The Weirdness of God – A Review

When my good friend Merrill Greene sent me a first draft copy of his Weirdness of God, I knew I was in for a treat.¹ With his unique combination of scholarly credentials and personal experience as a Spirit-filled believer, this brief book had everything it needed to surpass my expectations. Don’t let the brevity deceive you, however. Running at around 140 pages, this book is packed with concise yet accessible content.² 

The full title of the work is The Weirdness of God: What the Bible Says about God’s Character, How to Discern Manifestations, and Why the Church Has Attempted to Squash the Holy Spirit’s Creativity. One notes immediately that the author is attempting a response to an unhealthy trend common to Evangelical circles. Yet despite the aggressive wording, he writes free from the juvenile rhetoric and “gotchas” that are business as usual for most of the “discernment ministries” that he takes issue with. Though he only once names one of these groups, his critique is aimed at the Strange Fire conference and book of 2013, Todd Friel’s Wretched program, JD Hall’s Pulpit & Pen, Justin Peters Ministries, and, to a lesser extent, the recent American Gospel documentary.³ Greene writes with a delicate balance of openness and admonition, and it is self-evident that the conclusions throughout are soaked in prayer and communion with the Lord. I personally often found myself led into a state of worship and prayer during my reading of the book.

The book begins with a chapter elaborating on the concept of God’s “weirdness”. In short time it is made clear that the term weirdness is employed to make the reader re-evaluate their understanding of the “holiness” of God. Citing Lev. 20:26, Greene points out that, rather than designating moral perfection or righteousness, the term holiness in the Bible refers to separateness or otherness. This otherness of God, he explains, starts with his transcendental nature⁴ and extends to his very thought processes and actions. Greene defends the idea that we can only know so much about God through our cognitive reason, and that much, if not most, knowledge of God must come by his initiative, via his Spirit—a biblical tradition hinted at in texts like Isa. 55:8-9 and made explicit in John 1:18 & 1 Cor. 1-2.

This otherness being established as an attribute of God, Greene spends three chapters—one for each Person of the Trinity—surveying the Old and New Testament episodes that demonstrate what appears to be the eccentric nature of God. To rehearse the instances here would be superfluous. Suffice it to say that the author does a commendable job of guiding the reader to look at each of these biblical episodes with fresh eyes, recognizing how out of place they would seem in our day and age. More to the point, he convincingly demonstrates that, according to some of the contemporary discernment ministry criteria, a majority of the biblical saints, and even Christ himself, would have to be condemned as heretics. 

It is by this process that Greene dismantles what he calls the “criterion of weirdness”, whereby “some Christians conclude that if something is weird, it cannot be from God.” He explains that the Scriptures never admit such a test of oddity to determine whether a given manifestation or action is from the Lord. While the Bible gives some obvious signs of “strange fire”, such as contradiction of Scripture or inducement of idolatry, the Scripture is silent on whether strange manifestations are necessarily from the Lord or not. As explained by Jonathan Edwards (and as cited in the book):

We cannot conclude that persons are under the influence of the true Spirit because we see such effects upon their bodies, because this is not given as a mark of the true Spirit; nor on the other hand, have we any reason to conclude from any such outward appearances, that persons are not under the influence of the Spirit of God, because there is no rule of Scripture given us to judge of spirits by, that does either expressly or indirectly exclude such effects on the body, nor does reason exclude them.

Simultaneously with his exposition of the “weird” biblical episodes, Greene rebuts some of the most common objections to contemporary charismatic beliefs and practices. His work is so compelling that it is matched only by Jack Deere’s priceless appendices of questions and answers on the topic in Surprised by the Spirit of God. To take one of these for example, I cannot count how many times I have heard the “hospital card” from cessationists: If healing evangelists are the real deal, why don’t they clear out hospitals? Greene responds in detail:

This question assumes a number of important variables. Firstly, have you ever tried entering a hospital to visit people you do not know so that you can heal them? Typically, the people at the front desk are not very welcoming to the idea (I know this from experience). Secondly, it assumes that faith healers do not go to hospitals to pray for the sick. Some do. Thirdly, it assumes that those who are being prayed for have the faith to be healed. Some Christians find this particular point quite offensive, but they are not my words. Jesus says frequently that it is the person’s faith that made them well. Being sick is not somehow an escape from the necessity of faith. Fourthly, it assumes that it is always God’s will to heal the sick. Evidently, the fact that God sometimes sends sickness on people as punishment for sin [Num. 21:4-9; Acts 13:8-11] means that healing them through a faith healer may not be part of his divine prerogative. If Jesus had difficulties in going about his healing ministry [Mark 6:1-6], perhaps some grace is necessary for those who believe in him and pray for the sick.

Greene also deconstructs another popular polemic which he calls “parallelomania,” whereby “someone finds a ritual or practice that some Christians do and find a parallel in another religious tradition. They then conclude that that practice is, therefore, evil.” This is often used to attack the practice of speaking in tongues or physical jerks common both to Kundalini Hinduism and Charismatic Revivalism.⁵ The principle is hardly sound, however, as Greene points out that such a simplistic criteria would disqualify prayer and fasting from orthodoxy just as easily!

Beyond dismantling the typical arguments and polemics of modern discernment ministries, Greene explores the potential reasons why so many Bible-believing Christians tend to doubt the work of the Holy Spirit in our day and age. Put simply, “unbelief is very easy.” As I argued in a paper on the prophetic office in the book of I Samuel,⁶ the Bible gives us some clear criteria for false signs, yet it offers no one-size-fits-all test to ascertain that someone or something is from the Lord. The implication is that we simply cannot discern manifestations by our reason alone. Discernment “requires an impartation of knowledge from God.” This is a discernment that necessitates a close relationship with God, knowing him through his Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10-16). Having to rely on the Holy Spirit for such knowledge is both risky and humbling. One has to submit oneself obediently to the leading of God, trusting that he will lead you into all truth. (John 16:13)

Greene offers a sober warning to those in discernment ministries “whose primary purpose is to make sure people do not believe that God is still doing certain things today.” He expounds the most plain teaching on the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: that it consists of attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. Further, he notes with foreboding the “haughty eyes,” “lying tongue,” and “discord sowing” common among these self-appointed watchdogs of orthodoxy. While discernment of false signs and false teachers is a biblical mandate, we are admonished not to fall into the trap of hard-heartedness. We are encouraged to default to belief rather than unbelief when God may be doing something supernatural. Like Mary who accepted Gabriel’s announcement with limited understanding, we are called to trust the Lord to work for our good and his glory. We are called to mature to “a place where the weirdness of God becomes our normal.”

1. Since this book will likely undergo revision in the future, I will refrain from citing specific page numbers when I quote the author.
2. In addition to the author’s specialty in Ancient Near Eastern Religion, Second Temple Judaism, and Exorcistic practices, the author also draws knowledge from early Christian and Rabbinic sources where appropriate to provide context for his conclusions.
3. Though it must be mentioned that this film was more geared toward rebuking the “prosperity gospel” rather than being anti-charismatic. In fact, more than one continuationist/charismatic were featured as contributors (Matt Chandler and the late Nabeel Qureshi).
4. A feature which distinguishes Christianity from the Eastern religious motif of monism and pantheism.
5. It should be noted that the physical jerks, along with tremendous outbursts of weeping and wailing, were a distinguishing mark of Jonathan Edwards’ revivals. Edwards was a self-described cessationist.
6. Prophetic Justice: The Ways of the Prophet in I Samuel 8-16. 2015.