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Saying No to God: A Radical Approach to Reading the Bible Faithfully
Blessed are those who defy God.
Although bumper stickers abound that propose otherwise, the Bible itself reveals that just because “God says it,” does not, in fact, mean “that settles it.” On the contrary, a close reading of Scripture reveals that God does not want us to blindly obey him, but rather, invites us to “lock hands” with him and fight. The purpose of this book is to show another way to understand the Bible, one in which readers are not asked to accept what God says, but on the to say no to it, not because they merely want to, but because the God of the Bible actually requires it.
Although bumper stickers abound that propose otherwise, the Bible itself reveals that just because “God says it,” does not, in fact, mean “that settles it.” On the contrary, a close reading of Scripture reveals that God does not want us to blindly obey him, but rather, invites us to “lock hands” with him and fight. The purpose of this book is to show another way to understand the Bible, one in which readers are not asked to accept what God says, but on the to say no to it, not because they merely want to, but because the God of the Bible actually requires it.
- GenresChristianity
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 13, 2019
66 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 3, 2020
Just what I needed in my life at the time. If you are a close-minded conservative person, this book is not for you. You have to come at it with at least a willingness to hear to get anything from it; other-wise you will dismiss it almost immediately (I mean, just look at the title).
If you withhold judgement for just a little while, though, you will begin to see that the author's arguments aren't the "rebel without a cause" picture that everyone gets when they hear statements like the title (though you will have to wait til the very end to get that explicitly stated). It is a scriptural and pious journey through a traditionally thorny subject.
My guess is most won't buy into everything he has to say, but personally I agree with everything he presents. I think this book can wake up/shake up those who have settled in their faith and inspire those who are on the borders of giving up faith.
If you withhold judgement for just a little while, though, you will begin to see that the author's arguments aren't the "rebel without a cause" picture that everyone gets when they hear statements like the title (though you will have to wait til the very end to get that explicitly stated). It is a scriptural and pious journey through a traditionally thorny subject.
My guess is most won't buy into everything he has to say, but personally I agree with everything he presents. I think this book can wake up/shake up those who have settled in their faith and inspire those who are on the borders of giving up faith.
July 4, 2024
The provocative title of this book is appropriate. It will challenge every notion you have about the Bible and the Christian faith, while explaining some of the problems those of us who have closely read the Bible have in reconciling our knowledge of God with some if the contents of this book. It’s less about arguing against God than wrestling with him, as did Jacob. God wants us to question him, know him well enough to know his heart. The Bible is a beautiful book when read correctly, and NOT a rule book. It’s our way to access who God is and what is important to him. It’s my belief that we all need to guide and help each other navigate it, and this book was a great help to me! I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
August 15, 2020
This book was a gift to me and I am delighted that I have it. Matthew J. Korpman takes a courageous look at some puzzling and contradictory ideas about God and the Bible and the result is breathtaking.
Deconstruction is a popular term nowadays. This book touches on a number of topics associated with that. But it’s not just a bullet-list, brief overview. Korpman has done his homework and his laborious research has produced a very thoughtful book. Not familiar with deconstruction? This would be a good place to begin. It provides an informative overview to multiple deconstructionist topics and the footnotes will provide a handy roadmap if you’d like to dive deeper into a specific issue. Looking for one book that addresses many of the issues deconstructionists discuss? This book is a great reference that will be returned to repeatedly.
The book is accessible and well documented. Footnotes abound. This is not the fruit of an impassioned preacher pounding a pulpit. Korpman’s scholarship is admirable. It’s not the type of book I would read on the beach. There are too many thought-provoking passaged that demand underlining, too many concepts that forced me to pause and think. One should not read this book without having a highlighter nearby. There are too many nuggets and gems that must not be skimmed over.
Groupthink is the phenomena that results in bad decisions. When the boss surrounds him/herself with “yes men/women,” the possibility of alternative (and better) solutions is eliminated. And the result is often disastrous (remember the Bay of Pigs?). If you limit your reading to only those things you already know/agree with, you’ll find yourself in a literary echo chamber perfecting the art of groupthink. Much of our current thinking about God and theology is more based on what we’ve been told. If you’re willing to take a fresh, honest look at Christian/Bible things, this book is a must-read. No, this book is a must re-read. It takes a lot to change one’s mind when dealing with deeply ingrained ideas that have had years to take root. This book deserves to be widely read, re-read, and contemplated.
