God Reflected: Metaphors for Life

When a loved one dies, somebody inevitably says the death wasGod's will. The same claim is made when a person is cured ofcancer. In a war, both sides often argue that they are carrying outGod's will. Faithful people search for God's will for their lives,especially when they are faced with a decision, such as which jobto take or whether to have another child. What is meant by God'swill? How does God act? What is the character of the God whosewill is expressed in and through our lives? This book answers thesequestions in relation to a broadly Christian perspective.

Based on the traditional premise that everything we assert aboutGod is metaphorical, this wonderfully written book presents arange of ways to imagine the nature of God and of God's powerand will: from a personal but distant God who is fully in chargeand in control, through more gentle and engaged images of God,and ultimately to a non-personal view of God as the energy forlife in the universe. Each perspective offers distinct images forGod and for the way in which God's will operates; each is assessedfor its strengths and weaknesses. With deep insight and clear,inspiring writing, Keshgegian ultimately offers a way to imagineGod and power that redefines the whole idea of God's will.

Flora A. Keshgegian is a theologian and ordained Episcopal priest. Her book Time for Hope (Continuum) was awarded the 2005 Trinity Prize. She has taught at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.