Patience with God: Faith for People Who Don't Like Religion (or Atheism)

You ever get the feeling that Fundamentalist Christians and the New Atheists are two sides of the same coin, both steeped in literalism and blind to any other point of view? That's the basic premise of this book where the author takes on both ends of the spectrum. Sometimes I feel like cheering on Schaeffer as he tears into his victims, but my more charitable side finds the book excessively snarky when Schaeffer critiques the Fundamentalists and the New Atheists. I think the premise is excellent but the book needs a more objective perspective to work. The better parts of the book are when Schaeffer talks about his own life (he grew up the son of a famed evangelist, left for a secular life, and returned to a more progressive religiosity show more in the Orthodox church) and the need to for transcendence and humility in human life. show less

Presenting what he asserts to be a challenge to both atheists and fundamentalists, the author intertwines his personal philosophy of life with a smorgasbord of stories, putting forth what, in his opinion, might be realistic about a person’s faith in God.

The evangelical/fundamentalist/political-ranting infused throughout the narrative comes off as more of a diatribe than objective commentary and the undertone of anger permeating the text tends to dilute insights that may deserve greater contemplation.

Nevertheless, in the end, it’s difficult to argue with the author’s conclusion that the way people live . . . à la the Golden Rule . . . is what speaks to the best of humanity.

Interesting book - the last few chapters I could have missed.

I couldn't bear it. Terrible as far as I got, three chapters in. See my full critique and struggle: http://www.examiner.com/x-4275-Secularism-Examiner~y2009m12d15-Impatience-with-F...