Okay, it’s been a while since I did a book review. I don’t know why that is. I’ve read some great books lately, but for whatever reason, I’ve been too lazy to write much about them. But recently I finished reading a fantastic book that really made me sit up and take notice. That book is The Skeletons in God’s Closet
I first learned about this book when the author was a guest on the StoryMen podcast (which you should totally listen to if you don’t already. For reals, guys!). It was a fascinating discussion and enough that I tried very, very hard to win a free copy of the book. When that didn’t happen, I went the old fashioned route and actually purchased the book on my own.
I’m so glad that I did. Butler tackles three very difficult topics, namely the existence of hell, the idea of judgment, and the concept of holy war. These three are very touchy subjects for some people because they can’t reconcile them with their idea of a loving God. At times, Christians behave as if these beliefs are skeletons in God’s closet (hence the name of the book).
So what does Butler do? Well, he first of all exposes our popular beliefs about those subjects to be little more than caricatures: they get some things right but grossly exaggerate some details to the point where things become almost unrecognizable. He then takes us through the Biblical texts point by point and shows that each of these concepts (hell, judgment, and holy war) are actually evidence of God’s grace.
Don’t believe me? Check out Butler himself giving a little taste of what his book is about:
So definitely check out this book, folks. It’ll give you a lot to think about.