I think Mac Swift is spot on!

But then again, I'm a little biased in that regard. ;-)

I agree with Mac Swift that Mac Swift is ricky racky right on in regards to this topic.

I challenge anyone to show me where in the Purpose Driven Life there is any accurate teaching of salvation.

There is none. So how can this be a good book?

Why does a book have to have an accurate teaching of salvation to be a good book? I don't think Obadiah has an accurate teaching of salvation. It doesn't have any teaching of salvation, just judgment for Edom.

I worry about any popular book having emphases that might lead people away from biblical truth by holding those emphases above other important things. This is true of this book as much as with any other. I never get excited about such books anymore. I don't think there's much of anything in the book that justifies the false shepherd charge, though. The principles he's teaching are good principles, mostly ones you can draw out of scripture, as long as you don't place them as more important than other principles not in this book but also from scripture. Many people who read this sort of book unfortunately do that sort of thing. That doesn't mean it's an evil book.

Sunday school teacher:

You must have overlooked page 57-58.

Here below is one of many paragraphs on this page that lead one to salvation:

"Right now, God is inviting you to live for his glory by fulfilling the purposes he made you for. It's really the only way to live. Everything else is just existing. Real life begins by committing yourself completely to Jesus Christ. If you are not sure you have done this, all you need to do is receive and believe. The Bible promises "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" -- John 1:12 Will you accept God's offer." -- Purpose Driven Life, page 58.

--
http://www.awstar.org/tsk.php?book=43&chapter=1&verse=12&phrase=2

"receive and believe" is not a biblical expression though, and Rick Warren leaves out the foremost message of salvation, in fact the very first word Jesus spoke when he began his ministry: "REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"

However, such a message is not "seeker-sensitive" and is reworked into what amounts to an advertising slogan: "Receive and believe"

There are many fine points in the book, but what needs to be noted is that it is not an end unto itself. It is rather the hook that baits you into a dangerous movement in which the book is merely a means to an end. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Warren's philosophy is the leaven that corrupts many churches today.

Remember that Satan uses Scripture as well to promote his deceptions, so the fact that Warren's messages have the appearance of good, it's simply the mask that betrays a false gospel that has evolved from the days of Oral Roberts and Larry Lee.

The point the Sunday school teacher made was:

"I challenge anyone to show me where in the Purpose Driven Life there is any accurate teaching of salvation."

I showed where Rick Warren calls readers to be saved. Pages 57-58,

Turning from the world view that we must do something to save ourselves, and believe the God has already done everything necessary for our salvation is to REPENT.

The Purpose Driven Book was written to those who are already saved. (As is much of the New Testament).

However, I agree with you that Rick Warren seems to bait the reader. But in my opinion, he leads the reader closer to God, not further away. Can that be bad?

Repent means to turn away from sin, a crucial ingredient needed in experiencing the true Christian life. The absence of the message that we are sinners in need of a Saviour is clearly evident in Warren's writings, where the gospel he teaches is only partially correct.

Where's the evidence though that he leads readers closer to God? If you were to look at his Saddleback church, the evidence seems sorely lacking. How do you qualify such a claim? Does coming closer to God mean people are going to church more often? And are they doing so because it now has a bowling alley?

I've also criticized Rick Warren's PDL empire, but not for some supposed link with occultism. Rather, I'm disturbed by the the fact that his books filled with trite phrases and shallow theology are found by so many in the church to be "profound" or "life-changing."

I'm not sure if Warren's books are a reflection of the American-dream-theology church today or a cause of it, but I give some grace and lean toward the former. This is the same uneducated American church who gets their theology from the Left Behind books, TBN faith preachers, and the flavor-of-the-day conference or "revival" or "anointed" worship leader.

See below for some of my earlier comments about this:

http://www.tallent.us/CommentView.aspx?guid=e9f681e5-4c20-4a7a-b7bd-01e947c1497e

Re: "Repent means to turn away from sin, a crucial ingredient needed in experiencing the true Christian life. "

The call of the Gospel is not to just turn away from unrighteousness (i.e. prostitutes and tax collectors) which you would call sinners, but also to turn away from self-righteousness (i.e. Nicodemus, Cornelieus, Lydia, Etheopian) which the world calls religious, but are also sinners.

The call of the Gospel is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died for the forgiveness of sin and rose from the dead according to the scriptures, whereby those who believe receive peace with God, justification from the penalty of sin, and sanctification ( i.e. being called out for God's purpose ) And it's sanctification -- finding God's purpose for our lives -- that Rick Warren is explaining to his readers.

There are a lot of great comments here. I'm surprised though that we haven't heard from more of the PDL bloggers.
I have an admission to make. I haven't read the book. I've glanced through it enough to know the gist of it and that's all. I doubt I ever will read it for the same reason that I don't read pop-psychology books. Almost by definition, the fact that they're so popular means that they tend to speak to the lowest common denominator. Books in that category usually bore me to death because they're too simplistic.
I doubt the book is harmful but I'm not ready to erect any big idols to the glory of Rick Warren.
It should be taken for what it is - an overview of a topic over which many people - Christians and otherwise - struggle. If the book helps them to see things in a more Godly context that's great.
But if they want to learn more they're going to have to go a little deeper than PDL.
However, if I claimed Rick Warren was the anti-christ I bet I'd get a lot more hits to this site...

What a rediculous discussion on repentance. Actually rick warren has a whole seven days on repentance called "you were created to become like Christ". On page 182 he speaks about reentance and gives the actual greek definition which is to 'change your mind'. Repentance is mentioned and implied throughout the book. maybe some need to 'repent' of their impression of the book

There is another aspect of Warren's false teaching that must be addressed: His philosophy is quite similar to Carl Jung's and paganism. I found this article at www.sacredsandwich.com/purposelie.htm

This site is one made by the Liar. Be rid of his lies!

What have you been smoking young man?!
Whatever it is, stop it. Stop it right this instant.
-jdm