Review of Unlikely Righteousness
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Review of Unlikely Righteousness
[Following is a volunteer review of "Unlikely Righteousness" by Tina Kowalski.]
Unlikely Righteousness by Tina Kowalski is a religious and spiritually reflective book dedicated to examining the lives of the lesser-known figures of the Bible. The author approaches these lives not to paint them as heroes or villains but as people somewhere in between. It felt like the author was allowing them a chance to be heard and seen not as anyone outstanding, but as the humans that they were. An opportunity for a "What if" and an "If so." The book dedicates time to each character discussed, pointing out some loopholes in their lives, their relationships with the people around them, and what led up to the events that painted them as who they are remembered to be. I enjoyed this book because it gave me a different perspective from what is written in the Bible.
The first person examined was Cain. We all know the story of Cain and how he is the first noted murderer in the Bible. The way his character was analyzed raised many questions in my heart. Firstly, Cain was described as the tiller of the land, and his brother, Abel, raised flocks. However, was that all he was? Just a tiller of the ground? As we know, many details of his life are missing from the Bible. Did he have no relationship with his parents or siblings? Why was it easy for him to just kill his brother? If you read the book of Genesis, Chapter 4, you would find that both Cain and Abel offered gifts to the Lord, and only that of Abel was accepted. Cain was angry and said to his brother, "Let us go out into the field," and when they got there, he attacked and killed him. This does not sound plausible to me. Cain and Abel grew up in the same house, and Cain just killed his brother out of jealousy? That easily? Also, God is all-knowing; he knew Cain had killed Abel, yet came to him and asked, "Where is your brother Abel?" Why? The author raises many other questions in the book, but this is not written to paint Cain in a more positive light, but to give him a chance at a second look and to help the readers understand the moral lessons from his story. We also had Pharaoh's, Hagar's, Abimelech's, Abraham's senior servant's story, etc., all of which had moral lessons attached to them.
I loved that the book was not suggestive and allowed the reader to form their thoughts while reading it. I loved that the author included those questions in the book, but did not try to answer them based on what they think, and instead provided the readers with what is known and can be found within the Bible. The book references the Book of Moses, the Pearl of Great Price, and the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The book is also excellently edited, having some of its content lifted from books that should not be altered, like the Bible. Overall, I rate this book five out of five stars for its excellent and non-suggestive exploration of these lives. I do not think any changes are necessary to the book. If you are interested in exploring the lives of the people in the Bible beyond what is known, this book would be a good starting point for you.
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Unlikely Righteousness
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Unlikely Righteousness by Tina Kowalski is a religious and spiritually reflective book dedicated to examining the lives of the lesser-known figures of the Bible. The author approaches these lives not to paint them as heroes or villains but as people somewhere in between. It felt like the author was allowing them a chance to be heard and seen not as anyone outstanding, but as the humans that they were. An opportunity for a "What if" and an "If so." The book dedicates time to each character discussed, pointing out some loopholes in their lives, their relationships with the people around them, and what led up to the events that painted them as who they are remembered to be. I enjoyed this book because it gave me a different perspective from what is written in the Bible.
The first person examined was Cain. We all know the story of Cain and how he is the first noted murderer in the Bible. The way his character was analyzed raised many questions in my heart. Firstly, Cain was described as the tiller of the land, and his brother, Abel, raised flocks. However, was that all he was? Just a tiller of the ground? As we know, many details of his life are missing from the Bible. Did he have no relationship with his parents or siblings? Why was it easy for him to just kill his brother? If you read the book of Genesis, Chapter 4, you would find that both Cain and Abel offered gifts to the Lord, and only that of Abel was accepted. Cain was angry and said to his brother, "Let us go out into the field," and when they got there, he attacked and killed him. This does not sound plausible to me. Cain and Abel grew up in the same house, and Cain just killed his brother out of jealousy? That easily? Also, God is all-knowing; he knew Cain had killed Abel, yet came to him and asked, "Where is your brother Abel?" Why? The author raises many other questions in the book, but this is not written to paint Cain in a more positive light, but to give him a chance at a second look and to help the readers understand the moral lessons from his story. We also had Pharaoh's, Hagar's, Abimelech's, Abraham's senior servant's story, etc., all of which had moral lessons attached to them.
I loved that the book was not suggestive and allowed the reader to form their thoughts while reading it. I loved that the author included those questions in the book, but did not try to answer them based on what they think, and instead provided the readers with what is known and can be found within the Bible. The book references the Book of Moses, the Pearl of Great Price, and the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The book is also excellently edited, having some of its content lifted from books that should not be altered, like the Bible. Overall, I rate this book five out of five stars for its excellent and non-suggestive exploration of these lives. I do not think any changes are necessary to the book. If you are interested in exploring the lives of the people in the Bible beyond what is known, this book would be a good starting point for you.
******
Unlikely Righteousness
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Latest Review: The Boatmans Promise by Scott Bohlin
