This book was difficult and troubling to read throughout since one knows the painful end from the beginning. It didn't help that the pages were filled with Jim's allusions to lives poured out for God early, for his own readiness for death. Was this premonition or youthful romance and bravado?

Beyond this aspect, however, I found the first two-thirds of the book down right disturbing on a personal basis. I felt that I did not like Jim Eliot and I suffered a dichotomy of soul to think that I did not like this fellow saint with whom I will spend eternity. I found him to be rather sanctimonious, as another reviewer has said, as well as judgmental and legalistic. I found his purple, King James-type prose to be pretentious and annoying. Throughout his college years he anguished and moaned about how sluggish and stale the American church was and how little worth was held in his studies or any other kind of work. He did not share the Reformed and Puritan views that all respectable work that is done as unto the Lord is wholly acceptable to Him. I found Jim's view quite snobbish.

Further, I was completely befuddled by his failure to ACT. I believe that this failure must have been directly influenced by his denominational (Plymouth Brethren) practices. Apparently, the Brethren are Quaker-like in their worship services. There is no appointed minister and everyone sits around waiting to be inspired to speak or read or sing. (Jim also shared in common with the Quakers a passivity which he felt precluded him from participation in the military or in government or civic affairs.) This "waiting attitude" seemed to bleed over into the rest of Jim's life. After he graduated from college he went home and kind of just helped around the house while he waited to be called to Christian service, even though he clearly had a keen desire to go to the mission field. It seems as if he was awaiting an engraved invitation to serve. He also spent years declaring that he must deny himself a wife, despite the fact that the Lord had clearly provided a woman that he loved and who also happened to be called to the same mission field as he. These pages and pages of self-denial tasted so much of self-flagellation that it became excruciating to read.

I so wanted to put this book down. I so dreaded and yet couldn't resist reading it. I was rewarded for my perseverance. When Jim finally allowed himself to ACT on the desires that God had put into his heart and the opportunities that God opened up for him, he blossomed like one of the flowers of which he was so fond. It became a joy and pleasure to watch him grow through the pages of his journal - to let go of that romantic, angst-ridden prose, and the bemoaning of his unfulfilled desires. It is very evident that the Lord placed the desire for mission work in Ecuador in Jim's heart. It was a joy to see Jim's happiness blossom. He still continued for a while to deny himself the wife God had placed right in front of him. The reasons he gave for his failure to act were that God had not allowed it. I am still bewildered at this. My belief is that if God puts a desire in our hearts and provides the fulfillment, he means for us to take hold of it, not to stand back and ask ourselves if this is what God wants for our lives. (With the caveat that the desired object meets godly and biblical prerequisites, which the mission field and the wife did.) It is still very unclear to me, when Jim accepted God's gifts, what it was that finally made it okay.

At any rate, Jim's personal and spiritual growth were so evidenced in the later pages of the book that one can begin to see the early parts as what they were - evidence of youthful angst, zeal and romance. Thank God that no one has access to any of the journals I may have written during that part of my life. Jim was growing into a wonderful husband and father and a man of God that could appreciate the gifts he had been given. I ache to think that some of that leftover zeal could have caused impatience in dealing with the Aucas, but as is true in all things, God had a plan and He was able to work good.

Ummmm wow this book is crazy what a guy!!

Shadow of the Almighty contains the journals and letters of Jim Elliot, compiled by his wife Elisabeth. It seems that reading someone’s journals would be tedious, but Jim was actually an excellent writer. There is a bit of a romance element, as the journals and letters chronicle his relationship with Elisabeth. Most of all, though, in these letters you get to see the heart of a man who was willing to die for Jesus at the age of 28. Reading his writings is a neat experience, different than reading something written about his life. If you like missionary stories, I highly recommend.

new hero unlocked

incredible book that tells of the life and testimony of jim elliot through letters and journal entries, the gaps filled in by his wife, elizabeth.
this book genuinely encouraged me, stirred my affections for the Lord, and challenged my faith and evangelistic calling.

“he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

An amazing book. Jim Elliot was very much a modern-day Paul. His love for God and passion for sharing the gospel are admirable. I found myself wondering at first what more he could have done had he lived a longer life but then realized that through his wife's sharing of Jim's story, countless people have been touched. Again, proof that God's plan is greater than any we can come up with.

I plan to read more of Elisabeth's writing as I have been inspired by these two. I feel like I'm a little late to the party in just discovering the Elliots, so my great thanks to my reading buddy and dear friend, Mary Rose, for bringing these to my attention!

