Customer Reviews for Zondervan The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
Zondervan The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
There's much we can't comprehend about God. In the face of suffering and evil, belief itself often becomes a struggle. Wright reveals positive reasons for not having all the answers! He offers encouragement from Scripture that will help you sustain your faith in the midst of mystery---and learn to trust the things you do understand! 208 pages, hardcover from Zondervan.
Average Customer Rating:
(8 Reviews) 8
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2 out of 2100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
Review 1 for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
Overall Rating:
Very good book
Date:July 23, 2012
VicP
Location:Auburn, AL
Age:Over 65
Gender:male
Quality:
5
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Value:
5
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Meets Expectations:
5
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I have not finished reading the book, but what I've read so far is very helpful. I've been teaching adult Sunday School classes for more than 30 years, and the questions about the God of love doing strange things in the OT are tough to answer. We're studying Joshua and Judges right now, so the book is very relavent to our study. We need to be ready to answer questions from those who have no knowledge of Scripture, and I think this book helps.
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Review 2 for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
Overall Rating:
This book gives encouragement.
Date:July 20, 2012
mattie
Age:55-65
Gender:male
Quality:
4
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Value:
4
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Meets Expectations:
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This book gives encourage when something happens we don't understand why it happened. Proverbs 3: 5-6 helps a lot also. ( Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths).
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Review 3 for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
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Date:April 7, 2009
Maria Marino
If you were to survey every classroom, church and home asking if anyone understood God, inevitably there wouldnt be a soul who would make that claim. It is from this common ground that The God I Dont Understand takes root. By digging into the bible, extracting the truths embedded in the scriptures, Christopher H. Wright tackles the tough questions of faith with loaded evidence. Clearly written by a biblical scholar and teacher, this book brings into focus the God we come to know and understand according to the scriptures. It points to the God who reveals enough of Himself to justify our trust and worship even though there will always be things about Him we cant comprehend. It piles up a hefty stack of credible reasons to believe while leaving plenty of room to humbly accept and appreciate the mystery, confusion and questions that linger. Ironically, by investigating the questions that baffle and bewilder, a pathway to greater understanding opens up.Conveniently divided into four sections of reflection: What about Evil and Suffering?, What about the Canaanites?, What about the Cross?, and What about the End of the World?, The God I Dont Understand easily converts into an enriching individual or group bible study. If youve ever wanted to come closer to the God you love but dont always understand, this book is well worth the read. No doubt about it.
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Review 4 for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
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Date:February 14, 2009
This is definitely as the subtitle says ~ A Reflection ~ Mr Wright is writing about those questions, from a scholar's perspective, that just don't get answered definitively by the Bible. He uses his own experiences for illustations so it's not just a theoretical interpretation but also has humour and reality situations. In the Preface he states: "To know God, to love and trust him with all one's heart and soul and strength, is not the same as to understand God in all his ways" Isaiah 55:8-9" I believe that that is an important point to make especially to those who ask for answers to everything before they will believe. God doesn't answer all the questions that we have. Mr. Wright points out that one of the questions that isn't answered is about evil. That God says in effect don't question it, just reject it. An interesting stance. The book is divided into 4 topics, Evil, Canaanites, the Cross, and the End Times. His beliefs and understandings about what the bible says in these cases are interesting and not run-of-the-mill. This book would make an excellent small study group project but I would want someone in the leadership to be acquainted thoroughly with the bible and what it actually says.This is a good book worth studying.
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Review 5 for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
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Date:February 13, 2009
Bill W Murray
Christopher Wright is a prominent light these days in the evangelical Christian world both as a writer and a leader. He generally writes from a pastoral viewpoint. In this particular work, Wright approaches some of the "tough questions" persons may have as they read through the Bible. The title and the opening pages clearly show that God is not always easily understandable by the seasoned Bible scholar and pastor, so the "average pew sitter" should not be frustrated or overwhelmed when he may encounter difficulties, implying to the reader "you are not alone." Wright does make it a point to remind, however, that, though one may not understand God and his actions fully, yet he is worthy of appreciation, worship, and full trust. "[T]o know God, to love and trust him with all one's heart and soul and strength, is not the same as to understand God in all his ways" (13). After all, he is God; we are not. Wright divided his work into four major sections: What about Evil and Suffering? What about the Canaanites? What about the Cross? and, What about the End of the World? At the back of the book, the interested reader will find a very useful section for further reading organized around the four section topics. This section alone is worth the price of the book. This book is recommended for those who have never considered these tough questions of life or who are only beginning to ask these questions. Wright offers a pastoral encouragement to understand evil and its impact on you and your world, an encouragement to understand the God who does control his universe and will bring it to a glorious positive conclusion, and an encouragement to trust in him whose actions are not always understandable. My only question relates to the section on the Canaanites. This section seems overlong. However, this detail may well help the regular reader or the one who does struggle with the concept of God's punishment of those contrary.
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Review 6 for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
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Date:February 2, 2009
Stephen K. Moroney
This book asks some hard questions about Gods ways. If God is love and possesses all power, why doesnt God do something about all the evil and suffering in the world? Why did God command that the Canaanites be destroyed violentlymen, women, and children? Why did God send Jesus to be crucified, what did his death accomplish, and exactly how did this all work? What will God do at the end of the world as we know it? In answering these questions, Christopher Wright is unflinchingly honest. When he does not understand something, he says so. Wright does not try to explain why some people face so much suffering while others face very little. He does not speculate about exactly what the afterlife will be like. At the same time, when Wright does understand something that he believes God has revealed, he also says so, and with a tone of genuine humility. He knows that Jesus death brings salvation and that in the end God will put all things right. The main point of the book is that we can love and trust God, even when we do not understand all of Gods ways. It is okay, even a good thing, to ask our hard questions about God. It is also okay not to have all the answers. Peace comes with knowing enough to have faith. The book is written accessibly, with an inviting, conversational style. It is a great resource for thoughtful readers who dare to ask the hard questions.
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Review 7 for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
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Date:January 30, 2009
Darrell
A well-written look at the God none of us know as we want to. Thought provoking in an irenic way, challenging, and informative. A worthy addition to anyone's library.
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Review 8 for The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith
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Date:January 24, 2009
Christopher J.H. Wright has penned a wonderfully inspiring book entitled The God I Dont Understand reflections on TOUGH QUESTIONS of faith. Although I can think of some tough questions of my own that dont appear within these pages, this incredibly profound, yet easy to understand work of non-fiction is divided into four subject headings: Evil, the Canaanites, the Cross and the End of the World. Wright enlightens, educates and encourages with scripture, stories and frank commentary. And he does so without removing the readers focus from the most important truth we can ever understand: that God loves us!
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