Title: Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud
Author: Philip Yancey
First published January 1, 1988
304 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780310517818 (ISBN10: 0310517818)
Rating: 4.17
Overview
Have you ever asked yourself if God is truly listening? Can you trust Him?
Philip Yancey, a gifted author with a unique ability to express complex issues of faith, explores these questions in his book, Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud. Yancey delves into the issues of a God who may not always act in ways that we deem appropriate.
He courageously poses three questions that many Christians may have wondered about but never dared to voice: Is God unjust? Is He silent?
Is He hidden? This introspective and poignant book highlights the discrepancies between our perceptions of God and the realities of life.
Why does God appear so disconnected from us despite His desire for a relationship? If He truly cares for us, why do bad things happen?
What can we expect from Him? Yancey’s answers are clear, rich, and grounded in biblical truth.
He guides us beyond disillusionment to a deeper faith, an assurance of God’s love, and a thirst to not only receive what God gives but to know who He is.
About the Author
Philip Yancey hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and holds graduate degrees in Communications and English from Wheaton College Graduate School and the University of Chicago. He started his career in 1971 as an editor for Campus Life Magazine and worked his way up to the position of Publisher.
His experience writing for teenagers taught him an invaluable lesson – the reader is the boss!
In 1978, he became a full-time writer and contributed to various publications like Reader’s Digest, Christian Century, and The Reformed Journal. He also served as Editor at Large for Christianity Today magazine for some time.
Philip Yancey has authored over twenty-five books, including his latest memoir and another book released in 2021. Some of his other notable works include What’s So Amazing About Grace?, The Jesus I Never Knew, and Disappointment with God.
His books have received thirteen Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and have been translated into more than fifty languages. In 1996, Christian bookstore managers selected his book The Bible Jesus Read as the Book of the Year, and he won the same award in 1998 for his book, Rumors of Another World.
He has also written several recent books, including Vanishing Grace, Prayer, and Fearfully and Wonderfully.
Philip Yancey and his wife lived in Chicago for many years before relocating to the scenic Rocky Mountains in Colorado, where they enjoy outdoor activities like mountain climbing, skiing, and hiking.
You can visit Philip Yancey’s website to read his monthly blog.
Editoral Review
Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud by Philip Yancey is a thought-provoking book that takes an honest and straightforward look at one of the most challenging aspects of faith – why do bad things happen to good people. Yancey is a prolific author, known for his ability to bring insight into complex issues of faith, and Disappointment with God is no exception.
The book is written in a conversational style, making it accessible to readers of all backgrounds and levels of religious knowledge. Yancey draws on his own experiences, as well as those of people he has met, to explore the three questions that underpin disappointment with God: Is God unfair?
Is God silent? Is God hidden?
One of the strengths of the book is how Yancey balances his questions with a deep reverence for God. He writes with humility and honesty, acknowledging that he doesn’t have all the answers but is willing to confront difficult issues head-on.
Throughout the book, Yancey provides historical context and biblical references to guide his readers’ understanding of the complex issues he addresses. Although Disappointment with God was first published in 1988, it remains relevant today, as people around the world confront crises of faith and struggle with doubt.
Yancey’s insights into disappointment with God are especially poignant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left many people grappling with questions of suffering and its place in the world. Even though Disappointment with God is a short book, it is rich in content, and readers will find themselves reflecting on its lessons long after they finish reading.
If there is one limitation to the book, it is that Yancey’s writing style may not be to everyone’s taste. Some readers may find his conversational tone a little too simplistic for the weighty topics he covers.
Overall, Disappointment with God is an essential read for anyone who has ever struggled with questions of faith, pain, and suffering. While it may not offer definitive answers, it provides a roadmap for how to navigate the most challenging aspects of belief.
The Washington Post strongly recommends this book to anyone seeking solace and insight into the challenges of faith.
