A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A. W. Tozer

by Lyle Wesley Dorsett

Book Overview

"I fear we shall never see another Tozer. Men like him are not college-bred but Spirit-taught." Leonard Ravenhill, 20th century British evangelist. Pastor A. W. Tozer, author of the Christian classics... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802481337
• ISBN13: 9780802481337
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Moody Publishers
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Looking for a biography on the life of A.W. Tozer? This is it!

This is the story of a man that God used to bring about true change in the lives of thousands for His Kingdom and glory. A.W. Tozer was not only a spiritually gifted preacher, teacher, and author; he was also, not unlike all of us, a flawed human. Lyle W. Dorsett has written this wonderful biography that takes you through the childhood, life, and ministry of A.W. Tozer. Tozer was anything but a perfect servant of God and at times his life choices leaves wonder as to why he did them, but his imperfections are what make him human and the lesions behind them can be great blessings for anyone willing to learn. In the end, it is clear that God can use sinful man to bring about His glory and honor. Lyle W. Dorsett has done a masterful job of taking the true story of the life of A.W. Tozer and has left us with this wonderful biography. The lessons about living with a passion for God and the warnings of family neglect from the life of A.W. Tozer are valuable treasures for all looking to grow closer to God, yearning to stand for truth, longing to lead a powerful prayer life, and learn about the dangers of neglecting your family in doing so (losing focus on those closest to you when it does not and should not be this way). This, in my opinion, is a must read.

Insightful reading

Lyle Dorsett's well-researched biography of A.W. Tozer provides valuable insight into this godly man to whom many have attributed prophet-like qualities. There is no doubt that God used--and continues to use--A.W. Tozer for His glory. But this biography is a reminder that God's servants are not perfect, only God Himself is. Watchman Nee was correct when he wrote, "Anyone who serves God will discover sooner or later that the great hindrance he has in the Lord's work is not others, but himself." To this I think Tozer himself would have added a hearty "Amen!"

A. W. Tozer and the Pursuit of God

An elderly Christian gentleman once told me that if he could have only one book other than the Bible, it would be The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer. The Knowledge of the Holy and The Pursuit of God, also by A. W. Tozer, are two of the best loved Christian books of the twentieth century. Their author, Aiden Wilson Tozer (1897-1963), is remembered as a modern-day Christian mystic, and, apart from its founder, the best known pastor in the history of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. This latest biography of A. W. Tozer, A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A. W. Tozer, is the latest in a series of short, informative biographies of influential evangelical Christians by Lyle Dorsett, Professor of Evangelism at the Beeson Divinity School of Samford University. Dorsett's goal is to provide a biography of Tozer that portrays him as a real human being, one who was far from perfect but saved by God's great grace and used by God to lead other Christians into a deeper, more meaningful Christian faith. Like Dwight L. Moody, about whom Dorsett has also written a biography, Tozer had very little formal education and a lifelong passion to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Unlike Moody, who was never ordained, Tozer was ordained by the CM & A in 1920. For the remainder of his life, he served the Alliance in pastorates in the U.S.A. and Canada, as editor of the denomination's magazine, The Alliance Weekly (later The Alliance Witness), and through his many widely popular books. A. W. Tozer did more to spread awareness of the CM & A than any other spokesperson. Although he had little formal education and no formal seminary training, Tozer read widely and deeply in the works of great secular thinkers like Aristotle, Plato, Spinoza, Descartes, Hume, Hegel, and Karl Marx, as well as the early Church Fathers, and other great Christian thinkers like Bernard of Clairvaux, Peter Abelard, Madame Guyon, John Newton, the Wesley brothers, and many more. Tozer believed that there was much to learn through reason, "But knowledge of God and the human spirit and the soul can be grasped only through the Holy Spirit" (96). He believed that reason was a valuable tool, but, he insisted, [God] "is above human reason and He is above human science" (qtd in Dorsett 96). Like Moody, Tozer wanted Christians to "enter into a deeper life with Christ." He was convinced that God wanted his people to "know Him" not just "about Him" (125). When faced with a difficult passage in the Bible, Tozer urged believers to "[g]o to God first about the meaning of any text" before consulting human authors. Once when he was accused of disliking the Scofield Bible, he said that on the contrary, "I've worn four of them out, and I have number five now at home . . . I just don't believe its notes. When it starts telling me things are otherwise than they are, I just write that off. But he does divide up things nicely for

A Good and Honest Biography

A.W. Tozer is a man whose ministry has fascinated me. A man who held closely to biblical, Protestant theology, he was also a man who loved the old Catholic mystics. He had little formal education, yet had the ability to hold the most educated of men and women at rapt attention. He had a single-minded devotion to Christ and the highest respect for the Scriptures. Reading "A Passion for God" has only increased my fascination with him, for here we see more strange and seemingly irreconcilable opposites. Biographer Lyle Dorsett has written a study of the man that deals as honestly with his faults as with the areas that are laudable. And in this case the faults are almost shocking. Tozer was a man who loved Scripture and loved nothing more than preaching its truths to all who would listen. "A.W. Tozer heralded biblical truth. He loved the Bible and unflinchingly preached what he believed people needed to hear, regardless of what they wanted." Yet he was a man who neglected the mission field in his home. "On and off over the years, Aiden exercised his role as head of the family by encouraging times of family devotions. These never lasted more than a few weeks. As one son explained, the children just did not want it and they were seldom all together for extended periods in any case." Tozer was a man who dedicated himself to reading, study and prayer and who delighted to be in the presence of God. "There is no way to measure the hours he spent in a typical day or week reading books and wrestling with ideas, but it was substantial. In a similar vein, we know that he increasingly devoted many hours each week praying, meditating on Scripture, and seeking deeper intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ. During the 1930s Tozer read voraciously, and he also developed a magnificent obsession to be in Christ's presence- just to worship Him and to be with Him." Yet he was a man who was emotionally and spiritually distant from his own wife. "By early 1928 the Tozers had a routine. Aiden found his fulfillment in reading, preparing sermons, preaching, and weaving travel into his demanding and exciting schedule, while Ada learned to cope. She dutifully washed, ironed, cooked, and cared for the little ones, and developed the art of shoving her pain deep down inside. Most of the time she pretended there was no hurt, but when it erupted, she usually blamed herself for not being godly enough to conquer her longing for intimacy from an emotionally aloof husband." These strange inconsistencies abound. Tozer saw his wife's gifts for hospitality and encouraged her in them; yet he disliked having visitors in his own home. He preached about the necessity of Christian fellowship within the family of Christ; yet he refused to allow his family or his wife's family visit their home. For every laudable area of his life there seemed to exist an equal and opposite error. This study in opposites leaves for a fascinating picture of a man who was used so greatly by God, even while his lif

An Honest Evaluation of A W Tozer

I couldn't wait for this current biography of A W Tozer to be released. Tozer is one of my heroes. His classic, The Pursuit Of God, is about as good as it gets in terms of the heart seeking a deeper relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. Tozer's writings have stirred up within me a great hunger for a more intimate walk with my God. The author, Lyle Dorsett, has done an outstanding job of interviewing family, including all of Tozer's 7 children, as well as pastoral associates and close friends to present an accurate portrayal of a man-on-fire for God but at the expense of his own family relationships. This book is honest, well-researched, and highly recommended!!!