Matthew’s book, From the Blood of Abel is an excellent book to recommend to seekers who have begun to question traditional Evangelical teachings on alleged God-sanctioned violence, a sacrificial hermeneutic, doctrines of hell and eternal punishment, and much more. Matthew has processed weightier works on these topics and synthesized their salient points into a volume that is reachable to the majority who may have neither time nor inclination to read academic-level treatments on those subjects. In doing so, Matthew has done the body of Christ a great service. I wish I had read a book like From the Blood of Abel when I was twenty-one. If I had, my life would have charted a much different and much more Christ-conformed path, much earlier.

Matthew knows nothing about Christianity.

This is a demonic lie. It directly goes against the very words of Jesus and it is a Gospel of the spineless who are not willing to face the hard truth. It’s an affront to Jesus’ work on the cross. It is deceptive, a completely perverted understanding of the Gospel. And people who spread these lies are one with the devil.

I know it’s hard, but actually reading the Bible can really illuminate what God actually thinks on topics [sic]. Distefano is either a severely ignorant believer or a false teacher. Either way, he needs to stop discussing the Bible until he has read more of it beyond what Google tells him.

A perfect cocktail of disgusting lies (front cover).

Got the book today, sat down with my wife and read the quick devotional, and had one of the best talks about God we’ve had in a long time. I love it and look forward to reading it daily.

One minute, the author expounds on seeing God through the love in his daughters eyes. The next, he is excoriating the religious for their hypocrisy with scathing language.

Matthew J. Distefano doesn’t expect you to like him. In fact, he offers this missive knowing full well that some readers will want to use it as fuel to burn his unyielding heretic heart at the stake.

And yet, Matt generously shares authorship with the reader, providing space for both dissension and verbal high-fives.

Devoted As F*ck is a journal that will either inspire or piss you off. Or, maybe both, on occasion.

I especially love the cover art design, and cannot wait to carry it into my next bible study.

Matthew’s work always surprises me, not because I underestimate him but just because he keeps upping the ante.

Like most of his work, this devotional is a little provocative and not just in the title. I love it because it is challenging. Most of us don’t really want someone to tell us what we want to hear–we really want to be challenged.

I’m glad I got to see a preview of this and I’m looking forward to interacting with it throughout the year!

“In the midst of fake news, scripted reality TV shows, and deep fakes, Matthew J. Distefano and Michael Machuga’s The Bonfire Sessions is as authentic and real as it gets. I appreciate their down to earth conversations that are beautifully raw and filled with plenty of wisdom about life, God, theology, mental health, tragedy, and everything in between. This is a great book to pick up to learn, grow, and get a rare glimpse into what true friendship and intimacy looks like.”

“Vulnerable. Refreshing. Relatable. Three words that describe Matthew and Michael’s newest book. While vulnerable throughout, this book carries with it a balance in perspective which leads the reader to come to their own conclusions. This book is funny in parts while daring to ask hard questions in others. It boldly demonstrates nuance interspersed with humor and vulnerability.”

“There is a proverb that says conversation is food for the soul! I personally believe conversation is the answer to much of the world’s issues. While the theme of this book revolves around a bonfire, drinking whiskey, and working through diverse and difficult subject matter, it does so in a way that also answers many of humanity’s issues. Grab a glass, take a seat, and treat yourself to a great conversation. Your soul will thank you!”

“Trust me when I tell you that this book is unlike anything else you have read before. The conversations between Matthew and Michael recorded here range from deeply profound to hilariously irreverent, with a few dick jokes sprinkled along the path. But you’ll find yourself wishing you could pull up a chair and warm yourself next to this bonfire where bullshit is eternally condemned and simple truth refined until it becomes the purest gold. Worth every penny.”

“Reading The Bonfire Sessions: A Year of Shadow and Flame is like sitting down with two of your most brilliant friends who invite you into their most unguarded conversations about God, faith, and the human experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to walk with two mystics on the road away from certainty as they journey toward a more love-centered life.”

“In the midst of fake news, scripted reality TV shows, and deep fakes, Matthew J. Distefano and Michael Machuga’s The Bonfire Sessions is as authentic and real as it gets. I appreciate their down to earth conversations that are beautifully raw and filled with plenty of wisdom about life, God, theology, mental health, tragedy, and everything in between. This is a great book to pick up to learn, grow, and get a rare glimpse into what true friendship and intimacy looks like.”

“Vulnerable. Refreshing. Relatable. Three words that describe Matthew and Michael’s newest book. While vulnerable throughout, this book carries with it a balance in perspective which leads the reader to come to their own conclusions. This book is funny in parts while daring to ask hard questions in others. It boldly demonstrates nuance interspersed with humor and vulnerability.”

