This is part of a series of reviews on John & Stasi Eldredge's book "Captivating." To start at the introduction, click here.
I absolutely loved reading what the Eldredges had to say about how beautiful I am - how powerful and mysterious and noble. I was feeling pretty darn good about myself, until the Spirit reminded me to measure the validity of these thoughts against God's Word. (Now why does He have to go and rain on my self-glorifying parade?)
With this in mind, here are just a few thoughts to consider:
1. John & Stasi Eldredge assert that Eve was (and all women are) the crown of creation. Why? Because created things continued on a progression throughout the week of creation. Each thing was more noble, intricate and mysterious than those created previously. And Eve was created last (pp. 24-25).
Scripture's Response: Psalm 8 seems to indicate that man (meaning "humankind") is the crown of creation. Man is crowned with glory and honor, made a little lower than the angels, and given leadership over other created things. Nowhere in Scripture is woman said to be the most glorious, or the "crown of creation."
Also, how could Eve be greater than Adam in any way when she was formed from his rib? Everything else was created ex nihilo - "out of nothing." And of these, Adam was the greatest. Eve was not created out of nothing, but out of Adam. She was part of him - not some separate and greater creation! Scripture seems to indicate that both together were (and are) the crown of creation.
2. Satan hates women more than men, because of their beauty (p. 84). The Eldgedges hypothesize that since Satan's great beauty made him proud, resulting in his downfall (Ezek. 28:17), he now hates Eve with a special jealous hatred, and his central passion is to destroy beauty - namely, women.
Scripture's Response: Two things come to mind. First, Rev. 12:9 says that "He (Satan) leads the whole world astray." I could not find one reference to a special hatred for women (If you know of one, please let me know!). Second, I'm wondering, since Satan's fall, has he become ugly?? Scripture says nothing about him losing his beauty, so I assume he's still beautiful. In fact, he masquerades as an "angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14). It just doesn't logically make sense that he would be jealous of beauty.
3. "Beauty is without doubt the most essential of all God's qualities" (p. 40) They refer to Isaiah 6:3, which states that the created world is filled with the glory of God.
Scripture's Response: Hey, great verse, but it in no way substantiates their claim. Certainly, beauty is part of God's nature; He created beauty and desires that we enjoy His magnificent creation. But the most essential of all His qualities? I have yet to find a passage in Scripture that says beauty is more essential, than, say, His holiness or omnipotence.
4. "You are hated because of your beauty and power" (85). "He (God's Son) came to restore the glorious creature that you are. And then set you free . . . to be yourself" (95).
Scripture's Response: It sounds as though I am beautiful and powerful on my own. No mention is made of Christ's atoning sacrifice and the fact that He rescued me (see previous post!) out of my filth and ugliness to become beautiful. I am a sinful person, with no beauty or power except that which He has freely given me (Rom. 3:23, Isaiah 61:1-3). Praise be to God!
Stasi does share a few nuggests of truth, such as "Beauty flows from a heart at rest" (133). She also states that God wants intimacy with the real you, not with the person you think you are supposed to be. It is unfortunate that statements such as these are overshadowed by a multitude of statements with no Scriptural backing.
A parting thought:
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world, and the despised things, and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of HIM that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the LORD" (I Cor. 1:27-31)
Coming Soon: Romance & Arousal
7 comments:
1) Most men will agree that woman is the most beautiful of God's creation. Most artists will agree that the female form has an elegance to it found nowhere else in nature. I'm willing to grant that Eve surpassed Adam in beauty.
2) I have no response. The point is pure speculation.
3) The Hebrew words for beauty, glory and majesty are closely related. It's hard to define one without using the other two. God's beauty and His glory are virtually synonymous, but His defining trait in reference to us is holiness. Question to ponder: Was God "holy" (ie seperate, sanctified, apart, other) before He created? And if so, what was he seperate and apart from?
4) I believe that God creates beauty and is Himself the transcendant standard of beauty. Since we are created in His image we can and should replicate this beauty in the world. Of course, the most significant work of art that any person can produce is a beautiful life, which is one that is conformed to the image of Christ.
