Status
Available
Collection
Description
Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. During a train trip from Chicago to Texas in the late 1940's, A.W. Tozer began to write The Pursuit Of God. He wrote all night, the words coming to him as fast as he could put them down. When the train pulled into McAllen, the rough draft was done. Although written in such a remarkably short period of time, Tozer's passionate classic offers not only a deeper understanding of Biblical Truth, but a personal encounter with the very Source of that Truth.
Publication
Christian Publications (1993), Edition: Mass Market Edition, 121 pages
Similar in this library
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The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (Case for ... Series) by Lee Strobel
Other editions
The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer (Paperback)
Media reviews
LA
The is my favouraite book, my best book. God bless AWTozer
User reviews
LibraryThing member stevodresen
A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God is a spiritual classic that deserves to be read repeatedly. Tozer’s writing reflects the fire and vitality found in his recorded sermons, a fire and vitality that come from a life that is God-ward in its orientation.
In ten shorts chapters Tozer distills the
Tozer was one of the spiritual giants of his day and had an insight into the spiritual conditions of the church. Of his published works this might be one of the most important in my opinion. I have listened to Tozer’s recorded sermons since my college days and have always found him to have a balance and insight that makes him worth listening to and reading. Tozer’s hope for the Church in writing this book is that it would awaken it from the slumber which is so evident. Read Tozer and you will see the heart of one who has penetrated the veil in his pursuit of God.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
In ten shorts chapters Tozer distills the
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biblical truths surrounding our lifelong pursuit of God as believers. In these chapters Tozer speaks to realities that were and are distant realities in American evangelicalism. As Tozer states, “We are overrun today with orthodox scribes, but the prophets, where are they? The hard voice of the scribe sounds over evangelicalism, but the church waits for the tender voice of the saint who has penetrated the veil and has gazed with inward eye upon the wonder that is God (p. 49).” Tozer’s observations about evangelicalism are still true today, reading it one would think Tozer was writing about the current state of Christianity in America rather than the late 1940s.Tozer was one of the spiritual giants of his day and had an insight into the spiritual conditions of the church. Of his published works this might be one of the most important in my opinion. I have listened to Tozer’s recorded sermons since my college days and have always found him to have a balance and insight that makes him worth listening to and reading. Tozer’s hope for the Church in writing this book is that it would awaken it from the slumber which is so evident. Read Tozer and you will see the heart of one who has penetrated the veil in his pursuit of God.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
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LibraryThing member seoulful
One of the modern classics in Christian literature by a man who does not mince his words in condemnation of the state of the Christian church today. A.W. Tozer says,"Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is
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rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all." With this declaration A.W. Tozer reaches out to the majority of American Christians today who are satisfied with a lukewarm brand of religion while experiencing none of the joy that comes from the pursuit of God. Show Less
LibraryThing member Petroglyph
Notes for a longer review:
- Underwhelming.
- Very much the "christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship" kind of approach. Touchy-feely, big on the Heart and Personal Revelation, but not so much on rigorous thinking and epistemology. Opinions, subjective truths, tries to avoid saying things
- disparages both sceptics and theologians, those who have a more intellectual approach to the christian faith than the emotional one Tozer favours
- reason, thinking, etc. can be discarded in favour of emotions, gut-feeling and personal revelation.
- the vast majority of christians are Doing It Rong. But not Tozer. He's Doing It Rite.
- promotes self-mortification, denying the self. Only valid if you agree with the presupposition that anything that doesn't serve god is ipso facto selfish and sinful. If I agreed with that, I'd already be a christian
- In favour of things that feel poetically true, can be formulated in rhetorically satisfactory ways (echoing new testament verbiage), as opposed to things that can be demonstrated to be true.
- when Tozer briefly chooses to acknowledge the conflicts between scientific accounts and his religious preferences, he throws an Argument from Ignorance and other fallacies at us (e.g. false equivalence) and considers that a Job Well Done.
- Underwhelming.
- Very much the "christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship" kind of approach. Touchy-feely, big on the Heart and Personal Revelation, but not so much on rigorous thinking and epistemology. Opinions, subjective truths, tries to avoid saying things
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that can be pinned down and considered carefully. The goal is not to present a coherent system of thought/belief, but to bemoan the loss of True Christianity, of the Simpler Days, of the easy black-and-white worldviews. - disparages both sceptics and theologians, those who have a more intellectual approach to the christian faith than the emotional one Tozer favours
- reason, thinking, etc. can be discarded in favour of emotions, gut-feeling and personal revelation.
