The Wisdom of Each Other

A Conversation Between Spiritual Friends

By: Eugene H. Peterson

Narrated by: Maurice England

Length: 2 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

An illuminating example of friendship as a vital way God answers our need for guidance, encouragement, affirmation, and correction.

Most of the time, what we need to help us through the struggles in our lives is not the advice of an expert but the wisdom of a friend. Through this series of eloquent letters written to a life-long friend, author Eugene Peterson demonstrates friendship as a means to Christian maturity.

The topics covered in this warm and highly personal correspondence are broad and varied, but one thing comes through with constancy and clarity: There is great value in a wise, experienced friend to help us see more clearly and to strengthen our growth in faith and godliness.

©1997 Eugene H. Peterson (P)2011 Zondervan

Great for work commute

The chapters are short and feature his classic conversation style. Peterson is always encouraging but tough with his comments. He doesn’t wag his finger at you because he admits he is with us in the journey.

Wow was this refreshing!

God keeps impressing upon me that everything about this world he has created and everything about himself is relational.

Personally, over the years, I have followed some wrong paths and have gotten beat up by other people following some wrong paths. I have been given grace to forgive, and be forgiven. It has been my own errors in understanding God‘s reality that have been the most confusing.

This book, affirmed many of the things that I believe to be true. It has also provided not a short list of things that I believe to be true that I need to look at again.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, and thank you, Eugene Peterson.

Excellent!

This was so amazing I'm not going to attempt to describe it. For it is meant to be experienced! If you have found yourself here...being connected with this 'conversation' then trust me, and take it as an indication that it's not by chance you found it and buy it. You won't be sorry. Rather, you'll thank God above for leading you to it.

Eugene Peterson at his most practical

Would you listen to The Wisdom of Each Other again? Why?

This is an easy book to listen to in bits and pieces in between other audio books, since it is a collection of letters written from Peterson to a fictitious old friend, Gunnar. Each letter has enough to mull on in its own right, so they make for great listens on short trips around town. And the wisdom of these letters is something to come back to again and again. I've read the book at least four times before I listened to the audio book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wisdom of Each Other?

I loved his suggestion that 70-year-old Gunnar have the youth group over to prepare, cook, and eat a meal together, mentoring through casual conversation over kitchen work instead of hyped up games and motivational talks.

What about the narrator’s performance did you like?

He has an earthy voice which lends warmth to the letters.

Vintage Peterson

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Peterson's writing always resonates with me so this was no exception. It is like getting responses to questions about your daily journey with God, getting a tap to lean left here and turn a little right there, or steady as you go.

What did you like best about this story?

It's not really a story but a series of answers to letters from a fictional friend. The topics are good jumping off points for pondering or discussing with others. You don't have to agree with every one and some may not mean anything, but it is enjoyable listening to him speak about so many issues. Almost like a FAQ for church-goers.

Have you listened to any of the narrator’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The narrator sometimes makes the observations sound too pointed or negative, which I'm pretty certain Pastor Peterson didn't intend.

A bit disappointed

I intentionally picked this up with CS Lewis' Letters to Malcolm because they seem to be about the same basic thing (letters to friends as spiritual encouragement). But while Letters to Malcolm was very personal and revealing, this felt flat. First it is written as an exercise in spiritual mentoring. These are not actual letters compiled but instead are written to characterize the types of letters that Peterson often writes. This gives it form and coherence, but it left the whole thing feeling contrived. I am a huge fan of Petersons. I have read more than a dozen of his books. But I am fairly disappointed in this one. There are some good nuggets here, but it free more curmudgeonly than normal Peterson.