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Summary: What It Means To Know God
Review: "How do I relate to a God who is invisible when I'm never quite sure he's there," Philip Yancey asks.One of my favorite things about this man is that he shows no fear in asking the tough questions that many in Christian circles would prefer to pretend were non-existant. The enigma of how physical beings can know a spiritual God is one that has plagued humankind since the fall of Adam. In life's most difficult moments God more often than not still remains silent and apart. Why does this happen? Is this normal, and does the fact that I feel so distant mean that there's something missing in my relationship with Him? These are some of the hard questions that Yancey tackles in REACHING FOR THE INVISIBLE GOD. Some of the material here was reminiscent of DISAPPOINTMENT WITH GOD, since both deal with faith in the midst of hardship. But here Yancey elaborates and breaks new ground, emphasizing the journey and nature of a maturing faith in God. Perhaps the most helpful thing for me about this book was how he dealt with that questions of "feeling" and intimacy, on a personal level. Most Christians usually have at least one "mountain top" experience in their life where they feel a deep sense of God and His love. But those feelings always fade and eventually the mountain top gives way to hills and valleys. Yet for some reason we tend believe that a person who is walking closely with God will also FEEL close to Him. And when we lose that feeling and live without it for some time questions can arise; especially in times of crisis. Yancey carefully peels back those misconceptions and replaces them with a realistic picture of what it truely means to know and walk with our unseen God. His words shatter the myth of feelings and I found an incredible sense of renewal and freedom, knowing that what I was feeling, or not feeling, was in no way abnormal or wrong. In a modern culture of Christianity that too often emphasizes emotions, here is a book that will tear away the false conceptions and breathe life back into those who may be disillusioned. Here you will find insight and answers about the nature of God, man, and what true faith on our part consists of. While WHAT'S SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE continues to be Yancey's high water mark, REACHING FOR THE INVISIBLE GOD is a powerful work that once again showcase's his incredible ability to summarize and present the profound in ways that anyone can understand and absorb. Five Stars.
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Summary: Yancey does it again!!
Review: As always, Philip Yancey brings us a book that is so down-to-earth and human that it is irresistable. A great book, well worth the time and money. Sure to bring joy and refreshment for anyone's spirit.
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Summary: A marshwiggle is a comfort in the underworld.
Review: As usual, Yancey provides his readers with searching questions, wise insights, great quotes (maybe too many), doubts that help the believer get in touch with the skeptic and the skeptic with the believer inside each of us, and scrupulous honesty. A literary non-Christian, or anyone flaling about looking for God, might find a great deal of help here: there's some rich stuff in this book, and I appreciate Yancey's willingness to verbalize his doubts. I think Yancey's writing as a whole may have been strongest when he was teamed with Paul Brand, however. Perhaps his restless, questioning thoughts needs to be steadied in profession, place, or outward-oriented study. The quotations and examples in this book seem at times like sand joined with too little mortar. A little more passion, and a little less introspection, might lend his writing more continuity. As it is, the parts seem greater than the whole. At one point Yancey reports how God seemed to speak to him ("to my great surprise") and tell him to "Question your doubts as much as your faith" "Allow the good to penetrate as deeply as the bad" and "find something that allows you to feel God's pleasure," among other things. This book seems to represent a continuing struggle towards a realization of these truths on Yancey's part. If you don't understand the title of this review, read C. S. Lewis' Silver Chair. (Which you should read, anyway.)
Rating: 
Summary: Reaching for the non existent God
Review: As with "Disappointment with God" Yancey does an excellent job of describing the trials, emotional doubts and frustrations of being a Christian. It's a breath of fresh air to the platitudes such as "just pray harder" that are thrown out at people who struggle with their faith. Several reviewers have stated that Yancey offers no easy answers. I would go one step further and say he offers no answers at all. When you distill his thoughts down, it still seems to boil down to "have faith and God will make it right in the end".
It some how seems difficult to fathom a God who creates an intricate and complex universe, which can nevertheless be gradually studied and understood, yet the relationship this God has with humanity is as tortured,confused and unclear as it was 2,000 years ago. It seems that far better men and women than me have tried to get to know God and failed. Maybe we're chasing the unknowable or the non existent.
