Joshua Ryan Butler - The Skeletons in Gods Closet: The Mercy of Hell, the Surprise of Judgment, the Hope of Holy War

PRAISE FOR THE SKELETONS IN GODS CLOSET

For a long time many of us have been unsettled with how traditionalists talk about hell. At the heart of the unsettledness is that hell seems to have no large purpose other than vindictiveness, even (as some say it) sadistic punishment. In this book Joshua Ryan Butler beautifully places tough topics, like hell and holy war and final judgment, in the larger mission of God for wedding once again heaven and earth. This, my friends, is a genuinely helpful book and I hope those who struggle with these tough topics will discover here what I haverelief and joy.

SCOT MCKNIGHT PROFESSOR OF NEW TESTAMENT, NORTHERN SEMINARY

Profound. Powerful. Paradigm shifting. This is simply the best book Ive read from a young author in years. We will be hearing a lot more from Joshua, and Ill be listening to everything he has to say and all that he writes. He writes with the depth of a theologian, the passion of an activist, the mind of a thinker, and the view of a globalist. This book is a book for the 21st century in a pluralistic public square kind of world. We are in desperate need of thinkers and writers like Joshua whether you agree or disagree with him.

BOB ROBERTS JR.
PASTOR OF NORTHWOOD CHURCH, AUTHOR OF BOLD AS LOVE

Christians need to be a people who, first and foremost, have overflowing love for others, but we also need to be thinkersnot just for ourselves but for those we care about. The Skeletons in Gods Closet hits some of the bulls-eye topics that frequently come up when we are in dialogue with people about the Bible and our beliefs. Im thankful for this book: its theologically trustworthy but stretches your thinking, and youll come away with more than just powerful ideas on difficult questionsthe way Joshua has written truly causes you to worship God all the more.

DAN KIMBALL
PASTOR OF VINTAGE FAITH CHURCH

I began reading Joshua Ryan Butlers book wondering if his arguments would change my mind about judgment and hell. Instead, as I read deeper and deeper into the book, I found that Joshuas words changed not only my mind, but also my heart, as I began to understand Gods pure, unrelenting love for the world.

SARAH THEBARGE
AUTHOR OF THE INVISIBLE GIRLS

Christians find themselves today facing the spiritual equivalents of questions like Have you stopped beating your children? The challenge: youlose no matter how you answer. Certainly, thats the case with tough topics like hell, judgment and holy war, where those who control the questions often control the debate. In The Skeletons in Gods Closet, Joshua Ryan Butler undertakes the important work of reframing the questions and putting the emphasis on the right syllables when addressing peoples struggles with the God of the Bible. Butler engages these controversial subjects critically, creatively, and constructively. The end result is that Christians will be better able to go from back pedaling to walking with doubters and critics and addressing their questions and challenges in meaningful ways.

DR. PAUL LOUIS METZGER
DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR THE THEOLOGY OF CULTURE: NEW WINE, NEW WINESKINS, AUTHOR OF CONNECTING CHRIST: HOW TO DISCUSS JESUS IN A WORLD OF DIVERSE PATHS

What if Gods not the good and loving Father I thought him to be? The Skeletons in Gods Closet doesnt shy away from the awkward subjects most authors avoid at all cost, but charges right into them with theological precision, unexpected biblical insight, and compassionate application. It addresses issues by reframing them within the context of Gods historical narrative and demonstrates their relevance by placing them in the context of todays culture. Butler has produced something profoundly unique here: intellectually satisfying and enlighteningas well as entertaining and life-changingthis is a gem!

KEN WYTSMA
FOUNDER OF THE JUSTICE CONFERENCE, AUTHOR OF PURSUING JUSTICE PRESIDENT OF KILNS COLLEGE AND PASTOR OF ANTIOCH CHURCH

This book is an anomalyit talks about dark themes such as holy war and hell in a bold and refreshing way. It is deeply theological but approachable, personal and available. I love that Joshua has the courage to open the door to Gods skeleton closet and shine a light on whats there. He is a reliable guide.

JOHN SOWERS
PRESIDENT OF THE MENTORING PROJECT AND AUTHOR OF THE HEROIC PATH

There is a towering stack of books on my deskmany given as gifts by friends. When I received The Skeletons in Gods Closet I would never have anticipated my inability to put it down. I was challenged and inspired as I read through this book!

DR. ANDREA COOK
PRESIDENT OF WARNER PACIFIC COLLEGE

The Skeletons in Gods Closet is a deeply satisfying read. When referencing Scripture, Joshua mixes equal parts respectful reverence and playful familiarity. He joyfully excavates Christianitys most feared doctrines from the rubble of our modern cultural misunderstanding and restores them to their rightful place as pillars of our faith. Joshua has addressed and dispelled, with unflinching directness, many of my deepest doubts and skepticisms. I am deeply grateful for the faith-strengthening effect this book has had on my life.

SEBASTIAN ROGERS
PERIPHERAL VISION STUDIOS

The Skeletons in Gods Closet comes at such an important time in the Western church. After centuries of nationalism and military violence, a new generation is questioning the status quo. Does violence have any place in Jesus kingdom? In the life of his followers? If not, how do we reconcile Jesus teaching on loving our enemies with judgment, hell, and destruction? How do we read the Old Testament texts of genocide and ethnic cleansing? These kinds of questions are paramount. Whether you agree with Joshuas answers or not, Im just so happy that hes leading the way towards a new kind of conversation. This book is courageous, intelligent, provocative, and sound. Read it.

JOHN MARK COMER
PASTOR FOR TEACHING AND VISION AT BRIDGETOWN: A JESUS CHURCH

For more than a decade, I have been dreaming of the day the world would be introduced to the thoughts of Joshua Ryan Butler. Through the pages of The Skeletons in Gods Closet my dream has come true. This articulate, original, and prayerfully discerned book is a must-read for all Bible-inspired thinkers who have the courage to explore in the lush idea-fields that exist beyond the deep-rutted wagon trails of much religious writing.

TONY THE BEAT POET KRIZ AUTHOR OF NEIGHBORS AND WISE MEN AND ALOOF

This is a profound book, a vital antidote to some of our most malicious misunderstandings of Gods good news. With compelling stories, careful exegesis, and wise theological grounding, Joshua Ryan Butler invites us not only into a clearer way of understanding, but also into a different wayof being in the world. Dive into this book and youll find yourself caught up in the surprisingly hopeful story of how the Creating, Sustaining, and Redeeming God is at work to bring life in all its fullness where skeletonsboth imagined and realhave for too long endured.

MICHAEL YANKOSKI
AUTHOR OF THE SACRED YEAR AND UNDER THE OVERPASS

With sensitivity to those for whom the Christian story is seen as coercive and cruel, Joshua Ryan Butler deftly navigates between biblical narratives and real life experiences to show that God is good and gracious and will put right injustice. Calling for the abandonment of popular typologies of hell, judgment, and holy war, Butler constantly pushes back to the overall arc of the biblical story, that God is at work to reconcile and contain evil, pride, and abuse, not to mete it out in some underground prison or on a battleground. This is a fine book for the postmodern skeptic or bruised reed in our ruthless world, as well as a church needing to reclaim her story of a good King inviting all his beleaguered people into his just kingdom of shalom.