Monday, April 12, 2010

Book Review: Will the World End in 2012?

The world will end!!! We're all going to die!!! Ack! Panic in the streets, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria!!

If you listen to certain circles in the world right now, you'll hear many things of this sort.  It's the current end of the world prediction.  The last time I recall such a widespread cataclysmic prediction was when we were approaching Y2K, although there was some in 2006-2008.

Upon the panicked public and curious Christian then is thrust this book: Will the World End in 2012? by Raymond C. Hundley, Ph.D. 

Will the World End in 2012?: A Christian Guide to the Question Everyone's Asking

Some thoughts on the book:

1.  It's a paperback.  Which makes sense, because if we live past 2012, it will have no lasting value.

2.  Dr. Hundley spends a chapter on each of 10 topics that people have suggested as either reasons the world will soon end or how it will happen.

These chapters are, by need, short.  As such, there isn't a lot of information in them.  It's more than a summary statement, but it's not really a lot of detail.

3.  There are a couple of concluding chapters that address how to respond to the idea that 2012 could be the end of the world.

 

A few things that this book lacks:

1.  A clear explanation of Dr. Hundley's qualification to speak to this issue.  While being as fair to his education as possible, he does not report having specialized in end-of-the-world studies or the specific astronomical or physics studies referenced in a few chapters.

2.  I was hoping for more information about other seasons in history that have been overloaded with end-of-the-world predictions.  There's a brief reference in the introduction to over 149 end of the world predictions in the last 2000 years, but that's all there is there.

3.  A definite statement.  There's no definite take whether the author accepts the 2012 concept.  This is certainly due to a reticence on the part of Biblical interpreters to fix dates.  If you fix one and miss it, your credibility is shot, but if you dismiss one, you risk being sidelined until it has passed.

 

In all, the book's conclusion, though, of how we ought to live our lives realizing the temporary nature of life on this earth and the brevity of life.  That without the hope of Christ, we'll be unprepared for the end of the world, whenever it may come.

If you miss out on this book, you won't be miss out on much.  It's not a waste of your time, but it's not something to go to much trouble to add to your library.

By the way, per the FCC, you should know this book was provided free from Booksneeze in exchange for a free book.  If you need more info than that, check Disclosures! for the information.

Doug

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