ideals of what we should be and do with no practical guidance of how to get there until the last chapter. I craved examples of how to ask better questions, how to engage the world better, deeper thoughts on viewing curiosity as hospitality, etc. I didn’t find them. When Piper did give examples, they were lifted from the headlines, but discussion was shallow. I thought a few minutes with Wikipedia would have improved this, or better yet, instead of dropping famous names, Piper could have vastly improved the book by practicing what he preached. I wished he’d interviewed friends in order to tell their stories and given personal examples. I doubted Piper’s own curiosity.
The writing itself was atrocious. Piper rails against binary thinking while constantly engaging in stereotypes and straw men. He spends an inordinate effort building up a straw man just to knock it down as a child knocks over his tower of blocks. In one sweep, Piper thinks it’s done and he moves to the next topic. The trouble is that my brain spent so much more time processing the build up, that I had to fight to understand his point was the opposite. The book would be much better if he just said what he meant. It would be so much more encouraging and hopeful without all the negations. Instead, it read like Leviticus with a list of what not do to. I thought this book lacked grace.
Further annoying me in the writing style were large font quotes every few pages. They didn’t add anything to the book. There was space to dive deeper, but this book was stuffed with filler quotes and repetitive thoughts.
The “Christian” part was nearly absent. Piper throws the words “God,” “Jesus,” and “Holy Spirit” around a lot, but there is no scriptural basis. He paraphrases a few stories from the gospel more than halfway through the book and quotes scripture for the first time with about 20 pages left.
If you choose to read this book, I suggest you reflect on Philippians 4:8 as you read it.
December 3, 2018
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it breathes life into adults who desperately need it. As Christians, curiosity often feels scary. It can feel like we're expressing doubt if we ask the wrong questions or too many of them. Piper explores this in his book, one I admittedly didn't think I would find the subject matter particularly interesting or relevant to my life. In that, I was wrong.
The older we get, the less curious we become. The more we have learned, and the more we assume we know. But the wise people in my life have shown me that the older they get, the more that they learn they do NOT know. The curious Christian continues to explore those things, to think about the things that remain unknown and the things they don't know they don't know. They continue to ask questions. God made us to think and wonder... why do so many of us stop doing that after childhood?
I enjoyed thinking and wondering with Piper in The Curious Christian. And in full disclosure, Barnabas is a good buddy of mine. I lived a few doors down from him our freshman year at college, and this book made me think of the countless 2 and 3am conversations when we freshmen wondered about (and successfully solved, of course) pretty much about everything. This made me miss those days and helped me appreciate the way Barnabas wonders and thinks about the world in a curious and inquisitive way. It encouraged me as a fellow writer to continue to always be thinking, to be curious, to continue to ask questions and seek answers.
Whether you think you're curious or not, you'll be glad you read this one. And as an added bonus, if you listen to the audio book version instead, you get Piper's own droning and sardonic voice for 6 hours. Lucky us :)
The older we get, the less curious we become. The more we have learned, and the more we assume we know. But the wise people in my life have shown me that the older they get, the more that they learn they do NOT know. The curious Christian continues to explore those things, to think about the things that remain unknown and the things they don't know they don't know. They continue to ask questions. God made us to think and wonder... why do so many of us stop doing that after childhood?
I enjoyed thinking and wondering with Piper in The Curious Christian. And in full disclosure, Barnabas is a good buddy of mine. I lived a few doors down from him our freshman year at college, and this book made me think of the countless 2 and 3am conversations when we freshmen wondered about (and successfully solved, of course) pretty much about everything. This made me miss those days and helped me appreciate the way Barnabas wonders and thinks about the world in a curious and inquisitive way. It encouraged me as a fellow writer to continue to always be thinking, to be curious, to continue to ask questions and seek answers.
Whether you think you're curious or not, you'll be glad you read this one. And as an added bonus, if you listen to the audio book version instead, you get Piper's own droning and sardonic voice for 6 hours. Lucky us :)
March 15, 2019
One of my biggest goals lately has been to learn to be a better question-asker. This goes hand in hand with learning to notice, to be a better observer, to not take things for granted so easily, to be less satisfied with easy answers. This book promised to be a helpful resource in starting to hone those skills and indeed, it did just that. Accessible and engaging, this book explains why curiosity is important (it helps us to love well) and how we can start being more curious about our world, cultures (both ours and others), and about God.
March 18, 2019
Who would have thought there could be a practical book on how to be curious? I am grateful for this book and, also, grateful that I bought it as opposed to checking it out from the library so I can return to it again and again.
August 8, 2022
A really great and convicting book about the importance of curiosity. I wish he referred back to Scripture more, though.
March 7, 2017
When I started this book I wasn't impressed because I consider myself curious. It all seemed like common sense. Then as I read it became clear how my arrogant presumptuousness was actually a hindrance to curiosity. This book improves as it progresses and was deeply enjoyable.
