EMBRACING THE MYSTERIOUS GOD: Loving the God We Don't Understand

While many recent books have addressed the difficulties of maintaining a deep, intimate relationship with God, White's contribution offers remarkable clarity of thought. The founding pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church and author of several books on spirituality structures his discussion around the "Great Commandment": to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and then to turn that love outward to others. He begins with the struggles of the heart, addressing the problem of evil and the scandal of the gospel's exclusivity, then moves on to conflicts of the soul, the mind, the "strength" and relationships with others. He candidly describes often-denied doubts that believers have in areas both major (the silence of God, the will of God) and minor (the fact that there are people we just don't like). Without giving simplistic answers to any of these questions, White provides insightful and encouraging guidance for all of them. He also contributes extremely helpful distinctions (e.g., different uses of the word "tolerance") that thoughtful Christians will be quoting for years to come. The book's moving, well-crafted illustrations—from the faith wrestlings of a young Mother Teresa to a moving story from Corrie ten Boom's childhood—give color and depth to the discussion. Reflecting a breadth of knowledge, this book will appeal to more educated readers, yet its accessibility and brevity will give it a much wider audience. (Aug.)