How to Die by Joshua S Porter Book Review

About the Book:

Anyone disenchanted with institutionalized religion and desperate for something real will welcome this subversive book’s call to abandon performative faith and rediscover the radical way of Jesus.
 
This isn’t another feel-good Christian book—it’s an unfiltered, unapologetic guide to dying to yourself.
Blending storytelling, raw liturgy, and counter-cultural faith, Joshua Porter rips through the safe, sanitized versions of Christianity and reclaims the gritty, disruptive truth of the gospel. How to Die weaves together biblical narrative, ancient creeds, and personal story in a way that dares us to reconsider what it means to follow Jesus.
 
This book isn’t here to affirm what you already know. It’s here to wreck your assumptions, shake your faith, and challenge you to follow Jesus beyond disillusionment and into authentic discipleship.

My Review:

This book is an odd collection of essays and creative fiction. The essays are on various topics from sex to using oaths, from showing mercy to murder, from money to identity. The creative stories consist of fascinating retelling of Bible passages. He brings Bible stories to life with imaginative scenes. An example is the wail of a mom as the Egyptians take away her child to throw it into the Nile. Other imaginative stories include retelling of Jesus' parables and events in church history. He has even created a few parables of his own.

Porter says God “has wired our brains for stories...” (120) He is a wordsmith and creates engaging stories. Even many of the essays are in sort of story form.

I am unsure of the value of this collection of writings. I liked the imaginative retelling of biblical stories and events. They inspired me to live into them, imagining them for myself. Most of the essays are interesting and suitable for discussion in a small group. I did think there would be more about the idea of dying, about the Lord's call to give up our lives for Him. There was a bit at the very end but that is all I could identify.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

This book releases August 5, 2025.

About the Author:

Joshua S. Porter is pastor of teaching and creative vision at Van City Church in Vancouver, Washington. He is also a former member of the experimental art-punk band, Showbread, and the author of the novel Punk Rock Vs. the Lizard People. Find out more and connect with Joshua at joshuasporter.com.

David C Cook, 272 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)