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Summary: For all the seekers of truth and the meaning of life.
Review: "God is all powerful"--a statement that confuses many people because way things are in the world seem to be the contrary. However, Sproul Jr. reminds us that God is almighty. And what seems to be a problem to God is not a problem to Him at all. There is no "problem of evil" with God! Rather, we are the ones with this problem of evil. So we reverntly ask God how strong He is, and we are comforted. This is what Sproul Jr. precisely does. He leads us in this reverent questioning, and ultimately leading us to bibical answers that surly comforts. Sproul Jr. hardly developes a theological argument that would answer all skeptics. Rather, much like a heart-warming sermon Sproul Jr. helps us to consider God for who He is. God who is truly and gloriously ALMIGHTY OVER ALL. For those wanting to critique reformed theology read something else. Say, Berkhof, Van Til, or Calvin. And for all those theology buffs, don't expect too much, just read it devotionally... and eat every word of it (I mean read it) as a dessert! =) But for all those who want to read a well written Christian book, this is one not to miss. Must read for all the Youth Groupers!
Rating: 
Summary: God the Father Absolutely Almighty Over All Finite Logic
Review: A persuasive, cogent defense of the historic, evangelical position of God's Omnipotence and Omnisovereignty. You can't have one without the other. Recent contemporary attempts to finitize or downgrade what God supposedly can or can't do or know (such as open theism's deity who cannot have meticulous, definite, exhaustive, in toto, micro/macro knowledge of future free actions without rendering their decisions involuntary) need to re-examine their processistic preconceptions and compare them with the competition for inherent plausibility and faithfulness to the biblical record. Also, downgrading one attribute of God such as Omniscience automatically affects other attributes (Omnipotence, Omnipathy, Omnipresence, Omniwisdom) and His Whole Person. 'Tweaking one tweaks all'. This book, in conjunction with Millard Erickson's God the Father Almighty,and Paul Helm's Eternal God, is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: God the Father Absolutely Almighty Over All Finite Logic
Review: A persuasive, cogent defense of the historic, evangelical position of God's Omnipotence and Omnisovereignty. You can't have one without the other. Recent contemporary attempts to finitize or downgrade what God supposedly can or can't do or know (such as open theism's deity who cannot have meticulous, definite, exhaustive, in toto, micro/macro knowledge of future free actions without rendering their decisions involuntary) need to re-examine their processistic preconceptions and compare them with the competition for inherent plausibility and faithfulness to the biblical record. Also, downgrading one attribute of God such as Omniscience automatically affects other attributes (Omnipotence, Omnipathy, Omnipresence, Omniwisdom) and His Whole Person. 'Tweaking one tweaks all'. This book, in conjunction with Millard Erickson's God the Father Almighty,and Paul Helm's Eternal God, is a must read!
Rating: 
Summary: A Disturbing Book that finds God Guilty of Sin!
Review: It has long been known that many Calvinists tip-toe over the issue of who's to blame for sin, but the fact remains that in their construct and theology, the blame for sin rests squarely upon God and God alone! Mr. Sproul Jr. makes this assertion in no uncertain terms in this horribly unbiblical book. At one point in the book he goes so far as to say that even burnt toast has been foreordained by God. I find that to be a little nutty. Sure, God could have a purpose for someone's toast burning, but all toast at all times? Further, Jr. goes so far as to lay the interjection of evil in the universe squarely at the feet of God. It was God's idea. His argument is such: God, as he contemplated the beauty of his attributes in eternity past became so enamored with the loveliness of his wrath that he put (I'm paraphrasing) iniquity into the devil and even caused Adam and Eve to fall from their original state of innocence so that he would have opportunity to display the perfection of his wrath before a watching universe so that he might receive glory from the objects of his mercy (the elect). Is this twisted or what? In my thinking this makes God to be the evil one and we know that that is not the case. This book does have value - it makes it crystal clear that Calvinism is a completely bankrupt theological system that cast doubt on the character of God! Not for the newly saved. Only those that know the Word of God should purchase such a book that has tremendous potential to undermine the faith of Christians!