Deconstruction is a popular term nowadays. This book touches on a number of topics associated with that. But it’s not just a bullet-list, brief overview. Korpman has done his homework and his laborious research has produced a very thoughtful book. Not familiar with deconstruction? This would be a good place to begin. It provides an informative overview to multiple deconstructionist topics and the footnotes will provide a handy roadmap if you’d like to dive deeper into a specific issue. Looking for one book that addresses many of the issues deconstructionists discuss? This book is a great reference that will be returned to repeatedly.
The book is accessible and well documented. Footnotes abound. This is not the fruit of an impassioned preacher pounding a pulpit. Korpman’s scholarship is admirable. It’s not the type of book I would read on the beach. There are too many thought-provoking passaged that demand underlining, too many concepts that forced me to pause and think. One should not read this book without having a highlighter nearby. There are too many nuggets and gems that must not be skimmed over.
Groupthink is the phenomena that results in bad decisions. When the boss surrounds him/herself with “yes men/women,” the possibility of alternative (and better) solutions is eliminated. And the result is often disastrous (remember the Bay of Pigs?). If you limit your reading to only those things you already know/agree with, you’ll find yourself in a literary echo chamber perfecting the art of groupthink. Much of our current thinking about God and theology is more based on what we’ve been told. If you’re willing to take a fresh, honest look at Christian/Bible things, this book is a must-read. No, this book is a must re-read. It takes a lot to change one’s mind when dealing with deeply ingrained ideas that have had years to take root. This book deserves to be widely read, re-read, and contemplated.
February 23, 2021
Matthew Korpman has some great ideas to share on how to approach the Bible and faith in more general terms. His suggestions reflect the approach I've personally arrived at in recent years as I've come to see Christ and his unique revelation of the character of God as the ultimate hermenutical key to all of Scripture, thanks to numerous great Christian authors such as Greg Boyd, Rob Bell, Pete Enns, Brian Zahnd, N.T. Wright and others.
A thing that really bothered me, though, is how Korpman keeps making explicit assumptions about the reader and comes off quite condescending. "You're probably shocked by this" and "You've probably never thought of this before" are among the things he will say in every chapter. It may be a cultural thing that makes it a bit of a turnoff for a Scandinavian reader like myself. Though it affected my experience of reading it, it doesn't take anything away from the undeniably great insights. Neither did the flawed formatting, not sure if that's an ebook thing or what's going on... Anyway, I recommend reading it, especially if you're thinking about how to read Scripture in an authoritative way.
A thing that really bothered me, though, is how Korpman keeps making explicit assumptions about the reader and comes off quite condescending. "You're probably shocked by this" and "You've probably never thought of this before" are among the things he will say in every chapter. It may be a cultural thing that makes it a bit of a turnoff for a Scandinavian reader like myself. Though it affected my experience of reading it, it doesn't take anything away from the undeniably great insights. Neither did the flawed formatting, not sure if that's an ebook thing or what's going on... Anyway, I recommend reading it, especially if you're thinking about how to read Scripture in an authoritative way.
October 19, 2020
Korpman is making the argument for how to read the Bible in the light of what we know of God in our present (which is of course how humans always have read it whether they were aware of it or not). He is especially concerned that we not think we have to obey terrifying laws that seem like they are the words of God. He tells stories from Christian history and from within the Bible itself to say that talking back to God and “saying no” to God have a long history and aren’t blessed by Him as He responds to us. I appreciated the stories of Abraham and Job, especially. We aren’t so much saying no to God as saying no to the ways His will has been interpreted and understood within Scripture.
June 16, 2022
Difficult point of view
I've read the entire book and maybe I was not the intended audience but it started off well and then completely changed where it went. I was lost at the later chapters. It went from some thing that seemed possible to almost changing the meaning of the verses being read. I can appreciate a different point if view which was the reason why reading the book.
I've read the entire book and maybe I was not the intended audience but it started off well and then completely changed where it went. I was lost at the later chapters. It went from some thing that seemed possible to almost changing the meaning of the verses being read. I can appreciate a different point if view which was the reason why reading the book.
December 2, 2021
Say what you will, but that’s a provocative title.
As choice as his vernacular may be, Korpman does what many Christians do not—he dares to take the Bible seriously. And by seriously, I do not mean literally. He is by no means a literalist, otherwise his counterintuitive, titular thesis would indeed make very little sense. Korpman takes the Bible seriously in that he cares enough to dig. Saying No to God, separated into two halves with a brief intermission, is tasked with digging into and deconstructing bad theologies, all the while retaining the gems found amidst the mire. A tall task, but one which the book balances mightily.
The first half of the volume lays out a framework for how to confront the divine. Korpman turns almost exclusively to the Bible to find examples of those who themselves fought with God. Familiar characters such as Moses, Jacob, Abraham, and, yes, Jesus, are all used in conjunction with their stories to ground readers in what it has looked like for individuals of courage to say no to God in the past.
The second half puts the newly constructed framework to work. It is here where Korpman attempts to empower his readers into applying the central tenet of Saying No to God, articulated in the first half of the book, into the modern church and, truthfully, world. While some of these issues, such as women’s ordination, may be more closely speaking to where his faith tradition is at present, other subjects like hell and salvation are certainly more applicable to a wide swath of readers—all of whom he encourages to say “no” to the negative aspects of such doctrine, while all the while clinging to the good.
All said, Korpman comes to much of the same conclusion that I do: God is good, we’ve simply allowed humans to tell us what God is like, and we must wrestle with the portraits of God we are given so as to find the good hidden within. As such, frankly, I have very few qualms with Korpman’s thesis and subsequent theological implications, save, perhaps, that I do disagree with his rather high view of scripture. He scrupulously combs over the canon, cover to cover, I’m sure, in part, to avoid qualms from more conservative readers. To me, it seems unnecessary. But keeping his target audience in mind, and recognizing the elegance with which he dissects each “familiar” story, I won’t complain too much.
While simply my opinion, the best part of Korpman’s work comes on the topic of doubt. In my mind, faith cannot exist in certainty. This, of course, means doubt, in being antithetical to certainty, is a key part of any faith or faith journey. Korpman, speaking to the Christian-subculture at large, articulates it this way: “It is an unavoidable truth that we inhabit a post-modern and post-certain world, and many churches desperately as such find themselves fighting the forces of skepticism and doubt. Yet, this is a losing battle. For no matter how much one tells you to believe, doubt will not magically disappear unless one is intellectually dishonest.” The intellectual dishonesty he speaks of frames the entire book, as being honest with ourselves and what we as humans know to be good and true is exactly what Korpman hopes will result in our radically saying no to God.
— Niq Ruud, niqruud.com/remarks
As choice as his vernacular may be, Korpman does what many Christians do not—he dares to take the Bible seriously. And by seriously, I do not mean literally. He is by no means a literalist, otherwise his counterintuitive, titular thesis would indeed make very little sense. Korpman takes the Bible seriously in that he cares enough to dig. Saying No to God, separated into two halves with a brief intermission, is tasked with digging into and deconstructing bad theologies, all the while retaining the gems found amidst the mire. A tall task, but one which the book balances mightily.
The first half of the volume lays out a framework for how to confront the divine. Korpman turns almost exclusively to the Bible to find examples of those who themselves fought with God. Familiar characters such as Moses, Jacob, Abraham, and, yes, Jesus, are all used in conjunction with their stories to ground readers in what it has looked like for individuals of courage to say no to God in the past.
The second half puts the newly constructed framework to work. It is here where Korpman attempts to empower his readers into applying the central tenet of Saying No to God, articulated in the first half of the book, into the modern church and, truthfully, world. While some of these issues, such as women’s ordination, may be more closely speaking to where his faith tradition is at present, other subjects like hell and salvation are certainly more applicable to a wide swath of readers—all of whom he encourages to say “no” to the negative aspects of such doctrine, while all the while clinging to the good.
All said, Korpman comes to much of the same conclusion that I do: God is good, we’ve simply allowed humans to tell us what God is like, and we must wrestle with the portraits of God we are given so as to find the good hidden within. As such, frankly, I have very few qualms with Korpman’s thesis and subsequent theological implications, save, perhaps, that I do disagree with his rather high view of scripture. He scrupulously combs over the canon, cover to cover, I’m sure, in part, to avoid qualms from more conservative readers. To me, it seems unnecessary. But keeping his target audience in mind, and recognizing the elegance with which he dissects each “familiar” story, I won’t complain too much.
While simply my opinion, the best part of Korpman’s work comes on the topic of doubt. In my mind, faith cannot exist in certainty. This, of course, means doubt, in being antithetical to certainty, is a key part of any faith or faith journey. Korpman, speaking to the Christian-subculture at large, articulates it this way: “It is an unavoidable truth that we inhabit a post-modern and post-certain world, and many churches desperately as such find themselves fighting the forces of skepticism and doubt. Yet, this is a losing battle. For no matter how much one tells you to believe, doubt will not magically disappear unless one is intellectually dishonest.” The intellectual dishonesty he speaks of frames the entire book, as being honest with ourselves and what we as humans know to be good and true is exactly what Korpman hopes will result in our radically saying no to God.
— Niq Ruud, niqruud.com/remarks
August 28, 2020
I've met two Seventh-Day Adventists over the past year whose ability to think critically in the light of both scripture and their personal devotion to the way of Jesus has impressed me deeply. One of them is Matthew Korpman. Matthew's new book, Saying No to God: A Radical Approach to Reading the Bible Faithfully, is a brilliant theological work that exudes the spirit of Jacob on every page. If, like Jacob, you are prepared to wrestle with God through the night, laying your most cherished notions of Biblical authority on the line, then you should read Matthew's book, for it will challenge and enlarge your current way of thinking. At the same time, I should also point out that if you hold the Divine Command Theory of biblical interpretation to be sacrosanct, then you might end up walking away from your reading with a bit of a limp. Saying No to God packs a pretty heavy theological punch, so don't come back to me saying I didn't warn you.
September 19, 2020
Read the book in anticipation of a conversation with the author on the Failed Kingdoms vodcast.
The book takes a novel approach to dealing with difficult texts in the Bible which I didn't ultimately find persuasive but which nevertheless raised a lot of interesting questions which were worth working through. Korpman's hermeneutic is built on a handful of biblical texts where God appears to state something incorrect to provoke a response from a hearer. He then expands this idea to argue that the Bible may be full of incorrect information which is not corrected in context because God desires that we wrestle with the text to come to a better view of God than the text itself may present.
I think the author takes a few exegetical shortcuts, which should become apparent if you read along with your Bible open, but I would encourage you to read with an open mind and ponder what these fascinating texts might be telling us about God.
The book takes a novel approach to dealing with difficult texts in the Bible which I didn't ultimately find persuasive but which nevertheless raised a lot of interesting questions which were worth working through. Korpman's hermeneutic is built on a handful of biblical texts where God appears to state something incorrect to provoke a response from a hearer. He then expands this idea to argue that the Bible may be full of incorrect information which is not corrected in context because God desires that we wrestle with the text to come to a better view of God than the text itself may present.
I think the author takes a few exegetical shortcuts, which should become apparent if you read along with your Bible open, but I would encourage you to read with an open mind and ponder what these fascinating texts might be telling us about God.
January 11, 2022
Brilliant and necessary. Saying no to God is not just permissible according to Scripture, it’s required. In the second half of the book, Korpman arrives to a number of theological conclusions which I thought were really well-thought out and explained, and for the most part, I agreed with. Because of their unorthodox nature, however, many people may disagree with them. But it’s the foundation that counts, even if you don’t arrive at the same place. It’s working through difficult texts that contradict God’s character that matters most and will ultimately bring us into a beautiful relationship with Him. One that isn’t based on blind obedience but a true understanding of who He is, and will make us ready to say no when His words and actions don’t align with who that is. Please don’t pass up on reading this.
September 19, 2022
Eye opening
If you want to stay in the comfortable bubble of conservative and traditional religion, this book is not for you. Matthew Korpman challenges some long held beliefs and encourages the reader to wrestle with and say no to God even when it appears to contradict the Bible. A must read for those seeking the heart of God in a modern world.
If you want to stay in the comfortable bubble of conservative and traditional religion, this book is not for you. Matthew Korpman challenges some long held beliefs and encourages the reader to wrestle with and say no to God even when it appears to contradict the Bible. A must read for those seeking the heart of God in a modern world.
May 21, 2020
Everyone Needs This
It's been a while since I've read a book that has left me speechless and changed. This is the book. Every believer needs to read this. You will grow. You will be changed. Just the Word we need to hear.
It's been a while since I've read a book that has left me speechless and changed. This is the book. Every believer needs to read this. You will grow. You will be changed. Just the Word we need to hear.
February 23, 2022
Excellent challenge to the age-old ideas we comfort ourselves about God.
Korpman offers a non-exhaustive whistle-stop tour of the biblical so-called incongruences that we gloss over. He manages to help excavate into them granting a platform for a deeper perspective of God.
Korpman offers a non-exhaustive whistle-stop tour of the biblical so-called incongruences that we gloss over. He manages to help excavate into them granting a platform for a deeper perspective of God.
March 19, 2020
Good book
Really good book challenging but thought provoking. It opened up a whole new world of research for me. I would recommend
Really good book challenging but thought provoking. It opened up a whole new world of research for me. I would recommend
December 14, 2020
Food for thought
This book’s content will not leave you indifferent for sure! A lot to digest! Let it sink, challenging topics are harder to swallow! Congrats to the author
This book’s content will not leave you indifferent for sure! A lot to digest! Let it sink, challenging topics are harder to swallow! Congrats to the author
December 7, 2020
Can (and should) Christians ever say "No!" to God?
In this work of "pyrotheology," Matthew Korpman suggests that faithfulness to the character of God made known in, through, and as Jesus of Nazareth requires the answer, "Yes!" Christians who are looking for simplistic affirmations of biblical authority or who believe that Scripture has little to do with moral formation in the Gospel are bound to be disappointed. But for almost anyone who longs to become a friend of God in this fraught time, Korpman has a timely word.
My favourite chapters are about bibliolatry and rejecting homophobia. It's a cool thing to read a book written by a married, straight, Adventist theologian that confirms and nuances many of the conclusions I have reached in my own academic study and relationship with God as a queer Pentecostal--even down to the Scriptural passages under consideration! Korpman writes in an accessible style that--in my view--never made me feel unintelligent or unfaithful. He is vulnerable and appropriate when he shares his own journey, and the times when he believes he has been motivated more by being right than by the Spirit of Christ.
Matthew is my friend and gave me a PDF copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. It was my delight to do so, and I recommend this book highly as one way in to further serious thinking about Jesus and the Bible in today's complicated world.
In this work of "pyrotheology," Matthew Korpman suggests that faithfulness to the character of God made known in, through, and as Jesus of Nazareth requires the answer, "Yes!" Christians who are looking for simplistic affirmations of biblical authority or who believe that Scripture has little to do with moral formation in the Gospel are bound to be disappointed. But for almost anyone who longs to become a friend of God in this fraught time, Korpman has a timely word.
My favourite chapters are about bibliolatry and rejecting homophobia. It's a cool thing to read a book written by a married, straight, Adventist theologian that confirms and nuances many of the conclusions I have reached in my own academic study and relationship with God as a queer Pentecostal--even down to the Scriptural passages under consideration! Korpman writes in an accessible style that--in my view--never made me feel unintelligent or unfaithful. He is vulnerable and appropriate when he shares his own journey, and the times when he believes he has been motivated more by being right than by the Spirit of Christ.
Matthew is my friend and gave me a PDF copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. It was my delight to do so, and I recommend this book highly as one way in to further serious thinking about Jesus and the Bible in today's complicated world.
January 6, 2020
An amazing journey with many twists and turns. Not for the faint of heart! Be prepared to wrestle with God and Scripture. I’m looking forward to reading through this a second time.
July 24, 2021
The grounding of this book is really good. The exposition of wrestling passages is excellent. The assumption that, as we wrestle with the Bible, we are not going to lose (or SEEKING to lose) isn’t.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews