Evolution of authors and faith

This blog reports on 2 books I have just read, both 'involving' evolution!  The first is Evolving in Monkey Town: How a girl who knew all the answers learned to ask the questions - by Rachel Held Evans, and the second is the Latest Wilber Smith's book Those in Peril. 

First to monkey town (where the original public debate between evolution and creation occured early last century).  When I was advised by a friend to read this, I was a little skeptical.  I thought it would be another attempt by Christians to defend the indefensible.  But I was wrong!  This was one of the most honest Christian books that I have read (Adrian Plass is another who writes authentic Christian books!)  Rachel is only just hitting 30, brought up in a full-on fundamentalist Christian environment but managed to break out and come to the point of asking the questions that it took me nearly a lifetime to formulate (well I am 56!).  Her issue is not with God as such - but rather at the inconsistencies within the Bible, its teaching and its defense.  Interestingly, despite all her questioning of the way it is used (wrongly) to hit people over the head and defend indefensible doctrines - she still seems to hold the Bible with respect.  She caught on early to the illogic of people from other cultures, places and religions being tortued forever by a "loving" God because they happened to be born in a different place and brought up with the beliefs of their fathers and mothers. And that was just the start!  Her use of the word 'evolving' related to her - and the Church's - need to evolve as new knowledge and ideas emerged so she/ they stayed strong within the changes around them.  That continually defending old interpretations of writings, cultures and doctrines in the face of emerging realities adn discoveries was on a course to extinction.

Go Rachel!!

Now to the next evolution.  I think I have read all of Wilbur Smith's books since his first novels.  I (mostly) found them extrordinary tales of the places and times they portrayed and gave me a real interest in South Africa and its history.  Later novels have evolved  to a more holywood style - as if the great narrative has now been told and there is little left to explore.  The last one - Those in Peril - was about two quite heroic hollywood types  - with almost no chinks in their armour - and facing dangers and trauma with barely a breath.  It focused on islamic extremists typecast to the American portrayal of villans (reminded me of how Edgar Rice Burroughs portrayed the Russian bad guys when they went against Tarzan in his very early books - by the way I still enjoy Tarzan books!).  It dealt with pirates off the African coast with the main characters summarily defeating the menace!  It gave too many pages to detailing torture (good guys to bad guys as much as vice versa) with a focus on an eye for an eye.  So it all left me a little cold.  Wilbur, are there some real stories about the current modern Africa that you can enage us with????