A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original review appears below. Roma E. Bryant attends St Paul’s Church in Ottawa.

Inner revolution that results in changing life-styles does take place. Not a case of changing outward appearance, the “change” that John White speaks of is the result of an inner revolution and consequent change. Such revolutionary change took place in the life of Chuck Colson, and John White uses Colson’s experience as a prime example of what he is writing about. He likens such change to the result of an earthquake as a person digs down to the depths of their inner being to find that there is, after all, a “beast in the basement.”

The healing of memories is not enough. The essence of change has to do with a moral structure. There has to be an inner earthquake of repentance — and repentance has to do with the moral quality of reality.

John White quotes Paul in Romans 7:15 “for what I do is not the good I want to do, no, the evil I do not want to do, I keep on doing.” Are we not all subject to the same “beast in the basement” — evil and reality? Given the right circumstances we are all capable of more evil than we care to imagine. There is evil in the natural and evil in the supernatural. We all know about Satan and his name — Father of Lies. The “beast in the basement” has to be dealt with, in repentance.

We are subject to emotions befitting an earthquake. You can “turn yourself around” and journey toward change. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

It begins with the realization and acknowledgement that ‘Someone’ cares. That ‘Someone’ is the Spirit of God, and only God can see the depth of our shame and truly love and accept us. Lightning bolts such as struck Chuck Colson do not happen to everybody. Some of us have to have a gradual metamorphosis. We often spend a long journey growing toward and into the image of Christ, which will not be completed until we see him face to face. But, we can and do gradually change. This is addressed in Chapter 9 entitled “Ongoing Change: the Emergence of the Real Person.”

John White gives much food for thought as he relates an episode that took place in the life of Tony Campolo on his visit to Hawaii for a Christian Conference. A very heart-warming “tears-in-the-eyes” story, and worth your reading and contemplation.

This book is written as an aid to people struggling to change. It is serious reading, but not as difficult as Larry Crabbe’s Changing from the Inside. At least, I found it to be so. The theme however, runs along similar lines.

The closing chapter is beautiful and encouraging — “A New Life for the Old” — … “they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa. 40:31).