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The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity: How the Modern Culture Is Robbing Billions of People of Happiness
Do you believe it's possible to be happier than you have ever been before? Not for fleeting moments, but consistently? Bestselling author Matthew Kelly believes it is possible― and in his latest book, The Biggest Lie , he explains how. We all want to be happy and live life to the fullest, but the answer isn't found in the world's definition of happiness. Modern culture is constantly feeding us lies, and these lies affect you more than you know. The lies that affect you the most, however, are the ones you tell yourself. These lies steal your joy, sap your energy, and cause you to lose hope. They prevent you from discovering the kind of vibrant faith the first Christians experienced. But as Kelly shows, we've arrived at a crucial moment in history. People are disillusioned with what the world offers. The world is in desperate need of change, and no one is in a better position to effect that change than Christians. We have an incredible opportunity to dispel the lies and cut through the confusion and false promises around us. This book provides the practical tools necessary to help you regain your fervor and leave your mark on the world―and experience more happiness than you thought possible. Together we can change the course of history―with humility, generosity, kindness, and joy, one Holy Moment at a time.
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First published January 1, 2018
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About the author
Matthew Kelly
192 books1,413 followersMatthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
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September 21, 2018
In this slim volume, Kelly does not merely rehash material from prior books, he repeats it verbatim. The “biggest lie” of the title is the false belief that holiness is only for the spiritually elite. Kelly describes holiness as a series of acts of kindness, visiting the local nursing home, taking your belligerent teen to breakfast. Doing kind and thoughtful things will make us happy and will change the world. Well, it will change the world if we convince others to be kind and thoughtful also, so build a team, recruiting and training 3 people at a time and send them off to build their team. In short, it appears that Christ was crucified, resurrected and sent the Holy Spirit so we could carry the lessons of Kindergarten into adulthood and that we should build the Kingdom by employing the business model of every home party based company. To say I found this sophomoric is an understatement. The writing was repetitive and on the level of a 4th grader. The spiritual theology was infantile. This was a juvenile self-help book trying to co-op Christian language, a repetitive list of empty bromides that trivialized the Gospel.
December 26, 2018
It is impossible to find out what this “biggest lie” is without reading at least a third of the way into the book. The book’s thesis is not contained in the description or introduction and, if I had known it, I would have recognized it as a strawman and stopped. Since I was already a third of the way into the book, however, I decided to stick it out to be able to write a review. I am a sucker.
The biggest lie, according to Matthew Kelly, is that “holiness is not possible for me.” The extension of that lie is that “Christians cannot remake society.” Who is propagating this lie that holiness is not possible for me? First it is amorphous and omnipresent “them”. Later it becomes the unspecified “us”. I recognize that there could be a bit of hyperbole here. Perhaps the better way to phase it is that many people “do not realize that holiness is possible for me.” Kelly does need to sell books in order to spread the message, and I’m not one to judge too harshly for marketing choices.
Except he expounds at length about how the lies about Christianity are everywhere, he hates being lied to, and about how he hates being deceived. I’ll take him at his word. Then he generalizes about how everyone hates being lied to, in fact how “we” hate being lied to (and the “we” is ubiquitous; who is this “we”?). I have not observed that people generally prefer the truth to lies, certainly not enough to posit this as a central axiom of a book length argument. Think about the last five times someone corrected you when you were wrong. Did you prefer the truth then? Were you happy to engage in an argument to find the truth when contentious issues were at stake? Most honest people would say no because most of us are more interested in preserving our pride, worldview, or perception of “the good”. A commitment to truth is about cultivating a discipline of mind and temperament; a willingness to subject your view to honest but harsh critique; the recognition that you contribute to the understanding of the truth even if you are proven wrong. Most people, as a rule, are not interested in this.
I am not being flippant here. This book could have benefited from more criticism and a demonstrated commitment to truth. Matthew Kelly is a motivational speaker who has written (by my count) 29 books in the last 23 years, mostly with very similar titles and summaries. Even momentarily circulating this book among non-sycophantic friends would have identified the most egregious errors. He identifies one of the lies that non-Christians tell about Christians is that “Jesus did not exist.” He then refutes it in 5 short paragraphs, essentially saying that “Yes Jesus did exist.” How do we know? “…Roman and Jewish sources, including Josephus.” Yeah, okay. It’s not so clear cut as that. These Jewish sources could be the gospels; I don’t know what the Roman sources are. Josephus needs to be read very carefully to draw a conclusion one way or the other. While reconstructing the historical Jesus is worthy aim, it should not be conducted in a single widely-spaced page. The next lie that non-Christians tell about Christianity is that “The Resurrection did not happen.” This challenge gets a page-and-a-half. His arguments are, first, that over five hundred people saw Jesus after the Resurrection (and we know this because four gospels tell us so), and second, that we would be able to find Jesus’s body if he weren’t Resurrected. I couldn’t imagine being so committed to a belief that I would accept these as valid arguments. Surely someone noticed this and pointed it out to him. It is painful to read.
The book is difficult to follow because it does not really have structure or organization. It meanders about, following Kelly’s stream of consciousness, constantly repeating basic ideas, finding profound meaning in trivial activities, and name-dropping inspiration figures like Mother Teresa, Winston Churchill, or Albert Einstein for some reason. If I were to extract the main idea from this soupy prose according to which idea gets the most words, it is that Christians must fight the idea that Christians cannot remake (or regain) the culture.
