Critical Mass – Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

Right up front I want to say that I’ve been looking forward to this book for quite some time. I’ve honestly never read any of the rest of Joshua Harris’ books, but because of a personal experience with the author last summer specifically related to the title of this book, I was anxious to read it.

That being said, I was not disappointed. In Dug Down Deep, Joshua Harris lays out why theology matters. In his own words:

[Theology] matters not because we want to impress people, but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. Theology matters because if we get it wrong then our whole life will be wrong.”

When he puts it that way, the book sounds like it’s going to be some scholarly, heady tome whose readership will be restricted only to those with advanced degrees in theology and apologetics. Let me assure you that this is not the case. One of the best things about this book is the conversational, easily accessible tone that Harris takes throughout the book. It reads more like a conversation at the breakfast table over coffee than a classroom lecture about theology. This doesn’t mean that it lacks depth though, far from it. Harris is open and honest about struggles he has had in his own life, about places where he thinks that he has failed as well. It’s like having a Sherpa guide take you through Systematic Theology.

Dug Down Deep drills into several different topics, including the transcendence of God, the Bible, sin, the person of Christ, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, and living as the church. While some of those topics might seem out of reach to the lay Christian, they are written in such an engaging way that they become easily understandable. I wish that some of the books I have to read for my seminary classes were this informative and easy to read.

There were a few things that struck me deeply about the book. A couple of quotes in particular really hit me hard. In his chapter about the Holy Spirit, Harris says, “(w)e shouldn’t neglect the person and work of the Holy Spirit just because other people have misrepresented him.” That’s such a powerful thought. Coming from a very conservative Methodist upbringing, then attending an Assemblies of God college, followed by attending mostly Baptist churches, I’ve seen this first hand. On the one extreme, next to nothing is said about the Holy Spirit, treating him like the ugly stepchild of the Trinity. The other end of the spectrum treats the Holy Spirit as the life of the party. I’ve long felt that the best understanding of the Holy Spirit is somewhere in the middle (related thoughts here). I love the passion and the zeal of the charismatic churches, but I also love the ritual and logic of the more formal churches. The truth lies somewhere in between.

Another great thought was in the chapter about making the kingdom of God visible through what we do. He uses the analogy of the church as a gas station. Every week people show up at a convenient time and location to get their fill up, check in, then take off to our own destinations. How many of us are guilty of this, even those of us who serve in ministry roles? We treat church as something to check off our list for the weekend, just like mowing the yard or washing the dog.

Dug Down Deep makes you think throughout the book. Harris deftly handles difficult topics and asks tough questions. This is an excellent book. I’m reading it at a time in my life where I’m in seminary, I’m a volunteer staff member at our church, and I’m working a full time job. Every once in a while a book comes along that seems like it was put into your path by God specifically to encourage you. What Joshua Harris has done with Dug Down Deep feels that way to me.