Less of More

by Nye

The US Constitution guarantees the right to the pursuit of happiness. But for most Americans, what this really means is the pursuit of more--more money, more prestige, more stuff. We've made idols out of innovation, growth, power, and wealth. Far from offering us happiness and satisfaction, this relentless pursuit of more has only left us exhausted, isolated, miserable, and wondering if there is a better way.

There is. Less of More exposes the American pursuit of more for what it truly an attempt to satisfy our souls with the temporary instead of the eternal. Pastor and writer Chris Nye invites us to consider what a full and abundant life looks like apart from money, status, and power. He exposes the lies inherent in our obsession with growth, fame, and wealth, and calls us to a countercultural life marked by connection, obscurity, vulnerability, and generosity.

For anyone who has gained the world but lost their soul, Less of More offers a compelling path toward a life of true, deep, lasting satisfaction with Jesus--not us--at the center of it.

Genres: Christian, Faith

192 pages, Paperback

Published May 21, 2019

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Less of More: Pursuing Spiritual Abundance in a World of Never Enough by Chris Nye, an author and pastor in the Silicon Valley, is a short book that discusses materialism in America and its potentially eternal consequences. Nye writes to "craft a counter-narrative [...] of how we should live according to Scripture" in juxtaposition to the "American Story of More": the latter defined by growth, isolation, fame, power, and wealth, and the former by pace, community, obscurity, vulnerability, and generosity.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book (specifically based on the subtitle), and, having read it, I think I understand where Nye is coming from (clearly the richest people are not necessarily the most happy and satisfied in life, and in general more is not always better) and I can appreciate his heart behind encouraging believers to be discerning when it comes to the prevailing materialism of the "American Dream" at large and how following the way of Jesus may look different than society at large. But, Less of More is not really what I expected, and, for me, disappointingly so.

Mostly it seemed overly focused on statistics and generalizations about the "negatives" (e.g., "the average American gives around 3 percent of his or her earnings each year [...] Americans are not charitable people"), criticizing myriad aspects within America as a country and culture (like capitalism) without fairly addressing or even acknowledging the bigger picture in many cases, or at least the bigger picture within the Church (e.g., Americans actually give substantially more per capita than Europeans or Canadians, and many studies have shown that religion is one of the strongest indicators of above-average charitable giving). Yes, there are issues in our country, as in anyplace else, and certainly this involves the Church at times; no, I personally don't believe that the correct response, then, is doing away with patriotism or pride in the great country America is, nor poo-pooing anything "American," since problems are fundamentally individual.

That aside, on another note, Less of More seemed to present false dichotomies between the "American Story of More" and the Biblical counter-narrative. While many aspects of society are incongruous with Scripture or the Christian life, not everything is inherently wrong or opposed to how Jesus lived. For instance, and the most obvious example, wealth versus generosity: while Jesus may have taught (and cautioned) about money second only to the Kingdom, none of His parables concluded that money, wealth, or even investing for a profit was "bad" (rather, it was the love of money and the idol of possessions that was a danger or sin), and thereby I disagree that wealth and generosity are mutually exclusive (worldly versus Biblical). Of course, some wealthy people are not generous, and not all generous people are wealthy, but to be a Christian striving to live according to Scripture does not always mean giving away all your possessions and income. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to limit the size of our house, for instance.

Perhaps I am getting defensive or splitting hairs, but I wish that Nye in Less of More would have assumed most readers are likely more than aware of what's "wrong" with America, left the social and political commentary aside, perhaps not tried to be so cutesy with the "perfectly" juxtaposed ways of life (which weren't the most objective), and instead more seriously delved into the "compelling path toward a life of true, deep, lasting satisfaction with Jesus—not us—at the center of it," as the back cover suggests. I'm not too naive to face the realities of brokenness, of idolatry and materialism, within our own country, in homes, lives, and even churches, but Less of More would have been more compelling had it been less of externally living anti-American Dream (even anti-American at times) and more of, in the midst of a materialistic and secular world, personally living a Godly life satisfied in Christ and hopeful for His return and redemption of this world.