- the vast majority of christians are Doing It Rong. But not Tozer. He's Doing It Rite.
- promotes self-mortification, denying the self. Only valid if you agree with the presupposition that anything that doesn't serve god is ipso facto selfish and sinful. If I agreed with that, I'd already be a christian
- In favour of things that feel poetically true, can be formulated in rhetorically satisfactory ways (echoing new testament verbiage), as opposed to things that can be demonstrated to be true.
- when Tozer briefly chooses to acknowledge the conflicts between scientific accounts and his religious preferences, he throws an Argument from Ignorance and other fallacies at us (e.g. false equivalence) and considers that a Job Well Done.
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LibraryThing member lamb521
Title: The Pursuit of God (Updated Edition)
Author: A. W. Tozer
Pages: 128
Year: 2015
Publisher: Aneko Press
My rating is 5 stars out of 5.
When I read the title and author, I was drawn back in my mind to the day I married my husband in a church. It was the very church where Tozer preached to people.
Some of the chapter themes were convicting as I read and realized God was speaking to my heart about where He is working. Other times I was challenged in my thoughts or comforted emotionally. There is always room for the believer to grow in becoming more Christ like and this book is one where words of exhortation are delivered without apology. Prayers are given to aid the person in asking for the Lord’s help, hand or voice.
Nothing replaces the Bible; however, there are authors who have written what God has laid on their heart to share with others in the hopes of drawing them near to Him. Tozer is one such author. The book was originally published in 1948 and some of the problems that we see in the Body needing to be addressed are addressed by the author. Draw near to the heart of the author as he points the reader to the heart and mind of our God!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Author: A. W. Tozer
Pages: 128
Year: 2015
Publisher: Aneko Press
My rating is 5 stars out of 5.
When I read the title and author, I was drawn back in my mind to the day I married my husband in a church. It was the very church where Tozer preached to people.
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There are other writings of Tozer that are also rich in teaching and if possible read about Tozer’s life. Tozer was a man who sought hard after God and in this book he challenges all to live a life fully and completely for God.Some of the chapter themes were convicting as I read and realized God was speaking to my heart about where He is working. Other times I was challenged in my thoughts or comforted emotionally. There is always room for the believer to grow in becoming more Christ like and this book is one where words of exhortation are delivered without apology. Prayers are given to aid the person in asking for the Lord’s help, hand or voice.
Nothing replaces the Bible; however, there are authors who have written what God has laid on their heart to share with others in the hopes of drawing them near to Him. Tozer is one such author. The book was originally published in 1948 and some of the problems that we see in the Body needing to be addressed are addressed by the author. Draw near to the heart of the author as he points the reader to the heart and mind of our God!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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LibraryThing member james.garriss
Easily the best book I have read this year (2007). Tozer attempts to ignite a passion in Christians to pursue knowing God. One of the prayers in the book captures the theme, "O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my
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need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed." [20] Should be mandatory reading for every follower of Jesus, especially who are feeling like their faith has become ritualistic. Show Less
LibraryThing member DubiousDisciple
“O taste and see that the Lord is good.”
This book was given to me by a friend, and I was immediately drawn to the title. I feel like much of my life is a pursuit of God. But the theme wasn’t quite what I expected.
The author assumes that, in our pursuit of God, we have already found him, and
Tozer points out that for millions of Christians, God is no more real than he is to the non-Christian. They do not know him personally, but go through life trying to love an ideal. The book reads like a sermon trying to bring us back to Jesus.
So while there were many parts that I could no longer connect with, having outgrown a conservative belief system, it nevertheless appealed to me. It appealed because it put me effortlessly back in a comfort zone. I felt like I was back in church. Tozer’s “sermon” is mesmerizing, hypnotizing, intoxicating, just as good religion should be. Or, if you’re not so fond of church, it will lull you to sleep.
Create Space, © 2013, 76 pages
ISBN: 978-1484076439
This book was given to me by a friend, and I was immediately drawn to the title. I feel like much of my life is a pursuit of God. But the theme wasn’t quite what I expected.