It is an interesting thesis, but I think the first question that must be asked is if Christians should remake the culture as an end in itself? I seem to recall that God’s elect should live “as aliens and strangers in the world” (Peter 2:11), that Christians should “[b]e not conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2), and that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). It is a debatable point with strong scriptural arguments both sides. The consensus position is usually that Christians should live as Christians and let the world do as it will. This is not the approach that Kelly takes, and he moves directly into the Social Gospel.
He argues that the statement “no child should go hungry in the United States” is a something that 100% of Americans can agree upon. (This is basically true.) Therefore, it is possible to restore the reputation of Christianity if Christian Americans strive to feed all children in the United States. (Agreed.) Therefore, Christians should PRESSURE POLITICIANS to adopt policies to feed children. (And here is where I wanted to slam my head into the desk.) Kelly mentions that the early Christians lived communally and would help families affected by illness, death, or calamity. Therefore, he argues, the reputation of Christianity would be improved if they pressure politicians to establish similar institutions in society. Ugh.
He notes that Christians have many advantages to remake the culture that their second century forerunners did not, and this includes the present state of communication technology. I want so much to give Kelly a history lesson here. This is not a novel idea that the internet could be used to spread the superior Christian ideas and ideals to the doubting public. In fact, “Christians” and “Skeptics” battled in out on YouTube from 2008-2014. The result was an unmitigated defeat of the YouTube Christians. The reason, in my opinion, is that the YouTube Christians failed to take any more time or care with their arguments than Matthew Kelly did with this book. Christian apologists have spent far too long preaching to people who are seeking inspiration rather than objectively true facts about the world. The internet isn’t stupid, and they have a longer attention span than they get credit for. Trim the fat; make a good argument; see what happens. If Kelly subjected these ideas to the meat grinder of the YouTube commentariat today, he would be humiliated off the platform in an afternoon.
The book is 120 pages. The margins are wide, and the print is nearly double spaced. Random, supposedly important, paragraphs are blown up to size 30 font, sometimes filling the entire page. The prose is poorly organized and repetitive. Kelly’s arguments are the worst sort of lazy. Despite being an ostensibly Catholic book, it had never been submitted to the censor and does not contain the “nihil obstat” of any doctrinal authority. I get the impression that Kelly wrote it over a long weekend. I want my three hours back.
The biggest lie, according to Matthew Kelly, is that “holiness is not possible for me.” The extension of that lie is that “Christians cannot remake society.” Who is propagating this lie that holiness is not possible for me? First it is amorphous and omnipresent “them”. Later it becomes the unspecified “us”. I recognize that there could be a bit of hyperbole here. Perhaps the better way to phase it is that many people “do not realize that holiness is possible for me.” Kelly does need to sell books in order to spread the message, and I’m not one to judge too harshly for marketing choices.
Except he expounds at length about how the lies about Christianity are everywhere, he hates being lied to, and about how he hates being deceived. I’ll take him at his word. Then he generalizes about how everyone hates being lied to, in fact how “we” hate being lied to (and the “we” is ubiquitous; who is this “we”?). I have not observed that people generally prefer the truth to lies, certainly not enough to posit this as a central axiom of a book length argument. Think about the last five times someone corrected you when you were wrong. Did you prefer the truth then? Were you happy to engage in an argument to find the truth when contentious issues were at stake? Most honest people would say no because most of us are more interested in preserving our pride, worldview, or perception of “the good”. A commitment to truth is about cultivating a discipline of mind and temperament; a willingness to subject your view to honest but harsh critique; the recognition that you contribute to the understanding of the truth even if you are proven wrong. Most people, as a rule, are not interested in this.
I am not being flippant here. This book could have benefited from more criticism and a demonstrated commitment to truth. Matthew Kelly is a motivational speaker who has written (by my count) 29 books in the last 23 years, mostly with very similar titles and summaries. Even momentarily circulating this book among non-sycophantic friends would have identified the most egregious errors. He identifies one of the lies that non-Christians tell about Christians is that “Jesus did not exist.” He then refutes it in 5 short paragraphs, essentially saying that “Yes Jesus did exist.” How do we know? “…Roman and Jewish sources, including Josephus.” Yeah, okay. It’s not so clear cut as that. These Jewish sources could be the gospels; I don’t know what the Roman sources are. Josephus needs to be read very carefully to draw a conclusion one way or the other. While reconstructing the historical Jesus is worthy aim, it should not be conducted in a single widely-spaced page. The next lie that non-Christians tell about Christianity is that “The Resurrection did not happen.” This challenge gets a page-and-a-half. His arguments are, first, that over five hundred people saw Jesus after the Resurrection (and we know this because four gospels tell us so), and second, that we would be able to find Jesus’s body if he weren’t Resurrected. I couldn’t imagine being so committed to a belief that I would accept these as valid arguments. Surely someone noticed this and pointed it out to him. It is painful to read.
The book is difficult to follow because it does not really have structure or organization. It meanders about, following Kelly’s stream of consciousness, constantly repeating basic ideas, finding profound meaning in trivial activities, and name-dropping inspiration figures like Mother Teresa, Winston Churchill, or Albert Einstein for some reason. If I were to extract the main idea from this soupy prose according to which idea gets the most words, it is that Christians must fight the idea that Christians cannot remake (or regain) the culture.
