Book Review: TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD

Walter C. Kaiser Jr., TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD AND HIS ACTIONS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, Grand Rapids MI, Kregel Publications, 2015.

Walter C Kaiser Jr. is no stranger to the Old Testament, teaching it for a good number of years, and having written on it in books and articles. This is a timely book for two reasons: First, for all who has read the Old Testament, many of these questions come to mind, and it is not easy to find suggested answers to these questions. Second, the Old Testament has been used by nonbelievers as attacks on the inconsistency of the Bible. Kaiser deals with 10 questions:

1. The God of Mercy or the God of Wrath?
2. The God of Peace or the God of Ethnic Cleansing?
3. The God of Truth or the God of Deception?
4. The God of Evolution or the God of Creation?
5. The God of Grace or the God of Law?
6. The God of Monogamy or the God of Polygamy?
7. The God who Rules Satan or the God who Battles Satan?
8. The God Who is Omniscient or the God who Doesn’t Know the Future?
9. The God who Elevates Women or the God who Devalues Women?
10. The God of Freedom with Food or the God of Forbidden Food?

These are not easy questions to answer. They easily are riddled with conflict and confusion. The book deals with historical, biblical, and theological views to these questions. He certainly disagrees with the liberal stance by some scholars who see the God of the Old Testament in sharp contrast with the God of the New Testament. Kaiser leads the reader through these with sound, logical reasoning in trying to reconcile the conflicts. Many of his points are valid. I found the chapters on Omniscience and on Satan most helpful.

Although he offers some interesting insights to these questions; he has left this reader dissatisfied in some respects—e.g. holding that the 10 commandments are valid today, yet not really dealing with the issue of the Sabbath. At times he seems to try to circle around the issues—e.g. deception and polygamy. But he makes the reader think about these important questions. While I may have disagreed with some of his conclusions, there was not a chapter in this book that I did not learn at least something.

Overall, I found it to be a mixed bag. I have reservations about this book and came away a little disappointed. It is not an easy read without some understanding of the issues beforehand; it would be rough going for a naive reader. This is not to say that the book does not have value and serves well in getting the reader to think about these issues. At the end of each chapter there are discussion questions to aid discussion and thinking upon the subject.

I commend Kaiser for taking on these questions and his overall knowledge displayed in the book. One will not agree with some of his conclusions and treatments of the subject matter; however he offers insights that should be considered and should be consulted when dealing with these questions. One should read this book with a guarded mind and  thinking cap on.  

 I received this book free from Kregel Publications for the purpose of reviewing it. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.