AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Man of God by Charles F. Stanley

There was a rain cloud over my head while I read Man of God by Charles F. Stanley, famous megachurch pastor and former president of the Southern Baptist Conference.  Not a literal rain cloud, but an emotional one.  The content of the book—a biblical exhortation on being a godly man, husband, and father—is good.  It’s nothing new or revolutionary, but it’s good stuff nonetheless.   However, the whole book feels forced to me.  It feels fake; with none of the pointed challenges, or “gut check” questions you would expect from a book on this subject.

Conversely, there is no familial warmth or joy to found either.  There are a few personal stories of Stanley’s interactions with his children when they were young.  He has some great advice for fathers, especially the chapters near the end about being open-hearted with your kids and following the leading of Jesus.

However, when he discusses the topics of marital strife and divorce his tone becomes clinical and he shares no personal stories.  Stanley’s highly publicized marital strife, with his wife filing for divorce in 1993, again in 1995, and for the final time in 2000, involved years of separation and scandal.  To this day, the Stanleys don’t discuss the reasons behind it all, and it’s really none of our business anyway.  But how powerful would it be for the famous Charles Stanley to drop the “don’t-ask-don’t-tell” ethos of his generation for just a moment and speak personally to those who are struggling with separation and divorce?  An opportunity for powerful ministry via the written word is lost.  And, to anyone who is even remotely aware of Stanley’s divorce, he runs the very real risk of coming across like a hypocrite.

Along the same lines, Stanley could also speak personally on the subject of navigating conflict and unmet expectations with your adult children.  His son is the equally-famous Andy Stanley, a man I respect greatly.  But, sadly, Charles Stanley leaves this stone unturned also.  I understand these are probably painful things for him to write about, but how can he write on this subject, advising husbands and fathers, and not share his own struggles?

In all, this is a very well-written book full of great advice.  The narration of the audiobook version by Maurice England is also very well done.  But because of the perceived lack of vulnerability and honesty on the part of the author, I can’t recommend it.  This just isn’t a subject you can write about while keeping your personal life at arm’s length.

Please Note: This audiobook was gifted as a part of the Christianaudio Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work.  More information can be found about this and other Christian audiobooks at christianaudio.com.