It is an interesting thesis, but I think the first question that must be asked is if Christians should remake the culture as an end in itself? I seem to recall that God’s elect should live “as aliens and strangers in the world” (Peter 2:11), that Christians should “[b]e not conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2), and that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). It is a debatable point with strong scriptural arguments both sides. The consensus position is usually that Christians should live as Christians and let the world do as it will. This is not the approach that Kelly takes, and he moves directly into the Social Gospel.
He argues that the statement “no child should go hungry in the United States” is a something that 100% of Americans can agree upon. (This is basically true.) Therefore, it is possible to restore the reputation of Christianity if Christian Americans strive to feed all children in the United States. (Agreed.) Therefore, Christians should PRESSURE POLITICIANS to adopt policies to feed children. (And here is where I wanted to slam my head into the desk.) Kelly mentions that the early Christians lived communally and would help families affected by illness, death, or calamity. Therefore, he argues, the reputation of Christianity would be improved if they pressure politicians to establish similar institutions in society. Ugh.
He notes that Christians have many advantages to remake the culture that their second century forerunners did not, and this includes the present state of communication technology. I want so much to give Kelly a history lesson here. This is not a novel idea that the internet could be used to spread the superior Christian ideas and ideals to the doubting public. In fact, “Christians” and “Skeptics” battled in out on YouTube from 2008-2014. The result was an unmitigated defeat of the YouTube Christians. The reason, in my opinion, is that the YouTube Christians failed to take any more time or care with their arguments than Matthew Kelly did with this book. Christian apologists have spent far too long preaching to people who are seeking inspiration rather than objectively true facts about the world. The internet isn’t stupid, and they have a longer attention span than they get credit for. Trim the fat; make a good argument; see what happens. If Kelly subjected these ideas to the meat grinder of the YouTube commentariat today, he would be humiliated off the platform in an afternoon.
The book is 120 pages. The margins are wide, and the print is nearly double spaced. Random, supposedly important, paragraphs are blown up to size 30 font, sometimes filling the entire page. The prose is poorly organized and repetitive. Kelly’s arguments are the worst sort of lazy. Despite being an ostensibly Catholic book, it had never been submitted to the censor and does not contain the “nihil obstat” of any doctrinal authority. I get the impression that Kelly wrote it over a long weekend. I want my three hours back.
August 29, 2018
I have been a fan of the works of Matthew Kelly since I first read one of his books late in 2015. Since that time, I have read a book by him a total of 18 times. I have been bouncing around his different titles randomly pickling what to read next. This book is his most recent publication, at the time of writing this review. This book has a densely packed 15 chapters:
1. Life Is A Puzzle
2. Your Happiness Project
3. The False Promises And Lies Of This World
4. I've Been Lying To Myself
5. So Many Lies About Christianity
6. The Biggest Lie
7. Prove It!
8. One Beautiful Truth
9. The World Needs Changing
10. It's Been Done Before
11. History Is Presenting Christianity
With A New Opportunity
12. Everyday Miracles
13. Live An Intriguing Life
14. Our Dirty Little Secret
15. Now Is Your Time!
After the last book I reviewed by Matthew Kelly a reader reached out to me and asked if Kelly was just a Catholic version of Max Lucado. I thought about that for a while, when I was involved with non-denomination campus ministries I read a lot of Lucado. Eventually I stopped because it all felt the same. It came to feel like Lucado just continued to present variations on a theme without having much real new content. And I feel the same way about Mark Batterson. But with Matthew Kelly I have not felt that at all yet. Yes Kelly writes with a great deal of passion, and he does sometimes use the same illustrations. And his catch phrase: 'Becoming the best version of yourself' appears often in his writings. But even with all of that with each new book by Kelly that I read I have a renewed interest in reading more of his works. Every time I finish one I go and pick one I have not read and add it to my to be read pile.
In this book Kelly states:
"Transforming people one at a time is at the heart of God's plan for the world. It is also essential to developing dynamic marriages, loving families, vibrant Christian communities, thriving businesses and economies, and extraordinary schools and nations. If you get the man right (or the woman, of course), you get the world right."
and
"The thing is, our deep yearning isn't for momentary pleasures; it is for lasting
happiness in a changing world. The world is always changing; we cannot control every situation. Situational happiness is easy. It is easy to be happy lying on an exotic tropical beach all day for a week. But so much of this happiness is dependent on the situation. What we are really hungry for is a happiness that is independent of the situation."
Matthew also shares with us form his personal experience. He states:
"Through my own quest for happiness, there are a few things I
have learned:
Happiness and pleasure are not the same thing.
Getting what I want doesn't make me happy.
Focusing on myself almost never leads to happiness.
I am never happy when I pretend to be someone I am not.
Too much of the happiness I experience is dependent on unsustainable circumstances or situations.
The more I help others in their quest for lasting happiness, the happier I seem to be.
Lying never makes me happy.
Happiness is always found by embracing the present moment.
It is impossible to be grateful and unhappy at the same time.
Anything that helps me become a-better-version-of-myself makes me happy, even if it is difficult or painful.
Happiness is contagious."
And he shows us that the way we find true happiness is by pursuing answers to four questions.
"Who am I?
What am I here for?
What matters most?
What matters least?"
He also shares with us that:
"It is this fact-that we lie to ourselves-that is of particular importance
here. Humanity's ability to deceive itself knows no limits."
