Conversations with My Grandchildren about God, Religion, and Life
By William Powell Tuck, Energion Publications, 2019
Reviewed by Fisher Humphreys
William Tuck possesses broad pastoral experience and deep theological understanding, and his brief, readable book is a treasure. It is a record of conversations he had with three of his grandchildren when they were youths. In the charming final chapter of the book Tuck answers questions asked more recently by his two youngest grandchildren when they were four and eight years old.
Tuck’s doctorate is in theology, and several of the topics of the conversations are theological: God, creation, evil, the Incarnation, atonement, the resurrection of Jesus and his future appearing on earth, and life after death. Others topics are moral: forgiveness, love, hope, global warming, racism, drugs and alcohol, casual sex, and homosexuality. Others are harder to categorize: the meaning of life, the will of God, prayer, atheism, the Jewishness of Jesus, how Christianity has changed, other world religions, depression and suicide, aging and retirement, and the loss of loved ones.
Altogether Tuck deals with 37 topics in 137 pages, which means that on average each topic receives fewer than four pages. This brevity contributes immensely to the readability of the book. It is readable also because it has been so carefully organized, Tuck’s prose is crystal clear, and Tuck tells interesting stories, uses apt metaphors, and presents reasoned and sensible arguments for his ideas. He is an honest and truthful writer; he doesn’t sidestep difficulties, and when questions come up that he cannot answer, he admits that he can’t. The book is intensely biblical, and Tuck always takes account of the historical setting of the biblical text—there is no proof-texting here! All of this makes the book trustworthy as well as readable. Tuck treats every topic with the seriousness it deserves, so what he says about every topic deserves to be taken seriously.
Very young children sometimes ask questions that are profound, but they are not experienced enough to process a profound answer. That is not true of youth, and Tuck never talks down to his older grandchildren (or his readers). For example, responding to the question of whether God’s existence can be proved, Tuck summarizes four classical proofs for the existence of God; the summaries are masterpieces of brevity and clarity. He then adds that even though the proofs work in a rational sense, “it is very doubtful that a person who is personally devoid of any religious desires or convictions could be convinced [by them] that God exists.” We know God only through a personal commitment.
Tuck believes in the Mystery of God. He also believes that God is a personal Being who created the world and transcends it but providentially guides it and acts within it. God is wise, powerful, faithful, and above all, love. God’s purpose in creation is to bring into being persons who are capable of having loving fellowship with God and with each other.
On the subject of creation and science, Tuck affirms both the standard scientific account of the universe and the Bible’s theological account of the world as God’s creation. Asked about an atheism that calls upon science for support, Tuck argues that “to say that the world came into being as an accident is to move from the realm of science to that of religion. Science has no more right to give answers in the field of religion than religion has to dictate scientific views.” Later he adds, “No young persons should be forced into an either/or decision: either God and the Bible or science.”
Tuck’s account of miracles is striking. He thinks that God created not only matter but natural laws that govern the behavior of matter. Miracles are not breaks or changes in those natural laws but rather applications of natural laws that are unknown to us. In support of this he points out that people who lived a century or two ago would certainly think that the air-conditioned houses, airplanes, television, and smart phones we have today are miracles. They would be right, but these things are not breaks in God’s natural laws but applications of natural laws that were not understood two centuries ago but are understood today.
Tuck’s book includes both traditional and progressive views. For example, he advises his grandchildren not to abuse drugs and alcohol and not to engage in casual sex. He is not in the least legalistic about this; it is the destructive power of these behaviors that concerns him. His view of homosexuality is less traditional. Because same-sex attraction is inherent rather than chosen, gays should be loved and accepted as they are, and reparative therapy to change their sexual orientation is a failure of love. Tuck gently points out the church’s foot-dragging on this issue, and he reminds his readers of the wisdom of First John: you cannot love God if you do not love your brother and sister.
In a brief section on attending church, Tuck affirms the value of sacred spaces while also acknowledging that it is possible to worship in any place. He writes: “Worship is not something God does for us; it is something we do for God. Worship gives us the occasion to acknowledge our thanksgiving for all God’s blessings, offer our adoration to God, confess our sins, sense God’s forgiving love and grace, and seek to find direction for our daily living. To me, worship is as essential as air for breathing.”
This book is very wise as well as very informative. It is the product of a lifetime of engagement with life and with books by a pastor-teacher who thinks Jesus brought the good news of God to all the world. I recommend it enthusiastically. It is available on Amazon.
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