God’s Message to the World: You’ve Got Me All Wrong

Repetition is a time-honored teaching tool, particularly in a church setting, where the rhythm of the sermon helps to imprint a preacher’s message on listeners’ minds. Walsch (Conversations with God) uses the same technique in his writing, repeating themes and phrases from book to book, and within one volume, as he does here. While his newest sharpens his focus—he provocatively questions 17 widely held assumptions about God—both his salesmanlike style and the controversial content will feel familiar to anyone who has dipped into any of the nine Conversations with God books, some of which he excerpts. Walsch’s main argument—that people should question everything they’ve ever thought about God—is intriguing when he considers how human assumptions have in fact changed over time. His look at the church’s shifting messages on things like racial equality and marriage helps him make his point, although he would be more convincing if he included more authoritative sources as support. Mostly, though, Walsch writes to articulate his own interpretation of God. This book is for true fans of his work, looking for more of what they’ve loved in earlier titles. (Dec.)