Book Review: God's Ultimate Passion

When I first saw Frank Viola’s book, God’s Ultimate Passion , I wasn’t that excited to read it. It was the title. It just sounded so, well, Christian-bookstore-ish that it turned me off. I’ve seen and read so many books with the words “passion” and “purpose” which is probably why I was so aloof to said title.

But I picked it up to read a little and the next day I was finished. I couldn’t put it down.
Viola does an exceptional work of unpacking metaphors and connecting biblical threads that deal with Christ and the church. Concrete. Poetic. Transforming metaphors. From Genesis to Revelation, Viola pulls together the sacred plans that God unveils for the Bride of Christ.
Pushing in full force the concrete elements and literary connections of Christ and the church - the piece de resistance of the biblical narrative Viola makes a substantial plea for the church to live in its true identity.

“According to Scripture, the church is not a human creation. Instead, it existed before creation (in Christ) and before culture began. God created the universe for the church and not the other way around. To put it another way, God created the universe so that He might have a Bride, a Body, a House, and a Family. This is the metanarrative that permeates the entire Bible.”
Brian Orme, pastor and religion writer for The Dayton Daily News.

Other Endorsements:
God's Ultimate Passion takes you on a guided tour of the Bible, tracing three interwoven storylines from Genesis to Revelation. It expresses the intensity, hope, and wonder of an engaged, grass-roots, visionary practitioner. It will help new readers of the Bible get the big picture, and it will help seasoned Christians remember what really matters.
Brian McLaren, author/activist (brianmclaren.net)

God's Ultimate Passion is a masterpiece that takes seven thousand years of human history and simplifies it so that the reader can understand what has always been God's passion. It looks beyond the hands of God into His mind and heart as it places our lives and purposes in divine perspective. This is a must read for those who believe and for others who want to believe. God's Ultimate Passion reads like a movie on paper . . . Great Job!
Dr. Myles Munroe, author of Rediscovering the Kingdom

Viola artfully weaves his own story into the drama of redemptive embrace, making God's love both a deeply personal affair as well as something of an existential quest in which we all have a part to play. As such it is "the old, old, story" retold for a new and contemporary audience. It is a great work of narrative theology made very accessible for any reader. This is clearly the work of a man who loves the Bible as much as he does the people for whom he writes. And it is a work well done.
Alan Hirsch, author of The Forgotten Ways , The Shaping of Things to Come, and founding director of Forge Mission Training Network

This poetic expose by Frank Viola is indeed a masterful work of art - a modern day mystical classic for sure. It is with a burning heart that I commend to you God’s Ultimate Passion.
Dr. James W. Goll, Encounters Network, author of The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence, The Seer, Dream Language, etc.

Some books are meant to be read and shelved. That’s not true of the “Classics.” Through the generations, books that are Classic speak to new generations who were not even born when it was written. It's a book for this hour, without a doubt. But it will be a book for years and years to come. It has captured truth in simple language that speaks to the heart, not just the head. God's Ultimate Passion is one of those books. Upon reading it, I have ordered a case to be sent to people I know who must digest its message. I thank the Lord for the anointing that is upon its pages.
Dr. Ralph W. Neighbour, author of Where Do We Go From Here? and founder of the Cell Church Movement

Frank sidesteps the maze of ecclesiastic labels to get to the heart of what church really is and how God sees it. Using the biblical metaphors of church, and fleshing them out with the whole sweep of Scripture, Frank gives us fresh insight into the church as Bride of Christ, House of God, as Household, Body of Christ and the Family of God. Frank's unique contribution has to do with passion and romance, elements of God's intention with his people. This is often missing in "missional" books written by men unhealthily driven by purposeful objectives and blinded to the passionate romance of enjoying God forever. It bothers me that our talk of being "missional" often misses this dimension. We see the church dressed in a business suit but never in high heels and evening gown. Frank reminds us that the church is glamorous and God is concerned with more than just getting the job done.
Andrew Jones, tallskinnykiwi.com

"God's Ultimate Passion" can be ordered from Amazon.com or
www.ptmin.org