I started this thinking it was the more well-known Through Gates of Splendor and was pleasantly surprised to find that Shadow is less a slow unfolding of Jim Elliot's death and more a story of Divine sovereignty over his entire life. (Note: I listened to the audiobook version which is read by Elisabeth Elliot herself, and I felt that her voice added an immediacy to the text.) Shadow is told through Jim's letters and journals, and at times it reminded me of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead which similarly shifts between autobiographical narrative and theological meditation. I really enjoyed the latter, and found it interesting to hear Jim's understanding of issues such as marriage, Christian fellowship, and evangelism mature over the years. I also found myself trying to read between the lines to detect his growing love for Elisabeth. Their self-denying romance is often frustrating but always intriguing. Throughout I was moved, humbled, and inspired by Jim's reverence for God and his commitment to obedience, even when God seemed silent. During these times, the reader has the advantage of being able to see God's hand guiding and preparing Jim for for his life ahead. (I was reminded of a similar pattern in the Psalms and in Augustine's Confessions.) When the story of Jim's life finally does reach its "present" in his death, the conclusion somehow feels both foregone and impossible. I felt this was true to the the human experience in general which defies simple resolution.

Just finished this book for the third time and am again in tears. What the first 3/4 of the book lacks in intrigue and story-telling, the last 1/4 makes up for in the gripping, first-hand account of the inner life of a soon-to-be-martyr. This book, in spite of deserved criticism for writing style, is a gem and should be held in realm of Christian literature in high esteem.

Quote that has stirred my spirit: “I’ll tell you why I left home. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study, hear, and understand the word of god in their own language and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever. I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man. When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me. Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment condemned to worse fates than these demons-fearing Indians, because, having a bible, they were bored with it - while these never heard of such a thing as writing.”

In Short: ‘Shadow of the Almighty’ is a biography by Elisabeth Elliot of her husband Jim, whose life was tragically taken in the 50s by an Ecuadorean tribe he was ministering to.

For: It is a heart-breaking but inspiring tale that every Christian with a heart for the lost should familiarise themselves with.

Rating: 3.5/5

Elisabeth Elliot’s precursor to this book, ‘Through the Gates of Splendour,’ described in depth how a passionate group of young men left the safety of suburban America and took the gospel to an untouched Amazonian tribe. In the end through mistrust and fear all four men were murdered.

Her second book ‘Shadow of the Almighty’ provides clarity on the life of one of the four men, her late husband Jim Elliot. Through his journals, letters and first hand accounts from friends a quite remarkable picture is built of the young man, one that continues to inspire 60 years later.

Jim died at 28, but even at 20 he had a deep, Davidic faith with his one purpose being to bring glory to God. We follow Jim to Wheaton College, where he met Elisabeth and fought over whether he should marry her or choose celibacy, and to his family farm where the will of God for his life seemed so elusive. Through his journals one could see his faith grow from blind zeal, to a deep abiding love of his Lord and those around him.

Through the entire book one thing that stands out about Jim is that never for one moment did he think of his life as his own, he had such a child-like trust in his God. Prophetically, he would write on his own death with such nonchalance and confidence in what he lived out. His famous quote, loosely based on Luke 17 is, ‘He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’

Jim Elliot knew God, and saw it as nothing to give up his life for Him. This is a challenge to us all.

I thoroughly recommend this book to be read alongside ‘Shadow of the Almighty.’ It is less of a narrative and more an autobiographical spiritual journey. At times it is harder to digest, but provides a needed depth to the tale of sacrifice that continues to inspire generations.

I did not enjoy the ending. Great book though

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Many Christian want to be like Jim Elliot, but I always wonder what does it take to become a man like him. The book is a collection of Jim Elliot's letter to family, friends and his wife Elizabeth compiled by Mrs. Elliot. What is better to see inside of someone's heart and mind than these personal letters and we are fortunate to see how Jim Elliot grow to become the man who is killed by people who he has prayed for for six years. Personally I am deeply convicted of his rock solid focus in doing Lord's work from the early age. Ever since college days he has been training himself physically as well as spiritually for the sake of being used for the Kingdom one day. We see triumph and desert time, more importantly we see the hand of God shaping him along the way. A nice bonus of which is reading his letter to Elizabeth (though this is not meant to be a book on relationship), how he pursued singleness whole-heartedly to grow and serve while allowing his heart to be moved by God only to eventually marry this wonderful woman of God. It almost seems to be anti-romantic yet their love is so pure and passionate, overcoming circumstances most people could not possibly endure. I usually does not like the phrase "true love", but in their case, it is truly the only kind of love that can come from God.

The content is amazing, I don't love the audio and some of disjointed flow.