Our Favorite Sins: The Sins We Commit & How You Can Quit by Todd D. Hunter

How many of us have had an experience where we know we need to do one thing, but end up foolishly doing exactly the opposite? Or similarly, not done the right thing at the right time?

This book provides an analysis of why all people behave in this way.

In short, the author claims that disordered desire leads us to poor behavior. If we reorient our desires appropriately, it becomes more natural to do the right thing.

This conclusion is based upon the findings of a comprehensive survey by the Barna Group, well-known for its high-quality surveys on a variety of current topics in the church.

Most surprisingly, about 50% of respondents say that they really don’t know why they sometimes give in to temptation and do the wrong thing.

Although I really enjoyed reading this book and found its conclusions valuable, it did not feel like a coherent whole. The author starts with some relevant passages from the Bible and personal stories, transitions into the details of the Barna study, and then abruptly shifts to his experiences with liturgy as an Anglican bishop.

But other than this one flaw in structure, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about how to respond to our natural tendency to do the wrong thing, even when we know that we ought to do the right thing.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.