God: A Biography

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Summary: Engrossing with a wonderful feel
Review: Made me feel good about a very personal subject. I really feel much more aware and knowledgable about religion. Eye opener.

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Summary: This is one of the finest books I have ever read.
Review: Though-provoking... incredibly well-researached... non-judgemental... beautifully written for the the layman. I recommend it for anyone with a hunger for knowledge and new points of view.

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Summary: Fascinating look at God as a character in a book.
Review: This volume looks at the Hebrew Bible as a book with God as its protagonist and comments on character development as the story unfolds. It is not a book for the light-hearted, either religious or academic. It is a difficult volume that requires a certain level of sophistication in literay review and Judeo Christian history. It also requires endurance. The author chose to examine the storyline of the Hebrew Bible in which the order of the books is laid out differently from Bibles containing both the Old and the New Testaments. Although rich in insight, perspective and novelty, this Pultizer Prize winning work has a tremendous flaw. The author, in his discussion of the book of Job and Gods and Jobs experience with one another, fails to cite Carl Jung as a commentator while obviously being aware of Jung and ultimately reaching Jungs conclusion. How Jungs perspective cannot be mentioned in this volume is both academically and historically disingenuous. Also, the aut! hor chooses to end his biography of God with the end of the Hebrew Bible, as though God, the character, had no further development. I recommend this book because of wealth of information included, but I strongly recommend that it be read in conjunction with Carl Jung¹s Answer to Job (1952) - and for the really studious, along with Edward Edingers Transformation of the God Image ‹ An Elucidation of Jung¹s Answer to Job.

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Summary: A fecund harvest of insights
Review: One need not accept all, or indeed any, of Jack Miles' conclusion to derive enormous benefit from just thinking about the issues he raises. In this scholarly yet approachable book, Miles surveys the development of God's nature and character as it unfolds in the Hebrew Bible. Each of the many distinct personalities that one finds in the Bible's protagonist is held up and examined, using the metaphor of literary character development to fuel the narrative. Of particular interest to me is the interpretation of the story of Job. In Miles' view, the opening verses portray Satan as tempting God, while the closing confrontation between Job and God serves to demonstrate that might, even the might of God, does not make right. In the end, it is Job's integrity and courage that enable God to overcome the temptation. This is just an example of the kind of thought-provoking insights that are strewn throughout this book to richly reward anyone who approaches the thesis with an open mind.

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Summary: Thought provoking.
Review: My definition of a good book is one that includes information, mental stimulation and reason to re-think old positions. As a Catholic, I have had little occasion to study the bible, particularly the Old Testament and therefore had little interest or need of it. But this book has provided me with the impetus to look at an old subject in a new way. Miles gives us God as a historical personality evolving in his relationship with his creation and shaping the destiny of mankind with his insights into his personal development. From physical creator, to lawgiver, to parental figure, to confidant, to the silent omnipotent of the universe. A compelling look at the story of God.

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Summary: Wonderful massage for the brain
Review: I loved this book. It was like a breath of fresh air into the dusty world of theology. If this is the kind of material you like, check out the even more astonishing "THE Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years" by Richard G. Patton. Patton reveals the living , breathing human being that was Jesus and Miles reveals his 'Dad'. The two of these would be the perfect present for anyone wondering if there is anything beyond what the scriptures have already told us!

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Summary: One to read and think about.
Review: I liked this book from the standpoint that it caused me to think about things. Not being a biblical scholar or theologian, I tried to relate as a human with some reasonable religious training (albeit one dimensional). The book was readable and thought provoking. It prompted me to analyze things and satisfy myself as to the significance of God in my life. Can you ask much more of a book?

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Summary: Discussion and Debate
Review: This book has engendered tremendous controversy. Is the author the devil incarnate? Or has he simply touched upon a nerve that has made us uncomfortable? To consider God as an entity, one which needs us more than we need it, is an intriguing concept. To join our book discussion group for a hearty debate email [e-mail] or visit my website at http://www.spelvin.com

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Summary: Wrong Again!
Review: This book, written by someone who is definitely not a fundamentalist, appears at first to be written by a super-fundamentalist. The book portrays God as being exactly as the words in the Old Testament describe Him. Almost no one alive today would seriously follow such a being as described. The blatant contraditions in attitude, judgment, concern, etc. would repel people today. Miles tries hard to salvage this being by picturing Him as growing (evolving?)into something more friendly as time advances. This growing being we then can warm up to. The usual defense of the Biblical description of God puts the growing (evolving)on the insights of the human authors of the various books rather than the object of their descriptions. This defense tends to take the sting out of the unflattering descriptions of God, such as the BAN etc. Perhaps Miles wants to force rabid fundamentalists into a corner by outlining lethal objections to their concept of the Biblical God.... Perhaps Miles just wanted to write an interesting book from a literary perspective, without making any personal judgments about God.... Perhaps he just wanted to prod people like me (a religion teacher)to reexamine my basics again.... At the very least, Miles, who definitely has the right credentials, has written a book that will generate much theological discussion (and prayer).

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Summary: excellent...worthy of the Pulitzer Prize
Review: This book will have you believing that the G-d of the Hebrew Bible is exactly what and who he says he is (or was). What he is becoming is another question....Perhaps the Hebrew Bible is the autobiography of G-d, after all. At least, in the sense that no autobiography is completely accurate. (My apologies to fundamentalists.