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A. W. Tozer: Man: The Dwelling Place of God
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE CHRIST LIVING IN YOU? In the heart of every Christian is the dwelling place where the Triune God desires to fellowship with His people. It is such a private, intimate place that no one can intrude but Christ. In " The Dwelling Place of God", A. W. Tozer reveals what it truly means to have Christ within us. He explores this truth with brilliant insight and care for God's people. It is no wonder that this book has provided encouragement and comfort to Christians for many years and leaves one with a hunger to know God more intimately.
108 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
1875 people are currently reading
1992 people want to read
About the author
A.W. Tozer
664 books2,100 followersAiden Wilson Tozer was an American evangelical pastor, speaker, writer, and editor. After coming to Christ at the age of seventeen, Tozer found his way into the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination where he served for over forty years. In 1950, he was appointed by the denomination's General Council to be the editor of "The Alliance Witness" (now "Alliance Life").
Born into poverty in western Pennsylvania in 1897, Tozer died in May 1963 a self-educated man who had taught himself what he missed in high school and college due to his home situation. Though he wrote many books, two of them, "The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy" are widely considered to be classics.
A.W. Tozer and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, had seven children, six boys and one girl.
Born into poverty in western Pennsylvania in 1897, Tozer died in May 1963 a self-educated man who had taught himself what he missed in high school and college due to his home situation. Though he wrote many books, two of them, "The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy" are widely considered to be classics.
A.W. Tozer and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, had seven children, six boys and one girl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
October 4, 2017
An extraordinary collection of (mostly) short essays most of which originally appeared in The Alliance Witness of which he was the editor in the 1905s. Presumably only of interest to Christians, and even then to those seeking a closer walk with God.
Best read one chapter at a time--they all stand alone--to allow the reader to absorb and reflecton Tozer's message. Many lend themselves to personal mediation. Can be life changing.
A very good read.
Best read one chapter at a time--they all stand alone--to allow the reader to absorb and reflecton Tozer's message. Many lend themselves to personal mediation. Can be life changing.
A very good read.
February 5, 2017
I like A. W. Tozer quite a bit. There are times when I think he's right on the money, and times that I have some problems with what he has to say. I can't decide why I disagree. He definitely has a more conservative tone, but that's not all of the problem. Even when I find myself disagreeing strongly with what he has to say, I find myself listening and trying to work through the differences in my head, rather than dismissing his ideas. That's a hard combo for me to find. His take on modern Christianity, though somewhat dated because he wrote 1920-1963, I think is nothing short of brilliant. One of his ever present themes is of really following Jesus, while a good chunk of Christianity only pays that effort lip service and goes running after the latest ideas. I've read other books by Tozer, I'll read more.
May 17, 2023
I was put off when I found this was not a continuous narrative but rather a compilation of articles. However, the book quickly sucks you in with the discerning nature of Tozer’s observations. The issues he presents are so relevant to the modern Christian that I caught myself checking the front to confirm that this really was written almost a century ago. Encouragement for a closer walk with the Lord.
August 31, 2011
"Christianity today is man-centered, not God-centered." (No doubt!)
"The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being."
"The whole world has been booby-trapped by the devil, and the deadliest trap of all is the religious one."
One of the things I appreciate most about Tozer is that he was highly critical of the modern evangelical church and yet was himself a modern evangelical. I think he saw the many ways that the church was selling out to partisan politics and worldly concerns (e.g. this prosperity gospel nonsense) and departing from the actual texts of the Gospel.
I like him very much when he criticizes the church (and the Western world) and talks about God, less so when he criticizes the world (almost to the point where he seems a smidge isolationist; I don't recall very much in Tozer about the great commission) and even less so when he seems to suggest that wrestling with faith or trying to make intellect part your belief is, in fact, a form of unbelief. Some of this might be the culture and time and social climate he was writing in. That being said, I highlighted 70 different passages of this little book. You're going along and then BAM, Tozer lays a brilliant insight out and you're like, 'Daggone. That dude's deep.'
