One of the most formative Classes I ever took at Northwest College was Old Testament Metaphors for God. This class taught me a lot more than word pictures. It taught me about how people think. Generally we think in pictures and when it comes to a topic like God, pictures are really the only way to come to understand God. This was a huge eye-opening moment for me as a christian and as an aspiring Pastor. It changed the way I read the Bible, it changed the way I pray, it helped me to see God in many different lights. It was a brilliant class, taught by a brilliant prof. Dr. Stallman.
Anyway, that class is what drew my eye years later to The Diety Formerly Known as God by Jarrett Stevens. In the book the author sets out to examine the commonly held views of God, such as Cosmic Cop, our Parents on steroids, an all you can eat buffet, etc. But he doesn’t just leave it there. He also goes on to examin some of the pictures of God that we get from the Bible, such as Tired-Eyed Father, a Gardner, etc.
Stevens does a great job of breaking down this metaphors in a clear easy read sort of way. I was reminded over and over again about OT Metaphors, and I loved each chapter. This book is a great introduction to some really basic theology, and metaphor thinking. This book, or the ideas from the book, would be a great resource for a sermon series about the Image of God. I think I will have to come back and revisit that notion.
On a 1-10 scale, I’m giving this book a solid 7. Not the best book I’ve ever read, but really fun to read, the Author comes across as an actual person and not just words on a page.
JasonDeuman.com 