Reading and Readers

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What can you say to those who grieve? What can you do for those who have lost a loved one? How can you do all that without coming off as an insensitive oaf? If only they would tell us how to comfort them.

Hi, my name is Terence, and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review books for you. Today, I review “What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie. One hundred ninety-two pages, published by Crossway in September 2016. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD 9.97 and in Logos for USD 12.98.

Grieving Mother and Friends

Nancy Guthrie has published ten books on Bible studies, six on Grief and Suffering, nine devotionals and many more. In today’s book, she writes as a mother who has grieved for two children, Hope and Gabriel. Both were born with a rare genetic disorder, Zellweger Syndrome, and only lived for six months.

She is acquainted with grief and with others who grieve. She introduces us to the GriefShare ministry, I quote:

When your friend attends a GriefShare group, he or she will be surrounded by others who are working their way through grief too — people who understand the tears and fears, the angst and anger, the questions and frustrations of grief. It can be such an unexpected and welcome relief just to be surrounded by people who get it.

GriefShare facilitators and members are prominently featured in the book. You can almost consider them co-authors or Guthrie, a curator.

This comes across as a writing project from the community of the grieving who want everybody outside this circle to know how to walk alongside them. They have been helped. They have been hurt. And this is their collected wisdom.

So, let me start by telling you two ways I got grief wrong.

Call Me If You Need Anything

First, I thought it was good of me to say, “Just call me if you need anything.”

Then I read this:

I will never forget the line of people at the cemetery. They passed by hugging my mother and all seven of my siblings as we put Daddy in the ground. All the words blur together, except that they would be there for us. I remember wondering what they meant. The following spring, after Daddy was buried, one neighbor drove up our mile drive and asked what he could do. Any fences need fixing? Any chores the boys need help with? He just came. Every time he came I remember thinking about that line of people at the graveside. They were loving people who meant well. This man did well. He just came. I don’t remember if he ever actually had to do anything. But he came and offered his strength to help.

I reflected on this, and I realised that while I was sincere in my offer to help -- if I got the call, I would have dropped everything to help -- I also realised that when I gave that offer, I thought I had already done my part, my job. Now, it was up to them to take up my offer. By giving up the initiative, I was off the hook. By passing the initiative to them, I was passing on the burden to them of asking for help.

Click to Like My Grief

Another thing I got wrong is about grief on social media. I was surprised to find a whole chapter on this.

When I see someone share their grief online, I don’t usually comment or like the post. If it’s a person I know well enough, I would write a personal message.

My reason is:

If I am not close to the person, I think it’s hypocritical to show up to make a quick comment or click on a sad emoji.
I see social media as a frivolous medium. People are flippant and shallow on social media, but grief deserves a more solemn medium.
When I make a public comment or post on social media, I realise that I write not just to my friends but also to everybody else. So, this sense of performing for onlookers seems wrong when dealing with a tremendous personal loss.
I am a private man and not the type to express my grief publicly. So, when I refrain from responding to social media posts, I am applying the golden rule: I am treating others as I would like to be treated.

After reading this chapter, I realised it’s not about me; it’s about the one who has suffered loss. Love is also treating others how they would like to be treated.

They have already made their grief public. That gives permission to everyone to respond publicly; that is an invitation to acknowledge their grief with a click or a comment. She writes:

to neglect or refuse to comment on a post by a friend who has poured out his or her sadness on Facebook is to see their great sorrow and look the other way.

And if I excuse myself because I'm not their close friend, that's convenient because I don't have any close friends, I'm joking, I do have friends, close enough I think. Anyways, I was surprised to repeatedly read how close friends were disappointments and strangers became treasures. We don't need to be close to care, just as the Samaritan man didn't have a checklist before he decided to help people.

Everything is Wrong

I learnt many things from this book, and I only shared two. Some may be wondering whether I am too hard on myself. After all, some people don't like others coming over to mow the lawn; they want to do it by themselves, or perhaps they want to be left alone.

Guthrie shared how gutted she was when her friend, who meant well, came to wash up her departed child's clothes. Guthrie wished she didn't because she missed her baby and her baby's scent.

At one point in the book, Guthrie describes the conflict within her:

I remember in those early months that I headed to church each week with two significant fears. I was afraid that everyone would ask me about Hope. And I was afraid no one would speak to me about Hope.

When I read this, I thought if she doesn't know how to feel and how to respond, then there is a good chance that whatever I do is just wrong. How can I possibly get the words right, the timing and the tone right when the grieving does not know what is right? Only everything is wrong?

When I say I got it wrong, I don't mean I sinned. I just mean I didn't think much about how I could do things differently. And in hindsight, I just didn't care enough to think how I could be more helpful.

Sure, I would get things wrong, but that shouldn't stop me from being a better person when helping the grieving.

After reading this book, if you love to talk, you learn that the grieving can appreciate you talking less. And if you are the one who never says anything because you are scared of saying something wrong, you need to learn to open your mouth because they need to hear that you care.

How do we know when to speak and when to be quiet? When to mow the lawn and when not to? That is wisdom. And Guthrie suggests we get our cue from the mourner. Let the griever set the tone and direction. That and a dose of wisdom from above.

God's Will

I have shared with you two things I got wrong. Let me now share two things I got right, but most people get wrong.

First is the matter of the Will of God. Is it ever appropriate to say to a widow next to the coffin, "It is God's Will"?

As someone who loves the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God, if I say, “Yes, because it is true”, then it is a torturous act inflicted on someone already in unbearable pain. If I say, “No, because it is cruel, " it feels like my convictions are only valid when convenient, so maybe I don't believe them to be true after all.

Guthrie offers wisdom here:

I have come to think the term is our inadequate human language trying to make divine mystery manageable and tolerable. The words themselves are simply inadequate to carry the weight of the reality—especially when used in a simplistic way.

Later on, she writes:

Was it God’s will for two of my children to be born with Zellweger syndrome and live very short lives? I don’t think this question can be answered on these terms, nor does it need to be. We think we had two children who died because of the corrupting impact of sin on this world—the brokenness of this world has infiltrated even our genetic code so that we have defective genes. We don’t think God picked us out to have two children who would die. But we would also say that nothing happens to us that is somehow outside of his control. God has ordained a world in which he accomplishes his will through secondary causes such as the laws of nature and human choice. As I’ve heard my friend Joni Eareckson Tada say, “Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”

We know God remains in control. We just don't need to insert this profound truth at inappropriate moments.

It's the same when we attend a non-Christian's funeral. We don't tell the grieving widow, "Your husband is in Hell."

Nor do we, in our attempt to comfort, tell her, "Your husband is in a better place."

Heaven

Guthrie tells us that Heaven cannot be assumed:> ... while our culture assumes that most people—or at least all “good” people who die—go to heaven, that is not at all what the Bible teaches. The Bible makes clear that there is not one person who is good enough to enter into the holy presence of God (Rom. 3:9–20).

In this chapter, she presents the gospel. She quotes Ephesians 2:4, 8-9 and writes:> A person who has been made alive together with Christ may die physically but will never die spiritually. The person who was dead and was made alive together with Christ is as likely to die as Christ is likely to die. And Christ will never die.

And she continues:> But of course we know that there are those who do not see their need to be made alive with Christ. And when those people die, the sorrow for those left behind is multiplied. We should not always assume that the grieving people we talk to are confident their loved one is in heaven enjoying the presence of God. Imagine yourself in that situation (or maybe you are actually in it). Imagine that you never saw any sign that the deceased had a desire to be joined to Christ by faith or perhaps that person flatly rejected or ridiculed the need for Christ. If someone were to bring up heaven and want to assure you that your loved one is there, it would create anxiety, not peace. It would add to your agony instead of giving you assurance.

If we can’t say of the non-Christian, “At least he is in a better place”, then what can we say?

In this chapter, which I cannot reproduce here, Guthrie helps us navigate by showing grace and love, yet never compromising or distorting the truth.

I especially appreciate this chapter because it shows us the Christian difference. When a Christian dies, when we look back and see the spiritual fruit in her life, we can confidently say that she is in Heaven.

But when a non-Christian dies, we can only say, "Sorry for your loss." No mention of Heaven or Hell. No offence and also no comfort.

"Death where is your sting?" is a victory cry reserved for the Christian.

Too Much Of a Good Thing

If I am forced to give one criticism it's it gives too much of a good thing.

Imagine you attend a talk by Nancy Guthrie. She speaks for 15 minutes, then invites one of her team members to share a few words on the topic from her personal experience. You listen, and it just hammers everything home for you. The personal sharing just makes it more real, more vivid.

Then Guthrie invites the second person to share. Again, wow. Then the third, then the fourth. You start to wonder when we will move on to the next topic.

In the FAQ chapter, there is this question, "There’s a Bible verse I want to share. Should I?" Guthrie answers by sharing the example where her friend, without any warning, lost her husband. Guthrie writes:

So I got on the private Facebook group for couples who have attended our retreat and asked them to respond with nothing other than a verse of Scripture which Starr could take hold of, and choose to believe in those difficult hours.

She then lists the responses to the request—all 31 of them.

Am I heartless to say that she could have picked ten examples that best made her point? Maybe there is a reason she wanted to show the complete picture. Maybe I am heartless and would only truly appreciate what she has done here someday in the future.

Overall, the book does an excellent job of balancing Guthrie's and the contributors', so I am really just nitpicking.

What If I Get It Wrong Again?

Let me close this review with the biggest encouragement I got from the book.

Throughout the book, Guthrie teaches us to be better friends to those in grief, answering questions from those who want to comfort. This is the only question posed from the other side's perspective.

I’m the one who is grieving. How do I respond to all the people who say and do so many things that seem to add to my hurt instead of soothe it?

Guthrie answers:

The truth is that most people are hoping to be helpful, trying to let us know they can relate in some small way to what we’re going through. If we put ourselves in their shoes, we realise it’s tough to know what to say to someone who’s grieving. So we can be prickly and sensitive about the things people say to us that we wish they hadn’t, setting very high hurdles for people around us to jump through with their words. Or we can choose to see their brains searching for a connection, their hearts wanting to show us they care—even though they may not have the words to express it well. We can extend a hand to help people around us overcome the hurdle of awkwardness.

That is just grace. If these people who have gone through so much pain can say, in essence, "Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," then I think we can do better.

Ecclesiastes 7:2–3 (ESV)

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

For a long time, I never understood what that meant. But after attending a few houses of mourning and reading books like today's, I can see how sorrow is better than laughter. May the wisdom of God be with us all as we comfort the grieving around us.

Outro

This is a Reading and Reader's review of “What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie.

I got this book for free. It was the Logos book of the month. I downloaded it, not knowing whether I would ever read it, and I'm sure glad I did. If you want more book reviews, subscribe to the podcast or visit my website, www.readingandreaders.com. Thank you and bye-bye.

Book List

“What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie. Amazon. Logos.

What Grieving People Wish You Knew about What Really Helps (and What Really Hurts): about what really helps (and what really hurts)

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In the past, many got married for sex and thus for personal fulfillment. Nowadays, many don’t see a need to get married to get sex. Yet, whether married or not, people were not being personally fulfilled. How do marriage, sex, and personal fulfillment come together, if at all?

Hi, my name is Terence, and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review “Married for God: Making Your Marriage the Best It Can Be” by Christopher Ash. 176 pages, published by Crossway in August 2016. Available via Amazon Kindle for USD10.16 and via Logos for USD10.79.

Christopher Ash is Writer-in-Residence at Tyndale House in Cambridge. He is a full-time preacher, pastor, teacher, and writer. According to Amazon, he has 40 titles and there is one tantalising title I would like to read, “The Book Your Pastor Wishes You Would Read (but is too embarrassed to ask)”. But that is a book for another day.

Today I review Ash's book on marriage.

Anyone who intends to get married should go for a pre-marriage counselling course. I say this even to non-Christians. And if you are reluctant to sit down with a pastor, you should get a book to go through together.

Marriages include arguments. I could also say many marriages end with arguments. The tragedy is some of those arguments could have been avoided. When one says, “My dream is to have children.” And the other shocked says, “But dear, I don’t intend to have children.” This is a conversation they should have had before they got married.

For Christians such conversations is ever more important because God does not approve of divorces. If the marriage is not working, the biblical answer is: make it work.

Today's book is not just helpful for those about to get married.

If you have been married long, this book will strengthen your marriage.

Bizarrely, if you are single, this book will also strengthen your single life. More on that later.

Let's open the book.

In the introduction, the fundamental statement put to us is:

We ought to want what God wants in marriage.

Ash later on continues:

... when we ask what God wants, we are asking what is best for us. What is best for us is not what we want, but what he wants. When I ask what God wants for marriage, I am saying that I want my marriage to cut with the grain of the universe.

Wow. Your love for one another, this private connection between a man and a woman is part of a cosmic design.

If you have never considered marriage in that light, there is more to come. In fact whatever you think marriage is, put that aside. Make a commitment to hear from God first. So if whatever God says goes against what you think marriage is about, go with God. This is how Ash ends the introduction chapter, with a call to repentance.

Baggage and Grace

But what happens if God, who is awesome and holy, wants what I don't want? What if, in the light of his holiness, he exposes me? The part I have kept hidden from family and friends, and frankly, intended to keep hidden from my future spouse?

And so Christopher Ash, theologian and pastor, right at the start has a chapter titled, “A Word about Baggage and Grace”. I will just read the section headings and you will see why you need not fear God's will for you.

The Bible Speaks to Those Whose Sexual Pasts Are Spoiled
Jesus Christ Offers Forgiveness and Restoration To Those With Spoiled Sexual Pasts
God’s Grace Enables Us to Live Lives of Purity

The chapter ends with six questions and discussion points. Let me read question 4.

Question 4:

If you are (or may one day be) married, what kind of “baggage” do you think you bring into marriage, in your thinking and expectations?

If you are reading this book on your own, that is great for your self-reflection, but what about your fiance? The temptation here is to think he or she doesn’t need to know your past. But your past, whether you want to or not, in one way or another, will affect the marriage.

But if you share your deepest darkest secrets, what happens if your fiance cancels the wedding? Or what if one day she takes this painful part of your life and throws it in your face?

The fear bubbles up and chokes, and tempts you to do what you have always done. Hide.

"Hahhaha... question 4 is asking about baggage? I guess my baggage is I once forgot my baggage at the airport."

The couple laughs. Love makes lame jokes funny. Quick! Let's read the next chapter before something ruins the moment.

It takes courage to answer soul-baring questions. It takes wisdom to navigate this treacherous waters, which is why I encourage couples to invite their pastor into pre-marriage discussions.

A good and experienced pastor will establish a safe space and frame the discussion to ensure that the couple does not dwell on the baggages but eventually move on to the next part: what comes after question 4, I quote:

Pause to bring this “baggage” quietly before God. Pray through the truth of grace in this chapter and ask God to put them deep in your heart. Claim the forgiveness and cleansing of Christ for your past.

After this point, you have: 1) responded to the call to repent and 2) received the gift of grace. No matter how dirty and unworthy you think you are, you need Jesus. No matter how clean and pure you think you are, you also need Jesus. You are now ready to read Chapter 2: Married for a Purpose.

Chapter 2 is a good example of what to expect from the rest of the book. So I will spend most of my time here, then quickly outline what to expect from the rest of the book, share two criticisms, and finally conclude the book review.

Married For a Purpose

Ash starts each chapter with a story. This is how he starts Chapter 2.

Laura felt lonely and bitter. She and Andy had been married for four years now. She thought back to their wedding day, which had been amazing.

Fast forward to the last paragraph of the story.

To be honest, marriage for Laura was really not all it had been cracked up to be. It really didn’t match the description on the tin, or not the description given her by that pastor. And in her bitterness she wondered if there was really any point in keeping it all going, if the rest of her life was going to be like this. What was the point?

Ash tells us the standard Christian answer: The point of marriage is to have children, to demonstrate faithfulness, and to preserve social order.

Ash then does my favourite thing, which is to open up the Bible. He expounds first from Genesis 1:26-31, which includes these familiar verses: “God created man in his own image, ... male and female he created them” and “God saw everything that he had made, and it was very good.”

But I bet you have never heard his interpretation before. As he unpacks the verses, he eventually reaches a conclusion. The marriage motto is sex in the service of God.

“That can’t be right! Marriage is more than sex!”

Ash already knows what’s going through our minds so I will let him deflect our indignation.

Like all mottos, this simplifies my point. I do not mean to suggest that marriage is only about sex. But it is sex that distinguishes marriage from any other friendship or partnership. By “sex” in this motto, I mean a shorthand for the whole of marriage as it develops and grows out of its heart and core of sexual intimacy and faithfulness. Sex is shorthand for the marriage relationship in all its fullness: in intimacy, friendship, partnership, fun, and faithfulness. The motto is to remind us that the whole business of marriage in all its fullness is to be lived in the loving joyful service of God, as we look outward from our marriages and as couples seek to care for God’s world together.

The big insight is not ‘sex’. Until recently, everyone knew that sex and marriage came as a package. The big insight is in the words ‘in the service of God’, which he explains further.

The next passage is Genesis 2:15-25. This contains the must read verses on marriage, “It is not good that the man should be alone” and also “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Interestingly, Ash tells us how Genesis 2:18 is wrongly understood. The text says, “It is not good that the man should be alone” but does Adam being alone mean he was lonely?

Ash makes this distinction and draws out the implication. If Adam was lonely, then this verse means God designed marriage to solve loneliness. But what does that mean for single men and women? Or even the married men and women who still feel lonely.

Ash writes:

For those who are married, their marriages ought indeed to be places of fellowship that are remedies for loneliness. But marriage is not the remedy for loneliness. Wherever there is fellowship there is God’s remedy for loneliness. Not all human beings are able to marry, but all human beings are invited into fellowship with God and with one another in Jesus Christ.

I like how Ash puts it here:

This irony, that we expect so much of marriage but find it disappointing, is an irony the Bible understands perfectly. It calls it idolatry.

But if Adam was not lonely, but was as the verse says, alone. Then, reading that verse in the wider context, we see that Adam was alone in his task to care for the garden. So God created Eve so that Adam was not alone. And they were to have children who have more children, all in order to take care of God's creation.

Ash writes:

Surprisingly, the key to a good marriage is not to pursue a good marriage, but to pursue the honor of God. We need to replace this selfish model of marriage with one in which we work side by side in God’s “garden” (that is, God’s world), rather than gaze forever into each other’s eyes.

The Rest of the Book

Let me read the titles for the remaining chapters along with my short comments.

Chapter 3: What is the Point of Having Children? Many couples who struggle with this will find an answer here.

Chapter 4: What is the Point of Sex and Intimacy? A good read for soon-to-be married for those long married and also for singles.

Chapter 5: God’s Pattern for the Marriage Relationship. It's not obvious what this chapter is about so let me quote something from this chapter. I quote:

I was reading a book of marriage services for Christians from different denominations and noticed that the list of suggested Bible readings omitted the only three readings in the New Testament which are directly addressed to husbands and wives (Eph. 5:22–33; Col.3:18–19; 1 Pet. 3:1–7). This would have struck me as curious, except that all three Bible passages tell wives to submit to their husbands, and I am sure were omitted because the compilers simply could not stomach this teaching.

As a young man, I too could not stomach this teaching because, you know, equal rights. God's command for the wife to submit has been used by abusive husbands to abuse their wives. But when I learnt to read it in context in consideration with what the Bible as a whole says about submission, I can see God’s design for marriage. But it wasn’t easy to overcome years of social programming. Hence, the call to repentance; to make a commitment to God’s Word first.

As one man against the world, Ash has to clearly show submission in marriage is truly God’s pattern. And we need to break out of what we think it looks like and consider what it truly looks like. It is not God's design for the husband to be a tyrant and the wife a mouse, nor is it God's design for the wife to be bossy and the husband to abdicate his responsibility. If you think otherwise, repent!

Chapter 6 is titled “What is the Point of the Marriage Institution?” It answers the wider society questions like, “Why marry when you can just live together?”

Chapter 7 is a pleasant surprise in a book about marriage. It’s not a question a pastor would obviously ask in a pre-marriage counselling: “Is it Better to Stay Single?” If the couple is a high-risk for cold feet, this question could make one (or both) run. On the other hand, this much needed perspective on marriage could help both make an informed decision with a happier outcome.

Chapter 8 asks, “What is the Heart of Marriage?” Oh, what would be your answer? God, Jesus? Ah, the safe Sunday School answer. Not wrong, but not what Ash has here. Love? Close.

As Christopher Ash puts it beautifully:

... the reason that faithfulness lies at the heart of marriage is that faithfulness lies at the heart of God, and therefore at the heart of the universe. Those of us who are married are called to keep the covenant promises of marriage, because God keeps his covenant promises.

With that whirlwind run through the book, let me mention two criticisms to round up the review.

Criticisms

The first is from Chapter 3, “What is the Point of Having Children?” Here, he makes a strong and powerful biblical case for children. I am just not sure whether he has over-reached. I quote:

If you regard children as a curse and don’t want them, don’t get married!

From a Christian perspective, whether married or not, obviously we must not see children as a curse.

I just wonder whether if a couple comes to him and do not to have children, not because of exceptional circumstances, but simply as a matter of choice, would Ash tell them not to get married?

My second criticism is from Chapter 6, “What is the Point of the Marriage Institution?” In arguing against co-habitation, does he over-simplify his analysis? I quote:

... sex outside marriage is always sex “under law” (as it were): always seeking to prove, always striving to do well enough to keep the other one in the relationship, always anxious lest at any time the other may decide there is not enough in it for him or her, always under trial.

For context, Ash is making the contrast with sex within marriage which is “sex under grace”. There is no pressure to keep the relationship going with good sex because the relationship is secured by a vow to God and to one another.

But when Ash says that sex outside marriage is always seeking to prove, always striving to do well, always, always, always, I can imagine a co-habitating couple scrunching their forehead saying, “No. That is not true.”

They go on to describe their sexual relationship as a give-and-take, learning to love one another with their bodies, in language and tones similar to a married couple’s. So while I completely agree with Ash’s distinction between “sex-under-grace” vs “sex-under-law”, I think some co-habitating couples would not recognise his description as valid since they practise a resemblance of sex-under-grace.

And so, I think Ash missed an opportunity to present a more nuanced commentary here. Could he have angled his comments so that some of those co-habitating couples who think whatever they have is good and great, sees that what they have is merely a resemblance, not the reality of what is good. Good as in God is good. Good as in Grace is good.

Before I conclude, I have to tell readers what you don't get in this book. You don't get an in-depth discussion on how to manage financials as a couple. Or how to effectively communicate. Or how to resolve conflicts. Or despite the motto being "sex in the service of God", there is no how to have great sex. For that, you have to look at other books.

This is not a criticism of Ash's book. What he set out to do, he achieved them brilliantly. This book explains how marriage is for God. And truly, while everything else is important, none is more important than knowing marriage is for God.

Let me end this review by quoting my favourite passage in the book. This passage reminds me of the purpose of my own marriage and makes me want to do better for God.

I quote:

... I like to think that men and women may say to themselves as they watch a Christian marriage: “I have never seen God. Sometimes I wonder, when I look at the world, if God is good, or if there is a God. But if he can make a man and woman love one another like this; if he can make this husband show costly faithfulness through sickness as well as health; if he can give him resources to love when frankly there is nothing in it for him; well, then he must be a good God. And if he can give this wife grace to submit so beautifully, with such an attractive gentle spirit under terrible trials, then again he must be a good God.” If you are married or preparing for marriage, pray that others may be able to say this of you in the years ahead.

Outro

This is a Reading and Reader’s review of “Married for God: Making Your Marriage the Best It Can Be” by Christopher Ash. 176 pages, published by Crossway in August 2016. Available via Amazon Kindle for USD10.16 and via Logos for USD10.79.

Thank you for listening. Bye bye.

Book List

Married for God by Christopher Ash. Amazon. Logos.

Married for God: Making Your Marriage the Best It Can Be

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Everyone wants to know how to make money, how to lose weight, how to make friends and influence people. But before all that, more importantly, the first thing we got to know is how to think -- and as people who live our lives before God -- specifically, it is knowing how to think theologically.

Hi, my name is Terence and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review “How to Think Theologically” by Howard W. Stone and James O. Duke. 142 pages, published by Fortress Press in 2006. 2006 is the second edition. The fourth edition, published in 2023 is available in Amazon Kindle for USD14.99.

Reviewing the 2nd not the 4th EditionWhy am I reviewing the 2nd edition and not the 4th edition? Because I got the 2nd edition for free. Even though I was not reviewing books for the past 6 months, I still made sure to get the Logos free book of the month. For June, the free book was “How to Think Theologically”.

You might be wondering whether it’s worth listening to a review of the second edition when, if you do read the book you would get the latest edition. In any case, my review is still helpful in your buying, reading, decision.

First, whatever is good in the 2nd edition will be in the 4th edition. That is why there is a 4th edition.

Second, when you hear all the good things I have to say about today’s book, you might resolve, like I have, to never miss a free book deal. And if you did get the Logos free book for June, this review might just persuade you to read it.

I Could Not Help You... Until TodayThe book resonates with me because it describes the one thing I have been trying to excel in all these years.

When I was a young Christian I did not know what thinking theologically meant. I knew it was imperative for us to think biblically but what does that mean?

I only understood after I read books like Don Carson’s “Showing the Spirit”, a commentary on 1 Corinthian 12-14. That book fundamentally transformed my thinking process.

Now, many good books later, I try to bring the Bible to bear in everything, to understand God and his work in myself, the people around me and the world across space and time.

If you ask me, “Terence, I want to learn how to think theologically too, can you help? Can you do what you do best and recommend a book?”

A few weeks ago, my answer would be, “I wish I had a simple guide for you. Everything I practise, I learnt it the hard way through many books, by many writers, on many diverse issues, over many years. You could read Don Carson’s book but you would learn by observing the master. The master is not explaining what or why or how. He is busy doing the thinking through the Bible on the topic. In Don Carson’s case, thinking through 1 Cor 12-14 on the topic of the Holy Spirit. I wish I have that one book to recommend to you.”

And today, I have!

Buy this book. Read this book: “How to Think Theologically” by Howard W. Stone and James O. Duke.

Dynamic DuoHoward Stone is a psychologist, marriage and family therapist, theologian ,and professor emeritus at Texas Christian University. James Duke is Professor of the History of Christianity and the History of Christian Thought at Brite Divinity School.

They have put together this concise how-to guide for Christians who never knew they were theologians and don’t know where to start.

So let me share my thoughts on the book.

Embedded vs. DeliberativeFirst, I found the distinction between embedded theology and deliberative theology to be immensely helpful.

This is the way I understand it. Embedded theology is what you grew up with in church; it's the air you breath. It's instinct, reflex, it's how you do the faith.

Deliberative theology is questioning your growing up years; it's putting the air you breath into a mass spectrometer. It's inquisitive, reflective, it's asking why you do faith in this way and not that.

Deliberative theology is the theology I tend to force unto the people around me. Embedded theology is what they wish we could all do instead.

When we make a distinction, we are drawing a line, we are pointing out differences. Sometimes, often times, that leads to quarrels. Other times, making that distinction helps people to reconcile.

We recognise that embedded theology is what everyone practises and it is good enough until it isn't. And then deliberative theology becomes necessary. Christians who are able to do deliberative theology within the faith are less likely to deconstruct themselves out of the faith.

They are more equipped to handle crisis. In this book, the authors use many real world examples. But two stick out the most.

First is the Great Hymnal Controversy. The church wrestles with whether to buy new and different hymnbooks to replace the ones falling to pieces. You can replace this controversy with the one you have in your church.

The second crisis moves away from the religious assembly to the personal home. Tom’s mother has terminal cancer and the doctor suggests removing life support. Tom doesn’t know what is the right thing to do. All of us have faced devastating dilemmas before. And if you have not, you will.

Do you know what to do? Do you know how to think theologically?

The Reason You Read This Book: How-ToStone and Duke are here to help. They will teach us in a systematic way.

The first three chapters of the book sets up the motivation and principles. Then the next four chapters show us how to do it, and lastly the final two chapters describes how thinking theologically works in the Christian community and in spiritual formation.

When we come to the how-to chapters, the authors give us a template to work from. Three sets of diagnostic exercises covering three areas: The Gospel, the Human Condition and Vocation.

I quote:

Each question in turn (though not necessarily in order) can be applied to every issue that calls for our theological deliberation. The exercises surely will not cover all that could be said about the meaning of the Christian message of God. But they strike near the very heart of the concerns of Christian faith. In exploring these questions, something is disclosed of the breadth and depth of the Christian message. They provide a staging area for later, more complete, reflection.

Let’s look at the questions in the first set, the Gospel set.

What is the gospel?
How does the gospel reach the people?
How do people receive the gospel and its benefits?

Hmm... the questions are not ground-breaking. A bit basic. And that’s the point, to go back to basics and re-evaluate our situation in light of the basics, the gospel!

This is how it works, I quote:

For the church council debating the purchase of new hymnals, a clearer understanding of the church’s role in promulgating the gospel might have facilitated the discussion. Tom, who is already searching the Scriptures on his own for help in dealing with his mother’s imminent death, might be prompted to seek more help from the church: as a companion to the Scripture in making the gospel of Jesus known and as a potential source of guidance and strength in making his hard decision regarding life-support removal.

We now turn to the chapter on Human Condition. The questions are:

What is the basic problem with the human condition? (What is Sin?)
What is the resolution to that problem in the human condition? (What is Salvation?)
How is the problem resolved? (What is the means of Salvation?)

This chapter reminds me of another book I read, “Gospel Fluency” by Jeff Vanderstelt. Vanderstelt makes this audacious claim: “For every problem, the gospel is the solution.”

When I first heard it, I thought, "That couldn’t possibly be true."

But as Vanderstelt explains, I begin to realise that, indeed, underlying every quarrel, addiction, fear and anger, is sin. And once I saw the True Enemy, it was easier to see The Solution, because there is only one solution to Sin, and that is Jesus Christ.

So far we have only looked at two sets of questions. You can do so much with these questions.

Find a quiet place to sit. Reflect on the questions that Stone and Duke ask in their book. Don’t give the Sunday School answers. See the issue as a Christian.

And when you do some reflections, you can be surprised at how an incidental reading leads to unexpected assurance.

That was what I got.

What is Sin is Not IncidentalIt all started when someone told me, “Nobody is born with a sin nature. We are all born as a blank slate.” In theology, this means a denial of Original Sin.

I believe we are all born with Sin. But I went back to study why I believe so. Along the way, I read Augustine’s Anti-Pelagian writing, which became a podcast review. I searched for Christian books that deny Original Sin, I couldn't find any. There are books that deny Original Sin, but they were not within the broad spectrum of the Christian faith.

But the biggest pushback I faced seems to not be whether to affirm or deny Original Sin, but whether it even matters. The issue is not veracity, but practicality or necessity.

Some say: “Why don’t we accept both interpretations as equally valid? After all, many Christians hold different interpretations on many parts of Scripture and have learnt to look past these differences to unite on the main thing, the Gospel.”

So I have been questioning myself over and over again, whether am I being unnecessarily difficult. Yet, over and over again, as I study Scripture, I cannot see how one church can hold two opposing interpretations on what Sin means.

Stone and Duke's chapter on the Human Condition just reinforces my conviction that this matter is of critical importance.

To be clear, this is not a book written to affirm or deny Original Sin. But I note that one of the questions they ask is: What is the basic problem with the human condition? In other words, What is Sin?

How you answer this question affects how you understand salvation. What did Jesus do? He saved us from our sins. But what is Sin?

And as the book makes clear, answering these questions affects how we live life. The authors do not see Sin as something out there, something that lives in the books of dead theologians to be dissected by theologians who have too much time in their hands.

Sin is the basic problem with the human condition. Just this fact demands our every effort to get what it is right. We should not just sweep distinctions aside and claim all interpretations leads to Jesus.

Not Just a Series of QuestionsI have only discussed two sets of the diagnostic exercises. The third set covers Vocation. The questions are:

What deeds are Christians called to do?
What are the reasons for performing a service or action?
Why is one course of action the most fitting in a given situation?

You could say, "If I knew how to answer those questions in the first place, I wouldn't be in a dilemma!"

That is why we have to understand, the book is not just a series of questions. If it was, it would be two pages long and not 142 pages.

There is more to the practise of theological reflection and the authors do a good job explaining them. Except when they don't.

More Explanations Would Be BetterSome parts could be better explained.

In chapter 3, the authors quote theologian David Kelsey. Kelsey lists four ways theologians draw biblical texts into theological reflections. According to Kelsey, the Word of God is identified in:

Propositions about divine truth
Symbolic expressions of faith experiences
Recitals of God’s identity
Invitations to existential possibilities for new life

Then without further explanation the authors challenge the reader, I quote:

Try listening for Kelsey’s categories in the next sermon you hear. When the minister quotes Scripture, ask yourself: What is this speaker using the Bible to ask me to do? Or, put the same question to a sermon or lesson that you deliver: What are you asking your hearers to do when you quote the Bible?

Challenge not accepted. I don't understand what Kelsey means by those four ways. I could guess but I should not have to.

In chapter 8, the authors ask us to think critically using a process that includes description, analysis, framing a view, judgment and response.

They explain what description means. They explain what analysis means. But they explain framing a view by describing how a camera frames the subject. I like photography. I know how to frame a subject. But I don't know how to transfer my photography skills into theological thinking.

What is the difference between analysis and framing a view? The authors do not explain. I could guess but I should not have to.

I appreciate how the authors want to keep the book short. They succeeded in doing that. But I wish they could have a few more extra pages so that they can explain things properly. And I guess many other readers thought so too because the 4th edition has 40 more pages. The book must be good if people want more of it right?

Two Starting Points and One CorrectionHowever there was one part of the book that I felt needed correction.

In the authors' introduction to the theological method, they describe two starting points. I quote:

Christian theology is reflection on the faith in the Christian message of God in Jesus Christ. The connection between faith and God’s message is an invitation to reflect either on the human side of the connection (faith) or on its divine side (God’s message).

These two tracks have given rise to a distinction between theologies with an anthropological or human starting point and those that begin with divine revelation.

They then proceed to explain the merits and risks of each starting point. They give the impression that both are equally valid starting points. I disagree. I believe we should always start with divine revelation.

When preparing for a sermon or bible study, we must start with the text. We mustn't allow the congregation's felt needs direct where the text wants us to go.

When a preacher is doing a book series, preaching verse by verse, how much more amazing it is when we hear how the Word of God speak to the people's needs without the preacher ever knowing about them.

The problem with the church today is our tendency to put us, our wants and needs, first and not God. We think we know better, but we don't. I could rant about this for hours but let's just skip to the part where I changed my mind.

As I was preparing for this book review, I read up on the authors. Stone describes himself as psychologist, marriage and family therapist first, then theologian. So I started thinking from his perspective.

And I realised I was framing the discussion wrongly. I was interpreting the two approaches strictly from a preaching or bible study point of view.

In preaching, I still hold strongly to everything I just said. We start with the text.

But when it comes to counselling, if I have Tom in front of me, and he has all these questions. If he agrees to the medical experts to withdraw life support for his mother, is it euthanasia or is it allow nature to carry its course? Is he honouring God or participating in the culture of death?

As I listen to him, obviously my starting point is him. I would be scrambling to pick from my mind anything from Scripture that deals with his issue. So in counselling, the Word of God is responding to the believer's confusion, pain, doubts and fears.

Then when I zoom out, reframe this conversation I am having with myself, I remind myself that the point of the book, is for everyone to think theologically about all parts of life. I was so zealous to establish divine revelation's primacy that I had tunnel vision.

So instead of correcting the authors, I found myself corrected. And this is good. That means I am growing.

Every Christian should experience correction. If a Christian never finds himself or herself corrected in the Christian walk, then humanity has just found the next perfect person after Jesus Christ.

The People Who Should Read This Book and Don'tSpeaking of correction, I can think of many categories of people who should read this book but won't.

Those who think theology is for overly-intellectual people. That is not true, the authors refute that from the get go.
On the other extreme, those who think they already know how to think theologically. They are seasoned fighters in theological MMA. Bashing people online over doctrine is not theological thinking. You should read this.

In an ideal world, everybody would read this book. In an ideal world, this book would be required reading to graduate from elementary school. Okay that's a bit exaggerated. Required reading to graduate from high school.

This is because theology needs to be done in community. I quote:

[Indeed,] theological reflection is insufficient if it is done in isolation. Theological reflection occurs in the context of community. Because it is communal, it is also collaborative and dialogical. Even though we eventually come up with our own unique operational theology, its formation occurs in testing, sharing, talking, and listening to others.

If you and I both read this book, when we have a dispute, maybe over hymnbooks or something else, then if we say let's look at this biblically. We understand each other. Naturally, we each want to prove that we are right, but we now engage in a process of exploration and discovery.

Even if I totally disagree with you, it is edifying for me that we looked at the issue through the Gospel, the Human Condition and Vocation, and went further from there. Although we have different answers to the questions, I could, in the years to come, reflect on your answers and eventually it might make sense to me and the process leads to my correction.

So the experience is not of two warriors grappling in the octagon, trying to bash the other senseless, but it is of two seekers continually exploring the divine landscape in search of truth. Sharing what they have found in hopes that the other will join them on the correct path.

OutroIn conclusion, this book is not the only way to learn how to think theologically. But it might be the most concise and practical guide for all Christians in that process.

This is a Reading and Reader’s review of “How to Think Theologically” by Howard W. Stone and James O. Duke. 142 pages, published by Fortress Press in 2006, which is the second edition. The fourth edition, published in 2023 is available in Amazon Kindle for USD14.99.

For more book reviews and contact details, you can visit readingandreaders.com. Thanks for listening. Bye bye.

Book List* How to Think Theologically by Howard W. Stone and James O. Duke. Amazon 4th Ed. Logos 2nd Ed.

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It has been said that all of us are theologians. We all have a picture of God in our heads. But is your picture of God correct? Keep listening to find out.

Hi, my name is Terence and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review “Portrait of God: Rediscovering the Attributes of God through the Stories of His People” by Jack Mooring. 224 pages, published by David C. Cook Publishing in August 2024. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and in Logos for USD10.79. I received a free review copy but the publisher has no input to my review.

Systematic Theology Through Biography

Today's book promises to explain the Attributes of God through the lives of Christians.

But wait, someone says, “If you really want to know the Attributes of God, you should get a good book on Systematic Theology. The bigger the better.” So grunts the theological egghead.

Nope. If the size doesn’t scare people off, the title “Systematic Theology” would.

Then someone says, “Just get J.I. Packer’s ‘Knowing God’.”

That’s a great book. A classic.

But today's book gives us a different way to know God’s attributes and that is through stories. Bible stories have helped children know God. Much of the Bible consists of stories of God and His People. So we could say that today’s book is not inventing a new approach but rather adapts the biblical way of knowing God: through the stories of him interacting with his people.

Art Class with a Divine Subject

In this book, Jack Mooring wants us to paint a portrait of God. If this sounds a bit artsy-fartsy to you, maybe it’s because Mooring was an artist. More, accurately, a musician. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he is the former band member with the Grammy Award-nominated group Leeland.

Mooring is also the founding pastor of a church, Celebration of Life Church in Nashville. So he is not the typical professional theologian who writes a book on the attributes of God. He is just a passionate Christian who wants everyone to know God. And he takes hold of artistic license to separate himself from the professional theologians.

We will do a portrait of God. Using the lives of God's people as the brushstrokes.

A Brushstroke of Joy

Consider this: Whose life do you think best reveals God’s joy? Think of all the great men and women who have served God through the ages. Who would best demonstrate the joy of the Lord?

Mooring chooses C.S. Lewis.

The chapter starts with Lewis as a young man arriving at Oxford University. But then, the Great War happened.

I quote:

The war was a brief but horrific interlude in his life. He saw unbearable things. His closest friend in his company was killed. While raised in a Christian home in Ireland, he’d been brought up on the teachings of the church, but early on he had decided God couldn’t be real. His mother had died when he was only nine years old. He remembered praying that God would save her life, but his desperate request seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

His childhood angst at God had turned into full-blown atheism as a young man. And if his journey away from God needed any more help, his traumatic experiences in the war had seared his mind.

Later, Mooring writes:

There were cracks in Lewis’s armor. For all his resistance against God, he had a weak spot for joy. Deep joy. The joy that aches in your belly when you see something truly beautiful. You reach for it but can’t grasp it. You try to recreate the same feeling the next day, only to find it missing. This haunted Lewis.

He began to do what he always did to find answers: He read books and talked deeply with his friends.

Famously, one of his friends was J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien and others encouraged Lewis in his search for answers.

I quote:

Lewis raised a challenge to his friends: “What separates Christianity from any other myth? After all, there are other stories about a god ‘saving’ his people.”

His friends responded with an idea that changed his life. “Yes, Christianity is a myth,” they said. “But it is the only true myth.”

Suddenly, he realized that the Norse mythology he loved was never the real source of the joy he felt. It was God. Every good and beautiful myth was simply pointing to the one true “myth”.

The chapter interleaves episodes of Lewis’ life with Mooring’s own comments and reflections. A YouTube video about a ten-million-dollar mountain chalet sends Mooring through a whirlwind of emotions from curiosity, awe, desire and lust, to disappointment, jealousy, embarrassment and resignation. Everybody who has watched an influencer boasting of cars, food or travel knows what Mooring felt.

Mooring shows us YouTube-addicts that our desire is a reminder that God is our true desire. Just like C.S. Lewis, we are searching for the real source of joy: God.

And that's how every chapter goes. He shares a story then a reflection to bridge the story to you, the reader today.

On top of that, every chapter in the book ends with “Final Brushstrokes”. Let me quote:

C.S. Lewis’s life teaches us that the greatest joys in life are simply signposts pointing us to the ultimate joy that is God. And that when we find Him, we find peace even in deep pain and suffering.

So our portrait of God gets another color: the vibrant hues of joy! We learn that God is not on a mission to stop people from having fun. Actually, the fun begins with Him. We think that worldly pleasures will fulfill us, but they let us down every time. God Himself is the author of everything good, true, and beautiful! And when we find Him, we can truly enjoy the world He made and find an unfading joy that comes from His nature.

I repeat, “the story of C.S. Lewis gives our portrait of God another colour, the vibrant hues of joy.” And so every story in this book gives another brushstroke, giving us a better, more complete look of God each time.

Or does it? The thing about brushstrokes is that it can either reveal or distort the subject it portrays.

God Still Heals Today

Chapter 5 is titled, “The Healer” -- God of Power. It is the story of Kathryn Kuhlman.

I quote:

I chose the story of Kathryn Kuhlman because her life is an irrefutable example that God heals today. He can even work through people who, like her, were imperfect and in need of God’s grace. Because those are, in fact, the only people He can use.

And Mooring needs an irrefutable example because some people do refute it. Those pesky cessationist who believe the spiritual gifts have ceased.

Mooring writes:

I believe this [cessationism] is one of the most damaging ideas the church has ever adopted. It has caused so many to miss out on one of the things Jesus died to give them.

I don’t have the space in this chapter to make a complete argument refuting cessationism. I point to you to Jack Deere’s superb book Surprised by the Power of the Spirit.

He is right. He doesn’t have the space to make that argument but he goes for it anyways. Let me summarise the three problems I see with this chapter.

Healing and Gift of Healing Are Different

First, Mooring assumes that cessationists do not believe God heals today.

In the conclusion to the chapter, he writes:

People like Kathryn Kuhlman showed the world that God is still active in healing the sick.

There is a problem here because cessationists also believe God is still active in healing the sick.

John MacArthur, the poster child for cessationists, writes in his book Strange Fire:

While the Lord still answers prayer and works in providential ways to heal people according to his will, there is no evidence that miraculous healings are occurring today as they did during the apostolic age.

Mooring should have written, “People like Kathryn Kuhlman showed the world that God is still active in giving individuals healing power today.”

When Mooring conflates “God heals today” with “God gives individuals healing power today”, as if one means the same as the other, it causes misunderstandings. Readers walk away thinking, "Those Reformed fellows don't believe God heals! And they call themselves Bible believing Christians?"

Now that I have clarified the cessationist position, does Mooring's point on healing still stand?

The purpose of the chapter is to highlight the Power of God.

I ask: "Is the Power of God only demonstrated through healing rallies?" No.

Would the Power of God also be demonstrated if I prayed for someone, and that someone got healed? Yes.

Should the church teach Christians that God heals today? Yes.

That is what Mooring is getting at.

But he could have made that point more powerfully, getting more agreement if he told the readers about God's power through healing instead of God's power in giving some individuals the power of healing.

Character of the Healer and the Healed.

My second criticism: Mooring makes a big push for healing but over-promises the impact.

He writes:

Praying for the sick is an act of divine love, and love never fails! So no matter what happens, the compassionate act of believing for someone’s healing is itself a success.

What if we lived this way? Thought this way? A dying world would be shocked back to a God reality that has been gone for decades. We would see millions saved! Millions coming into direct contact with the God who loves them and sent His only Son for them!

Would we really see millions saved?

Jesus healed ten lepers, only one came back to give thanks to Jesus.

In Matthew 11:21, Jesus says, "“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."

In Matthew 12:39, Jesus answered those seeking a sign from him, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."

So if Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had a 'bad' conversion rate from healing, I'm not confident that all those who were healed by Kathryn Kuhlman and her fellow healers came to saving faith.

You say, "Even if it's 10%, that's still a good reason to promote healing rallies."

But Jesus rejected those who called for signs. Isn't that a clear sign for us on the place of miracles today?

Consider this: when Paul wrote his final letter to Timothy, he charged Timothy to do many miracles, teach other faithful men how to receive the gifts and how to promote these gifts so that people will come to Jesus through healing and miracles.

No, Paul did not.

This is what Paul wrote. 2 Timothy 2:2.

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

Keeping the main thing the main thing is to keep the Gospel central. In the climax of the letter. 2 Timothy 4:1-2.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the Word...

From my criticisms on this chapter, you would think that I am a cessationist. Actually I am not. From my own study, I don’t see a biblical reason to conclude that the gifts have ceased. I have no problems with the spiritual gifts being in operation today.

So I am sympathetic to his position. I just disagree with how he frames it, which brings me to my last point on this chapter.

Bill Johnson and Not Sam Storms

My third criticism: Mooring lost me at Bill Johnson. He would have had me if he said Sam Storm. I have read Bill Johnson’s “When Heaven Invades Earth” and am familiar with the practices of his church, Bethel Redding. I compared Johnson’s own words and his church’s practice against Scripture, and I conclude that Bill Johnson distorts Scripture to fit his theology and practice. So when I read a quote from Bill Johnson, all the alarm bells in my head just rang out.

Mooring might protest and say that in the whole book, he just makes one mention of Bill Johnson. It’s just a side remark, a throwaway quote, and it shouldn’t put the whole chapter into doubt.

Well, if he is frustrated so am I.

I share many of his positions and outlook on healing and gifts of healing. He could have elevated his argument by quoting Sam Storm. Or Craig Keener. But not Bill Johnson. I don't like it when someone twists Scripture for their own ends.

Other Brushstrokes

Let's step out of this healing chapter and consider the rest of the book. So far, we have a story of C.S. Lewis and Kathryn Kuhlman. Their lives are brushstrokes that describe God’s joy and power.

There are others: Augustine, William and Catherine Booth, Thomas Chalmers, Fanny Crosby and Athanasius that in their lives describe God’s holiness, compassion, good news, faithfulness and truth.

The last two chapters of the book bring out the story of you. Who are you? How do you relate to God? In his conclusion, Mooring writes that we are:

to use our gifts to ‘paint God’ for a world that is desperate to know what He is really like.

Overall Thoughts

And yes, the world is desperate to know what God is really like. Does this book tell us?

The book aims to tell us the attributes of God through the stories of his people. In that sense, it is a success. Mooring has picked, for the most part, individuals that Christians would agree are exemplary. And in whose lives we can see a portrait of God.

But after finishing this book, it has also made me realise the big flaw in using other believers’ stories to know God.

Let’s imagine an evil version of Jack Mooring, who also wants to tell the attributes of God through God’s people. But instead of choosing a blind hymnwriter, he picks a pastor convicted for sexual assault. He picks murderous crusaders, child molesters, embezzlers, a villains gallery of self-professing Christians. Then this evil version of Jack Mooring concludes the book to say, “These are Christians, and so God.”

Christians will rightly argue that those crooks pervert the true portrait of God. As God himself has put it, “My name is blasphemed among the nations because of evil doers.”

When we pick individuals that best fits our idea of God, our choice reveals more about what we think God is like and not necessarily how God is really like. We could have a situation where we are supposed to have a painting of the Mona Lisa but instead get a Lisa Simpson.

“Does that mean reading biographies of Christian men and women is a useless enterprise?”

No! The reading principle behind that is Paul’s call, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” We follow Paul knowing that he is the imperfect following the perfect. So we read the biographies to know imperfect creatures.

But when it comes to knowing the Perfect Creator, the attributes of God, we risk adopting the principle behind Philip’s request, “Jesus, show us the Father,” which Jesus replied, “When you see me, you see the Father.” This is something that only Jesus can say. When you see me, Terence, you don’t see the Father.

