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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Theology is All About God, April 14, 2009
This review is from: Godology: Because Knowing God Changes Everything (Paperback)
Few authors can take theology and make it fun to read. Christian George is one of the few. His new book is Godology: Because Knowing God Changes Everything (Moody, 2009) and includes a foreword by J. I. Packer. Godology is all about God. Each chapter creatively describes an attribute of God. Christian is rare in that he is able to take his subject matter very seriously while not taking himself too seriously. No easy task. And in the meantime, he leaves us with sparkling writing about a subject of utmost importance. Godology is funny: "It is easy to ignore the role of the Holy Spirit and treat him like the `red-headed step child' of the Trinity." It is memorable: "God doesn't want to be our footnote; He seeks to be our title." And best of all, Godology is thoroughly biblical: "Because Jesus was man, God identifies with us...because Jesus was divine, we identify with God." Godology focuses on the attributes of God and then shifts to our response to God's revelation. The spotlight is on God, but Christian does not leave out our reponse. This book is as much about spiritual disciplines and practices as it is about God and theology. Christian demonstrate an openness to disciplines from different traditions, a willingness to learn from the church throughout different ages and in other manifestations. (One chapter includes a section on the medieval labyrinth!) But Christian does not engage in such disciplines in order to find favor with God. Instead, the ancient practices are clearly described as ways of responding to the majesty of the God we see in Scripture. His emphasis on prayer, memorization, meditation and Scripture reading showcase the passion all Christians should have for knowing God and for making God known. What makes this book stand out is not its content, but the accessible way in which it is written. Teenagers, college students, and young adults with little theological knowledge will be able to pick up this book and receive an informative book that is easily understandable (and even entertaining!). If you are looking for a book to pass on to others, Godology is one you will want to pick up.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Revisit Formal Christian Beliefs, September 14, 2009
This review is from: Godology: Because Knowing God Changes Everything (Paperback)
In our busy materialistic world where God is often pushed to the background, if you are seeking a book that will restate your beliefs in Christian thinking, Godology is the book for you. It will reconfirm many of your ideas about your immortal soul. Its author feels that the twenty-first century is entering a new Age of Faith, leaving behind the Age of Reason. In the earliest pages of Godology, Author George states that after googling "God" and finding 564,000,000 results, he "came to the conclusion that everyone has an opinion about God." But to attempt any real study of God, a mystery far too dense to penetrate, you need to examine his being by allowing the Bible to light your way. Godology begins this examination by having you consider God's unity. Clearly, the New Testament tells you that Jesus sent fort his apostles to baptize "in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. If God is one, how could Jesus give such a confusing command? The point is that Jesus knew exactly what he meant. He said "in the name of" because he meant precisely--one unified named person. He did not say "in the names of," or even "in the beings of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit." Legend claims that Saint Patrick had demonstrated the oneness of the Holy Trinity by comparing God's being to a three-leafed clover. There are three separate clover leaves joined at the base in one single plant. If you hold each petal between your fingers, you know you are not holding three plants--just one. Godology asks you to think of yourself standing in the center of three mirrors placed triangularly around you. Now you would see yourself exactly as you are while remaining one functioning human being in the center. Like God, you are one single mind composed of three clearly separate functions: will, memory, intellect. Many times over from a Biblical point of view, Godology's ensuing chapters discuss what can be known about what you might call God's positive qualities: creativity, holiness, love, and wisdom, mystery, eternality. These are explained in laymen's terms as I have attempted to explain the Holy Trinity above. But the book talks about God's other qualities that to us might seem troublesome, but since we cannot begin to fathom the mind of the Almighty, we must accept them if we accept the Bible in the first place. These are: God's Vulnerability, His Jealousy. In a very realistic way, God's Patience somehow seems to balance these two. I would recommend this book to readers of Faith who are seeking to reassert their beliefs in what they've learned about God from reading their Bibles. It might seem comforting in today's modernistic world to read Godology as if you are seeking to reaffirm the foundation of your Faith from an authoritative source. Author Christian George is a PhD student at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland. The book is extremely easy to read. Its explanations using biblical quotes are powerful and clearly stated. At times, they might not seem as palatable as a Christian believer might want, but in the end, Author George feels they will lead you to a closer union with God. Basic Christianity (IVP Classics)
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Tapestry of Truths!!, July 15, 2009
This review is from: Godology: Because Knowing God Changes Everything (Paperback)
Godology is a insightful, entertaining book for anyone seeking to know, express, and experience God! With bold prose and a humble heart, George explores the nature of God by focusing on some of God's key personality traits (power, love, jealousy, wisdom, etc.). Using a collection of biblical stories, scripture references, powerful quotes from prominant theologians, personal anecdotes, and thoughtful analysis, George weaves together a tapestry of truths: a vivid collage full of color and texture that points directly to the Creator. I especially appreciate George's emphasis on the importance and relevance of spiritual discipline. George not only reminds Christians about these disciplines (fasting, solitude, footwashing, etc.), but shares ideas and examples that help readers know how to practice these disciplines in their daily life. In a world where personal comfort is often sought above all else and "discipline" is a dirty word, George challenges us to not only recognize the beauty of spiritual discipline, but to make that beauty a manifestation of our desire for God. As you read this book, you can't help but realize that knowing God does in fact change EVERYTHING. George makes it clear that God's nature is so deeply powerful and mysterious that it has direct implications on how we as Christians should live our lives. Thus, because knowing God changes everything, readers of Godogly are encouraged to change everything so that they may know God--in the fullest, most intense way possible.
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