Disclaimer: This book was received for free from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review. Note as with all reviews and references, I do not necessarily agree with (or am even aware of) any or all of the beliefs, views, etc. of the author; please read my disclaimer here.

[Josiah Buster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Nye spends the majority of this book dismantling American ideals of growth, fame, and individuality in favor of a lifestyle of pace, obscurity, and community. The way we push ourselves to be better than the past generation, to be constantly growing financially, and to achieve success on our own without the help of others is, according to Nye, literally killing us and our children, citing suicide statistics for 15-30 year olds.

Nye encourages his readers to become disillusioned with the desire to grow crazily, and for the most part I agree. Churches do not need to become "megachurches." Not all businesses need to become chains that stretch across the nation. At some point, we are making all of the money we need, we have the stuff we need, we have the relationships we need, and it is okay if our lives are no longer defined by growth but by satisfaction with what we have, and generosity towards those who do not have enough.

However, Nye is a little aggressive with several of his points. I don't know that it's the healthiest idea to go out and invite the first homeless person you meet on the street to move into your home until they are back on their feet (one of his ideas proposed in the Community section of his book). However, I agree that our homelessness crisis is largely a relationship crisis, and that folks with homes who are better off should be more concerned with getting to know their unhoused neighbors, and should be more concerned with their well-being.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anti-capitalist overtones overshadow otherwise good book

In Luke 12: 15, Jesus said, “…Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things that he possesses.”

In his new book, “Less of More: Pursuing Spiritual Abundance in a World of Never Enough,” Chris Nye says “the American Story of More” has left our nation spiritually impoverished (page 40) – and that a major paradigm shift especially toward Christian wealth is needed.

Published by Baker Books, Nye’s 192-page book is broken down into three parts, arguing how a person’s drive to accumulate more has also left them isolated without making genuine connections with people, both in and outside the church walls (page 70).

For example, Nye further argues that there is a pace to both spiritual and material growth, writing that, “Our culture is so inundated with the “More is Better” mentality that it is difficult to see it unless we step outside of it for a while (page 60).”

Nye discusses not just power and money in the world, but also in the Church, writing that there are powerful people in the Church who have great influence over the congregation – even more than the pastor (page 115).

He also writes how community exposes our weaknesses and should be a foundation in our lives, arguing that “Christian living in the American Story of More must be fiercely committed to vulnerability and humility within their respective local communities (page 127-128).”

While I appreciate Nye’s effort to explain his position, his book was somewhat disappointing to me and not what I expected. Nye backs up a lot of his statements with figures and studies, but his book seems to have an anti-capitalist, nearly-Socialist overtone to it.

“Because we are rich in Christ, we do not need to be rich in money,” he nearly inveighed (page 146), insinuating, “There is no need for self-righteous asceticism, but there is a need for a serious reevaluation of our material possessions. We do not need most of what we have, and we should not get most of what we want.” That’s fair enough – and certainly true for some.

Although false teachers flood the Christian television airwaves with unrealistic, unbiblical promises of prosperity and riches, most wealthy Christians are not greedy, and actually do use their financial resources and affluence as a ministry to truly help others in need.

While it’s not a sin to be wealthy and have a lot of possessions, what Nye is getting at is our heart attitude toward wealth; that it should not have us. After all, there are also plenty of people who already covet what they don’t have – and what they wish they had.

But that’s where I was the most disappointed in the book. Nye didn’t provide the spiritual depth his book needed. He backed up his statements with a lot of data, but not with a lot of Scripture, which made the subtitle very misleading.

It’s not enough to tell people to pursue spiritual abundance by becoming rich toward God if you don’t show them specifically how to do so. That’s also where it would have helped to have chapter summaries and discussion questions toward the end of each chapter – especially for small group discussions.

In the end, the main point Nye is making (in a roundabout way) is Christians need to be richer spiritually toward God and not think the accumulation of possessions is going to bring them lasting fulfilment (like the world does).

Overall, while Nye does make a lot of valid points, he seems to be expecting affluent Christians to change their lifestyles, which is a pretty tall order – especially when they are already using their tremendous wealth as a way to truly help others.

Bottom line: It’s having the right heart attitude toward wealth that really matters the most to the Lord, not what you have or don’t have.

I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars.

Full disclosure: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, I received this book free through the Baker Books Bloggers Program. My opinions are my own and I wasn’t required to write a positive review.

© 2019 by Doug S., M.A.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Proposes that the American dream is making us miserable and that the vision of the kingdom turns the American dream upside down, leading us to a truly rich life.

Chris Nye proposes that the American dream is killing us. Visions of unlimited growth are pressing up against the operating limits of the only place where we can live. Depression and suicide among the young are rising. Our politics are mired in discord pitting groups who share a common citizenship against one another. Nye writes, "we never had more than we do now, and we've never been more depressed about it,"

Nye's challenge in this book is the counter-cultural message of Jesus that we must lose our lives to save them. He contends that the American dreams of growth, self-sufficiency, fame, power, and wealth are gained at the cost of our souls. In chapters on each of these "dreams" he articulates the alternative the gospel of Jesus offers.

He speaks to our infatuation with growth, especially the infatuation among Christians with church growth and measuring goodness by bigness. He counters that the message of the gospel is one of "pace," of keeping pace with God's often slow but certain work of transformation. He challenges the hyper-individualism of our culture and the idea that we are more connected than ever with the reality that many are more isolated than ever. He observes the gospel alternative of the connectedness of the welcoming table. He contrasts the quest for fame and gaining a name for oneself with the practice of hiddenness and the downward journey exemplified by Henri Nouwen and Jean Vanier at the L'Arch Communities.

The culture defines greatness in terms of power. Nye proposes the humble and vulnerable community, where we reveal rather than hide weakness, and stoop to serve and protect each other. Finally we define ourselves by how much we are worth, by the wealth we have accumulated. Nye invites us to discover that while saving might feel good, giving feels great. 

Nye concludes with a pointed challenge. Despite dreams of American greatness, history tells us that the American Epoch will end, the Empire will fall. Christian hope has survived the fall of every empire and challenges us to consider to which we have given our allegiance. He writes, "To follow Jesus is to follow him out of America and into the kingdom of God, from our own weak, man-made houses and into the mansions he has built that await us."

I wouldn't be surprised that there is pushback to this book (and perhaps this review). We want both the American dream and to have Jesus to as our eternal insurance policy. It seems to me that Nye is on good ground here in arguing that these are diametrically opposed to one another and that we can't have both. Jesus himself said that we can't have two masters, and the truth is that both the American dream and the call of the kingdom of God are a call to serve a master. But Nye goes further. He names the things that make are making us miserable, and the alternative life of the kingdom that restores wholeness. Nye diagnoses our American sickness. The question is whether we will recognize our dis-ease, and what can make us well.

________________________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: 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.

[Conny Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The more we chase after “more,” the less we will get,” Chris Nye declares in his book, Less of More: Pursuing Spiritual Abundance in a World of Never Enough.

~ What ~
This one-hundred-and-eighty-four-page paperback targets those who want to have a more abundant life with Christ instead of concentrating on earthly status and position. Divided into three parts, ten chapters cover the topic of less being better, ending with acknowledgments, bibliography, and the author’s biography. Using mainly the English Standard Version of The Holy Bible, the HCSB, NIV, and NLT are also referenced. Due to discussions about homelessness, sexual assault, and suicide, it may not be appropriate for immature readers.

In this book, church pastor Nye promotes that the American Story of More is self-destructive, self-defeating, and unattainable while the Biblical Counter-Narrative that follows in Jesus’s way is sincere and satisfying. Instead of desiring unlimited growth, comfortable isolation, overt fame, power status, and increasing wealth, deeper happiness can be obtained through thoughtful pacing, community outreach, unpretentious obscurity, open vulnerability, and humble generosity. Also noted are Biblical teachings and Jesus’s parables along with other written documentation.

