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Driven by vengeance, one man has finally found God. He swears no one else will - not even the devout young man who has wandered into his camp.
"In Lieu of Heaven" follows their separate journeys. We see one man searching as his faith prescribes, heeding tradition and the words of those who have gone before. The other man, however, yearns to fulfill a vow that is more sacred than even the most divine mandate. Their paths cross in a startling contrast, and in that contrast are many questions.
The questions range from the basic - "What is our God like?" – to the more complex – "Do his own laws justify his supposed execution 2000 years ago?" Do we examine all we've been told about our God's character or do we remain in collective denial? Do we look at the extreme severity as well as the much-celebrated passion?
At the book's core is an underlying thought: Whatever we accept in our God — be it goodness or evil, salvation or anti-human aggression — we will also accept in our families, our social structure, and our government. With a controversial alternative view of our culture's dominant God, this book challenges the very foundation of our society and nation.
Pagan News Review by PaganNews.com
Anyone who has extensively travelled the path to knowledge will at some point become extremely annoyed with their creator. Most people pass through this phase without incident. Kevin Archer has chosen to write a book about it.
This is a fiction book, which tells the story of one man take a journey to an undisclosed destination. On his way, he happens to turn off the beaten path and enters a beautiful garden, which turns out to be 'The' garden - The Garden of Eden. Here he meets a man who claims not only to be the Adam of the old testament, but also to have killed God (in the guise of Judas).
The book then tells the story of Adam from Genesis to the Crucifixion, and set out his reasons for killing God, who behaves a lot like a spoiled child throughout.
A rather unusual tale to say the least, it really serves as a vehicle for the author to get across some key points about what the bible says about its god, and grind a few theological axes along the way. In this respect, it is similar to the Celestine Prophecy in function, if not in sentiment.
I found the book interesting, and the author has taken the time to footnote biblical quotes when Adam uses them so that the reader can check them.
The book is somewhat of a curiosity however, since I'm not sure who would read it. Staunch christians are not going to like it. Disillusioned christians are not going to gain any good news from it, and I don't think the other religions will really care. That being said, In Lieu of Heaven does have a certain appeal, although Archer can be somewhat over dramatic in places.