Rating: 
Summary: Good book but one bad analogy
Review: Dr. Sproul offers us insight and sheds light on the often neglected subject of holiness. However, his comparison of Christ with Lennie from "Of Mice and Men" is ironically irreverent and disturbing. Lennie kills out of fear and lack of knowledge - neither love nor holiness motivates him. Christ figures abound in American literature. What compelled RC Sproul to use this one? Otherwise, The Holiness of God reads well.
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Summary: The Trauma of Holiness
Review: Few Christians today contemplate what it means for God to be holy. We take it for granted and pay lip service to it but seldom does it lead us to the kind of self reflection that caused Luther to freeze in holy terror during his first mass following his ordination. Sproul quotes Luther's reflection on the event:[At these words I was utterly stupefied and terror-stricken. I thought to myself, "With what tongue shall I address such majesty, seeing that all men ought to tremble in the presence of even an earthly prince? Who am I, that I should lift up mine eyes or raise my hands to the divine Majesty? The angels surround him. At his nod the earth trembles. And shall I, a miserable little pygmy, say 'I want this, I ask for that'? For I am dust and ashes and full of sin and I am speaking to the living, eternal and the true God."] As Sproul so masterfully illustrates, this is our natural reaction, to shrink away in shame and terror when we have truly been in the presence of God, just as all of the Old and New Testament saints did when they became aware of the otherworldly presence of God. This is because the perfection of God's character acts as a mirror so that when we see the true standard of righteousness, our own righteousness is revealed to be filthy rags. Like when Isaiah despairs in his vision of the exalted throne of God: "Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." For those really wanting to grow in their understanding of God's true character, Sproul's classic work, "The Holiness of God" is one of the best places to start. He gives us an insight into why we are both attracted, yet repulsed by the holiness of God. These are truths which must be recovered if the church is ever to have true reformation and revival in our post-modern, post-Christian age.
Rating:
Summary: Required reading
Review: For those who are looking for a book which will give them warm fuzzies of God and his relationship with man, this is not it! This book acurately describes the holiness and sovereignty of God in a way which no doubt, many modern readers may find troubling. Man's response is now (as it has always been) either one of hatred to this infinitely holy and sovereign God, or one of adoration. soli Deo gloria!
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring
Review: God is Holy and worthy of worship. This is the theme of this book. Dr. Sproul paints with words. After reading this book you will come away with a feeling of awe towards our Holy God.
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Summary: Dr. R.C. Sproul's Masterwork!
Review: I had always enjoyed the works of Dr. Sproul, and was studying the holiness of God, so naturally the book looked good to me. What I read impacted my life profoundly. Dr. Sproul approached the holiness of God in the right way, the way Isaiah did, with awe and utter disdain for man's sinfulness. Thanks to this book, I have a renewed passion for the holiness of God and I will never be the same again. Thank you, Dr. Sproul, for this wonderful and God-honouring treatment of this immense subject!
Rating:
Summary: The Holiness of God
Review: I have often wondered what Paul was talking about when he spoke of the "Meat of God's Word". I am convinced that the "Meat" can not be seperated for God's Holiness. It is therefore incumbent on us as Christians to understand God's Holiness. This is life long pursuit, but R.C. has made the quest much easier. Thank you R.C. Sproul
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Summary: One of the most moving and thought-provoking books of truth.
Review: I received this book for Christmas from my mother in law. I began reading it that evening and could not put it down. The truth that Sproul speaks of concerning the Holiness of God taught me more about God's character and sent me straight to the Bible. Every word was not only biblical, but almost frightening. God's Holiness is not something that is "comfortable" for even the bravest of Christians to come face to face with. I highly encourage every believer to read this and find a new reverence for our holy Lord.
