David T. Lamb

I was honestly surprised that I rated this book so poorly. I have loved every other InterVarsity book I have read and though the title of this book is a bit shocking, it seemed like it would be right up my alley.

I have been walking through a process of letting go of the doctrines of men, deconstructing my religious tradition, and rebuilding a more authentic faith based on truth, and I have had some questions about the topics this book claims to tackle. Having gone to church since I was born, worked in multiple churches, served in various kinds of ministries, and attended Bible college, I was familiar with all of the ways Christians explain away some of the hard questions related to these topics before I picked up the book. I had come to a place in my journey where I was no longer satisfied with those explanations and I picked up this book hoping that it would offer a bit more.

Unfortunately, it ended up being a catalog of many of (what were to me) the same old narratives that try to explain away the hard passages without actually addressing or diving beneath the surface with them. I found the ideas posited therein uncompelling and insufficient as someone who is genuinely questioning some things and openly searching for alternative interpretations.

It does look like there is a newer edition of this book in circulation now (I read the 2011 version and there is a 2022 version available online now), so it is possible that I will pick up a copy of that one at some point in the future, but for now, this book was just not for me. My husband and I read it together and neither of us were satisfied with where the author went in his exploration of the different topics he chose to address. It felt trite and shallow, and that just wasn’t what we were looking for when we decided to read it.… (mais)

Summary: A study of the emotional language used of God in scripture, considering seven emotions spoken of both in Old and New Testaments.

The title of this book caught my attention. God has emotions? Readings in systematic theology taught me that God was impassible, that God does not experience passions or emotions, pain or pleasure, in ways that would change the unchanging God. Part of the reason for this is that emotions, at least as humans experience them do reflect real changes in our state of being, vacillating between highs and lows, sometimes unpredictably. Yet as this work amply demonstrates, scripture in many places attributes emotion to God. And the author freely admits that he does not believe in an impassible God, but rather one who is “affected emotionally by the behavior of humans” (p. 6). He chooses not to engage the theological discussion but rather to examine the biblical material supporting the idea of God having “emotions.”

It should be noted that in making this assertion that Lamb considers emotions not only to be strong feelings, but they may involve actions, can be rational, may be controlled, and may be understood. He then proceeds to introduce the scope of his study, seven emotions, all of which are evident in connection with God in the Psalms: hate (5:5; 11:5 45:7;), anger (6:1; 30:5; 78:21), jealousy (78:58; 79:5), grief (78:40), delight or joy (18:20; 22:8; 35:27), mercy (25:6; 28:6; 103:4), love (5:7; 25:6; 136).

In each of the following chapters Lamb takes one of the seven, defines the term, identifies the different Hebrew and Greek words used in Old and New Testaments respectively associated with the emotion, and then considers a number of key texts and what they reveal about these emotions in reference to God. With hate for example, he discusses what it may have meant to say “Esau I hated” or Jesus reference to “hating mother and brother and sister,” the latter which he would propose meaning “loving less.” In scripture, much of God’s “hatred” is directed against evil, and reflects the obverse of his intense love for his good creation, deeply hating anything that mars it and his good purposes for it. God hates injustice and falsehood. He discusses ways in which we do not hate like God (for example, being inconvenienced), and that we ought hate the things God hates, that sometimes, these should make us furious. He recommends that we take this to prayer but that this will also mean resisting evil and injustice.

In similar ways, Lamb moves from definition and word study to key texts to application with each of the seven. I particularly enjoyed his discussion of what God takes joy or delight in, from the creatures of the deep to his people, each and all of us! His chapter on sorrow centers on the reality that God may be grieved, and that Jesus wept deeply for Lazarus. He distinguishes compassion, which is more episodic and empathic with love that is faithful and enduring. In the process, Lamb invites us into the redemption of these emotions in our lives: to hate what God hates, to be angry but not sin, to be jealous for God and the things of God, to grieve and lament with God the world’s deep brokenness, to revel in and join in God’s delight in his world and people, to show mercy and compassion, and to love steadily and faithfully and selflessly.

My only wish would be that Lamb had said something more about emotions and how God may be both responsive and unchanging. We believe God is both transcendent and immanent, infinite and yet personal, is spirit, and yet in the second person of the Trinity, for eternity to come the Incarnate Son. As we hold other truths in tension, is there a way in which we are also called to hold God’s unchanging nature and evident emotional response to his creatures in tension? To deny a belief in impassibility does not seem enough, nor is a denial of the emotional language attributed to God. Often, we cannot fully explain these truths in tension, yet it seems we must hold them in tension in mystery, wonder, and faith, hoping that one day we will know more fully, even as we are known.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.… (mais)

This book is really hard for me to rate, as I appreciate anyone endeavoring to explain the "difficult" passages of Scripture, however, I think the end result should be considered as well and this particular book came across as unfocused and basic. I had hoped for an in-depth look at the passages many people use these days to attack God, but most of the book is generalized information I have heard or read before. I would say this book is a decent read if you are just getting started at looking at Scripture in its proper historical context, but it would hopefully only be a jumping off point. There are several dissections of Scripture that I just did not agree with or have heard a better explanation. I also had a hard time with what seemed like an irreverent tone toward God throughout the book. I know the author was using sarcasm and humor, and I enjoyed quite a bit of it, but some of the phrasing and off-hand remarks were bothersome. Overall, I think the book will serve a purpose for many people, but others should consider reading something else if they are looking for stronger explanations to those passages.… (mais)

I love the cover and the title, that's what drew me to start with. But after starting to read the book, I was fascinated. It makes you look at the Old Testament in a very new and different light. It shows that even when we humans are adamant at messing up God is gracious and makes good out of the bad.

It approaches the uncomfortable truths about sex in the Old Testament in a open, honest and humurous way. Even the most reluctant reader is pulled in. Prostitutes and Poygamists lets the reader see a greater plan, even with all the uncomfortable and downright awful things that happened. It shows us again that God does not necessarily use perfect people, but those that are far from perfect. Each of the Biblical giants had chequered pasts.

Fascinating and very informative. I would recommend it to all who want to learn more about the Bible.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.… (mais)