Review of The Advent of Time
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Betsy House Mills
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- Latest Review: The Advent of Time by Indignus Servus
Review of The Advent of Time
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Advent of Time" by Indignus Servus.]
The Advent of Time: A Solution to the Problem of Evil Based on the Prerequisites of Love & an Analysis of Timeless Being by Indignus Servus is a thought-provoking book. The author’s goal is to answer the age-old question, “If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does He allow evil and suffering to exist?” The author states that The Advent of Time provides “a comprehensive solution to the most confounding enigma of the Christian faith, one based on insights not found in other theodicies.” Servus presents the findings, carefully explaining the steps taken to reach the conclusion. The book is written in language that the reader does not have to be a theologian or scholar to understand.
Servus asserts that love is the reason God allows suffering, not because of free will, character development, or any of the other objectives that are used in other theodicies. The author identifies five prerequisites of love and explains why they “necessitate that God allow for the possibility of evil and suffering if humanity is to have the opportunity to experience timeless love with God and one another.” Further, the book provides an analysis of concepts of time regarding man’s final state of existence. The book is broken into two parts. The first part is re-defining the problem, and the second part starts at the beginning with man's fall from grace.
While most of the discussion in the book draws insight from an array of Christian thinkers, readers are warned that the arguments align most closely with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Coming from a Christian background, I noticed the many references to the Catholic Catechism, but I was not bothered by that. I did not see any that were not basic religious doctrines held by most Christian beliefs. I have to say that I learned a few things while reading The Advent of Time. I can now answer if someone asks me the age-old question, “If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does He allow evil and suffering to exist?” Another benefit I got when I finished reading the book, I noticed my halo was a little straighter.
The Advent of Time deserves 5 out of 5 stars because, in all cases, theological arguments or discussions were presented to an array of Christian thinkers, scientists, other religions, and non-believers. The author listed all sources, and there was an impressive list of them. The book is exceptionally well-edited; I did not find even one grammatical error. The only negative I found was that the advent of evil and love is traced back to the Garden of Eden; however, while the reason for man’s fall from the garden was thoroughly explained, Satan/the snake was not mentioned or named as the Evil One. The only reference to the source of evil is called “the most powerful angel,” and even then, it was when Satan was thrown out of Heaven for thinking he could supplant God. I felt this was an omission, but since Servus may have had a reason for not naming him, it was not enough to deduct a star.
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The Advent of Time
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Advent of Time: A Solution to the Problem of Evil Based on the Prerequisites of Love & an Analysis of Timeless Being by Indignus Servus is a thought-provoking book. The author’s goal is to answer the age-old question, “If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does He allow evil and suffering to exist?” The author states that The Advent of Time provides “a comprehensive solution to the most confounding enigma of the Christian faith, one based on insights not found in other theodicies.” Servus presents the findings, carefully explaining the steps taken to reach the conclusion. The book is written in language that the reader does not have to be a theologian or scholar to understand.
Servus asserts that love is the reason God allows suffering, not because of free will, character development, or any of the other objectives that are used in other theodicies. The author identifies five prerequisites of love and explains why they “necessitate that God allow for the possibility of evil and suffering if humanity is to have the opportunity to experience timeless love with God and one another.” Further, the book provides an analysis of concepts of time regarding man’s final state of existence. The book is broken into two parts. The first part is re-defining the problem, and the second part starts at the beginning with man's fall from grace.
While most of the discussion in the book draws insight from an array of Christian thinkers, readers are warned that the arguments align most closely with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Coming from a Christian background, I noticed the many references to the Catholic Catechism, but I was not bothered by that. I did not see any that were not basic religious doctrines held by most Christian beliefs. I have to say that I learned a few things while reading The Advent of Time. I can now answer if someone asks me the age-old question, “If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does He allow evil and suffering to exist?” Another benefit I got when I finished reading the book, I noticed my halo was a little straighter.
The Advent of Time deserves 5 out of 5 stars because, in all cases, theological arguments or discussions were presented to an array of Christian thinkers, scientists, other religions, and non-believers. The author listed all sources, and there was an impressive list of them. The book is exceptionally well-edited; I did not find even one grammatical error. The only negative I found was that the advent of evil and love is traced back to the Garden of Eden; however, while the reason for man’s fall from the garden was thoroughly explained, Satan/the snake was not mentioned or named as the Evil One. The only reference to the source of evil is called “the most powerful angel,” and even then, it was when Satan was thrown out of Heaven for thinking he could supplant God. I felt this was an omission, but since Servus may have had a reason for not naming him, it was not enough to deduct a star.
******
The Advent of Time
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Advent of Time by Indignus Servus