You think that's obvious? It should be. But if it was then why do so many people lose faith in God when the people they admire fall from grace.

I don't want you to misunderstand me. I am not knocking on Jack Mooring’s book. I just want to point out how reading Mooring’s book reminded me again how wonderful is our Bible. We can actually know God because the Perfect has revealed himself to us.

To know the attributes of God, to know God, absent the Bible is a speculative and confusing mess. But with the Bible, we can know God and know how well his people reflect who he is.

Would I recommend it?

Would I recommend this book?

For Christians who like Bill Johnson and the type of Christianity he represents, they would not give someone like me a chance to question their beliefs. For them I would definitely recommend this book. Mooring’s chapter on Kathryn Kuhlman will affirm everything they believe in. They will consider Mooring as "one of us.”

Then two chapters later, they will read Fanny Crosby, the blind hymnwriter, and read:

It is far easier to say that God doesn’t heal anymore. It is also easy to say the opposite, that God always heals and that something is wrong with you if you are still sick. The truth is that both statements are wrong.

God does still heal, and we should actively pursue His healing. But God also sits with us in our suffering and promises to be our reward, even when it seems like our prayers are not being answered.

If you are a Christian who does not know Bill Johnson and the type of Christianity he represents, I would still be happy to recommend you this book. It is a light and easy way to learn about the attributes of God and introduce you to good books down the road.

But I would warn you. I would tell you the three points I have against chapter 5.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, does the book give us a portrait of God through the stories of his people? Yes. It is a portrait of God from a selected palette of colours that reveals Jack Mooring’s concept of God, which would be recognisable as the God Christians worship.

I think that when it comes to the details, for certain brushstrokes, some correction is needed. But that’s art. And we all have an imperfect portrait of God in our heads.

The important thing is as we study the Bible, we trust that God will reveal more of who he is.

And just as looking at beautiful portraits inspire artists to paint better, so pondering at the portrait of God Mooring has given us inspires us to know God better and to live better for him.

This is a Reading and Readers review of “Portrait of God” by Jack Mooring. 224 pages, published by David C. Cook Publishing in August 2024. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and in Logos for USD10.79. I received a free review copy but the publisher has no input to my review. Thank you and bye bye.

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Portrait of God by Jack Mooring. Amazon. Logos.

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Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Except I have not been reviewing any books for nearly two months now.

Have I quit the podcast? No. I am still looking forward to the 100th episode of Reading and Readers. I have a special book in mind for that one. So if I do end this podcast, and I don't have any intention of doing so, I would definitely do it after the 100th episode.

Why the delay? I used to do a book review every two weeks. That was a crazy pace. I could sustain that pace until my responsibilities elsewhere -- in the office, church and home -- increased. I found myself having to read more books but not books I would later review.

So I have decided to take the podcast slow. Instead of a sprint, or a jog, it will be stroll or a walk. I will still be downloading the monthly free books from Logos. I will still be on the look out for good books.

If I see a must-read book, I will read it. If it is a must-share book, then I will review and share my thoughts with everyone.

This was not how I expected to celebrate the Reading and Reader's third year. However, I am hopeful that once things settle down, I will get back to reading and reviewing Christian books for you. Thank you for your support. Until next time, bye!

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Today's book could be the most important book of the year. Hopefully not the decade. Because I would really hate to talk about Critical Theory again. If everybody in the world read today's book, we would never have to talk about it ever again.
Hi, my name is Terence and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review “Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. 582 pages. Published by Harvest House Publishers in October 2023. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD21.99 and in Logos for USD16.49. But I got it in Logos for the low low price of USD6.99 because every month I eagerly wait for Logos' free and deeply discounted books. Eagerly AwaitedThis book came up. And there is no other book that I have more eagerly waited for than a Neil Shenvi book on Critical Theory.
I first knew of Shenvi from Voddie Baucham’s “Fault Lines”, a book on Critical Race Theory that I reviewed in Episode 9. From Voddie Baucham's book, I found myself in Neil Shenvi’s website and was floored by the thorough analysis of the many many Critical Theory books he reads.
I knew then that if Shenvi ever decided to compile his knowledge into a book, I must read it. As good as anyone's articles, interviews and seminars are, the best way to make a case is through a well-written book.
But there is another author to today's book. Pat Sawyer. Sawyer was in the banking industry for 17 years before he took a PhD in educational and cultural studies. He wrote a dissertation on social justice.
It seems that the fusion of these two men, Shenvi and Sawyer, has released an incredible amount of energy. Their combined powers of observation, subject expertise, analytical skills and commitment to the Christian faith has made them, I would say, very dangerous men.
Just as the emperor who wears no clothes can no longer walk around naked after a child tells the truth, so the reader can no longer be complacent or be outraged under false premises after Shenvi and Sawyer tell the truth on Critical Theory.
Critical Dilemma is divided into three parts.
Part 1: Understanding Part 2: Critiquing Part 3: Engaging Understanding Critical TheoryThe book begins with an honest painful look at Slavery and Jim Crow. This disarms the Social Justice Warrior. Here is outrage over slavery and Jim Crow. This disarms the Christian Culture Warrior. Shenvi, why are you opening old wounds? Sawyer, why are you taking the enemies talking points?
By starting with these "Shadows of the Past", the authors establish their credentials as unflinching truth tellers. When people are ignorant of history, they are vulnerable. When good people hear of the victims, they want to right those wrongs.
Why is Critical Theory so effective in channeling this righteous anger through the government, schools, churches and families? That question is answered in Part 1.
Later, the authors challenge the reader to say they do not go far enough. Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Social Justice Warriors. But not in the way you may think, I will explain more later. Know Them In Their Most Plausible and Persuasive FormThe authors take Critical Theory seriously. They don't caricature it. No strawman here. Not trying to score points with the groupies. They went through the Critical Theory literature to know what it says and have made a sincere attempt to present it to us.
How do we know it's sincere? 1. They quote extensively the main proponents of Critical Theory. 2. They state up front that some of these guys would deny being members of Critical Theory. Shenvi and Sawyer refuse to get into a fight over labels. The key is to discuss ideas. And they show through those extensive quotes that if it walks like a duck, it quacks like a duck, at the very least, it's in the bird family. 3. They explain all this without imputing motives. They have a chapter titled, "Positive Insights" that lists positive aspects of Critical Theory. We need to properly understand the appeal of Critical Theory in order to make a proper critique over it.

Why do they make such a great effort? John Mills puts it well.

He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side; if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion…Nor is it enough that he should hear the arguments of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. That is not the way to do justice to the arguments, or bring them into real contact with his own mind. He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them; who defend them in earnest, and do their very utmost for them. He must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.

Shenvi and Sawyer see their own work as an illustration of John Mill's claim. Contemporary Critical Theory: The Big FourBy now, I am sure everyone listening is dying to know what is Critical Theory that has turned the world upside down.
"Rejecting racism is racism." "Whiteness is wickedness." "There are more than two genders."
The Grand Unified Theory behind the madness, which Shenvi and Sawyer has termed "Contemporary Critical Theory", can be expressed in its four characteristics. 1. The Social Binary. Society is divided into oppressors and the oppressed, white and people of colour, heterosexuals and homosexuals, Christians and non-Christians. 2. Hegemonic Power. Oppressors impose their values, traditions and norms unto society. For example, Christians see marriage as a one man, one woman, construct and have imposed this value, tradition and norm unto society. 3. Lived Experience. If you are a man, shut up about abortion. If you are white, shut up about racism. Because you don't have the lived experience of being a woman or a person of colour. 4. Social Justice. We want action. We want to change the world. So if you don’t speak up, then you are complicit in the injustice.

Wait a minute. You just told me to speak up for injustice. But you also told me to shut up because I don't have the lived experience to speak to the problem.
Yes, that is the lose-lose scenario you have as a privileged person. You can’t do anything right. Just cry and feel their pain but don’t cry and make this all about you. Critiquing CCTOnce we understand what is Critical Theory, we are in the position to critique it.
In Part 2, the authors do not assume readers share their faith. The reader may be a Christian, may profess to be a Christian but doesn't know what is Christianity, or may be an Atheist. The book is written for all. And so, they give a crash course on evangelical faith.
As a Christian, instead of seeing it as a mind-numbing regurgitating of what I already know, I see it as confirming that Shenvi and Sawyer and I are actually on the same page when it comes to the fundamentals of Christianity. This is important because they will make their strongest critique of Contemporary Critical Theory not based on secular reasoning, for that you can read Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay but based on the Bible.
In a rigorously argued chapter that compares the four characteristics of Contemporary Critical Theory against Christianity, the authors make an assertion that no Christian can ignore. Let me quote at length the summary of that chapter.
They write:

Contemporary critical theory is skeptical of singular narratives and universal truth claims, viewing them as bids for power. Yet Christianity is itself a singular narrative of redemption and makes numerous universal truth claims. Contemporary critical theory exalts lived experience and downplays objective reasoning as masculine and Eurocentric. Yet Christianity argues that our hearts are sinful and that our fallible interpretation of our lived experience must be subordinated to God’s revelation in Scripture, apprehended through reason. Contemporary critical theory views privilege as collective and rooted in oppression. Yet Christianity recognizes that some norms are God-ordained and that privilege is not necessarily unjust, although it should be used to serve God and bless others. Contemporary critical theory posits an adversarial relationship between different genders, classes, and ethnic groups. In contrast, Christianity insists on fundamental solidarity between all human beings and a nonnegotiable familial relationship between Christians. Finally, for all these reasons, contemporary critical theory is rightly viewed as a worldview or metanarrative. It is not a narrow analytic tool. It makes sweeping assumptions about human beings, purpose, lived experience, meaning, morality, knowledge, and identity that inevitably bring it into conflict with Christianity.

This is what I meant by "Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Social Justice Warriors." Their analysis of the human condition is wrong and their solution flawed but what zeal to change the world! Christians should be more zealous for the Truth, for Christ.
I wish I had more time to discuss each point in that summary. I stress it is a summary. Shenvi and Sawyer make really good points, piling on the evidence, drawing on, so-to-speak, written testimonies. Held against Scripture, their own words condemn them. And that is true for the whole book.
I had a hard time preparing this book review. I wanted, at first, to go through the flow of the arguments in the book, but it is beyond my ability to summarise them without turning it into a dry and boring outline.
At this point, you know something about what is in Part 1: Understanding and Part 2: Critiquing. MasterclassWhat you may not yet fully appreciate is this book is a masterclass on how a Christian deals with a controversial subject, even a dangerous one. Some would accuse Shenvi and Sawyer of violence all because they dare to question what others hold to be true... and sacred.
The clarity in the organisation: Understanding, Critiquing, Engaging. This should be the layout for any number of topics. I got one right now. I would like someone to write a book on anti-semitism. I don't understand why anti-semitism is still so prevalent. Why can't societies shake it off?
It's also a masterclass in reasoning. I would not be surprised to find out that Shenvi and Sawyer were both world-class debaters. They very cleverly reveal poor arguments.
Very quickly, one example. Bulverism. Bulverism is when you say something is true, but instead of explaining why its false, your opponent imputes motive.
They write:

Do men argue that abortion is immoral? That’s because they’re trying to control women’s bodies; therefore, their claim is false. Do White people think we should be polite? That’s because they’re trying to police the emotions of people of color; therefore, their claim is false. Do Christians claim that homosexuality is sinful? That’s because they’re trying to protect their heterosexual privilege; therefore, their claim is false.

Until I read this book, I didn't notice this pattern. After reading it, I see it everywhere.
The book is peppered with ways to detect flawed arguments which in the wrong hands could make you a worse person to talk to. Nobody likes the guy who points out the faulty lines in your argument.
Which is why Part 3 of this book is so important. Engaging CCTPart 3: Engaging is a shorter section of the book but a crucial one.
It's not enough that we understand Contemporary Critical Theory and can see how Christianity offers a true description and solution to the problem, we need to engage.
And it's not that easy. I'll just show you one that might trip you up.
Consider this statement: Justice is part of the gospel.
Do you agree?
Justice is part of the gospel.
Surely, the answer is yes.
Depends on what you mean by justice right? If you have the gospel, if you know the gospel, then you are thinking of God's justice. Man sins, Jesus saves, glory to God.
But if you say, "That is justice in a religious sense, what about justice in society? There is so much injustice. Surely Christians, the church, the gospel has something to say about that." This is how Shenvi and Sawyer put it:

The key point here is that seeking justice is an imperative. It is urged on us as God’s command, as something we ought to do, as a moral obligation we ought to fulfill. But these are all imperative statements. We therefore need to be exceptionally careful not to intermingle seeking justice with the gospel. We would rightfully shrink back from saying that “sexual purity is part of the gospel,” or “financial stewardship is part of the gospel,” or “pro-life activism is part of the gospel” not because these activities are wrong but because they cannot save us. They are not the good news of God’s redemption in Christ.

It's so important we hear this. We do not minimise seeking justice. But we do not conflate that with the gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter how well-intentioned we may be. Who Should Read This BookWho is this book for?
This book should be in every seminary, church library and pastor's study. The church cannot afford to get this wrong and this is the best book that explains why and how.
If you say you can be a Christian and still hold to Critical Theory or parts of it, then read and weep.
The highest praise I can say for this book is this: If you are a Critical Theory activist, then Critical Dilemma is the book to destroy. If you can make a winning argument against this book, you have cut the legs off your opponents. You have won the war. The tragedy is, if Shenvi and Sawyer are right, the Contemporary Critical Theory activist is not in a war for Truth but a war for Power. Until we understand this, we will not be able to make sense of Contemporary Critical Theory and the world today.
The emperor is wearing no clothes. Who dares to tell the truth?
This is a Reading and Reader’s review of “Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. 582 pages. Published by Harvest House Publishers in October 2023. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD21.99 and in Logos for USD16.49. But I got it for USD6.99 in Logos last month all because every month I eagerly anticipate their free and deeply discounted books. Book List* “Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. Amazon. Logos.

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I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Apostles Creed. What does it mean?
Hi, my name is Terence and I’m your host for Reading and Readers. Today I review “The Spirit of Grace” by Alister McGrath. 128 pages. Published by SPCK Publishing in Dec 2014. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and for free in Logos in January. Scientist and TheologianMcGrath graduated with a first class honours in Chemistry at Oxford, then a doctorate in molecular biophysics, a first class honours in theology, and just to make the rest of us feel small and tiny, he went on to two more doctorates in theology, and intellectual history.
I see here he has a long history as a Professor of Theology in Oxford, London, then back to Oxford as the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion in 2014. In 2022, he stepped down from this endowed chair, and is now the Senior Research Fellow at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at Oxford.
McGrath has written many books. There are many interesting titles here that I want more time to talk about them. So I'll do that at the end of this review. Let’s look at today’s book, "The Spirit of Grace". The Title Under-Promises (Or The Book Over-Delivers)When I picked up this book, I thought I knew what it would be about. The title says, “The Spirit of Grace”, so the book must be all about... the Holy Spirit. To my surprise, it was not.
This is actually the fourth book in a series. The series is designed to explain Christian creeds and Book 4 covers this part of the Apostles Creed:

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

The rest of it: “the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.” will be covered in Book 5, “The Christian Life and Hope.”
This is great. I don’t mind reading another book on the Holy Spirit but I haven't read a book on the Apostles Creed. But McGrath surprises me once again by giving more than expected.
Let me read the chapter headings and we'll see if you were paying attention.* Chapter 1: The Holy Spirit: The giver of life * Chapter 2: Humanity: the climax of God’s creation * Chapter 3: Grace: the gift of a courteous God * Chapter 4: Church: the communion of saints * Chapter 5: One holy catholic and apostolic Church

The Apostles Creed doesn’t say anything about humanity. Yet, McGrath wisely notes:

If we are to understand the important place of spirituality in the Christian faith, we need to grasp both the idea that humanity has been created in order to relate to God and the role of the Holy Spirit in enabling and sustaining that relationship.

If I was assigned to write a book on the Apostles Creed, I would just do what I was told. There are four lines for this book? Then I'll have four chapters.
But McGrath has a higher level objective. He wants to explain the Christian belief to everyone, to describe the heart of the faith. If we need biblical anthropology, if we need to know what the Bible says about us, to understand Christianity he gives it to us.
Before we delve into a few chapters as examples, I just want to say that this book provoked many thoughts. Which at first I thought was strange because it's not as if I am encountering something new, a new concept. I know the Apostles Creed. When I go back to my hometown, the church I go to would in every Sunday service flash up the Apostles Creed for the congregation to read together.
I know the theology behind the Apostles Creed, having read books on the different elements of it: the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, the church. So why has McGrath's book been so stimulating?
And I concluded it's because the truth he speaks of is timely and timeless, it applies to what is important in our lives. When I'm guided by an able guide as McGrath, my latent thoughts, my worries and concerns, hopes and dreams, engage with the truth.
Let me share what I mean. Holy Tensions ResolvedIn Chapter 1 on the Holy Spirit, McGrath describes the experiential approach emphasised within the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements. He writes:

An emphasis on the experience of the Spirit can be argued to represent a welcome move away from very bookish or intellectual ways of thinking about the Christian faith. Why should those who cannot read, or who find abstract reasoning difficult, be disadvantaged in matters of faith? The Holy Spirit is the great leveller, making the rich experience of the living God available to all.

Then before one can accuse McGrath of being a Charismatic, he writes:

But not everyone feels so positively about experiential approaches to faith. Dorothy L. Sayers wrote to C. S. Lewis on 5 August 1946, making clear they made no sense to her. ‘All spiritual experience is a closed book to me; in that respect I have been tone-deaf from birth.’ Sayers relied on reason and imagination to generate and sustain her faith, and saw no cause to appeal to the vagueness of religious experience to express or defend it. Others are wary of a ‘touchy-feely’ faith, which they consider may open them to the charge of emotionalism or subjectivism—that is, making what they feel the basis of what they believe.

Having brought up the tension of the two positions, McGrath then tells us in no uncertain terms: “Divergence within Christianity really reflects a strength.”
Later he concludes:

There is only one Holy Spirit, but our experience and appreciation of that Spirit differs and reflects our individual identity. We are not forced into a template! Each of us is special, with something unique to offer God, who takes the threads of our lives and weaves them into a greater pattern.

What strikes me is how much we need good theologians. We give credit to the tireless pastor, preacher and missionaries but we must not forget the teachers, especially those who have dedicated a lifetime to study the Bible and to describe reality.
Most of us don't have the time to reflect on the theological issues of the day so we need some of us to do what is needed, to do theology.
Too many Christians think that ‘theology’ is a bad word for it leads to divisions. That is a failure to see how theology unites.
When there are divisions between intellectuals and believers who are more experiential, we unite in truth presented through theological analysis: Hey! Many gifts, many types of personalities but one Holy Spirit.
Reading the whole book we see unity in our common humanity, in our common need for forgiveness and once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, in our common belonging within the Church.
And if you read the whole series which explores the Christian creeds, including the Apostles Creed, you can see how it is our theology, our understanding of God, that unites us in our faith. Pelagian Controversy Nicely SaidIf you subscribe to this podcast, you will know that I recently reviewed Augustine’s Four Anti-Pelagian Writings.
I didn't expect to see Pelagius again so soon. In McGrath's chapter on humanity, McGrath gives a clear and concise summary of the Pelagian controversy.
In just a few pages, he tells us the history between the men, the theological debate and its implications, clearly siding with Augustine's interpretation without villainising Pelagius.
Let me read his conclusion:

The debate between Augustine and Pelagius is often revisited by Christians. On the one hand, Pelagius’ emphasis on the importance of trying to do our best is welcomed. On the other, Augustine’s emphasis on human frailty fits in far better with the New Testament’s stress on God’s graciousness towards us. For Augustine, human beings are damaged, wounded and seriously ill. There is no point in demanding that we improve ourselves when the essence of our condition is that we are trapped in our predicament. Pelagius seems to be in denial about the human situation. His naïve approach, although unquestionably well intentioned, could be compared to ordering a blind man to see things properly. Spiritual healing, not simply moral direction, is required.

This is the calm even-handed way McGrath deals with one of the most recognised and pernicious of heresies. This calm examination of ideas in simple non-technical language allows us to weigh the merits without the outrage. I don't know about you but I think we could do with less outrage nowadays. Catholic is Understood UniversalOne of my favourite chapters in the book is Chapter 5 which contains his systematic unpacking of the words from the Nicene Creed, “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church”.
Catholic here does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic means universal. To explain this, McGrath quotes Cyril of Jerusalem:

The Church is called ‘catholic’ because it extends through all the world, from one end of the earth to the other; and because it teaches completely, and without any omissions, all the doctrines that ought to be known to humanity concerning both things that are visible and invisible and things that are earthly and heavenly; and because it brings all kinds of people—whether rulers or subjects, learned or ignorant—under the influence of true piety; and because it universally treats and cures every kind of sin, whether committed by the soul or the body; and possesses in itself every kind of virtue which can be named relating to words, deeds or spiritual gifts of every kind.

McGrath then explains why understanding the church as catholic is important to Christians today:

The Church is the depository and transmitter of the whole Christian faith, not simply those parts of it that are thought to be relevant to its own situation. As someone who has studied the history of the Church, I have often noticed the tendency of one generation to regard some aspect of the Christian tradition as being of little interest, only for a later generation to rediscover its importance. The survival of the Christian faith depends upon the full richness of its intellectual, spiritual and ethical teachings being preserved and transmitted. We simply do not know what challenges we may face in the future, and which of the many resources of our faith may come into their own in meeting them. Christianity doesn’t always need to develop new ideas; it can reach back into its past, and rediscover ideas and approaches that have a new relevance in today’s context.

McGrath speaks of creeds, tradition and resources. Resources like books.
I started Reading and Readers because I wanted to do something about Christians not reading and not thinking deeply. They are missing out on the best things in life: The devotion and reflections of the faithful.
I was very encouraged. Three Annoying Aspects (That Are Not The Writer’s Fault)As I am sure you can tell, I like the book. I recommend it. However, there are three annoying features which intrude on the reading experience.
First, he makes regular reference to the previous books in the series. That’s good because he shows how what was taught previously connects to the present topic. It’s good because we learn better when we can connect ideas together, it reinforces memory and also comprehension. Which is great, unless you did not, like me, read the previous books, making it a bit harder to fully appreciate the references.
Second, I think the title could be reworked. McGrath did explain how the title “The Spirit of Grace” connects all the elements together but it’s not obvious that a book titled “The Spirit of Grace” will contain chapters on Humanity and the Church. Or that the book is part of a series on the Apostles Creed.
Which brings me to my third annoyance. This is a series but it doesn't show up as a series in Amazon. Amazon doesn’t put all the books in the series together in one convenient link. So you would have to search for the title of each book in the series. This is not McGrath’s problem, it’s Amazon’s. To save your time, I have put all five Amazon links in the episodes description below.
Just a quick note, the series was published by two publishers. I read and reviewed the UK’s publisher edition, with the series titled “Christian Beliefs for Everyone”. This is the free book in Logos. In the US, the publisher is Westminster John Knox Press, with the series titled “The Heart of Christian Faith”. Can I Have More Please?As far as I am concerned, every church that flashes up the Apostles Creed on the screen or gets their members to read the creed in every service should buy boxes of these books, put them on display and get members to read them.
If you read all the books in the series, you would have read 600 pages but you won’t feel it because each book is only 120 pages. Time will just zip by.
However, if you want a shorter commitment, McGrath has another book, titled: “I Believe: Exploring the Apostles’ Creed”. Only 126 pages and it promises to cover the Apostles Creed in six week study plan.
You could spend the rest of the year just reading McGrath books. He has many interesting titles. If you love C.S. Lewis, you probably already know Alister McGrath because he is well-known for his biography: “C.S. Lewis: A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet”.
If you don't know Lewis maybe you should read this book: “Deep Magic, Dragons and Talking Mice: How Reading C.S. Can Change Your Life”.
It must have changed McGrath's life because after reading Lewis' "Mere Christianity", McGrath went to to write "Mere Theology", "Mere Apologetics" and "Mere Discipleship".
If you are looking for heavier reading material, McGrath together with J.I. Packer is the editor for the Crossway ClassicCommentaries series. The series has commentaries by long dead guys like John Calvin, Martin Luther, R.C. Ryle, Charles Hodge, and Charles Spurgeon. In fact, I reviewed one of the books in Episode 27, a commentary on Hebrews by John Owen.
If I could just read one book out of McGrath’s long list of writings, I would pick up, “Richard Dawkins, C.S. Lewis and the Meaning of Life”. McGrath is both a scientist and theologian so this should be a good read. It’s only 80 pages! If Logos makes it free I will definitely review it.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then wanting to read more books by the same author must be the sincerest form of a book recommendation. OutroThis is a Reading and Reader’s review of “The Spirit of Grace” by Alister McGrath. 128 pages, published by SPCK Publishing in December 2014. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and free in Logos.
The next book I review is Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer's "Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society". I have finished the book and I was in a dilemma whether to rush the review or do a proper one. Then I thought this could be one of the most important book for Christians to read today so I should not rush it. "Critical Dilemma" is available in Amazon for USD21.99 and it is discounted to USD6.99 in Logos for January. Get it and all that is happening around you suddenly makes sense. Books List* Faith and Creeds (Book 1) by Alister McGrath. Amazon. * The Living God (Book 2) by Alister McGrath. Amazon. * Jesus Christ (Book 3) by Alister McGrath. Amazon. * The Spirit of Grace (Book 4) by Alister McGrath. Amazon. * The Christian Life and Hope (Book 5) by Alister McGrath. Amazon. * "Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society" by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. Amazon. Logos.

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Everyone knows John Calvin was a great theologian but did you know he was more than a theologian? Do you know how he has influenced our schools, governments and our very way of life?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "The Legacy of John Calvin" by David Hall. 112 pages. Published by P&R Publishing in June 2008. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD7.99 and available in Logos for free! Free for January.
Who is David Hall? This is what Amazon says:

Dr. David W. Hall has served as the Senior Pastor of the historic Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Powder Springs, Georgia since 2003.

Is he qualified to write on John Calvin? Amazon continues to say:

In addition to his work as Executive Director of Calvin500, his Calvin500 series contains the following works: The Legacy of John Calvin, Calvin in the Public Square, Calvin and Commerce, Preaching Like Calvin, Calvin and Culture, Tributes to John Calvin, and Theological Guide to Calvin’s Institutes.

Having written so many books on Calvin, we are confident that if anyone could write an authoritative book on John Calvin, David Hall would be the guy. Or he could have written so many books on Calvin that everywhere he goes he sees John Calvin.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1: Ten Ways Modern Culture is Different because of John Calvin Part 2: John Calvin: A Life Worth Knowing Part 3: Tributes: Measuring a Man after Many Generations Part 1Let me start with Part 1.
Listeners to this podcast, should be somewhat familiar with John Calvin. You know him as the theologian. The guy who wrote The Institutes, the bedrock of the Systematic Theology. Other than writing theology, what else did he do? Got nothing? Here are some of the ways your life is all the better because of John Calvin.
Did you go to school? That's thanks to Calvin. In Geneva, Calvin set up the free public school and seminary and, according to a historian quoted in this book, these became "the forerunners of modern public education."
Do you know volunteer societies? They might have helped you or someone you know. That's thanks to Calvin and his deacons who cared for orphans, the elderly and the sick. I quote:

This ecclesiastical institution was a precursor to the voluntary societies of the 19th and 20th centuries in the West.

Do you know what is a Senate? Senators are in the Senate. They have a seat in government. Calvin and other commentators studied the Bible. They studied how Jethro advised Moses on how to govern a nation. Calvin concluded that what worked for Moses and Israel would work for John Calvin and Geneva. Thus, the Senate was established in Geneva. This idea then reached America. As Hall says, "With this idea [of limited government], Calvin altered the trajectory of governance."
In the chapter titled, "Decentralised Politics: The Republic", we have a lot more to thank John Calvin. I quote:

Many ideas that began with Calvin’s reformation in Geneva and later became part of the fabric of America were cultivated and crossbred in the seventeenth-century. Customs now taken for granted, like freedom of speech, assembly, and dissent, were extended as Calvin’s Dutch, British, and Scottish disciples refined these ideas.

With this illustrious list of contributions to modern culture, I was surprised that we don't have John Calvin to thank for slice bread. Part 2In Part 2, we have a short biography of Calvin divided into four sections: Calvin's Life, Calvin's Friendships, Calvin's Death and Epilogue.
If you are yet to be persuaded on the giant who is John Calvin, David Hall quotes 19th century Harvard historian George Bancroft who:

traced the living legacy of Calvin among the Plymouth pilgrims, the Huguenot settlers of South Carolina, and the Dutch colonists in Manhattan, concluding: "He that will not honour the memory and respect the influence of Calvin knows but little of the origin of American liberty."

Later we read that the world-renowned German historian Leopold von Ranke reached the conclusion that, "John Calvin was virtually the founder of America."
A French man founded America? How did he do that? Well, we hope to find out in this biography.
Hall gives a standard portrait of Calvin. His early life, how his father sent him to study law because that's where the money was, then a thunderclap. The Reformation happened. Calvin left France and eventually arrived in Geneva. He didn't want to stay in Geneva but he was spiritually bullied by William Karel to stay. So he stayed.
Then he refused to offer communion to some people (he had good reasons not to) and the City Council exiled Calvin. But three years later, those who opposed Calvin fell away, and Geneva insisted Calvin return to continue the good work he did there. So he did. He famously preached exactly where he left off three years ago.
We read how he helped to build up the church, the city, the public school and seminary, the printers, the economy and more. We read about his friends, a Who's Who of the Reformation. John Calvin was not a loner, he probably has more friends than you and I!
In his later years, Calvin was badly sick but that did not stop him from working. They had no painkillers. But he manages to produce great works of literature while most of us spend our time figuring a comeback in Twitter.
Then John Calvin's life ends.
We turn to the epilogue. What I expected to see is how Calvin's disciples went on to continue the good work. I expected to read how they shaped the religious, political, social and economic landscape. I expected a brief sketch of how John Calvin raised up disciples who raised up other disciples who then somehow contributed to the founding of America.
That is what I expected but what I got was a character study. It's an eulogy. It extols what Hall considers Calvin's chief virtue, namely humility. It's a good eulogy. Humble Calvin would protest for thinking so much of him but I still think an epilogue that briefly trace through the lives of Calvin's disciples would fit better with the theme of the book. Part 3In Part 3, we have tributes. The purpose of this section is, "to illustrate that Calvin is esteemed by many evangelicals from differing traditions", and that "The passage of time and breadth of acclaim is another measure of Calvin's contribution."
To make that point we have tributes from Baptists (Spurgeon, John Piper, Steven Lawson), Anglicans (J.I. Packer and J.C. Ryle), Independents (John MacArthur), Methodists (John Wesley) and a surprising note from a Roman Catholic (Alexandre Ganoczy).
Part 3 is the weakest part of the book.
The portions are uneven. The tributes from Spurgeon go on and on. While Steven Lawson does not need his name as a sub-heading when all the section says is Lawson wrote a book as a tribute on Calvin's preaching.
And that's the weird thing. The people here pay tribute to Calvin the Theologian, not Calvin the School Builder, or Calvin the Senate Starter, or Calvin the Republican. If Charles Spurgeon had said, "Look at America, they have no king, thanks to John Calvin." That would be something.
The tribute from the Roman Catholic just says John Calvin is superior to Martin Luther and he had his own mind, he was not blindly copying everybody else. That's a lame compliment. You know what would be a good Roman Catholic tribute?
A harsh condemnation.
Pope Leo X once described Martin Luther as a wild boar in God's garden. A condemnation from a pope or a million dollar bounty on Calvin's head would be a public relations win for Calvin. Just for singling him out as public enemy number one, in today's world, would get John Calvin a million followers, a million likes, within hours. Claims Not Well SupportedLet's now look at the book as a whole.
This book is part of the Calvin500 series. So perhaps my criticisms are unfair because they are addressed in the other books. But as it is, this is the only book I read and it is a mess.
It's a good book for people who love Calvin and want to know another side of his life and work.
It's not so good for people who have no overly fond feelings for Calvin and are not wrong to be sceptical of the grand claims made in the book.
John Calvin as the founder of America? There are many others that would claim some intellectual and even spiritual credit for founding America, but I don't think John Calvin comes up in the list of claimants.
And perhaps that is what today's book is for: to right a wrong. But the book doesn't make the case. Sure, they are historians who say so. There are other experts who say so. But how did they reach their conclusions? I want more than someone saying: America's Founders were influenced by Puritans, the Puritans were influenced by Calvin, ergo the Founders were influenced by Calvin. What About Schools?For example, schools. Calvin did not invent schools. Hall never makes such a preposterous claim. But it says here that these schools are forerunners of modern public schools.
But in what way? What was Calvin's contribution? Did he design the syllabus? Did he teach? Did he cast the vision, raise the funds, laid the first brick?
Did someone visit the school and say, "I would like one back home," and built whole nation full of Calvin schools? Unless it's clear what are the unique aspects of Calvin's school and academy, I would argue that schools, even tuition-free schools, existed before Geneva, in other countries. The Republic?Hall gives Calvin some credit for republicanism, a system of government where the leader is not a hereditary king but an elected representative from the people. The thing is I am not sure Calvin would claim credit for republicanism.
John Calvin was trained as a lawyer, so let's take a courtroom scenario. Imagine that it was a criminal offence to have significantly contributed to the Founding of America. Now imagine that John Calvin was resurrected from the dead to answer for his crime. The question is would there be enough evidence for the jury to convict him?
Based on this book, no. It would be easy to show that John Calvin was too far away from the events to have any meaningful influence on them. Calvin did establish a limited government in Geneva but Geneva is not America, in size or scope. Therefore, unless the prosecutor has something more substantial than hearsay, any jury would easily acquit Calvin of the charge.
Just for comparison, if it was a criminal offence to have significantly contributed to Reformed Theology. Then there is no escape for John Calvin. His words, his actions, his disciples are all evidence against him. Give Me the Full Version of the BookThis is why the book is flawed in concept. It makes assertions but does not go far enough to support them. Part 2 and Part 3 of the book should be scrapped. If you want to know about the life of John Calvin, write another book. If you want to know the tributes or opinions of others, across different denominations, fields, countries over the centuries, write another book.
But for this book, 112 pages of it, write as if you are John Calvin. He was an irresistible force because his top legal mind made theological arguments indisputably built on the Bible. Be like Calvin, make the case.
And if the book was re-worked, it needs a good editor. Let me give one example.
When I read Part 2, the life of John Calvin, I thought the tone was too positive. We need to find fault with the man but there are known issues with Calvin. Servetus, anyone? I have heard a good defence for Calvin with regards to Servetus, but in this book, it's as if nothing ever happened. And that's okay, it is the writer's prerogative to leave some things out and in the case of Servetus, if you can't explain the whole story, it might be best to not mention him at all.
The irritation is the book does mention him but never bothers to explain who he is. In Part 3, we have a John Wesley giving a tribute to Calvin. I quote:

I believe Calvin was a great instrument of God; and that he was a wise and pious man; But I cannot but advise those who love his memory to let Servetus alone. Yet if any one resolves to understand the whole affair,” he may consult a learned account by a Dr. Chandler of London.

Isn't that a teaser? Wesley asks us to leave Servetus alone, but we can't leave it alone now because our curiosity is now aroused, who is Servetus? If you are going to mention him, then tell us who he is, if not, then don't cause Wesley's quote doesn't even need to be there.
I have been highly critical of the book. Is there anything good about it. Well, it's short and it's free. Or it was free in January. If it's no longer free by the time you are hearing this, then you have one less reason to get it.
I do not recommend this book. I recommend you get another book. Maybe another one by David Hall? I do not dismiss his passion and knowledge of John Calvin. Maybe his other books in the Calvin500 series are better than today's one. Maybe today's book was simply an ill-advised idea that came out half-baked. All I know is, this is not the book to inform or excite anyone on John Calvin's legacy in the modern world. OutroThis is a Reading and Reader's review of "The Legacy of John Calvin" by David Hall. 112 pages. Published by P&R Publishing in June 2008. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD7.99 and available in Logos for free! Free for January.
Thank you for listening. Bye bye. Book List"The Legacy of John Calvin: His Influence on the Modern World" by David Hall. Amazon. Logos.

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It's a nightmare that never ends. A nightmare of rape, murder, of unspeakable evil to the young, to the old, to pregnant women and babies. A nightmare that is all too real. What does the Bible say about the Israel-Palestine conflict? Or more specifically, what does the New Testament say about the Christian's posture towards the Holy Land?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to 'Holy Land' Theology" by Gary M. Burge. 168 pages, published by Baker Academic in April 2010. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD15.99 and was USD3.99 last month, December, in Logos. Theologian Writing on the LandBurge is a New Testament scholar who has written, amongst many of his works, extensive commentaries on the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John. I have reviewed his commentary on the Letters of John from the NIV Application Commentary series. So from there I know what to expect of his views on modern day Israel. If you don't know them, you will certainly know them by the end this review.
This book was published in 2010, but it might as well have been published today. The conflict in Israel-Palestine is still ongoing. The Jewish people and the Palestinians are still making exclusive claims to the land.
In his introduction, Burge writes:

This book asks how Christians should understand these competing land claims. Given our theological framework, what is the relationship between land and theology in the New Testament? What did Jesus and the New Testament writers think about the territorial claims of ancient Israel? Did they retain the view of the sanctity of Jerusalem and its Temple? Were they rethinking the relationship between faith and locale? Or were they confident that a sacred place was still to be held for believers?

Old Testament in BriefBurge starts the book, in the Old Testament, in the time when God promises Abraham, "To your descendants I give this land..." This land, this promise, Burge charts the relationship of the children of Abraham to the land, from the Promise to the Conquest, from the Warning of Exile to the Return from Exile.
We see that the Old Testament doesn't portray the Holy Land as prime real estate. Burge writes:

While it will be a good land, it will not be an easy land. This will be a land that demands faith. Far from being paradise, this is a land that will hone a people. For instance, without a central river system, agriculture must rely on God, who supplies the land with water through rainfall. Culturally the land will not be empty but will be filled with Canaanites (and others) who will tempt Israel to compromise its unique commitment to God. And politically, armies moving from Egypt to Mesopotamia will run through this land as if it were a highway and Israel will be forced to decide whether its security will be found in local treaties and alliances or in God, who promises to sustain its welfare.

Throughout the book, Burge makes his points from Scripture. For example, I quote:

Before Israel enters the land under Joshua’s leadership, Deuteronomy records Moses’ final words of encouragement and warning to the people. (Deuteronomy 4:25-27) When you have had children and children’s children, and become complacent in the land, if you act corruptly by making an idol in the form of anything, thus doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and provoking him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to occupy; you will not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. The Lord will scatter you among the peoples; only a few of you will be left among the nations where the Lord will lead you.

Burge comments:

The severity of these words is stunning. This land is not simply a gift the giver has forgotten. It is a gift that has expectations for covenant holiness and justice. God is watching this land. He has personal expectations for this land. It is a land that should evoke memories of his own holiness.

Diaspora JewsBurge covers the whole Old Testament in one chapter. Before he goes into the New Testament, Burge describes the world of the Diaspora Jews through the writings of Philo and Josephus. What happened during this time?
For one thing:

More Jews were living outside the holy Land than they were living in it. And this brought major implications to Jewish thinking and perspective.

What surprised me is that the Jewish people, before Christians came to the scene, were already moving the theological focus away from the land.
The Jews who were born outside of Israel, who married, did business and made a life outside, were still Jews in their customs and relationships. They were still making pilgrimages to Jerusalem, still paying the Temple tax and many wanted to be buried in the Holy Land, but many did not believe that to be a good Jew meant to rebel against the Romans, retake the Temple and reconstitute the Kingdom of Israel. Jesus and the LandThis brings us to Chapter 3: "Jesus and the Land" and Chapter 4: "The Fourth Gospel and the Land". Burge is a Johannine scholar so it makes sense for him to dedicate an entire chapter for the Fourth Gospel.
In these two chapters, Burge makes an incredibly persuasive case for how Jesus of the Gospels must have thought of territorial theology.
At one point, he notes:

First, Jesus is surprisingly silent with regard to the territorial aspirations and politics of his day. The national ambitions of Judaism under Rome constantly pressed Jewish leadership to respond. Either Judea was capitulating to the occupation or Judea had to organize to defeat it. However, Jesus is oddly silent about the debate. Moreover Jesus is curiously receptive to contact with the occupiers. In Matthew 8:5–13, he responds to the request of a Roman centurion whose valued servant was ill. Here we find no repulsion of the soldier, no condemnation of Gentiles, but rather we find receptivity and welcome. He says of the Roman: “Not even in Israel have I found such faith” (8:10). What emerges is a general impression that Israel’s national ambitions tied to reclaiming the land live on the margin of Jesus’ thinking.

If Christians are to give the land of Israel-Palestine some kind of special treatment (whatever that means), then we should get some cue from Jesus. But if Jesus did not care much for the dirt under his feet, then should we?
Do you remember how the Pharisees and Herodians asked Jesus, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" We hear Jesus give the famous answer, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's." Burge tells us, "We can fairly interpret this as a refusal to support the tax revolt" and later "The kingdom Jesus advocated could not be co-opted by a nationalistic movement that sought to win back the land by force." Speculative PointsIn one section, Burge prepares a list of seven critical passages. I can't go through them one by one but I want to share two of them. Not the most persuasive, but the most speculative.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared, "the meek shall inherit the earth." The earth can also be translated as the land. And what would a Jew think when the words 'inherit' and 'land' come up? Well, he would be thinking of the Holy Land. And who does Jesus say will inherit the land? The meek, not the strong.
In Matthew 25:14-30, a rich man entrusts three servants with cash. Two of the servants invest and make a profit. But the third buries the money in the ground. Or as Burge suggests, ground can be translated as land. Is this parable a cautionary tale against territorial theology? Burge himself admits:

Such an interpretation is far from certain since it requires an allegorising of the story that is foreign and arbitrary to the story itself.

When a writer is willing to point out when his point is weak, more credit to him. Too many make too much out of too little. We should call it like it is, not as we hope.
We get the same level of insight and care as Burge gives us a sweeping survey of land theology in Acts, Galatians, Romans, Hebrews and Revelation in chapters 5, 6 and 7.
This excerpt is representative of his conclusions:

At no point do the earliest Christians view the Holy Land as a locus of divine activity to which the people of the Roman empire must be drawn. They do not promote the Holy Land either for the Jew or for the Christian as a vital aspect of faith. No Diaspora Jew or pagan Roman is converted and then reminded of the importance of the Holy Land. The early Christians possessed no territorial theology. Early Christian preaching is utterly uninterested in a Jewish eschatology devoted to the restoration of the land. The kingdom of Christ began in Judea and is historically anchored there but it is not tethered to a political realization of that kingdom in the Holy Land. Echoing the message of the Gospels, the praxis of the Church betrays its theological commitments: Christians will find in Christ what Judaism had sought in the land.

What Burge Does Not SayAs I grow to appreciate from this book, Jerusalem and the surrounding lands are important, Burge does not diminish their importance, but they are important historically, not theologically. Historically because Jerusalem is not Shangri-La. Abraham, David, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Peter and Paul walked on the same dust Christian tourists walk on. The same dust, I observe, that Israel and Palestine spill blood for.
That's my observation. As I read Burge's analysis and conclusion, I marvel not just in what he says, but what he does not say.
He does not say anything about the current Israel-Palestine conflict, when he could easily do so.
For example, when he explains how the meek shall inherit the earth, it would be easy to take a shot at Christian Zionists. "When Israeli settlers take the land, are they meek?"
Burge mentions settlers once in the introduction to describe the relevance of the topic, says nothing about them for seven chapters, and he only mentions them again, and this time extensively, in the last chapter, chapter 8, where he discuses modern day Israel.
This approach to separate biblical interpretation from contemporary application respects the reader.
I don't need to consider the righteousness of a particular cause, I just need to consider whether his interpretation is right.
I don't need to wonder if it is correct the way he connects our 21st century concerns with the writings of 1st century Christians. If we interpret properly, we will know that 1st century Christians think a lot about the land. More than we do!They see Romans marching up and down it every day! The Problem with Those Supporting Holy Land TheologyThe absence of the modern day conflict in the earlier chapters does not mean the author is detached. Far from it! It is obvious he has strong passions but he aims to develop his theology first, before applying them to his concerns.
He writes:

Numerous writers have critiqued this movement extensively and found in its bold claims to territory (linked to eschatology) an angry and dangerous synthesis of theology and politics. Engaging their writings directly is difficult because it is a populist movement fueled by preachers who use its schema evangelistically. No carefully argued theological study has come from within its own ranks. No New Testament scholar has written in its defense. Its advocacy groups, such as Christians United for Israel, and Camera, are generally run by political activists. Its books come from the pens of popular television preachers or lobbyists. I have been invited to debate some of their leaders and find myself with people who have no training in theology. How can such a widespread movement in the Church be successful without a thoughtful theological undergirding?

He then continues with a scathing critique which I can only give you the headings without the detail:1. They fail to point out the indisputable biblical motif that land promise is strictly tied to covenant fidelity. 2. They use the prophets to build their worldview, but they fail to hear what else the prophets had to say. 3. They need to call Israel to live by biblical standards of life. The alien and sojourner should be protected because Israel was an alien and sojourner in Egypt. 4. They are naive in applying the historic text of Israel's ancient history to modern Israel. 5. They fail to think Christianly about the subject of theology and the land. A scholar was able to affirm Zionism from the Old Testament, but Burge points out how he neglected to bring the New Testament to bear.

Explain The OT to MeThis brings me to my critique on the book as a whole.
The subtitle of the book is, "The New Testament Challenge to 'Holy Land' Theology", but if one wants to make a deathblow to Holy Land Theology, we need as rigorous an interpretation of the Old Testament as well. We need an OT scholar writing alongside the NT scholar. The book would be thicker. Right now, it's easy to read at 168 pages.
But one chapter for the Old Testament is too short. It's not enough to convince supporters of 'Holy Land' theology who quote the OT.
Burge's critique that territorial theology does not consider the New Testament is valid. But Christians at the pulpit and the pew, need help to make sense of the Old Testament text. It's not enough to just say what the New Testament text says. As it is, it can look as if the OT and NT are shouting over each other. Can a Two-State Solution Exist?My second criticism is only a criticism because he did not address the question that emerged in my mind as I read his conclusions. Basically, Burge tells us that territorial theology is wrong because Jesus, Paul and all the New Testament writer has shifted the attention away from the land beneath their feet to the kingdom of God.
But is it possible that it's a matter of timing? For example, Jesus said he was sent only to the lost children of Israel and with some exceptions, he kept to a tight area. Jesus did not preach in Athens, heal in Malta, or die in Rome. If we only had the Gospels, and didn't have Acts or the epistles, we could conclude that the Gospel is limited to where Jesus worked.
"Ah hah!", someone says, "That's why we have Acts and the epistles."
Which is my point, perhaps there is something in the Old Testament that would support some form of Holy Land theology.
Or consider how John the Baptist had to ask Jesus, "Are you the one, or should we expect another one?" He asked that because Jesus did not fulfil many of the prophecies expected of the Messiah.
Maybe the remaining Old Testament prophecies will be fulfilled in a time or manner that we do not expect?
In short, what I am asking is does Burge's interpretation necessarily exclude territorial theology? Can both exist alongside just in different periods?
Based on my reading of this book, I think I know what Burge's answer would be, but I would have liked to know definitively if a Two-State Solution can exist? So Good, It's ScaryBecause, I'll tip my hand now, I am as convinced as I can be that Burge's approach, exposition, analysis and conclusion is right.
I always wished I had the time and ability to study the theological framework behind the Israel-Palestine conflict, and if I had half the ability of Burge, I would have attempted what he did, just go through Scripture, expound it and arrive at a conclusion that informs us on how we are to understand the world today.
I found myself agreeing so much with everything he writes that I questioned myself, "Am I living in the same echo-chamber as Gary Burge?" So near the end of the book, I told myself that if I wanted to make sure that my position here is stress-tested, I need to read a good book that argues the opposite.
And what do you know, Burge gives us a long list of books for further readings.
One list is for theological books. He introduces them:

There have been a limited number of treatments of the land motif in the Bible. Many work directly on the problem of land conflict in Israel-Palestine and then provide theological reflection as a feature of the ethical discussion. Others—Jewish and Palestinian writers—inevitably express their own narratives within the struggle.

