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mattlefevers's review against another edition
5.0
Curveball, as Enns notes in the acknowledgements, is a bit of a departure compared to his other works. His very early books are somewhat theological and abstract, and the loose trilogy of Bible Tells Me So, Sin of Certainty, and How The Bible Actually Works then honed that academic focus to a sharp point, making these scholarly insights even more engaging and readable. Similarly, his podcast with Jared Byas exists to translate the somewhat remote and arcane world of biblical criticism to 'normal' people who might be interested. I'm used to Enns living firmly in the academic world, and then tying it here and there to our daily lives.
With Curveball, he pivots headfirst into a more practical, personal direction... not, "what do Hebrew Bible scholars think about when the book of Daniel was written" or "how much of an impact did the Babylonian exile have on the composition of the Bible", but instead, things like: "how do we think of God, given what we've learned about our universe through modern science?", and, "what does it mean to have an exclusivist idea of Christianity that doesn't include the vast majority of humans who have ever lived?". (To be clear: I am a turbo nerd and in many ways am more comfortable in that first world. But spending some more time in the second one would probably do me good.)
Enns talks about himself and his journey much more in this book than in the entirety of his past bibliography combined. It's plain that these questions (and others) were major forks in the road for him — 'curveballs', to use the terminology of this book — and he has spent many years working out the implications of them. If you've ever found yourself torn between living here in the 21st century, where new exoplanets are discovered every week and quantum physicists are testing hypotheses most of us can't even understand, and following the God of the Bible, this book will make you feel much less alone, and maybe even encouraged and inspired.
I admit that in the past I've fallen into the trap Enns discusses at one point in this book, of trying to sort of cram or mangle current science into a Biblical framework ("maybe 'Adam' was the first homo sapiens to branch off from other hominins?", "maybe the primordial waters in Genesis 1 could be the raw elements of the solar system before they coalesced?") but I've felt the tension and... kind of desperate 'trying too hard'ness of those explanations. So I admit I find Enns's 'third way' very appealing... not trying to mash a square peg into a round hole, but allowing the discoveries of modern science to lead to a reconsideration of our idea of God. His vision of a universe evolving ever forward, towards a God who is already out in front of it, not trapped somewhere in an idealized past, fills me with a great deal of hope and refreshing honesty.
"To unleash our imaginations to speak of God," Enns writes, "is not to float adrift in unbelief, but to forge by the sweat of our brows a connection between two very different conceptions of reality." Some of the ideas he touches on as he goes — universalism, cosmology, a life after death — are things that have preoccupied me all my life. Others I admit I've spent less time puzzling over... I certainly had some conception of how many people must have lived and died before the Abrahamic religions were founded, but in his chapter on 'the other 99%', Enns puts that question into focus in a way that I'll be thinking about for a long time. This sentence absolutely stopped me in my tracks: "Does the God of Abraham look lovingly upon ancient cave drawings and temples dedicated to the only gods ancient humans could have known?"
Diehard followers of Enns' work like I am will find some previously-trodden ground here, especially in the sections on rethinking the Bible in light of changing times (a key theme of How The Bible Actually Works), and his musings on quantum physics and theology echo some of Rob Bell's books. But from start to finish Enns tackles both old and new topics with a matter-of-factness and a sober curiosity that I found extremely engaging, especially in the world of progressive Christianity. He doesn't zip off into flights of fancy or new-agey strangeness, nor does he get bogged down with pessimism and doom, but explores paradigm-shifting ideas with wit and humility and a hopefulness that left me feeling curious and optimistic, excited to keep turning these ideas over in my mind after I put the book down.
With Curveball, he pivots headfirst into a more practical, personal direction... not, "what do Hebrew Bible scholars think about when the book of Daniel was written" or "how much of an impact did the Babylonian exile have on the composition of the Bible", but instead, things like: "how do we think of God, given what we've learned about our universe through modern science?", and, "what does it mean to have an exclusivist idea of Christianity that doesn't include the vast majority of humans who have ever lived?". (To be clear: I am a turbo nerd and in many ways am more comfortable in that first world. But spending some more time in the second one would probably do me good.)
Enns talks about himself and his journey much more in this book than in the entirety of his past bibliography combined. It's plain that these questions (and others) were major forks in the road for him — 'curveballs', to use the terminology of this book — and he has spent many years working out the implications of them. If you've ever found yourself torn between living here in the 21st century, where new exoplanets are discovered every week and quantum physicists are testing hypotheses most of us can't even understand, and following the God of the Bible, this book will make you feel much less alone, and maybe even encouraged and inspired.
