Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, has captivated a large audience, particularly women, since its release. Its unique writing style and focus on gratitude have resonated deeply with many readers seeking a more meaningful spiritual life. However, while the book encourages thankfulness, it also raises some significant theological concerns that warrant a closer examination.
Voskamp’s writing is immediately distinctive. It’s a poetic, almost stream-of-consciousness style that some find deeply moving and others find overly sentimental or confusing. Consider this passage from the book’s opening:
A glowing sun-orb fills an August sky the day this story begins, the day I am born, the day I begin to live.
And I fill my mother’s tearing ring of fire with my body emerging, virgin lungs searing with air of this earth and I enter the world like every person born enters the world: with clenched fists.
From the diameter of her fullness, I empty her out–and she bleeds. Vernix-creased and squalling, I am held to the light.
This excerpt showcases Voskamp’s penchant for unusual phrasing, fragmented sentences, and a blurring of prose and poetry. Words are used in unexpected ways, creating a style that is either deeply engaging or quite off-putting, depending on the reader’s preference. Beyond the style, the book’s core message about gratitude is a major source of its appeal.
The Power of Eucharisteo: Finding Gratitude Amidst Suffering
One Thousand Gifts is rooted in Voskamp’s personal journey through suffering, particularly the tragic loss of her sister. She recounts how grief and hardship led to a profound sense of ingratitude. The book chronicles her discovery of the need for gratitude, not just as a response to blessings, but as a way to navigate and even find grace within life’s trials. She introduces the concept of eucharisteo, the Greek word for thanksgiving, as central to this transformation.
Voskamp posits that ingratitude, or “non-eucharisteo,” is at the heart of humanity’s fall from grace, a dissatisfaction with God’s abundant gifts. She writes, “Non-eucharisteo, ingratitude, was the fall–humanity’s discontent with all that God freely gives. That is what has scraped me raw: ungratefulness.” The path back to spiritual abundance, she argues, lies in embracing eucharisteo, a lifestyle of thankfulness. To practically implement this, Voskamp embarks on a personal challenge: to list One Thousand Gifts, moments and things for which she is grateful.
These gifts are not grand gestures or extraordinary events, but rather the simple, everyday blessings often overlooked: “morning shadows across old floors, jam piled high on the toast, cry of blue jay from high in the spruce.” These seemingly mundane items become points of gratitude, transforming her perspective and her life. Voskamp elevates this practice, suggesting it is almost sacramental: “If clinging to His goodness is the highest form of prayer, then seeing His goodness with a pen, with the shutter, with a word of thanks, these really are the most sacred acts conceivable.” She encourages readers to embark on their own journey of listing one thousand gifts, suggesting it as a path to a deeper Christian experience.
Theological Concerns: Mysticism and the Pursuit of Ecstasy
While the emphasis on gratitude in One Thousand Gifts is commendable, there are theological concerns that arise, particularly regarding the influences Voskamp draws upon and the direction her pursuit of eucharisteo takes.
One significant concern is the eclectic theological landscape Voskamp navigates. Her thinking is shaped by a blend of Protestant and Catholic mystical traditions. She draws inspiration from figures like Henri Nouwen, Brennan Manning, Teresa of Avila, Brother Lawrence, Annie Dillard, and Dallas Willard. This diverse range of influences introduces a strong mystical element into her theology, at times hinting at panentheism, the idea that the divine permeates all of nature. Mysticism, in its essence, often prioritizes direct experience of God, sometimes placing it on par with, or even above, Scripture. This contrasts with the Protestant emphasis on Scripture as the ultimate and sufficient revelation of God.
Furthermore, this mystical bent appears to lead Voskamp toward a pursuit of spiritual ecstasy as a pinnacle of Christian experience. This pursuit culminates in the book’s final chapter, where she describes a quest to “make love to God.”
Sexuality and Spiritual Ecstasy: A Bridge Too Far?
In the concluding chapter, “The Joy of Intimacy,” Voskamp recounts a trip to Paris where she seeks a deeper understanding of intimacy with God. This chapter is filled with sensual and intimate language, describing a spiritual experience akin to sexual climax. She writes of wanting more of God, desiring a profound union, and ultimately experiencing a spiritual culmination in a Roman Catholic cathedral. “God makes love with grace upon grace, every moment a making of His love for us. [C]ouldn’t I make love to God, making every moment love for Him? To know Him the way Adam knew Eve. Spirit skin to spirit skin?”
While the Bible uses the metaphor of bride and groom to depict Christ’s relationship with the Church, it does not extend this metaphor to include sexual intimacy in the way Voskamp does. There is a valid concern that Voskamp overextends biblical metaphors, potentially leading to an inappropriate understanding of intimacy with God. It raises questions about whether such intensely sensual language and imagery are biblically warranted or helpful in describing the believer’s relationship with God.
Adding to the concern is the setting of this spiritual climax: a Roman Catholic cathedral. Voskamp describes feeling that she is on holy ground in Notre Dame Cathedral, finding a connection to past believers and a pathway to intimacy with God within its walls. This raises questions about the necessity of a specific physical location, particularly one associated with a theology that differs significantly from Protestantism, to achieve such a profound spiritual experience. It prompts reflection on whether the emphasis shifts from the gospel itself to a particular place or experience as the catalyst for spiritual breakthrough.
Conclusion: Gratitude with Discernment
One Thousand Gifts undoubtedly has strengths. Its call to gratitude is timely and valuable, and many readers will genuinely be encouraged to cultivate a more thankful heart. The book’s emphasis on finding the sacred in the ordinary can be a helpful corrective to a culture often focused on the extraordinary and the sensational. However, it’s crucial to approach One Thousand Gifts with discernment.
While embracing gratitude is essential, readers should be cautious about fully adopting the mystical and experiential theology subtly woven throughout the book. The pursuit of a heightened spiritual ecstasy, especially one described in sensual terms and seemingly dependent on specific locations, is not explicitly supported by Scripture and may lead to dissatisfaction or a skewed understanding of Christian spirituality.
A truly helpful Christian book should ultimately point readers more clearly to the sufficiency of Scripture and the power of the gospel. While One Thousand Gifts encourages gratitude, its theological underpinnings and emphasis on mystical experience raise questions that warrant careful consideration and a balanced, biblically informed perspective. Therefore, while appreciating its call to thankfulness, a discerning reader should engage with One Thousand Gifts critically and ensure their pursuit of gratitude remains firmly rooted in sound biblical theology.