Or
"Whenever and wherever Christians have taken the idea that holiness is possible seriously, Christianity has thrived. Whenever and wherever the biggest lie in the history of Christianity has prevailed and everyday holiness has been set aside, Christianity has fumbled along clumsily with limited impact or become stagnant."
"I don't like alarm clocks. Just the name disturbs me. Who wants to start the day alarmed? But when you check into a hotel, they often ask you if you would like a wakeup call. I like that. We all need a wakeup call from time to time. I needed one last year. Maybe you need one right now. It is just so easy to fall into the mode of sleepwalking through life."
I hope that those few quotes will help you appreciate some of the message that is in this wonderful book. Of all the books I have read by Kelly this is the best so far. I highly recommend it.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Matthew Kelly.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!
1. Life Is A Puzzle
2. Your Happiness Project
3. The False Promises And Lies Of This World
4. I've Been Lying To Myself
5. So Many Lies About Christianity
6. The Biggest Lie
7. Prove It!
8. One Beautiful Truth
9. The World Needs Changing
10. It's Been Done Before
11. History Is Presenting Christianity
With A New Opportunity
12. Everyday Miracles
13. Live An Intriguing Life
14. Our Dirty Little Secret
15. Now Is Your Time!
After the last book I reviewed by Matthew Kelly a reader reached out to me and asked if Kelly was just a Catholic version of Max Lucado. I thought about that for a while, when I was involved with non-denomination campus ministries I read a lot of Lucado. Eventually I stopped because it all felt the same. It came to feel like Lucado just continued to present variations on a theme without having much real new content. And I feel the same way about Mark Batterson. But with Matthew Kelly I have not felt that at all yet. Yes Kelly writes with a great deal of passion, and he does sometimes use the same illustrations. And his catch phrase: 'Becoming the best version of yourself' appears often in his writings. But even with all of that with each new book by Kelly that I read I have a renewed interest in reading more of his works. Every time I finish one I go and pick one I have not read and add it to my to be read pile.
In this book Kelly states:
"Transforming people one at a time is at the heart of God's plan for the world. It is also essential to developing dynamic marriages, loving families, vibrant Christian communities, thriving businesses and economies, and extraordinary schools and nations. If you get the man right (or the woman, of course), you get the world right."
and
"The thing is, our deep yearning isn't for momentary pleasures; it is for lasting
happiness in a changing world. The world is always changing; we cannot control every situation. Situational happiness is easy. It is easy to be happy lying on an exotic tropical beach all day for a week. But so much of this happiness is dependent on the situation. What we are really hungry for is a happiness that is independent of the situation."
Matthew also shares with us form his personal experience. He states:
"Through my own quest for happiness, there are a few things I
have learned:
Happiness and pleasure are not the same thing.
Getting what I want doesn't make me happy.
Focusing on myself almost never leads to happiness.
I am never happy when I pretend to be someone I am not.
Too much of the happiness I experience is dependent on unsustainable circumstances or situations.
The more I help others in their quest for lasting happiness, the happier I seem to be.
Lying never makes me happy.
Happiness is always found by embracing the present moment.
It is impossible to be grateful and unhappy at the same time.
Anything that helps me become a-better-version-of-myself makes me happy, even if it is difficult or painful.
Happiness is contagious."
And he shows us that the way we find true happiness is by pursuing answers to four questions.
"Who am I?
What am I here for?
What matters most?
What matters least?"
He also shares with us that:
"It is this fact-that we lie to ourselves-that is of particular importance
here. Humanity's ability to deceive itself knows no limits."
Or
"Whenever and wherever Christians have taken the idea that holiness is possible seriously, Christianity has thrived. Whenever and wherever the biggest lie in the history of Christianity has prevailed and everyday holiness has been set aside, Christianity has fumbled along clumsily with limited impact or become stagnant."
"I don't like alarm clocks. Just the name disturbs me. Who wants to start the day alarmed? But when you check into a hotel, they often ask you if you would like a wakeup call. I like that. We all need a wakeup call from time to time. I needed one last year. Maybe you need one right now. It is just so easy to fall into the mode of sleepwalking through life."
I hope that those few quotes will help you appreciate some of the message that is in this wonderful book. Of all the books I have read by Kelly this is the best so far. I highly recommend it.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Matthew Kelly.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!
February 14, 2019
This was a terrible book given out by my church at Christmas in an effort to encourage parishioners to participate in a parish book club. I thought I might participate, but after reading this, I will pass. It was repetitive, simplistic and obvious. And so short that any Reverend worth their salt could have given it in a 10 minute sermon. It's just not worth the time.
January 4, 2019
This book comes down to Human action vs Divine action. For Kelly the two are inseparable. God works through us in all we do. For me, however, we are able to make decisions and take action without being divinely inspired to do so. While Kelly does have a few good points, they are nearly lost under the inflammatory language that Christianity is under attack and there are enemies already inside our gates.
Kelly starts his book by talking about happiness and how we can work toward happiness. “God wants you to be happy”. From there he says, “Modern culture lies to you. Constantly,” “Our secular culture says you have to buy things to be happy,” but “The biggest lie in the history of Christianity” which is a lie Christians tell each other is that “holiness is not possible.”
According to Kelly, this lie is ushering in the post-Christian modern era in Western civilization. That “this is the holocaust of Christian spirituality.” THE HOLOCAUST.
