My Review of Driscoll's Death By Love

Death By Love: Letters From The Cross, by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Crossway Books, Wheaton, Il, 2008

Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church and the Acts 29 Network, in conjunction with Dr. Gerry Breshears of Western Seminary, has written a book I think should be considered a modern day classic on the doctrine of the atonement and the cross.

The book is structured as a series of letter to individuals in his church, with names usually changed to protect the guilty. Each person's problem or life situation is briefly described, and then Pastor Mark writes them a personal letter applying one aspect of the work of Christ on the cross to their situation. For example, to a young woman who was sexually abused Jesus is described as Christus Victor. To a man betrayed by his wife, Jesus is his New Covenant Sacrifice. To a proud and self-righteous church member, Jesus is his Gift Righteousness. For a man captured by lust, Jesus is his Redemption.

The book is generally well-written. I found almost every page to be dripping in both compassion and truth held in a proper tension.

I found the weakest chapter to be the one where he expounds his understanding of what he calls "Unlimited Limited Atonement" for his young son Gideon. I have heard a sermon by Driscoll on this very topic in which I thought he did a better job explaining what he means by that term than he does in this book.

Unlike in his other books, in this work Mark Driscoll has restrained his characteristic blunt sense of humor and his often expressed street level communication style. I am not sure if he did that on purpose due to the seriousness of his topic, or maybe has just matured as he gets older. His style has never bothered me, because I can see the fruit that his ministry has produced and understand the environment in which he usually ministers . However, it has offended some readers. If you are one of those who have not liked his earlier writing style, you should know that this book is different in tone.

Who would benefit most from reading this book? I recommend it for two target audiences. First, this is a must have for the library of anyone doing pastoral counselling. Second, the book will be helpful to either new believers or to anyone lacking formal theological training who wants to better understand the Biblical doctrine on the atonement. This book is one that will be a valuable part of my library, and I consider it well worth the investment.

Incidentally, my copy of the book had a printing and binding mistake. Pages 209 through 240 were bound upside down and in reverse order. I do not know if this problem occurs in an entire print run, or I just got a bad copy. When you buy the book I recommend that you check your copy for this error before you take it home.

(My book review policy is here)