February 19, 2017
This is the first book by Barnabas Piper I've read...and to say I was curious about it (putting puns and cliches aside) when I first heard about it is to put it lightly. The subtitle, "How discovering wonder enriches every part of life," intrigued me because I'd been worn down over the last handful of years of my life and was really feeling I could use some wonder and enrichment in my life again.
Reading this book opened my eyes to just how routine and dull my Christian life had become...how uncurious and skeptical I'd become. Don't think you need to be curious to be an effective, kingdom-advancing witness to the lost world? Piper says, "Curiosity is a primary tool for fulfilling the mission of Christ. Without it we are distant from and clueless about those who need Jesus most."
The author discusses how to be curious in every aspect of our lives, how to balance things like being in the world vs of the world, doubt and skepticism and the role they play in being curious, and believing all things while believing nothing. I especially appreciated the characteristics of a curious life discussed in the last chapters and also the discussions of how being curious is not how we lose our faith, but how we strengthen it because curiosity is "about God and for God. It is an expression of worship and it honors Him by exploring the depths and breadth of His creation and nature." Amen!!
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review and am very thankful I was given the opportunity to read it.
Reading this book opened my eyes to just how routine and dull my Christian life had become...how uncurious and skeptical I'd become. Don't think you need to be curious to be an effective, kingdom-advancing witness to the lost world? Piper says, "Curiosity is a primary tool for fulfilling the mission of Christ. Without it we are distant from and clueless about those who need Jesus most."
The author discusses how to be curious in every aspect of our lives, how to balance things like being in the world vs of the world, doubt and skepticism and the role they play in being curious, and believing all things while believing nothing. I especially appreciated the characteristics of a curious life discussed in the last chapters and also the discussions of how being curious is not how we lose our faith, but how we strengthen it because curiosity is "about God and for God. It is an expression of worship and it honors Him by exploring the depths and breadth of His creation and nature." Amen!!
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review and am very thankful I was given the opportunity to read it.
March 6, 2017
Beginning with Adam and Eve, Barnabas Piper shows us that God designed humanity to be curious and creative; but their curiosity went too far and they sought to have that which wasn't theirs to possess. Now creation is broken, you and I are broken, and so is our curiosity. But wait... how can curiosity be one of the ways that we're made in God's image and likeness? God knows everything; there's nothing for him to be curious about. Piper's answer to this question is vocation. We reflect the glory of God in our faith seeking understanding; in order to proclaim God to the world we must get to know him, and to do that we must possess a desire to learn. Christians must be curious.
Imagine a church, family, or work environment that encouraged a culture of curiosity. People taking the time to ask questions, and desiring deeply to understand the answers; a place where "tension and infighting would diminish because people would be curious enough to learn what others really said and really meant instead of construing meaning and creating drama or conflict". Christian community would be a place of rich, nourishing relationships with God and others as we seek together to understand scripture with consistent curiosity and provide counsel with curious care.
And so Piper explores the question in this wonderful, accessible, practical book. But infinitely more than that, he implores us to rekindle in ourselves the yearning to ask questions of our own. And keep asking. Keep discovering. And use that knowledge to connect people and cultures to God's truth so they too can see God's glory.
(read my full review at http://www.chrismacleavy.com/2017/02/...)
Imagine a church, family, or work environment that encouraged a culture of curiosity. People taking the time to ask questions, and desiring deeply to understand the answers; a place where "tension and infighting would diminish because people would be curious enough to learn what others really said and really meant instead of construing meaning and creating drama or conflict". Christian community would be a place of rich, nourishing relationships with God and others as we seek together to understand scripture with consistent curiosity and provide counsel with curious care.
And so Piper explores the question in this wonderful, accessible, practical book. But infinitely more than that, he implores us to rekindle in ourselves the yearning to ask questions of our own. And keep asking. Keep discovering. And use that knowledge to connect people and cultures to God's truth so they too can see God's glory.
(read my full review at http://www.chrismacleavy.com/2017/02/...)
February 28, 2017
The Curious Christian is probably one of the most challenging and encouraging books I've read all year. It has been awesome to see Barnabas Piper craft this message. Too often we approach life with the left-right, left-right forward march approach and don't stop to ask questions, re-learn curiosity as we knew as a child, and to ultimately seek God. Read it if you are curious enough. You'll love it.
August 28, 2017
The main point of the book is that Christians need to be thinkers - what he calls, “curious”. “When most people see something that makes little sense to them, instead of engaging it, they cringe, cross the street, and hustle on their way, leaving it for someone else to deal with.”
He shows how a failure to think about what is around us will seriously limite us in our spiritual and relational lives: "Curiosity leads to discovery of great truth throughout all of life. Without it we tread the same paths to and from work, in and out of relationships, through our churches, across the pages of books and Scripture, all without ever seeing what’s really there."