Kelly says that it IS possible for you to achieve holy moments. Moments you can work in collaboration with God and “do something that will bring the most good to the most people in that moment.” He goes on to list things that are Holy Moments. Some of these include recycling, healthy eating, giving someone a life-changing book, doing someone else’s chores, being patient with someone who annoys you.
The problem is all of these are things anyone can do. Not just Christians. You don’t need to be divinely inspired to do something nice for someone. You don’t need to be Christian to leave the world better than you found it.
Kelly says as much himself, spending two and a half pages listing people who did amazing things and some (Anne Frank, Plato, and Ichijirou Araya) are not Christian.
Kelly does make some good points in his book, like social media, cameras, and phones can prevent you from being present in the moment, that the “truth is beautiful” and that some churches have adopted a “country club mentality rather than one of Christian community that is mission driven.” But that’s where it ends.
Besides being repetitive and not well written, this books biggest problem is its CHRISTIANITY IS UNDER ATTACK mentality. Kelly says things like, “our enemies (secularism and intolerance) are taking over the world”, that those enemies are trying to achieve a “post-Christian world” and that none of his statements are “premature rhetoric [or] exaggeration.”
I guess when you’ve been in control so long equality really does feel like oppression. Christianity does not need to be placed “back at the center of modern culture.”
Kelly starts his book by talking about happiness and how we can work toward happiness. “God wants you to be happy”. From there he says, “Modern culture lies to you. Constantly,” “Our secular culture says you have to buy things to be happy,” but “The biggest lie in the history of Christianity” which is a lie Christians tell each other is that “holiness is not possible.”
According to Kelly, this lie is ushering in the post-Christian modern era in Western civilization. That “this is the holocaust of Christian spirituality.” THE HOLOCAUST.
Kelly says that it IS possible for you to achieve holy moments. Moments you can work in collaboration with God and “do something that will bring the most good to the most people in that moment.” He goes on to list things that are Holy Moments. Some of these include recycling, healthy eating, giving someone a life-changing book, doing someone else’s chores, being patient with someone who annoys you.
The problem is all of these are things anyone can do. Not just Christians. You don’t need to be divinely inspired to do something nice for someone. You don’t need to be Christian to leave the world better than you found it.
Kelly says as much himself, spending two and a half pages listing people who did amazing things and some (Anne Frank, Plato, and Ichijirou Araya) are not Christian.
Kelly does make some good points in his book, like social media, cameras, and phones can prevent you from being present in the moment, that the “truth is beautiful” and that some churches have adopted a “country club mentality rather than one of Christian community that is mission driven.” But that’s where it ends.
Besides being repetitive and not well written, this books biggest problem is its CHRISTIANITY IS UNDER ATTACK mentality. Kelly says things like, “our enemies (secularism and intolerance) are taking over the world”, that those enemies are trying to achieve a “post-Christian world” and that none of his statements are “premature rhetoric [or] exaggeration.”
I guess when you’ve been in control so long equality really does feel like oppression. Christianity does not need to be placed “back at the center of modern culture.”
December 30, 2018
This book was given to the congregation of Saint Katherine of Siena parish here in philadelphia by our pastor, Father Kennedy at Christmas Eve mass. I am very grateful for this gift he gave, the book was awesome and inspirational.
Essa Quam Videri, to be rather than to seem.
Essa Quam Videri, to be rather than to seem.
February 22, 2019
I was given this to read by someone who really wanted me to read it, so I did. It may be appropriate for someone unfamiliar with the Christian faith or who have bought into the stereotypes about Christians, or the stereotypes Christians have bought about themselves, but I found it pretty basic.
For me it was a rather shallow overview of how the world and immature Christians view Christianity. There was, I think, one scripture reference in the whole book. I'm not saying this "lie" does not need debunking or that no one would benefit from reading this book; just that I'm already familiar with the basic premises it develops.
I know all Christians are not hypocrites; that Christians are not unhappy all the time nor do they believe their faith should make them wealthy or that they are anti-intellectual. I also know that these are not uncommon attitudes of the world toward Christians. Whether this book will persuade anyone to change their views will, of course, depend on the individual. Some people cherish their prejudices. They're an easy default net rather than honestly and objectively trying to get to know people with different beliefs than one's own.
The second half is a "how to" manual on how to achieve "Holy moments" throughout the day. Getting up from bed and praying for the day would be a Holy Moment. Visiting the sick in the hospital or in prison, or helping the poor, all of these would be considered Holy Moments, according to the author.
Fair enough. However, many non-Christians also practice this; are they entering into Holy Moments as well? The author does not make this clear.
To be honest, I am a Christian, and those with a shallow knowledge of Christianity but interested in knowing more could do worse than to start here. A better source would be Saving Truth: Finding Meaning and Clarity in a Post Truth World by Abdu Murray
Another excellent book is Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcy.
For an indepth look at Christian beliefs I highly recommend The Westminster Confession; The Three Forms of Unity; Luther's Smaller Catechism and the London Baptist Confession of Faith and Catechism.
For me it was a rather shallow overview of how the world and immature Christians view Christianity. There was, I think, one scripture reference in the whole book. I'm not saying this "lie" does not need debunking or that no one would benefit from reading this book; just that I'm already familiar with the basic premises it develops.