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Summary: God's Sovereignty In Simple Terms
Review: RC Sproul Jr. as been blessed with a gift to write clearly for a popular audience much like his father. This work, Almighty Over All, takes a look at what God is almight over, and what he is not almighty over. As noted by the title, there isn't much that he is not sovereign over! RC even includes a section on God's sovereignty over "nothing," which is something (at least it is a noun!). Unlike others who might find Sproul's work to be "nutty" or simply "theologically bankrupt," RC does include many texts to indicate that his position is not simply taken out of fanciful imagination. Even if he is wrong, at least his case is initially plausible given the texts he provides. Now about the content of the work. RC's book is not very exegetical. Nor does it take into consideration a number of the more academic level responses to his position. If anything, this book would be a meditation book concerning the sovereignty of God rather than an indepth theological exposition. I take it that this work would be of good use for morning meditations. About the argumentation in the book. Though I agree with RC on eighty-five to ninety percent of his conclusions, sometimes his arguments for reaching those conclusions just don't seem to be the best arguments in my opinion. For instance, one area I was not convinced was concerning the simplicity of God. RC takes it that God is a simple being, and the proof for this was found in Deut 6:4. I take it that this alone is totally inconclusive on the matter and not a sufficient argument. Saying God is one does not follow to mean that God is a simple being. Isn't this rather a proof-text for monotheism? So, over all, I like what RC has to say, but just that his arguments in some places needs to be reworked. On the other hand, Sproul follows the Edwardsian account of the Fall. This was pleasing to see and I hope that more theologians likewise become consistent in their account and do the same. Nevertheless, my over-all assessment of Almight Over All is that it is a good book and would be a nice gift for either a new believer or someone with little theological training that wants to learn about the Reformed view of God's sovereignty; perhaps fitting for someone from the age of 13 and up.
Rating:
Summary: God's Sovereignty In Simple Terms
Review: RC Sproul Jr. as been blessed with a gift to write clearly for a popular audience much like his father. This work, Almighty Over All, takes a look at what God is almight over, and what he is not almighty over. As noted by the title, there isn't much that he is not sovereign over! RC even includes a section on God's sovereignty over "nothing," which is something (at least it is a noun!). Unlike others who might find Sproul's work to be "nutty" or simply "theologically bankrupt," RC does include many texts to indicate that his position is not simply taken out of fanciful imagination. Even if he is wrong, at least his case is initially plausible given the texts he provides. Now about the content of the work. RC's book is not very exegetical. Nor does it take into consideration a number of the more academic level responses to his position. If anything, this book would be a meditation book concerning the sovereignty of God rather than an indepth theological exposition. I take it that this work would be of good use for morning meditations. About the argumentation in the book. Though I agree with RC on eighty-five to ninety percent of his conclusions, sometimes his arguments for reaching those conclusions just don't seem to be the best arguments in my opinion. For instance, one area I was not convinced was concerning the simplicity of God. RC takes it that God is a simple being, and the proof for this was found in Deut 6:4. I take it that this alone is totally inconclusive on the matter and not a sufficient argument. Saying God is one does not follow to mean that God is a simple being. Isn't this rather a proof-text for monotheism? So, over all, I like what RC has to say, but just that his arguments in some places needs to be reworked. On the other hand, Sproul follows the Edwardsian account of the Fall. This was pleasing to see and I hope that more theologians likewise become consistent in their account and do the same. Nevertheless, my over-all assessment of Almight Over All is that it is a good book and would be a nice gift for either a new believer or someone with little theological training that wants to learn about the Reformed view of God's sovereignty; perhaps fitting for someone from the age of 13 and up.
