God: a Guide for the Perplexed [Hardcover]

There are lots of great things about this book and it's certainly given me lots to think about.
Wards informal, jokey style was a bit hard at first, but by the end of the book I was enjoying it.
It's not a christian book exactly, but he's coming from a Christian perspective and a lot of the philosophers that he looks at are Christian.
I was interested to learn how much Christainty owes to Plato. He also gives an excellent explanation of the trinity. The first one I've been able to understand.
He offers a vision of God which avoids happy-clappy born-again optimism, but manages to be be hopeful. Well, I felt quite hopeful when I finished the book and I'm usually a miserable, pessimistic, materialist atheist, so that's quite an achievement.

While covering his familiar hunting-ground of theological philosophy, Keith Ward has made a dramatic departure in style from his previous books. Although he is covering very profound material, his style is conversational and witty, and even illustrated with quirky pictures. This certainly makes the book more readable, although one also has to work a bit at discerning the serious meaning behind the wit.
The book is essentially an overview of the evolution of understanding of God, starting with Greek polytheism, and ending with the present day; passing through some philosophers who don't appear to adhere to much concept of God at all. The eclectic author skips in one paragraph between Hegel, Plato, the Indian philosopher Ramanuja and Augustine.
I found the book entertaining and enlightening, although I was disappointed that Ward appears to apply his characteristic humility and objectivity with even more scrupulousness than usual. The result is a work less inspiring than others of his, in which his own convictions are allowed freer expression.
Look out for a veiled reference to the young Ward crossing swords with A.J. Ayer!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even though I consider myself an agnostic with atheistic leanings.

I particularly found the historical theme of the book to be most helpful. Although the author is a Christian theologian, he is also a professional philosopher; as a result, Ward is able to avoid the preachy approach of some theologians and provide an instructive overview of how the concept of God has evolved; especially in relation to the philosophical thinkings of Plato, Aristotle, together with later philosophers ranging from Hegel and Marx, through Kierkegaard, Heidegger and Sartre.

Ward explores the evolving concepts with a range of lenses. These include looking at God through a more traditional theological approach through to the concept of God as reflected by the philosophers mentioned above as well as the views of political thinkers such as Marx, plus the thinking and writing by literary greats.

This is not a book for those who are wedded to a literal interpretation of the Bible, nor who view God as being a kindly old man with omnipotent powers, unless they are looking to challenge their beliefs in this quarter. Rather it is a book for anyone with an open mind who is interested to see how great thinkers through time have tackled the nature of what God might be, starting with reflection upon the original pantheon of Greek gods and including the mystical beliefs of Judaism, Islam and Hinduism; albeit the greater focus is upon the Judaeo-Christian tradition.

The material is thought-provoking, especially if you are agnostic, yet unwilling to completely dismiss the possibility of a God or supra-entity(ies) behind the creation of the Cosmos. Indeed, as in some aspects of Eastern mysticism, there appears a confluence between the more abtract concepts of God provided in this book and those of modern science; at least in those areas, where one might wonder why some of the basic laws of our universe are consistent with the "Goldilocks principle".

Of course, even in his personal conclusions in which Ward sets down seven ways of thinking about God, the reader is still left with their own views about the possibility and nature of God. What this book does is to allow the reader to appreciate how thinking about the nature of God has developed through time and along the way to reflect upon their own thoughts, beliefs and faith; on occasions, the content of the book might even force them to reconsider some of these views.