Another list is on the modern day conflict itself. He recommends books from both sides of the debate written by ex-American President Jimmy Carter, current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Palestinian Lutheran pastor and more.
In conclusion, to the Christian who has an opinion on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, I won't say you must read this book, but I would say you must have a theological underpinning for your opinion. Your opinion needs to be informed by both the Old Testament and the New Testament. And if you want to be as well-informed as you can be on this issue that is often played on Christian sentiments, then I would recommend "Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to 'Holy Land' Theology". It's just as relevant as it was the day it was published 14 years ago, which is one of the rare cases where the writer must wish his book was less relevant today. OutroThis is a Reading and Reader's review of "Jesus and the Land" by Gary M. Burge. 168 pages, published by Baker Academic in April 2010. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD15.99 and was USD3.99 last month, December, in Logos.
I am currently reading the Logos free book for January. What better way to start the new year than to read "The Legacy of John Calvin: His Influence on the Modern World" by David W. Hall. If you are predestined to listen to it, I'll see you then. Thank you for listening. Bye bye. Book List
* "Jesus and the Land" by Gary M. Burge. Amazon. Logos.

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A theologian writes a critical response to a popular teaching. He destroys it. The teaching and teacher are irredeemably branded as heresy and heretic. Augustine vs. Pelagius, the battle of the ages. Today I read what nobody else wants to read to find out was Saint Augustine correct? Is Pelagianism a heresy and Pelagius a heretic?"
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Saint Augustine: Four Anti-Pelagian Writings" translated by John Mourant and William Collinge. 372 pages, published by The Catholic University of America Press in January 1992. It's available in Amazon for USD42.24 (as of the date of recording) and in Logos for USD30.99. Pelagius Was Not A Heretic"Pelagius was not a heretic. The church has gotten him wrong."
This was news to me. When I first started reading theology, I learnt that Pelagius taught that man, by nature, is able to live completely sinless lives and that this was heresy. And the man who succeeded in destroying this heresy is a hero of the church, the same man who wrote Confessions and City of God, Saint Augustine of Hippo.
So I was surprised to hear that heretic Pelagius was misunderstood and great man Augustine wrote a hit job on him. I have no skin in the game, if Pelagius was truly innocent of the charges, then let justice be done.
I began by reading Pelagius in his own words. I found Pelagius' Letter to Demetrias, which is available for free online. And I was shocked!
Let me read from that letter:

Nor is there any reason why it is made difficult for us to do good other than that long habit of doing wrong which has infected us from childhood and corrupted us little by little over many years and ever after holds us in bondage and slavery to itself, so that it seems somehow to have acquired the force of nature. We now find ourselves being resisted and opposed by all that long period in which we were carelessly instructed, that is, educated in evil, in which we even strove to be evil, since, to add to the other incentives to evil, innocence itself was held to be folly.

Pelagius does not believe that we inherit the sinful nature from Adam, but instead we copied what we see around us. In short, Pelagius does not believe in, what we know today as, Original Sin, an idea we have Augustine to thank for. Augustine was right to condemn it!
Without reading Augustine, I already know I am against Pelagianism. Someone might say that's because I have already been corrupted little by little over many years by Augustine. In response, I concede that the books I read favour Augustine, but I truly believe my convictions come directly from the Bible.
I could leave it as that. Sustaining my position on biblical grounds. But since the discussion is on two separate but related questions: Is Pelagianism a heresy? Is Pelagius a heretic?
If we want to properly answer these questions, we should read the man who was instrumental in the condemnation. We should read Augustine's own words and not what other people said he said. We need the primary source. Read The Primary SourceI searched and bought a translation of Saint Augustine: Four Anti-Pelagian Writings. I hope to find out answers to a few questions like: What did Augustine understand of Pelagianism? Was he fair in his criticism? Did Augustine respond with biblical truth or philosophical arguments or did he just rile up religious fervour?
Most, if not all, of the answers to those questions can be found in the first two writings collected in the book. They are On Nature and Grace and On the Proceedings of Pelagius. They were written in 415-416AD, shortly after Pelagius went to court. These are hot off the press responses from Augustine on the events of the day.
The other two are shorter and written much later. The titles are On the Predestination of the Saints and On the Gift of Perseverance. These were not written to address Pelagianism directly but they are here because Augustine is dealing with a related problem. Working Out Theology is Not Neat and TidyThe first thing that struck me was how messy everything was. Let me explain. Any good book on Systematic Theology will say this is what Augustine believed, this is what Pelagius believed. If the book had a bit more space to spare, they quote a sentence, a paragraph from Augustine and/or Pelagius. Everything is neat and tidy.
When you read this book, it's not. Here, you see Augustine trying to get a handle on Pelagius. "Did he really say what he said?" Christian leaders are pestering Augustine to respond to Pelagius' teaching. Augustine is reluctant to go after the man but is compelled to go against the teaching.
Listen to this.

The love we have for him [Pelagius] now is different from the love we had for him formerly; then we loved him as one who seemed to be of the true faith, whereas we now love him in order that, by the mercy of God, he may be set free from those antagonistic views which he is said to hold against the grace of God. It was not easy to believe this about him, when the rumor began to be circulated some time ago -- for rumor is usually a liar -- but what brought it home to us and made us believe it was a certain book of his which aims to set forth theories intended to destroy and remove from faithful hearts any belief in the grace of God bestowed on the human race through the one Mediator of God and men, Christ Jesus.

Some have accused Augustine of misrepresenting Pelagius. They say, "If only we had his writings, then we could show how arrogant Augustine villainized poor Pelagius."
To those people I say, "Have you actually read Augustine?" Because I didn't before and what I see here astounds me. He liberally quotes Pelagius. Augustine tells us that he was himself accused of saying things he did not say. So he does not want the same thing to happen to Pelagius. Over and over again, he gives Pelagius the benefit of the doubt, saying in effect, "While it is possible that we have misunderstood him, to the best of our knowledge, what I quote here is what he wrote and what he wrote should be condemned." Are Man Able To Lead Sinless Lives?Pelagius says that Man are able to lead sinless lives. Augustine says that Man cannot for all man are born sinners.
Let me read from the middle of the argument. Listen to how Augustine interacts with Pelagius.

He [that is Pelagius] adds still further, Because indeed the possibility of not sinning does not depend upon us, even if we should want not to be able not to sin, we cannot not be able not to sin. He has said this in a convoluted manner and for this reason somewhat obscurely. But it is possible to put it more clearly as follows: because the possibility of not sinning does not depend upon us, then, whether we wish it or not, we are able not to sin. For he does not say, “Whether we wish it or not, we do not sin” — undoubtedly we do sin if we wish to. Nevertheless, whether we wish it or not, we have, he asserts, the possibility of not sinning, which he says is inherent in our nature. Yet it can reasonably be said of a man with healthy feet that whether he wish it or not he has the possibility of walking, but if they are broken, then even if he wishes, he does not have this possibility. Thus our nature is corrupted, of which it is written, “Why is earth and ashes proud?” It is corrupted and it implores the physician: “Save me, O Lord,” it cries; “Heal my soul,” it cries. Why does Pelagius block these cries, and thus hinder the future health [of the soul] by defending it as a present possibility?

I Do Not Think Grace Means What You Think It MeansDefenders for Pelagius are quick to remind all that Pelagius was cleared of the charges brought against him.
The church leaders asked Pelagius whether Man could live sinless lives by the grace of God. He answered yes, by the grace of God, yes. And, if I can paraphrase Pelagius, he says, "As I have said many times, it is possible to lead a sinless life by the grace of God. Maybe it has not happened yet but how can we deny that possibility? Why do people accuse me of denying the grace of God?"
Surely what Pelagius said doesn't sound so bad after all? If God saw fit to empower, through the Holy Spirit, a man to lead a sinless life, who are we to deny God? And for that reason, on this position, the church leaders heard Pelagius and declared him orthodox. His belief is acceptable within the church.
Augustine was anguished. He does not blame the council for their decision. They were good people. The problem was they were not familiar with Pelagius' teaching and so they did not ask the right questions, namely what does Pelagius mean by the grace of God?
This is how Augustine responds to Pelagius affirming the grace of God:

When I read these words, I confess to you, dear ones, that I was suddenly filled with joy, because the author did not deny the grace of God, through which alone a man can be justified. It is such a denial that I detest and dread above all else in controversies of this sort. But in continuing to read further, I began to be suspicious, at first because of some of the comparisons he presented. For he writes, Now if I were to say that a man can dispute, a bird can fly, a rabbit can run, and I were not also to mention the means by which these acts can be accomplished, namely, the tongue, the wings, and the feet, then have I denied the conditions of these activities, when I have recognized the activities themselves? It certainly seems as if he has mentioned things which are effective by nature, for these members, namely the tongue, the wings, and the feet, have been created for natures of a particular kind. Nor has he proposed anything that we would want to understand to be of grace, without which no human being is justified, for there the question concerns the healing rather than the formation of natures. From here on I began to read with misgivings and soon discovered that my suspicions were not unwarranted.

Why does Augustine have such deep misgivings? If both can agree that it is possible to lead a sinless life by the grace of God, does it really matter whether the grace of God is God creating in us a human nature able to overcome sin, so Pelagius, or the grace of God is the Holy Spirit indwelling in us, so Augustine?
This is how Augustine and the church has understood the implications.
Augustine writes:

Could he [a man], or could he not, have become just by his own nature and free will? If they say he could have, then see what amounts to rendering the cross of Christ void: to contend that without it anyone can be justified by the law of nature and the choice of his will. Let us also say here: “Then Christ died in vain."

If a man can be just without Christ, then Christ died in vain. It would actually be a cosmic joke because the son of God descended, suffered and died, when he didn't have to. If it was possible, if I only needed to try harder to be sinless, then I can rightly boast that all I needed was the body or nature that God gave me in the beginning, and I have no need for the cross of Christ. This religion of works is contrary to the Gospel.
And yet, despite all the evidence, Augustine is still willing to give Pelagius the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Pelagius did not mean what he wrote.

For it is “the grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord,” the grace by which Pelagius has nowhere been willing to say we, when we pray, are helped, so as not to sin. If by chance he implicitly acknowledges this, he must forgive us for having suspected otherwise. In that case, it is he himself who is the cause of all the discredit which he suffers on this matter, for he is willing to acknowledge it and yet unwilling to confess or declare it.

Internet Forums in AntiquityYou know what this book reminded me of? It reminded me of the drama in some internet forums. There are some who are quick to put words in other people's mouths. This is what you say, what you mean, and you are bad for even saying such things. Then there are some who genuinely try to understand what the other guy is saying, even when it sounds wrong, but he hopes that it was all a misunderstanding. That would be Augustine. When you read this book, you don't just learn the proof text and theological points, you also sit under a saint. FamiliarThere is more to the Pelagian controversy than I can get into in this review. There were multiple charges against Pelagius, not just one, but the one I described was one of the main charges.
As you read the book, there are many things familiar and many things foreign.
When Augustine writes on the Grace of Final Perseverance, he expounds from the Lord's Prayer, and concludes that people who pray to God, by their actions, admit God to be sovereign. This is what J.I. Packer presented in his book, "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God", which I reviewed in Episode 87.
Almost like a side remark, Augustine points out that we believe God puts people in earthly kingdoms, so why should we find it difficult to believe that God puts people in his heavenly kingdom? John Piper elaborated on this and more in his 800-page book "Providence", which I reviewed in Episode 7.
Let me share one more familiar note:

Faith, then, both in its beginning and in its completion, is a gift of God, and let it not be doubted by anyone who does not wish to contradict the most evident sacred writings that this gift is given to some, but to others it is not given. Why this gift is not given to all should not disturb the believer, who believes that from one man, all have gone into condemnation, a condemnation undoubtedly most just, so much so that even if no one were freed therefrom, there would be no just complaint against God.

If God did not save anyone, he would still be just.
I am not saying that Augustine originated these ideas, I would argue everything I just read comes from Scripture. The sense of familiarity makes reading easier and gives the reader confidence to read further and push through unfamiliar territory. UnfamiliarOne that comes up often is baptism. Pelagius, Augustine and the early church have a different understanding of baptism than I do.
Pelagius is quoted to say, "through baptism the Church is purified from every spot and wrinkle."
The synod approves of this saying.
And Augustine? He writes:

For who among us denies that the sins of all men have been remitted through baptism and that all the faithful arise without spot and wrinkle from the bath of regeneration?

Because of this, I have to adjust my understanding to make sense of some of the points made in this book. And I'll be honest, sometimes I fail to make sense of it, so I skip.
I have learnt to not let what I don't understand prevent me from getting what I do understand. If I insisted on understanding everything that I read, I wouldn't be able to read past Genesis 1:1. With the Bible, we get help from commentators. With Augustine's Anti-Pelagian Writings, we get help from the translators. TranslatorsThere are four writings in this book and each of them has their own introduction from the translators. They give the background, synopsis, translation issues and appendix.
You could jump straight into Augustine's writings, just like you could jump straight into the middle of a TV series. But if you want to understand what is going on, it helps to have someone next to you explain who are the characters, what is the motivation behind their actions and what are they aiming for.
Before this book, I only knew Pelagius, as well, the heretic. This is how the translator presents Pelagius:

Pelagius must be understood as primarily a moralist, a religious teacher calling for a reform of Christians’ lives according to a more demanding standard than that which he perceived to be prevalent, and not as a speculative theologian. Nevertheless, his moral teaching drew on (and perhaps also issued into) a distinctive and fairly well articulated theological anthropology.

If we keep this in mind, it helps to understand Augustine's reluctance to go on the attack and also his annoyance in having to do so. It also helps explain why Augustine had written a letter to Pelagius commending him, which Pelagius read out in his defence, much to the consternation of Augustine.
I found it useful to read the synopsis first so that I have a mental map of where Augustine is going. Hearing this, a purist might argue that I'm letting the translator influence my interpretation of Augustine. I am aware of the danger. But as I said, I found the translator's sypnosis helpful, otherwise I would be lost. And I make a conscious effort to read Augustine's text for myself. That's why I am reading this book and not someone's write up of Augustine. Redeeming PelagiusLet's go back to where I started this review.
"Is Pelagianism a heresy? Is Pelagius a heretic? Was Augustine fair in his treatment of the teaching and the teacher?"
Can the answer to these questions be found in today's book? Yes.
And anyone who is serious should read this book because no one can give the excuse that this book is too difficult to read. It's harder than what we are used to reading today but it's not inaccessible.
There are some today who wish to see justice done for Pelagius, for they believe he was wrongly accused of heresy. I commend them for desiring justice but I think they are redeeming the wrong guy.
Consider this, if there is a court, with a proper judge and jury, who are sincerely doing their duty to evaluate the evidence and make the right verdict, and they find a man guilty. Then later, much later, people raise doubts on the verdict. The right way is to review the case, are there are new evidences? Was there a mistake? If there was a miscarriage of justice, then let justice prevail, though delayed. There are people who wish to overturn the verdict, by ignoring the original witnesses, by relying on what others heard from the witnesses.
In the case against Pelagius, Augustine recorded his words and his own words bear witness against him. If Pelagianism is accepted, then Christ died in vain. Then anyone who accepts Pelagianism, also shares in Pelagius' condemnation. Am I being too harsh here?
I don't enjoy calling others heretics. Neither does Augustine.
If you are not particularly motivated to read Augustine's Anti-Pelagian writings, a better place to start on Augustine is his Confessions or City of God. I haven't read them yet, they are in my bucket list.
Before I end this review, let me read the concluding paragraph in "On the Predestination of The Saints". Augustine writes:

Therefore, we undertook, as far as we could, to show that even this very beginning of faith is a gift of God. And if we have done this at greater length than might have been desired by those for whom it was written, we are ready to be reproached by them for it, provided that they nevertheless will admit that, even if at much greater length than they would like, even at the cost of boredom and weariness on the part of those who understand, we have accomplished what we set out to do: that is, have shown that even the beginning of faith, like continence, patience, justice, piety, and other things of which there is no dispute with our brothers, is a gift of God. Therefore, let us conclude this volume, that too great a length of one book may not be displeasing to the reader.

Isn't that every writer's hope? That too great a length of one book may not be displeasing to the reader. OutroThis is a Reading and Reader's review of "Saint Augustine: Four Anti-Pelagian Writings" translated by John Mourant and William Collinge. 372 pages, published by The Catholic University of America Press in January 1992. It's available in Amazon for USD42.24 (as of the date of recording) and in Logos for USD30.99. Book List* Saint Augustine: Four Anti-Pelagian Writings" translated by John Mourant and William Collinge. Amazon. Logos.

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RR90 Long Term Reflection
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Except today, I don't review a book. Instead I do my annual Year End Reflection where I look back and consider what are the books that have, thus far, made a lasting impression on me.
This year, unlike previous years, I did not give myself much opportunity to reflect or to practise what I read.
Having said that, I was surprised by how much the printed word has managed to make an imprint on me. Like a gardener who neglected his garden which is now overrun with weeds, I found to my delight that in some corners, seeds have survived and grown and bear fruit.
As I look back at all the books I have reviewed in this podcast, there were a few titles that come to mind over and over again. In brief, in order of appearance in the podcast, these are the seven books read in the past that was meaningful to me this year:
Episode 7: Providence by John Piper. When I have conversations with anyone on the sovereignty of God, I try to recall as much as I can from Piper's brilliant exposition. He left me utterly convinced of God's Providence in every part of creation. And most wonderful of all is this truth is not just a talking point I use in conversations but it has shaped my spiritual posture towards God, always rejoicing, always trusting. Providence is a thick book, 752 pages. I thank God that I read this big book earlier because I don't think I would have the mental, emotional, spiritual strength to lift this book this year. But because I did, it has laid a strong foundation for how to receive God's Truth, to rejoice in it and to rely on the wonderful providence of God.
Episode 17: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit by Chris Wright. I don't know whether this would offend Chris or make him smile, but the one thing I remember from his book is from his introduction, on how John Stott would every morning pray the Fruit of the Holy Spirit and how Stott was considered by many to be the most Christ-like person they know. I do pray the Fruit of the Spirit, but not everyday, only when I face trials. I also remember how after finishing the book, how I wished to be more Christ-like. I have made pretty bad decisions, and I own those bad decisions, but where I have made good decisions, it is out of this desire to be more Christ-like, and I thank the Holy Spirit for this.
Episode 25: Death of Porn by Ray Ortlund. A book that has given me some anguish, often despair, and after some preaching to myself, that despair turns to repentance. Two insights that have continued to guide my thoughts. First is when we look for porn, what we are really looking for is Jesus. I was shocked how Ortlund put porn and Jesus in the same sentence. I'm still shocked. It reveals our desperate futility for something that can only be found in Christ. The second insight is we make a budget for sin. I never thought about it as a budget. If I do this and that for God, then surely all the good I do will offset the little sin I do here. It's a lie I tell myself and Ortlund exposes it.
Episode 30: Sunsets: Reflections on Life's Final Journey by Deborah Howard. The author is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse. She takes care of people who are going to die soon. Death is an icky subject. It's taboo. But the reality is people around me have died, some this year. The people around me will die, maybe sooner than expected, maybe suddenly, maybe it's me. Howard has helped me process dying, death and life after death. Since everyone dies, this book should be required reading for all.
Episode 33: God, Technology and Christian Life by Tony Reinke. These are early days of drone warfare. Soldiers can work from home to kill the enemy in a far away land. That is if they can keep their jobs after A.I. has taken everyone else's jobs. It is easy to get carried away by the headlines. In Reinke's book, he reminds me that when everything is changing, everything is still the same. God is still in control. He never lost it. And so every exuberance, every anxiety must be tempered by the truth that God is over all, including technology. My Christian life is all the better for this truth. Better than the latest Apple, Google or Facebook product is the firm knowledge that God is over all.
Episode 42: Theology of Reconciliation by Ruth Khoury Mansour. I bought this book because it was written by a Palestinian Christian on reconciliation. It's a monograph, so I paid for a research thesis. Every research thesis I read is dry as dust. But because of the subject matter and her writing style, through her literature review and methodology, analysis and conclusion, I managed to get a picture of life as a Baptist in Palestine, living amidst conflict, Israelis vs. Palestinians, Muslims vs. Christians, Baptists vs. other Baptists. With the kidnapping, war and airstrikes constantly in the news, I wonder how are my Palestinian brothers and sisters in Christ. Reconciliation seems so impossible, yet we have hope in Christ.
Episode 72: On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble. The title sums up the year for me. There are days when it is difficult to get out of bed. You open your phone to the rest of the world posting their achievements, the rewards of success and you can join them too, all you need is a bit of direction and effort, just do steps 1, 2 and 3, and you can be a success too. Alan Noble's book is a comforting hug when all one can muster is just to get out of bed. If you have problems getting out of bed, this short book is better than the loudest alarm clock you can buy.
That's it. Seven books. Let me emphasise, this is not my list of top seven books. Nor would I necessarily recommend these books to you because, where you are in life right now, you may need other books.
These are seven books that have sustained me in my faith through my trials and my temptations in 2023. What I read a long time back has helped me to think through what concerns me today: the emergence of A.I. and the Israel-Gaza war. I invested my time in good company and they have helped me in ways unexpected.
Today's episode is less on the books and more about me. It's less on the reading and more on the reader. And through my sharing, I hope in a small way, it encourages you to read a good book because what you store in your heart and mind may one day be providentially what you need.
To read my full reviews or get the links to the books I mention, you can scroll to the bottom of this episode description or visit readingandreaders.com. You can also drop a note in the contact page of the website, that's readingandreaders.com.
If you are not a reader yet, I hope you will be in 2024. Happy New Year. Bye bye. Book List
* Providence by John Piper. Review. * Cultivating the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Review. * Death of Porn by Ray Ortlund. Review. * Sunsets: Reflections on Life's Final Journey by Deborah Howard. Review. * God, Technology and Christian Life by Tony Reinke. Review. * Theology of Reconciliation by Ruth Khoury Mansour. Review. * On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble. Review.

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Every good book or movie or TV series ends with closure for the characters. After so many years, Rachel and Ross finally got together. After so many doubts, Chandler finally accepts he is going to be a father. But the Bible does not give us such closures. What happened to Peter? He just disappears halfway through Acts. What happens to Paul? We left him in house arrest. We expect to turn the page to find out what happens next and it just ends like a canceled Netflix series.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "After Acts: Exploring the Lives and Legends of the Apostles" by Bryan Litfin. 200 pages, published by Moody Publishers in January 2015. USD9.99 via Amazon Kindle. It was available for free via Logos for November. AuthorAccording to bryanlitfin.com:

Bryan Litfin is a professor in the School of Divinity at Liberty University. Previously, he was Head of Strategy and Advancement at Clapham School, after serving for 16 years as Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and 3 years as an editor and writer at Moody Publishers. He is the author of Constantine’s Empire Series (Revell, 2020-2022), the Chiveis Trilogy, Wisdom from the Ancients (Harvest House Publishers, 2022), Early Christian Martyr Stories (Baker, 2014), After Acts (Moody, 2015), and Getting To Know the Church Fathers (Brazos, 2007), as well as several scholarly articles and essays.

This is a surprise! He writes novels. He is a storyteller. And I'll come to why this is such a surprise at the end of this review.
What is not surprising is he is a scholar, a professor of theology with an interest in the early church. In the book, he casually refers to Eusebius, Irenaeus and Jerome. He picks out the best bits from the Acts of Peter, Proto-Gospel of James, the Gospel of Thomas and more. He is familiar with early church writings and it shows.
And that expertise is critical for us to figure out what happened after Acts. The Book of Acts closes with Paul under house arrest. If the Bible was submitted to a publisher, the publisher would reject it: "Great story, but you gotta fix the ending".
Well, in God's infinite wisdom we get the Bible as it is but that has not stopped others from writing to finish the story of Peter, Paul and others. Some of these stories read like fan fiction or some kind of fantasy, alternate history. But is there a kernel of truth in them?
Litfin goes through the Bible, archaeology and extra-Biblical sources to tell us not only what likely happened but why he is convinced. He even gives us a report card at the end of every chapter. A for almost certainly true. F for almost certainly false. PeterI started the episode by asking what happened to Peter. Litfin tells us. First, he explains who is Peter, what he did, what he wrote, and why he is important. Tradition has it that he was crucified upside down. You may have heard the reason was because he found himself unworthy to be crucified the same way Jesus was.
Litfin writes:

Peter may well have been crucified upside down, for the Romans were known to do this. Since the martyrdom story in the Acts of Peter was already developing in the early second century, it might have been recording an actual eyewitness remembrance. However, the victims of Roman crucifixion were not given the chance to make requests about the method of their impalement. The intent was to shame them in a grotesque way, not accomodate their wishes. Therefore, the upside-down crucifixion of Peter is historically plausible, though not for any spiritual reasons.

Now that we know what happened to Peter, this should give us enough closure on the character, on the man. But there is more!
He tells us the story of how the Apostle Peter's bones were discovered! Although Litfin cautions us that it is still an open question, yet the sequence of events he describes, the forensic analysis done, shows that it is possible, it is possible that we have recovered the bones of the Apostle Peter. Huh!
In the report card, on the event that Peter died by crucifixion, Litfin gives it an A-. On whether his bones were recovered, Litfin gives it a B. ThomasLet's look at another disciple's story. This one is of personal interest to me because many years ago, I went on a church mission trip to India. It was an eye-opening trip that has helped form many of my convictions. I saw people hungry for the gospel, coming for prayer and a demonstrating sincere desire to worship and obey God.
Our host brought us to a hill where the apostle Thomas was memorialised because according to tradition the apostle Thomas went to India to spread the Gospel.
So we went to this hill and to us it was a sight-seeing trip, but to the people around us, it was a spiritual pilgrimage. I vaguely recall the pictures on the walls describing the miracles performed by Thomas. I visited the cave where he died and later the tomb where his bones are kept. I remember not knowing what to make of all of it and after reading today's book, I am glad I did not make too much of it.
He writes:

The tradition of Thomas’s martyrdom has come to be associated with a little hillock called St. Thomas Mount in modern Chennai on India’s east coast. Though the ancient accounts do tell us that Thomas died in India by spearing, the suggestion that it happened at Chennai is the stuff of pious fabrication. Only in the medieval sources do we begin to see a connection between Thomas and the eastern side of India. The sixteenth-century Portuguese explorers who sought to convert the indigenous Indian Christians to Roman Catholicism are responsible for the hilltop shrine at Chennai and its supposed bone fragment from the apostle.

I doubt any of this matters to those who make the pilgrimage to St. Thomas mount but the truth matters and Litfin is keen to tell the true story of the disciples.
And next to Peter, I would say the most famous apostle would be Paul. And Litfin saves the best for last, for Paul appears in the final chapter. PaulI will just share this wild story and move on:

When Paul’s severed head hit the ground, it bounced three times as it uttered the words “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” which caused three springs of water to well up. Today the church of St. Paul at the Three Fountains marks that very spot -- but it is clearly the result of later legends that carry no historical validity.

Wild StoriesI wish Litfin would tell me these stories even if they aren't true. That's strange coming from me because if you listen to my reviews, you will know that I don't like my commentary writers to make wild guesses. I much prefer them to stick to the facts and let me come to my own opinion.
Litfin does an excellent job at giving me the facts but how I wish he would tell more stories.
Listen to this: In the chapter on Peter, Litfin writes:

In the early second century, a collection of oral folklore began to solidify into a narrative trajectory now called the Acts of Peter. In addition to such thrilling episodes as a duel between Peter and the heretic Simon Magus, in which Peter causes the flying Simon to crash and burn (chapters 31–32), we also find a detailed account of Peter’s martyrdom (chapters 33–41). Emperor Nero is the villain in the background of the story, which proves the second-century Christians believed Peter died during that ruler’s reign.

Does anyone want to hear more about Peter causing the flying Simon to crash and burn? I would. But if you want to know more, you won't get it from Litfin in this book. Instead, Litfin directs us the website, earlychristianwritings.com, which has the translated text for us to read in full.
And every time he hints of a great story but doesn't tell it, I groan.
He writes:

... in the apocryphal Passion of Simon and Jude, Judas Thaddeus travels with Simon the Zealot to Babylon, where they debate with the Persian magi. The characters proceed through a series of adventures until at last they are martyred by the priests of the sun god.

What are the adventures?! And again:

... an early medieval text incorrectly attributed to a certain Babylonian bishop named Abdias recounts Matthew’s daring exploits and miraculous adventures in the land of Ethiopia.

Come on, what are the adventures?
I was so crushed he didn't tell these stories. I thought he couldn't and was not interested because was a dry bones academic.
So imagine my surprise, when I found out that he writes novels. He wrote a book titled, "Early Christian Martyr Stories". He is a story teller but for this book he didn't want to just spin a yarn, he wanted the inquisitive believer to know with certainty what happened.
And in my opinion, he has done that and more. He has surprised the reader with some amazing stories to whet the appetite and has show us how he sifts through the source materials to get to the his conclusions. In that sense, I would recommend this book for both the casual reader and the thinking Christian.
Before I end the book review, I want to share how this book aroused my curiousity of Peter's adventures. So I went to the website Litfin recommended and I skimmed through translation of "The Acts of Peter".
Here I read how Peter tells a guy Marcellus that if you believe in the Lord, just sprinkle water over a broken statue and it will become whole. And it did.
Peter comes knocking at Simon the sorceror's house and Simon instructs a dog, "Tell Peter that I am not within."
And the dog answers!

Thou exceeding wicked and shameless one, enemy of all that live and believe on Christ Jesus, here is a dumb animal sent unto thee which hath received a human voice to confound thee and show thee to be a deceiver and a liar.

Peter sees a herring, a sardine hung on a window and tells the crowd, "If you see this swimming in the water like a fish, will you be able to believe in him whom I preach?" The crowd say yes. Peter takes the herring, "In the name of Jesus, swim." And he throws the herring into the waters, it comes alive and swims.
I can see why Litfin didn't tell these stories because once you start, you can't stop. And not so edifying. We don't expect our preachers to bring cans of sardines to evangelistic rallies.
But what this shows is Litfin has succeeded to make the early church writings more attractive and more accessible than I had thought possible. And I think if you read this book, you will feel the same too.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "After Acts: Exploring the Lives and Legends of the Apostles" by Bryan Litfin. 200 pages, published by Moody Publishers in January 2015. USD9.99 via Amazon Kindle. It was available for free via Logos for November but it's USD7.79 now.
If you like to know more about books, especially good Christian books that are offered for free for a time, subscribe to Reading and Readers, the podcast where I review Christian books for you. Thank you and bye bye. Book List"After Acts: Exploring the Lives and Legends of the Apostles" by Bryan Litfin. Amazon. Logos.

After Acts: Exploring the Lives and Legends of the Apostles

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Evangelism. The Great Commission is so important which is why people get upset when it's done differently or wrongly or not according to what the Bible teaches.
Sovereignty of God. Arguably the greatest of all the great doctrines. And people do argue about it, what it means and how it changes our lives.
Put Evangelism and Sovereignty of God together and it's like the fusion of two atoms. You get a tremendous release of energy that can either power up or destroy your faith.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God" by J.I. Packer. 122 pages, published by Inter-Varsity Press, the first edition was published in 1961. You can get the 2012 edition via Amazon for USD10.25 or via Logos.com for USD9.99. Don't have ten bucks to spare? A pity cause it was only USD1.99 a week ago! To make sure you don't miss out on great book deals, subscribe to this podcast or follow me at Twitter. You can find details at www.readingandreaders.com. That's www.readingandreaders.com.
J.I. Packer passed away in 2020 at the age of 93 years old. He wrote "Knowing God", revived the Puritans and gave us the ESV Bible translation.
In my mind, J.I. Packer is the theological-equivalent of an explosive engineer or bomb expert. Where ever there is a theological controversy, there he is, calmly, precisely defusing the bomb. By careful design, he channels all that destructive energy and puts it to good use.
I give you one example, one of the hottest topic in the recent past is the charismatic/pentecostal movement. It was so hot that churches were splitting left and right on this issue. Yet, any hothead, regardless of where he stands on the issue, will find good sense in Packer's book "Keep in Step with the Spirit". He has the uncanny ability to describe the issue in a fair way, bring out the essence of the debate and channel all the energy towards mutual edification.
Evangelism and Sovereignty of God are as explosive as any doctrine can be. But under J.I. Packer's pen, Evangelism and Divine Sovereignty come together in a way that shines forth the glory of our awesome God. Divine SovereigntyLet me read an excerpt from the first chapter, titled, "Divine Sovereignty":

I do not intend to spend any time at all proving to you the general truth that God is sovereign in his world. There is no need; for I know that, if you are a Christian, you believe this already. How do I know that? Because I know that, if you are a Christian, you pray; and the recognition of God’s sovereignty is the basis of your prayers. In prayer, you ask for things and give thanks for things. Why? Because you recognize that God is the author and source of all the good that you have had already, and all the good that you hope for in the future. This is the fundamental philosophy of Christian prayer. The prayer of a Christian is not an attempt to force God’s hand, but a humble acknowledgment of helplessness and dependence.

When Packer says, "I do not intend", we hear his strong voice coming out of the pages. He knows where the issue lies and here he believes that every Christian whether they admit it or not, in their heart of hearts know that God is sovereign simply because they pray; simply because they credit God for their salvation.
I find Packer here to be generous to a fault. While no Christian would ever deny the Sovereignty of God, they have a different definition and deny that God has absolute control over all creation. But why deny it?
Packer writes:

The root cause is the same as in most cases of error in the church -- the intruding of rationalistic speculations, the passion for systematic consistency, a reluctance to recognize the existence of mystery and to let God be wiser than men, and a consequent subjecting of Scripture to the supposed demands of human logic. People see that the Bible teaches man’s responsibility for his actions; they do not see (man, indeed, cannot see) how this is consistent with the sovereign lordship of God over those actions. They are not content to let the two truths live side by side, as they do in the Scriptures, but jump to the conclusion that, in order to uphold the biblical truth of human responsibility, they are bound to reject the equally biblical and equally true doctrine of divine sovereignty, and to explain away the great number of texts that teach it. The desire to oversimplify the Bible by cutting out the mysteries is natural to our perverse minds, and it is not surprising that even good people should fall victim to it. Hence this persistent and troublesome dispute. The irony of the situation, however, is that when we ask how the two sides pray, it becomes apparent that those who profess to deny God’s sovereignty really believe in it just as strongly as those who affirm it.

Packer concludes Chapter 1 by fervently asserting that those who deny Sovereignty of God actually believe it. And he knows the sticking point. If God is always in control, how can humans be responsible for their actions? And that is where Packer brings us to in Chapter 2. Divine Sovereignty and Human ResponsibilityAs I read through this second chapter, I find myself sympathetic to Packer's attempts to convince the reader of the truth. It took me years to reach what Packer hopes to achieve with the reader in these pages.
The truth is, well, listen to how Packer puts it:

God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are taught to us side by side in the same Bible; sometimes, indeed, in the same text. Both are thus guaranteed to us by the same divine authority; both, therefore, are true. It follows that they must be held together, and not played off against each other. Man is a responsible moral agent, though he is also divinely controlled; man is divinely controlled, though he is also a responsible moral agent. God’s sovereignty is a reality, and man’s responsibility is a reality too.

Packer recognises that it sounds like a contradiction. He calls it an antimony. And rather than attempt to solve the supposed contradiction, Packer attempts to convince us that what we really need is to know God is wise in ways that we are not. What we see as a problem is not a problem in the mind and counsel of God. What would be wise for us is to accept this is the way it is and we should work with what we got.
But we don't.
We are tempted to only focus on human responsibility. Or in the other extreme, we only focus on divine sovereignty. And Packer shows us the folly of falling into such temptations.
Instead what we should do, is as Packer exhorts:

..., we shall try to take both doctrines perfectly seriously, as the Bible does, and to view them in their positive biblical relationship. We shall not oppose them to each other, for the Bible does not oppose them to each other. Nor shall we qualify, or modify, or water down, either of them in terms of the other, for this is not what the Bible does either. What the Bible does is to assert both truths side by side in the strongest and most unambiguous terms as two ultimate facts; this, therefore, is the position that we must take in our own thinking.

As I revisit this controversy, not I think for the last time, I thought of an illustration. Have you been to a 3D cinema where you have to put on glasses to see the images pop out from the screen? If you saw the image with only your left eye, you will not see the 3D image. Same goes if you tried looking with only your right eye. You need to look with both eyes to see the image pop in front of you.
But the natural man is blind. Or partially blind. In one eye or both. The solution is to read and study the whole counsel of God, so that we can see with both eyes the reality of Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility.
We have not talked about Evangelism. Let's go to that now. EvangelismChapter 3, titled "Evangelism" is, to me, the most surprising chapter of the book. 60 years after this book, and still the questions Packers poses here is still as relevant as ever. What is evangelism? What is the evangelistic message? Why do it? And how?
The chapter is surprising because it scratches an itch I have had for a while and Packer managed to describe the itch and give me the relief.
I have some misgivings on evangelistic rallies but I never sat down to arrange my thoughts on the subject because everybody accepts it. They have accepted it for a long time. To question evangelistic rallies would be to question the work of people like Billy Graham and to question such faithful servants of the Lord seems petty and mean.
I don't know what is Packer's opinion of Billy Graham's ministry but this book was published in 1961, six years after Billy Graham launched a big evangelistic rally in London. Evangelistic rallies were drawing big crowds and many thought organising special meetings was the way to bring people to Christ.
Packer writes:

If in our churches “evangelistic” meetings, and “evangelistic” sermons, are thought of as special occasions, different from the ordinary run of things, it is a damning indictment of our normal Sunday services. So that if we should imagine that the essential work of evangelism lies in holding meetings of the special type described out of church hours, so to speak, that would simply prove that we had failed to understand what our regular Sunday services are for.

Packer does not condemn evangelistic rallies. Nor is he just listing the pros and cons. He looks at the essence of the matter.
And gives us this wonderful gem:

Evangelism is to be defined not institutionally, in terms of the kind of meeting held, but theologically, in terms of what is taught, and for what purpose.

Ah, what clarity! There are whole pages here that I would like to read to you, pages of methodical reasoning and thought-provoking questions that every Christian should consider, but I will just read to you two paragraphs.

So, in the last analysis, there is only one method of evangelism: namely, the faithful explanation and application of the gospel message. From which it follows—and this is the key principle which we are seeking—that the test for any proposed strategy, technique or style of evangelistic action must be this: will it in fact serve the word? Is it calculated to be a means of explaining the gospel truly and fully and applying it deeply and exactly? To the extent to which it is so calculated, it is lawful and right; to the extent to which it tends to overlay and obscure the realities of the message, and to blunt the edge of their application, it is ungodly and wrong.

Later, he writes:

We need to remember here that spiritually it is even more dangerous for a man whose conscience is roused to make a misconceived response to the gospel and take up with a defective religious practice than for him to make no response at all. If you turn a publican into a Pharisee, you make his condition worse, not better.

Again, "If you turn a publican into a Pharisee, you make his condition worse, not better." And how are our misguided efforts to evangelise to blame? At its root, it's because we don't know what is evangelism. For the details, you got to read the book. Divine Sovereignty and EvangelismBefore I go into the fourth and last chapter, just a brief recap:
Chapter 1 confirms that we all believe in Divine Sovereignty. Chapter 2 assures us that Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility are both true and we should not pit one against the other. Chapter 3 brings us to the heart of evangelism.
In chapter 4, how does everything come together? God controls everything including Man's ability to respond to his call, yet he also command us to make that invitation? Since God has absolute sovereignty over everything, why should we bother?
I think the force of the argument in chapter 4 does not really work unless one has properly read and appreciated chapter 1, 2 and 3.
This is how Packer puts it.

The biblical answer may be stated in two propositions, one negative and one positive.

The negative is:

The sovereignty of God in grace does not affect anything that we have said about the nature and duty of evangelism.

He breaks it down into subsections, titled:1. The belief that God is sovereign in grace does not affect the necessity of evangelism. 2. The belief that God is sovereign in grace does not affect the urgency of evangelism. 3. The belief that God is sovereign in grace does not affect the genuineness of the gospel invitations, or the truth of the gospel promises. 4. The belief that God is sovereign in grace does not affect the responsibility of the sinner for his reaction to the gospel.

Each part is explained in Packer's powerful and concise ways to support the negative statement: The Sovereignty of God in grace does not affect anything that we have said about the nature and duty of evangelism.
The positive statement is:

The sovereignty of God in grace gives us our only hope of success in evangelism.

Packer believes if we are certain, if we are confident that God is in control this will make us bold, patient and prayerful in our evangelism. And so we note, we began the book by prayer and we end the book with prayer.
I also said in the beginning that Packer is the theological-equivalent of a bomb expert because of how calmly and effectively he deals with explosive topics.
I didn't realise when I started that explosions is a good way to describe these controversies.
For it got me thinking: What is the most explosive thing in our solar system? It's not dynamite, C4 or even the nuclear bomb. The answer is hinted in the question. In our solar system, the Sun is this giant ball of fire, a perpetual chain of nuclear explosions powerful enough to destroy all life on Earth many times over yet also the only source of heat and light for us to live.
And perhaps that's one way to think of these difficult doctrines. We try to figure out how they work and sometimes it ends up well, sometimes not. But we should not forget that the doctrines are expressing something greater than us, realities that to a certain extant will always be beyond us.
Packer reminds us of these truths in this book. No wonder it is considered a Packer classic.
Today I review "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God" by J.I. Packer. 122 pages, published by Inter-Varsity Press, the first edition was published in 1961. You can get the 2012 edition via Amazon for USD10.25 or via Logos.com for USD9.99. Book List* "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God" by J.I. Packer.Amazon. Logos.

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In every church you will hear that the most important thing is discipleship. "Get discipleship right, and you get everything else right", "Christians are disciples of Jesus" and so on. Is discipleship a trending buzzword or is it rooted in Scripture?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "The Message of Discipleship: Authentic Followers of Jesus in Today's World" by Peter Morden. 276 pages, published by Inter-Varsity Press UK in January 2019. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD8.99 and free in Logos until 15 November.
Peter Morden is the Senior Pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Leeds, England. He did his PhD on Charles Spurgeon, wrote a book on Charles Spurgeon, and worked at Spurgeon College, previously as the Vice-President and Director of Training, now Distinguished Visiting Scholar. Morden doesn't only have Spurgeon in his mind, he also has Andrew Fuller, Baptist history and discipleship, which is the topic of today's book.
Today's book comes from that stable of utmost pedigree: the Bible Speaks Today series. The series editors are Alec Motyer, John Stott and Derek Tidball. I can easily recommend the Bible Speaks Today as your first commentary series. And before you buy the whole set, you would want a taster, for that I recommend any one written by John Stott. Or even today's book by Peter Morden.
The series aims to:1. To expound the biblical text with accuracy 2. To relate it to contemporary life, and 3. To be readable.

While I have not read every book in the series, of the many I have read, they all achieve those three aims. And today's book is no exception. IntroductionIn the introduction, Morden starts by making the case for discipleship, what is it, why do we need to learn it and where do we start.
Morden lists four features of his book.
The first feature is a focus on Jesus. He writes:

Some studies on discipleship concentrate more on the life we are to lead than they do on the one we are to follow.

He later writes:

It stands to reason that if we are to follow Jesus closely we are going to need to look to him more than we look to ourselves. So, I have tried to give space in this book to contemplating Jesus, his character and his ways. This explains some parts of chapters which may — at first sight — seem to have little to do with discipleship. Their inclusion springs from a deep conviction: it is when we fix our eyes on Jesus that we grow most as disciples.

The second feature is "A Focus on the Gospel". The third, "A stress on whole-life discipleship". The fourth, "Grace and glory".
These four features unify for the reader the key principles behind discipleship and they undergird every chapter here.
The book is structured as follows, I quote:

This book has three main parts. The first, which has four chapters, gives ‘foundational’ teaching for our journey of discipleship; the second, also four chapters, points us to the resources for that journey; the third, consisting of eight chapters, encourages us in the day-to-day practice of following Jesus. Finally, there is a chapter on finishing the race that is the life of discipleship.

Let's jump into my reflection on the three parts. Part 1: FoundationsWhat do you think is foundational to discipleship? And what would be the supporting verses?
What do you think is Morden's answer to this question? I have already told you his answer. The foundation to discipleship is Jesus Christ.
In Part 1, there are four chapters, which are: Chapter 1: Following the Crucified Lord (Mark 8:22-38) Chapter 2: Following the Exalted Lord (Mark 9:1-13) Chapter 3: Following the Missionary Lord (Mark 9:14-32) Chapter 4: The Disciples Call (Isaiah 6)
I like how Morden does not assume that reader knows the Lord Jesus well enough and they just need to get on to some pointers to be a good disciple.
"I already know Jesus, I just need you to tell me what to do."
No, no, no. Don't go off in a rush. Morden brings the reader to the Gospel of Mark. Let us see what the Bible says about following Jesus. We don't read about Morden's discipleship journey, this is not a memoir disguised as a how-to book. We don't learn how to grow one church to be a hundred. The foundation to discipleship is not your personal growth or even salvation or the great kingdom expansion, but the most basic, core, fundamental basis of discipleship is following the Lord. Let us not assume this is understood, let us stay here and Morden stays here for four chapters.
And what do you get here, I give you one example. Consider these verses, Mark 8:34–38.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Taking that passage, Morden breaks it down. These are his five expositional points: 1. The way of the cross is for all who want to follow 2. The way of the cross means embracing the possibility of death 3. The way of the cross requires complete consecration 4. The way of the cross involves loss of rights 5. The way of the cross is the way of life

Here, Morden quotes Richard France:

The metaphor of taking up one’s cross is not to be domesticated into an exhortation merely to endure hardship patiently.

And in the same quote, a bit later on:

While it may no doubt be legitimately applied to other and lesser contexts of suffering involved in following Jesus, the primary reference in context must be the possibility of literal death.

Morden does not smooth out the difficulty of discipleship. Yet, even as he stresses the glory of the cross, the radical nature of discipleship, as he elaborates later, Morden is also quick to stress the radical grace of discipleship. We need grace because despite our best efforts, we will fall.
If you paid attention, you will notice that the structure of his five point outline follows closely with the Bible passage. That is what Morden does for the whole book. He puts his nose to the Bible and he shoves our noses so close to the Bible that we can smell the ink off the pages.
Some readers may find this approach to be tiresome. I say to you, please for the sake of your soul, adapt yourself to this writing style. Let the Bible's outline be your outline. Follow the contours of Scripture. Let its thoughts, be your thoughts. Not every book needs to be written in this way but when it comes to core beliefs, we need more Scripture not less. Part 2: ResourcesLet's move to Part 2: Resources for Discipleship. If you could pick four resources for discipleship, what would you pick? What do you think every disciple needs in order to be a true disciple?
Let me tell you Morden's pick and see how do you compare.
First, the Bible. I'm sure you picked that!
Then, prayer.
We also have here the Holy Spirit. "How dare we take the Third Person of the Trinity to be a resource!" Before anyone gets too uppity, all Morden means is disciples need to lean on the Holy Spirit. We cannot do discipleship without the Holy Spirit.
Fourth and lastly, Morden picks the church as an essential resource for discipleship.
Do you have anything else you would consider important? If you do, just keep it and we will come back to that before the episode ends. I'll tell you where to put your idea.
Now that Morden has picked his four resources: Bible, Prayer, Holy Spirit and Church, what are the best supporting Bible verses? How can you demonstrate from Scripture that this is important for the disciple.
For the Bible, how about that verse... "All Scripture is God-breathed"? Good, good. It's here. How about something from the Old Testament? Well... what about that super-long Psalm... where it goes on and on about the law, precepts, commands? Great. That's Psalm 119 and Morden has got that down.
What about Prayer? What Bible verse would you pick to bring out prayer? That's easy! The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-15. Yup, Morden has the chapter built on the Lord's Prayer.
We are on a roll!
Third one. What about the Holy Spirit? Hmmm... would it something from the Gospel of John, that passage where Jesus tells the disciples about the Holy Spirit? Good choice but that's not the one he uses. Morden picked Ephesians 5:15-20, "do not get drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit" and 2 Timothy 1:6-7 to speak on the spiritual gifts. I would have picked 1 Cor 12-14 but Morden's choices are just as good.
Lastly, the church. What verse would you pick? This is hard. You have lots to choose from and Morden picked Hebrews 10:11-25. Not the easiest verse to link to the church. It would have been easier to speak about the body of Christ (1 Cor 12), the bride of Christ (Eph 5, also in Revelations) or the living stones or the royal priesthood of all believers (1 Peter).
Why did I ask you about your choices?
Because I want you to see that you could have picked those topics and those Bible verses. And if you didn't know anything about discipleship, if you called a friend, they would have told you something similar.
Then you could very well ask, "If I have the answers, why read this book?"
It is comforting to know that the answers are not new. As Christians we are not in the business of creating new products, we are in the business of the old rugged cross. We are literally doing things by the book, the good book.
What Morden offers is point by point clarity. He unpacks what Scripture says and if there is someone who can do it better, he lets them.
In the chapter on the Holy Spirit, Morden begins with these words:

If we are going to follow Jesus faithfully then we need God the Holy Spirit. Yet many disciples today do not pay sufficient attention to the Spirit, at least in practice. Jim Packer expresses powerfully what happens when we fail in this area.

Here is Packer's quote. Packer here describes the consequences of neglecting the Holy Spirit:

You slip, he says, ‘back into orthodoxism and formalism’, getting stuck in a ‘religion of aspiration and perspiration without either inspiration or transformation, the religion of low expectations, deep ruts, and grooves that become graves’.