As we talk with those around us, it is essential that we have strive to understand what they are meaning to say. “Few people have the intentional curiosity to understand the opposing position and to explore what other positions there might be. We create false either/or constructs instead of recognizing the gray, the gradient that actually represents most issues. Instead we get stupid, simplistic thought arguing for extremes instead of reasoned, balanced thought willing to show respect to the persons on the other side.” "Godly curiosity keeps us from becoming simplistic legalists who just label everything as either good or bad."
One point I found especially interesting was the fact that, deciding to be a “curious thinker" requires you to admit that you don’t have all the answers and that you are open to having your ideas proven wrong. (Perhaps this is why so many people refuse to read/study outside of their theological comfort zone - why read/study when you already have all the right answers?) "Curiosity often leads people into uncomfortable situations or realizations, but it’s the kind of discomfort that comes with stretching and expanding and growing—the pain after a good workout, the mental fatigue of wrestling through a tough text.”
"Stereotypically the people we think of with the most conviction are not people we would consider to be very curious. Instead of learning and seeking their motto seems to be 'Here I am; I will not be moved.' They’re static and closed-minded, … whereas curiosity is dynamic and demands movement." We often think of open-mindeness as a bad thing, but "Open-mindedness, at its best, is humility and grace blended with curiosity—but not without conviction. It means being open to listen to others, to take what they say and interpret it as graciously as possible, to consider alternative and opposing points of view to see if they have merit. It means really listening—listening for meaning and intent rather than just for the chance to offer a counterpoint. And it means looking for truth in what one hears. Notice none of that requires the release of conviction. I don’t need to give up on my beliefs about Jesus in order to listen graciously. Rather my beliefs about Jesus should be the very reason I listen graciously. I don’t need to ignore Scripture to be curious about what other people believe. In fact, Scripture gives me security in my curiosity. … We have nothing to fear from the world if our curiosity is truly seeking God’s truth and is anchored in His Word and character. We can’t catch the world’s evil like a cold."
If people were willing to slow down and understand their opponent’s beliefs, "Tension and infighting would diminish because people would be curious enough to learn what others really said and really meant instead of construing meaning and creating drama or conflict.”
Random thought that I thought was pretty good as well:
"Knowledge is worth as much as what you do with it or how it shapes you. If you have profound knowledge of life-altering genetic research and do nothing with it, then it is worth less than if I use my sports trivia knowledge to spark a new friendship. If you’ve graduated from seminary and are well-versed in theology, it means nothing unless it is expanding your heart for Jesus and for those who still need Him."
He shows how a failure to think about what is around us will seriously limite us in our spiritual and relational lives: "Curiosity leads to discovery of great truth throughout all of life. Without it we tread the same paths to and from work, in and out of relationships, through our churches, across the pages of books and Scripture, all without ever seeing what’s really there."
As we talk with those around us, it is essential that we have strive to understand what they are meaning to say. “Few people have the intentional curiosity to understand the opposing position and to explore what other positions there might be. We create false either/or constructs instead of recognizing the gray, the gradient that actually represents most issues. Instead we get stupid, simplistic thought arguing for extremes instead of reasoned, balanced thought willing to show respect to the persons on the other side.” "Godly curiosity keeps us from becoming simplistic legalists who just label everything as either good or bad."
One point I found especially interesting was the fact that, deciding to be a “curious thinker" requires you to admit that you don’t have all the answers and that you are open to having your ideas proven wrong. (Perhaps this is why so many people refuse to read/study outside of their theological comfort zone - why read/study when you already have all the right answers?) "Curiosity often leads people into uncomfortable situations or realizations, but it’s the kind of discomfort that comes with stretching and expanding and growing—the pain after a good workout, the mental fatigue of wrestling through a tough text.”
"Stereotypically the people we think of with the most conviction are not people we would consider to be very curious. Instead of learning and seeking their motto seems to be 'Here I am; I will not be moved.' They’re static and closed-minded, … whereas curiosity is dynamic and demands movement." We often think of open-mindeness as a bad thing, but "Open-mindedness, at its best, is humility and grace blended with curiosity—but not without conviction. It means being open to listen to others, to take what they say and interpret it as graciously as possible, to consider alternative and opposing points of view to see if they have merit. It means really listening—listening for meaning and intent rather than just for the chance to offer a counterpoint. And it means looking for truth in what one hears. Notice none of that requires the release of conviction. I don’t need to give up on my beliefs about Jesus in order to listen graciously. Rather my beliefs about Jesus should be the very reason I listen graciously. I don’t need to ignore Scripture to be curious about what other people believe. In fact, Scripture gives me security in my curiosity. … We have nothing to fear from the world if our curiosity is truly seeking God’s truth and is anchored in His Word and character. We can’t catch the world’s evil like a cold."
If people were willing to slow down and understand their opponent’s beliefs, "Tension and infighting would diminish because people would be curious enough to learn what others really said and really meant instead of construing meaning and creating drama or conflict.”
