Extreme Righteousness: Seeing Ourselves in the Pharisees [first edition]

They despised the teaching of the Messiah who came to save them. They were the objects of Jesus' harshest statements. They crucified our Lord. But if you take a good look in the mirror, they look an awful lot like us. In this honest, eye-opening book, author Tom Hoevstol examines the life of the Pharisees. Exploring their historical and biblical roots, he discovers truths that will challenge any believer who has 'grown up' in the church. Often we have all the right answers, but live less than righteous lives. We've read the Bible, listened in church, and even had a daily 'quite time,' yet none of that godly wisdom is reaching our hearts and changing our lives. While we live stellar lives on the outside, we battle secret sins in the dark corners of our souls. Though we appear to be saintly, we are self-seeking. Though we appear to be separated from the world, we desperately want to be a part of it. Join Tom Hovestol in answering deep and painful questions like: Why do good spiritual roots sometimes produce flawed fruit? Why do people who know the truth sometimes miss the way? Why is there a difference between the public and the private persona of the Christians you know, including yourself? Why does tradition exert such a powerful pull on the church? Why is there such a love of fences and such a fear of freedom? Why do some who look spiritually fit turn out to be sick?Take a good look at what we're really like, and ask the most important question of all - is there a way out?