Do you like smart, witty Christian apologists, but aren’t crazy about Brits? Well, the West side of the Atlantic hasn’t produced a great selection, but it does have Philip Yancey.
Where is God When it Hurts? and Disappointment With God both deal with the … well, the title topics, but in a compassion, humility, and grace that giants like Lewis and Chesterton don’t always convey. Possibly as a result, Yancey’s arguments seem somewhat inconclusive. I’m not sure how much they’d help someone who’s grieving, but they would probably help someone who’s preparing to grieve or preparing to help others who are grieving.
The Jesus I Never Knew comes from a different side of Yancey—still personal, respectful, and fun, but this time looking at the life the “pre-creed” Jesus, through devices such as “let’s watch 10 movie clips of the same scene from the gospels, and discuss”. It lacks the wit of Chesterton, but I liked it.
For Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Yancey combined his writing talents with Paul Brand’s medical knowledge to result in a wonderful, wonder-filled meditation on the implications of the metaphor of the Church as the Body of Christ. The subject matter would probably attract fewer readers than some of his other titles, but it’s my favorite of his books.
