This week we have been excited to receive the advance copies of Neil Richardson’s Who on Earth is God?: Making Sense of God in the Bible. Written by a former President of the British Methodist Conference, the book has received much praise for its ‘bold’ and ‘even-handed’ approach to tackling one of the greatest theological questions that can be asked.
‘I cannot think of any book quite like this. Neil Richardson does not pretend that the idea of God is straightforward, neither does he suggest that the Bible is an easy book. He is very honest about the problems of both, perhaps more honest than some will find comfortable. But he also offers a way through the problems that respects his readers; he does not disparage questions or demand ‘blind faith’, and he offers a way of faith that is serious and supportive. Somehow he manages to do this in an accessible style. He covers the major themes of the Bible and of human questioning, and challenges assumptions, all with a graciousness born from long experience of teaching and of pastoral ministry.’
- Judith Liew, University of Cambridge, UK
‘Neil Richardson is to be congratulated for his boldness in tackling such a huge subject, and for doing so in a remarkably even-handed way. He doesn’t shirk the hard questions raised by some biblical passages. His suggestion that ‘we can no longer identify the “God” of the text with the real God’ will be challenging to some but profoundly helpful to many. This is a fine example of apologetics!’
- Adrian Curtis, University of Manchester, UK
‘Here is a book for new Christians and non-Christians. But also for Christians like me – long in the tooth and with years of reading and teaching the Bible under their belt. It is clear, brave, and honest. It will stir people to discussion and debate. It should be stuffed into brief cases, lunch boxes and pockets and read on buses, in offices and in the pew.’
- Leslie Griffiths, Methodist Minister and Member of the House of Lords, UK
Who on Earth is God?: Making Sense of God in the Bible is available in the UK from 23rd October 2014.
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