It has always been difficult for me to spend great lengths of time in prayer, and sometimes it’s been a cause of discouragement. On the other hand, God has graciously taught me about prayer and dependence on him throughout the day.
Randy recommends books and resources for those who are coping with grief and loss.
Note from Randy Alcorn: Most of this paper was written four and a half years ago, when The Shack had sold less than a half million copies. It has gone on to sell about eighteen million.
I’ve had no desire to step into controversy in a public discussion of The Shack. However, after years of silence, time has demonstrated that many people are indeed basing their theology on The Shack, and I am told the author has a forthcoming book about its underlying theology. For a variety of reasons, including my hope for further interaction with the author and my desire to not be part of another controversy (I’ve been in my share), I originally decided not to publish this or post it online. When people asked me about it, I told them they could request this unpublished paper.
It now seems appropriate to finally post an updated version of what I wrote years ago, since I still receive so many questions about the book.
What books would you recommend for a young adult who has been questioning his faith and is just beginning to take his faith seriously?
I work with an agnostic. I've shared my faith with her in a very nonconfrontational way for two years now. She's very quick to shoosh me, so I witness more in the gift of mercy and hospitality and less in prophet! Do you have a recommendation for a book that I could give her? She loves history and has a very inquisitive mind. She asks me questions quite often about the Christian "religion." She always has an audio book going in her car and at her desk, so audio would be ideal.
I hear good things about G.K. Beale’s The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism: Responding to New Challenges to Biblical Authority, and I like other things he's done. There's one by Charles Ryrie titled What You Should Know about Inerrancy that's older than Norman Geisler's book Inerrancy. There’s also a really old one on biblical authority by B.B. Warfield, Inspiration and Authority of the Bible, which was a classic in its day. There's a video series by R.C. Sproul called Hath God Said? The Evangelical Theological Society (www.etsjets.org) believes ...
Your son desperately needs your help now. He simply can't do this on his own. I highly recommend making an appointment with a Christian counselor immediately.
Recommended books and resources for those who are grieving, and advice for those who want to give comfort.
Stein on Writing by Sol Stein
Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King
Scene & Structure (How to Construct Fiction with Scene by Scene Flow, Logic and Readability) by Bickman
The Complete Guide to Writing and Selling the Christian Novel by Penelope Stokes
How to Grow a Novel by Sol Stein
Show, Don’t Tell by William Noble
Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams and Gregory Colomb
Make Your Own Words Work by Gary Provost
The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes by Jack M. Bickham
On Writing Well by ...
If God Is Good ...
Partial Annotated Bibliography
I research extensively and love doing it. While what follows isn’t comprehensive, it does contain many of the books I read while working on If God is Good. With a few exceptions, including Bart Ehrman’s book God’s Problem, I didn’t include writings by atheists or other books I wouldn’t recommend. I did cite several books containing much I don’t believe, including those promoting Open Theism. But most of the books I’ve cited here are ones which I found to be at least somewhat good, helpful, and interesting. A number of them are excellent. —Randy Alcorn
Partial Annotated Bibliography
I research extensively and love doing it. While what follows isn’t comprehensive, it does contain many of the books I read while working on If God is Good. With a few exceptions, including Bart Ehrman’s book God’s Problem, I didn’t include writings by atheists or other books I wouldn’t recommend. I did cite several books containing much I don’t believe, including those promoting Open Theism. But most of the books I’ve cited here are ones which I found to be at least somewhat good, helpful, and interesting. A number of them are excellent. —Randy Alcorn
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