In The Fingerprints of God best-selling author Robert Farrar Capon takes readers on a sleuthing project, using his own uniquely developed history of images to find evidence of the Divine Suspect in our midst." "Capon first explores various images that prompt proper talk about God and the nature of Scripture. The Bible, he says, is the mystery story of God's hidden presence as the Divine Suspect behind all history. Capon discusses the misuse of Scripture due to literalist interpretation, looks at the ways Christ has suffered at the hands of human image-makers, and proposes a novel understanding of salvation history that clarifies the proper roles of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus." "In the second part of the book Capon turns his magnifying glass on major thinkers from church history - Irenaeus, Athanasius, Anselm, Luther, Melanchthon, Calvin, Julian of Norwich, and others - pointing out both the strong and the weak images they have produced. Throughout the centuries, Capon sees God as the "Divine Bowler" trying to knock down the faulty "pins" of ideas that have been set up in the lanes of religious history, while also disclosing himself in profound and powerful ways.
Robert Farrar Capon (1925-2013) was an Episcopal priest and prolific author. Over the course of his career, he held a variety of roles, including parish priest at Christ Church in Port Jefferson, dean of the George Mercer Jr. Memorial School of Theology, assistant to the rector at St. Luke's Church in East Hampton, and canon theologian to the Episcopal Bishop of Long Island. His many books included The Supper of the Lamb, The Fingerprints of God, and The Foolishness of Preaching.
Provident Book Finder "Be prepared for a jolt or two as you read this book. Author Robert Farrar Capon is on a warpath against abuses of theology, beginning with the Medieval age. . . Capon is a master of the use of imagery and symbolism. It takes an agile mind to keep track of the many metaphors he uses, often humorously, to guide the reader through his thinking. This would be a good book for a serious study group." Spirit & Life "In a brilliant exposition of the mystery of redemption, Robert Capon startles us into new perspectives with his whimsical imagery. Showing how our images can either lead us astray or jolt us into a new way of understanding divine truth, he is particularly convincing in his perception of the Eucharist. . . As we live with 'the mess and the mystery' of our human situation, we can find the fingerprints of God everywhere if we take the trouble to look for them." Library Journal "Episcopal priest and author Capon here offers a highly engaging yet learned approach to the understanding of God. Not many could try to address the significance of God as the 'hidden hand' of history by mixing the insights of baseball with reflections on Irenaeus and Anselm, but Capon does so with gusto. . . Highly recommended."
