Matthew's best book yet.

Agree or disagree, Matthew supports his claims, yet doesn't bore the reader with stuffy academic language. He writes in a way that most can understand, yet the amount of homework he put in is evident.

His arguments against PSA are a highlight. Many who would read this book already have their minds made up about the other topics, but PSA is one that gets less fanfare.

As usual, Matthew spends time familiarizing his audience with Rene Girard's mimetic theory, and Matthew ties this theory in where appropriate.

I was hesitant to read this book, but I'm very glad I did.

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Brings it all to light!

Matthew discusses topics that many don’t want to dig deep into but pass over because they are difficult or are too engrained in our teachings from earlier days. I appreciate his honesty and thoughtfulness in his writings in this book.

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Way more info than I expected

there is so much more information than what I expected from this book. statements backed up with research, scripture, theologians and history. while you may not agree, it is eye opening and provokes thought. challenges what we have been fed. right or not, thats between you and God. but is a great conversation on theology.

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Excellent book

Excellent commentary on many of the sacred cows worshiped within Evangelical Fundamentalism. The narration by Sean Duregger is outstanding as well. Whether you're a deconstructing exvangelical or simply questioning long-held religious beliefs, this book will definitely help you work through some questions. If you're an evangelical, this will challenge your presuppositions, and help you be more conversant with people who are legitimately questioning their faith. If you're switching gears from outsourcing your thinking, and wanting to learn to think for YOURSELF for a Change, Matthew J DiStefano provides an excellent model for how to develop your critical thinking skills when examining religious presuppositions and arrive at your OWN paradigms. Highly recommend.
🔥🖤🔥

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A Complex Theological Treatise Stated Simply.

Matthew DiStefano has an uncanny ability to bring incredibly complex ideas to the table with simple, easy to understand language. The ten items tackled in this book have shaped much of modern, American Christianity, and Christianity in the West, as a whole. But, Matthew breaks each idea down, through clever exegesis and a Christocentric view of Scripture. Bringing in anecdotal evidence, as well as rich Scriptural references, Matthew builds a world where the dominant faith is one that I want to desperately cling to. Whether you are in the process of deconstruction, are deeply rooted in a faith tradition that's seemingly crumbling around you, or have walked away altogether, this book will help build a more solid, Christ-like foundation for you to reconstruct on. To say this book has helped me would be an understatement. To say that this book has reoriented my theology, ideology, and worldview would be understatements. This is the book that I will be gifting friends and family alike for years to come as a means to say, "It's this simple. It can be this beautiful."

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I thought I wouldn’t like this book… I do!

As a Christian and a member of the church whose preacher says we are all sinners and no one should be denied the kingdom of God. I was still skeptical when reading the summary of this book. I thought this was another agnostic writing about how the Bible contradicts itself and blah blah blah. There is a little of that but he explains it so well I almost agreed with him and did agree with him on a lot of things. Like the author says the biggest commandment is that we should love God and love our neighbor as we do our self. This is written by someone who clearly knows the Bible back and forth and the thing I like most is he is condemning no one at all he doesn’t put but in his sentences. Instead he uses because, they are four and then he has explanations and scriptures. For the most part he is not extending his version of with the Bible with Yacs is explaining in black-and-white what the Bible says. I love this book I was so excited to see that Sean Dregger was the narrator as I find myself reading a lot of books narrated by him so much so I started looking for his name when looking for a book. He is one of the best narrators audible has. This was a great book.

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Thought provoking book, well narrated

This audiobook was a brief but fascinating listen, covering several hot-button issues such as universalism, homosexuality and OT violence. Distefano has clearly done his research, demonstrating that positions often rejected as heresy in the modern church can actually be traced back to the earliest believers. I would recommend to anyone who is deconstructing.

The narration was well done, the narrator captured the conversational tone of the book.

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Decent Presentation, Bad Reading

Mispronounced English words, mispronounced foreign words, stumbled sentences.

Otherwise good presentation of Universalist arguments for a broad public.

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Likely a polarizing book, but I definitely enjoyed

Though some religious people may be offended by the language, and perhaps angered by the content that challenges some deeply held beliefs in evangelical circles, I found this book to be insightful, enjoyable, thoughtful, and an excellent resource for my own spiritual journey. Thanks for writing this book!

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Surprisingly Mild from Distefano

I really enjoyed this. Maybe it’s because I’ve listened to so many podcast episodes with the author, but I wanna surprised this wasn’t more crass! But while the language may have been mild, the analysis was not.

Great work wrestling through hard concepts and first offering a overview and relatively unbiased look at multiple views before arguing to support one.

If you can’t stand a few cuss words or non-dominant Western Evangelical views, don’t read/listen to this book. But if you’re open to a brilliant man who loves God and loves being sarcastically crass, this is definitely the book for you!

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