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Summary: A fellow pilgrim shares his experiences
Review: Faith is not easy when it concerns trying to believe in something or someone whom you are never completely certain is really there. Through stories, illustrations, reflections, and biblical investigation, this book works through some of the problems and solutions Yancey and others have found in trying to come to grips with a real, lasting Christian faith. This is not a book of systematic theology or one that struggles with the thorny issues of textual criticism or canonization. Yancey is aware of these problematic areas, but purposefully limits his work to a Christian's existential angst involved in a life of belief, doubt, and faith in God. My favorite illustration was Yancey's driving down the Colorado highway at night; out of the blackness he suddenly saw Pike's Peak off in the distance as fireworks lit up the mountain. Pike's Peak had always been there, but the fireworks made the invisible become visible. Yancey draws the parallel with the spiritual world, citing the Genesis account of Jacob's encounter with God at Bethel, exclaiming afterwards that surely the presence of the Lord was in that place and he did not know it. So, too, the divine is present in our world - yet we often don't detect it. Don't expect an orderly, confident chapter-to-chapter traducing of religious doubt. This book is a meandering musing on faith, an honest conversation from someone who claims no more than that he is a fellow pilgrim making a spiritual journey.
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Summary: Addressing the Real Issues of the Christian Life
Review: I am not surprised that some find this book hard to accept. Many writers seem to think it necessary to market Christ. Yancey tells it like it is - the every day struggles to follow Christ in a world where things don't work out the way we expect. So many Christians do well when life is smooth, health is good, and the economy is booming. The reality is that jobs are lost, health fails, kids rebel, friends and loved ones die. Yancey is not afraid to face the real issues and ask the tough questions. I have been blessed by several of his books - The Jesus I Never Knew, What's so Amazing About Grace, but this book really challenged me. If you don't want to face reality, skip this one, but if you want to really live for God in the real world, get it and be prepared to spend some time on your knees with God. It will force you to dig the foundations of your faith deeper and allow you to weather the storm that is coming in your life. I seldom have time to read a book more than once, but I read this one a second time and it was even better the second time around.
Rating: 
Summary: What am I missing?
Review: I bought this book on the strength of the recommendations posted to this site. I cannot believe the high ratings this book received. Its premises can be summarized in about two sentences. You may as well have faith in spite of pain, suffering and the injustices in the world because that beats not having faith. Secondly, as it becomes more and more difficult to justify your faith as you get older, that should be viewed in a positive, invigorating way. Give me a break. There is almost nothing here regarding an even elementary philosophical basis for the author's position. It's pretty much "This is how I deal with faith in a world filled with pain and suffering and an invisible God that appears not to respond to anyone's prayers." Where is this author coming from? Look elsewhere for even a beginning scholarly discussion of these difficult issues.
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Summary: Beliefs in a Book
Review: I found Reaching for the Invisible God to be more uplifting then most Scriptures I read. The book is appealing because of the stories, words, and overall message that it gives. I truly believe there would be more people growing in faith if the church sermon quoted pages from faith books rather than scripture. Don't get me wrong, I am a devout Catholic and am for homilys and readings at church service. But, for me I have a hard time understanding scripture, I have a hard time praying prayers that do not make sense for me. I have read several faith and spiritual books, these books have brought me to the level of faith that I am at, unfortunately not the church. Philip Yancey speaks of God in terms that are for todays humans. This is the first book by him that I have read and am looking forward to reading others. I hope that he reads his reviews. My favorite books have been The Road Less Traveled and Hinds Feet. I now will add this one to my top list. God Bless.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Buy This Book
Review: I hate when non-Christians attack Christian books and claim to have read them. This isn't one of those cases. I am a sincere Christian who loves half of what Yancey writes and finds the other half to be somewhat forced. I bought this book with lots of anticipation. I loved the title and was eager to explore its contents. After several weeks, I was only able to make it halfway through the book. Boredom stopped me in my tracks. Not one of Yancey's best efforts. I'm not trying to be mean, rather, just want to give the purchaser a true observation. Don't get me wrong, two of Yancey's books are SPECTACULAR. Those would be "The Jesus I Never Knew" (Which I consider to be the best book ever written) and "Disappointment with God" (Which also was spectacular). If you want a good book, read one of these two works of Yancey's. As for "Reaching the Invisible God," I wouldn't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Buy This Book
Review: I hate when non-Christians attack Christian books and claim to have read them. This isn't one of those cases. I am a sincere Christian who loves half of what Yancey writes and finds the other half to be somewhat forced. I bought this book with lots of anticipation. I loved the title and was eager to explore its contents. After several weeks, I was only able to make it halfway through the book. Boredom stopped me in my tracks. Not one of Yancey's best efforts. I'm not trying to be mean, rather, just want to give the purchaser a true observation. Don't get me wrong, two of Yancey's books are SPECTACULAR. Those would be "The Jesus I Never Knew" (Which I consider to be the best book ever written) and "Disappointment with God" (Which also was spectacular). If you want a good book, read one of these two works of Yancey's. As for "Reaching the Invisible God," I wouldn't buy it.
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