God
gets a lot of criticism. Many think that Hell, Judgment, and Holy War
are dark doctrines rather kept in a closet.
Butler
decided to get these skeletons out of God's closet. He is convinced
those issues have been misrepresented today and are often not what
the Bible teaches or what Christian theology has historically
proclaimed. He centers his work around the biblical story of God's
reconciliation, healing, and protection of the weak.
The
first skeleton is hell. According to Butler, hell is a force for
evil, not a place of punishment. “Hell gains entrance into God's
good world through us.” (24) “We've unleashed the destructive
power of hell in the beautiful place God once called 'very good.'”
(28)
Hell
is the destructive power of sin that is cast outside the city. “Hell
is not a place God creates to torture sinners, but a power God exudes
to protect the robust vitality of his kingdom.” (62) Hell, “...is
a space created by God for a people who prefer to live without
him, who desire freedom from him.” (90) In the Appendix, he
does clarify that hell is a place and involves punishment. “God's
containment is the punishment.” (319) He does make it
clear, however, “that it is not torture.” (320)
Butler
never mentions the devil in his discussion of hell. He writes, “Where
then, does evil come from? As we have seen, we are the ones, not God,
who unleash its destructive power in the world. We are the architects
of autonomy, the engineers of evil...” (62) He does not mention
spiritual warfare, temptation, resisting the devil, etc. “The power
of hell resides in our hearts and makes its way into the world
through us.” (78) He does refer to Satan in the Appendix.
The
next skeleton is judgment. “God's judgment is good news,” Butler
writes, “because the injustices are not forgotten.” (116) God
judges the world “to heal creation,” “to release the land from
captivity.” (117) There will be a healing of the nations, a
reuniting of the nations. (130)
Butler
emphasizes that judgment begins in the house of the Lord. He does not
write about forgiveness, however. If a priest rapes a boy, he will be
judged (no mention of the possibility of repentance and God's
forgiveness). He also seems to indicate that an abandoned wife in a
third world country who worked hard to support her children, “might
find herself surprised to encounter Jesus and hear his voice call her
his beloved...” (153-4) There is no mention of what Christians
would generally call “saving faith.” Butler says Jesus knowing us
is where our salvation is found. That is not the same thing as
claiming to know Jesus. (154) He writes, “And it is also important
to note: Jesus appears to know many who didn't know him.” (156)
About
other religions, Butler writes, “Jesus calls us to humble ourselves
before followers of other religions as those created in the image of
God.” (165) Butler reminds us that “God's kingdom is for
them and that Jesus' judgment will be a surprise...” (166) "God is
all about reconciliation.” (171) Butler gives the impression
the only thing that will keep a Buddhist or Hindu out of the kingdom
is their hanging on to a teaching or practice that is not compatible
with the kingdom. (173-4) We must not think “that God's grace is
not big enough to encompass the Muslim in the midst of a reduced
perception of Jesus (the Christian must declare that God's grace has
encompassed us as well in our reduced perceptions of Jesus).” (178)
Butler's
third skeleton is Holy War. He argues that Israel's conquest of
Canaan is a David and Goliath kind of story showing that God is for
the weak. He also argues that the Old Testament makes clear it was
using ancient trash talk, an exaggerated way of speaking. (228)
Hyperbole is used to emphasize military victories. Joshua's armies
were “clearly not fighting against civilians” but were
“fighting against soldiers in their fortified military
outposts in the battlefield.” (231) He also argues that
the Canaanites were “driven off” not”killed off.” (232) He
explores the characteristics of Babylon and compares them to those of
our civilization. He notes that Gods coming Holy War will be a
confrontation, not vindication, of our civilization.
I
am always amazed when someone develops an understanding of Scripture
that is different than what is generally understood today. Butler
argues that his understanding is historical, citing Augustine and C.
S. Lewis (actually, Lewis' fiction). Butler develops much of is
theology from the parables of Jesus. He generally ignores the rest of
the New Testament. The impetus for developing his theology seems to
be the injustice he has seen in the world. God's justice, then,
becomes oriented toward the welfare of humans, not God's own
holiness.
On
the positive side, Butler's book is a good reminder of the skeletons
in our own closet. Have we hidden evil behavior in the closet? How
about judging others? What about ignoring the plight of the weak and
poor? Reading this book did encourage me to think about the skeletons
I might be hiding.
In
the end, Butler's book left me dissatisfied. There were times when
his unusual interpretations of Scripture really made me think. There
were other times when I was sure he was skirting heresy, or perhaps
actually treading on it. I would advise discernment when reading this
book.
Joshua
Ryan Butler serves as pastor of local and global outreach at Imago
Dei Community, a church in the heart of Portland, Oregon. He oversees
the church's city ministries in areas like foster care, human
trafficking, and homelessness; and develops international
partnerships in areas like clean water, HIV-support, and church
planting. He is also a worship leader who enjoys writing music for
the life of the church.
Thomas
Nelson, 384 pages.
I
received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the
purpose of an independent and honest review.