Author: Philip Yancey
Publisher: Convergent Books
Publication Date: October 21,2021
Length: 320 Pages
About the Author
Philip Yancey is the author of over thirty books. His books have garnered thirteen Gold Medalion Book awards from Christian publishers and booksellers.
"I'm a pilgrim, still 'in recovery' from a bad church upbringing, searching for the possibility of a faith rooted in grace instead of fear. I feel overwhelming gratitude that I can make a living writing about the questions that interest me."
Suffering and Grace
This book describes the harsh and turbulent upbringing that Philip Yancey and his brother Marshall experienced at the hands of their widowed, impoverished mother. The mother was a Bible teacher at work and a child abuser at home. The boys were victims of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse. They were indoctrinated with the extreme fundamentalist beliefs and culture of several Southern Baptist churches that they attended in Atlanta, Georgia. They were pressured into going to a fundamentalist Bible college after they graduated from high school.
The brothers both rebelled against their dysfunctional family life. Marshall rejected his Christian faith but Philip grew stronger in his faith. Philip found solace in reading, nature, and music. He explored questions about a God of love and grace and wrote about his feelings.
My Thoughts
This book gave me many things to think about. I am sure it was heart-wrenching for Mr. Yancey to go back and relive many of the difficult situations that he wrote about. His writing was brave and I believe he made an honest attempt to uncover the facts of his life as a child and young man.
The author pushed back hard against his mother and the Baptist Church. However, I would not call it "mother-bashing" or "church bashing". He was seeking the truth and I think he found it.
There's an old saying in Texas; "You got to rise above your raisin!". This is exactly what Philip Yancey has done. He became the shining light in his family. He forgave his mother and made many attempts to heal the relationship between his mother and brother.
There are several incidents of animal abuse/neglect in this book that I found very disturbing. These incidents involved a kitten, two dogs, and seventeen box turtles. The experiences with the kitten and dogs took place when Philip was very young and had no control over the situations. I think he loved those animals and was traumatized by their deaths/abandonment. I won't comment about the turtles except to say I wish I could unread the words that described their demise.
This is the first book by Philip Yancey that I have read. I am adding some of his books to my reading list. I think this book will mean more to me after I am more familiar with his work. I highly recommend this book to readers who are fans of this author and anyone who wants to expand and grow their faith in Jesus Christ.
MY RATING: 4 STARS OUT OF 5
FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
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