The Greatest Story Ever Told

It is extremely refreshing to find probably the greatest philosopher of our time writing something like the following in his newest book:

For according to the Christian story, God, the almighty first being of the universe and the creator of everything else, was willing to undergo enormous suffering in order to redeem creatures who had turned their backs on him. He created human beings; they rebelled against him and constantly go contrary to his will. Instead of treating them as some Oriental monarch would, he sent his Son, the Word, the second person of the Trinity into the world. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He was subjected to ridicule, rejection, and finally the cruel and humiliating death of the cross. Horrifying as that is, Jesus, the Word, the son of God, suffered something vastly more horrifying: abandonment by God, exclusion from his love and affection: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ All this to enable human beings to be reconciled to God, and to achieve eternal life. This overwhelming display of love and mercy is not merely the greatest story ever told; it is the greatest story that could be told. (Plantinga, Alvin. Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2011, 58-59.)

As noted above the book is Where the Conflict Really Lies by Alvin Plantinga. Theologians will undoubtedly find problems with the remainder of the work, and certainly the whole book does not read like the quote above, but I remain grateful for such a sharp thinker who unabashedly states and defends his Christian convictions in the face of the greatest philosophical challenges leveled at believers today.

And the book is definitely worth a read.