I know all Christians are not hypocrites; that Christians are not unhappy all the time nor do they believe their faith should make them wealthy or that they are anti-intellectual. I also know that these are not uncommon attitudes of the world toward Christians. Whether this book will persuade anyone to change their views will, of course, depend on the individual. Some people cherish their prejudices. They're an easy default net rather than honestly and objectively trying to get to know people with different beliefs than one's own.
The second half is a "how to" manual on how to achieve "Holy moments" throughout the day. Getting up from bed and praying for the day would be a Holy Moment. Visiting the sick in the hospital or in prison, or helping the poor, all of these would be considered Holy Moments, according to the author.
Fair enough. However, many non-Christians also practice this; are they entering into Holy Moments as well? The author does not make this clear.
To be honest, I am a Christian, and those with a shallow knowledge of Christianity but interested in knowing more could do worse than to start here. A better source would be Saving Truth: Finding Meaning and Clarity in a Post Truth World by Abdu Murray
Another excellent book is Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcy.
For an indepth look at Christian beliefs I highly recommend The Westminster Confession; The Three Forms of Unity; Luther's Smaller Catechism and the London Baptist Confession of Faith and Catechism.
December 13, 2018
Kelly chooses to fight a lie with a lie. The basic premise of his book is flawed. He states that Christianity, especially Catholicism, has told the population that they cannot be holy. In fact, for the last 55 years, especially in Catholicism, it has been the exact opposite. While he clearly attempts to inspire, someone needs to call this man's bluff. The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity, Mr. Kelly, is that you can get rich off of the Church. There are a lot of priests, religious and lay people who have been proclaiming the Universal Call to Holiness long before Mr. Kelly experienced his "reversion" to Catholicism. I do not recommend this text at all. It begins with a lie, builds upon a lie, and concludes with a trademarked lie, that the call to holiness means becoming the "best version of one's self," instead of giving one's self over to Jesus Christ, and becoming self-less. Many Catholics will receive "free copies" of this book at Christmas. Don't buy the lie.
June 10, 2018
Can feel Matthew Kelly’s sense of urgency in writing this book. What this man and Dynamic Catholics does for World is inspired by the Holy Spirit. He wrote reading the scripture requires patience and patience for understanding people. And it’s with patience I recommend you read this book. He has a great message and worth a good self-reflection.
June 11, 2018
I have read several of Kelly's books and heard him speak, so did I already know his process? Yes and yes (!)
The book started slowly but I kept wanting to know what the biggest lie is, so I kept guessing to myself as I read. When I got to actually finding out the lie I sighed, "Ah, yes!" From there on it was a pep rally and encouragement to follow through to make each day more meaningful and my life better. Excellent short read. It's always good to be encouraged to make my life better. Kelly knows how to pack a punch quickly and then show us how to recover and be stronger than ever.
The book started slowly but I kept wanting to know what the biggest lie is, so I kept guessing to myself as I read. When I got to actually finding out the lie I sighed, "Ah, yes!" From there on it was a pep rally and encouragement to follow through to make each day more meaningful and my life better. Excellent short read. It's always good to be encouraged to make my life better. Kelly knows how to pack a punch quickly and then show us how to recover and be stronger than ever.
January 13, 2019
This book is repetitive, simple to read, and states lessons we all learned about in kindergarten. That being said, it lays out almost overly simplistic ways to get closer to God. He says that the way to be true Christians is to live a Christian lifestyle of kindness, humility, and forgiveness. All of the above may sound like negatives to some, but in everyday life I see Christians living lives without kindness and humility, adults who must not have attended kindergarten, and peers who would rather read Facebook and instagram posts than a book. All in all, this book is a book written on our level and is not for everyone. However as a college student repeatedly overwhelmed by the violence and hatred in the world I found it comforting to sit back and read an incredibly easy read about how individuals can make simple differences in every day life. We may not be remembered for these simple deeds, but Matthew Kelly is right about one thing. Goodness spreads.
April 23, 2019
I generally enjoy Matthew Kelly's writing. I find him accessible, and accessibility is important in religious or theological writing because not everyone has an advanced degree in the subject. This book fell a little short for me. There was lots of repetition and what seemed like filler. I purchased this book as the companion for the Best Lent Ever video series Kelly hosts through his Dynamic Catholic community. If you have read other books by Kelly, you essentially get the gist of this one. I am glad I read it, but I would recommend his Resisting Happiness and Rediscover Jesus if you are looking for a solid read.
December 25, 2018
⚠️ fire hazard ⚠️
contains straw men
contains straw men
June 24, 2022
Immediately important to point out that this is a book that constantly references Roman, American, and general Christian history without any footnotes or sources, and reading it for even ten pages is enough to see why - this man has no idea what he’s talking about and spews out a warped, sanitized, and massively Christian-biased retelling of history whenever it’s convenient for him. When he gets to the actual “spiritual advice”, it’s repetitive and shallow at best and stunningly tasteless at other times (more than once he compares the decreasing enthusiasm of American Christians to the literal Holocaust).
I somewhat knew what to expect, but this is a short read and I went for it - that was a mistake!
I somewhat knew what to expect, but this is a short read and I went for it - that was a mistake!
March 16, 2023
when i found out this was written by a motivational speaker and not a pastor it all made sense. a few good points here and there but repeated so many times they lose value. overly focused on motivating you to become your best self. secular self help language forced into the christian religion with a couple bible verses slapped on it.
