Paradoxology: Why Christianity Was Never Meant to Be Simple

by Krish Kandiah

It seems that the God of the Christian faith is full of paradoxes:
a compassionate God who sanctions genocide
an all-powerful God who allows horrific suffering
a God who owns everything yet demands so much from his followers
a God who is distant and yet present at the same time
Many of us have big questions about God that the Christian faith seems to leave unanswered, so we push them to the back of our minds for fear of destabilizing our beliefs. But leaving these questions unexamined is neither healthy for us nor honoring to God. Rather than shying away from the difficult questions, we need to face them head on. What if the tension between apparently opposing doctrines is exactly where faith comes alive? What if this ancient faith has survived so long not in spite of but preciselybecause of these apparent contradictions? What if it is in the difficult parts of the Bible that God is most clearly revealed? Paradoxology makes a bold new claim: that the paradoxes that seem like they ought to undermine belief are actually the heart of our vibrant faith, and it is only by continually wrestling with them rather than trying to pin them down or push them away that we can really move forward, individually and together."

Genres: Theology, Christian, Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Faith, Discipleship

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 2014

About the author

Krish is the founding director of Home For Good, a young charity seeking to make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children by finding loving homes for children in the care system. He is an advocate for fostering and adoption. He has written 13 books including the catalytic "Home for Good: Making a Difference for Vulnerable Children"and the award winning "Paradoxology" and now his latest book "Faitheism: Why Christianity and Atheism have more in common than you think." (Hodder 2018) Dr Kandiah has been published in the Times of London. the Guardian and is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 2.

Dr Kandiah is in demand as a speaker at both national and international conferences. He recently spoke to a full house at TEDxOxford on the topic "Can Hospitality Change the World?" Krish is a consultant offering both creativity and academic reflection to bring strategic change, culture shift and innovation. He has expertise in the overlap between faith and development, faith literacy and communication. Krish is an ambassador for the UK aid and development charity: Tearfund.

Reviews

[Miriam Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title will either draw you in or put you off. Not gonna lie, as someone who has to read educational book sentences at least twice before they go in, I initially thought this book was going to be intellectually above me. However, on the rave review of friends, I gave it a shot. And I’m glad I did! The author does tackle some apologetics and complex ideas about God and faith (to me anyway) but thankfully does it in a way that us simple minded folk can understand. All the paradoxes come from Bible text, which is always a big tick from me and he doesn’t shove other Bible verses in out of context to try and explain the paradoxes.
I really like the fact that he is clear from he start that he isn’t attempting to resolve the paradoxes and is humble in his approach. What he does is show us how these paradoxes aren’t necessarily ideas that should put us off Christianity but are opportunities for our faith to grow and for God to show his wisdom. He doesn’t shy away from true difficultly that can be found in these issues.
I don’t believe it was written as an evangelistic tool but I believe it would equip the believer to answer some of the more difficult arguments against Christianity.
This has been helpful for me. Recommended!

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Argues that the seeming contradictions that leave many questioning the truth of Christianity are actually the points where Christian faith comes alive and addresses the depths and complexities of our lives.

My hunch is that many of us are looking for an “easy” button when it comes to matters of faith. I’ve heard people say, “just give me the simple truth, the simple gospel.” In one sense, they have a point. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16) is indeed simple enough that I understood and believed it as a child.

Yet on a closer look, even this familiar verse is not so simple. God has a Son, appearing both one and more than one. Are God and Son equal, and if so what does it mean that one is begotten? God loves the world but doesn’t seem to treat his son very well. God loves the world, and yet the idea is out there that some may perish who don’t believe.

These and many other questions and seeming contradictions arise as we read the pages of scripture, and I suspect you can easily add to the questions I’ve noted, which are drawn from just one verse. For some, these have been sufficient grounds to dismiss Christianity altogether. Others mouth pat answers they were taught in Sunday school, such as “God works in mysterious ways.” Some of us just try not and think about these things at all.

