false 2031780 1 This is the story of two high-school pals from the Midwest for whom a personal tragedy sets in motion a journey of inquiry that spans a lifetime of cruel and glorious twists, and culminates in an astonishing discovery. Ian wants answers his faith can't provide, so he abandons traditional religion and its magic, mysticism, and supernaturalism, turning instead to science and reason. Bill's path has become that of a devoted Christian who sees the bountiful harvest that can be achieved through spirituality and faith. When profound revelations lead each friend to uncover shocking historical "secrets" in support of his own worldview, their odyssey plays out on a global stage, with tragic consequences. Only by embracing the inherent mystery and pain of their quest do Ian and Bill make the discovery that really matters--a genuine secret of the universe. As emotional and hopeful as it is hard-hitting and brutally honest, Gibson's dramatic allegory is fundamentally about beliefs. It's about how we come to form "knowledge" about the big questions in life: God, sexual ethics, morals, political ideology--even which medical treatments we will choose to fight our cancers. More importantly, it's about how those beliefs affect our actions, our lives, and the world around us! Told through two friends' struggle to make sense of life's triumphs and tragedies--which they interpret through very different religious filters--A Secret of the Universe is both a mirror through which each of us can view our human fallibility, and an illuminating path out of the dogmatism and violence that ail us. 2036462 11 10 2007 A Secret of the Universe: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Discovery of an Eternal Truth total:5|5:0|4:1|3:0|2:0|1:0| 5 21 11 3 4 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Oct 12 21:45:48 -0700 2007 Fri Oct 12 21:56:08 -0700 2007 www.amazon.com or other on...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Jan 26 16:27:05 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 26 16:39:06 -0800 2008
I also enjoyed the discussion of various religious topics related to christianity; the exploration of biblical authen...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Sep 20 00:24:48 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 20 00:26:19 -0700 2008 My first fiction book in more than 30 years, I thought it was very good.

I enjoyed it very much, and I learned a lot.


Did not agree with everything, but I didn't feel I was beaten over the head.

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