Mini-Review: “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about God (But Were Afraid to Ask)” by Eric Metaxas

I met Eric Metaxas a few weeks ago when he was speaking at a gathering at the Harvard Club in Midtown Manhattan. Imagine what it must have been like for a Yale graduate to stoop to having to speak at the Harvard Club!

How can I best describe Eric Metaxas to the readers of the White Rhino Report? Two things come to mind that I can share that may encapsulate the man and the myth that is Eric Metaxas. Picture George Stephanopoulos with a sense of humor, and you are on your way toward being able to envision Eric. Picture a speaker at the epicenter of a flurry of good-natured heckling remarks from the audience – remarks dealing humorously with epistemology (not usually a knee-slapping topic!)– and you will begin to understand Eric.

Eric is a communicator who wields humor deftly – like a surgeon with a scalpel – to cut to the heart of serious matters. He has written for The New York Times, the Atlantic Monthly and the children’s video series, Veggie Tales. He has authored more than thirty children’s books, and hosts the acclaimed speakers’ series, “Socrates in the City.”

In his new book, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about God (But Were Afraid to Ask),” he does an excellent job of making complex spiritual issues both comprehensible and accessible. Using humor and a fast-moving Q&A format, he tackles in fresh ways many of the age-old questions about God, Jesus, religion, heaven and hell, angels and demons and a plethora of other pithy topics.

Eric and his editors wisely chose to format the book without using direct biblical quotations, but he provides the biblical references in the footnotes and appendix. He also leads readers who desire to dig more deeply into a question or a topic to other classic works of Christian apologetics (the art and science of defending one’s faith) and inspiration - by authors such as C.S. Lewis, John Stott, Josh McDowell, Os Guinness and Chuck Colson.

This book makes a very good starting point for anyone asking deep questions about faith and spirituality, and is a nice addition to the library of anyone who takes seriously the challenge to share their faith with those who are seeking.

I encourage you to visit Eric’s website: www.ericmetaxas.com


Enjoy.

Al