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The Journey of God: Christianity in Six Movements
The Journey of God is an exploration into the rich tapestry of Christianity, designed to captivate both mind and soul. The Journey of God transcends traditional theology writing, weaving a compelling narrative that journeys through the six pivotal acts of the Christian story—Creation, Fall, Nation, Redemption, Church, and End. Each chapter unfurls as part novel, part sermon, and part philosophical inquiry, challenging readers to engage with deep theological questions in the order they naturally arise.Through this unique format, you’ll explore the complexities and nuances of Christian thought from multiple perspectives. While blending literature, philosophy, science, history, comedy, drama, and more, The Journey of God explores topics such science challenge faith?Why do humans have so much capacity for good and for messing things up?Is there objective right and wrong, and who decides?Why did Jesus have to die?What’s the point of the church when so many people have been hurt by it?Do all religions teach the same basic things?Whether you’re a layperson, scholar, or minister, The Journey of God invites you to deepen your understanding and devotion while reflecting on the intertwined narratives of faith and reason. Whether used in seminary classrooms or personal study, The Journey of God stands as a contemporary, refreshing introduction to Christianity, offering a well-rounded understanding of the faith that is both intellectually stimulating and spiritually uplifting.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 12, 2026
Summary: A re-telling of the Christian story in six movements, exploring questions seekers, skeptic, and believers ask.
“Tell me a story.” Isn’t that often the longing behind our trips to the bookstore. I wonder, though, if that is our thought when we attempt to read the Bible. Do we open the Bible looking for a story? Or are we just looking for a pick-me-up thought? Then again, maybe scripture just baffles us. What is this book all about?
The Journey of God is an exploration of the Christian story. J.D. Lyonhart, a theologian and philosopher believes we desperately need books like C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity that help people see the Christian story and think about it in a fresh way, whether they are a skeptic or a seasoned believer. It’s been nearly a century since Lewis wrote for a very different time and culture. He sets the ambitious goal to fill that gap.
His description of the process of arriving at a title and how this made sense of what he was trying to do will also give you a sense of his writing style: thoughtful, yet witty and a bit edgy.
“However, I’ve slowly warmed to this new title, for the beauty of a journey is that it doesn’t need to be just one thing but can be many things spread over time and over many legs of the adventure. A fight scene with knives and lovemaking can be followed up by a philosophical interlude over a pint. As such, I’ve allowed each chapter in the book to feel a little different from the last. I’ve tried to dance between philosophy, science, poetry, romance, violence, history, historical fiction, comedy, drama, dialogue, and death, weaving them through various genres and styles into one mostly coherent, occasionally bonkers journey–less Sunday school, more Pulp Fiction” (p. xi).
Lyonhart unfolds the journey as one of six movements, devoting two to six chapters to each:
Movement I | Creation: Creation Begins • Creation is Not God • Creation is Good
Movement II | Fall: Humanity in God’s Image • Humanity Gone Wild
Movement III | Nation: Abraham Finds Faith • Moses Meets I Am • Goodness is Commanded • Beauty in the Promised Land • King David and His Boy • Justice Exiles the Nation
Movement IV | Redemption: Jesus is Born • Jesus is Walking Around Saying Stuff • Jesus is Dying to Meet You
Movement V | Church: The Spirit Arrives • The Church Begins • The Apostle Paul Converts • The Church Expands • The Church Today
Movement VI | End: The End of the World as We Know It • Highway to Hell or Stairway to Heaven?
The chapters average around ten pages. Typically, he will move from biblical narrative, such as the “earthiness” of the birth of Jesus, the meatiness or fleshiness of the incarnation, to discussing a Brene’ Brown video, to a personal story or theological implication. Or he will move from the expansion of the early church to our quest for love, affirmation, and identity. But its never preachy and often interspersed with self-deprecating personal stories.
At times he will be provocative, such as when he asks, “Does God have a penis?” I can imagine a child asking this and learning about the questions you don’t ask in church. He uses the question to introduce a discussion of what it means that humanity is in “God’s image.” Considering that our sexuality is an aspect of that image, the question is not that far out.
One of the most telling chapters the one on the exile of Israel as the expression of God’s justice. We tend to want justice when it involves the other guy and mercy for ourselves. However, Lyonhart presses home the objective reality of God’s justice–something we both want and wrestle with as we consider ourselves objects of God’s justice.
In the course of the book, I found all the elements Lyonhart mentions in his introduction. This conveys how all of life is connected to the journey of God and our journey with God. He exemplifies his contention that all God has made is good, and that Christ redeems all things. So, I can easily recommend this book to all the audiences Lyonhart writes for. He unpacks God’s story and show how all of our stories connect. And he does this with clarity and wit that invites us all to enlarged perspectives. I know that was so for me.
_______________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
“Tell me a story.” Isn’t that often the longing behind our trips to the bookstore. I wonder, though, if that is our thought when we attempt to read the Bible. Do we open the Bible looking for a story? Or are we just looking for a pick-me-up thought? Then again, maybe scripture just baffles us. What is this book all about?
The Journey of God is an exploration of the Christian story. J.D. Lyonhart, a theologian and philosopher believes we desperately need books like C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity that help people see the Christian story and think about it in a fresh way, whether they are a skeptic or a seasoned believer. It’s been nearly a century since Lewis wrote for a very different time and culture. He sets the ambitious goal to fill that gap.