I admit that in the past I've fallen into the trap Enns discusses at one point in this book, of trying to sort of cram or mangle current science into a Biblical framework ("maybe 'Adam' was the first homo sapiens to branch off from other hominins?", "maybe the primordial waters in Genesis 1 could be the raw elements of the solar system before they coalesced?") but I've felt the tension and... kind of desperate 'trying too hard'ness of those explanations. So I admit I find Enns's 'third way' very appealing... not trying to mash a square peg into a round hole, but allowing the discoveries of modern science to lead to a reconsideration of our idea of God. His vision of a universe evolving ever forward, towards a God who is already out in front of it, not trapped somewhere in an idealized past, fills me with a great deal of hope and refreshing honesty.
"To unleash our imaginations to speak of God," Enns writes, "is not to float adrift in unbelief, but to forge by the sweat of our brows a connection between two very different conceptions of reality." Some of the ideas he touches on as he goes — universalism, cosmology, a life after death — are things that have preoccupied me all my life. Others I admit I've spent less time puzzling over... I certainly had some conception of how many people must have lived and died before the Abrahamic religions were founded, but in his chapter on 'the other 99%', Enns puts that question into focus in a way that I'll be thinking about for a long time. This sentence absolutely stopped me in my tracks: "Does the God of Abraham look lovingly upon ancient cave drawings and temples dedicated to the only gods ancient humans could have known?"
Diehard followers of Enns' work like I am will find some previously-trodden ground here, especially in the sections on rethinking the Bible in light of changing times (a key theme of How The Bible Actually Works), and his musings on quantum physics and theology echo some of Rob Bell's books. But from start to finish Enns tackles both old and new topics with a matter-of-factness and a sober curiosity that I found extremely engaging, especially in the world of progressive Christianity. He doesn't zip off into flights of fancy or new-agey strangeness, nor does he get bogged down with pessimism and doom, but explores paradigm-shifting ideas with wit and humility and a hopefulness that left me feeling curious and optimistic, excited to keep turning these ideas over in my mind after I put the book down.
iancmclaren's review against another edition
4.0
Pete Enns has a true gift for taking complex topics and themes and making them relatable. This is a great book and you should read all his stuff.
alltheradreads's review
5.0
an essential deconstruction/evolving faith read ↩️
i was introduced to @peteenns at @evolvfaithbut this was the first book of his i’ve read, and it resonated SO MUCH (see ALL THE FLAGS for evidence). i deeply appreciate his incredibly thorough, rational, intellectual, and expansive thoughts on faith, on the bible, on god, and on how he’s navigated his own journey along the way.
i learned so many new things in this one, found myself thinking about my own faith and experiences and beliefs from new angles, appreciated how he wove his own story in humbly and frankly, and how his privilege was laid bare throughout. connecting dots between history and science and faith, between blown elbows in baseball and moments in taxis and changes in plans to faith, all to help expand our view of god? yes. so beautifully done, and so compelling to me. i have a lot i’m still thinking about from this one, and i love that! i want to keep ruminating on it for a while.
a fantastic read, and one i highly recommend!
i was introduced to @peteenns at @evolvfaithbut this was the first book of his i’ve read, and it resonated SO MUCH (see ALL THE FLAGS for evidence). i deeply appreciate his incredibly thorough, rational, intellectual, and expansive thoughts on faith, on the bible, on god, and on how he’s navigated his own journey along the way.
i learned so many new things in this one, found myself thinking about my own faith and experiences and beliefs from new angles, appreciated how he wove his own story in humbly and frankly, and how his privilege was laid bare throughout. connecting dots between history and science and faith, between blown elbows in baseball and moments in taxis and changes in plans to faith, all to help expand our view of god? yes. so beautifully done, and so compelling to me. i have a lot i’m still thinking about from this one, and i love that! i want to keep ruminating on it for a while.
a fantastic read, and one i highly recommend!
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
4.0
Puts the ology in Theology
This was a truly great book. I enjoyed reading this.
I did find the book very advanced.
It got very scientific very quickly.
Probably the most scientific and advanced theology book I've ever read!
Still a great book! Check it out!
3.9/5
This was a truly great book. I enjoyed reading this.
I did find the book very advanced.
It got very scientific very quickly.
Probably the most scientific and advanced theology book I've ever read!
Still a great book! Check it out!
3.9/5
jlphelps's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
“What if the way to God thrives by allowing our experiences in life to have their say? - from the mundane to the cosmic and everything in between. What if the experiences of our lives in this evolving cosmos are a gift to help us see a bigger and better God, rather than a long exam to prove ourselves worthy? And when our lives bring anguish and suffering, what if a gentle way can be opened to us to see them also moving us toward a bigger vision of what we mean when we talk about God?”
kelseypickering's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
green_with_3nvy's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
broprahwinfree222's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.25