The Purpose Driven Life
The Purpose Driven Life (2002) is a Christian book by pastor Rick Warren. It has topped the New York Times Bestseller list for nonfiction for the past 115 weeks (as of April 2005). After hostage Ashley Smith read Chapter 33 to her captor Brian Nichols (who allegedly shot four people in Atlanta on March 11, 2005), the book achieved an unprecedented Quadruple Crown by hitting number one on all four major best-seller lists (The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Publishers Weekly). The book comprises a 40-day course of biblical study, and presents what Warren believes to be the five biblical principles for a fulfilled life: worship, community, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. The book is intended to be read as a devotional, with each of the forty short chapters read on consecutive days. Each chapter contains a brief at the end with a 'point to ponder', a verse to meditate on, and a question to ask yourself over the course of the day. Many people have found this an engaging method of study and devotion, as the mind is naturally directed to look for answers when a question is posed. Rick Warren described his book as an anti self-help book. The first sentence of the book reads, "It's not about you", and the remainder of the chapter goes on to explain how the quest for personal fulfillment, satisfaction, and even the otherwise godly desire for the 'abundant life' promised in the New Testament must be secondary to the purpose of our existence on earth: to bring glory to God. Beginning September 2002, churches across the United States participated in a "40 Days of Purpose" campaign, which has since brought Rick Warren to national media attention. Some in the Christian community have been critical of the book. Dr. John MacArthur criticized the book as pop gospel: "What you've got is a feel-good kind of approach. This is telling people exactly what they want to hear, telling people that God agrees with you.... But that is not the Christian message." The book has sold over 22 million copies (as of April 2005).
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