Your God Is Too Small

First sentence: No one is ever really at ease in facing what we call "life" and "death" without a religious faith. The trouble with many people today is that they have not found a God big enough for modern needs.

I first read Your God Is Too Small in 2010. I didn't love it then. I gave it the rare two stars (as I found out on GoodReads). I had forgotten how I felt about the book--apparently. I decided to reread this one namely because it was short and still on the shelf. (Horrible reason, I know).

This one has TWO sections. It first deconstructs the small "gods" from society. (Or at least society circa 1950s). Each "small" god or "false" god is given a few pages. It is deconstructed or proved false. That is Phillips argues that that show more version of god, that concept of god is NOT the actual God. The second constructs (briefly--oh so briefly) the "bigger" God. Namely, Phillips is saying if you want to meet the actual God, you need to meet him in JESUS CHRIST.

The premise of this one is solid enough. Phillips makes some good points in his sections. There's nothing in them that feels particularly off or wrong. I think my biggest complaint is that while it makes a few initial good statements as to who God isn't and who God is, it doesn't go far enough, deep enough. I wanted MORE, not barely enough.

Yes, there are hundreds if not thousands of books about who God is, about his attributes, about his works, about all the essential doctrines of the faith. But I wanted this one to go there at least a little bit. He says more about who God is not then who God is. The second half covers the bare basics of Jesus. But it doesn't seem enough. I'm not saying that it couldn't be enough. The Holy Spirit doesn't only work through long-winded sorts. (After all, there is something to being concise and straightforward). But I wanted the section on Jesus to be more engaging, more soaked/saturated in the Word.

This one I believe was written for a certain audience (at a certain time in history). I think the intellectual (dryer) tactic might have appealed to agnostics, in-name-only-"Christians", skeptics, theists, deists, etc. I definitely think that was Phillips intended reader. I don't necessarily see this one as being written FOR those already in the faith that have a relationship with Jesus. And that's okay. Again, I think the Holy Spirit can use this one to reach the lost or the deconstructed.

Would I still rate it two stars? Probably two-and-half or three stars. show less

An excellent short book, outlining several fallacies that Christians (and others) often believe about God, followed by a straightforward and comprehensive outline of who God is. Recommended.

Theology. Did you just back off a bit? Well, the word has conjured up wordy, entangled religious academics to some. And certainly, as in all subjects, there are those who treat it that way. But Webster defines it as "1. The study of the nature of God and religious truth. 2. An organized body of opinions concerning God and man's relationship to God."

These things we have all at least considered as individuals, and in some particular ways they have shaped our---and every other--branch of this tree called Christianity. A very readable introduction to the "study of the nature of God" would be this book. Then, maybe challenge yourself to go deeper. Sept 2003 Goodnewsletter

Man doesn't know God. Instead he holds in his mind an image of God. Unfortunately this image tends to be somewhat misleading, even destructive, and will especially be so if it isn't allowed to grow with experience of life.

Phillips gives a presentation of various images he sees men suffering from, and I do appreciate the effort he takes, even if he is missing one or two I have encountered.

Update: and of course, "God" doesn't actually exist does it?

The first part has a couple of good points about people's misconception of God. Part two is pure reverse inductive Christian apologetics.

This forty-year-old Christian classic and bestseller is a study group favorite; this book challenges readers’ conventional views about God and encourages them to search for a meaningful redefinition of a higher power that is relevant to contemporary existence.

Older edition 1961