Dennis Edwards' "Humility Illuminated" is a compelling read that dives deep into the complexities of humility in our modern era. Edwards, with his insightful and nuanced approach, explores how humility can profoundly impact our relationships, work, and personal growth.

The book is structured around the idea that true humility is not about self-deprecation but about recognizing our own limitations and the value of others. Edwards uses a mix of personal anecdotes, psychological research, and historical examples to illustrate his points, making the material accessible and engaging.

One of the standout features of this book is Edwards' ability to connect humility with current social and cultural issues. He discusses how humility can lead to better leadership by allowing leaders to acknowledge their mistakes and learn from others. This is particularly relevant in a world where ego often dominates corporate and political landscapes.

However, the book isn’t without its flaws. At times, the narrative can feel a bit repetitive, circling back to similar conclusions in different chapters. Despite this, Edwards' earnest tone and the practical advice he offers—like how to practice humility in daily interactions—make it a worthwhile read.

In essence, "Humility Illuminated" is both a reflective and practical guide that challenges readers to cultivate humility and rethink its role in their lives. It’s a recommended read for anyone looking to foster a deeper understanding of themselves and improve their interactions with others.

This was a fantastic book to read on the subject of humility. I highly recommend it. One of the things Edwards does well is show how a lack of humility plays into so many other areas of our lives and causes problems. He does a great job surveying humility throughout the scriptures and using modern-day examples to bring his points across. I will definitely be referencing this work when I preach on the subject!

Dennis R. Edwards really has a way of lighting the path without forcing one to take a step. Humility is one of those phrases in Christianity that, while well meaning, has really created a lot of heartbreak with individuals because of using humility wrongly. Dennis really takes you on a short, but very empowering eye opening journey on what true humility is. It isn't just being nice. It isn't being passive. This book gives us a new lens to look at what Jesus meant when he called us to be more like him. It's really well thought out in breaking it down on how it looks, and it's a book I think I will be turning to quite frequently. Worthy of book shelf space!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path to Back to Christian Character by Dennis R. Edwards is a bold, yet necessary, call back to a key aspect of Christian doctrine and lifestyle. By situating himself within the words of the Christ Hymn (Philippians 2:5–11) as a basis, Edwards explores the concept of Humility first in the Old and then New Testaments in chapters 1 and 2. Edwards then uses this base to explore the topic of humility by describing its roles in the functions or attributes of a Christ centered humility. He covers embodying, communing, reconciling, shepherding, enduring, worshipping, stewarding, and empowering as broad terms that relate to his wide and developed ideal of biblical humility in each of his chapters. In his chapters Edwards uses a balanced approach of anecdotal data, biblical exegesis, and drawing from church history to develop his concepts and points. This results in a deeply considered and balanced approach that is both informative and engaging to read.
Perhaps the best aspect of Edwards book is the balanced approach he takes. Unlike Andrew Murray’s classic Humility, Edwards does not advocate for the dismissal of humankind or take an aggressively low view of mankind. However, Edwards also does not fall into the trap of providing too high of an anthropology by elevating humankind beyond what the Scriptures assign us. The result is a deeply balanced and thoughtful product that both encourages the reader to seek biblical humility deeper while not giving into the despair other writers may attempt to espouse.
Edwards also seems to understand that no theology or Christian teaching happens in a vacuum. He seems to be deeply aware of the systematic injustices that plague the modern world as he writes with a sensitivity to issues of feminism, racial inequality, and economic disparity. In this way Edwards seems to model his own call for humility as he writes carefully and with a broad audience in mind. The end product of Humility Illuminated is a balanced teaching that will be of great use and spiritual formation to the broad audience of Christian readers from pastors to lay people, and it is certainly a text that will distinguish itself as one of the more useful books on the broad concept of “humility”.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley, however the opinions reflected in this review are my own.

A good primer on humility. Not exactly sure who Edwards' intended audience was, but some of the footnotes were distracting - acknowledging not everyone agrees Peter wrote 1 Peter, or Paul wrote the Pastoral Epistles - which I understand, but it felt like a Hail Mary to appease those who are probably outliers. I didn't have a problem where he and I may disagree, but, like others have commented, the footnotes were something that were more distracting than helpful.

Some really, really good nuggets of truth in this. And a little bit of jargon that didn't QUITE feel like it connected to the premise.

Technological issues prevented me from reading this book in its entirety, but I read enough for it to profoundly cause me to reconsider the maturity of my Christian life. I thought of humility as a personal attribute prior to reading Edwards book, but failed to understand the dynamic influence it has in all of life. It is a foundation stone of Christian discipleship.

Australia is going to the polls in less than a week to vote on The Voice, seeking a way forward for the indigenous peoples of the land to have a voice. As a result of reading Edwards treatise on humility, I was recently able to engage in a conversation around this controversial subject with an attitude that was more curious and empathic.

I would hasten to add to prospective readers that this is a dense book in many respects, and requires considerable thought. It is laced with personal examples to ground it's principles, but I still found it a slow read. (This may be a reflection of this reader and not the writing.) There is much to learn in the pages of this book, and the author is an able guide to those who work towards peace with our neighbours.

A relatively short but insightful book about humility as a core element of Christian life and character. True humility is countercultural and thoroughly Christ-centred, rejecting the competitiveness and arrogance that saturates our culture and impacts the health of our churches. In some places, some statements felt a little bit repetitive, and the author also includes footnotes which don't always seem completely relevant (e.g. comments about the authorship and historicity of the Pauline epistles). But there were also plenty of hard-hitting observations and memorable lines. I appreciated the author's insights, even though I'm from a very different cultural context and don't hold to the exact positions he does on specific topics. This was another NetGalley read, so I can't share any direct quotes. But overall, this was enjoyable and gave me a few new things to think about and reflect on (e.g. humility in relation to church seating habits and public reading of scripture).

I ove this kind of content, and this book has to a MUST READ for every christian(both from a long time journey and newwest of this generation) because unfortunately a lot of conceptions are being modificated from its real biblical meaning. Humility is one of them, and We need to find the real christianism that the Bible shows.

I found this to be a gentle yet forthright look at humility in regards to a number of aspects of Christian living. For instance, regarding: prejudice, Bible reading, worship, singing, tithing, and even as simple or as complicated as church 'potluck' meals. In some parts of the book, I found myself losing interest but then it picked up and I realized I'd never quite read such an expose on humility before so focused my attention better on this opportunity to read a unique book for learning about it. The author guides the sincere believer reader to have the mind of Christ; to be humble as He was in coming to earth. May one and all who read this book be blessed.

~ Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger ~

September 2023

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by Net Galley and the publisher.