"The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being."
"The whole world has been booby-trapped by the devil, and the deadliest trap of all is the religious one."
One of the things I appreciate most about Tozer is that he was highly critical of the modern evangelical church and yet was himself a modern evangelical. I think he saw the many ways that the church was selling out to partisan politics and worldly concerns (e.g. this prosperity gospel nonsense) and departing from the actual texts of the Gospel.
I like him very much when he criticizes the church (and the Western world) and talks about God, less so when he criticizes the world (almost to the point where he seems a smidge isolationist; I don't recall very much in Tozer about the great commission) and even less so when he seems to suggest that wrestling with faith or trying to make intellect part your belief is, in fact, a form of unbelief. Some of this might be the culture and time and social climate he was writing in. That being said, I highlighted 70 different passages of this little book. You're going along and then BAM, Tozer lays a brilliant insight out and you're like, 'Daggone. That dude's deep.'
September 22, 2020
This is such a challenging book! Makes me realise there is still a lot of sanctification needed in my life. Tozer's messages are brief, very direct and timeless.
August 22, 2014
This has to be one of the most delightful Tozer books I have read. It has 39 short chapters on unrelated topics so one can read for a long or short time, stop, and come back to it without interruption. This makes a great format for those vacation or get-a-way times when you want to read for encouragement at your own leisure. And the reader won’t be disappointed in finding the familiar gems dropped behind from a long walk with Tozer. In fact, Tozer writes, “The best writer is one that goes with us through the world of ideas like a friendly guide who walks beside us through the forest pointing out to us a hundred natural wonders we had not noticed before. So we learn from him to see for ourselves and soon we have no need for our guide. If he has done his work well we can go on alone and miss little as we go.”
Read from over 600 other books reviews on my web site
Read from over 600 other books reviews on my web site
June 6, 2020
A thoughtful and insightful vision of a Christian life.
The author carefully and artfully explains the importance of the interior life of Christians. Although the author remains within the traditional Christian evangelical belief system I was pleased by his insight and eloquence about the true spiritual character we are to become vessels for!
The author carefully and artfully explains the importance of the interior life of Christians. Although the author remains within the traditional Christian evangelical belief system I was pleased by his insight and eloquence about the true spiritual character we are to become vessels for!
January 10, 2021
While I review many contemporary books on Christian growth, I decided to read some older ones this year. This book by Tozer came out in 1966. The essays are from various talks and writings. He pulled no punches in expressing his opinion on the state of Christianity.
He drew attention to an inadequate view of sin. He noted that the Bible might be hard to understand but that was because it was not meant for everyone. He called complacency the scandal of Christianity. He asked that we quit negotiating with evil. He called us to love God with our entire being, noting there was no place for a secondary love. He warned of self-deception. He called us to always be contrite. He shared how he evaluated new teaching.
Perhaps his most disturbing essay for me was on prayer. He was not happy with the teaching that God answered every prayer, even if sometimes with a no. God is under no obligation to honor carnal prayers, he wrote. When we pray, we must keep in mind two requirements: praying in the will of God and living a life pleasing to God.
Tozer would certainly give some Christians today a wake up call. “The effort to think well with an empty head is sure to be largely wasted. There is nothing like a good hard fact to correct our carefully constructed theories.” (Loc 1823/2218) He bemoaned the Christians of his day who did not apply themselves to learning. “To think without a proper amount of good reading is to limit our thinking to our own tiny plot of ground. The crop cannot be large.” (Loc 1832/2218)
Reading this book revealed how books on Christian living have changed over the last half decade. Tozer was not afraid to offend his readers if it meant preserving the purity of the gospel and the importance of holy living. Read it and be prodded to think again about your spiritual life and your relationship to the world.
He drew attention to an inadequate view of sin. He noted that the Bible might be hard to understand but that was because it was not meant for everyone. He called complacency the scandal of Christianity. He asked that we quit negotiating with evil. He called us to love God with our entire being, noting there was no place for a secondary love. He warned of self-deception. He called us to always be contrite. He shared how he evaluated new teaching.
