Rienstra's So Much More

Rienstra prefaces her book by describing the need for a guide and friend upon entering a new place. The phonebooks, maps, and details are overwhelming and she needs someone to help her soft out the basics from the giant mass of information. As a librarian, I can identify well with the problem of information overload and the need to provide better basic and well-sorted information. Rienstra largely accomplishes her goal of guiding the reader through Christian thought and spirituality. Although one can find a systematic theology lurking beneath, she is successful in imitating a guidebook to the Christian faith. Some quotes/points:

p8 "...indefinite beliefs about the transcendent avoid the troubles of a God with personality. The minute you move from a life force to a personal God, you are dealing with an other who could potentially make demands on you that you would rather not conform to..."

p25 "[Prophecies] are not simply predictions but patterns of how God views the world and chooses to make himself known in it."

p31 "Christians pray to the Spirit when they seek understanding (especially of scripture), inspiration, a change of heart, or renewed understanding."

p56 "Our human dignity depends on retaining our status as responsible creatures..."

p59 "As long as you think you are good enough right now or could be soon, you limit yourself at best to a dim shadow of goodness in this life."

p96 "God permits human freed and the workings of a fallen creation to cause pain and sorrow. However, God is also active in weaving that pain and sorrow into his larger purposes..."

p154 "God expects us to exercise some responsibility and figure it [the most trying questions of our age] out... I do believe we have to keep putting the whole Bible in front of us as a Christian community"

p178 "If my sermon is lousy, at least people have Communion" quoting Debra's pastor

p180 "But instant transformation is not the typical pattern. What with our own obtuseness and tendency to suffer from bad worship and all, most of us require years of churchgoing before showing improvements."

p214 "...good works do not earn salvation but are a sign of salvation."