03/18/2024
Duck Dynasty star Robertson (Uncanceled) issues a zealous call for readers to embrace Jesus in exchange for “eternal life.” Recalling how his own salvation at age 28 helped him “enjoy a new life rooted in an eternal future,” the author relays similar promises to readers (“What if you knew that this star-breathing, death-defeating God also promises you immortality in exchange for you simply believing in him?”). He also contemplates what an eternal life might look like (“an intimate future in the presence of the Father we love and the Son who died for us”), and dispenses advice for how to fortify one’s faith, including by confessing sins, renouncing “superficial substitutes” for God’s love, and avoiding self-righteousness (“You may be a respectable church member, but so were the Pharisees”). Unfortunately, Robertson’s message is often obscured by the somewhat meandering and repetitive structure, apocalyptic commentary on sex (“The growing number of people with STDs” is evidence of “spiritual darkness... creeping across our nation”), and retrograde depictions of what he claims are Satan’s effects on Earth, including “broken marriages” and “young men and women confused about their gender and sexuality.” Only the author’s most devoted fans need apply. (Mar.)
