I know this book is not a new release (it published in November of 2011), but I just recently picked it up and I have been mesmerized by it since that point in time. There is a unique and enjoyable blend presented here by Louie Giglio and Matt Redman. While Giglio is a pastor and Redman a worship minister, beyond that they are both in awe of God and have the decency as humans to acknowledge that what science teaches us about the immensity and majesty of the universe is a true sign of the glory of God! The version of the book I am reviewing is the Illustrated Edition, and I’ll explain why. There comes a point where we have to allow conversation to happen organically for our testimony to be fruitful. Indescribable (Illustrated Edition) is just the sort of book to allow conversation if it were shared by being on a coffee table in a common space for guests.



People are drawn to images, and most of us find images of space uniquely intriguing, so this book is chalk full of interest inducing pictures. There are some amazing full page and two-page spreads of space that just leave your mind spiraling that such realities exist. Giglio and Redman pick up where the images leave off by providing detailed stories of what can be seen and other things that have been discovered with incredible data such as size, density, speed and sound of the heavenly bodies. These realities are astounding. With a simultaneous acknowledgement of God as the extravagant creator of all the book begins and sustains with a tenor of worship. Seamlessly they tie in Scripture passages and other literary references to the glory of God, even as found in the heavenly bodies, into the story.



Much about this book is refreshing to me. I love seeing science and faith play nicely together. Hearing the testimonies of believers within the scientific community, from NASA astronauts to astronomers, is greatly enjoyable and adds a level of credibility that extends beyond Giglio and Redman’s admissions of being science-geeks who get really excited about these things. While it is fantastic to hear a pastor talk about his love for how science can show how much more exists beyond the human imagination I must admit that to read a forward by former astronaut Joe Tanner sharing that on his space flight he gazed upon earth and thought, “Earth is beautiful beyond description. God must love us dearly to provide a planet so perfectly tuned for life…” reminds me that God’s inspiration is meaningful on any journey.



While the many facts can, at times, feel daunting there is little of that you can fault to Giglio and Redman, especially since they weren’t the ones to name what is found in space. Most of us fail to be captivated by a name that combines letters and numbers. However, the descriptions are not excessive as they work to draw us into why such planets, stars and heavenly occurrences all point us back to God who doesn’t just create, but creates beyond our knowledge and perception, for all we have learned points to the fact that much more is still beyond our knowing. My recommendation is that this book is worth owning, because the images and concepts have a captivating power to draw the reader back in time after time.