From Daniel Christensen

Boy, this one really hurts me to give such a low grade to. I have heard that this book was amazing and that it was so insightful and in-depth and covered the holiness of God so well. What I read was a disjointed, confusing hodgepodge of chapters that were fine on their own but when coupled together made for a confusing mess. I did not HATE this book and there were a few great points that Sproul makes. However, those few points I would most likely write down and throw out the rest. There is an example Sproul gives where an entire chapter is a small glimpse into how seriously Martin Luther looked at God. The chapter had more to do with Luther and very little to do with the holiness of God other than to show how one man viewed it. Ok, get back to the point - I felt like saying that a lot. Reading this book chapter after chapter seems as if each were collected into an anthology and not one coherent thought or shared a common element towards one subject. My version is the revised and expanded edition and I'm not sure what has been revised or expanded but it didn't help. I wouldn't be opposed to someone reading this book as I do believe it has some good points it makes. However, in dealing with the holiness of God, this was a confusing book that didn't seem to cover the subject the title suggests. Final Grade - D ( )

We read this out loud. This book really engaged my kids. I remember at the end of one chapter they were asking me eagerly to go to the next chapter. I loved it, and think it served us all.

Christian - 4 stars
Julia - 41/2 stars ( )

Sproul is good as apologist. He's easy to read, a great communicator who liberally decorates his arguments with examples that resonate. He makes a good case for the other-ness of God, but I find his analysis of violence and justice unsatisfactory. He makes no attempt to reconcile the contrast between his portrayal of a violent God with the character of Jesus who is, according to the writer of Hebrews, "the very representation of God." For another view, I suggest "Cross Vision: How the Crucifixion of Jesus Makes Sense of Old Testament Violence" by Gregory A. Boyd. ( )

Of the many R.C. Sproul (pronounced like "bowl") books I have read, few have impacted me like The Holiness of God. Writing for the masses, Sproul sheds his academic verbiage for a more colloquial approach to an important topic. He dismantles the flippant image of God that modern society has crafted. He leaves no room for a cosmic Santa Claus or a friendly, bearded Homer Simpson god. Sproul takes the reader on a journey through Scripture, making stops in the Church History section along the way, introducing the reader to an awe-inspiring, fear-cultivating, righteously-wrathful God. Hopefully his faithful treatment of a plethora of Bible passages will help readers see the veracity to his writing.

This book needs to be read! Sproul brings forth a biblical vision of God that is absent from much of the American religious landscape. Discovering and responding to the God of the Bible is the only hope anyone has. ( )