April 12, 2019
***Disclaimer - I am bit of a M Kelly groupie***
I am a cradle Roman Catholic; thus, I have always viewed holiness as the ultimate nirvana, the promise land, not unattainable but yet so as far away from daily living, it is hard to describe in concrete terms. Perhaps, this is why I found the theme of this book so compelling.
I really like the idea and the practicality of “Holy Moments”. Most important, I really think we are too often paralyzed by magnitude of the challenges ahead; thus, “Holy Moments” are concrete steps to get unstuck, start over, join the revolution, or perhaps just be a baby step closer to the best version of ourselves.
I am a cradle Roman Catholic; thus, I have always viewed holiness as the ultimate nirvana, the promise land, not unattainable but yet so as far away from daily living, it is hard to describe in concrete terms. Perhaps, this is why I found the theme of this book so compelling.
I really like the idea and the practicality of “Holy Moments”. Most important, I really think we are too often paralyzed by magnitude of the challenges ahead; thus, “Holy Moments” are concrete steps to get unstuck, start over, join the revolution, or perhaps just be a baby step closer to the best version of ourselves.
June 3, 2019
Was this book as well written as it should have been? No.
Did it open my eyes to look at Christianity and my role in it today in a new way? Yes.
I have not read any of the author’s other works, but I could tell he slipped into his business-consulting motivational-speaker mode at times. The book wandered a bit. And the formatting left a lot to be desired, especially those huge bold pull-quotes, many of which were not the best quotes to feature.
This book was a gift from a cousin, and I don’t regret reading it. It made me think about some things I should think about.
Did it open my eyes to look at Christianity and my role in it today in a new way? Yes.
I have not read any of the author’s other works, but I could tell he slipped into his business-consulting motivational-speaker mode at times. The book wandered a bit. And the formatting left a lot to be desired, especially those huge bold pull-quotes, many of which were not the best quotes to feature.
This book was a gift from a cousin, and I don’t regret reading it. It made me think about some things I should think about.
March 20, 2019
If you’ve ever read a Matthew Kelly book, there will be a lot that’s repetitive. But I love his passion for waking up Christians and encouraging using Holy Moments to truly live out the joy of the gospel. Inspiring, quick read.
February 27, 2019
I have read one or two of Matthew Kelly's other books. I like his messages. He speaks to "common folk" -- ordinary people -- in language that is easy to understand and touches the heart with common sense and hope for a better world.
April 14, 2019
Matthew Kelly's short books are easy to read and get you thinking. This one got me thinking about how I feel about my ability to strive for holiness one Holy Moment at a time. Inspiration for all in this book.
November 24, 2020
Honestly, this book was repetitive, confusing even, and overall very biased and preachy. Would not recommend
January 2, 2019
This short book was handed out as a gift at the Christmas Eve services at my daughter's family church, St. Elizabeth Eaton Catholic Church. It includes (as expected) many of the expected thoughts on how one should live a Christian life. The author believes strongly that all Christians should view themselves collectively rather than in separate sects and, as a result, the three billion Christians on earth are capable of changing the world. Changing the world, in the mind of the author, is not that all people on earth should become Christians. Changing the world includes inarguable goals that every person on earth would support such as no children should go to bed at night hungry. I think we all know that it can be done.
I was surprised by the openness of the author to accept that even not all Christians would necessarily believe that Jesus performed the miracles reported in the Gospel. He also said that it was fair enough that all Christians might not believe that he rose from the dead. But he strongly (and I concur) professed that Jesus existed as a particular person who lived in a particular region of the world at a specific time in history as being completely beyond dispute for anybody with even an ounce of intellectual honesty.
He tries to make a strong intellectual case that the resurrection was not a myth. I can accept that Jesus somehow survived the crucifixion but either way it doesn't matter to me. Attempting to live a Christian life can be done regardless of whether one goes to church or believes in the miracles or the resurrection. Unfortunately (I believe), not all Christians would agree with me on that point but they should.
So I know you have been waiting for the answer to the book's title - the biggest lie in the history of Christianity. This is the lie: "Holiness is not possible." I like that the author says that, for all Christians, living a life that is universally holy is not realistic, nor is it ever done by anybody. But he does profess that we all can make more events in our lives that are "Holy Moments". A holy moment is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing in that moment and you set aside self-interest, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do in that moment. So, as a result of having read this book, I now believe that it is possible for me to have more Holy Moments than I have had before. The future will tell whether this happens or not. Holy Moments are attractive. Holy Moments are intriguing. Holy Moments are contagious. I especially like that last thought.
I was surprised by the openness of the author to accept that even not all Christians would necessarily believe that Jesus performed the miracles reported in the Gospel. He also said that it was fair enough that all Christians might not believe that he rose from the dead. But he strongly (and I concur) professed that Jesus existed as a particular person who lived in a particular region of the world at a specific time in history as being completely beyond dispute for anybody with even an ounce of intellectual honesty.
He tries to make a strong intellectual case that the resurrection was not a myth. I can accept that Jesus somehow survived the crucifixion but either way it doesn't matter to me. Attempting to live a Christian life can be done regardless of whether one goes to church or believes in the miracles or the resurrection. Unfortunately (I believe), not all Christians would agree with me on that point but they should.
