Religion & Spirituality Inside

Yes, the word “grace” was in the title and I should have known better, but this book was way too religious. I had heard good things about this book and thought it was getting into the science of addiction and the biochemistry. However, just the style in which it was written was more than I could stomach. I couldn’t even finish it.
Rating: 1 / 5

I found this book to be helpful and enlightening but it unfortunately contains numerous errors. So many errors that I was greatly troubled by the time I got to page 120 or so. The problem I had was if so many obvious errors exist, then what is the value of the entire text? Ultimately, as in a matter of faith, I had to make a decision based upon the entire message and concluded that the book is worthy–warts and all. So I rate the book as five stars for message and three stars for production–a total of four stars.

Dr. May quite carefully points out in the Preface that he is neither a “trained theologian nor a scriptural scholar.” Much of his theology is quite good and consistent with the body of existing literature. Never-the-less the book is replete with numerous errors of interpretation and omission. And almost all of these errors could have been identified and corrected if a more careful editing job and review had been performed–this process was poorly done. And coincidentally, fixing these errors would strengthen, rather than weaken the book’s message. I list some of the more serious errors below in the hopes that they will be fixed in a future edition of this book.

1) The discussion of the Garden of Eden tree of life and tree of knowledge contains errors and contradictions. Dr. May states on pg. 11 (par. 3) that Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat from both trees. He then reasons that God didn’t want them to eat the fruit from the tree of life (pg. 111, par. 2). Both statements are wrong–see Genesis 2:16. Also see the highly rated: Victor Hamilton, “The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17,” New International Commentary of the Old Testament, William B. Eerdmans, 1990, pp. 162-166.

2) In discussing the Exodus, Dr. May says that “we know that we do not want to go back to imprisonment”… (pg. 105, par 2). This is contradicted by Exodus 16:2 and his own statement on pg. 133 (par. 2)–”longing for the old days of slavery.”

3) He says the text at the end of pg. 120 closes the New Testament (Rev 22:17)–it does not! In fact the actual closing text (Rev 22:21) is much closer to the message of the book than the text that he used, so I assume that this again was sloppy editing (“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” (NIV).)

4) He nowhere discusses several key Bible versus that relate to sin, grace, and election. For example, there is no discussion of Romans 3: 10-12 (Psalms 14: 2-3 and Psalms 53: 2-3). Here, Paul effectively says that in our unregenerated state we do not search for the true God–even if as Dr. May points out we are affected by our attachments and addictions. He also doesn’t mention 1 Corinthians 15:21-22–that it is the seed of Adam (sin) that affects all, but through Christ we are made alive. And that all have sinned but can be redeemed by God’s grace through Jesus (Romans 3:22-24). Similarly, the whole issue of election (“to choose”), as how God chooses us by grace not works, is not well treated (see: Ephesians 1: 4 and many others).
Rating: 4 / 5