The author assumes that, in our pursuit of God, we have already found him, and
Show More
discovered him to be a person–a person who thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires and suffers like all of us. But having found God, we are in danger of falling into the trap of thinking we need no longer seek him.Tozer points out that for millions of Christians, God is no more real than he is to the non-Christian. They do not know him personally, but go through life trying to love an ideal. The book reads like a sermon trying to bring us back to Jesus.
So while there were many parts that I could no longer connect with, having outgrown a conservative belief system, it nevertheless appealed to me. It appealed because it put me effortlessly back in a comfort zone. I felt like I was back in church. Tozer’s “sermon” is mesmerizing, hypnotizing, intoxicating, just as good religion should be. Or, if you’re not so fond of church, it will lull you to sleep.
Create Space, © 2013, 76 pages
ISBN: 978-1484076439
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LibraryThing member keylawk
Author is self-taught, associated with Christian Missionary Alliance, with honorary degree from Wheaton, and 60 republications of articles and sermons into books. Tozer provided a thorough explanation about God's universal presence, and he stated that God offers His love to all His children. The
Interestingly, in 1963, Tozer documents the fact that few Americans were practicing Christianity. Few. Very few.
I appreciate his self-taught voice from the study of a wide variety of "scriptural" sources (not sectarian), preaching the idea that God is pursuing us--all of us--out of love, and in spite of our Sins. Tozer puts the trumpet to his lips warning against greed, selfishness, fraud and materialism. He is a prophet of "spiritual" richness, ecumenically drawing from all spiritual traditions. Tozer does not deal with theodicy or nature, and treats "God" as a metaphor Creator.
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degree of our fellowship with God relies on us, which is why we cannot say that He is too preoccupied to give us His time. Instead, our Heavenly Father pursues us to be with Him. Yet, only a few respond to God's call to build a personal relationship with our Creator.Interestingly, in 1963, Tozer documents the fact that few Americans were practicing Christianity. Few. Very few.
I appreciate his self-taught voice from the study of a wide variety of "scriptural" sources (not sectarian), preaching the idea that God is pursuing us--all of us--out of love, and in spite of our Sins. Tozer puts the trumpet to his lips warning against greed, selfishness, fraud and materialism. He is a prophet of "spiritual" richness, ecumenically drawing from all spiritual traditions. Tozer does not deal with theodicy or nature, and treats "God" as a metaphor Creator.
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LibraryThing member wScott
I recognized the name A. W. Tozer, because he is so often quoted by Christian writers. The pursuit of God is a devotional book, and you know, all devotional writers say the same things. I'll let you be the judge. Here are some quotes from The Pursuit of God:
"Sins are not something we do, they are
"Let us remember: when we talk of the rending of the veil, we are speaking in a figure, and the thought of it is almost poetical, almost pleasant; but in actuality there is nothing pleasant about it. In human experience that veil is made of living spiritual tissue...and to touch it is to touch us where we feel pain. It is never fun to die. Yet that is what the cross did to Jesus and it is what the cross would do to every man to set him free. Let us beware of tinkering with our inner life in hope ourselves to rend the veil. God must do everything for us.
"Ten million intelligences standing at as many points in space...can each say with equal truth, God is here. No point is nearer to God than any other point.
Jacob, 'in the waste howling wilderness'...cried out in wonder.'Surely God is in this place and I knew it not.'"
"God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination, and divine sovereignty. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints.
"In the beginning He spoke to nothing, and it became something.
"Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. While we are looking to God we do not see ourselves~ blessed riddance."
"Sins are not something we do, they are
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something we are. "Let us remember: when we talk of the rending of the veil, we are speaking in a figure, and the thought of it is almost poetical, almost pleasant; but in actuality there is nothing pleasant about it. In human experience that veil is made of living spiritual tissue...and to touch it is to touch us where we feel pain. It is never fun to die. Yet that is what the cross did to Jesus and it is what the cross would do to every man to set him free. Let us beware of tinkering with our inner life in hope ourselves to rend the veil. God must do everything for us.
"Ten million intelligences standing at as many points in space...can each say with equal truth, God is here. No point is nearer to God than any other point.
Jacob, 'in the waste howling wilderness'...cried out in wonder.'Surely God is in this place and I knew it not.'"
"God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination, and divine sovereignty. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints.
"In the beginning He spoke to nothing, and it became something.
"Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. While we are looking to God we do not see ourselves~ blessed riddance."
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LibraryThing member ioalleyne
A excellent devotional. It realy touches the heart and brings you to your knees.
