01/28/2019
Hunt, a former youth minister, investigates apocalyptic end-times theology in American Christianity, particularly the concept of the rapture, in his piquant debut. Partly constructed as a memoir, the book explains Hunt’s journey from youthful enthusiasm for eschatology and anticipation of the rapture in his hometown of Dickson, Tenn., to college rebellion, informed skepticism, and current doubt. Between his personal stories are large sections of Biblical exegesis where Hunt examines the origins of prominent ideas and predictions in end-times theology, such as John Darby’s popularization of the rapture and other dispensationalist readings of the Bible. Hunt also provides a cogent critique of aspects of contemporary evangelical culture that he views as out of harmony with Jesus’s teachings, such as focusing on the end-times at the expense of serving the poor and improving the world. Hunt, who has a master’s degree in Christian history from Yale Divinity School, demonstrates scholarly expertise on the apocalypse, but also makes the book accessible to the lay reader through his personal stories, sense of humor, and casual, conversational tone. Readers looking for a new voice in progressive Christianity, or simply eager to learn more about biblical prophecies for the end-times, will appreciate this informed take. (Mar.)
Zack Hunt could have been an honorary general in the tribulation force. Instead, he has vulnerably and humbly shared his journey from an end-times know-it-all to a theology nerd guided by the peaceful kingdom of God. Readers who grew up with the anxiety of the end times will find Hunt a delightful, winsome guide to a book of the Bible that can be perplexing. Never forsaking his Nazarene roots, love for theology, or penchant for a solid punchline, Hunt offers a disarming insider critique of end-times theology by pointing to a more hopeful and indisputably less terrifying explanation of the end times.
Zack Hunt has brilliantly put to words the stories of so many of us who grew up in a part of evangelicalism that was obsessed with being ready for the rapture. He has given voice to why many of us have left behind that theology for something more hopeful and biblical. May those who read Unraptured be enraptured in God’s love, revealed by Revelation’s slaughtered Lamb!
I’ve never read a book that’s so warm, smart, funny, wise, and relatable to my own fear-filled experiences growing up in evangelical subculture. If I had a DeLorean time machine, I’d ship Unraptured back to my younger self, knowing it’d save me from so much of the fear and self-doubt that’s still nestled in my chest today. This is an absolute must-read for anyone trying to make sense of end-times theology.
Thoughtful, entertaining, carefully researched, and rapturously (sorry) readable, Unraptured manages to be both personally edifying and culturally relevant. With some of the most powerful people in the world making decisions based on speculative end-times theology, we need better stories about what it means for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Zack Hunt is the perfect storyteller for the moment.
To those unfamiliar with conservative evangelical culture: be prepared to be thoroughly entertained by the idiosyncrasies of this subculture and gain an accessible breakdown of why many obsess over apocalyptic prophecies. To those of us who did grow up in this culture: you will both laugh and cry over our shared shenanigans—blissful catharsis awaits you. Woven through the humor is a poignant faith story and a hopeful retelling of the rapture mythology that is sorely needed for this time.
For almost a decade, I’ve watched Zack Hunt use wit, humor, and common sense to poke and prod the church toward action. I can’t count how many times I slow clapped while reading this book!
This is an apocalypse book, and this is a prophetic book. But this is not an apocalyptic prophecy book, and that’s a very, very good thing. Zack Hunt writes with the perfect combination of scholarship, personality, and humor. Set aside your color-coded end-times charts and pick up this book instead.
Zack Hunt leads us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the apocalypse industry, with its many failed predictions and false promises. Thankfully, he also leads us back outside, raising significant questions about the Bible’s teachings and prophecies. Unraptured is an important book that is going to spark some overdue conversations among religious Americans. Read it now so you won’t feel, well, left behind!
Zack Hunt’s exploration of evangelical America’s obsession with the end times is a wake-up call for believers to break free from their doctrine of rescue and embrace a faith that resists the excuses, limitations, and assumptions that come with bad theology. Hunt’s skill as both a writer and a theologian shine in Unraptured, an offering that’s as important as it is entertaining.”
