AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Forgiveness by Adam Hamilton

Short and sweet, Adam Hamilton’s Forgiveness gives just a brief overview the most difficult—yet divine–practice of the Christ-follower.  This is a well-written, practical primer on the subject of forgiveness.

The book divided into four parts: forgiveness in our relationship with God, forgiveness in our relationship with our significant other, forgiveness in our relationships with family and those close to us, and, finally, an overview of the biblical story of Joseph as an illustration of forgiveness and healing.  He uses a great analogy of big and small rocks in a backpack to represent both our guilt over sin (in part 1) and the pain caused by others in our life (throughout the rest of the book).  This device works well to tie the parts together, as they would be pretty loosely connected otherwise.

Although there are, as Hamilton himself admits, many other books on this subject out there that are lengthier and more scholarly, this book shines because of its brevity and approachability.  That is to say, someone who is struggling with bitterness because of a past hurt, or doubt about whether or not they are truly saved by grace will appreciate how Hamilton cuts to chase and the heart.

But I felt like this book could have gone even deeper into the raw-ness of our struggles with forgiveness and grace, the way a book like The Return of Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen does.  It stays pretty light for the most part, and the most impacting passages for me were the stories of people choosing to forgive despite the serious pain they’ve experienced at the hands of others.  I think the narration is partly to blame here.  Sean Runnette does a fair job, but it would heighten the impact if the tone of the narration matched the deeply pastoral message that Hamilton is trying to communicate.  The emotion just isn’t there.

Despite this, I recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with forgiveness, grace, and their identity as a child of God.  And it’s short enough to recommend even to those who may not normally turn to a book for direction and hope in the midst of their hardship.

Please Note: This audiobook was gifted as a part of the Christianaudio Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work.  More information can be found about this and other Christian audiobooks at christianaudio.com.