LibraryThing member justindtapp
Book Review (#9 of 2011)
The Pursuit of God by AW Tozer (free PDF). This book is shorter than a Kindle Single, but I will call it a "book" anyway. I was using it as part of a discipleship time with a younger guy who is going overseas this summer. I treated each chapter/essay as sort of a daily
Tozer is a pastor writing in the 1940s. He applauds the church's return to Scripture but bemoans the unintended side-effects:
"Thanks to our splendid Bible societies and to other effective agencies for the dissemination of the Word, there are today many millions of people who hold 'right opinions,' probably more than ever before in the history of the Church. Yet I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb. To great sections of the Church the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the “program.” This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us."
Worship and Spirit-filled living are more than preaching and learning, it's about seeking God in all we do:
"How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of “accepting” Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic whcih insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him."
Tozer's words on humility, meekness, holding possessions loosely, and emphasizing the emotional aspects of worship (as opposed to purely mental) were very timely for me. He closes each chapter with a very tough prayer. For example:
"Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream."
His closing chapter is based on 1 Corinthians 10:31 and is aimed at the false dichotomy of secular and sacred. This is a very key point for those involved in a "business as missions" mindset. Whatever we do, wherever we work, whatever task we're assigned, we can worship as we do it. Work is worship. Some jobs are not as important as others, and we're not all equals in the tasks, but all jobs (and meals, and commutes, and diaper changes, and breaths, etc.) can be worship. I love how Tozer puts it:
"Paul's sewing of tents was not equal to his writing an Epistle to the Romans, but both were accepted of God and both were true acts of worship. Certainly it is more important to lead a soul to Christ than to plant a garden, but the planting of the garden can be as holy an act as the winning of a soul."
The “layman” need never think of his humbler task as being inferior to that of his minister. Let every man abide in the calling wherein he is called and his work will be as sacred as the work of the ministry.
His closing prayer:
"I want to live so fully in the Spirit that all my thought may be as sweet incense ascending to Thee and every act of my life may be an act of worship."
5 stars out of 5.
The Pursuit of God by AW Tozer (free PDF). This book is shorter than a Kindle Single, but I will call it a "book" anyway. I was using it as part of a discipleship time with a younger guy who is going overseas this summer. I treated each chapter/essay as sort of a daily
Show More
devotional and found it very convicting, uplifting, and humbling. (I used GoodReader on the iPad for this as it gives you plenty of options for note-taking, highlighting, etc.).Tozer is a pastor writing in the 1940s. He applauds the church's return to Scripture but bemoans the unintended side-effects:
"Thanks to our splendid Bible societies and to other effective agencies for the dissemination of the Word, there are today many millions of people who hold 'right opinions,' probably more than ever before in the history of the Church. Yet I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb. To great sections of the Church the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the “program.” This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us."
Worship and Spirit-filled living are more than preaching and learning, it's about seeking God in all we do:
"How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of “accepting” Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic whcih insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him."
Tozer's words on humility, meekness, holding possessions loosely, and emphasizing the emotional aspects of worship (as opposed to purely mental) were very timely for me. He closes each chapter with a very tough prayer. For example:
"Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream."
His closing chapter is based on 1 Corinthians 10:31 and is aimed at the false dichotomy of secular and sacred. This is a very key point for those involved in a "business as missions" mindset. Whatever we do, wherever we work, whatever task we're assigned, we can worship as we do it. Work is worship. Some jobs are not as important as others, and we're not all equals in the tasks, but all jobs (and meals, and commutes, and diaper changes, and breaths, etc.) can be worship. I love how Tozer puts it:
"Paul's sewing of tents was not equal to his writing an Epistle to the Romans, but both were accepted of God and both were true acts of worship. Certainly it is more important to lead a soul to Christ than to plant a garden, but the planting of the garden can be as holy an act as the winning of a soul."
The “layman” need never think of his humbler task as being inferior to that of his minister. Let every man abide in the calling wherein he is called and his work will be as sacred as the work of the ministry.
His closing prayer:
"I want to live so fully in the Spirit that all my thought may be as sweet incense ascending to Thee and every act of my life may be an act of worship."
5 stars out of 5.
