Review by Wy_Bertram -- Wilderness Cry

[Wy_Bertram]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Wilderness Cry" by Hilary L Hunt M.D..]

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4 out of 4 stars

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In Wilderness Cry, Hilary L. Hunt attempts to provide a factual, evidenced representation of the Christian faith. Based on years of research, the author refutes the magisterium of the church and unravels some core concepts of existence with equally bizarre points of his own. The bible is heavily scrutinised in this work as Hunt picks apart the most popular religion, hoping, by the end of the book, to at least get readers to reassess the totality of their belief.

Similar to the author, I came to question my faith because of an inability to reconcile the so-called gospel with what I knew to be true. With my childhood plagued by guilt and uncertainty, my departure from the altar felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. According to Hunt, though, one need not completely abandon their faith.

Dissatisfied with the fantasy of religion, the author set out in search of answers and his resulting conclusion is something most Christians will not agree with. There was talk about creation being perfect in all of its chaos – that God created a perfect evil world, so he could be perfect love; that his son, Jesus, was merely a man who understood the gospel better than anyone else, and took it upon himself to demonstrate God’s will; that, essentially, man is God: “… all existences are by him, of him, and in him, therefore, we are him.” But at the centre of Hunt’s reinterpretation, was the declaration that the core of Christianity should be to “love God, and love thy neighbour,” as opposed to the prevailing “fear God, and fear his wrath” edict.

Ultimately, the author created a belief system independent of the church, one without religious persecution and self-serving magnanimity. One that vaguely bridged the gap between faith and science, and whittled the complicated farrago of gospel teachings down to a few simple facts. While I don’t completely agree with all of Hunt’s assertions, he made a rational argument at the very least.

But just like the bible, Wilderness Cry is not the final solution to the great existential mystery. A new perspective to consider if nothing else. At the end of the day, I still have my questions, doubts and convictions, but I have made peace with the uncertainty.

My rating of this book is four out of four stars. It was excellent, well-written and edited, and most importantly, quite captivating.

This kind of work would only appeal to readers who could entertain the idea of doubting faith. It will be a difficult pill, and I don’t think some readers will find it enjoyable at all. Proceed at your discretion.

Happy reading.

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Wilderness Cry
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[Bigwig1973]

It sounds as if this book was kinda right up your alley! I've read it and I found it a bit disconcerting, but in all actuality, even selfishness displayed correctly contributes to the overall good. I suppose it depends on how one defines selfishness. Your summary is concise and it is done well.

[Adrian Rondon Salazar]

It is necessary to doubt everything, to demand explanations and coherence; even in religion. It sounds very interesting. I understand that you still have your doubts and convictions, possibly they will last a lifetime; something wonderful and bad in the same way.