Only a short book of course on a big subject. Says a lot of true things. But dosn't give a view on some key difficult issues:

1. When, why and by whom was the creation 'subjected to frustration' p66.

2. The world God made was: good, ordered, beautiful, glorifies God.....unfinished. But Genesis 2:1 says 'So the heaven and the earth and all their host were finished' (Wenham). I may have missed it but I can't find any exposition of 2:1 and reconciliation with...unfinished. He really had to say someting about 2:1.

3. Again, I may have missed it but although he mentions Isaiah 11:6-9 (p67) he doesn't link together Gen 1:28-29, Gen 9:1-3 with it and give a view on the issue of animal predation before Man.

4. p58 - not all the forces of nature that we find threatening or unpleasant are the result human sin and divine curse. He has to say more about this. Are such forces evil? Do they include predation?

I don't think it is possible to write a book like this and remain neutral on the question of whether the generally accepted view of the fossil record and the chronology of the geological column can be harmonised with a wholly trustworthy Bible and can avoid affecting our view of God, God's purposes and evil.

Regards

Phil Almond