Honeymoon is Over--Jonah's Argument with God, The

by T.A. Perry

The Honeymoon Is Over seeks to recover the central love story of the Book of Jonah. For Jonah is, at its core, a tale of rejection and reconciliation as Jonah is cast from the divine Presence and works his way back. In the relationship between God and Jonah we witness a reversal of roles, as Eternity is portrayed as being in love with the works of time, while the enamored prophet cannot separate from the Eternal.

Beyond standard theological issues such as repentance and prayer, the Book of Jonah provides discussion on questions of great interest to modern suicide and assisted suicide, near-death experiences, mere survival and existence conceived as theological imperatives, the moral capacity of animals, erotic theory, universalism or outreach to Gentiles, and the possibility that God can not only change his mind but even be educated. Literary research also offers new answers to the difficult question of Jonah's genre, by suggesting how the book may be read as a pastoral novella and a tale of the fantastic.

The Honeymoon Is Over is an imaginative, challenging, and readable book for a general audience. However, the end of the book provides alternative understandings of the readings from Jonah, making it of value to scholars and preachers who may wish to explore such possibilities.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book's biblical argumentation is weak in a lot of key spots and relies on a fanciful back story about a conversation between God and Jonah that is not in the biblical book. There are so many good things written on Jonah. Don't both with this one.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting thoughts, but definitely heavy on the academic side of things.

[Aaron Bruton · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are many references to rabbinic literature in this book that the author presents as factual and reliable but is not biblical.