Born After Midnight
Born After Midnight emerged from A. W. Tozer's pastoral concern that American evangelicalism had settled into spiritual complacency during the prosperity of the 1950s. As pastor of Chicago's Southside Alliance Church and editor of The Alliance Weekly, Tozer observed Christians who possessed correct doctrine but lacked spiritual vitality. This collection of sermons and essays, published in 1959, represents his attempt to awaken believers to the deeper realities of faith that lie beyond mere intellectual assent.
Tozer argues that authentic Christianity requires a supernatural birth that occurs in the quiet hours when human striving ceases and divine grace breaks through. Drawing heavily on the Christian mystics and Puritan writers, he contends that modern believers have confused religious activity with genuine spiritual life. The work explores themes of spiritual hunger, the necessity of personal revival, and the difference between knowing about God and knowing God intimately. Tozer insists that true spiritual birth happens not through human effort or emotional manipulation, but through quiet surrender to God's transforming presence. He challenges readers to move beyond surface-level faith toward what he calls "the deep things of God," emphasizing that spiritual maturity requires both theological soundness and mystical experience.
The book has remained influential among evangelicals seeking spiritual depth, particularly those who feel that contemporary Christianity has become too focused on programs and techniques rather than divine encounter. Tozer's prophetic voice continues to attract readers who sense something missing in their spiritual lives despite orthodox beliefs and regular church attendance.
Who should read this: Christians who feel spiritually dry despite doctrinal correctness and those seeking to move beyond surface-level faith will find Tozer's mystical evangelicalism challenging and potentially transformative. Readers uncomfortable with mystical language or those satisfied with purely intellectual approaches to faith may find his intensity overwhelming.