From Eternity to Here, Frank Viola - Book Review

I have enjoyed reading Frank Viola's books, so when this became available for free download, I jumped at the chance.  The best that can be said for this book is that it was worth the price. Had actual funds been transferred, a refund would have been appropriate.

The book is divided into three sections.  The first relates how God's ultimate passion was a bride for His son.  Now, I do not want to negate that a bride was not in God's mind since before the foundations of the earth, but to state that is His ultimate passion is to say that the eternal Trinitarian Godhead is incomplete.  Is this really Viola's claim?  Is the only begotten Son of God so lovesick that the Father must send the Holy Spirit out to find a suitable bride, and until that happens God is thwarted? What kind of a God is this?  Surely it is not the one found in Scripture who is all in all and complete within Himself.

To build his case, Viola begins with eisegesis: he states that Eve did not come along until after the seven days of creation were complete.  Where did this come from?  I have read most works of the Ante-Nicene Fathers, and they do not mention this. Is this a later development?  A Google search gives many sights with this theory, but those I read were promoting a different race of man having been created before Adam and Eve came on the scene—more folly.

Section two outlines how God has always wanted a dwelling place.  Again, I do not wish to take away from His promises to dwell with the elect, especially that found in the new Jerusalem, but to claim God was basically homeless without the church is utter nonsense.  Again, where can we find apostolic or historic teaching that such is the case?

These first two sections were written in a sentimental style.  The aim was clearly to appeal to the emotions without reasoning through divine revelation.  This is sloppy teaching, and the author should know better.

Section three surprised me because of the clear, correct application that was made in spite of the faulty foundation built with the first two.  If someone could secure a copy of the book and read only this part, there would be some merit.

At the end of the book is a page of acknowledgements which disturbed me.  The scholars were a mixed bag—some I trust, other not—but the authors and friends I recognized frightened me: Tom Wright, Brian McLaren, and Mike Bickle.  These men are cover the spectrum from poor to heretical theology.  Frank Viola considers these men as influential or friends.  While someone might be able to divorce friendship from exegesis, eventually the errors will become ingrained.  Apparently, this book is the manifestation of that association.

If you choose to read this book, do so with your Bible open and sound commentaries at your disposal.