Krish Kandiah takes a different approach. He honestly admits these apparent contradictions, or paradoxes, and contends that it is in the wrestling with these, that we discover a faith deep and wide and full enough to take in the complexities and contradictions that in fact are the stuff of life. He does so through a survey of thirteen paradoxes that we encounter in the pages of scripture. The chapters are as follows:

Introduction
1. The Abraham Paradox: The God who needs nothing but asks for everything
2. The Moses Paradox: The God who is far away, so close
3. The Joshua Paradox: The God who is terribly compassionate
4. The Job Paradox: The God who is actively inactive
5. The Hosea Paradox: The God who is faithful to the unfaithful
6. The Habakkuk Paradox: The God who is consistently unpredictable
7. The Jonah Paradox: The God who is indiscriminately selective
8. The Esther Paradox: The God who speaks silently
9. The Jesus Paradox: The God who is divinely human
10. The Judas Paradox: The God who determines our free will
11. The Cross Paradox: The God who wins as he loses
12. The Roman Paradox: The God who is effectively ineffective
13. The Corinthian Paradox: The God who fails to disappoint
Epilogue: Living with Paradox

He begins with one of the narratives I have always wrestled with, the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22. He explores this thoughtfully and from many angles, acknowledging the difficulties in this passage, looking at what reasoning faith must look like for Abraham, and the larger purposes of the God who will give his only Son in this same place, in fulfillment of the promises he has made to Abraham. His answers are not easy ones, but plausible, and mirror ones I’ve come to in a life of wrestling with this passage.

I will not attempt to summarize each of the chapters. He deals with Job, and God’s “active inactivity.” He explores the ultimate paradox of God incarnate, how Jesus could be both fully God and human, and the challenging case of Judas, and the paradox of choice and determinism. I found his discussion of Jonah fascinating as he explored the paradox of God as both indiscriminate and selective. He summarizes his discussion of Jonah and God’s care for the Ninevites as follows:

“The Jonah Paradox teaches that God is both highly selective and simultaneously indiscriminate with his love. In his desire that everyone is given opportunity to come to him, to love him and to love his people, God set up a chain reaction — one that falters or stutters at times, but carries on regardless, all down the centuries. Starting with Israel, he sent his people into the world to share in word and deed the good news of his grace and forgiveness, the gift of his Holy Spirit and the challenge of his coming kingdom. Sadly, time and again the chain is broken because of our indifference, hoarding of grace, fear or laziness. When we hold back we betray our God-given identity as ambassadors, prophets, light, salt, stewards, trustees, and co-workers with Christ. But as we have seen from Jonah, God is not held captive by our unwillingness to join in his mission. We are to have confidence in a God who will not be ultimately frustrated from offering his grace to a dying world by the inactivity of us, his church. But we will have lost the opportunity to join God’s family business of bringing reconciliation” (pp. 179-180).

I appreciated his chapters on Romans and Corinthians and the exploration of why both individually and collectively, we fail to live up to the ideals of holiness and love of the gospels. A former pastor, speaking generically, used to like to say, “the best of men are men at best” (a quote variously attributed to General John Lambert, A. W. Pink, and J. C. Ryle, with Lambert’s being the earliest instance). Kandiah makes a similar point that we are still in process between the “already” and the “not yet” of our calling, and are unfinished works.

He concludes with the idea that no book about paradoxes will resolve these paradoxes for us, but only give plausible explanations. These may only be understood as we live into them, which no book can do for us. He reminds us that what all these paradoxes have to do with is a relationship between us and God, and should we wonder that if human relationships are complex, that this one is even more? What Kandiah’s book does is offer hope that the embrace of paradox is a path to be preferred to suppression or suspicion, opening our lives up to a reality that is richer and fuller, rather than narrower and smaller.

[Tom Sussex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krish Kandiah fearlessly and unapologetically delves into the hardest passages, the hardest questions, and the hardest situations we face as Christians. For those who are doubting, confused, or just want to learn more about the character of God, this gospel focused book is a fantastic read.

[Angus Mcfarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently, Christianity wasn't meant to be simple and the paradoxes the bible confronts us with provide the path to wrestle with faith's challenges. I think the comment on simplicity is right, but I am not sure we are really dealing with paradoxes. Each chapter takes seemingly contradictory premises implied by biblical texts and works through what are familiar stories to describe and then resolve the 'paradox' the premises create.

I liked the use of modern, popular references, such as 'finding Nemo' and 'the best Marigold hotel' to illustrate how Habbukuk can help us get through 'black Swan' events to build an anti fragile faith. He even made use of the Schrodinger equation. And there are plenty of well-poised personal anecdotes - succinct, relevant and a reminder that the points raised are issues the author has felt and experienced in his life.

Two chapters that have remained with me since reading the book.
1. The Joshua paradox. In a post colonial time, we are appalled that any people group would assert military power over another to take possession of its land, let alone destroy the inhabitants, intentionally or otherwise, in the process. So Joshua, and the apparent genocide of the Canaanites is an awkward read. Perhaps in colonial or imperialistic times, not so long ago, this could be rationalized, but not any more. Not only is this issue confronted head on, I felt that the 'answer' was restrained, providing perspectives rather than suggesting he has the solution to what scripture presents.
2. The Esther paradox. The world today is increasingly noisy, and many churches are not immune from this, not only in the adoption of modern sound systems, communication media and 'contemporary' musical choices; there can also be an expectation that our inner ear would be hearing God. Using the example of Esther and Mordecai, the author deals with the issue of Gods silence, not as a symptom of allowing worldly noise to drown the spirits voice, but as a key component of learning to have faith. A dark night is not due to the extinction of light but our inability to see it at that time.

I don't think this book would be very convincing to those who have not chosen to be Christian, speaking more to those with faith already to a large extent. It might, however, be more useful for critics of Christianity than some more science based arguments, since it goes more directly to the troubling core of Christian belief which becomes apparent once the science religion nonissue is put aside. So, I would commend anyone in the books primary audience to read it, for two main reasons. Firstly, the stories of the bible, and the broader story of the bible itself, are captured within the various chapters, ensuring Christian scripture is neither ignored or quoted without context. Secondly, I think it tackles issues that are apparent enough to the current generation but ignored perhaps by many in the church. In this regard, I think Paradoxology helps equip the church to respond to critics on the outside, but perhaps more importantly, to set a platform on which we can be honest with ourselves as well.

[Ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fantastic book on wrestling with Christianity's toughest paradoxes.

In a very easy-going, friendly tone, Kandiah co-explores with the reader the duos of truth that seem so 'au contraire' to each other, as revealed in 13 situations in the bible. Through each chapter Kandiah discusses the situation at hand, the truths in question and how somehow they exist in unison. Despite writing about some of the hardest aspects of God's character, I found the writing style extremely easy to read, full of anecdotes and genuine reflection. This book definitely challenged me to think harder about and wrestle with the theology behind faith.

A cracking read, one of my favourites.

Note: Bonhoeffer to Bonaparte. Dostoevsky to Dickens. Kandiah uses a rather excellent choice and range of references.

[Jed Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible study in the beautiful complexity of a genuine relationship with God. So much of truth is a paradox — truth held in divine tension.

[Carmel Tung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Answered some of my questions

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradoxology is one of my favorite recent reads. The title sets the tone: Kandiah addresses difficult issues, but in a sometimes conversational tone. These are the troubling topics that we should be thinking through (rather than skipping over), and Kandiah does so without diving into overly academic work or becoming too breezy.

Not everything here's truly a paradox, but when there's something paradoxical, Kandiah works to show the value of faith in that tension, without skipping past the problems with, "Oh, that's just a mystery we can't understand." He works at the texts and the concepts. Other ideas he comes closer to resolving. His reading of Jonah is particularly engagin.

None of it's an intellectual exercise; Kandiah sees well that these questions play out in life, in how we treat our neighbors, build community, move through our grief, or seek jusice. It's a smart and readable book with much to say that's both useful and illuminating.

[Based on a NetGalley text.]

[Mikael Raihhelgauz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Väga lihtne laiale lugejaskonnale mõeldud raamat, mis ometi käsitleb päris keerulisi probleeme. Kandiah vaade on mulle isiklikult sümpaatne: vastuolud, mida me kristluses kohtame, ei ole mingid lihtsasti eemaldatavad arusaamatused või välised moonutused - vastupidi, kristlik usk suuresti põhinebki paradoksidel. Nt igivana küsimus: kas inimesel on vaba tahe või kõikvõimas Jumal on kõik nullist ette määranud? Paradoksaalselt kehtivad mõlemad - just nende kahe vastuolulise idee pingeväljas peamegi oma piiratud mõistmisega tõde kompima. Ühte poolusesse jäämine ei ole lahendus.

Paljud asjad siin raamatus ei ole loomulikult lõpuni läbi mõeldud, aga see ei pretendeerigi sügava filosoofilise teose staatusele. Esimeseks (rõhutan, esimeseks, mitte viimaseks ja ammendavaks) ampsuks praktilisest piibli mõtestamisest soovitaksin küll. :)

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few weeks ago I was listening to a Christian talk radio show in which callers could ask biblical and theological questions. By and large, the answers were sound, except when they got into eschatology. But what troubled and saddened me was the profound ignorance of even basic biblical and theological matters on the part of the callers. This book is for them, and for people in simplistic evangelical and "prosperity" gospel" churches. Kandiah's aim in the book is to develop an "anti-fragile" faith in the reader. "Building an 'anti-fragile' faith does not mean finding a way to avoid or navigate around the challenges that will come our way, but rather finding a way to see through them to something greater on the other side. God deliberately destabilizes and unsettles us, his children, not out of spite but with the intention of helping us to reach a new level of integrity, intimacy and humility through the process" (148). He deals with several of the characteristic theological conundrums of Christianity. Using biblical characters and events as starting points, he deals with such issues as the immanence/transcendence of God, the problem of evil, and the humanity and deity of Christ. The chapters read very much like sermons, and that suggests that these issues may be well-treated by a pastor who carefully and consistently preaches the Word. The book would have been strengthened if each chapter had a brief bibliography attached of somewhat more advanced treatments of the issues for those who wanted to explore further.
There were some points at which I disagree with the author. For example, he prefers the "free will" explanation of the problem of evil. That is a common view, but it creates more problems that it solves. In his treatment of Job, he neglected to deal with Job's "repentance," which is a major consideration at the end of that book. Then there was the occasional weird statement, such as, "God is both physically present and morally distinct from the world" (56). Then there is his identifying the American novelist Ira Levin (author of The Stepford Wives and Rosemary's Baby, among others) as "her" (121). Surely someone in the editorial process should have caught this.

[Shannon Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to Merriam-Webster, a paradox is "a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true". Doxology, according to the same source, is "an expression of praise". Put them together and you have paradoxology. This book doesn't just make up a new word, but goes on to explain it's meaning: "the paradoxes that seem to undermine belief are actually the heart of our vibrant faith, that it is only by continually wrestling with them - rather than trying to pin them down or push them away - that we can really worship God, individually and together" (5). Just think, "[i]t is precisely because we believe in God and in his plan of redemption that working through, walking through and waiting through the challenges of living in the paradox can be so difficult. But, as we have seen time and time again, it is by experiencing the tension of these paradoxes that our understanding and our intimacy with God grows. Abraham, Moses, Job, Esther, Hosea, Habakkuk - even, arguably, Jesus - all seem to experience a great depth, a fuller authenticity and a stronger relationship with God because of and not, as we tend to expect, in spite of their struggles" )306-7). "[The paradoxes of our faith] can only be explained - indeed, they will be fulfilled - when Christ himself comes again and all things are resolved in him" (307). Come, Lord!

[Briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book personally and actually used it in clinical sessions with clients. I am finding more and more individuals expressing a cognitive dissonance in their Christianity. This book meets us there with the hard questions, painful experiences, and seemingly impossible paradoxes. But this book is good. And it’s honest. The chapters are based on different biblical paradoxes (ie. The Abraham Paradox: The God Who needs nothing yet asks for Everything). If moral/emotional contradictions have also kept you from faith, I’d encourage a read.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent treatment of its subject . Solid stuff

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting look at some of the most difficult bits of the Bible. I particularly like the way Kandiah encourages the reader to question and points out how many key Bible people asked difficult questions rather than ignoring the passages that make us feel uncomfortable.

[Lee Bertsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw some of the subtitles to the chapters, I was immediately drawn to this book. E.g. "The God who is actively inactive" and "The God who speaks silently". The author does enough analyzing and explaining to make clear that the parallel truths in scripture do not lead one to conclude that things are absurd. But in the end he lets paradoxes be, well, paradoxical, all the while helping to make them realities that we can not only live with, but also find at times to be elegant.

[Josh Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was G.K. Chesterton who defined paradox as "truth standing on its head to gain attention." Chesterton was a firm believer that Christianity is full of paradoxes. In the book Paradoxology (clever title, by the way), Krish Kandiah doesn't shy away from the difficult questions of the Christian faith, but tackles them head on, assuring us that in the process we will grow to know God deeper and better.

I really appreciated how Kandiah grapples with the paradoxes of faith that show us the heart of God. He warns that the real danger is not asking questions, but NOT asking questions. And there are so many who don't ask questions because they are afraid that their faith, or God himself couldn't stand up under the scrutiny. A God so easily defeated could never be the real God, Kandiah reasons. Instead, he reassures us that "when God seems most difficult to understand, it is then that we can see him most clearly and love him most dearly" (p. 6).

The structure of the book is quite brilliant. The author uses a Biblical person (or people), and thus a story, to present us with each paradox. (For example: The Abraham Paradox, The Jonah Paradox, etc) This adds depth to his presentation, rather than simply giving us a nebulous idea to ponder. Well done, all around!

[Susan Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Paradoxology by Krish Kandiah. He takes the approach that Christianity is not simple as it is often portrayed to be. "Just believe" we are told but if we are too afraid to wrestle with the paradoxes of Christianity for fear our faith isn't robust enough to cope with close examination, than our spiritual lives will be very shallow.

Kandiah works his way through the Bible pointing out thirteen paradoxes. He discusses each one using a different Bible character or group of people: Abraham – the God who needs nothing but asks for everything; Moses – the God who is far away and so close; Joshua – the God who is terribly compassionate; Job – the God who is actively inactive; Hosea – the God who is faithful to the unfaithful; Habakkuk – the God who is consistently unpredictable; Jonah – the God who is indiscriminately selective; Esther – the God who speaks silently; Jesus – the God who is divinely human; Judas – the God who determines our free will; the Cross – the God who wins as he loses; the Romans – the God who is effectively ineffective; and the Corinthians – the God who fails to disappoint.

Using this format Kandiah effectively addresses the common problems that many have with the Bible. The problem of Abraham sacrificing his son, the problem of Joshua being told to wipe out the Canaanites, the problem of Job a righteous man who suffered much etc. I found the chapter on Judas particularly perceptive as I hadn't read Kandiah's viewpoint before and I found it very helpful.

It's Kandiah's firm belief that it is important we study the stories that we have the most difficult with as it is only by doing so that we will have a better understanding of God's character and his ways. The stories that bother us can actually lead us to a deeper relationship with God.

A discerning and insightful book.

[Luke Paulsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two really great compliments that I can give to Paradoxology. The first, and more obvious, is that its title is the cleverest of any book I've ever read-- a fusion of "paradox" and "doxology" that makes just as much sense in Greek roots as in English. The second compliment is that nothing about the book felt difficult or groundbreaking or unfamiliar. Kandiah's stated project is to avoid easy answers and seek an understanding of Christianity that comes through embracing paradox. But as it turns out, investigating paradox yields a vision of Christianity that is startlingly familiar, reasonable, and orthodox. As Kandiah can't resist pointing out in the preface, this is an additional paradox-- that Christianity is easiest to understand when it's couched in apparent contradiction.

The rest of the book plays out as classic pastoral teaching of the best kind: Biblically inspired, philosophically lucid, full of practical illustrations and heartfelt reflection. The thirteen sermons given here-- it's hard to think of them as anything else-- are a kind of greatest-hits collection of Biblical texts, from the story of Abraham in Genesis through Paul's letter to the Corinthians. And Kandiah persuasively presents each of them in terms of a paradox about God: "X, but on the other hand, not X." In Kandiah's hands these paradoxes are not resolved so much as exploited, dug into until they yield a deeper way of understanding the issue. The prose and argumentation are never spectacular, but always adequate. With ideas this powerful a halfway-decent presentation is all that's required, and in many spots Kandiah is considerably more than halfway decent. This book makes a great resource for intellectually inclined Christians who want to rediscover the heart of their faith.

[Aogu Fujihashi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Krish Kandiah takes on some of the greatest apparent contradictions of the Christian faith with simultaneous sensitivity and clarity.

The first section of this book, which covers the Old Testament, mostly deals with issues inherent to theology proper (e.g., "Is God immanent or transcendent?"). Each chapter gives a compelling presentation of the traditional evangelical position on a different doctrine. While I did not find myself disagreeing with any of the assertions made, these chapters approached familiar territory from a familiar perspective and thus were not hugely stimulating.

I found the shorter, second section of this book, however, which covers the New Testament, to be practically bursting at the seams with fresh insight on topics rarely treated in theological literature geared towards laypeople (e.g., Christology, the atonement). Each of these later chapters came at their issues from unique, practically grounded perspectives while demonstrating a humility that bows trustingly in the face of mystery.

I would recommend this book to any Christian seeking to develop a deeper understanding of God and His ways, but I think new believers would particularly benefit from the way in which this book combines a solid introduction to evangelical theology with a humble attitude that embraces the rich complexity of Christian faith.

[Abby Mitchell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Granted I only read the first 4 chapters of 13, before I finally stopped and read the epilogue, BUT hear me out.
This does not provide compelling arguments to difficult questions, in fact it barely makes any points at all. It has bad analogies, factual errors and poor writing in general.

Krish mentions multiple times the overwhelming evidence of God’s existence, yet somehow never gave an example. Krish also says that because God did Abraham good, he should unquestionably take his son up a mountain to be ritualistically sacrificed. NO! That’s literally how manipulation works. God’s “gift” is no given freely because we have to do what he wants to get the reward. That’s not a gift, that’s a paycheck. God also cannot be a morally perfect being, because if he was then we’d all agree with his morality. But no, I don’t think disobedient children and gays and assault victims and prostitutes and independent women should be executed.

Guess what? That’s just from the first chapter.
Do yourself a favor and find something interesting to read, I can’t believe a book made me lose what little respect I had for Christianity left.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and invaluable book exploring how Christianity's multiple paradoxes (and there are many!) can build up, rather than be detrimental, to our faith. Wholly accessible without compromising theological depth. The chapter subtitles alone (e.g. 'The God who is consistently unpredictable', 'The God who is indiscriminately selective', 'The God who determines our free will') reveal that Krish Kandiah isn't afraid to tackle controversial issues head-on - and he does it with a surprising degree of sensitivity, insight and success. Highly recommended.

[Andy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible but highly-informed insight into some of the darker corners of Christianity where Christians often fear to tread. The strapline on the cover "Why Christianity was never meant to be simple" is appropriate and a truth that is often forgotten or even wilfully obscured. The content is challenging but important. Recommended.

[Philip Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb book on the major paradoxes in Scripture. I would recommend this to all Christians as a model of how to honestly deal with hard issues. It is written in a very engaging style with plenty of clarifying illustrations.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite thing about this book is that it brings paradox (i.e. apparent contradictions, tensions of meaning and experience) to the front of discussions about belief.

I love a bit of paradox - especially intellectually... existentially it can lead to no end of frustration and even angst... so, if we can, we sit with it and wait to see what fruit it might yield.

Paradox can function in a couple of ways (which, incidentally are, at least at certain points, paradoxical). Firstly, paradoxes invite us to sit with tension and not rush to certainty. Similarly they maintain mystery over mastery. They undermine a know-it-all posture and position. That tension may carry on indefinitely or, secondly, paradox may propel us into 'third way' non-dualistic thinking, and move us into the realm of the transrational.

This isn't exactly the point of view of Kandiah's book. It is fundamentally a work of apologetics that seeks to mitigate and explain the paradoxes where it can. (I thought that was a pity in some cases.) But, by and large, as a work in that mode, it is pretty successful... the pitfalls of theodicy ('justifying the ways of God to man') notwithstanding.

(While I'm being critical, I might also mention one extended passage where the author places Eustace as a character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, confusing him with Edmund. Oh the horror! I know of at least one pastor who, having hitherto tolerated theological variances, would have thrown the book down in disgust at this point.)

In bringing paradox to the forefront - indeed arguing for the key position of paradox in the life of faith - this book does a wonderful thing. With existential honesty it looks straight in the eye of the gap between the way things are and the way things should be. It looks straight at the disjunctures of the propositions of faith. This honesty is the breakthrough gift of the book.

That act follows in the tradition of such authors as G K Chesterton (oddly not referenced in the book) who argued that paradox is a key aspect of orthodoxy.

Thankfully, amongst the mitigations, Kandiah leaves many paradoxes thoroughly intact. The God-man nature of Jesus Christ is one of these. He states, "The tension between these two truths is what makes faith live: it is in the wrestling, not the easy answers, that we will find God."

"It is too easy to settle for a pre-packaged, disengaged faith that happily goes along with the flow and avoids any tricky questions. But this is not the faith of the Bible's heroes."

"Hitting up hard against the paradoxes in Scripture is a good sign that we are in [or wrestling towards, opening up towards] a relationship with the true God and not just a projection we have created to suit ourselves."

[Daniel Clemence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly readable and understandable Christian apologetics book. Paradoxology is a book that explores various paradoxes of Christianity via different people and themes of the Bible. These paradoxes include but are not limited to "the God that needs nothing but asks for everything" (Abraham), "the God that is terribly compassionate" (Joshua), "the God who is actively inactive" (Job), "the God who is indiscriminately selective" (Jonah), "the God who is divinely human" (Jesus).

The book doesn't give easy answers. Instead, each chapter has a set out argument with well defined points. The chapter sets out the paradox, asks a few questions and then lays out an argument to rebut this. This form is an effective but simple way to answer very difficult questions. For example for the Job paradox, Krish Kandiah argues three points that, God is in control, learn that not all suffering is deserved and God allows suffering on an innocent person. This well set out argument is useful in understanding a book.

The book gives an excellent overview of questions around suffering and provides people with an understanding of Christianity's responses to some criticisms in a way that is better than other Christian apologetic books.

[Tippy Chee · Rating 4 out of 5]

จริงๆ แล้ว เล่มนี้มีเนื้อหาที่น่าสนใจมาก แต่เราใช้เวลาอ่านเกิน 1 ปี ฮืออ ขอโทษค่ะ TvT
การใช้ภาษา ไม่ได้ยากมาก แต่เราขี้เกียจเอง ถ้าเป็นภาษาไทยต้องอ่านจบนานแล้วแน่ๆ

ชีวิตคริสเตียนไม่ใช่ของง่าย การมาเชื่อพระเจ้าไม่ได้หมายความว่า เราจะได้รับการอวยพรตลอดเวลาและชีวิตจะต้องราบรื่นเสมอไปเป็นนิตย์
ตรงกันข้ามเลย ชีวิตคริสเตียนยากกว่าปกติไปอีก เพราะเราเป็นคนที่ต้องดำเนินชีวิตในสองโลกที่ขัดแย้งกัน ในตัวตนที่ขัดแย้งกันระหว่างตัวเก่าของเราเอง กับตัวใหม่ที่พระเจ้าสร้างให้
เราจะปรับตัวอย่างไร ในเมื่อพระเจ้าสอนให้เรา “อย่าดำเนินชีวิตตามอย่างคนในโลก” แต่จงดำเนินชีวิตตามอย่างพระคริสต์ ? จิตใจเราอยู่กับพระเจ้า ในขณะที่ร่างกายเรายังเป็นกายเนื้อที่เต็มด้วยตัณหาและผุพังลงตามกาลเวลา

หนังสือนี้ นำเรื่องราวของคนจากในพระคัมภีร์ มาโฟกัสให้เห็นถึงทั้งความย้อนแย้งของพระลักษณะของพระเจ้า, ชีวิตของผู้เชื่อ, และชุมชนผู้เชื่อ ในทุกหัวข้อ คือความจริงสองอย่างที่ขัดแย้งกันแต่ล้วนเป็นความจริงทั้งคู่ หัวข้อดีมาก แต่ในการเล่าเรื่อง ก็ค่อนข้างมีน้ำเยอะไปหน่อย เลยทำให้อ่านแล้วหลับง่ายย >.<
แต่โดยรวม ถ้าคั้นๆ ออกมาแล้ว เนื้อหาจริงๆ ก็ยังน่าสนใจมาก ชวนให้คิดใคร่ครวญ หรือจะเอาไปใช้เป็นหัวข้อในกลุ่ม cell ก็น่าสนุกดี อยากให้มีแปลไทยทั้งเล่มจังเลย

[Thea Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paradoxology is not the easiest book to read because it forces us to look at some big questions that have the potential to ‘rock’ your faith a little. This book starts to unpack those questions many Bible believers have struggled with over years. Wikipedia says “A paradox is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises, leads to an apparently-self-contradictory or logically unacceptable conclusion” So right away you know a book that combines paradox and theology isn’t going to be a “light” read. However Krish uses both personal stories and quotes from others that help to ground some of the deeper ideas and I encourage other Jesus followers to stick with it and stretch your grey cells by finishing this book. For me the real high points came in the 2nd half of the book I particularly loved Habakkuk -The God who is consistently unpredictable & Esther - The God who speaks silently.

[Katherine Wathen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those of us who tend to think in black and white, Krish Kandiah's words challenge us to consider Christianity as a paradox where the beauty lies in the gray. Rich with theology, scripture, and stories, Paradoxology doesn't attempt to provide the reader answers to two seemingly contradictory statements (e.g. how God is far away but also always with us.) Rather, Kandiah encourages us to hold two statements in tension, not putting God in a box our limited human brains can understand. Paradoxology helped me appreciate the mystery of God as well as grow in my understanding of the character and nature of Jesus. It's a dense read, but definitely worth the time!

[David Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly!

At last, a Christian book that can set the messiness of life firmly in the reality of God's purpose. We drift so far from Scripture that we try to use it as a magic potion for our troubles when it is intended to provide steel for our faith rather than cotton wool. The idea that God may actually intend our pain or suffering does not sit easily with much contemporary spirituality but it is the only explanation for the lives of so many Bible characters. This is a lively exploration of their stories made relevant to our times.

[Jonathan Markham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Christian faith presents us with so many “paradoxes” and the temptation is to either ignore them and be accused of blind faith or to allow them to undermine or even eliminate our confidence in our Heavenly Father. The author allows us rather to wrestle with them and let the uncertainty give us a sense of excitement for the time when all will be revealed. In reality the existence of these “paradoxes” is evidence that we serve a God who is so far beyond anything our finite minds can encompass and hence the hope of eternity so amazing!