Perhaps his most disturbing essay for me was on prayer. He was not happy with the teaching that God answered every prayer, even if sometimes with a no. God is under no obligation to honor carnal prayers, he wrote. When we pray, we must keep in mind two requirements: praying in the will of God and living a life pleasing to God.
Tozer would certainly give some Christians today a wake up call. “The effort to think well with an empty head is sure to be largely wasted. There is nothing like a good hard fact to correct our carefully constructed theories.” (Loc 1823/2218) He bemoaned the Christians of his day who did not apply themselves to learning. “To think without a proper amount of good reading is to limit our thinking to our own tiny plot of ground. The crop cannot be large.” (Loc 1832/2218)
Reading this book revealed how books on Christian living have changed over the last half decade. Tozer was not afraid to offend his readers if it meant preserving the purity of the gospel and the importance of holy living. Read it and be prodded to think again about your spiritual life and your relationship to the world.
April 30, 2013
Tozer was able to point out how Christianity as we know today is not the Christianity that Jesus had in mind when he went here on earth. Throughout the years, we have made Christianity man-centered and have altered some fundamental truths in order to please the crowd and make Christianity more acceptable and easier to swallow.
Christianity was never meant to be comfortable; on the contrary, Jesus wanted to shake everyone's core by challenging the accepted truths and practices during His time.
This book made me think and reflect upon what I hold true myself and how I react to the faith that I possess. Tozer doesn't sugarcoat, he rubs the hard facts in your face, never hesitating to proclaim how Christianity SHOULD be in light of God's word.
Christianity was never meant to be comfortable; on the contrary, Jesus wanted to shake everyone's core by challenging the accepted truths and practices during His time.
This book made me think and reflect upon what I hold true myself and how I react to the faith that I possess. Tozer doesn't sugarcoat, he rubs the hard facts in your face, never hesitating to proclaim how Christianity SHOULD be in light of God's word.
August 5, 2015
Practical and straightforward. Some really good tidbits in here, but all together a little disjointed. The book is essentially a collection of about 40 short essays on daily applying Christian theology to your life. However, I thought the essays, at 2-4 pages each, were too short to dive into any of the topics properly. The result feels like a collection of semi-related platitudinous thoughts. The book may be good for a daily devotion type of setting, but reading for longer sessions left me reeling from trying to cover too many topics too lightly.
September 27, 2015
A Christian classic worthy of your time!
August 22, 2019
Excellent daily devotional.
Tower is very insightful. He identifies the issues we face in today's society even though this was the written a while back.
Tower is very insightful. He identifies the issues we face in today's society even though this was the written a while back.
June 6, 2021
Poignantly straightforward
Roses points out in his rather philosophically pragmatic writing the realities of Christians today: the problems they are confronted with both internally and externally and how most would choose to react or resolve certain conflicts. Indeed, the human mind and soul as it is should be forever seeking, forever longing, and forever standing up for the truth even if it means being hated by the world. But all too often, it is easier said or written than done.
Roses points out in his rather philosophically pragmatic writing the realities of Christians today: the problems they are confronted with both internally and externally and how most would choose to react or resolve certain conflicts. Indeed, the human mind and soul as it is should be forever seeking, forever longing, and forever standing up for the truth even if it means being hated by the world. But all too often, it is easier said or written than done.
November 18, 2022
Living the Holy life because Christ lives in you!
No more superficial play acting. Living the true Christian life can be a lonely life because God made us for each other. But when you get serious about Jesus, desiring Him above all others, and serious about God's Word, holding to it as the only truth, you may make a sad discovery. There might be a scarcity of others who are like-minded and heart-driven. A Christ follower bearing their cross daily may find they are alone, like our Savior.
