John Eldredge in his book “ Wild At Heart” says that God created people, especially men, to be dangerous. Every little boy has dreams, big dreams of being a hero, a warrior, wants to live dangerous life full of adventures and everyday risks. But most men abandon their dreams of living adventurous life because of their faith that teaches them how to be so called “nice guys”. In his “Wild At Heart” book, John Eldredge states that because of that, it is no wonder why so many people choose to abandon the church and to live their life according to their own rules, and those who decide to accept the other way are passive and live a boring life. “Wild At Heart” is described as provocative book in which Eldredge gives a women an inside look of the true heart of one men who decides to be what God created him to be- a passionate, dangerous and free
Wild At Heart” was published in 2011, with a focus on explaining the role of men in traditional Christian culture. The subtitle is “Discovering The Secret Of A Man’s Soul”. In his “Wild At Heart” book, Eldredge encourages men to restore their masculine heart, defined by the image of our God. It states that if men want to change their image of being “a good guys” to being men who are created in the image of God, they must rethink about who God really is, and to restore their true wild heart. John Eldredge says that men fear risk, live bored life, and refuse to pay attention to their desires and dreams. In this book, he challenges every Christian men to go back to what he describes as authentic masculine behavior.
Although Eldredge’s “Wild At Heart” book is generally recommended for the male audience, it also helps women to better understand the implications of the authentic and traditional masculinity. The author frames his book around his experience and anecdotes with his family, including senses of humor in the text. Although he combines ideas about masculinity from some popular movies like “Braveheart” and words from Dixie Chicks with stories from the Bible, Eldredge points only to one answer for those who are searching for the true wild heart. John Eldredge writes that the only way for men to live adventurous life with all its risks, unpredictability and danger, is by developing an intimate and ongoing relationship with God. In 2005, John Eldredge and his wife wrote the “Captivating”- a version of “Wild At Heart” in which he and his wife describe and explore the world of women.
“Wild At Heart” was positively accepted by many people, but also it was strongly criticized by others who claimed that the book is misusing scriptural references. Others even stated that John Eldredge projected its personality traits onto God with a purpose to support and explain his thoughts and viewpoints. However despite the harsh criticism, “Wild At Heart” remains popular and a top selling book in many evangelical communities.