PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 1, 2012

can normally count the number of non-fiction books I read in a year on one finger.  It’s just not a genre I find very engaging.  More often than not the writing tends to be dry and the spiritual teaching either too shallow or way too deep.  However, there is one author I can count on that won’t overwhelm or underwhelm me, and that is Steven James.  Much like his fiction writing, his non-fiction books are engaging and extremely readable.  Instead of checking to see how many pages I must plow through to say I finished, I’m disappointed that pages run out so soon.  Such is the case with Flirting with the Forbidden.  It strikes a nice balance between story and insight, while encouraging the reader to accept the grace which will help them through temptation.

I love the title of this book.  The name, Flirting with the Forbidden, creates a very visual picture of the minefield Christians tread through every day.  How can one survive in a world that’s constantly tempting one to sin?  The answer James provides is to nurture and grow in our relationship with Christ.  This sounds easy enough, but as each chapter demonstrates, applying this answer is, in practice, quite difficult.

Each chapter in Flirting with the Forbidden starts with a first person narrative of a well-known story from the Bible.  From Eve recounting the death of Able to John on the shores of Patmos, the stories are engaging and set the stage for the spiritual insight James provides.  While I thought some of the insight was somewhat predictable, it’s all spiritually sound.  I do wish a couple of chapters would have provided newer and deeper insight into tempting situations though.

The strength of this book is in the first person narratives.  For the long time Christian, none of these stories will be new.  However, James does an excellent job of bringing insight into what these people might have been thinking.  Some stories use people that are off scene in the Bible, but they bring a unique perspective to the story.  For example, I never considered the story of Jesus raising Jarius’ daughter from a flute player’s perspective.  Nor have I given much consideration to what Satan thought about the progression of his plans to have Jesus killed.  It’s this type of inventive storytelling that makes this book very readable.

At less than 200 pages, Flirting with the Forbidden is very short.  Within those pages are some strong challenges to Christians—challenges to deny ourselves, to not get entangled in the thorns of life, to believe.  There is really nothing earth shattering conveyed, but there are some very convicting sections and I think given the scope of topics, probably everyone who reads this with an open mind and humble heart will walk away with something.  I suggest reading it at a slow pace though.  This book is not steeped in heavy theological issues, but the insight it provides is well worth pausing to considering.

It’s only January and I’ve met my quota of non-fiction books for the year. For people like me, who like the spiritual insight and encouragement that can be found in non-fiction books, but without wading through pages of intense theology, Flirting with the Forbidden is a good option.  The readability and thought-provoking reflections makes this a rare book that will actually stay on my shelf to be re-read later.