Book Review: Between Noon and Three

Between Noon and Three: Romance, Law, and the Outrage of Grace (Robert Farrar Capon, 1997) was an unusual book.  On the positive side, Capon is a compelling writer, utilizing a unique style to present a topic of essential importance--grace.  This book essentially consists of three shorter stories (initially published as 2 books in 1982 and 1983)--Parable, Coffee Hour, and The Youngest Day. 

The first section, Parable, makes up about 40 percent of the book and sets the stage for the subsequent sections.  Capon writes a tale of a successful sexual liaison between Paul and Laura as a parable of God's grace.  The choice of an illicit affair was chosen in many ways to shock the reader so that they might better see the radical nature of God's grace.  Along the way of his storytelling, he stops and engages directly with the reader, sharing theological insights and reflections.  He anticipates challenges from his readership, which are more fully addressed in section two.

In Coffee Hour, he hypothesizes a conversation with his critics.  He creates several characters who pose challenges to his line of thinking to which he subsequently responds.  This conversational style is much more engaging than a standard refutation of criticisms.  It drew me in as a reader. What I found particularly interesting was that the critiques raised by his friends during the coffee hour were many of the criticisms that I had.  Although he engages in intellectualizing to his readers, his responses to me seem incomplete.  He ignores some parts of scripture in service to his viewpoint.  He uses intentionally shocking language (e.g., describing God as a snake oil salesman and Jesus as a glutton), I suspect to set the reader back on his heels.  Unfortunately, his effect misses the point, setting the reader committed to biblical orthodoxy in a defensive position. 

In the final section, The Youngest Day, he writes another short parable, this time about an ordered hit, perhaps to deepen the shock.  He then moves into a discussion of heaven, hell, judgment, and death.  The incompleteness in his theology that I first observed in the first two sections comes to frank inaccuracy here. He denies the propitiation of the Son, a clear teaching of scripture.  He comes out as an inclusivist, again shocking the reader by discussing Hitler and the Jews and how God doesn't keep score.  He essentially argues that one does not need to express saving faith, rather that only those who actively reject Christ (even after death) will face a life in Hell.  In other words, all are reconciled to Christ unless they specifically reject that reconciliation. 

Although this is an interesting book and a compelling read, ultimately Capon is off base with regard to his theology.  He admits to only working on the sunny side of the street, but this is a limited theology that rejects the parts of scripture which don't fit the mold, which unfortunately in Capon's case, is entirely too much.