Reviewed by: Hope Bolinger, a Professional Writing student at Taylor University in Upland, IN

Introduction

Title: God Over Good: Saving Your Faith by Losing Your Expectations of God

Author: Luke Norsworthy

Publisher: Baker Books

Publication Date: 2018

Format: print book

Length: 220 pages

OVERVIEW

Even as a pastor, Norsworthy doubted. Having an idealized expectation of what good looked like, he wondered why the world didn’t match up. Was God deistic at best, just watching the world as it soaked in agony? Compiled on top of this, he wrestled with faith in other ways: in seemingly contradictory texts, difficult Old Testament passages, and so on. With a Euthyphro dilemma and the problem of evil all rolled up into one, Norsworthy tackles our skewed perspectives when it comes to God’s goodness.

Norsworthy’s conversational tone keeps readers engaged through the eight chapters of the book. With sincere vulnerability, he acknowledges these problems don’t come packaged with easy answers. Instead, he wades in the difficulty with the readers.

As for organization, his sporadic flip-flop from one subject to the next could give a reader’s mind decent whiplash. However, overall, his well-crafted anecdotes and the practical nature of the book earn it a higher rating.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

4 stars

Suggested Audience

Christians struggling with their faith or God’s goodness

Christian Impact

God’s goodness is one of the most essential parts to His being. This book helps us to understand where our perceptions about goodness and God go awry and can aid us during difficult stretches of doubt.

Interested in reviewing a book, movie, album, or other type of media for our website? We would love to hear from you! Find out more about how to submit media reviews.