~Why ~
This is is an honest approach to dealing with materialism, striving for success, and overcoming pride regarding America’s obsession with more, more, more. The book would be helpful for most generations caught up in the crave for power, position, and products while sacrificing their schedules and relationships with God and others. I like how the writer from the Silicon Valley approaches social media, megachurches, poverty, and spending money by honest communication, slow but steady participation, and giving with humility while including the eternal plan of salvation.

~ Why Not ~
Those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may not understand this read that focuses on Him and not ourselves or what we can obtain in this life. Some may not be at the stage of maturity to understand that less is better than more, and the constant need to procure things adds stress, not happiness, to life. A few may not like the writer’s many added personal experiences about taquerias, dog walks, Turkey trips, trash dumps, or book writing.

~ Wish ~
I felt the book would best be targeted toward other pastors as it often includes the role of the church in society and how it can help others. Since the author is decades younger than me, I wish he mentioned how satisfying it is to be older, have less out of choice, and be content with how God has designed one’s life. I prefer all pronouns of God to be capitalized for reverence.

~ Want ~
If you have been asking yourself if you really can do and be more if you had more, this counter-narrative book on how Americans value their wealth and self-worth would be a quick, informative read that may make you question where you stand and why.

Thanks to BakerBooks for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is an American Christian story saying bigger, richer, more powerful is better. Nye wonders if the American church is gaining the world but losing its own soul. He wants us to return to a biblical vision of what it means to be a Christian. He writes about concepts like humility, generosity, obscurity, vulnerability, and more

He asks some penetrating questions of the American church. For example, what defines a truly healthy church? Is it one that is notably growing in numbers or one clearly evidencing the fruit of the Spirit?

He asks some penetrating questions of American Christians too. What does it truly mean to follow the ways of Jesus, for example. We might have lots of stuff but are we actually spiritually impoverished? “The path to a truly rich and abundant life,” he writes, “has nothing to do with how much money you have or how much you have achieved.” (154/2719)

I appreciate his penetrating insights into technology and the Internet, how it has fundamentally changed our interactions between one another and changed our concept of our soul's neediness. I liked his comments on wealth, wondering if it has made us better people or if we have lost basic elements of humanity. He suggests our wealth has come at a high cost to our souls and spirituality.

Nye is clear. Living the counter cultural narrative of the Bible is not easy in today's American society. Yet he asks Christians to be disruptive, “Because the biblical pattern of life is so different from the American pattern ...” (1698/2719) He asks Christians to faithfully live an example of that biblical counter narrative.

This request may not go over well with Christians living high on American success. “We cannot pursue the American Dream and God's Dream,” he writes. “The two kingdoms are in opposition to one another.” (1736/2719)

If you are ready to declare your allegiance to God's kingdom, this book is for you. You will be challenged and receive clarity. There were no discussion questions in the advanced copy I read. That's too bad as this would be a good book for use by a small group or church board.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review. I read an ARC and the quotes may appear differently in the published book.

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Nye writes Less of More as a contemporary John the Baptist prophet. He decries the American Story of superabundance, materially and economically, because people are “selling our soul to gain the world” (p.156). He describes The American Story of More as “growth->isolation->fame->power->wealth.” He says, “Money does not fulfill a lost, lonely soul; it just hides it” (pg. 39). In contrast, he says the Biblical Counter-Narrative is “pace->community->obscurity->vulnerability->generosity.” (p. 19). He documents the “More” critique with ample research and then uses the example of Jesus in offering the Biblical Counter-Narrative of “Less.” His hope is that his readers will have the courage to become counter-cultural and live authentically in the midst of the ruins created by the culture of More.
3 stars ML Codman-Wilson, Ph.D., 6/13/2019

Excerpts:
We firmly believe that if we just had more students, or a larger congregation, or a bigger budget, or a larger staff, or more power, we could accomplish so much more. Many of our decisions come from this heresy (p.18).
The internet (and the various technologies that surround it) has not given us any more possession of the world… We have not grown. We have shrunk…We have more information than ever but very little soul or heart. We hold all the information from millions of books in our pockets but we have not wisdom.” (P. 45)
The local church can offer the remarkably simple and healing practice of the table fellowship as a counter-narrative to the American Story of individualism…Table fellowship is the ancient Christian discipline of eating together.” Pp. 88-89
Certainly it’s easy to arrange our lives with specific religious disciplines in ordr to appear devoted to God, all the while amassing wealth and falling in love with our stuff. Thankfully, Jesus provides one of the simplest litmus tests for those of us seeking to understand our greed: “Where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.” (Mt. 6:21). (P. 141)

