The empty tomb doesn't make sense without the cross, the cross doesn't make sense without the manger, and the manger doesn't make sense without the garden, says author Steven James. To understand Easter, it is necessary to experience the entire Christian story. Like people who walk in at the end of a movie and wonder what all the fuss is about, so too Christians need to know their history--from creation to the first sin, from Christ's first miracle to his death, and everything in between. Story invites readers on a dramatic journey through the greatest story ever told. Using the power of imagery to move readers back to a place where they can encounter God, Steven James makes familiar Bible narratives come alive in provocative and poetic ways. Using thirty short, image-based chapters, Story makes the gospel real for a postmodern world and allows readers to meet Christ again or for the very first time.
The first thing I can tell you is that Story has an absolutely incredible cover, completely beautiful and enchanting. When I first read about this book I was intrigued. I have not read fiction from Steven James, but my mother has read a few that I own of his and did not like them. However the aspect of this book was appealing to me and when it arrived I was shocked at first with how short it is – not sure how to cover the entirety of Eden to Evermore in 200 pages give or take. A little bit into it I was unsure and then after reading all the other reviews out there I seem really confused because apparently I am on a different bandwagon and did not find the content of this book appealing at all.
My background is religious studies, and perhaps I have grown too accustom to an older tone of writing with more theological jargon I do not know, but this just did not hit it for me. I felt like it was silly, a bit too silly and at points I wondered if he were referencing the same Bible that I read or not – because that was totally foreign to me. It seems lots of people love this book and it might be something you just have to read. Although for me I found the tone of this book is very calm and contemporary. I’m not sure what I was expecting but this is very different. In a way it is almost like reading a journal with the intersection bits of personal poetry and scripture. But it was not life changing or really interesting to me.
*Thanks to Revell for providing a copy for review.*
http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2012/09/01/story-our-journey/
Reading updates
-
Started reading
-
1 September, 2012:
Finished reading
-
1 September, 2012:
Reviewed