2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
This is my review of the Kindle edition of God Versus the Idea of God: Divinity Is What We Think, Faith Is What We Experience by Thomas Richard Harry. This book is the result of decades of questioning the modern Judeo-Christian religion. In the prologue, Harry shares this: “Theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) once suggested that the most pressing question people ask when hearing a sermon is: ‘Is it true?’”
The book is about Harry’s personal quest to find out. Searching for answers and understanding leads him to look into the origins of Christianity, the development of Jesus’ role, and how the Church changed society’s perception of the Triune to suit its—the Church’s—needs. The current role of Church and religion in society, primarily U.S. society, is examined. Harry finishes with musings on the necessity of religion in modern society, and what people need from religion or a similar belief structure.
Many of the questions that Harry has struggled with are questions many of us have about religion. I have studied the history of Christianity and its role in cultural development. I’ve arrived at some of the same conclusions about the necessity of a belief structure in society. The Appendix was very interesting; his theorizing, or speculation, about how the Church could change to remain relevant in a changing society was well stated. The book contains endnotes and a bibliography; both are useful and I appreciate the use of endnotes instead of footnotes.
The book is very conversational. In fact, reading it was like listening to a stream-of-consciousness lecture. There were issues with grammar and punctuation. I have a personal dislike for run-on sentences—does any sentence really need to exceed 30 words? There were numerous references to other chapters. While the chapters did have general themes, they often overlapped or partially discussed something and then segued off with a promise that we’d read more about it in another chapter. As is true with stream-of-consciousness, the book rambles at times and repeats itself.
For me, the book was not enjoyable. While the author clearly had done a lot of reading and research into the subject, the lack of clear organization made finding the substance of the book like looking for a root beer jellybean in an assorted bag. I’m glad I read the Kindle edition because it allowed me to highlight portions that really interested me, and take notes that I could refer back to. If I’d read the paper edition, there would have been post-its everywhere.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars for the reasons mentioned above. There is a lot of good material contained in Harry’s writings, but it needs stripping down and tightening up. If you have an interest in religious studies and like to take notes, you might enjoy this book. I’d recommend you read it on a Kindle or another device that allows you to dissect it while reading.
******
God Versus The Idea of God
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like P0tt3ry's review? Post a comment saying so!
