jnepal's review
4.0
The stories are really interesting.
I don't think Naipaul's thesis is as accurate as he supposes (at least as he believed at the time he wrote the book). But there is truth there, I think, too. I think the religions and cultural heritages pre-Islam were probably quite as bad in some ways as Naipaul believes Islam is. But I don't think he takes this into account as much as he should.
In any event, I believe Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead 2000 years ago, so I believe in one truth, one reality, and my interpretation is going to be very different from Naipaul's and different from those of many of his critics.
I.e. I believe all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we have all gone our own way. Every single one of us. This means that we need God's grace and this grace has come in and through His Son, who is God, through his dying for sins and His rising to new life. There is no room for self-righteousness in this truth, no room for self-honor, only room for God's grace and the righteousness based on God's sacrifice.
I don't think Naipaul's thesis is as accurate as he supposes (at least as he believed at the time he wrote the book). But there is truth there, I think, too. I think the religions and cultural heritages pre-Islam were probably quite as bad in some ways as Naipaul believes Islam is. But I don't think he takes this into account as much as he should.
In any event, I believe Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead 2000 years ago, so I believe in one truth, one reality, and my interpretation is going to be very different from Naipaul's and different from those of many of his critics.
I.e. I believe all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we have all gone our own way. Every single one of us. This means that we need God's grace and this grace has come in and through His Son, who is God, through his dying for sins and His rising to new life. There is no room for self-righteousness in this truth, no room for self-honor, only room for God's grace and the righteousness based on God's sacrifice.
More...