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Summary: wow... holy holy holy is the LORD
Review: i was afraid that my friends had over-hyped this book to me so much that i would be disappointed, but not one bit. this book was amazing, and the way Sproul writes is almost like a conversation: it's engaging and friendly. stylistically, it's very well written, but the content, wow even better...
there's 2 concepts of God that we must keep in balance, God's ultimate transcendence and yet His personal intimacy with us. it seems like today's culture has gotten the intimacy part down, but it comes at the cost of God's transcendence. this book helped me tremendously in putting my view of God way back up where it should be. if we don't view God as holy and infinite and righteous and even wrathful, we don't view God at all, but only a god of our sinful imagination. it's only when we realize how holy God is and how detestable sin is to Him that we will begin to live lives that are holy because He is holy (1 peter 1:16). if we don't view God as holy, we won't live holy lives either. understanding God's holiness affects the way we live, the way we worship Him, and even affects our understanding of the cross. it should amaze us that a holy God would even consider dying a sinner's death to save us from our sins. this book has taught me so much and has inspired me to keep digging and stay fixed on the glory of our great God. i wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: I wanted to hate it, but...
Review: I was surprised to see this book in my local Catholic lending library, since RC Sproul is notorious for his anti-Catholic screeds. So, I checked out the book expecting to hate it, and to let my pastor know that it shouldn't be in the library. But, I didn't hate it. In fact, it's a pretty good book. Sproul does a very good job of emphasizing how important it is that God is Holy, and what that means for us.
There are, however, some legitimate grounds for criticism. First, the analogy about Lennie from "Of Mice and Men" being a Christ figure is odd, and actually bungled. Sproul tries to argue how Lennie is a Christ figure, and how this reveals God's holiness. However, at the very end of Chapter 4, he suddenly reverses himself and says that actually Lennie represents us, and the animals that Lennie kills represent Christ. Why lead us through this weak analogy, only to blow it apart?
Second, Sproul accepts uncritically much of the Protestant hagiography of Luther. His chapter "The Insanity of Luther" gives the impression of being heavily researched and footnoted, but if you check out the footnotes, your realize that Sproul has simply accepted the all-too-positive view of Roland Bainton, a 1950's biographer of Luther. In fact, all of his footnotes except two come from this one book. Only one of the others is from a primary source. If Sproul had conducted his own research into Luther, rather than just believing a single biographer, he would have found a man who likely was insane, but it was drunkenness and scrupulousness that drove Luther insane, not the holiness of God. Sproul makes it out as though Luther's delay at the Diet of Worms was for prayer. History has well documented that rather it was to conspire for his own "kidnapping." This kind of one-sidedness is inappropriate for a book that presents itself in such a scholarly way.
Finally, any Catholic who reads this book will simply see it as missing a great deal. Catholics are accustomed to kneeling in awe of God's holiness, especially in his presence in the Eucharist. I was left feeling sorry for Sproul that he doesn't understand the great and mysterious presentation of His Holiness that God has provided for us in his own body and blood.
Given those critiques, I really was touched by this book. It often lead me to prayer, and gave me overall a much more postive impression of Sproul than I had gained simply by reading his detractors.
Rating:
Summary: A One-Sitting Book
Review: I write this as a one-sitting book because it kept me turning the pages. Dr. Sproul is one of those authors who has a keen ability to communicate to the laymen (along with his unique sense of humor!) the wonderful truths of God.
People often talk about how God is love but seem to talk less about His holiness and justice. This book helps us dig deeper beyond the surface of what it means that God is holy. As a result it brings us into a deeper understanding of who God truly is, greater awe for His absolute holiness, and reverence in worship.
This book reminds me again that even our salvation (through Christ's propitiatory death) is an act of mercy and grace by God (not an obligation), since His absolute holiness demands only justice for sin. One of my favorite chapters has an intriguing title, "The Trauma of Holiness." Many other religions have invented god(s) who brought only comfort. Even Sigmund Freud espoused the theory that people invent God to help them deal with scary things, to serve as a "crutch" so-to-speak. But R. C. Sproul draws a contrast by demonstrating how the Christian's God has characteristics different than those that would normally be attributed by the common man. The true God possesses a uniqueness (an awesome "otherness"). For example, he uses the illustration when Jesus miraculously calmed the storm in the Sea of Galilee, His disciples felt uncomfortable and terrified (yes, terrified), because they realized that they in their sinfulness were in the presence of the Holy One. What a contrast to the popular man-made ideas of God invented only to bring comfort. This book helps us see the God who is--who not only brings comfort in time of need, invokes adoration and praise, but also in whose holy presence drives us to our knees in reverential worship.
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