"The Healing Path" traverses the middle ground in biblical sufferology (a theology of suffering). That is, it accurately avoids two common extremes as Christian writers attempt to address suffering: a.) the extreme of staying stuck in the past by blaming the past, b.) the extreme of denying the past by ignoring the past.

Instead, Allender, as his subtitle suggests "How the Hurts in Your Past Can Lead to a More Abundant Life"), explores what the Bible says about using your past in constructive ways. He divides his thinking into four primary categories: the experience of suffering, the exposure of evil, the enticement of redemption, and the empowerment of spiritual friendships.

A previous review, I think, misses the point when he bemoans the lack of exegesis of one central passage. While exegesis of one passage or book is always a core process, Allender takes the systematic theology approach by developing a comprehensive biblical model of suffering. It is obvious that Allender has done his homework by exegeting many passages, however, he prefers presenting the overriding concepts that he has uncovered, rather than a blow-by-blow commentary on how he discovered them.

The same reviewer, in my opinion, again misses the point in chastising Allender for a lack of practical relevance. Consistent throughout Allender's writing career is his belief that theological concepts distilled from Scripture and explained with relevance offer the reader the foundation needed to make specific application. Allender finds little usefulness for a series of secret steps, preferring to renew the mind, knowing that mind renewal leads to behavioral maturity.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Beyond the Suffering: The History of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

"Don't waste your pain", says the publisher's note on the rear cover of "The Healing Path", a recent offering from the prolific and popular Dan Allender. Allender suggest that life inevitably entails suffering, and that the key is to suffer successfully. Suffering leads to redemption and life, but most suffer pointlessly and unconstructively, not knowing how to suffer properly.

Healing Path wanders about to a great degree, as Allender ranges over what seems a disconnected landscape in what must be taken as his current reflection on the nature of the world and its suffering. He addresses in turn, 1) suffering as a sacred activity, 2) its pervasive nature, 3) aspirations toward healing, 3) the pain of betrayal, 4) the ubiquitous mistake of suffering improperly, 5) the value of living existentially, 6) the pain of powerlessness, 7) living with ambivalence, 8) fighting doubt with faith, 9) "redemptive living" at arms-length from conventional church forms, 10) a diagnosis of modern evangelical enfeeblement due to centralization, and 11) immersion in provocative cultural conversation as the best means of redemptive change. The result is a fairly incoherent and chaotic ramble through Allender's musings on the nature of a sinful world and his attempts to find integrative principles.

Healing Path offers little by way of substantive reflection or practical remedy. The treatment of redemptive living makes almost no reference to Christ; indeed the entire book could have been written by a conscientious Mormon or moralist, so sparse are any references to Christian theological frameworks or Scripture. Allender attempts to integrate the discontinuous series of chapters by running a few anecdotes across the spans, but this effort largely fails.

He captions subsections with such embarrassingly gushy titles as "Hearts That Embrace-The Dance of Passion", and follows with observations that seem to evidence his mood on the day he drafted the chapter. Some chapters read as if you found him sitting in the bright sunshine of his study with an inspirational piece of music playing. Other sections sound like you caught the author entrenched in morose reflection on a rainy Monday afternoon. In all, the tone is uneven and the purpose is difficult to detect.

Allender may have reached the point in fame and stature where popular Christian culture requires nothing more of him than regularly released, mass-market soft-cover publications, offered in tandem, of course, with a small group study guide.

"My calling is to intrigue, disrupt, and invite the other person to consider his heart," says Allender. Far better for pastors and congregations would be a rich exploration of 1 Peter, where Christian suffering is seen to precede a staggering, disproportionately large recompense, and promise conformity to the delightful countenance of Christ.

As a Christian for 30 years and an evangelical pastor/US Army chaplain and licensed Therapist, I have read lots and lots and lots of books. This book by Dan is truely one of the most profound books that I have ever read. It is worth reading and re-reading. His stories and narrative portions put images and real-life flesh and blood on our living out the true power of the Gospel and Christ's love into our own real-life worlds.

Chapter 8 has so much to offer. Hope in the biggest since. I love what Dan Alender does with words. Some things require deep meditation. As I read I feel myself coming alive in a way I never knew before. And as I read I think of all the hurting people I know who could be helped by reading, actually taking in this book and allowing themselves to be consumed by it. True healing does come and joy returns, or for some who have never experienced true joy, will expereince it for the first time. I think everyone should read this book. I want to put it into the hands of all of my loved ones. It has done me good. I wish to share the good with others. Thank You Dan Allender, you are my hero.

This book is a lighthouse to those who are dealing with various struggles. Dr. Allender communicates to the reader exactly how to begin travelling down that healing path. He will point you to where your focus needs to be, and help you through the process. I am so thankful that I chose to read this book!