Morden loves this phrase because he brings it up a few more times in the chapter. I love it too so I am going to read it again.

religion of aspiration and perspiration without either inspiration or transformation, the religion of low expectations, deep ruts, and grooves that become graves.

Morden is clearly a man who likes a good turn of a phrase. And I am happy to be served his collection of quotes related to discipleship. Part 3: PracticesAfter finishing Part 1: The Foundations of Discipleship and Part 2: Resources for Discipleship, we are now ready for Part 3: The Practices of Discipleship.
So let me ask for the final time, what would you like to include in practices of discipleship? Morden has included a variety of subjects including Love, Evangelism, Finance and Daily Work. And if you think he could have included more, Morden agrees! In the introduction he writes:

This is emphatically not 'the complete book of discipleship'.

If he had more space, he would have included a chapter on the environment and a chapter on the home.
As Morden stated clearly, discipleship is a 360 thing. It's not just about prayer with the family or worshipping on Sundays, discipleship touches every aspect of our lives so there are more topics than there are space in this book.
Among the eight topics Morden gives, I found one topic that stands out. It's the chapter with the title, "Discipleship in the Dark". It's an exposition on Psalm 88.
If you can, you should read Psalm 88 now to see why it's such a strange choice for a book on discipleship. It starts in despair and it ends... well... listen to how Psalm 88 ends.

But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O LORD, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.

It ends with darkness.
Let me read at length Morden's explanation:

The psalm is, in fact, extremely bleak—from beginning to end. Taken at face value, there is little obvious hope. This is the reality—the bleak reality—of Psalm 88.
So, why expound it in a book on discipleship? In fact, I have a feeling that a detailed consideration of Psalm 88 in a book on Christian discipleship may be a first! Why do it? It is a fair question. The psalm seems at first sight irrelevant—no explicit mention of Christ, no explicit mention of discipleship, no mention of community, no mention of disciple-making mission.

Later on...

And yet ... As I have preached on this psalm and talked to Christian disciples about it, I have found it resonates with many. Yes, Psalm 88 is a bleak psalm and yet this is one of the very reasons it is a fine psalm and a vitally important part of God’s word for followers of Jesus. It relates especially to the times on our journeys of discipleship which are incredibly tough. The darkness closes in and we feel utterly alone. God himself feels distant and seems deaf to our prayers. Many fine believers have experienced such a time, memorably described by John of the Cross as a ‘dark night of the soul’. For all who find themselves in such darkness, this psalm speaks both to us and for us. It is a vital resource for all who want to live under the lordship of Jesus, the suffering servant who said, ‘Take up your cross daily and follow me’.

I was so impressed by what he wrote that I read it that night with my family before we went to bed.
And I asked them, where do you bring your sadness? Many go to alcohol, to girls (and the children giggle here), or go to movies and games, but where does the Psalmist go to? Or to who does he go to? He goes to God.
If we are to judge any book by any measure, it should be by how the book makes you read the Bible. How it makes you take the Word of God seriously. And by that measure, this is a wonderful book. ConclusionHere are my final thoughts. I finished this book in nearly one seating.
The book has the right focus: Jesus and the Gospels. It has the right approach: Just unapologetically expound the Bible. It has the right tone: Humble and helpful.
If I could, I wish this to be the first book on discipleship for every Christian. But for many it wouldn't be because even though this book is easy to read, some prefer a book that stands alone and doesn't trace through Scripture. And that is a pity.
If it's not going to be your first book, then make it your main book. Let this book be the framework for you to hang your thoughts on discipleship.
What do I mean by that?
Remember how I kept asking you for your thoughts on what you would include in the book? What you thought were important?
Well, you could follow the outline of today's book. Part 1: Foundation of Discipleship, Part 2: Resources, Part 3: Practices, and whenever you have deepening or broadening thoughts, you can put that thought into the way Morden has structure the whole thing.
I dare not say that this is the definitive book on discipleship, but I would say that it's very difficult to go wrong with this book. It would guard you from many excesses, like putting a practice, for example evangelism, to make it the foundation for discipleship. The foundation is following Jesus.
It's not flashy. It doesn't promise a way to a million disciples. It just promises to let the Bible speak on Discipleship today. OutroThis is a Reading and Reader's review of "The Message of Discipleship: Authentic Followers of Jesus in Today's World" by Peter Morden. 276 pages, published by Inter-Varsity Press UK in January 2019. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD8.99 and free in Logos until 15 November.
I just want to point out something that has happened at Logos for a while now. I used to review the free books from Faithlife. Well, they have moved the free books from Faithlife and renamed it to be free ebooks in Logos. That's not all.
It used to be that there is one free book for the month. Now, the offer is a free book for two weeks, then they give another free book for another two weeks. So that is great news. More good books for free!
However, it is hard to read and review a book within two weeks. Unless the books is so readable like today's one. Since I don't intend to break myself to read and review a book in two weeks, I will just tell you that Logos has a free book. And you should get it since it's free. Whether you read it or not, is one thing. But I hope my reviews will help you make the decision to read it or not.
Thanks for listening. Bye bye. Book List"The Message of Discipleship: Authentic Followers of Jesus in Today's World" by Peter Morden. Amazon. Logos.

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While others collect seashells, I collect interpretations. And I seem to have a growing collection of interpretations on Romans. And today's book offers a different definition of righteousness, a different understanding of election and more.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review a commentary on Romans from the Interpretation Bible Commentary series written by Paul J. Achtemeier. 256 pages, published by Westminster John Knox Press in 1986. It was a free Logos book for October. So it's no longer free but you can continue listening to know what the book is about and hopefully learn a few things on the way. AuthorPaul J. Achtemeier passed away in January 28 2013. Elmhurst College, where he studied and later taught, published an obituary. I'll read an excerpt:

Achtemeier earned his bachelor of divinity and doctor of theology degrees at New York’s Union Theological Seminary. He spent more than four decades teaching at colleges and seminaries in the United States and Europe, including Elmhurst, Lancaster Theological Seminary and the Graduate School of Ecumenical Studies of the World Council of Churches in Switzerland. For 24 years, he was a professor at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, where he retired in 1997 as Herbert Worth and Annie H. Jackson Professor Emeritus of Biblical Interpretation.

Clearly a distinguished and learned scholar. He was a prolific writer having written 18 books and numerous scholarly journals. For the purpose of today's review, he is both the author of the commentary on Romans and also the New Testament Editor for the entire series, "Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching".
I can't comment on the entire series but this commentary on Romans certainly is aimed at the teacher. At the end of every chapter, Achtemeier signals the teacher or preacher. He offers guidance for the Sunday school class or the pulpit.
"This is what the passage says, this is not what the passage says, here are some other useful Bible passages, you can connect them in this way, here are some questions to ask the people, here is how you can encourage, warn, guide and lead them to Christ."
For pastors who plan around the lectionary, you will like how he relates the passage to Lent, Advent, Pentecost and so on. God's Lordship and The Problem...The book is divided into four parts, each part broken down into many chapters to cover all 16 chapters of Romans. The four parts are: 1. God's Lordship and the Problem of the Past: Grace and Wrath 2. God's Lordship and the Problem of the Present: Grace and Law 3. God's Lordship and the Problem of the Future: Israel and God's Gracious Plan 4. God's Lordship and the Problem of the Daily Living: Grace and the Structures of Life

That's the outline of the book, now the outline of today's review. The bulk of today's review will be on two major criticisms. The list is long but I have narrowed down to the two issues that run through the whole book. Then I will spend some time to talk about it's redeeming features and conclude with how you can benefit from this book.
So let's move on to the first of my criticism. Righteousness Is Not God Declaring You Are JustWhen it comes to Romans, the key is to understand what does "righteousness" mean. 500 years ago, Roman Catholic Europe was turned upside down because faithful Bible students discovered that "the righteous shall live by faith" did not mean it is do-gooders who are saved.
Rather, the righteousness of God described here refers to the righteousness that Christ imputed to us. This is the Great Exchange, we gave Jesus our sins and he gave us his righteousness, and so we live by faith.
Knowing the history of the Reformation, we should be alert when anyone offers a different definition of "righteousness". Not because it's wrong. We don't know whether it's wrong until we study it. We should be alert because we are approaching a non-trivial definition that affects not only our interpretation of Romans but also the framework of our faith.
The Reformation gave us a definition of righteousness which is sometimes described as forensic or legal. When God sees us, he sees Jesus, thus God declares us to be just.
Achtemeier writes:

The difficulty with such an understanding of “righteousness” is that God appears to regard us as something we are not, that is, sinless. Some have wanted to say God regards us “as if” we had no sin, but then God’s judgment is based on an untruth, hardly what one would expect from a just and impartial God. The second problem lies in the fact that Paul can say God is “righteous,” and one must then wonder who is in a position to pass judgment on God and say that he has conformed to some legal norm. If this is juridical terminology, who has brought God into court to try him, to see whether he can “justify” himself and can then pronounce him righteous?

My quick answers to the two problems:
No matter how you define righteousness, a Christian understanding of God will always show a just God forgiving sinners who don't deserve grace and mercy. We sin but Jesus paid the price. God rewards Jesus for his obedience until death. Why should I gain from His reward?
In Psalm 51:7, David pleads, "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." Is this not alluding to a purity, a sinlessness, that only God can provide, and that through Jesus Christ?
Next problem: "If righteousness is juridicial terminology, who has brought God into court to try him?"
The idea of bringing God to court horrifies us but we should not let that image play on our piety and frame the argument in error. Listen to Hebrews 6:13:

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,

If God can swear by himself, is it really so wrong for God to declare himself righteousness? Righteousness Is A RelationshipSince Achtemeier rejects righteousness in a legal sense, what is his definition? He refers to how righteousness is regularly used in the Old Testament to refer to the covenant. So he defines:

To be “just” or “righteous” is to uphold the covenant; to be “unrighteous” is to act in such a way that the covenant is broken. In that context, righteousness is used to describe a relationship. What upholds the relationship is “righteous”; what destroys the relationship is “unrighteous.”

He backs this up with scholarly support. There is some merit to seeing righteousness as a relationship. But in supporting this definition, does he go too far to utterly reject another? He writes:

All of this means “righteousness” is not a “quality” or a conformity to some legal norm. Rather, it is a positive relationship to God growing out of his power to restore through Jesus Christ his gracious lordship over us, a lordship which our idolatrous rebellion had turned into a wrathful lordship.

This is my first encounter with this righteousness is a relationship definition. And I foresee, for the coming years, when this review is long forgotten, I will test this definition against Scripture. But I wonder, clearly our covenantal relationship with God is linked to righteousness but is it the definition?
When I say I am righteous at home, righteous in marriage, righteous with my wife, there is little tone or shade of a covenantal relationship. When I say I am righteous, it sounds like a boast. I have not done anything wrong. Nobody hears me and thinks, "He is righteous in the marriage means his relationship with his wife is good." Having said that, I accept that it is possible that the Bible defines righteousness in a technical way that refers to relationships but look forward to see how Achtemeier defends it.
And so we reach an especially juicy passage, Romans 5:16-17:

And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

What is this free gift? I understood the free gift to be Christ's righteousness which is mine by faith. I am now gloriously clothed in the royal robes of Christ.
What is this free gift to Achtemeier? Is the free gift an unbroken relationship? But there must be a basis for the restored relationship, right? Of course, that is faith in Christ. Yes, that is the basis, but what has changed? How has faith in Christ changed the relationship. God is still holy. I am still... sinful?
Perhaps the next verse in Romans will shed some light. Romans 5:18 says:

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

I can understand act of righteousness to mean a good act, a sinless act but I don't know how to read act of righteousness as an act of an unbroken relationship. Maybe that's not how Achtemeier interprets it and I am making a fool of myself. Let's just hear from Achtemeier.
Except he doesn't go into it. This is not a verse-by-verse commentary. Exposition is written as essays covering large swathe of verses. Achtemeier has a chapter on Romans 5:12-21, he titles it, "Adam and Christ: Disobedience and Obedience".
The focus of the essay is on the contrast between Adam and Christ. He has already explained righteousness-as-a-relationship in earlier chapters and he refers eager readers to various scholarly works. So maybe he thinks he doesn't need to expound on Romans 5 anymore. I think he is badly mistaken. Surely he knows that this is a passage to counter his definition and is worthy of a defence. What is the free gift? What is the act of righteousness? I wish Achtemeier had explained.
At the risk of sounding harsh, he seems to take the easy verses which amply support his definition but he avoids the hard verses that complicate his interpretation. Predestination, Election, Hardening, So MaddeningLet's move away from righteousness and go to my second critique which is in Part Three of his book, which covers Romans 9-11. This is a battleground for many faithful Christians which is why we should expect commentators to give their best effort in exposition.
Who is Romans 9-11 dealing with? Is it peoples, specifically Israel, or individuals? The question is whether this is corporate election or individual election. If the verses refers to individual election, then they strongly support a view that God determines who will be saved.
This is a big, big, question. Too big to take on in this book review podcast. I promise you, I will give you good resources to tackle this topic before the episode ends. Because I will not be tackling the topic directly, instead I will demonstrate the frustrating way Achtemeier deals with it.
In his commentary on Romans 9:14-29, he writes:

Paul knows, to be sure, of the danger which exists if one resists God’s gracious offer of mercy to us rebellious creatures. If we reject that offer of mercy, we run the risk that God will honor our choice. But nowhere does Paul hint that such refusal is willed, let alone predetermined, by God. Were it so, the apostolic office would be a sham; and the proclamation of God’s gracious act in Jesus of Nazareth and its call to trust in the One whom Jesus called “Father” would be a snare and a delusion.

Later he writes:

The passage is therefore about the enlargement of God’s mercy to include gentiles, not about the narrow and predetermined fate of each individual.

Achtemeier writes as if it is obvious that the first half (the enlargement of God's mercy to include gentiles) negates the second (predeterminism of each individual) but it is possible that the first half encompasses the second.
I don't know anybody who would deny that Romans teaches that God's mercy is now extended to the Gentiles. So bring all the heavy guns you want, I am already a believer. The question is whether the verses can be interpreted as, what Achtemeier calls, predeterminism.
And I look for the argument that nullifies predeterminism. I only see repetition of assertions, telling us how terrible it would be if it were true. But there is no death blow to predeterminism, only indignation. Worse, he shoots himself in the foot.
A few chapters later, he comments on Romans 11:1-12. Let me read Romans 11:7-8 first and then Achtemeier's comment. This is Romans 11:7-8.

Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”

Isn't hardening people to reject salvation a form of predeterminism? Knowing his views on that, what do you expect Achtemeier to say? He writes:

God is in control. He hardens whom he will. Israel has been hardened. What other conclusion is there than that God has hardened them? No other, and Paul is ready to concede that point (v. 8). Indeed, how could he not concede it, since Scripture itself, to which Paul so readily attributes authority in these matters, says that very thing. God has hardened a part of Israel (vv. 8–9). He has dimmed their eyes and stopped up their ears, and the inevitable result is that they have missed the import of God’s act in Christ.

Nowhere does he explain how God, who he concedes, has personally, actively, hardened individuals within Israel, is the same God, who he claims, does not predetermine any individual's fate?
He never explains! Instead, he goes on about the impact of the hardening, so that Israel might be jealous; the purpose of the hardening, so that they might be saved. That's what Paul wrote but, come on, surely anyone can see there is a knot to be untangled here.
I am not saying that God's hardening of Israel is a slam dunk. I have heard good explanations for this. What I am saying is Achtemeier seems oblivious to the need to defend his interpretation for crucial verses in Romans.
This commentary does not do enough to prepare the preacher for what happens after he comes down from the pulpit. What is he going to say when someone asks, "Pastor, if God does not predetermine any individual's fate, then why does the Bible say God hardened parts of Israel?"
There are answers to that question but they are not found in this book. It's Not All Bad (Not Exactly A Rousing Recommendation)I know I have spent a lot of time on the criticisms but I think it reveals the main doctrinal contention and also his approach to some of the tough questions.
But the book is not all bad.
When Achtemeier expounds on verses that deal with who we are and who we should be, he is very good.
In Romans 2, there is a danger that Paul's harsh criticism of the Jews would lead to smugness in us. Achtemeier rightly warns us of this.
In Romans 13, on Christians and the government, he poses the problem of evil government, and rebellious citizens. He explains the role of government according to Scripture and honestly, humbly, states that it is not so clear cut at what point the Christian is to refuse to obey the government.
And I just want to say again, his instructor's guide at the end of every chapter is helpful. Not RecommendedYou can sense that I won't be making a strong recommendation for this commentary. I had a hard time reading this book, and not just because I had to figure out in my head his and my theological positions. It's tough going because asserts something and I have to read and re-read a whole essay to see whether he addresses my concerns and I find that he fails to defend when he should.
This should not be your main commentary for Romans. If you only have money for one or two or three commentaries, I would recommend Douglas Moo or Thomas Schreiner.
But if you are flushed with cash and there is space in your bookshelf, physical or digital, then Paul J. Achtemeier's commentary on Romans gives an alternative perspective on key doctrines. The problem is even if you hold his positions, he does not make a good case for them.
That's the end of my review on Achtemeier's commentary but I did promise resources for the corporate vs. individual election question. So here goes.
In another commentary, "Romans: A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written" by Andrew David Naselli, which I reviewed in Episode 55, Naselli had even less space to discuss the debate, so he left it as a footnote. But what a great footnote!
Naselli recommends readers to read this exchange between Thomas Schreiner and Brian Abasciano. Schreiner wrote a paper titled, "Does Romans 9 Teach Individual Election unto Salvation?" Abasciano writes a paper titled, "Corporate Election in Romans 9: A Reply to Thomas Schreiner". Schreiner then writes, "Corporate and Individual Election in Romans 9: A Response to Brian Abasciano". I read all three papers, I enjoyed the back and forth and if anyone wants to do a deep dive into the topic, this is the gold standard for that vigorous debate. OutroThis is a Reading and Reader's review of a commentary on Romans written by Paul J. Achtemeier from the Interpretation Bible Commentary series. 256 pages, published by Westminster John Knox Press in 1986. I struggled to finish the book which explains why today's review is not in time for people to grab it as a free book from Logos. It was free in October. Now it's November. If you missed it, just make sure you don't miss the November deal.
Thank you for listening. Bye bye. Book ListRomans, Interpretation Bible Commentary, by Paul J. Achtemeier. Amazon. Logos.

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If you need a guide to navigate through mental illness for yourself or someone you know. Today's book is for you.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "A Christian's Guide to Mental Illness: Answers to 30 Common Questions" by David Murray and Tom Karel Jr. 256 pages, published by Crossway in September 2023. Available in Amazon for USD21.99. I got a free review copy from Crossway. Crossway has no input on today's review. Those Who Help and Have Been HelpedBy way of introducing the authors, let me quote them:

As the authors of this book, we want to assure readers that God is our hope and help. For a combined total of about fifty years, we’ve both been involved in helping Christians with mental illness and their families. Tom has served as a psychologist in a Christian healthcare setting and David has served as a pastor, counselor, and professor of counseling, as well as authoring various books on the subject.

Later they write:

We approach this problem as Christians who not only believe but who have experienced that God provides hope and help for Christians with mental illness and those who care for them. While mental illness often has spiritual consequences, it is rarely only a spiritual problem that can be fixed simply with repentance and faith. God provides hope and help through his word and a word-based view of his world. This word-directed, holistic approach is the most honoring to God and the most beneficial for sufferers and their families.

Question TimeThe book is organised around 30 questions. I will not read out all 30 questions here but let me read a few.
The first question is, "What is Mental Illness?" After answering that, they answer related questions on the different kinds of mental illnesses, its causes and effects.
Here is a good question. "Can a Christian have mental illness?"
Have you heard people say that "If you are a Christian, then you should not have mental health issues. You just need to read the Bible more, pray more, trust God more and all that mental illness problem will go away."
Well, the authors have a good answer to that if you are willing to take it. Bruce LeeAs I go down the list of questions in the table of contents, I thought of a quote:

A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.

That's not from Proverbs. That's from Bruce Lee. None of the questions here are foolish, but we can definitely learn a lot from the 30 questions they chose here.
For instance, it's clear that Murray and Karel have a holistic approach. Some push the sufferers to mental health professionals. "You can take care of it because I am not qualified to." Others push it to the pastors maybe because pastors are in the business of counselling, healing and miracles. While others say it's a social or relational problem, you just need to stick the fellow within a circle of loving family and friends.
The authors think everyone has a role. We have dedicated chapters on the role of pastors, family and friends, mental health professionals, biblical counsellors and also medication in helping the mentally ill.
Then we have a whole list of questions on how to deal with mental illness. And if you pay attention to the verbs, you might notice that the authors don't use the words solve, cure, or manage. Instead they use verbs like discern, help, avoid, care, prepare, minister.
And some of these questions may not occur to you. As you are grappling with how to deal with the mentally ill, you may not be asking yourself, "How can we help him grow spiritually? How can we help her serve in the church?"
The authors do not shy away from scary questions. They ask, "How can we help someone who is suicidal?" They direct our attention to ones often forgotten, "How can we care for caregivers?" And the last question in the book is an audacious one, "What good comes out of mental illness?" How can any good come out of something so terrible? If anyone else had tried to talk about the good that comes out of mental illness, we might throw him out. How dare he?
But because we have read Murray and Karel's answers to previous questions, answers that come from a God-loving, people-loving heart, we trust that they know know how important it is to answer this question and answer it well. Story Behind The BookThe book ends with a chapter titled, "The Story behind This Book". The chapter begins like this:

When Norman Van Mersbergen’s brother, Gary, died from complications of schizophrenia, a small legacy of about $70,000 was realized from his estate. Due to their painful experience of trying to care for Gary through these traumatic years, Norman and his wife, Vicki, felt called of God to donate this money to a research project that would ultimately help Christians care for other Christians with mental illness. They reached out to Dr. David Murray, then a professor of counseling, and along with Ed Stetzer they pulled together a team from Lifeway and Focus on the Family to research this neglected subject. The resulting research is the foundation of this book. Here is a little of Norman’s (and Vicki’s) story.

It's a sobering story. In previous chapters we get bits and pieces of different peoples's experiences with mental illness. This one is different. Here we have the life story of a man suffering through mental illness. And how it affects the people around him. It's not a fairy tale story, it will not fit with how some people, even Christians, think a Christians life with mental illness should be. It's a brief story, but it shows paradoxically how the 30 questions are helpful and ultimately not helpful enough. Not helpful because it's not enough just to know the answers, it's hard. Mental Illness and Spiritual LifeThat's a broad look at what to expect, let me narrow down by sharing a few tidbits from a chapter. Chapter 6 is "How Does Mental Illness Affect Spiritual Life?"
Consider this important point:

First, when mental illness is a sickness, it is a mistake to condemn such suffering as sin. Such misclassification turns a sufferer into a sinner, heaps false guilt on the person, and multiplies her suffering. Second, and just as damaging, is when mental illness is even partly caused by personal sin but is blamed on sickness alone. In this case, false comfort may be offered, turning a sinner into a sufferer, and depriving the person of the healing power of repentance and faith in Christ.

This is probably what I will remember long after this review is done. Don't turn a sinner into a sufferer, nor turn a sufferer into a sinner. Again, we get a holistic, a whole physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, handle of mental illness.
This is also the chapter that helped me relate better to those with mental illness.
This next part spoke to me:

For most people, especially men, sleep deprivation vastly increases the likelihood of conflict. We get grumpy, impatient, and bad-tempered. We withdraw from social situations and have no time even for close friends. We just want to be left alone. If we don’t want to be with people or talk to them, it is unlikely we will want to be with God or speak with him.

Recently, I am going through sleep problems. So I truly get what this is saying. Then they link it to mental illness, like so:

Mental illness tends to have a similar effect. When our thoughts, moods, and physical health are disordered, it is almost impossible for that not to injure our relationships. As our most important relationship is with God, we can expect that mental illness is going to undermine that relationship in a similar way.

A little bit of empathy goes a long way. And for Christians who tend to tell others to suck it up, maybe it's good to remember how difficult or impossible it is to just suck it up. Maybe they still have to, but empathy helps us approach it in the right spirit.
In every chapter, the authors give a summary that includes some action items. For this chapter, one of the action item reads:

Think through how your last physical illness influenced your spiritual life.

