Publisher Description
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 a book that sings loudly, boldly and clearly: God is good and coming to redeem his world.
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About Joshua Ryan Butler
Joshua Ryan Butler
serves as pastor of local and global outreach at Imago Dei Community, a church in
the heart of Portland, Oregon, where he enjoys helping people who wrestle with
the some of the tough topics of the Christian faith. Joshua oversees the church’s
city ministries in areas like foster care, human trafficking, and homelessness
and develops international partnerships in areas like clean water, HIV-support,
and church planting. Joshua is also a worship leader who enjoys writing music
for the life of the church. Joshua’s wife Holly, daughter Aiden, and son Jacob
enjoy spending time with friends over great meals and being a foster family for
vulnerable children.
About Conrad Bear
Conrad Bear’s love of theater
and music dates back to his childhood, when he roamed the hills of rural Ohio
creating stories with homemade costumes. He began studying piano formally at
the age of ten and voice at fifteen. He received a BA in music from Cedarville
University, where he won the 2006 concerto competition in voice and numerous
other awards. He acquired experience in voiceover and audio production through
involvement with productions and classes at the university, as well as training
with Columbus-based voiceover talent Susan Andre. Conrad went on to acquire a
Master of Music degree in voice performance from the University of North Texas,
where he was a recipient of the David L. Schrader Opera Scholarship. He also
worked as a teaching fellow for the university and was extensively involved in
the opera program, singing such roles as Capulet in Roméo et Juliette, Demetrius in A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Schaunard in La bohème. He has performed alongside a 30-piece orchestra at Camp-of-the-Woods,
a resort in the Adirondacks, and recently studied narration with Robin Miles of
Voxpertise. He lives in Brooklyn, where he teaches privately and performs.