It also leads them to undertake a greater involvement in their city, both in evangelical outreaches and for the good of society in general.įor a book that was written over 100 years ago, it cuts to the heart of our current culture in the majority of the Western world of materialism and even more so among Christians. The book follows their efforts during the course of the year as they attempt to live out their pledge of asking, 'What would Jesus do?' This leads them to make decisions that aren't the most popular or even understood by some family members and the general public.

Among those who volunteer are the pastor, the local newspaper owner/editor, a gifted singer, a wealthy young woman, a writer, and an employee of the local railroad. A call is made for volunteers to ask the question, 'What would Jesus do?' before making any decisions for one whole year. (In His Steps can be credited with the origin of the popularized question of 'What would Jesus do?' or WWJD). The book centers primarily on a few members of the affluent First Church of Raymond in the late 19th century who have been faced with the question of how Jesus would act if He were in their place. There are many good things about the book, but there are also many not-so-good things. However, I'm having a hard time making such a distinction in reviewing Charles Sheldon's classic, In His Steps. While a good book may have some detractors, overall the good outweighs the bad, with the reverse also being true of bad books.

Usually a book will be obviously good or bad, making the ultimate conclusion in rating it a fairly easy process. Rarely have I come across a book that I am so torn over as to how to rate it.

In his steps charles sheldon