“There is a proverb that says conversation is food for the soul! I personally believe conversation is the answer to much of the world’s issues. While the theme of this book revolves around a bonfire, drinking whiskey, and working through diverse and difficult subject matter, it does so in a way that also answers many of humanity’s issues. Grab a glass, take a seat, and treat yourself to a great conversation. Your soul will thank you!”

“Trust me when I tell you that this book is unlike anything else you have read before. The conversations between Matthew and Michael recorded here range from deeply profound to hilariously irreverent, with a few dick jokes sprinkled along the path. But you’ll find yourself wishing you could pull up a chair and warm yourself next to this bonfire where bullshit is eternally condemned and simple truth refined until it becomes the purest gold. Worth every penny.”

“Reading The Bonfire Sessions: A Year of Shadow and Flame is like sitting down with two of your most brilliant friends who invite you into their most unguarded conversations about God, faith, and the human experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to walk with two mystics on the road away from certainty as they journey toward a more love-centered life.”

“Matthew Distefano and Zak Parson’s The Genesis of Violence is a refreshing and illuminating work. Though brief, it leaves you with a belly full of thought and evocation of emotion. Through the simple yet complex illustrations, it captures the brevity of life, its fleeting joys and unavoidable pains. Through its pronouncement of a story that we tend to see as rote, we are refreshed with the facts that we in humanity all face an inevitable invitation: that we should all practice more kindly and considerate thought toward each other. This beautiful work will awaken and remind us all to use our best gifts and offerings to help our fellow travelers on the journey and to make the path brighter and easier. It will foster a closer kinship, more empathy and a deeper understanding for each of us who want to live an extraordinary life and die knowing we did our very best to leave humanity greater.”

“The Genesis of Violence is perhaps the most unexpected book anyone would ever anticipate from the mind of Matthew Distefano. It’s not irreverent. It’s not snarky. There are no F-bombs to drop. In truth, The Genesis of Violence is actually a very beautiful, profound and, dare I say, “Christian” book, gorgeously illustrated by Zak D. Parsons, that reframes the Genesis narrative into a visual storybook for adults that even your mom would love.”

“A deeply touching work of art with crafted words and images that reach into the places that matter and from the heart calling to the mind to both confess and repent. I loved this simply profound work and hope it to be the first of more!”

“A wonderfully imaginative retelling of the central themes of Genesis for all ages. The mixture of a judiciously pared-down text and extraordinarily evocative and appropriate artwork brings out with great clarity the ways in which imitation and violence structure some of our greatest ancient stories. They reveal how much those stories, told in this way, have to offer us.”

“Through a combination of evocative images and text, this book challenges readers to reimagine the violence in Genesis as a product of humankind’s misguided search for God rather than God’s unrelenting judgments against humanity.”

“Distefano and Parsons have given us a compelling message through both words and illustrations that have beautifully captured the reality of the human condition and the way of grace through the glorious story of Joseph and mind of Rene Girard.”

“Matthew has written the book that we all never knew we needed! This quick-witted and clever little read is equally mad as it is brilliant, and it is the book I wish someone handed to me and made me read when I was in my 20s, moving out of Evangelicalism and figuring out how to be a human in the world. This admittedly self-help book is a practical guide to humanity in the 21^st century West and is a must read for anyone who recognizes the complexities of the times in which we live in, yet wants it told to them like it is—plain, simple, and without all the highfalutin mumbo jumbo. The wit kept me laughing, the wisdom kept me reading. Well done and bravo!”

“Don’t Be a Dick is a wonderful mix of brutal honesty and hilarious comedy. I went from cheering on Matthew’s points to feeling convicted to do better, and then to rolling over with laughter and back again. Definitely a must read!”

“Complete with golden rules you never knew you needed on just about every topic, from tipping to toilet paper, this book covers it all. Somewhere between comedy and conviction, you’ll find the absolutely candid words of wisdom by Matthew J. Distefano in Don’t Be a Dick. Distefano’s cadence and style of delivery make heavy topics such as outdated gender roles, toxic religious culture, and dysfunctional parenting easy to digest. In a time where most of what we see on TV and social media is scripted, embellished, and exaggerated, this book offers a real, refreshing opportunity for self-reflection. If you’re committed to being a dick, then this book will offend you, but for the rest of us who know we’ve got to put in a little more work to become the best version of ourselves, I offer the words of Distefano, “Trust me, together we can handle this.”