No more superficial play acting. Living the true Christian life can be a lonely life because God made us for each other. But when you get serious about Jesus, desiring Him above all others, and serious about God's Word, holding to it as the only truth, you may make a sad discovery. There might be a scarcity of others who are like-minded and heart-driven. A Christ follower bearing their cross daily may find they are alone, like our Savior.
December 28, 2022
* This is a hard hitting convicting book
* Talks about what we should read puritans and the Mystics
* How we are bored with God
* How are choices shows us our character
* How we have lost the second coming as our hope due to being comfortable in this world
* Talks about how we have lost being a pilgrim
* The deadliest thing in man is to be liked and we are willing to compromise the faith through this
* Talks about how our pleasures are eroding our libities both spiritual and in society
* Need to empty are hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to enter into that empty heart
* Talks about what we should read puritans and the Mystics
* How we are bored with God
* How are choices shows us our character
* How we have lost the second coming as our hope due to being comfortable in this world
* Talks about how we have lost being a pilgrim
* The deadliest thing in man is to be liked and we are willing to compromise the faith through this
* Talks about how our pleasures are eroding our libities both spiritual and in society
* Need to empty are hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to enter into that empty heart
April 17, 2024
Set apart for Christ
Highly recommend, reminds us of our Christian journey, why we gave ourselves as living sacrifice to God, being dead to sin and living for Christ. Professing the Confession of our faith and holding up despite the opposition from the world.
Being true Christians regardless of what the world says, standing firm in our truth that Christ is the Son of God, He came to redeem us back to God, He is the only way to God and will return again. This world is not our home and we look forward to His glorious return.
It's a book to re-read over and over again.
Highly recommend, reminds us of our Christian journey, why we gave ourselves as living sacrifice to God, being dead to sin and living for Christ. Professing the Confession of our faith and holding up despite the opposition from the world.
Being true Christians regardless of what the world says, standing firm in our truth that Christ is the Son of God, He came to redeem us back to God, He is the only way to God and will return again. This world is not our home and we look forward to His glorious return.
It's a book to re-read over and over again.
December 18, 2019
Great book with edifying words of wisdom on the Christian life.
My highlights show how much I gained from this book some of which include: the folly of stripping the Gospel of its message and truth in order to be seeker-friendly; the lonely life of the Christian; the importance of will in obeying God, and the perfect sovereignty of God in salvation.
This is one that deserves a place on the bookshelf because it contains great gems.
A good and helpful one from Tozer!
My highlights show how much I gained from this book some of which include: the folly of stripping the Gospel of its message and truth in order to be seeker-friendly; the lonely life of the Christian; the importance of will in obeying God, and the perfect sovereignty of God in salvation.
This is one that deserves a place on the bookshelf because it contains great gems.
A good and helpful one from Tozer!
April 19, 2020
Great book!
I read Tozer's PURSUIT OF GOD and am currently reading Tozer's daily devotional collection. Without a doubt I have found Tozer to be the most familiar author with the knowledge of and personal relational knowledge of God's love for man and of God's attributes. I highly recommend this book, and any other book by Tozer to anyone truly seeking a closer relationship with Our Lord.
I read Tozer's PURSUIT OF GOD and am currently reading Tozer's daily devotional collection. Without a doubt I have found Tozer to be the most familiar author with the knowledge of and personal relational knowledge of God's love for man and of God's attributes. I highly recommend this book, and any other book by Tozer to anyone truly seeking a closer relationship with Our Lord.
December 24, 2021
Tozer speaks in a straightforward and detailed manner — he doesn’t come across as sermonizing or pithy but very down to earth, concerned about what’s real and practical. I appreciate his anthological approach in this book. Each chapter acts as its own brief message making for a quick (though very deep) morsel of intellectual and spiritual stimulation to mull over. I can see myself recommending and returning to a few of these chapters on occasion.
January 6, 2024
God created man as a vessel for honour or Dishonor...
God created man for honor or dishonor, pastor Tower uses clear and concise language to explain . The u regenerate man has not accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior . If He is not your Lord he will no be your Savior . It is impossible to live as a Christian if you do not have a personal relationship with God!! Man is the dwelling place of God the Holy Spirit ..
