Life in the Wild

Russell D. Moore

Living in our broken world, full of pain and disappointment and sin, is difficult for all of us. In Life in the Wild, Dan DeWitt reminds us that the mess we live in is, like us, awaiting a future redemption. Read along as Dan teaches us to navigate these challenges and anticipate the arrival of our perfect hope, Jesus, who will make an end of death and make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.

Dan Dumas

In Life in the Wild Dan DeWitt gives us a survey of the biblical story that is steeped in theology, empathy, and hope. Read this to better understand all that went wrong in Eden. Read this to remind yourself of the hope that Eden will one day be restored.

“Excellent Book”

A great book which looks at how this world is full of evil, pain and suffering. It has a constant reminder that for Christians this is OK because this world is not our home and we have a great savior in Jesus. I would recommend it to any christian.

“Very helpful read about the Christian life”

I enjoyed this description of the Christian life, highlighting in places the contrast with alternatives. There are several pieces of creative writing/memorable phrases ("Living in the land of meh"; "shame grows in isolation"; "human history marches to the cadence of providence") which help to make the book engaging, and reveal the challenges of a faithful life in fresh ways. In a short book, the author still manages to quote from a wide range of writers to reinforce his points. All in all, I found it a helpful and stimulating read!

“Solid Read ”

Dan's book is an engaging read. It is filled with theological truth and practical application. His use of great contemporary illustrations helps to drive his points home. Dan's subject of the fall of mankind and living in a fallen world is one that many authors have discussed. However, Dan addresses these topics with a cultural awareness that reminds people of their condition and position before God and the war they are at with themselves. After demonstrating thrdr truths of the human condition before God He then paints the way to Jesus as the one who has conquered death and is now the one who can enable us live "Life in with Wild" as we wait his glorious return. It is well done and I highly recommend it!

“A little book full of Big truths”

This was a fun and insightful little book.

Dan DeWitt is a master of analogy. He sees Biblical truth everywhere.

His writing style was slightly reminiscent of C.S. Lewis to me. The content was not hyper-organized but littered with golden nuggets.

One thing I really appreciate is how Dan DeWitt takes the creation story seriously. There is so much truth to be found in the first chapters of the Bible that deeply impacts how we understand our world today.

In order to best live in the wild, we need to understand what life was like before the wild, and what is promised to come after. Dan DeWitt does a great job making the case, and in an artistic way, for having faith as we make our way through the wild.

“Loved it!”

I need to start my review with a confession: I'm awful at reading Christian books. I've started 2 or 3 in the past few years, but despite initial enthusiasm, I've not finished any of them. As a busy mum with 3 small children, it's hard to make time unless what you're reading is relevant and accessible .... and this is where Life in the Wild was different. I read it cover to cover in about a month, and really enjoyed it!

The early chapters got me hooked. What was written rang so true for me; that no matter how hard we try, we are messed up people living in a messed world. Using illustrations from Dickens to Disney (!) each chapter looks at different realities of the fall like guilt, shame, broken relationships, suffering and death. But rather than being a depressing read, we are constantly reminded of the hope, reassurance and redemption that Jesus offers. Thank you, Dan DeWitt for a compassionate, hopeful, thought-provoking and Christ-centred start to 2018.

“Life in the Wild is outstanding!”

I just finished reading the pre-released copy of Life in the Wild and all I can say is outstanding. Life in the Wild is easy to read, insightful and to the point as Dan walks the reader through the biblical narrative of Genesis 3. Dan reminds us that while we live in the aftermath of sins desturction, hope has come through the person and work of Jesus. Without a doubt, the reader will love the humor, the contemporary examples Dan draws his illustartions from and the truth He presents for a life changing experieince that is only found in Jesus. Life in the wild is book for everyone to carefully consider as they walk in this sin touched world.

“Be Encourage for Your Journey in the Wild”

In Life in the Wild, Dan Dewitt continues to do what he does best. He helps us to better understand, from a Biblical worldview, where we are and how we can process the world around us. He starts off the book by explaining our dilemma and how we ended up in what he calls “the wild,” the place between the Garden of Eden and eternity in God’s presence. We have a longing for what was lost and a longing for the blessings that are to come in the future, but now, we are stuck in a place that is marred by sin. Dan walks his readers through several different categories of life to show us not only how to survive but how to thrive in the wild (which we can’t actually do by ourselves). All of the chapters were helpful (you should see all my highlights), but looking back on the book, there were a couple of topics that continue to come to mind. First, the explanation regarding guilt and shame, their relationship to each other and their differences, is something that I haven’t ever really heard before, and this book has changed the way I view those categories. Second, the idea of stewardship of the earth being a Christian duty is one that we don’t hear very often in an age where somehow that seems to come across to people as a secular/liberal thing to do. Lastly, the chapters related to death provide some of the most thought-provoking sentences of the whole book. There are many other things I could say about this book, but I will leave it at that. If you are a human being living between Eden and eternity, this book is for you. Read it and be encouraged for your journey in the wild.

“Great intro to understanding life in a broken world”

This book is instructive and delightful to read. DeWitt provides keen insight from Scripture that helps us understand what it means to live in a broken world, which he calls the wild. DeWitt also provides connections with works of literature and film from Dickens, Lewis, Tolkien, Star Wars, and more.

Overall, this is a helpful book for believers who need to be reminded of biblical truths and the hope that one day all things will be made new. I think this book would also be valuable for small groups, high school and college students, and new believers. It is biblically rich and wonderfully accessible.