Is God Fair? What About Gandhi?

Michael Riley and James William
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781456757090
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (9/11)


Despite its almost witty title, “Is God Fair? What About Gandhi?” by Michael Riley and James William, this is a serious, scholarly biblical book, relying heavily on thorough, in-depth study. The question of God’s fairness is interlaced with the co-authors stated primary purpose of the book which is “…to give the reader credible reasons to change his or her beliefs about God’s ultimate plan for the destiny of all mankind.” Specifically, they focus on the validity of the concept of eternal damnation, which the authors contend is “…a teaching we have received most, if not all of our lives.”

To achieve their stated purpose, Riley and William extensively examine the negative impact that the “Augustinian-saturated gospel” of hell fire and eternal damnation had on Christianity in the West. They explore four aspects of Augustinian theology: poor translations; the lack of logic; the lack of consistency, and the “Sons of Thunder” mentality of those believers “who would inflict violence on others who disagree with them.” The authors contend that “Sons of Thunder” thinking permeates the minds of many Christians today.

Most biblical scholars agree that the shift away from the gospel’s message of grace and peace as opposed to fear and eternal damnation for all but a few, began with the Roman Empire. The desire of the Emperors to control their subjects through fear and the willingness of power, seeking church leaders to collaborate with them, resulted in the abandonment of the grace and peace gospel.

“Is God Fair? What About Gandhi?” is well written, clear and emphatic. Less scholarly readers might prefer a somewhat condensed treatment, but the thoroughness of the book’s content contributes to a strong sense of completeness and leaves little of significance to wonder about. It should be noted that Michael Riley and James William are laymen. They have a pleasant, conversational writing style and effectively lighten their subject appropriately with a sprinkle of thought-provoking humor. Since they effectively speak for no particular denomination, I highly recommend their book to all Christians.

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