Recovery from Distorted Images of God

by Dale Ryan, Juanita Ryan

Bible study guide from Intervarsity Press dealing with images of god in our lives which are distorted and in need of healing

64 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1990

Reviews

[Dr. Chad Newton, PhD-HRD · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although some exercises revealed some underlining clues, I was disappointed in their exegesis of the sacred text. They basically cherry-picked the fluffy verses to make their points made, a common habit found in evangelical and some Catholic communities. What the authors failed to include involved the passages in the Old Testament that directly challenged their quotes of both OT and NT texts. The deity of Deuteronomy ordered stoning of children and slaughtering of animals at the Jewish altar. God also ordered the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer after King Solomon said not to do so in Proverbs (His Word supposedly).
The authors quoted Hebrews and avoided the ancient interpretation of the "high priest", that interpretation indicating an inclusion of the traditional priesthood practice passed down from Aaron and Melchizedek. In other words, the authors were not fully honest from a hermeneutical perspective. Their evangelical bias influenced their exegesis.

[Julie M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors understand the human condition and the very natural assumption that how God makes us "feel" must prove who God is. Thankfully, the authors affirm the truth that, as a loving father cares and attends to his child's feelings, God, who created human fatherhood, does the same with us. As each distortion is revealed, carefully chosen scriptures help to deliver us from the particular impact and influence the distortion may have had on us. God's true nature shines bright, like fog lifting after a gloomy morning, and we experience the light of His unconditional love more than ever before. Great read, especially for new Christians.