Random thought that I thought was pretty good as well:
"Knowledge is worth as much as what you do with it or how it shapes you. If you have profound knowledge of life-altering genetic research and do nothing with it, then it is worth less than if I use my sports trivia knowledge to spark a new friendship. If you’ve graduated from seminary and are well-versed in theology, it means nothing unless it is expanding your heart for Jesus and for those who still need Him."
March 23, 2023
OK. One disclaimer. I am a research scientist, I love to travel, and I have been looking at the sky and the stars since before I can remember. Curiosity is in my blood. This book wasn’t written for me. Minor spoilers, nothing major.
I was curious as to what the author had to say on the topic. I was disappointed in both the content and the writing style. I don’t like the back and forth, “well actually” writing method that the author employs, as if he’s debating himself. That’s a personal preference, though. My wife and I found ourselves discussing how he intended to use words at several points, which is a pretty good indication that more clarification was needed. An example is his use of the phrase ‘conservative church’. Did he mean politically? Theologically? Socially? We couldn’t quite tell from the context of the section, and the different application of the word leads to different conclusions.
I concurrently read a book by an entomologist from the University of Wyoming who was exploring the disappearance of the Rocky Mountain locust. His obsession with the locust and all things grasshopper poured out of every page, especially talking about his field projects. So to start with, I don’t know that curiosity can be taught very well as much as it can be passed on. One doesn’t need to be obsessed with grasshoppers; just catch the feeling that Dr. Lockwood possessed and flowed so freely from his pages. I never got that feeling from Mr. Piper.
“The curiosity of Christ” is an interesting idea and would make several interesting early chapters if not an entire book of its own. This book really has one page deep into the book dedicated to the idea, with about six stories crammed into the page, giving no justice to any of the stories. A common theme of this book was that he would touch on interesting things but give them no exploration, which left me wondering how seriously he took any of it.
He lost me for good in a section about the book Moneyball. He watched the movie and he seems to have read the book. But he didn’t study the 2002 Oakland Athletics, and as such, when he talked about that team, he left out important details and drew incomplete conclusions. That also left me feeling like curiosity was only a surface-based idea to him. If he had truly been curious about that Oakland team, he would have looked at how the franchise developed its star young pitchers.
This book wasn’t always a total loss. I appreciated that he seems to recognize that cable news and internet politics are incinerating much of the credibility of the church and making evangelism more difficult by the year (“what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable, as DC Talk once said”). I just wanted him to point out explicitly why this is so.
He also had the basis of good ideas. Reading is good. Music is good. Travel is fatal to prejudice, as Mark Twain said, and I think the author agrees. He needed to slow down and expand on a few ideas rather than try to rush through everything in 150 pages.
My two cents. Again, as somebody who spent an hour yesterday commuting from a work meeting while smiling in the sun with the wind on my face and with the “Greatest Showman” soundtrack on the radio, this book wasn’t written for me.
I was curious as to what the author had to say on the topic. I was disappointed in both the content and the writing style. I don’t like the back and forth, “well actually” writing method that the author employs, as if he’s debating himself. That’s a personal preference, though. My wife and I found ourselves discussing how he intended to use words at several points, which is a pretty good indication that more clarification was needed. An example is his use of the phrase ‘conservative church’. Did he mean politically? Theologically? Socially? We couldn’t quite tell from the context of the section, and the different application of the word leads to different conclusions.
I concurrently read a book by an entomologist from the University of Wyoming who was exploring the disappearance of the Rocky Mountain locust. His obsession with the locust and all things grasshopper poured out of every page, especially talking about his field projects. So to start with, I don’t know that curiosity can be taught very well as much as it can be passed on. One doesn’t need to be obsessed with grasshoppers; just catch the feeling that Dr. Lockwood possessed and flowed so freely from his pages. I never got that feeling from Mr. Piper.
“The curiosity of Christ” is an interesting idea and would make several interesting early chapters if not an entire book of its own. This book really has one page deep into the book dedicated to the idea, with about six stories crammed into the page, giving no justice to any of the stories. A common theme of this book was that he would touch on interesting things but give them no exploration, which left me wondering how seriously he took any of it.
He lost me for good in a section about the book Moneyball. He watched the movie and he seems to have read the book. But he didn’t study the 2002 Oakland Athletics, and as such, when he talked about that team, he left out important details and drew incomplete conclusions. That also left me feeling like curiosity was only a surface-based idea to him. If he had truly been curious about that Oakland team, he would have looked at how the franchise developed its star young pitchers.
This book wasn’t always a total loss. I appreciated that he seems to recognize that cable news and internet politics are incinerating much of the credibility of the church and making evangelism more difficult by the year (“what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable, as DC Talk once said”). I just wanted him to point out explicitly why this is so.
He also had the basis of good ideas. Reading is good. Music is good. Travel is fatal to prejudice, as Mark Twain said, and I think the author agrees. He needed to slow down and expand on a few ideas rather than try to rush through everything in 150 pages.
My two cents. Again, as somebody who spent an hour yesterday commuting from a work meeting while smiling in the sun with the wind on my face and with the “Greatest Showman” soundtrack on the radio, this book wasn’t written for me.
June 28, 2017
Some books I read exceed my expectations. I thought Barnabas Piper's The Curious Christian (2017) looked interesting, so I added it to my Amazon wish list. It must have struck my son as interesting as well because bought it for me for Father's Day. I was in no hurry to read it, thinking I would get to it at some point, though eight days later, it's done.
As I said, it exceeded my expectations.
Piper writes about what I believe is an underappreciated virtue, perhaps especially among Christians. If we are honest with ourselves, we are often an uncurious bunch. Whether from fear or dogmatism or pride, we lack curiosity about God, ourselves, others, and creation. Without intending to do so, many of us live what Augustine called incurvatus in se, lives "curved in on ourselves." Curiosity opens our posture, tilting back our heads and looking up and out with wonder, unblocking our eyes and ears to drink deeply from God's good creation. Perhaps since last summer, when my eldest daughter and I took the course Writing from Your Roots--and maybe longer--I have been been on a personal pilgrimage to live with a deeper sense of wonder and awe, though it involves intention.
If you spend any time with my wife or me, you will likely hear one of use the term sacred curiosity, something I picked up from Larry Crabb. Sacred curiosity involves showing interest in another's story and asking questions with a desire simply to learn more about that person. As both Crabb and Piper suggest, curiosity is often lacking.
I appreciated many things about this book and it likely will enter the rotation of books I read again. One thing I was glad he wrote was that curiosity does not exclude conviction. On page 119, he wrote "I don't need to give up on my beliefs about Jesus in order to listen graciously. Rather, my beliefs about Jesus should be the very reason I listen graciously. I don't need to ignore Scripture to be curious about what other people believe. In fact, Scripture gives me security in my curiosity."
As a recently appointed pastor, one of my desires for those I serve is that they would learn to actually see God's beauty, in His Word and in His world. Christians often (rightly) focus on truth and morality, but beauty is too frequently neglected; however, a two-legged stool doesn't stand well. We need truth, goodness, and beauty and curiosity provides us with an important tool.
Above my desk, I have a fading yellow Post-It note that reads:
Stop.
Look.
Listen.
Those three words are a good beginning, and Piper's book may get us a little further down the way, but ultimately, no book or blog post will foster curiosity; we simply need to begin.
Nota Bene:
If you want to foster curiosity, read some poetry. Don't think of poetry with disdain. Poets are among our most curious citizens. Perhaps start with Mary Oliver.
I would strongly recommend Christian McEwan's excellent book World Enough and Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down for an additional relevant read.
As I said, it exceeded my expectations.
Piper writes about what I believe is an underappreciated virtue, perhaps especially among Christians. If we are honest with ourselves, we are often an uncurious bunch. Whether from fear or dogmatism or pride, we lack curiosity about God, ourselves, others, and creation. Without intending to do so, many of us live what Augustine called incurvatus in se, lives "curved in on ourselves." Curiosity opens our posture, tilting back our heads and looking up and out with wonder, unblocking our eyes and ears to drink deeply from God's good creation. Perhaps since last summer, when my eldest daughter and I took the course Writing from Your Roots--and maybe longer--I have been been on a personal pilgrimage to live with a deeper sense of wonder and awe, though it involves intention.
If you spend any time with my wife or me, you will likely hear one of use the term sacred curiosity, something I picked up from Larry Crabb. Sacred curiosity involves showing interest in another's story and asking questions with a desire simply to learn more about that person. As both Crabb and Piper suggest, curiosity is often lacking.
I appreciated many things about this book and it likely will enter the rotation of books I read again. One thing I was glad he wrote was that curiosity does not exclude conviction. On page 119, he wrote "I don't need to give up on my beliefs about Jesus in order to listen graciously. Rather, my beliefs about Jesus should be the very reason I listen graciously. I don't need to ignore Scripture to be curious about what other people believe. In fact, Scripture gives me security in my curiosity."
As a recently appointed pastor, one of my desires for those I serve is that they would learn to actually see God's beauty, in His Word and in His world. Christians often (rightly) focus on truth and morality, but beauty is too frequently neglected; however, a two-legged stool doesn't stand well. We need truth, goodness, and beauty and curiosity provides us with an important tool.
Above my desk, I have a fading yellow Post-It note that reads:
Stop.
Look.
Listen.
Those three words are a good beginning, and Piper's book may get us a little further down the way, but ultimately, no book or blog post will foster curiosity; we simply need to begin.
Nota Bene:
If you want to foster curiosity, read some poetry. Don't think of poetry with disdain. Poets are among our most curious citizens. Perhaps start with Mary Oliver.
I would strongly recommend Christian McEwan's excellent book World Enough and Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down for an additional relevant read.
