Book Review: Angry Conversations With God by Susan E. Isaacs

Relationship Therapy for the Believer
By Jerry Starks
Dozens of books have been written to address the issue of a believers frustrations with their lives and with their relationships with Jesus. The bible does describe this relationship as a marriage, but setting up marriage counseling between a human and God? It almost sounds too flippant, too cutesy, too post-modern American.

That was the only way Susan E. Isaacs, writer and performer, could deal with her situation, however, so she did it. “Angry Conversations With God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir” (Faith Words, 2009) is the memoir of this experience. Isaacs approaches this situation from a solid biblical background, and while she is often startling, she is never disrespectful.

She chronicles her growing up as full of contradictions and confusions. None of her Christian community (family, friends, church) supported her talents for performance and comedy. She was the stereotypical black sheep of her family, always compared with her sister. No one seemed to make any effort to meet her where she was except her non-Christian friends and teachers.

College led to her first relationship, first break-up, and depression. Eventually this developed into anorexia which lasted for years. Over the years she attended several extremely different styles of churches. Reading her story, I was amazed that she didn’t just drop Christianity altogether.

All this history comes as “back story” between her counseling sessions. These sessions are recorded as if she, the counselor, and God were in a room together. Isaacs is completely aware that she is playing the role of God as well as being herself, yet her characterization of God in this situation is reasonable: human enough to communicate to us humans, yet inscrutable enough to be… Other. Her characterization of God is also quite orthodox: you never get the feeling that this Being pretends to be God with Isaacs, and pretends to be Buddha with others or Allah with others or Vishnu with others. Isaacs is quite clear about who she’s arguing with, and that He is the God who is revealed in the bible. Yet, as a humorist, she manages to startle and delight the reader while remaining within the Biblical framework.

The resolution of her counseling process also is reasonable. She finally learns to recognize that her problems have stemmed from her off-balance desires and expectations, and that conforming to God’s pattern really does produce satisfaction. This is a lesson we all need to learn, and sometimes it’s helpful to watch someone else go through the process. That is the major benefit of this book: watching an artist wrestle with God.

You can purchase the book here.

Jerry Starks is associate director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. and has numerous acting and directing credits in both secular and Christian productions. He resides in Essex Junction, VT where he is active in the arts ministry at his church.

A review copy of the book was provided by the publisher.