It took a bit after I was challenged to read this book to get back to a book that I HIGHLY recommend for anyone that is truthfully seeking the eternal historical God of the Bible and salvation in Christ "The Reason For God".
Here is my review of that book.
What Keller does, and I have a HARD time doing is to RESPECTFULLY answer common objections to Christianity. Chapter 5 is devoted to answering the objections to Hell. Essentially they all boil down to rejecting the sovereignty of God. Julie is a classic modern "liberal" -- her god is individuality (Julie), so SHE can judge ANYTHING -- including God, historical scholarship. etc.. The book would be better titled "Razing Christianity" ... with the definition of Christianity being people who can truthfully confess the Creeds ... Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians all confess the creeds of the first thousand+ years of church history. (eg the Apostle’s, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds. Being able to truly confess these creeds is what it means to be Christian, and has been so for over a thousand years.
The the Athanasian Creed begins:
"Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic (universal) faith. Which faith unless everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly."The faith of this book is totally opposed to Christianity. The entry to Christianity is Holy Baptism, the practice is joining in confession of the creeds, Holy Communion and Holy Preaching with fellow Christians. Julie rejects that, so whatever she is, she is not a confessional Christian.
"There came a time when I left the faith. This was not because of what I learned through historical criticisms, but because I could no longer reconcile my faith in God with the state of the world that I saw all around me. There is so much senseless pain and misery in the world that I came to find it impossible to believe there is a good and loving God who is in control, despite my knowing all the standard rejoinders that people give.[21] I believe mainly what Bart is getting at is that, in light of most people “going to hell,” their suffering in this world makes no sense."When you reject the faith, it indeed makes "no sense" (1 Cor 1:22-24) "
"Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
The people who might really enjoy this book are those who have been damaged by Pharisaic "works based" and overly Hell focused (vs Grace focused) church experiences and are desperate for a god of their own desires. Atheists might like it if they are still just "hoping" there is no god, rather than completely convinced of his nonexistence.
Although we certainly live in a universe with consequences (ever have a hangover?), projecting a metaphysical afterlife with no consequences might be "comforting" to some (sorta like heroin).
Unless you have firmly made up your mind that Orthodox Christianity is completely wrong, Jesus doesn't matter (nothing to be "saved" from), and "history is bunk", JUST STAY AWAY! RUN! Don't walk!
I've commented extensively on Goodreads -- go there for more detail.
No matter how far you have strayed from the Christian faith, as long as you draw breath, Grace can be yours!
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