Wisdom Hunter by Randall Arthur - REVIEWED

“Most if not all the true wisdom of God, the true insight of God, and the true knowledge of God that a man holds in his heart he has learned from resistance and affliction.”

(p. 217)

Randall Arthur’s book, Wisdom Hunter, is a haunting and rather painful tale of a man in search of God’s wisdom, God’s guidance, and God’s direction in his life. The first few chapters of the book are spent introducing the reader to Pastor Jason Faircloth and then systematically stripping his life bare of everything he cherished, believed God for, and led the members of his church to believe as truth. As the story progresses, Jason begins the process of working through his painful experiences and then rediscovering his faith. His journey takes his practically around the globe, but eventually takes him back to the place he has longed for all along.

It is my understanding that Wisdom Hunter was originally published several years ago, and this copy I received for review is actually a re-released version of a very popular story. The basic concept behind the telling of this tale is the struggle that exists within the believer’s life between the hypocrisy that can exist within legalistic religious practices and the joy that comes from understanding the sovereignty of God and the gift of His grace. This is not a new struggle, and through the years the debate between what constitutes “right” religious practices has grown rather heated. The re-release of this novel reflects this conflict and sets it amid present day differences among believers.

Arthur defines legalism as those who focus upon dress, hair length, choice of music and other common points of conflict among believers. His main character, Jason Faircloth, actually has to find himself in an international setting after suffering incredible loss before he begins to understand the true meaning of grace. The story is touching and will actually be familiar to many who have suffered the growing pains of reaching spiritual maturity.

My only hesitation before offering a heartfelt recommendation of this book is that believers should be mature enough to recognize the difference between legalism and true conviction. For instance, at one point Arthur speaks harshly about the use of the King James version of the bible. For some, myself included, that is a true conviction and is an act of obedience for the believer. Convictions are not something you beat others over the head with. True convictions, whether about dress, music, holiday celebrations ect…are between God and the believer and used to grow and mature that child of God. Only when these things become battering rams do they enter into the realm of legalism, and then they do become very dangerous.

We are living in an age where believers need to be solidly grounded in God’s word and able to discern the false doctrines cropping up all around us. I think that is Randall Arthur’s primary message. We need to be salt and light in this ever darkening world, and hopefully we will grow to love and serve others just as Christ commanded us to do.

May we all be a Wisdom Hunter…seeking the truth of God’s Word, following His direction in our lives and sharing Christ with others.

Please visit the Multnomah website to learn more about this novel, read sample chapters and learn how to purchase your own copy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Randall Arthur is the bestselling author of Jordan’s Crossing and Brotherhood of Betrayal. He and his wife have served as missionaries to Europe for over thirty years. From 1976 till 1998, he lived in Norway and Germany as a church planter. Since 2000, he has taken numerous missions teams from the United States on trips all over Europe. Arthur is also the founder of the AOK (Acts of Kindness) Bikers’ Fellowship, a group of men who enjoy the sport of motorcycling. He and his family live in Atlanta, Georgia.