The Skeletons in God's Closet

The Mercy of Hell, the Surprise of Judgment, the Hope of Holy War

By: Joshua Ryan Butler

Narrated by: Conrad Bear

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Is God a sadistic torturer? Coldhearted judge? Genocidal maniac? Unfortunately, our popular caricatures often make him out to be. God has some skeletons in the closet. At least, that's what many of us fear. "How can a loving God send people to hell?" "Isn't it arrogant to believe Jesus is the only way to God?" "What is up with holy war in the Old Testament?" These are difficult questions that our family, our friends, our culture - even we ourselves - are asking. The Skeletons in God's Closet pulls these skeletons out of the closet to show that they were never really skeletons at all - but part of the good news that God is good and coming to redeem his world. Hell is not an "underground torture chamber" God creates to torture sinners, but a destructive power we unleash that God has promised to redeem his world from - it represents an extravagant act of mercy. Judgment is not "churchgoers go to heaven, everyone else goes to hell," but God coming to raise humanity from death and set his world right by calling things out as they really are - and the results are a shocking surprise. Holy war is not "the strong using God to justify their conquest of the weak," but God arising on behalf of the weak when the tyranny of the strong has raged for far too long - he is the hope of the world. Mercy. Surprise. Hope. Not what we usually think. Ultimately, The Skeletons in God's Closet uses our toughest questions to provoke paradigm shifts in how we understand our faith as a whole: we'll pull the "skeletons out of God's closet" to reveal they were never really skeletons at all. We'll grapple with the "skeletons in the ground" of tragedy, injustice and death in our world - to explore resurrection as God's good answer. Most importantly, we'll affirm that God is good "in his very bones" - not just in what he does but in who he is. This is an audiobook that sings loudly, boldly, and clearly: God is good and coming to redeem his world.

©2014 eChristian (P)2014 eChristian

So helpful

Thank you for writing this book!! So helpful at answering all the lingering questions I've had over the years growing up in the church and being taught about fire and brimstone. I always wondered why the last chapter of revelation talked about the new heaven and new earth- like if we were going to be in heaven, what was the new earth for? Or why did people always describe God as angry and wrathful in the old testament but loving and gracious in the new testament - yet he is the same yesterday, today and forever? I love how you've recaptured the story of the bible and it's so compelling! How great is our God, his mercies new every morning!

great book

this was one of the best books I read in a long time. I definitely recommend it!

Paradigm Shifting Biblical Insight

This is a fantastic and thoughtful understanding of God‘s goodness, justice, and intolerance for all that makes a mess of this world. Reading this gives me hope in the goodness of our God and a deeper understanding of his repulsion over the evil and violence, oppression and injustice we see in our world.

It's About Heaven and Earth, not Heaven and Hell

This book will cause you to rethink the entire heaven and hell/heaven and earth paradigm. It answers a lot of questions I have always had about Jesus teaching of Gahanna in the New Testament. God created the Heavens and the Earth, not heaven and hell. Understanding this is essential to understanding why God is on a mission to reconcile Heaven and Earth.

Must read!

This is a phenomenal book that explores in a biblical, historical and philosophical framework some of the most important questions in life.

answers so many questions

Thought-provoking and well-written. this book answers so many questions I had when leaving church 7 years ago

Truly significant and helpful

True respect for scriptures hard reality that proves how it all shows God is loving.

Tahis is a important book

this book deals with so many issues that today's world needs to hear. when I say issues I mean issues with the Christian church and ways we have wrongly interpreted scripture. through the wrong depictions of hell and holy war I believe we are not showing the love of Christ in the ways that we should.

The main points in this book is something that I have heard people talk about but I needed more of, people like Tim Keller, CS Lewis and Bridgetown Church, I heard about these concepts but always needed more. this book fleshes out the negative caricatures created by Christians and the world and shows not only how they're wrong but how the answer brings life. I'll be recommending this book to all of my loved ones and friends.

Thought provoking but repetitive

This book definitely gave me some things to think about, even as a Christian. I don’t agree with everything the author says and I still have questions, but I now know a lot more than I did before reading the book. That said, it was pretty dull to listen to as it seemed he kept repeating things over and over. I would have loved to hear him address other “skeletons” instead.

Thank You!

Thanks for diving into hard questions and being careful yet decisive with the story of Scripture! Really loved listening through the book- I am going to go back and re-listen to a few chapters for sure!