December 22, 2018
Ok, so this is different. I’ve reviewed many Christian books and yet never one like this one. I opened it thinking that this book would be a cute idea and closed it convinced the lack of curiosity and wonder both have misled us over the years and strangles us in the present. The author, Barnabas Piper, could be the poster child for positive curiosity for his pervasive love of it. On the first page, the dedication of the book, and throughout the whole book, it’s clear his mother instilled a lusty, vigorous sense of wonder in him. What she instilled, he has imbibed into all of life. He has even absorbed this curiosity and tested its reliability with Scripture. Before you question the biblical thread of his argument, be sure to read him first. I think you’ll be won over. I was.
Part 1 takes three chapters to explain what curiosity is, what it is not, how important it is, and what its lack might cost us—binary thinking and missed or damaged relationships. He further shows how God has filled His creation with wonder and that curiosity has an element of seeking Him. He further digs in the Bible to show the vast difference between childlikeness and childishness. He champions imagination and looks at how culture has run from curiosity.
Part 2 gives eight chapters on “curious about…?” We are told to be curious about the right things before we are reminded of boundaries. Since there are grotesque things that even Scripture tells us not to think about, curiosity is morally bound. Some might wonder if he presents those boundaries distinctly enough, but likely he supposes discernment can guide us there.
I loved his observations; for example, how to balance information and curiosity. He said, “Google is the evil empire making us all dumber, ruining education, and providing easy answers to hard questions. Instead of thinking, we type, and we’re all worse for it.” Exactly!
Several times he reminded us one of curiosity’s best friends: books. Don’t miss either his balanced explanation of open-mindedness.
This timely paperback helped me to be reminded of the value of curiosity and the riches of wonder. That’s worth much!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Part 1 takes three chapters to explain what curiosity is, what it is not, how important it is, and what its lack might cost us—binary thinking and missed or damaged relationships. He further shows how God has filled His creation with wonder and that curiosity has an element of seeking Him. He further digs in the Bible to show the vast difference between childlikeness and childishness. He champions imagination and looks at how culture has run from curiosity.
Part 2 gives eight chapters on “curious about…?” We are told to be curious about the right things before we are reminded of boundaries. Since there are grotesque things that even Scripture tells us not to think about, curiosity is morally bound. Some might wonder if he presents those boundaries distinctly enough, but likely he supposes discernment can guide us there.
I loved his observations; for example, how to balance information and curiosity. He said, “Google is the evil empire making us all dumber, ruining education, and providing easy answers to hard questions. Instead of thinking, we type, and we’re all worse for it.” Exactly!
Several times he reminded us one of curiosity’s best friends: books. Don’t miss either his balanced explanation of open-mindedness.
This timely paperback helped me to be reminded of the value of curiosity and the riches of wonder. That’s worth much!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
November 30, 2018
I think we all understand and expect children to be curious and ask a million and one questions. But what if we, adults, should still be just as curious as our kids? Perhaps you're like me and left your imagination at the door as soon as you were old enough. Or maybe, you've continued to ask questions and explore. Either way, how often are you applying curiosity to your faith?
In The Curious Christian, Barnabas Piper makes the argument that Jesus is calling us to curiosity in our faith.
"We are fininte creatures bound by time, space, and mental capacity. But bound or not, we almost never press the limits of those boundaries. Rather we stay safely where we are and miss the wonders God has for us."
I know that I tend to forget to be curious. I see the world in black and white. And I don't always explore or ask questions because I fear the things I'll never be able to understand if I ask a question without an answer. I also fear being thought silly because of the questions that I often ponder.
Don't Let It Go
But the point, according to Piper, is to not let go of our curiosity. To remember that we must put aside childish thinking, but we must always question. We must live with "the wonder and merriment and raw enthusiasm kids bring to otherwise mundane experiences reveal the spirit Jesus praises."
Rather than focusing our curiosity on ourselves, we now must turn that curiosity towards God and his kingdom.
The Curious Christian has me thinking in questions again. I find myself willing to ask questions that may or may not ever be answered. I am practicing curiosity as I read scripture and as I live my daily life. As I look for things that might excite my toddler's mind, I'm also looking for the things that God places in my path to be curious about.
Curiosity lets me think outside the box. To imagine what life might be. Or could be. Or how I may want it to look in the future. The Curious Christian may also help you create a more curious life too.
I received a copy of this book from LifeWay and B&H Publishers. This review is my own, honest opinion.
In The Curious Christian, Barnabas Piper makes the argument that Jesus is calling us to curiosity in our faith.
"We are fininte creatures bound by time, space, and mental capacity. But bound or not, we almost never press the limits of those boundaries. Rather we stay safely where we are and miss the wonders God has for us."
I know that I tend to forget to be curious. I see the world in black and white. And I don't always explore or ask questions because I fear the things I'll never be able to understand if I ask a question without an answer. I also fear being thought silly because of the questions that I often ponder.
