Finding the Lost Images of God: Uncover the Ancient Culture, Discover Hidden Meanings by Timothy S. Laniak (review)

When readers encounter the Bible, they encounter a number of images that describe the relationship of God and humanity. These images, expressing the connection between God and Israel and the Church, come from cultural and religious backgrounds that are mostly foreign to modern readers. A superficial reading could find some of these images troublesome because they are associated with concepts unrelated to modern assertions about justice and equality. There is also the danger of using these biblical images without a proper understanding of the original authors’ intended meaning and of interpreting them according to modern concepts. As a result, readers could be either repelled by the images or manipulate them to justify modern assertions in total opposition to the original text.

Timothy S. Laniak presents a fresh insight to the topic of divine imagery in the Bible in Finding the Lost Images of God. Laniak’s work, part of the Ancient Context, Ancient Faith Series, delivers the context for a more precise understanding of the images used in Scripture to describe God and humanity. The book seeks to describe the way in which these images represent an active and multi-layered loving relationship between God and the people of God: “In these pages, I invite you to discover seven ordinary, concrete images through which God framed a relationship with his people. I invite you to see how he also longs to use these images to build a relationship with you and me today … Grounded more in the culture of the biblical world, we will gain a more biblical world-view” (14). The book engages in a winning combination of scholarship and personal theological reflection, acquired from Laniak’s missionary activity in Europe and Asia.

The book is formatted into seven chapters dealing with seven pairs of images that are present from Genesis through Revelation. These pairs are analyzed by extensive quoting of Scriptural passages and by the study of these passages using anthropology, archaeology, ancient texts, and personal narratives. The seven image pairs are The Divine Architect and His Temple; The Divine Artisan and His Images; The Divine Farmer and His Plantings; The Divine Monarch and His Regents; The Divine Warrior and His Army; The Divine Shepherd and His Flock; and The Divine Patron and His Household. Each chapter begins with an initial reflection by Laniak on how he has experienced these image pairs in his own life and ministry, followed by a presentation of the Scripture passages inspired by these images and the cultural and religious context where the images came from. Each chapter ends with a recapitulation of the main spiritual values presented in the chapter and their relevance to contemporary Christians.

The images chosen by Laniak are found frequently throughout Scripture. Some of then could also seem to modern readers antiquated and even offensive to contemporary perceptions about family life and social roles. The author is aware of these issues and presents the cultural reasons for the predominance of these concepts, encouraging the reader to enter the biblical world and discover the way these concepts continue to be relevant to a contemporary believer. The first chapter, dedicated to the image pair of the Divine Architect and His Temple, presents how God is perceived in the Creation stories as a supreme architect, making the Earth as God’s temple and human beings as living stones that reflect the perfection of the Creator’s work: “Creation and the church are God’s signature architectural achievements. Of the two only the church is still under construction. As followers of Christ, the Bible describes us as living stones in a temple inhabited by God’s Spirit. Making the leap may require us to stretch our imaginations … It gives us room and reason to rejoice when new stones are added to the church, held together by the Chief Cornerstone” (34).

The chapter dedicated to the Divine Artisan...