This is Christian nonfiction. This book is a "spin-off" on the theology of an old-time Christian preacher named Jonathan Edwards. The author spreads out his content across ten chapters and ends with Acknowledgements. The book format and design is pretty simple. The covers shows the drawing of a grandfather-type man with his arms around a distraught male. The author, Brian Zahnd, is a pastor. He founded the Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri. This was more than 35 years ago. And he still serves there as lead pastor. He has also written books, such as A FAREWELL TO MARS, BEAUTY WILL SAVE THE WORLD, WATER TO WINE, UNCONDITIONAL?, and WHAT TO DO ON THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE.
This book was much what I expected. It's a theological interpretation of God as a God of love. Not a God of wrath. The author does not deny the existence of hell but redefines it from how it is typically understood in the Christian community. And he expresses passion over the violence perpetrated in the Name of God. Zahnd also laments how, in his view, the wrath of God divides God from Christ. This is a book that is immensely comforting. But the teaching of the wrath of God is clearly taught in both the Old and New Testaments. Romans 1 and 2 clearly teach the wrath of God. And that is in the New Testament. The most concerning thing about this book is that the author seems to deny that the death of Christ for our sins is a substitutionary act of atonement on behalf of us sinners. This was discussed in Chapter 4 pp 78-98. In other words, Zahnd denies that Jesus died to satisfy God's anger at our sins. But Jesus is pure and holy, just like His Father. That means that He possesses God's anger at human sin. Jesus indeed is the perfect image of God, as the author points out. But Jesus, like God, is both holiness and love. This book was a fast and easy read.
Who do I recommend this book for? I recommend it for Christians who are legalistic and focus on the letter of the Law and on God's justice and wrath. We are urged in the Bible to consider God's goodness AND severity together. I especially recommend it for legalistic pastors or religious readers. I don't recommend it for new Christians or non-CHristians as the theology in the book may confuse and mislead them.
I have received a complimentary copy of this book through BloggingForBooks.org in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a favorable review of this book.
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