Don't Let It Go
But the point, according to Piper, is to not let go of our curiosity. To remember that we must put aside childish thinking, but we must always question. We must live with "the wonder and merriment and raw enthusiasm kids bring to otherwise mundane experiences reveal the spirit Jesus praises."
Rather than focusing our curiosity on ourselves, we now must turn that curiosity towards God and his kingdom.
The Curious Christian has me thinking in questions again. I find myself willing to ask questions that may or may not ever be answered. I am practicing curiosity as I read scripture and as I live my daily life. As I look for things that might excite my toddler's mind, I'm also looking for the things that God places in my path to be curious about.
Curiosity lets me think outside the box. To imagine what life might be. Or could be. Or how I may want it to look in the future. The Curious Christian may also help you create a more curious life too.
I received a copy of this book from LifeWay and B&H Publishers. This review is my own, honest opinion.
July 6, 2017
Why I Don’t Know What I May Need to Know
This book aims to show how curiosity helps us bear the image of God, deepens our relationships with others, and allows us to have a greater impact on society. The author fills that tall order effectively.
The first page validates all those who ask what many suppose to be dumb questions. Asking is “not a sign of being dumb; it’s a sign of being curious.” That idea launches Piper into a convincing list of ‘uncuriosity’ side effects. He then demonstrates that curiosity is a very grown-up quality because faith-filled curiosity seeks truth. “Without curiosity, we cannot be what God wants us to be.”
We need a book on curiosity because “most people’s minds are stupefied by comfort and overwhelmed by busyness.” A key question for the curious is what don’t I know. “Children need more than schooling because life is more than choosing from options A through D and passing a standardized test.” Curiosity leads to greater knowledge and deeper relationships. But the curious questioner must regard the guidance of Scripture. The fruit of the Spirit for instance.
Part 2 zeroes in on the guidelines more specifically. How will we use our knowledge? What are the boundaries of ‘Christian’ curiosity? Who sets them? Will our curiosity be broad or focused? Will we let fear hinder our pursuits? What is healthy skepticism? How curiosity turns us outward, away from selfishness.
Chapter 11 is a thoughtful declaration on how curiosity can affect our lives practically.
In summary, “We must constantly be looking for where truth and people intersect because that is where the gospel can land.”
This book aims to show how curiosity helps us bear the image of God, deepens our relationships with others, and allows us to have a greater impact on society. The author fills that tall order effectively.
The first page validates all those who ask what many suppose to be dumb questions. Asking is “not a sign of being dumb; it’s a sign of being curious.” That idea launches Piper into a convincing list of ‘uncuriosity’ side effects. He then demonstrates that curiosity is a very grown-up quality because faith-filled curiosity seeks truth. “Without curiosity, we cannot be what God wants us to be.”
We need a book on curiosity because “most people’s minds are stupefied by comfort and overwhelmed by busyness.” A key question for the curious is what don’t I know. “Children need more than schooling because life is more than choosing from options A through D and passing a standardized test.” Curiosity leads to greater knowledge and deeper relationships. But the curious questioner must regard the guidance of Scripture. The fruit of the Spirit for instance.
Part 2 zeroes in on the guidelines more specifically. How will we use our knowledge? What are the boundaries of ‘Christian’ curiosity? Who sets them? Will our curiosity be broad or focused? Will we let fear hinder our pursuits? What is healthy skepticism? How curiosity turns us outward, away from selfishness.
Chapter 11 is a thoughtful declaration on how curiosity can affect our lives practically.
In summary, “We must constantly be looking for where truth and people intersect because that is where the gospel can land.”
August 19, 2017
The Curious Christian compels readers to explore the world around them, to open his or her eyes to the wonder of the world and the people therein. Consequently, this book is insightful, encouraging, and in places even exhilarating. It also feels forced, which is the downside of turning an essay-length topic into a full, albeit short, book-length read. By the end it felt repetitive, and I had a hard time getting passed the sneaking feeling that Mr. Piper included God more as an afterthought or a way to draw in the target audience, much like the book was written and then the editor asked him to write more about God to pad the page count and book sales. Perhaps that is a harsh assessment, but that's how it appeared to me.
Forced-feel-in-places aside, this book still is worth the read for its main premise: being curious of the world around is a better way to live life and reflects God's design for people. Readers are challenged to take up a new hobby, drive a new route to work, or do something (anything!) to revive the spark of curiosity that everyone is born with yet few people retain into adulthood. If you read this book, it is hard to see how you will not be inspired to make a change in how you live and view life.
[I received this book free through the Goodreads book giveaway program. Other than the free book, I received nothing in return for this review, nor was I required to write this review.]
Forced-feel-in-places aside, this book still is worth the read for its main premise: being curious of the world around is a better way to live life and reflects God's design for people. Readers are challenged to take up a new hobby, drive a new route to work, or do something (anything!) to revive the spark of curiosity that everyone is born with yet few people retain into adulthood. If you read this book, it is hard to see how you will not be inspired to make a change in how you live and view life.
