The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ in VT Christian Reading Challenge

Apr 30, 2017 Josiah DeGraaf rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography-memoir

Before reading this book, I only kind-of knew about Klavan from seeing some clips on Facebook of him talking politics. I stumbled upon this book at a library book sale and decided to make an impulse buy built off of name-recognition. So I wasn't sure what to expect.

But it didn't take me long to be engrossed in this narrative. I had no idea Klavan was a fiction writer as well when I began reading this, but his love for storytelling shone through, making this an absolutely beautiful narrative. As ...more

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Jul 19, 2017 NinaB rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2017, top-2017

This is one superb book, a wonderful glimpse into the life of one of the most unlikely converts, a secular Jew who resisted the Supernatural his first 50 years, but eventually was drawn into God's irresistible grace. This excellently written autobiography takes you through the author's history of a traditionally Jewish suburban childhood, illicit drugs, mental anguish and depression, search for meaning, family life, failures and successes as a writer, and finally, his willing submission to God's ...more

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May 14, 2018 Shaina Herrmann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018

This is an exceptional book.

Had I read this book even two years ago I don't think it would have come close to having the effect that it had on me over the past couple weeks as I've read this. God has been doing so much in my life these past two years. I was amazed (though I shouldn't have been) at how many similarities there were between his conversion and my own. For many years I've heard a multitude of testimonies, but never one like this! This life story took me by surprise and challenged me ...more

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Jul 13, 2017 Dmreichle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-reading-challenge, 2017-books, vt-reading-challenge

I recently listened to a textbook on my commute and found it a good way to get some dull "reading" done while going to and from work. This book on CD was loaned to me by a friend, so I figured it would give me an opportunity to "read" something I wouldn't normally read, and do it easily in the car. It's the first audiobook I've listened to (aside from the textbook) in a long while, and I found I really enjoyed it.

The story is truly amazing, and it is told is lavish language, read by the author h I recently listened to a textbook on my commute and found it a good way to get some dull "reading" done while going to and from work. This book on CD was loaned to me by a friend, so I figured it would give me an opportunity to "read" something I wouldn't normally read, and do it easily in the car. It's the first audiobook I've listened to (aside from the textbook) in a long while, and I found I really enjoyed it.

The story is truly amazing, and it is told is lavish language, read by the author himself. It's basically an autobiography but with an intense focus on the author's conversion. I feel like I would have provided many quotes here if I had the print version of the book, which is one downside to have listened to it. The story is about a Jewish agnostic with a dysfunctional childhood, who eventually goes into insanity and back out of it. This process leads him to go from unbelief to true faith.
The story is told is such vivid language and with such passion and utter truthfulness, there can be no doubt the author's conversion is genuine. It makes me want to read more, learn more, listen more. The story convicted me and made me think. What is it that I believe? And why do I believe it?

Of course, Klavan doesn't purport to have "my kind" of faith; but that doesn't lead me to discount it in any way or doubt that God pulled him out of darkness into light. His story is touched with a slightly strange mysticism, along with a lack of any specific belief system. He simply knows that he prayed to God, and God answered, and he is thankful to God for that and for all he has. My only hesitation is the apparent lack of urgency he has in telling others the Gospel since if he truly knows the Gospel and believes it, it should lead to a desire to tell others for the purpose of their own conversion. There is no indication that his family followed him into the faith, nor that having them do so was something he hoped and prayed for.

Overall, a terrific book I may actually purchase in print just to have the opportunity to return to it again and to see if I enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed listening to it.

And I'll end with at least one quote, because it rings so true. “Anyway, God is not susceptible to proofs and disproofs. If you believe, the evidence is all around you. If you don’t believe, no evidence can be enough.”

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Aug 22, 2020 Gail rated it really liked it

Shelves: bible-study-christian-non-fiction

Highly recommend this honest, humorous (at times), intellectual, literary, highly introspective memoir that culminates in finding truth in Jesus and Christianity (for someone who did not think he was searching for Jesus).

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Sep 24, 2016 K B rated it really liked it

Shelves: vt-group

Interesting memoir about an interesting man who was born Jewish and was converted to faith in Christ Jesus.

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Jan 08, 2017 Seth rated it really liked it

A very well-written narrative of Klavan's life and his slow but steady, decades-long conversion to theism and ultimately Christianity. It made me want to read his fiction. ...more

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