Thursday, September 9, 2010

Book Review: "Patience with God: Faith for People who Don't Like Religion {or Atheism}" by Frank Schaeffer

Patience with God is an excellent book.  The early sections on atheist and christian fundamentalists are especially interesting.  Frank Shaeffer while writing from a sort of christian point of view keeps it real and visceral by not shying away from strong language.  He is never shackled by politeness.  His criticisms of fundamentalist atheists are especially good.

Later in the book where he focuses more on his backstory and history and philosophy, the salient points are further between, but Frank is a good writer, and if he doesn't expand your vocabulary, you're probably an english major.  Unlike other books where I feel like the author was writing to a ninth grader, Frank keeps it more up to my level.

I heartily recommend this book especially if like me, you're searching for not just something to believe in but the best and most truthful something to believe in.  And I don't mean truth in a "We have the truth, join us" sort of way, but a level headed look at the real factual truth, the truth that God is not the god of the fundamentalists, or the right wing, but the creator and redeemer of our planet.

I don't recommend reading Schaeffer's book to believe everything that's in it, but rather to read it to glean information and ideas from it.  Schaeffer takes an even more liberal and cynical view of religion than I do, and if you read his Huffington Post articles, you'll find that.  At times he can even be a bit overly hostile especially toward the Older Testament.  But he has a very interesing and eye opening point of view.

If you plan to read this book, I suggest you read "Crazy for God" first as this book may seem to build upon it in a few places.  They were written in that order, so it only makes sense to read them in that order.

9/10
WiredForStereo