His description of the process of arriving at a title and how this made sense of what he was trying to do will also give you a sense of his writing style: thoughtful, yet witty and a bit edgy.
“However, I’ve slowly warmed to this new title, for the beauty of a journey is that it doesn’t need to be just one thing but can be many things spread over time and over many legs of the adventure. A fight scene with knives and lovemaking can be followed up by a philosophical interlude over a pint. As such, I’ve allowed each chapter in the book to feel a little different from the last. I’ve tried to dance between philosophy, science, poetry, romance, violence, history, historical fiction, comedy, drama, dialogue, and death, weaving them through various genres and styles into one mostly coherent, occasionally bonkers journey–less Sunday school, more Pulp Fiction” (p. xi).
Lyonhart unfolds the journey as one of six movements, devoting two to six chapters to each:
Movement I | Creation: Creation Begins • Creation is Not God • Creation is Good
Movement II | Fall: Humanity in God’s Image • Humanity Gone Wild
Movement III | Nation: Abraham Finds Faith • Moses Meets I Am • Goodness is Commanded • Beauty in the Promised Land • King David and His Boy • Justice Exiles the Nation
Movement IV | Redemption: Jesus is Born • Jesus is Walking Around Saying Stuff • Jesus is Dying to Meet You
Movement V | Church: The Spirit Arrives • The Church Begins • The Apostle Paul Converts • The Church Expands • The Church Today
Movement VI | End: The End of the World as We Know It • Highway to Hell or Stairway to Heaven?
The chapters average around ten pages. Typically, he will move from biblical narrative, such as the “earthiness” of the birth of Jesus, the meatiness or fleshiness of the incarnation, to discussing a Brene’ Brown video, to a personal story or theological implication. Or he will move from the expansion of the early church to our quest for love, affirmation, and identity. But its never preachy and often interspersed with self-deprecating personal stories.
At times he will be provocative, such as when he asks, “Does God have a penis?” I can imagine a child asking this and learning about the questions you don’t ask in church. He uses the question to introduce a discussion of what it means that humanity is in “God’s image.” Considering that our sexuality is an aspect of that image, the question is not that far out.
One of the most telling chapters the one on the exile of Israel as the expression of God’s justice. We tend to want justice when it involves the other guy and mercy for ourselves. However, Lyonhart presses home the objective reality of God’s justice–something we both want and wrestle with as we consider ourselves objects of God’s justice.
In the course of the book, I found all the elements Lyonhart mentions in his introduction. This conveys how all of life is connected to the journey of God and our journey with God. He exemplifies his contention that all God has made is good, and that Christ redeems all things. So, I can easily recommend this book to all the audiences Lyonhart writes for. He unpacks God’s story and show how all of our stories connect. And he does this with clarity and wit that invites us all to enlarged perspectives. I know that was so for me.
_______________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
June 13, 2025
"God is not just a being. God does not just happen to be good. God is not just occasionally beautiful. No, God is Goodness, Being, and Beauty itself. God is the absolute, objective, eternal, unchanging entity who grounds the deeper qualities of reality." – page 93
Jonathan Lyonhart admits that The Journey of God could just as easily have been titled The Journey of Jonathan. It reads as a spiritual memoir of one man's journey from exotic places like Canada to equally exotic places like Lincoln, Illinois, with other exotic places peppered in here and there. Along the way, as we're introduced to Jonathan, we also meet the God he loves, the Savior who . . . well . . . saved him, and the church with whom he often wrestles, with grace and grit.
In the introduction, Lyonhart writes, "My goal as a pastor and now a professor has always been to say things my younger Vancouver self might actually have bothered to listen to . . . I didn't write it for you; I wrote it for my younger self. But you are more than welcome to listen in." The invitation to eavesdrop is well worth accepting—because if you do, you'll find glimpses of your own story and maybe even hear the voice of your Creator in the background.
Early in the book, Lyonhart draws a comparison between The Journey of God and C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. Now, this isn't like when I claim my sermons are similar to Tim Keller's (with just a touch more whimsy)—it's actually a fair comparison! Both books aim to articulate the heart of the Christian faith within the context of their time. Lyonhart isn't trying to replace Lewis' timeless classic, and that's exactly the point. This book isn't timeless—it's timely. It's rooted in the faith questions and cultural tensions of right now, and that's where its strength lies.
As I read, I kept thinking of people I'd like to give this book to—the same people I might have handed Mere Christianity to, if only its language and cultural references felt more current. The Journey of God speaks into today's world with fresh clarity, and I suspect I'll be buying more than a few copies to pass along.
The author comes through loud and clear on every page—even in the footnotes. Don't skip them. It's not that they add more information; they add more Jonathan. His wit, playfulness, and occasional absurdity shine through. In another timeline, I'm convinced he would've been a writer for Monty Python's Flying Circus. But this timeline is, thankfully, something completely different.
"So why is God called Father?!!?! I wrestled with that question for years. Then something occurred to me: Perhaps God came to us as a Father because he knew there would be such a lack of them. Perhaps God sought to fill the void in so many of our lives, sought to come as the parent you never had." – page 104
June 6, 2025
What a fun, winsome, refreshing book. I appreciate Lyonhart's unique humor and style, and his deep engagement with philosophy. This book also (refreshingly) includes an extended "movement" on Israel/Old Testament, which I find frustratingly lacking in many similar efforts. Definitely worth checking out.
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/yWFGphzC6Bs
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/yWFGphzC6Bs
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews