As I was rereading this book to prepare for this review, I was saddened to hear the news of the recent passing of the great author and theologian J.I. Packer. As such, this review feels like a proper way to honor the memory of a man that has delivered the Word to millions worldwide and encouraged countless believers to grow in their faith.
Author: My first introduction to J.I. Packer's work was this book. We were required to read it as members of the student leadership team for my campus ministry, RUF. As I researched his life, I began to realize the massive impact he has had on the global evangelical movement. Despite his membership in the Anglican Church, he sought to strengthen Christians of all denominations.
While I have personally never read any of his works outside of Knowing God, I can say that any book he has written is a good choice. Though I don't think any are as fundamental to the Christian life as Knowing God, I think if you are looking for a book by a reputable author, any J.I. Packer book would be a good choice.
Theme/Message: This book tackles the interesting relationship between KNOWING ABOUT God and actually KNOWING God on a personal level. While these two things have a positive correlation (as one increases so does the other), there are also distinct differences between the two. Many nonbelievers know a lot about God, but do not know Him. Conversely, to know God intimately, you still need to know a lot about Him.
After Packer makes this distinction and relationship known, Packer then begins to lay down the fundamental theology of God's character. He addresses things using scripture like the majesty, wisdom, love, grace, mercy and wrath of God so that we can know more about Him. This sets up the final portion of the book, which addresses how we can use our knowledge of God to get to know Him better.
Essentially, this book is concerned with a simple chain of converting scripture into knowledge and then knowledge into a relationship with God.
Presentation/Readability: This book is not a hard read. While Packer's writings tend to be theologically dense with little humor, he finds a way to present the truths of scripture in a way that's easy to digest. The book is around 300 pages so it may not be something that you can read in a few days.
Packer breaks down is argument into 3 sections: 1) the difference between knowledge and knowing God, 2) knowledge of God from scripture and 3) how to know God more intimately using knowledge. This presentation makes it well organized and easy for re-reading if you ever decide to come back to this book.
There is also a study guide available for purchase that allows you to dive deeper into the scriptural basis of Packer's claims. This may be a good option if you have a hard time understanding Packer or you want to gain a deeper understanding of where Packer's theology come from. This study guide also makes it a great choice for a book club or small group class study.
Verdict: This book is easy to recommend for anyone. For over 40 years, it has been a foundational supplemental read for Christians of all backgrounds. Everyone should read it as it gives a clear roadmap of how to walk closer to God. The group that should be most interested in this book is new Christians. This book will deconstruct a lot of the barriers new Christians face when trying to get started. For them, it is hard to feel close to a God they don't know much about and this book removes that deficiency.
Regardless, if you haven't read it, you should. Even longtime believers may learn new things about God and their relationship with Him that may make you feel connected again, especially if they've "gone cold."
- Jake
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