Title: What Good is God?
Author: Philip Yancey
Major Themes: Faith, Theology, Suffering, Apologetics
Synopsis: From the halls of a school recovering from a school shooting, to people helping AIDS victims in South Africa, Philip Yancey explores what true faith looks like amid intense suffering—and whether or not God can be trusted.
I’ve grown to appreciate the way reading challenges push me outside of my normal reading “comfort zone” and make me pick up books I might not otherwise take the time to read. I read one of Philip Yancey’s books years ago, and ever since then, I’ve been collecting his works when I come across them—including a copy of What Good is God?, which I discovered while second-hand shopping sometime in the last three or four years. It’s one of those books that look interesting, but unless I get an extra push to read it, I don’t necessarily ever pick it up. I’m so glad I got the chance to read this one—it’s a gem, and one I want to hang onto now!
Publisher’s description:
In What Good is God? journalist and spiritual seeker Philip Yancey travels the globe in search of an answer to a query posed the world over. It’s a universal question, one that “occurs in some form to every person who experiences pain or death or poverty or unfairness—in other words, to everyone,” says Yancey. What good is God in a world where terrorists attack tourist sites in Mumbai, where women and children are sold into sexual slavery, where a gunman kills 32 students and staff on a college campus, and where six million people in South Africa alone suffer from HIV/AIDS?
Or, on a more personal level, does faith really matter when you’re struggling with an addiction, when you get laid off from your job and your home is in foreclosure, or when chronic depression sets in?
This book recounts Yancey’s search, including meetings with leaders of the underground church in China, with Dalits (untouchables) in India, with prostitutes, alcoholics, and Bible college students in the U.S., and with charismatic Christians in Johannesburg. Each stop provides a fascinating clue to answering life’s most profound questions. As he relives these ten memorable occasions, the author tells the dramatic “story behind the story” as well as what he said at the time to the people he encountered. This unique combination provides a compelling reading experience, as well as firsthand evidence that faith really does make a difference, even when belief is severely tested.
My thoughts:
Initially, when I picked this book up and read the back cover, I was surprised to discover that the description reminded me somewhat of The Insanity of God. That book is in my top ten nonfiction books of all time, so that instantly made me more interested in this story. This book ended up quite different from what I thought it might be like, but even so, I found it to be a fascinating, thought-provoking read.
This is a collection of ten mini-stories about trips Philip Yancey took between 2003 and 2009. Each trip featured a speaking engagement, and here he presents an overview of the setting, what brought him there, and what he spoke about to the different groups he encountered. This is a disparate collection of writings, but as I read them, the common theme became obvious: God’s power to transform lives and bring hope and healing into both the ordinary and the most extraordinary of circumstances. Here, Philip shares his experiences on the Virginia Tech campus after the massacre there, of a conference put on for those ministering to prostitutes, of his days in Bible college, his experiences in a transformed South Africa, as well as six other diverse locations and experiences.
What I appreciated so much about What Good is God? is the way Philip continually points to the Lord, and also looks at the world around us—as well as history and our Christian faith—with a clear-sighted, analytical mindset. This was a refreshing, encouraging read for me. Multiple times, I found myself pausing to read out a quote to my family (this book is at the top of my most-quoted-of-the-year list!), and it also brought about some intriguing discussions with a friend or two. Some of the things shared here were ones I have read very little about (I don’t think I’d heard of Virginia Tech before this, for example—and it’s intimidating to think of attending a conference focused on helping prostitutes!). But each story is handled with passion, wisdom, and grace, and I found myself amazed at the perspective and encouragement baked into each section. There’s a lot to be learned from a book like this, and I’m grateful to have had the chance to read it.
WARNING: This book covers some heavy topics—a school shooting, people being tortured in China, discussions with prostitutes or former prostitutes (including mentions of sex, how much people earned per day, what it was like to live in a brothel, etc.), and other things along those lines (for example, in ch. 11, someone mentioned meeting someone whose husband repeatedly cheated on her, and then she found out her father had been molesting his granddaughters). Yancey does a good job getting enough information across so you know and can relate to what he is talking about, but not so much that you feel like you’ve experienced the sin itself. Because of the content, I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone younger than older teenagers and adults.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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