A review by jkdehaven
Balm in Gilead: A Theological Dialogue with Marilynne Robinson by

4.0

The book Balm in Gilead is a reflection on the book Gilead and its two sequels. This was the official theme of Wheaton College's Theology Conference last year, and all of the chapters were written by presenters at the conference. I have always loved attending Wheaton's Theology Conference, but due to other obligations I was unable to attend last year. Reading this book made me feel like I had been there. Many of the themes of the book relate to Calvinism and abolitionism in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead and its two sequels. I appreciated the deep discussion of these themes, because I think they are often overlooked in modern dialogue. The one drawback for me is that I have only read Gilead once a few years ago, and I have not read its sequels, so some of the references were lost on me. However, it has motivated me to re-read Gilead and the rest of the series. I would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the work of Marilynne Robinson and would like to engage further in its themes.