rachelb36's review
2.0
Yikes. Borlase makes many good points about social justice, but when he tries to explain Biblical passages, he is way off.
The author states that "surely" the book of Job is just one big story, an allegory, because "it is hard to believe." He believes that the account shows God as "silent, evasive, cruel, and unpredictable." (Chapter 7) Borlase doesn't examine the text and compare it to the rest of the Bible, he just decides he doesn't like it, so dismisses it as fiction.
But the biblical writers never reference parables as fact the way they do Job, and the letter from James indicates an understanding that Job's account proves God's compassion and mercy, not any of the negative attributes that Borlase reads into the text. (James 5:11)
The author misinterprets/misapplies other passages, as well; notably, the parable of the talents, found in Matthew 25, the account of Esther, and the Genesis 12 passage in which Abram lies to Pharaoh, telling him that Sarai is his sister and allowing Pharaoh to take Sarai as a wife. (The author claims that the sin was all Pharaoh's - pure lust; the biblical account indicts Abram for deceit and caring more about preserving his own life than about keeping others from sinning. )
There are other books from which one can get the push for social justice without the faulty Scripture interpretations. I recommend skipping this one.
The author states that "surely" the book of Job is just one big story, an allegory, because "it is hard to believe." He believes that the account shows God as "silent, evasive, cruel, and unpredictable." (Chapter 7) Borlase doesn't examine the text and compare it to the rest of the Bible, he just decides he doesn't like it, so dismisses it as fiction.
But the biblical writers never reference parables as fact the way they do Job, and the letter from James indicates an understanding that Job's account proves God's compassion and mercy, not any of the negative attributes that Borlase reads into the text. (James 5:11)
The author misinterprets/misapplies other passages, as well; notably, the parable of the talents, found in Matthew 25, the account of Esther, and the Genesis 12 passage in which Abram lies to Pharaoh, telling him that Sarai is his sister and allowing Pharaoh to take Sarai as a wife. (The author claims that the sin was all Pharaoh's - pure lust; the biblical account indicts Abram for deceit and caring more about preserving his own life than about keeping others from sinning. )
There are other books from which one can get the push for social justice without the faulty Scripture interpretations. I recommend skipping this one.
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