“This is the book that most people will buy for someone else to read without realizing they need it even more themselves. Matt pulls no punches here, and spares no punchlines either. After reading this you’ll be a better human being and you’ll have fun along the way. Don’t be a dick. Buy this book today.”

“When is good to be a dick? When you’re an actual penis! Others, just don’t be a dick! In his latest book, Matthew J. Distefano takes on the role of a modern-day Emily Post, articulating the kind of etiquette that will save your ass. One of the great problems of the Information Age is that we can say things without fear of getting hit in the mouth. However, we can be banned from social media, fired from our jobs, expelled from school, and otherwise become a pariah in society. Matt, himself, is no shrinking violet—he is a champion for the downtrodden and a voice of reason in theology. He also keenly understands how to be vocal without making a complete ass of himself. In Don’t Be a Dick, he shows you how to be meek without being weak, how to simultaneously not be a dick while not being a “limp dick.” If you want to know how to navigate this modern world without being confused with a phallus—while remaining uncompromised in your principles—this book is for you. Matter of fact, this should be required reading in every high school in America!”

“Not since reading The Tao of Pooh so many years ago have I enjoyed a book of this nature as
much as I did this one. It distills from a familiar body of fantasy literature invaluable insights to
savor. Matthew J. Distefano shows through his close observation of Tolkien's Hobbits, in all
their guileless homeliness and foibles, how wisdom and heroism are often disguised by the
seemingly simple and insignificant. Although there is serious philosophy to be found in these
pages (e.g., a discussion of faith and free will), Distefano wears his erudition lightly. Mostly, he
wants us to recognize ourselves in these hairy-footed halflings and to learn from them. In short,
this is a book about the adventure of living fully human lives, warts and all, and only
superficially about Hobbits.”

“The Shire, with its simple life and earnest people, offers wisdom for us wherever we live.
Matthew J. Distefano distills that wisdom in this affable offering. After reading it, I’m planning
new adventures—in the mundane of everyday life and the uncertainty of extraordinary
times—and seeking a fellowship of travelers. Get this book and travel with me!”

“A rare, balanced view of the oft-idealized Hobbits which shows how we can learn from both the
good and bad of their culture, temperament, and way of life.”

“‘It is impossible to be both very rich and very good,’ said Plato. Aristotle devoted fully a fifth of his highly technical and academic ethical treatise to the virtues only made possible through deep and abiding friendships. Matthew J. Distefano describes how good Hobbits work to balance these and other virtues into a well-lived life—not a life free from suffering, but a life freed to be good. Don’t have time to read all of Plato and Aristotle? Then read Matthew’s delightful little book distilling the wisdom of Hobbits into something more manageable.”

“The Wisdom of Hobbits is a backstage pass to Middle-earth, where even minor characters have major roles in helping us understand that Hobbits are not just entertaining, they have lessons to teach us about the well-lived life. Matthew J. Distefano has opened Middle-earth in a way that will enthrall every Tolkien fan. Whether you can quote passages from The Silmarillion or just liked one or two of the films, this book will capture you and keep you reading. Distefano not only delights readers with a breathtaking knowledge of Middle-earth, he adeptly weaves in lessons to us, with their warnings, to the ways we choose to live in our world. From our personal interactions and opinions of friends and strangers to the way we choose to care for our environment, The Wisdom of Hobbits is an engaging way to learn and remember wonderful
things about Hobbits and ourselves. This is a great book!”

“The Hobbits of Tolkien’s world are ready to guide you to your own wisdom through Matthew J. Distefano’s expert care. Get out your travel map—or not—and get ready to explore the depths of the loveable, yet deceptively complex, Hobbits. For those yearning towards greater simplicity
and connection with the world around them, grab this volume. It’s time to settle in next to your fire and second breakfast for a delightful journey through Middle-earth—and you might just pick up some wise habits along the way.”

“What a gift, so many years after reading and re-reading and loving Tolkien’s great work, to re-encounter it in such relevant ways to my life and values and deep questions. I loved getting to connect with how to engage community and overcome fear and show up well in hard times, all through my favorite characters in Middle-earth, Hobbits. Plus, the images and quotes kept me feeling immersed in that world in ways that made me feel like I was enjoying an escape even while I was learning valuable lessons along the way.”

“Matthew J. Distefano explores Middle-earth as loved by Hobbits, and like a master gardener he
enumerates each flower of Hobbit perspective and personality in thoughtful detail. Then he
relates the Hobbits’ wisdom to the cares of the modern world, Hobbit to hobbit, heart to heart.
Tolkien fans should love every word, right through to the appendices.”