Gum, Geckos, and God
A Family’s Adventure in Space, Time, and Faith
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
James Spiegel never realized what challenges and adventures he would face in talking about God with his own children. Can we hug God? Will geckos go to heaven? Was Jesus fun to be around? Does God know how many spiders there are in all the basements in the world? These are just a few of the questions that Spiegel has fielded in conversations with his sons Bailey and Sam.Every devout Christian wants to understand God and his ways more fully. But even the fundamentals of faith are layered with profound mysteries. In his teaching and writing, Spiegel deals with these complexities every day. But nothing quite prepared him for the honesty, hilarity, and depth of revelation that he has found in conversations about God with his boys.Gum, Geckos, and God is fascinating and fun. As you read, you’ll step into a new depth of Christian doctrine as you come to know and enjoy the Spiegel family and follow their journey of spiritual growth. Here is a uniquely incisive look into the most complex issues of faith in a way that’s absorbing, engaging, and highly personal.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Spiegel, philosophy professor at Indiana's Taylor University, takes deep issues of the Christian faith and dumps them smack into real life with a little help from his children. Their questions "Dad, where does God live?" "Dad, does God speak English?" and "What does God know?" open the door to discussions about God that solicit satisfying answers from Dad. Spiegel's responses and ensuing comments will satisfy adults as well, especially those looking for beginning and intermediate study on topics such as God's omniscience, the Golden Rule, God's presence and human origin and destiny. Spiegel ponders the great issues of the faith with a light touch, thanks to the innate comedy of kids, but also to his own brand of humor. No doubt some readers will wish for more depth when it comes to doctrinal fundamentals, but rather than exhaustive study, the point is that God touches human hearts through geckos, hide-and-seek tag and the occasional possum. Spiegel shares his own wonder as he fields FAQs from the fertile, imaginative, earthy minds of his children.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyable and Thought-Provoking
This was one of four books I bought for my wife this Christmas. The author, Professor Spiegel, teaches philosophy at Taylor University where my in-laws graduated from. His 250 pager is a fun and simple read, but topics of the utmost importance are covered. Some of the questions that Spiegel's kids ask him include: Why do some people not believe in God? Why is it hard to be good? Who gets to go to Heaven? It is not uncommon for me to start a book and finish it months later, but Gum, Geckos, and God was a book that I knocked out in a few days. Earlier portions of it made me laugh out loud while later chapters made me really reflect on my own spiritual journey. I even read some of the conversations that Spiegel had with his children to my own girls.