[I received this book free through the Goodreads book giveaway program. Other than the free book, I received nothing in return for this review, nor was I required to write this review.]
August 27, 2019
I would consider myself a very curious person, so I didn't think I needed to read this book...which is perfect evidence that I DID need to read it. There's so much about curiosity I didn't know, and Barnabas's book was interesting and succinct enough to keep me gripped the whole time. I didn't realize how much curiosity is rooted in humility, or how the fall of man was as a result of a perverted curiosity.
I think the biggest takeaway for me was when he talked about how a lack of curiosity "is not merely a lack of interest or understanding; it is the petri dish in which anger, resentment, prejudice, and eventually violence grow" (pg 34 on the Kindle.) We can't have empathy or care about the plight of our neighbors if we aren't curious about what their lives actually look like.
I didn't realize the humility that curiosity requires or that it also creates.
Anyway, it's an amazing read, and it's really funny sometimes. I was glad to hear that his tone in this Christian living book wasn't overly-spiritual or wordy and still captured the insightful, humble-snark perspective that I appreciate on his podcasts.
Also, just try not to cry when he talks about his mom. Goals. Sigh.
Anyway, I definitely recommend this book!
I think the biggest takeaway for me was when he talked about how a lack of curiosity "is not merely a lack of interest or understanding; it is the petri dish in which anger, resentment, prejudice, and eventually violence grow" (pg 34 on the Kindle.) We can't have empathy or care about the plight of our neighbors if we aren't curious about what their lives actually look like.
I didn't realize the humility that curiosity requires or that it also creates.
Anyway, it's an amazing read, and it's really funny sometimes. I was glad to hear that his tone in this Christian living book wasn't overly-spiritual or wordy and still captured the insightful, humble-snark perspective that I appreciate on his podcasts.
Also, just try not to cry when he talks about his mom. Goals. Sigh.
Anyway, I definitely recommend this book!
April 15, 2018
I really liked this book. It affirmed a lot of my own feelings and thoughts and made me feel like I was less of a weirdo than I sometimes feel when I ask Curious questions. I came away from the book feeling a kindred spirit between myself and the author not only because of the way we look at the world around us, our love of reading, the questions we ask, but the similar way our parents taught us to do all these things. What keeps this book from going all the way to a 5 Star A+ review for me is that I felt like I didn’t learn anything new from it. It’s definitely a book I want others to read and there were a lot interesting ideas in it about how curiosity connects to faith and spirituality which were really intriguing but when the book was over I felt like I needed to discuss it with someone and play with the ideas and mull them around and ask more questions and there was no one to do that with! So perhaps that’s not a book issue so much of a circumstance issue but for this reason I’d definitely recommend reading it with someone or as a book club book!
May 29, 2017
I greatly appreciated this book about the importance of curiosity to our lives, both in the sense of leading fulfilling lives and in developing our spiritual habits. What seems simple, even childish, is actually an invitation to live in awe and wonder, to step into relationships fearlessly and with grace, and to constantly be poking and probing at this universe we find ourselves a part of. Gets a bit repetitive near the end and I felt the entire chapter about Heaven seemed a bit obligatory. But Piper's got a casual writing style that I enjoyed and a sense of humor that is refreshingly witty without being snarky. A must-read for those of us (like me) who need to constantly fight off cynicism and remember to view this world with wide eyes.
Read
May 16, 2017Lately, I've been worried that I'm living my life in a bit of a social media induced fog and this book helped snap me out of it. In The Curious Christian, Barnabas Piper explores the idea of being curious and how important it is for us to be that way. I liked the idea of how curiosity is a discipline and appreciated all of the different examples of how to implement a constant state of in my life. This is one of those books where upon finishing, I realized I should probably go back and reread as there were so many ideas and quotes I've just gotta write down. Definitely a helpful and enjoyable read.
July 29, 2019
I often say I make a good social worker because I’m curious. So I was drawn to the title of this book. Trying to be more of a frequent reader I just got in the groove with 2 books that I was absorbed in the story, kind of tunnel focused, blocking other thoughts out. This book opened my mind, making it a bit easier to get distracted by thoughts as I evaluated my life of curiosity. So I had to find a quiet place to read & think deeper. I am pretty sure I will broaden my curiosity & hopefully face some personal conflicts with an open mind of finding out more about the other person. I expect this book with change me in a small way as I recognize more opportunities for curiosity.
May 4, 2020
Curiosity makes the world a bigger, brighter place. It reveals new possibilities on every hand and lets you see everything from multiple perspectives. Ultimately it improves relationships with other people and with God. Not only does this book define curiosity, it lets you come away with an action plan, showing how to cultivate curiosity. I'm so glad I read this book when I did because that was exactly when I needed it. I'd recommend this book to anyone who truly wants to learn — or anyone who doesn't want to learn and desires to change that.
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