So I know you have been waiting for the answer to the book's title - the biggest lie in the history of Christianity. This is the lie: "Holiness is not possible." I like that the author says that, for all Christians, living a life that is universally holy is not realistic, nor is it ever done by anybody. But he does profess that we all can make more events in our lives that are "Holy Moments". A holy moment is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing in that moment and you set aside self-interest, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do in that moment. So, as a result of having read this book, I now believe that it is possible for me to have more Holy Moments than I have had before. The future will tell whether this happens or not. Holy Moments are attractive. Holy Moments are intriguing. Holy Moments are contagious. I especially like that last thought.
March 17, 2021
Received unsolicited in the mail. It’s generic, reductive, repetitive, presumptive, patronizing, theologically unsound, childish, myopic, and makes a lot of unsupported sweeping generalizations. Still can’t decide if the hour I sat to read it through solely for the cathartic enjoyment of annotating with my own colorful commentary was well-spent or not...anyways afterwards I tossed it in the recycling bin. No sense in wasting good paper. *brushes off hands*
January 24, 2019
Matthew Kelly does something extremely important. He makes the Christian faith simple and accessible, especially reaching out to those who may have wandered away from it for a while. This book casts a wide net toward the unchurched and disenfranchised. The book reminds me of the importance of sharing the faith in a simple way. The call for unity amongst all Christians is refreshing, especially coming from such a devoted Catholic.
Some other reviewers seem to take issue with the fact that the book doesn't dive deeply into theology, but I don't think that Kelly ever had that intention for this book. His audience for this book isn't the same crowd that already highlights pages of the Catechism.
I'm particularly fond of this book because it reached me at a pivotal moment in my faith life. I was embarrassed to admit to my wife and friends that I desire to become a saint. The goal seemed impossible, grandiose, and maybe even arrogant. Kelly's simple words were the nudge I needed to embrace the fact that I am called to a life of holiness.
Some other reviewers seem to take issue with the fact that the book doesn't dive deeply into theology, but I don't think that Kelly ever had that intention for this book. His audience for this book isn't the same crowd that already highlights pages of the Catechism.
I'm particularly fond of this book because it reached me at a pivotal moment in my faith life. I was embarrassed to admit to my wife and friends that I desire to become a saint. The goal seemed impossible, grandiose, and maybe even arrogant. Kelly's simple words were the nudge I needed to embrace the fact that I am called to a life of holiness.
November 3, 2019
this book taught me generosity, in all situations.
The biggest lie in Christianity is this: we cannot be holy, that one person cannot make a difference in the world. If Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, or Helen Keller believed this, would they have influenced the world like they did?
We all have the power to be holy through Holy Moments - Christian acts of love. If we perform these acts to three people a day, and get the people we touch to do the same to three people they know. 3^20 = 5 billion. There are 7 billion people in the world. Which means 20 cycles of acts of well-being will make the world the a better place.
The biggest lie in Christianity is this: we cannot be holy, that one person cannot make a difference in the world. If Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, or Helen Keller believed this, would they have influenced the world like they did?
We all have the power to be holy through Holy Moments - Christian acts of love. If we perform these acts to three people a day, and get the people we touch to do the same to three people they know. 3^20 = 5 billion. There are 7 billion people in the world. Which means 20 cycles of acts of well-being will make the world the a better place.
August 17, 2023
The book started off as a 3 star book, but the remaining 80% of it was, at best, repetitious and, at worst, theologically bankrupt. Holiness, here, has nothing to do with our standing before God and reflecting his perfect, unadulterated character inwardly and outwardly through His grace. Rather, it’s social activism, doing good deeds, and utilizing the never-defined term “changing the world.” If our God sees fit for a nation to fall, it’s not because the Gospel failed in and through believers. However, the daunting question this book leaves for young Christians is this: why is America so wicked if I’m “creating Holy Moments?” Theological differences exist because some people get the gospel wrong. Therefore, our primary goal is to disciple and teach the pure gospel.
March 23, 2025
I do like Matthew Kelly books because they are easy to read and incorporate in your life. Here he suggests adding acts of kindness called “Holy Moments”. As Christians we need to recognize the extraordinary in the ordinary. A hug, a smile, patience, read a book, play catch, visit the elderly all small ways if we all try to do, we can change the world. Today’s culture is harsh, cold, brutal and everyone for themselves. We can collaborate with God to create Holy Moments, which can be life-changing and bring immediate joy.
December 7, 2021
2.5 stars. It started out very promising. The first part was about what he calls Holy Moments. Basically it’s doing nice/good things for someone or something. Anything. Totally made sense with clear and simple writing. I was enjoying the first half.
Then in the second part he goes off the rails talking about the enemies of Christianity and how there is some insidious plot against Christianity. Meanwhile, we have a practicing Catholic in the White House and Christianity is the MAJORITY religion across the US. Spare me this propaganda and victim nonsense.
Stick with trying to get Christians to be decent people by actually following the teachings of Jesus my dude.
Then in the second part he goes off the rails talking about the enemies of Christianity and how there is some insidious plot against Christianity. Meanwhile, we have a practicing Catholic in the White House and Christianity is the MAJORITY religion across the US. Spare me this propaganda and victim nonsense.
Stick with trying to get Christians to be decent people by actually following the teachings of Jesus my dude.
August 21, 2022
Interesting read, very eye opening.
December 28, 2019
Good reminders about how to live a God-like lifestyle and spreading his word to others.
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