The End of Divine Truthiness: Love, Power, and God - Thoughtful

In this review of The End of Divine Truthiness, Paul Joseph Greene addresses the clash between power and affection in religious thinking and argues for a restored, coherent sense of divine love. Readers seeking a serious, interfaith reflection will find the book valuable because it confronts corrosive theologies and offers a constructive remedy grounded in Buddhism, Christianity, and Taoism. The book is best read by those interested in theology that wrestles with moral power and compassion rather than devotional primers or purely academic surveys.

Key Features

• Interfaith framework: Draws on Buddhist, Christian, and Taoist resources to present a balanced understanding of divine love that avoids one-sided extremes.
• Theological critique: Exposes harmful doctrines that elevate power without love or reduce love to powerless sentiment, helping readers rethink familiar teachings.
• Practical urgency: Responds to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s challenge about love and power, applying moral pressure to religious conversation.
• Clear argumentative voice: Uses accessible language and the concept of truthiness to dissect ideas without relying on dense academic jargon.
• Rehabilitative aim: Offers a positive vision that seeks to restore the wholesome claim that God is love rather than simply demolishing opposing positions.
• Concise focus: Keeps the argument tightly on the relation between love and power, making it suitable for focused reading and study groups.

Who It's For

This book suits readers interested in religion and spirituality who want an engaged, ethical take on how the divine should be understood. Clergy, religious studies students, and thoughtful lay readers who are uncomfortable with extremes of authoritarian or sentimental religion will appreciate Greene's measured approach.

Those seeking devotional texts, hymnals, or a step-by-step spiritual practice may want a different book, since The End of Divine Truthiness is primarily a critique and corrective rather than a liturgical or pastoral manual.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Offers a readable interreligious synthesis that broadens perspective beyond a single tradition.
• Directly addresses moral concerns about power and love with historical and ethical insight.
• Provides a hopeful corrective, arguing clearly that God can be understood as truly loving without losing moral authority.

Cons

• Not a replacement for devotional or congregational resources, which readers seeking worship material may miss.

Specifications

Title	The End of Divine Truthiness: Love, Power, and God
Author	Paul Joseph Greene, Paul R Sponheim
Scope	Interfaith theological critique drawing on Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism
Main themes	Love, power, truthiness, moral theology
Purpose	Restore a coherent doctrine that God is love
Intended audience	Readers of religion, theological students, clergy

Our Verdict

The End of Divine Truthiness is a thoughtful, value-driven work for readers who want to rethink how love and power coexist in religious thought. It delivers careful critique and constructive alternatives across three traditions, making it good value for anyone seeking moral clarity rather than devotional instruction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book defend a single religion?
The book uses resources from Buddhism, Christianity, and Taoism to build an interfaith argument rather than defend only one tradition.

Is it suitable for classroom use?
Yes, the focused critique and clear themes make it appropriate for seminars in religion and ethics, though it is not a textbook with study guides.

Will it help with personal spiritual practice?
It can inform personal reflection on love and power, but it is primarily a theological critique rather than a how-to spiritual manual.