God created man for honor or dishonor, pastor Tower uses clear and concise language to explain . The u regenerate man has not accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior . If He is not your Lord he will no be your Savior . It is impossible to live as a Christian if you do not have a personal relationship with God!! Man is the dwelling place of God the Holy Spirit ..
November 3, 2018
Excellent!
I used this as a quiet time book. There was something every day to ponder and pray over. Tozer is encouraging, insightful and convicting to live the best Christian life possible by continually handing over the reins to Christ.
I will be reading through it again and again.
I used this as a quiet time book. There was something every day to ponder and pray over. Tozer is encouraging, insightful and convicting to live the best Christian life possible by continually handing over the reins to Christ.
I will be reading through it again and again.
September 14, 2019
Practical Advise for the Serious Christian.
If you really mean business with Jesus. Mr Tozer gives you insight to what it means to have a relationship with God and the pits and snares of Satan keeping us on our toes as well as preparing us to inhabit Christ. One to read again and again. 😊
If you really mean business with Jesus. Mr Tozer gives you insight to what it means to have a relationship with God and the pits and snares of Satan keeping us on our toes as well as preparing us to inhabit Christ. One to read again and again. 😊
June 10, 2020
A wonderful and true book to read. It’s amazing how Tozer wrote this book so many years ago and it is relevant for today. I was a little disappointing at the ending because I thought the author would have tied all the chapters into the title of the book (Man the dwelling place of God). What I did learn though is that my faith should be active.
October 15, 2020
Misleading title
I expected a diferent book when I purchased it... I thought it would be entirely focused on what it means for us that God dwells in us and not a collection of short pieces on a wide variety of subjects.
That said, the book is awesome! (as everything Tozer's). It is challenging and applicable to our current world (even if written a century ago)
I expected a diferent book when I purchased it... I thought it would be entirely focused on what it means for us that God dwells in us and not a collection of short pieces on a wide variety of subjects.
That said, the book is awesome! (as everything Tozer's). It is challenging and applicable to our current world (even if written a century ago)
January 9, 2024
This is a well known classic by Tozer and loved by many. Personally I did not care for the structure of the book. Each chapter seemed independent of the previous and not at all connected to the next. If each chapter were its own stand alone article or short essay, I perhaps would have found them more helpful reading them individually.
July 10, 2017
This is a fantastic book that requires the reader to carefully read and meditate on the message. Recommended to me by an old college professor, this book makes you rethink our relationship with God and the mystery behind it. Simple and short, I highly recommend this book.
March 27, 2019
I like this writer
Truths presented in a way that is understandable. I usually get a lot out of this writer's work. I would recommend it to anyone who desires a deeper understanding.
Truths presented in a way that is understandable. I usually get a lot out of this writer's work. I would recommend it to anyone who desires a deeper understanding.
March 14, 2020
To strive for the Promises of God
I chose this rating of 5 stars for this book because it touched my heart and opened my mind to what it means to be living in today's world while listening to God speaking to my soul.
I chose this rating of 5 stars for this book because it touched my heart and opened my mind to what it means to be living in today's world while listening to God speaking to my soul.
September 15, 2020
Very Informative
I have begun reading Tower literature and find that most of his writing is truly edifying and uplifting. I am not a "Trinitarian" but I am learning much from his "admonitions"!
I have begun reading Tower literature and find that most of his writing is truly edifying and uplifting. I am not a "Trinitarian" but I am learning much from his "admonitions"!
October 27, 2020
Este libró es tremendo pienso leerlo muchas veces mas, porque es un libró que tiene tanto de lo que yo necesito.
Es un tremendo libró he aprendido mucho de mi andar en Dios ,lo leeré muchas veces porque tiene tantas verdades que necesito vivir
Es un tremendo libró he aprendido mucho de mi andar en Dios ,lo leeré muchas veces porque tiene tantas verdades que necesito vivir
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews