Finding Hagar: God’s Pursuit of a Runaway

by Michael F. Kuhn, Bethany Giles (Illustrator)

Finding Hagar probes the relentless pursuit by the living God of a fugitive woman who falls outside the line of his chosen people. This pursuit ensures Hagar’s destiny by giving her an identity as one who is seen and known by God himself.Hagar’s story centers around a deeply personal dialogue with God concerning her past and her future, her story and her dreams; and while his promises are rooted in her reality, they also carry her forward to a new horizon of hope. Often recognized as one of the Bible’s most powerful stories of God’s love, which is always undeserved and unmerited, this book is a reminder of God’s abundant grace towards all people at a time when there is much division and animosity towards the descendants of Hagar. As we witness major displacement of peoples around the world, the story of Hagar – of God’s encounter with a displaced and oppressed woman – inspires hope and purpose for today’s fractured global community.

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2019

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Amber Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional...quick but profound read!

[Leoma Gilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Hagar was a much easier read than I expected. Knowing the author, I was afraid it would be heavy theology, but it wasn't at all. As someone who has lived for many years in the Middle East, he knows about the culture and languages. This book helped me have a new appreciation for Hagar and how God met her in the difficult times of her life. These meetings changed her view of herself and made her a much stronger and better person. It is a very encouraging book.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and eye-opening look at a character often overlooked and dismissed as unimportant. The author offers keen insights and solid historical and Biblically-based evidences to approach the story through a new lens more in line with the culture of that time and region. Even challenging the reader to introspect and see the Hagar in us, as well as the Hagars around us that we often fail the recognize.

[Patty Hagar · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was gifted to me because of my last name, I presume, but without much additional thought. As a liberal, feminist, pro-education, secular, inclusive, woke-ass agnostic… this is simply an awful justification of slavery, rape, Jesus-washing, and trust in the idiocy of blind faith.

[Rose Lindquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story with so much more meaningful insight given by the author as he delved into historical context and explained deeper meaning of God’s redemptive love for Hagar and her son.

[Stephen Woodworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Kuhn is a colleague of mine at the International Theological Education Network (ITEN). He and his family spent close to 30 years as missionaries in the middle east (Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon). He is fluent in Arabic and completed his PhD studies in research on early Christian apologists in the Arab world. The book is a fairly quick read (perhaps my only negative critique was the brevity, I just wanted more), that ties together some whimsical/imaginative story telling and deep, biblical exegesis. Mike's knowledge of the culture, language, and history of the story of Hagar transforms the ancient story into one you can grasp with both hands. In the process he challenges long-held views of Hagar and Ishmael and presents an opportunity for readers (especially Western readers) to rethink the narrative in light of the gospel of a God who shows his grace to the outsider.