This is part biographical and part theological study from a man admired by his family and parishioners for his ability to confront religious issues with wisdom and patience. Born with a logical mind, Wise could not mentally accept all the rules of Southern "Bible-believing" churches around him. A college professor provoked him to discover what Bible truths he did hold sacred and then build a belief system around these. After college, Wise entered the seminary and graduated a proponent of "relational theology"—where loving people is more important than keeping rules.

Chapters in the book reveal both Wise's theology and his inherent brilliance. In "The Place Where Religion and Science Merge" he bests Einstein with flare. In "Prayer Is Like A Whistling Surfer" he provides three similes, each building on the previous to encourage prayer. The "Reconciliation: chapter marvelously reveals a less-known psalm's relationship to Jesus on the Cross. There are other chapters that specifically tackle the "isms" Wise rejected: "Understanding Salvation Without Legalism" and "Why Literalism Is So Darn Divisive." His "In Search Of Higher Truth" proposes three reasonable alternatives to the usual hell-fire interpretation of the Bible admonition to "heap burning coals" on your enemy's head.

Denny Wise was a PK (preacher's kid) turned beach bum and self-proclaimed cynic, who surprisingly became a seminary student and then parish minister serving Southern churches for forty years. He grew up in North Carolina, retiring there in 2006. He died in 2013 after a long battle with lymphoma. The 265-page paperback book includes forty-two, short chapters that will make you think—whether you agree with Wise's seminary-taught conclusions or not.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Return to USR Home