Richard Harries

A cornucopia of artistic delights.
Whether you are Christian or not it cannot be understated just how influential Christianity has been on Western Art. In this book Richard Harris traces the story of Christs birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection through undoubted masterpieces, both old and modern. The artworks and the stories which they reference are clearly explained without a hint of preaching. As an added bonus there are excerpts from the late Queen Elizabeth's Christmas speeches which clearly show how much her own faith provided a guiding light that illuminated her lifetime of service to her country and people.
Thank you to Netgalley for a fres ARC in exchange for an honest review.… (mais)

If God exists, how can we know this? Richard Harries argues that there is a God who is real and whom we can know. In the face of postmodernist assumptions, he maintains that there is still sense in making claims about meaning and truth, especially the objective truth of God. He is conscious, however, that underlying the arguments against a realist understanding of God there is often a protest against particular pictures of God which people find oppressive or anti human. He encourages us to explore new ways of thinking about God's relation to the world, and new images of God. Richard Harries encourages us to look for the true God, who was truly in us. God not only holds us in being and enfolds us in his love but fills us with his spirit. We can rest in and live in that presence of God within us. This is the real God, not simply a projection of our human ideas. We make color God with our own preconceptions, but it is the real God who stands behind them.… (mais)

Objections to Christianity understood and answered. He addresses it to the many people who are still spiritual without being Christian. He takes a refreshing new approach, not starting with whether Jesus was God or the truth of the bible, but answering the moral objections to Christianity. God is despotic, chauvinist, shows favouritism, torments his enemies, and craves worship. Religion adds to the problem, being stuck in the past, and divisive, keeping people immature and anyway Christianity is just for wimps. It is anti life, and goes on about sin, whereas we are now having a good time and don't need all that misery.
He is perhaps a little too apologetic but given that one of his chapters is about not saying too much he is at least following his own instructions.… (mais)