The Beauty of God's Novel: A Book Review of N.D. Wilson's Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl

On special occasions, most women wear lipstick. Speaking from a purely objective and rational perspective, this makes no sense. Painted lips serve no practical purpose. And yet, when our anniversary rolls around year after year, we pull out our most inviting shade. We do it in the name of beauty. We do it for an audience of one. And we do it to compel our husbands to delight in us. N.D. Wilson argues that all of creation exists for the same reason painted lips do: to compel its audience to delight. However, we are not the audience for which creation exists. We are part of the creation. We, along with super novas, spiders, snowflakes and volcanoes, exist for God. In his book, Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl, N.D. Wilson explores the implications of a truth we readily accept, but probably rarely meditate on: that all of creation (including us) is the spoken word of God. He examines this doctrine in light of God's creative power and purpose. We are His novel. We are his tapestry. We are His characters whose purpose is to act out His grand narrative. We exist for an audience of One. It is all for the pleasure of the singular Triune God.

Each chapter and section of the book has an overarching theme that either examines the implications of his thesis or gives insight into how he arrived at his thesis. The themes include the problem of evil,assumptions about beauty, heaven and hell,the human need to explain our existence, the theory of natural selection in evolution, the authority of God, the incarnation of Christ, and the gospel. For many of these, he employs a helpful and comical technique. He boils down the seminal work of some philosophical giant and tests the strength of the philosopher's conclusion. This summation is usually followed by a graciously witty dismissal that cleverly highlights the theory's shortcomings or even its practical absurdities. In my opinion, this tactic of his allows his levity to shine. In listing several philosophers, Wilson mentions Hume: “David Hume, the Scot (knowingly) declared God and knowledge impossible without any apparent sense of irony.” With his treatment of themes like the incarnation and the gospel, the reader is left with a fresh perspective arrived at through the lens of Wilson's thesis and new beauty in old truths is exposed.

Appropriate to his premise, the style of this book is very poetic. Some might find his style off-putting. The entire work is an artistic endeavor and that is made clear from the very beginning. Sometimes, sentences feel choppy and thoughts don't always have the fluidity we've come to expect from Christian books. But considering the purpose of the book is to get its readers to appreciate the whole of creation as God's artistry, the style is fitting. If his thesis interests you in the slightest, don't let the unconventional style deter you from immersing yourself in the book. If the idea of poetic Christian prose excites you, that is essentially what this book offers.

Wilson's greatest strength besides the originality of his topic and approach is his command of language. Wilson has an ability to demand wonder and amazement from his reader as he explores the profound implications of his thesis. His use of imagery, analogy and wit to get an idea across is unparalleled. It should be noted that at times, Wilson's word choice can be crude and even a little shocking. (This is probably why it isn't available in the church bookstore). Approach the book with caution as it does contain strong – potentially offensive – language and consider yourself warned. If you feel that flow, subject matter, tone, and poetic license can lend leniency, be forgiving. Please don't misunderstand me. His choice to employ strong language is certainly not gratuitous. Nor does he chose to do so often. But it does occur.

There are two things a reader should be aware of as they read this book. Wilson's theology doesn't line up perfectly with what our husbands are being taught. The discrepancies don't affect the effectiveness of the book, but there are small moments that they do appear. This is particularly true eschatologically and in his chapter on hell. So, take that with a grain of salt. Secondly, and really just a personal annoyance, is Wilson's treatment of C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. It would behoove the reader to know that The Great Divorce is a work of fiction. This is something Wilson neglects to mention and, to some, may result in Lewis seeming like a theological loon. But this grievance is very insignificant to the whole of the book. Some will buy Notes and wonder why I so highly praised it. It won't be everyone's cup of tea. But you'd still have to honestly admit that it's not like anything else you've ever read. All in all, I'd highly recommend this book, particularly to the young adult believer who is feeling beaten up by his/her Philosophy 101 class. If nothing else, it's a fun read. Wilson's competence as a story teller is a rare find and he does have great stories to tell in this book. Wilson has also authored a number of adventurous chapter books for children. Or adults who like children's literature.