I was very dissapointed by the book, Awakening: A New Approach to Faith, Fasting, and Spiritual Freedom by Stovall Weems. The subtitle, "21 Days to Revolutionize your Relationship with God", seemed catchy enough, and drew me in. I started out reading this book, openminded, looking for inisght, yet remained skeptical, on the author's version of "fasting". After reading this book, it seemed more like a how- to book on health food and detoxification- whichis more like a veiled, yet pius sounding type of elitist diet rather than a book on spiritual fasting. For example, a variety of fasts were listed, including the fruit and veggie fast where you eat simply fruit and vegitables. Some of these were given religious sounding names like the "Daniel" fast. For many individuals from the lower rung of the socio- economic ladder, this type of fast is nothing more than an elitist diet that you will find advocated in a fancy spa, or a woman's fashion magazine. Sample menues include expensive, time consuming fruit smoothies and "whey protein"...whatever that means. This book's focus on health foods and equating expensive health food with Christian spirituality disgusted me.
I found this book too distracting and it seemed to deviate from the book's original intent to draw closer to God, and to revolutionize one's relationship with God. Is this done through a fancy, expensive- self limiting diet, made up of trendy fruit juices, smoothies, whey proteins, salads, exotic organic dressings, whole grains and legumes and other things that are too prohibitive and expensive for many lower working class readers or the poor, to follow? This seemed like a yuppie how -to book on "fasting". Many people, well at least lower middle class and financially poor readers, or those who must work full time jobs with long hours, do not have the money or time to spend on organic foods, whey protein, organic fruits, and smoothies, much less prepare them. I'm sure for anyone fortunate in financial resources and/or time, who can follow this diet/ "fast", will have a thinner waist-line, and lower blood pressure would be the result, but certainly not an increase in being filled with the Holy Spirit. This book does not portray a spiritual fast but rather a health-food indulgence based on false piety and hypocracy. Perhaps I am wrong, but I thought fasting meant you don't eat, not that you eat fancy, expensive healthy food. At least that is what biblical fasting meant. So, then, if fasting doesn't mean abstaining from all food, but rather choosing a selection of food, then why not include the John the Baptist fast which consisted of wild honey and locusts? Of course that would not be includedin this book because too much sugar isn't "healthy" and is too indulgent and locusts are too "gross" for elitists and their false religious beliefs who say its ok to fast with capuccinos and smoothies but inexpensive peanut butter is not ok for a fast. This book justifies all those spa addicts, and health food nuts. If that's the case, then almost any one with an eating disorder such as anorexia, health food freaks, or elitist, obessesive, health nuts have an automatic head start on fasting. This book belongs in the healthfood & dieting section of the bookstore and not with the Christian books. As a diet and health book- it is unique I suppose, but for any other spiritual enlightment, or empowerment I'd look elsewhere. As a blogger for Waterbrook, I recieved this book for the purpose of writing a review. The opinions expressed in this book are my own.
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