Rating:
Summary: A uniform without a person
Review: The reading of R.C. Sproul's "Almighty Over All" (AOA) is a strange endeavor. I expected this book to shed light on the subject of God's sovereignty, and yet not much of that occurred. In its introduction, AOA asks the question, referring to God, "How strong is He?" Although this is an important subject 'within' the subject of sovereignty (God's sovereignty can only be achieved if sufficient strength exists), sovereignty doesn't equal strength. And yet AOA seems to fixate on this very idea. AOA offers: "As we discover the depths of his strength, we are better able to rest in his arms." p.15 But this doesn't follow. The fact of God's strength says nothing 'directly' about the confidence a believer can have in God. We have to know 'who' the person is who is strong before we can have trust in him. Satan is strong, but his strength isn't a warrant for trust. The character of God (who God is) and the strength of God (what He can do) together inform the subject of sovereignty. AOA builds its case for theological principles, such as strength and authority, however it neglects to build a case for the Person to whom these principles apply. Saying someone has control and authority doesn't say what He will do with that power, and that is the crux of the sovereignty issue. AOA turns to the subject of evil as a means of dealing with the subject of authority, with one of the most dubious arguments I have ever read. The argument is in essence: 1. All persons (God and humans) act according to their strongest inclinations. 2. If a person is good (in moral character), then his strongest inclination is to do good. 3. A person cannot act contrary to his strongest inclination. 4. In the beginning God created all things good. 5. Adam and Eve were created by God. 6. Adam and Eve were created good (in moral character). 7. Adam and Eve could not have had as their strongest inclination the desire to do evil. 8. God's strongest inclination is to glorify Himself (to glorify His attributes). 9. Wrath is an attribute of God. 10. To glorify His wrath, God changes Adam and Eve from good to evil. 11. Now with the strongest inclination to do evil, Adam and Eve disobey God and God's wrath can be poured out. 12. To glorify His justice, God condemns Adam and Eve and humanity to death. 13. To glorify His mercy, God sends His Son to save some of them. The reasoning here is just incredible: "Naturally, then, we're going to have a terribly difficult time trying to see the glory in his bringing to pass the fall. Nevertheless, we ought to see the glory. We ought to jump up and down praising God for his strength, that he alone has the power and authority to change the inclinations of moral agents." p. 58 We should praise God for what He has revealed that He Himself has done, not necessarily for what a theology speculates He is supposed to have done. We can praise the moral application of strength, but not an immoral application, thus the subject is much more than strength, power, and authority. Now above, the 'strongest inclination' argument is faulty. An inclination is a tendency toward some condition, not a necessity. A good person has a tendency toward doing good, but this does not mean that he lives according to sinless perfection. Also, the fact that God declares His creation to be 'good' doesn't necessarily mean that Adam and Eve were morally perfect. In other words, being created with a moral conscience doesn't mean that the person will live according to that conscience. God certainly can influence the evil person to perform a particular evil act (in other words, working within the lifestyle the person already has), however this is vastly different from God actually changing a person from good to evil (James 1:13-14). AOA's theological speculation is tragic, for we have a God who is actually, in effect, injecting humanity with evil for some perverse means of pleasing Himself. How in the world could this be a foundation for trust? But more importantly this idea is merely speculation, for it's not offered in the bible (a scarcity in AOA). AOA continues: "We make the mistake of trying to mold God in our image when we try to make him be anything other than consumed with his glory." p. 106 Actually, the opposite is true. God is reduced to being in the mold of our image by the insistence that He is self-absorbed. Again, In AOA, there is no attempt to develop a character profile of God. Any theology which seeks to describe God has to derive its data from the life of Christ, for He reveals the Father: Mark 1:40-42 And a leper came to Him, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 And moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand, and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." 42 And immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. We have a relational context between Christ and a person. How exactly can any argument be made as to what God will or will not do if there is no study of what He has done, no character analysis of who He is? How can any argument be made that God would change a good person into an evil person for self-gratification, if we don't even know if He is the type of Person who would do this? How can we argue that the relational personality of the Son would somehow be different from that of the Father? It isn't. It's interesting that at one point AOA offers the following: "Beware of trying to read God's mind." p. 94 If only AOA followed its own advice.
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Summary: For all the seekers of truth and the meaning of life.
Review: This book clearly puts life into perspective by making clear the basic truths of the most important thing in life THE ALMIGHTY GOD. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Blown Away!
Review: With all the rampant "spiritual" sentimentalism and cushy ideas of God being propagated by sissified sermonetting sirens, Sprouls book, Almighty Over All, at once describes and defends the true nature and character of the Creator. The biblical account of who God is has been lost today by those seeking to dumb him down and make him "accessible" to the masses. Sproul's book corrects this idiocy by faithfully describing God as God desribed himself--in the Holy Scriptures. Read this book. Read and bow.
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Summary: A Most Excellent Book on Predestination
Review: With all the rampant "spiritual" sentimentalism and cushy ideas of God being propagated by sissified sermonetting sirens, Sprouls book, Almighty Over All, at once describes and defends the true nature and character of the Creator. The biblical account of who God is has been lost today by those seeking to dumb him down and make him "accessible" to the masses. Sproul's book corrects this idiocy by faithfully describing God as God desribed himself--in the Holy Scriptures. Read this book. Read and bow.
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