Steven King reviewed “The Way of the Christian Samurai” for Armchair Interviews in late October.

Steven writes:

“Anyone looking for a good devotional will benefit from reading this book. Christian martial artists, on the other hand, need this book. As we navigate our various martial arts, we take inspiration from accurate depictions of these ancestral warriors. Nowak empowers us to be inspired by their selfless dedication to their master that serves as an excellent model for the dedication we should show to Christ.”

You can read the full review of “The Way of the Christian Samurai” at http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/reviews/the-way-of-the-christian-samurai.

written by The Christian Samurai

I’ll admit, when I first heard of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, and read its vague premise of being “A Book That Changes Lives” (or in the case of the movie, “A Movie That Changes Lives.” I was expecting a lot of new age tripe.

Surprisingly, although the book reads like a motivational speaker’s polished presentation, there is relatively little for Christians to be concerned about. The movie does contain some sexual images, swearing, and use of sacred names in vain, philosophically there isn’t anything that stands out as contrary to Christian theology.

The premise is simple: a spoiled gymnast on course to be an Olympian is troubled by a mysterious gas station attendant who makes him re-evaluate and question his life. There’s really not much more that can be said about the plot, as the inner struggle of the gymnast, Dan Millman, re-shapes his outlook on life.

Quotes like “There’s no greater purpose than service to others,” and “There are no ordinary moments,” ring true both in Christian teaching and the ancient Samurai writings. It’s well worth a look to visit the quotation page for this film at IMDB.

If anything, the movie and book might be too centered on the individual for some Christians; written for the masses, it bears no attachment, endorsement, or even discussion of specific religions although Japanese and Eastern cultures references (regarding food and lifestyle) are intermingled with discussions of ancient Greek customs and teachings that sound very much like Scripture references. In fact, the movie contains perhaps the best example of Jesus’ command that if someone demands your tunic, not to resist but “give him your cloak as well.” (Matthew 5:40)

It’d be hard to use this to steer someone away from Christianity, however parents, as always, should be aware of what their children are watching, and even more importantly absorbing, from films.

“The Way of the Peaceful Warrior” can be an excellent accent for Christian teachings, and is recommended particularly for its strong message of learning to live in the moment, serve others, and pursuit of self-perfection.

Tags: Peaceful Warrior, Book, Changes Lives, Movie, Samurai, Christian, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior

written by The Christian Samurai

ChristainBookReviews.net just posted a review of The Way of the Christian Samurai, and gave it a ranking of “Essential!”

Just a quick excerpt from their in-depth review:

“Consisting on excerpts from noted samurai masters (the samurai were a class of elite warriors in feudal Japan) with commentary noting applications to the Christian life, the book demonstrates how much modern society has lost in its quest for unrestrained egalitarianism. Certain passages in the New Testament - particularly those showing the deference given by the Apostles and others to Jesus (even before they knew His true nature as the Son of God) - can be misconstrued without understanding the cultural milieu wherein a respected figure was shown honor by those he visited and subservience by his followers. This is at odds with our own tradition on self-reliance to the point of self-centeredness that has led to the highly individualistic form of Christianity that has taken root in America (both on the liberal and conservative ends of the spectrum). The result is the claim of Jesus as Lord without fully grasping the import of claiming someone as Lord.”

Read the full review here.

I find the book falls into two “dangerous” stereotypes that are untrue: That the book is either trying to equate Eastern Paganism with Christianity or a call to violence for fanatical Christians (the latter is usually a criticism of non-Christian or anti-Christians).

ChristianBookReviews.net allays the first fear for readers:

“The Way of the Christian Samurai is truly an unusual book among the many published that seek to link Christianity to various Eastern religions or philosophies. It’s uniqueness lies not in any success in doing so, but in its insistence that any such linkage must be judged by the known truths of the Christian faith. Given the limited focus of the book, its acknowledgment of the superiority Biblical teaching, and its usefulness in shedding light on often ignored facets of the Christian way, it is an important book that can be read with profit by those in the Church.”

Tags: Christian Samurai, samurai, warriors, Japan, Christian life, Jesus, Christianity, Church

written by The Christian Samurai

Ben Copeland, who reviewed The Way of the Christian Samurai on his blog, also posted this comment elsewhere that I really liked:

“Samurai legends really need to be introduced to Western Christian culture. We have some fiction that is relevant to Christianity (Pilgrim’s Progress, Narnia, Harry Potter, etc), but Samurai stories can be SO relevant, yet they are barely even touched by the Christian. Nowak’s book is a good step in that direction.”

Tags: Christian Samurai, Samurai legends, Christian, Christianity, Narnia, Harry Potter, Samurai, book

written by The Christian Samurai

News of ABC family getting permission to create a show based on Carrie Asai’s ‘Samurai Girl‘ book series brought the title to my attention. Having seen it at my local library, I was at least familiar with the book and its premise.

Many of the samurai figures in American media are male, so there is a somewhat unique angle to a samurai heroine. In book one of the series, subtitled “The Book of the Sword,” an adopted heiress named Heaven, is far from being a ‘samurai heroine‘ - she has lived most of her life in her wealthy father’s compound in Tokyo, oblivious to the feuding of her father and his rivals, absorbed in American movies, TV, and MTV culture.

During the wedding ceremony of her arranged marriage to the spoiled son of one of her father’s rivals, a ninja breaks in and kills her brother. She flees to the unfamiliar streets of LA to find a family friend to train her to become a samurai.

There are true samurai ideals brought up in the book, though Heaven’s constant fascination and day-dreams of having “movie moments” frustrate both her trainer and quite possibly the reader. Acceptance of death is a central theme, which as jarring and brutal as it sounds is quite easily understood in Christian terms, as explored in The Way of the Christian Samurai.

While the book is targeted for younger readers (it’s in the young adult section of my library) I’d preview it before getting your son or daughter involved in reading the series. There is, of course, violence - including the death of two characters, as well as the constant references to pop culture in America which may or may not be an issue for your family. The main character is 19, and so there are a few references to sex (who’s sleeping with whom) and the female body (Heaven at one point is considering her own build to the infamously bosomed video game character Lara Croft) that I wouldn’t want my daughter to be reading/worrying about until later in life.

For an adult, it might be considered a good but quick read, and not entirely negligent of real Samurai values. There’s nothing overly objectionable according to Christian morals, but I wouldn’t recommend using the publisher’s age guidelines on this one.

Tags: Carrie Asai, Samurai Girl, book, samurai, heroine, Christian Samurai, Samurai values, Christian morals

written by The Christian Samurai