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LibraryThing member DomingoSantos
Perhaps the best book of its genre that I have ever read! If you are a Believer, Tozar cuts to the chase as to the what, why, and how of your relationship with God. This book is not a one-time read, but instead should be treated and read at least monthly as a foundational reminder and how-to of the
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beauty of a personal relationship with God. Warning: This book will change your life! Show Less
LibraryThing member ajlewis2
I listened to the audio version narrated by Grover Gardner. There is an introduction that tells about A.W. Tozer. It seems he was a mystic and I gathered that from some of what he says in the book. He writes from a 1948 Christian awareness of how to speak about God. He speaks only of Christians and
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Christianity. I could imagine today that he might be more like Merton having a dialog with the Dalai Lama, but that is not what is to be found in this book. What I particularly liked was his emphasis on an experience of God and not a reliance on dogma, Bible, prayer, or ministry to others. He applauds those things, but he sees the basis of it all as an experience of God. He does not attempt to give us an idea of what his experience of God is. I got the impression that he leaves that to each person to find out and not just once, but to continually be open to that experience. It sounds like Tozer's environment was one of a society where almost everyone was a professed Christian. He is speaking to them and trying to draw them into actually experiencing more. His way into that seems to be to truly desire it. I don't remember a lot of dos and don'ts in the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member cdiemert
God is in pursuit of you.
"The Pursuit of God" is the enduring Christian classic by renowned pastor and theologian A.W. Tozer. More than 65 years later, the words Tozer penned on a train from Illinois to Texas echo across the decades to resonate with power in the heart of anyone longing for a deeper
This devotional masterpiece is at once thought-provoking and spirit-enlivening, an invitation to think deeply about your faith even as you come alive to God's presence surrounding, sustaining and pursuing you. "This book is a modest attempt," Tozer wrote, "to aid God's hungry children so to find Him." If you are hungry, "The Pursuit of God" will lead you to the only One who can satisfy the soul.
"The Pursuit of God" is the enduring Christian classic by renowned pastor and theologian A.W. Tozer. More than 65 years later, the words Tozer penned on a train from Illinois to Texas echo across the decades to resonate with power in the heart of anyone longing for a deeper
Show More
experience with God.This devotional masterpiece is at once thought-provoking and spirit-enlivening, an invitation to think deeply about your faith even as you come alive to God's presence surrounding, sustaining and pursuing you. "This book is a modest attempt," Tozer wrote, "to aid God's hungry children so to find Him." If you are hungry, "The Pursuit of God" will lead you to the only One who can satisfy the soul.
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LibraryThing member tim.sherrod
perhaps tozer's most famous work. although i am increasingly become less and less a fan of christian living books and maybe even christian classics, i would recommend this book to anyone who has yet to read it. recommended.
LibraryThing member 2400
This was one of those books that makes me hunger and thirst for more of God. I read it after reading "50 Characters Every Christian Should Know". The content was outstanding and prayer provoking. I would strongly recommend to a first time reader to acquire a printed version. The EBook allowed me
However, it gets to you. I pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you through it as abundantly as he does to me.
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the ability to save snippets and quotes and I have saved many. However, the source I acquired it from apparently made a dozen or more word errors in the OCR process. This at first appeared to me to be a manuscript error but as I reached the very last page it became obvious to me that it was a publication copy error. How can I complain when it was offered to me at no charge by the publisher,However, it gets to you. I pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you through it as abundantly as he does to me.
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LibraryThing member ThorneStaff
A book that should be read multiple times to get the most out of it. Tozer expresses the way to God.
LibraryThing member VirginiaGill
The stark beauty of this author's words leave me breathless every time I sit down with this book. Each journey through it's pages shows me something new, some bit that helps me focus my own heart and mind just a little more sharply. Not a book I'd ever loan out, but one I DO highly recommend.
LibraryThing member rbclibrary
Yet another classic devotional book by Tozer.
LibraryThing member beanbooks
Another of the great Christian books. Read and pray.
LibraryThing member nesum
Tozer's call to a life drenched in Christ is one of the best there is. You can clearly see his passion and love in every line. It is a call back to pure Scripture and love, not tricks and power of will. The book is worthwhile to new Christians for an idea of the promises of what is to come, and
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also old Christians who simply want to meditate on the wonders of God. Show Less
LibraryThing member LudieGrace
I enjoyed going through this as a buddy read, as it has been sitting unread on my Kindle for years. I’m not quite sure how to rate it because although there are parts that will stick with me, I had quibbles with other parts; and I suspect that his tone/approach in other works would resonate more
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with me. Show Less