Unspeakable - by Os Guinness (Paperback)

About the Book

A leading public intellectual confronts America's inability to understand--let alone effectively respond to--evil, providing both a language and a strategy for a way forward.

From the Back Cover

We are still surprised by evil. From Auschwitz to the events of September 11, we have been shocked into recognizing the startling capacity for evil within the human heart. We now know 9/11 revealed that our country was unprepared in terms of national security, but it also showed we were intellectually and morally unprepared to deal with such a barbaric act.

Our language to describe evil and our ethical will to resist it have grown uncertain and confused. Many who speak unabashedly of evil are dismissed as simplistic, old-fashioned, and out of tune with the realities of modern life. Yet we must have some kind of language to help us understand the pain and suffering at the heart of human experience.

Author and speaker Os Guinness confronts our inability to understand evil - let alone respond to it effectively - by providing both a lexicon and a strategy for finding a way forward. Since 9/11, much public discussion has centered on the destructiveness of extremist religion. Guinness provocatively argues that this is far from an accurate picture and too easy an explanation. In this expansive exploration of both the causes of modern evil and solutions for the future, he faces our tragic recent past and our disturbing present with courageous honesty. In order to live an "examined life," Guinness writes, we must come to terms with our beliefs regarding evil and ultimately join the fight against it.

Addressing individuals as well as a traumatized culture, Unspeakable is an invitation to explore the challenge of contemporary evil, a call to confront our culture of fear, and a journey to find words to come to terms with the unspeakable so that it will no longer leave us mute.

Review Quotes

"This book makes a compelling case for faith, and courage, in the face of evil's dark reality." - Publishers Weekly
"Guinness eloquently draws the distinction between evil and suffering, then exhorts us to recognize that evil lies within our hearts." - Booklist
"A 'must read' for anyone who wishes to explore the most fundamental questions confronting us all." - Baroness Caroline Cox, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide and a celebrated human rights activist
"Both a personal and a political book ... It will stimulate discussion and reflection and is worth reading..." - Library Journal
"A brutally honest inquiry into the darkest realities of human history...a journey that leads back to ourselves." - James Davison Hunter, Labrosse-Levinson Distinguished Professor of Religion, Culture and Social Theory, University of Virginia
"...[Guinness] leaves the readers with a sense of hope, highlighting the importance of individual calling." - Christian Retailing
"[L]aced with compelling, heart-wrenching and illuminating stories..." - Presbyterians Today
"Guinness offers a brilliant 'map' to help us navigate and confront the difficult landscape of modern life, and modern evil." - Rome J. Hartman, producer, CBS News "60 Minutes"
"An important book for anyone who doubts the existence of human evil or who has lost faith because of it." - Peggy Wehmeyer, former religion reporter for ABC News, and host and managing editor, The World Vision Report
"Guinness's incisive analyses gives us hope of being able to deal with evil. A great accomplishment!" - Dallas Willard, Professor of Philosophy, University of Southern California and author of The Divine Conspiracy