That Incredible Christian
That Incredible Christian emerged from A.W. Tozer's growing concern in the 1960s about what he saw as widespread spiritual complacency among American evangelicals. Writing as pastor of Southside Alliance Church in Chicago, Tozer observed Christians who had accepted the gospel intellectually but remained largely unchanged in their daily lives and spiritual appetites. This collection of essays, drawn from his editorials in The Alliance Witness magazine, represents his attempt to awaken believers to the radical nature of authentic Christian discipleship.
Tozer argues that true Christianity produces an "incredible" transformation—incredible both in its supernatural character and in how rarely it appears among professing believers. He contrasts nominal Christianity with what he calls "real" Christianity, insisting that genuine faith creates people whose lives become extraordinary through their abandonment to God. The book explores how authentic believers develop an insatiable hunger for God's presence, pursue holiness with passionate intensity, and display a otherworldly quality that sets them apart from both the unregenerate world and lukewarm church members. Tozer emphasizes that this transformation is not optional for Christians but represents the normal Christian life as portrayed in Scripture. He challenges readers to examine whether their faith has produced the kind of radical inward change that makes them "incredible" in the truest sense.
The work has remained influential because it articulates a persistent tension within evangelical Christianity between easy believism and costly discipleship. Tozer's mystical approach to spiritual formation, emphasizing direct communion with God over programs and methods, continues to resonate with readers seeking deeper spiritual reality. Who should read this: Christians who sense their faith has become routine or mechanical and want to be challenged toward more authentic discipleship. This is not for new believers seeking gentle encouragement, but for those ready to have their spiritual complacency confronted.