Picturing God

Publisher's Summary

How might we conceive of God, a being who is both invisible and indescribable? Is it foolish or blasphemous to even try? If it is possible to find a meaningful way to picture the divine, how might this help us to connect with him, her or it, and might this lead us away from the main quest of mystics and spiritual seekers - to find God in the heart?

An almost constant awareness of God's presence isn't the normal experience of most people. Many of us spend much of our lifetimes wondering what God is like and, as a step toward experiencing the divine within us, it can help if we can imagine who or what we're speaking to.

An invisible, intangible, indescribable God might at first glance appear to even be beyond our imagination. In one sense, this is of course true, but this needn't distract from the potential to appreciate aspects of divine essence, transcendent, eternal, and immeasurable as they may be.

Images, metaphors, and elaborate descriptions can all play their part in this. Such touch points can be especially helpful in reminding us of the divine qualities and providing a focus for anchoring our devotions and prayers.

Taking a very human starting point, Picturing God draws on the insights and writings of mystics, sages, and religious commentators across the centuries, as well as from the sacred texts, poetry, and thinking of many different faith traditions.

Through these diverse perspectives, a common picture emerges of a being that can at once be both conceived and related to at many levels, including when speaking from the heart seems hard. Such a picture opens up the possibility of going beyond just having an idea to cling on to, offering a meaningful impression of the person or power that is the focus for our meditation and who can be conversed with in prayer.

©2015 Clive Johnson (P)2016 Clive Johnson

great narrator, great book

Where does Picturing God rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

top 25

Who was your favorite character and why?

no characters

What does Clive Johnson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

a personal touch

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

that God wears many hats

Any additional comments?

the man really thinks deeply about religion

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

a beautiful and searching work

What made the experience of listening to Picturing God the most enjoyable?

the pellucid tone

Who was your favorite character and why?

the main one, because it was the only one, but seriously, it is a great book

What about Clive Johnson’s performance did you like?

the controlled emotion, the centered and calming presence

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

all moving

Any additional comments?

great book, a unique and rare voice

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A True Visionary

Where does Picturing God rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Number 1

What other book might you compare Picturing God to, and why?

Summa Theologica, by Aquinas, because of its depth.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Every scene

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Passion of the Christ part 2.

Any additional comments?

brilliant, sensitive, original. loved it