Secrets of the Secret Place: Companion Study Guide: For Personal Reflection and Group Discussion Book

As I've found myself saying fairly often in my book reviews, I have some mixed feelings about this one. Mostly, I found it to be an excellent book for those who want to go deeper in their devotional life, and the emphasis on that very pursuit as the core of the Christian life is absolutely spot-on and Biblical. The book is well-written, interesting, and relatable, and I found myself looking forward to each new chapter. (I read it as a daily devotional, which is the way the author seems to intend.) I found some really great insights, some of which made it into my personal journal.

However, the reason this is not a five-star book for me, is the undercurrent I sensed of a theological view with which I am not in harmony. This is the so-called "bridal paradigm," and I understand it's featured prominently in a large church with which the author is associated. (He mentions the pastor of this church in his book a couple of times, quite favorably.) From what I know of it, this theology seems to position the Song of Solomon as one of the most important books of the Bible, and to view everything about our relationship with God in terms of romantic metaphors. Now, I'm fully aware that the Scripture makes heavy use of such metaphors, but it's very important to realize that they're not the whole picture. Viewing the entire Christian life through this lens can lead to the minimization of such weighty issues as sin, holiness, judgment, and the fear of God, which are equally present in Scripture, and equally essential to understanding the message of the Gospel. Also, in certain places I felt that Sorge's use of bridal metaphors strayed into weird and unbiblical territory, particularly with regard to the cross.

Notwithstanding the above, I would definitely recommend this book to mature Christians, who should be able to "chew the meat and spit out the bones." Sorge helps us to see that "the secret place" isn't just our retreat when things go wrong, or a place to go out of obligation or ritual, but the place we should run to, in order to be with the One we love.