I have a sermon series I did on Christians and beauty, especially as expressed in the arts. I can send you a copy if you are interested.
Postscript: One thing we know for certain about how Jesus looked is that he had no physical beauty. Interesting statement on God's part, don't you think?
Chairty, I got a chance on Sunday to spend some time alone at Barnes and Noble (YES!!!) and saw this book on the display table. Took some time to read just a small portion.
My initial impression....
In just surface reading (without applying Scripture) it made me feel good. But it seemed to be lacking something. Of course, I had just come from a church service where the msg was "debunking Dan Brown and other similar books) and no one opened their Bibles. Other than a couple of praise songs there wasn't a sense of having worshipped.
So that may have clouded my response to this book, too. Hoping to get over to B&N and further research the book.
I really appreciate your statements on this book. What you're writing is what I was looking for within the pages of the book itself.
You need to write your own book charity...it would have much more substance to it!
i appreciate the rev's comments, and am again reminded to look into the original languages more. yet i have a few thoughts:
a) do the eldredges ever go back to the original languages? do they explain to their readers that they are making the case based on careful study of Scripture? so far, it seems like they make their case based on their own observations.
b) i totally agree that women are more beautiful...physically. but i can't find substantiation that they are more beautiful as a whole. In fact, we are both created in the image of God, and apart from cooperation together, fall quite short in reflecting that glory...even after salvation!
so here's the word switch-a-roo that happens. we can use the word beauty, but then we can claim we mean it in a way that has more to do with appearance and just physical features. we can claim that "beauty" is really meaning the "essence of who we are." but then, to back our claims of beauty...if we only use physical examples, we need to remember that we're not really backing our argument.
if john and stasi mean that satan is upset because women look good, then don't they somewhat send the message to women that their value is in their appearance and that their physical attributes are what set them apart.
however, if by beauty, they mean "the larger picture of who we are," and satan is after women because they are more beautiful than men...aren't john and stasi then claiming that women are more godly than men. (i certainly know plenty of women that are more godly than certain men, but i'm not ready to make a broad sweeping gender statement.)
it just seems highly inconsistent.
Wow - really great comments and food for thought!
Danny2, I was going to make several of the exact same points you did! Scary.
Anna, if you have the time, it may be helpful to read the book. I know it has really gotten me into studying Scripture llike nothing else has in quite a while!! I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the content . . . or lack thereof. You're right - a lot of what they say sounds so good, but something is missing. I want to address that in a later post.
revp, re: #3, I'm glad you know the original languages better than I do! Thanks for pointing out the relation between beauty, glory and majesty. As for His holiness, the name I AM pretty much sums it up. Since He exists outside time, there is no "before" and "after" to Him as we understand them. He is the same yesterday, today, forever. I don't believe holiness was somehow added to His attributes once He created. As for the second question, I have no idea!
re:#4, I agree wholeheartedly. It just bothered me that the authors seem to suggest that I am beautiful on my own and so deserve God's love, when in fact, the opposite is true.
On one hand, we could say we are not beautiful because of our sin - and that is true...
On the other hand, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" in the image of our Creator.
All depends on how you look at it....
Good thoughts all!
i agree gary, we are all image bearers...but that's male and female, right? so that sense, their definition of beauty still falls short.
I hope I didn't come across as saying women have no beauty - I certainly didn't mean that! I agree with Stasi, that true beauty flows from a heart at rest in Christ. I know many, many beautiful women who have greatly influenced me - women whose beauty flowed from their godly character.
The message is muddied, however, when J & S say that beauty is first a soulful beauty, but then proceed to describe mostly physical attributes of beauty. I would say that Adam and Eve are equally beautiful in soul.
I don't think I will ever be able to look at a baby again (no matter how wierd-looking he/she is outwardly) and not be overwhelmed by the beauty God has created. It blows me away. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. I guess J & S just come dangerously close to sounding like we are naturally beautiful and strong and that God owes us.
Thanks for your thoughts!
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