[MaryAnn Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: For most Americans, the pursuit of happiness really means the pursuit of more--more money, more prestige, more stuff. We've made idols out of innovation, growth, power, and wealth. Far from offering us happiness and satisfaction, this has only left us exhausted, isolated, miserable, and wondering if there is a better way.


There is. Less of More exposes our pursuit of more for what it truly is: an attempt to satisfy our souls with the temporary instead of the eternal. Pastor and writer Chris Nye invites us to consider what a full and abundant life looks like apart from money, status, and power. He exposes the lies inherent in our obsession with growth, fame, and wealth and calls us to a countercultural life marked by connection, obscurity, vulnerability, and generosity.

If you have gained the world but lost your soul, Less of More offers a compelling path toward a life of true, deep, lasting satisfaction with Jesus--not us--at the center of it.



My Thoughts: We live in a world that seems to push bigger is better, more makes us happier, but is that really true? Is that what God really wants for us? In this book author, Chris Nye takes a long hard look at how the world and the culture are forming what we think we need to live our lives. The author asks us to think about what a full life looks like without all the extras in our life; the money, status, and power that individuals seek every day. The author shows us the lies that are in these things, the obsession with having it all, the fame, the bigger churches, instead of seeking what God wants for us in our lives.



This book is an eye opener and a must read for everyone.



⭐⭐⭐⭐






I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Sherri Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of this book is the epitome of what this book is about. Less of More is about our constant striving to feel our lives with more stuff to fill up the emptiness we all seem to feel inside. 

He talks about the common denominator of unhappiness and how society has placed themselves in debt in the pursuit of more things. Yet, the more things that we accumulate  doesn't take care of that emptiness that pervades. 

Chris suggests that perhaps instead of focusing on more things that the focus really needs to be turned to Christ and our pursuit in Him. That we have an emptiness because we don't have the Holy Spirit filled in within us.

If anything, this book encourages you to take a look at your own life and wonder if the things in my home are needed, or are purchases based on trying to fill an empty spot. Makes my shopping in town take on a different meaning.

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy.

[barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm currently in a season of my life where I'm paring down some many of my material possessions and I don't feel like this book could have come at a better time.

Throughout this book, Nye digs into the perspective we, as an American society, view material things, wealth, and power and challenges us to shift our perspective to that of how Christ wanted us to view those same things. Each chapter was set up to have opposite extremes as he analyzed and did a comparison of them, asking the reader to shift perspective of each not in how society is telling us to value each, but how Christ did and wants us to value them.

Definitely worth the read.

[victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was smart writing, very inspiring and compelling to read with that also giving you much more you even need or you never imagine that we are already had and looking for from all of your life with everyone had a same chance to follow Jesus allow him to your life and join his kingdom leaving out from your suffering daily life you had it now. I highly recommend to everyone must to read this book. It time to bring light to your life.“ I received complimentary a copy of this book from Baker Books Bloggers for this review”.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent deeper dive into what is important: "we are not alone and we do not exist for ourselves." The author shares why it is so important to have family and a community in our lives, relationships that we serve and that support us. Spirituality is both personal and should come with a family of brothers and sisters in faith to do life together. He succinctly explains why finding deep meaning in our lives is far more about partnering in ways to help others.

[Brandon Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sobering

Chris Nye writes a compelling plea for “the good life” you didn’t know you could have and probably didn’t know you needed. Expertly written!

[Joel Wentz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Worth the read. See my full review at Englewood Review of Books:

http://englewoodreview.org/chris-nye-...

[Dorothy Glinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

This book makes you think about life and if you need all your possessions. God loves you and wants your love.