Review of The Freedom of Will
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Prudence Katunasa
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Review of The Freedom of Will
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Freedom of Will" by Ken Clatterbaugh.]
From being caught in the middle of a tornado to getting kidnapped, William James Tillit realises that life is not a linear road, nor is it the cosy environment that his religious, loving, adoptive parents created for him. In The Freedom of Will, by Ken Clatterbaugh, we witness the eccentric journey of Will as he ventures out into adulthood and into the world. He leaves his family home with the intention of working at a theme park, but not everything turns out as planned. Through the ebbs and flows of his new life, Will meets a diverse bunch of people, analyses his spiritual journey, and maintains a rather unique and satirical relationship with God, whom he frequently speaks to.
The ambiguity of the title caught my interest. I knew that Will was probably the main character of the book. However, from the title, I also knew that the book would be exploring the general will (the choices and intentions) of man. I loved how the multiple characters and storylines seamlessly integrated into one grand plot. The constant unpredictable events made the book suspenseful, keeping the reader engaged.
I found the book quite blasphemous. This restricted me from fully enjoying it. It seemed like the author had an underlying agenda of disproving Christianity in particular. As much as the characters were diverse, most of the “Christian” characters were extremists and painted in a bad light, whereas all the non-Christian/non-religious characters were good people. Yes, the church is flawed, but I would’ve appreciated it if the author had highlighted the good aspects of Christianity. This would’ve made the book seem less biased.
One question that frequently arose was why the world is in its current state and why certain things unfold if God is supposedly loving and all-knowing. We may never be able to fully comprehend or give language to the will of God, but the shortcomings of this world do not reflect the character, conduct, and intentions of God, which are good. There is the perfect will of God, and then there is the permissive will of God. God permitting something to happen doesn’t exactly mean it’s what He wants, but we need to trust that He indeed is working all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them, as stated in Romans 8:28. It is good that this book challenges the reader to analyse their belief system. One cannot follow anything ignorantly. However, faith starts where reasoning stops, and faith is not the equivalent of ignorance, nor is it delusional.
All in all, this book had an intriguing plot and maintained momentum throughout. The enjoyment of this book is subjective and dependent on one’s beliefs and open-mindedness. Those with a more open mind will find it humorous, entertaining, and thought-provoking. I, however, did not enjoy this book. I barely managed to read through it, as it made me feel uncomfortable. The plot is what enabled me to read this book to the end. I came across a few mistakes, so the editing could’ve been better. Therefore, I give it a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
This book comes across as candid and challenging, so I would recommend it to undogmatic readers. I would recommend it to agnostics and those who take an interest in philosophy. I wouldn’t recommend it to Christian readers, as it may come across as offensive. Some may be sensitive to some of the themes and topics mentioned, such as abortion and child abuse.
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The Freedom of Will
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
From being caught in the middle of a tornado to getting kidnapped, William James Tillit realises that life is not a linear road, nor is it the cosy environment that his religious, loving, adoptive parents created for him. In The Freedom of Will, by Ken Clatterbaugh, we witness the eccentric journey of Will as he ventures out into adulthood and into the world. He leaves his family home with the intention of working at a theme park, but not everything turns out as planned. Through the ebbs and flows of his new life, Will meets a diverse bunch of people, analyses his spiritual journey, and maintains a rather unique and satirical relationship with God, whom he frequently speaks to.
The ambiguity of the title caught my interest. I knew that Will was probably the main character of the book. However, from the title, I also knew that the book would be exploring the general will (the choices and intentions) of man. I loved how the multiple characters and storylines seamlessly integrated into one grand plot. The constant unpredictable events made the book suspenseful, keeping the reader engaged.
I found the book quite blasphemous. This restricted me from fully enjoying it. It seemed like the author had an underlying agenda of disproving Christianity in particular. As much as the characters were diverse, most of the “Christian” characters were extremists and painted in a bad light, whereas all the non-Christian/non-religious characters were good people. Yes, the church is flawed, but I would’ve appreciated it if the author had highlighted the good aspects of Christianity. This would’ve made the book seem less biased.
One question that frequently arose was why the world is in its current state and why certain things unfold if God is supposedly loving and all-knowing. We may never be able to fully comprehend or give language to the will of God, but the shortcomings of this world do not reflect the character, conduct, and intentions of God, which are good. There is the perfect will of God, and then there is the permissive will of God. God permitting something to happen doesn’t exactly mean it’s what He wants, but we need to trust that He indeed is working all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them, as stated in Romans 8:28. It is good that this book challenges the reader to analyse their belief system. One cannot follow anything ignorantly. However, faith starts where reasoning stops, and faith is not the equivalent of ignorance, nor is it delusional.
All in all, this book had an intriguing plot and maintained momentum throughout. The enjoyment of this book is subjective and dependent on one’s beliefs and open-mindedness. Those with a more open mind will find it humorous, entertaining, and thought-provoking. I, however, did not enjoy this book. I barely managed to read through it, as it made me feel uncomfortable. The plot is what enabled me to read this book to the end. I came across a few mistakes, so the editing could’ve been better. Therefore, I give it a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
This book comes across as candid and challenging, so I would recommend it to undogmatic readers. I would recommend it to agnostics and those who take an interest in philosophy. I wouldn’t recommend it to Christian readers, as it may come across as offensive. Some may be sensitive to some of the themes and topics mentioned, such as abortion and child abuse.
******
The Freedom of Will
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
