Review is posted from Dr. Dan Panetti, Worldview Director at Prestonwood Christian Academy, and adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University. Dr. Panetti earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas, at Austin.

Wrestling with Spiritual Issues-This is a Great Book For You


October 1, 2009

There is no denying the fact that Oprah’s popularity is pervasive in our culture today. From her immensely popular daytime TV show to her magazine, website, satellite radio show, book club selections and online spiritual sessions, Oprah is one of the most visible and influential persons today. Her influence spilled over into the political arena this past election as well. But the primary concern isn’t political, it’s Oprah’s position on matters of religion that caused McDowell and Sterrett to coauthor this much-needed examination of what Oprah is actually promoting and endorsing.

“O” God is written as a narrative – a story of the spiritual journey of a young woman named Lindsey, a law student at the University of Texas, and her friends and family. The narrative is both interesting and insightful, but the best part of the book is the apologetics, which are well reasoned and easy to understand. Without attacking Oprah or her beliefs, McDowell and Sterrett are able to raise some very significant issues such as the existence of absolute truth, the reality of the resurrection of Christ, the concept of evil, and dozens of other critical concepts. They do a great job of exploring the concept of religious pluralism and its self-refuting tolerance of all things but Christianity. The book gives just a taste of some of the leading Christian apologetics from William Lane Craig to Dinesh D’Souza weaving them into the story line while maintaining the interest of the narrative.

I think this is an outstanding book to give to any person interested in spiritual matters or religious issues, especially women who are probably more significantly influenced by Oprah on matters of faith than they might first imagine. While the book is relatively concise, just over 100 pages, and very enjoyable to read, the authors do a great job of diving into some of the most important and controversial issues of our day giving clear, relevant, and reasonable arguments and evidence for the truth claims of Scripture and the deity of Jesus Christ. Great book for a book study, great gift for a friend, and an important read for Christians wanting to learn how to defend their faith in a winsome and intelligent manner.