And just like that, this exercise can help you be a better person to help those with mental illness.
As I mentioned earlier, every chapter ends with a personal story and in this chapter we have a paragraph of David Murray's reflection on how he used to look at mental illness and how he looks at it today.
I found the choice of stories in the book interesting in how uninteresting they are. We don't have a man who mistook his wife for a hat or anything that would grab headlines.
It's just ordinary people dealing with everyday life, a life made complicated by mental illness. And hopefully Christians will make helping them an ordinary thing as well. Book Better Than Q&ALet us now move to my general thoughts on the book.
The style and format of the book fits with a website's Q&A. You click on a question, and you get an answer well-written for the general, non-specialist, audience in a helpful, non-condemning, tone. So why turn it into a book rather than a website?
I am sure there are many reasons, but from a reader's perspective, a book gives you something that a website does not. With a book, you are expected to read cover to cover and for many people, I think that's what you need.
You may have some pre-conception of what is mental illness and how to deal with it. The problem is you don't know what you don't know. What the authors offer here is a series of questions, questions that they consider most important to guide Christians on mental illness. Questions that may never have come across your mind and now have an opportunity to hear the answer from Christian mental health experts. Christian, underline, ChristianI would like to underline that Christian part. If you Google search what you want to know about any mental illness, you will get tons of helpful advice from professors to sufferers.
That part is easy. I think the hard part is finding information on mental health from Christians who don't sound like they have a problem with mental health problems.
There are many Christians, including pastors, who would make light of mental health. There are Christians, including pastors, who don't know how to deal with it, they don't see it as their problem, you have to go see a mental health professional because they are the only ones that can help you.
By no means, not all Christians are like that, this book is proof of that. But when you are searching online, you just don't know whether what you are reading is coming from Christians, pastors, who know what they are talking about. God-loving, God-fearing Christians, who have studied mental illness, helped people with mental illness and have themselves suffered through mental illness.
If you are looking for a good Christian resource on mental illness that is not coming from extreme ends of the spectrum, I can tell you right now, you just got to get this book. Who is this Book for?This is not a book for those who need detailed knowledge of the disease. If you have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, this book does not nearly go into enough details to help you with that specific illness.
But if you have just been diagnosed, maybe even in denial, or shame, wondering what this means for your faith and salvation, then this book is for you.
If you know someone struggling with mental illness, whether you are a pastor, family member, friend, mental health professional, biblical counsellor, then this book is a good start to see how different people can work together. It's not all on the pastor. It's not all on the family. It's all on the therapist. We can all play a part to help a brother, a sister in Christ overcome this trial.
Maybe what we are looking for is assurance.
Let me end today's review with the book's answer to the question, "Are they saved?" How can we know when the fruit of their faith is questionable? Under the subsection, "There are Truths to Comfort the Heart", they write:

Salvation is God’s work from before time began until time is no more and everything in between (Rom.8:28–29). This means that salvation is God’s work, not ours or anyone else’s, and therefore it is not dependent on a person’s work or even their sanity. God can preserve a person’s faith even when we cannot or they cannot. He can give a person with mental illness more faith than those who have full control of their faculties. This is where a strong view of God’s sovereignty in salvation can give more hope than some theological views that major on functioning human reason and “free will.”

I have never considered the question of mental illness and salvation. And before this book, I never saw how God's Sovereignty was the comfort and answer to that question. How great is our Sovereign Lord! How wonderful are his ways! OutroThis is a Reading and Readers review of "A Christian's Guide to Mental Illness: Answers to 30 Common Questions" by David Murray and Tom Karel Jr. 256 pages, published by Crossway in September 2023. Available in Amazon for USD21.99. I got a free review copy from Crossway. They have no input on today's review.

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9/11 was a singular event. For a moment it united America like nothing else did. It shaped America in politics, war and religion. Today's book was written within a year of the event. Now 20 years later, are the words written for America then helpful for all Christians today?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "When Worlds Collide: Where is God?" by R.C. Sproul. 96 pages, published by Crossway in September 2002. The hardcopy is available for USD6.14 in Amazon. It's USD2.99 in Logos but only for September. So get it before the deal ends. September 11, 2001This book was written in the aftermath of terrorists hijacking planes, crashing them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The book opens with these words:

As I am writing, the United States of America is at war. It is possible that by the time you read this book the war will be over.

Sproul describes a united America, Americans planting American flags, Americans telling one another "God Bless America!"
If we could transport one of those Americans to today, he would be dumbstruck. Today we have Americans calling each other terrorists. Americans sounding like they want to kill each other. Americans making a shambolic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
With the benefit of 20 years behind us, today's book, "When Worlds Collide" gives us a theological perspective of the country's response to this national tragedy when the pain was raw. Sproul offers comfort, but a comfort many would reject. He offers condemnation, a condemnation not limited to the terrorists. To a shell-shocked people, Sproul defies convention to deliver a powerful prophetic message.
Was that message heard? Is it still valid today? Keep listening. War of IdeasThe book is divided into six chapters. I will sprint through each chapter. I will pick up and throw you an idea, a question or a bible verse. My aim is to show you how the book progresses and hopefully entice you to read it for yourself.
Chapter 1 is titled "War of Ideas". It would be easy for Sproul to target Muslims. Or if he doesn't want to get personal, he could target Islam as a religion, philosophy or worldview. But he doesn't. Instead, Sproul sees the conflict, not as Christianity vs. Islam, or West vs. East but as God vs. Anything-But-God.
He writes:

Since the September 11 attacks on the United States, there has been much public discussion about the role of God in our lives, and we have seen an unprecedented response of the American people in prayer and public worship. Suddenly, the God who had been exiled from the public square, who had been banished to the other side of the wall that separates church and state, was called upon to get back into the game.

Sounds good right? But he continues on.

It became fashionable for the nation to stage religious rallies featuring film stars, politicians, and clerics. Televised worship services called upon the nation to put aside theological differences and come together in a show of religious unity. Ecumenism got a shot in the arm as cooperation went beyond interdenominational Christian worship to worship among people of entirely different religions. The upside of renewed religious zeal was matched with the downside of syncretism.

While people are clamouring for everyone to come together, Sproul calls Christians to unite in the Gospel. Christianity must not be relegated to be the same as all other religions despite everyone's good intentions.
I love this next part. It shows Sproul's insight and classic wit.

Nothing is more “un-American” than to have an exclusive understanding of God. Yet nothing is more fundamental to the biblical concept of monotheism than the exclusivity of the God of heaven and earth. In 1 Kings 18 we read of the prophet Elijah engaging in a contest with the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. But try to imagine Elijah giving an interview to the media assembled to watch this contest. Imagine him speaking into a microphone, saying, “Well, you know, at the end of the day, I and the prophets of Baal really worship the same God. We believe in the same religion. We just do it differently. Our religious activity is not the same. There are elements in the religion of Baal that are different from the elements of the religion of Israel, but surely the God of Israel doesn’t mind. In fact, He’s honored when we celebrate our religious unity.” Can you imagine anything more foreign to the teaching of sacred Scripture than that?

In a time of war and amidst calls of solidarity, Sproul not only calls true believers to hold the doctrinal line, he sharpens the divide.
He asks the question that immediately comes after a tragedy hits, "Where is God?"
God has never left and we ask that question because we don't know who he is. Peace and CalamityIn Chapter 2, "Peace and Calamity", Sproul asks, "Does God Only Bless?" He points us to Isaiah 45:6-7:

I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.

Every thinking Christian will sooner or later wrestle with how a good and all powerful God in a world where people crash planes into buildings. And the rest of the daily tragedies we numb ourselves to.
Did God mean for all these bad things to happen?
Sproul writes:

If God did not ordain all things, He would not be sovereign over all things. And if He is not sovereign over all things, then He is not God at all.

What a terrible thought! Is Sproul saying that God made it happen? He caused this to happen? Isn't it more accurate to say: "God permits or allows bad things to happen".
But if you just think about it, saying God allowed it to happen does not let God off the moral hook.
Consider this: a policeman who does nothing when a crime happens in front of him is morally wrong. He did not do the crime but he was powerful enough to stop it but he didn't. And God can stop every single bad thing from ever occurring. God could have struck each one of those terrorists dead the same way he struck Uriah who touched the Ark of the Covenant, or Annanias and Sapphira who lied, or King Herod who accepted praise that he was a god. God could but didn't, which means he wanted or ordained it to happen as it did.
I don't blame anyone from pushing back on this. Sproul doesn't go deep enough in this book to answer your doubts. I recommend Scott Christensen's book, "What About Free Will? Reconciling Our Choices with God's Sovereignty", which is where I got the policeman illustration from.
Assuming you can accept that God allows or ordains calamities, then what is the purpose?
For that, we turn to chapter 3, "Purpose in Suffering". Purpose in SufferingHow do we make sense of senseless tragedies like 9/11? First of all, Sproul points out, there are no senseless tragedies. They may be senseless from our perspective but from God's perspective, there is a divine reason.
Two Bible stories make this clear. Sproul unpacks in detail what I can only do briefly here.
The first story is the story of Joseph. Joseph famously told his wretched brothers, "You meant it for evil but God intended it for good." What the brothers did was bad. Clearly, bad. Yet, we also say that God ordained it to happen for His own purpose which Joseph at first did not understand, but later did. God could have struck them all down the moment they thought of killing Joseph but God did not because he wanted Joseph to save everyone.
The second story is the story of Jesus. Jesus was crucified on the cross. The people who did it were evil. But God wanted it to happen. God could have opened up the earth and swallowed them all up, God could have sent his army of angels to rescue Jesus, God could have done so much more for his Son, but God did not, because he wanted Jesus to save everyone.
Drawing from the Bible, Sproul gives us God's perspective on our pain. If we know that God has a purpose in our tragedies, we can lean on God, just as all the saints before us have done.
And just as everyone is getting used to God being in control, Sproul throws in another bombshell and says God's wrath is not limited to those terrorists on the plane. The Grapes of WrathChapter 4 is titled "The Grapes of Wrath". He unpacks Revelation 14:18-20:

And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

Sproul writes:

We think of September 11, 2001, as the greatest day of calamity in the history of the United States of America, but that day of calamity is not worthy to be compared with the day of calamity that God says will come in the future when the grapes of wrath are thrown into the winepress and are trampled by His judgment.

Hey, Sproul, aren't you supposed to be condemning the terrorists, why are throwing God's Wrath against us in our faces?
I think it was brave, I will call it brave, for Sproul to write such things so soon after 9/11. I am sure he preached this on his pulpit. But I wonder, would he preach on God's wrath in the funeral service of the victims? Can you see how such a message while the pain is so raw can be seen as insensitive at best, monstrous at worst?
Which is why we must have chapter 5, where Jesus awaits. Finding PeaceChapter 5 is titled, "Finding Peace". We soon read Luke 13:1-5.

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Sproul writes:

I wonder if Jesus could get away with remarks like that in twenty-first-century America? In the midst of tragedy, instead of bringing comfort and hope, Jesus was saying, “Don’t look at those people as being worse than you are, because as long as you maintain a posture of impenitence toward God, you also will perish.”

The rest of the chapter is a Gospel plea. Sproul demonstrates our need for a saviour and only Jesus saves. Ah, the glory of the cross.
Sproul could have ended the book here, but he gives us one final chapter, the epilogue. Epilogue: Resolve in WarfareThe book begins at Ground Zero, at the tragedy of 9/11. Then Sproul takes the reader's hand and leads him to process what has happened, telling us that the answer is not found by looking deeper within but looking upward to God. And having scaled the remarkable heights of God's goodness, wrath and sovereignty, at the epilogue Sproul, like an angel who returns a saint from Heaven back to Earth, brings us back to Ground Zero.
He writes:

To maintain resolve in a civil war or in a world war is a different matter from maintaining resolve in a war against terrorism. In the first six months following 9/11, the nation went through the throes of pain and anger, and there was a surge of patriotism. Stores quickly sold out of American flags. Indeed, citizens displayed more flags in their yards, on their cars, even in lapel buttons, than we have seen since World War II. However, in recent months the number of flags being displayed has been dramatically reduced. The surge of resolve has passed, perhaps waning until another attack against us.

We know that there were no further attacks like 9/11 since. But reading how Sproul ended this book, we are reminded of the fear and anxiety that gripped America then.
This hints at what Sproul offers that other books can't. Theodicy of A Specific EventThis book introduces God's Providence and the Problem of Suffering.
If you struggle with "The God who ordains even bad things to happen", and I completely understand the horror of the thought, I truly do, I suggest John Piper's 700 page magnum opus, "Providence". That book may help you reach a conclusion or start a journey of discovery, in any case, it's the most comprehensive and readable book on God's Providence. You can read my review in Episode 7.
If you struggle with suffering, I recommend D.A. Carson's "How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil". One thing I learnt from that book is the best time to read a book on suffering is not during suffering but before. I have taken Carson's advice to heart.
But both of these book don't focus on a specific event. Maybe instead of something general you want to see how a Christian can process a tragedy.
And there are bookshelves full of books on personal tragedies, but there are not as many written on a public, national-level tragedy that is shared by all.
In fact, the only book that comes to mind is Augustine's City of God, written after Rome fell. But that happened so long ago, Augustine's writing is difficult to understand and his book is too big. The Penguin Classic edition is 1152 pages long.
Other that City of God, I can't think of any other book that deals with the theology or the theodicy of a major national tragedy. Surely there must be one. If you know of any, please let me know, via Twitter or the contact form in my website at Readingandreaders.com.
Thus, from where I'm sitting, Sproul's "When Worlds Collide" offers a unique look on how Christians can and should respond to something like 9/11. We don't have to be swept up by the waves of sentimental unity or furious condemnation. We can remain anchored in the transcendent truth found in Scripture.
Does this mean that pastors should not join inter-faith or inter-denominational services? For one thing, I don't think they should be called services. But knowing what the Bible says, how Jesus responded to a question on a tragedy, helps us navigate these difficult questions.
Questions like, "Is 9/11 God's judgment on America?" Sproul did not approve of those who insisted it was. He just said, "I don't know" but he doesn't count it out either.
Another question, which forms the subtitle of the book is: "Where is God?" And to that question, thanks to Sproul, we have certainty. God did not go on a holiday. God was not caught off guard when it happened. God knows, God is in control. He remains all powerful and all present. He is still God, and there is no other. Give praise to the Lord! ConclusionThis is a Reading and Reader's review of "When Worlds Collide: Where is God?" by R.C. Sproul. 96 pages, published by Crossway in September 2002. The hardcopy is available for USD6.14 in Amazon. For September, you can get the ebook in Logos for USD2.99. Last Day to get it!
Another deeply discounted book for September is "The Grace of Repentance" by Sinclair Ferguson. It is USD6.49 via Amazon Kindle but USD0.99 via Logos in September. I read it, I like it but I don't know whether I will be able to review it. In case I don't, I will just say, I never knew how medieval our modern life was such that everything Martin Luther was upset about in his time so inexplicably speaks to our problems today.
Hope you enjoyed today's episode. Thanks for listening. Bye bye. Book List* When Worlds Collide: Where is God? by R.C. Sproul. Amazon. Logos.

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Do you know what are the Doctrines of Grace? If you are not a Calvinist, you might fumble and try to recall your pastor's sermon on grace. If you are a Calvinist, the Doctrines of Grace means something specific. Whether you are a Calvinist or not, this book has something to offer, and today's episode will give you one tidbit to take home.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel" by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken. 240 pages, published by Crossway in April 2009. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and it's a free ebook in Logos.com for September.
R.C. Sproul wrote the foreword. This is how he opened the book:

I have often wondered how my ministry would change if I were to hear a prognosis from my physician that I had a terminal disease and only months or weeks left to live. Would I retire from active ministry to care solely for my own needs? Would I try to continue ministry with a renewed sense of urgency? Would my messages be more bold?
I don’t know the answers to these questions. But I do know what Jim Boice did when the above scenario became real to him. From the day he learned he was dying of cancer to his actual demise, the span of time was a mere six weeks. Forty-two days. The last two of those weeks he was bedridden and extremely weak. While the virulent disease was sapping his strength daily, Dr. Boice called upon a reservoir of strength in his own soul, a strength quickened and sustained by the grace of God, to continue writing hymns and this present volume. He did not live long enough to see this work completed but was encouraged by the assurance that his colleague Dr. Philip Ryken would complete it for him.

This book was written by a man who called upon a reservoir of strength in his own soul, a strength quickened and sustained by the grace of God.
It is fitting that Jim Boice breathed his last writing on the doctrines most dear to his heart.
The Doctrines of Grace are also known by the acronym TULIP: T for Total Depravity, U for Unconditional Election, L for Limited Atonement, I for Irresistible Grace and P for Perseverance of the Saints.
James Montgomery Boice was the senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jim Boice as he was known, passed away in 2000 and is still fondly remembered by many within Reformed circles.
Philip Graham Ryken is the 8th president of Wheaton College and was the senior minister at Tenth Presbyterian Church. What a coincidence!
Both men are respected pastors, teachers and theologians, well-positioned to write a book on the Doctrines of Grace.
If the foreword by Sproul was an eulogy, then the introduction by Ryken is a rally cry. I quote:

Readers will find that this is a polemical book. By this I mean that it argues for a theological position -- Calvinism as set over against Arminianism. It is our conviction that evangelicalism is in desperate need of the best kind of Calvinism. It was Dr. Boice’s intention for this book to mount a vigorous defense of Reformed theology while at the same time maintaining the highest standards of Christian charity.

Throughout the book, the line is drawn. For example, on election, they summarise the Arminian position as thus:

Therefore, the ultimate cause of salvation is not God’s choice of the sinner but the sinner’s choice of God.

Part One: The Doctrines of GraceYou would think they would start the book with a thorough exposition of Scripture. Uncharacteristically, they make the pragmatic claim first. Calvinism is good for the church and thus, good for the world.
Part One: The Doctrines of Grace1. Why Evangelicalism Needs Calvinism 2. What Calvinism Does In History

Chapter one begins with a quote from B.B. Warfield:

The world should realize with increased clearness that Evangelicalism stands or falls with Calvinism.

And if I have any non-Calvinist listeners still listening, consider whether what comes next is more palatable.

By “Evangelicalism,” Warfield essentially meant what German Lutherans meant when they first started using the term during the Protestant Reformation: a church founded on the gospel, the good news of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And when Warfield spoke of “Calvinism,” he was referring to the Protestant Reformation, with its insistence on justification by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone.

And a bit later...

What Warfield was really saying, therefore, is something that every Christian should and must believe: the gospel stands or falls by grace.

If the authors equate Calvinism with grace, then would rejecting Calvinism mean rejecting grace? The chapter continues on with the five points of Arminianism, followed by the five points of Calvinism, which is unpacked in Part Two of the book. And to answer the question on Calvinism and grace, the authors write:

Calvinism presents salvation as the work of the triune God—election by the Father, redemption in the Son, calling by the Spirit. Furthermore, each of these saving acts is directed toward the elect, thereby infallibly securing their salvation. By contrast, Arminianism views salvation as something that God makes possible but that man makes actual. This is because the saving acts of God are directed toward different persons: the Son’s redemption is for humanity in general; the Spirit’s calling is only for those who hear the gospel; narrower still, the Father’s election is only for those who believe the gospel. Yet in none of these cases (redemption, calling, or election) does God actually secure the salvation of even one single sinner! The inevitable result is that rather than depending exclusively on divine grace, salvation depends partly on a human response.

In chapter two, they write:

If Calvinism is biblical, then we should expect to discover that the church has flourished whenever the doctrines of grace have been taught and practiced. By contrast, we should expect to discover that wherever and whenever these doctrines have come under assault, the church has suffered spiritual, moral, and social decline.

They lay out the evidence from history. We have Calvin's Geneva, sin city to God's city. The Puritans we love, they were Calvinists. The Great Awakening, they were Calvinists (except for John Wesley, that guy was Arminian). Do we have anything more recent and less church-y? Abraham Kuyper, theologian cum Prime Minister of Holland. Then the authors show once Calvinism receded as the primary theology, the good times left. They write:

The pathway from Calvinism to liberalism -- and even atheism -- is well worn, and it usually passes through Arminianism.

The problem with arguing from history is people can pick and choose. After all, what does flourishing mean?
The Roman Catholics could say that everybody was united until the Protestants came and broke the church into a thousand pieces.
The Pentecostals and Charismatics would point to the numerous churches flourishing all over the world as a sign that their theology is relevant today.
And some might point out that the collapse of Reformed in history is evidence of its innate deficiency.
Calvinism in history is just the opening. Just as how non-Christians only think of Christians as gay-hating anti-science bigots, and not know that Christians build hospitals, orphanages and schools, so in the same way, non-Calvinists only think of Calvinists as in-your-face debaters, and not know that Calvinists make up the Puritans and that Calvinists have sacrificed their lives to bring the gospel of Christ to the lost.
Just being aware of the history might temper one's attitude to Calvinism and maybe that's enough for you to hear the main part of the book: the biblical argument for Calvinism. Part Two: The Five PointsIn Part Two of the book we dive into the Five Points of Calvinism.
Part Two: The Five Points 3. Radical Depravity 4. Unconditional Election 5. Particular Redemption 6. Efficacious Grace 7. Persevering Grace
These chapters are solid presentations of the Doctrines of Grace, as you would come to expect from Jim Boice and Philip Ryken. The authors quote Scripture, expound Scripture and most importantly, consider opposing Scripture.
For example, on the Calvinist insistence that salvation is solely God's choice and never Man's, some argue that the Bible clearly calls people to make a choice. Boice and Ryken know it. They quote Jesus in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." And they respond by way of Augustine vs. Pelagius, Martin Luther's "The Bondage of the Will" and Jonathan Edward's "Freedom of the Will". Familiar name and books if you know the topic, and if you don't, Boice and Ryken give you good reasons to.
The careful listener will note that the chapter headings are not TULIP. Limited Atonement is Particular Redemption also known as Definite Atonement. The authors comment that Christians balk at the word limited because it seems as if we are limiting God. A bit tongue in cheek, they suggest that if we call it Definite Atonement, the word definite declares that God had a definite goal and who would like to argue that God has an indefinite goal?
For myself and 4-point Calvinists, we will not be satisfied by the name change.
I have heard one argument for Limited Atonement that says God will not let one drop of Christ's blood go to waste. Therefore, Christ must have only died for the elect.
In my mind, that tells me more about the speaker and not of God. God told Moses and the Israelites not to collect manna on a Sunday. But they did and the manna spoilt. If it was going to spoil, then God shouldn't have sent it from Heaven in the first place right? Or consider how Jesus feeds the 5000 and 7000 and there were basketfuls of leftovers. Or what about the healing that Jesus did in Bethsaida and Capernaum among people who did not believe in him. That's a waste of effort. Or an expression of God's bountiful grace and mercy.
So I can agree with Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints, but I don't see why the blood of Jesus not cover the sins of the everyone. Boice and Ryken admit this is the majority view among Christians even amongst Presbyterians and Reformed.
One of the things I like about this book is the authors are familiar with the argument so they are able to pre-empt objections, put aside the spurious ones and address the main issue.
Early on, the authors clarify one common ground, they believe that the blood of Jesus was "more than sufficient to atone for all the sins of all the people in all the ages of this world."
When I read this, I thought, wait a minute, I thought this was the main contention? Thus, I admit my ignorance of this doctrine.
The authors then write:

Unless a person is a genuine universalist, and believes that every individual eventually will be saved, he or she inevitably circumscribes the atonement. Either it is limited in its effects (Christ died for all, but not all get saved), or it is limited in its scope (Christ did not die for all, but all for whom he died will be saved).

So people should not get hung up on the word limited because the atonement is either limited in effect or scope. I thought this was helpful. Continuing on.

Loraine Boettner, who has written so many helpful books explaining Reformed theology, has compared the situation to two bridges. One is a very broad bridge, but it only goes halfway across the chasm. The other is a narrow bridge, but it spans the divide. When things are put this way, anyone can see that it is far better to have a narrow bridge that actually does the job. This is the Reformed position: that the narrow way of the Cross reaches all the way to salvation.

What are your thoughts on that? I was surprised that the authors make this argument. First of all, the illustration of the very broad bridge is inaccurate because it's not a ten lane bridge that doesn't cross the chasm. It's a ten lane bridge where five lanes cross the chasm. Some do get saved.
And the phrase, "Anyone can see that it is far better..." is making the illustration carry the heavy load of supporting the doctrine. And if anyone is convinced by that illustration, I would say you are too easily satisfied and I have other illustrations to sell you.
They quote Spurgeon. I like Spurgeon. But the quote is heavy on polemic, not in substance. Surely, the authors can offer more than a half-way bridge and a Spurgeon quote.
The authors tend to save the best for later. Listen to this:

The real question is not whether the death of Jesus Christ has sufficient value to atone for the sins of the entire world, or whether his death benefits all people in some limited sense, or whether everyone will be saved. The real question concerns the design of the atonement; that is, what did God the Father actually intend to do in sending his Son to die for us?

Later he summaries the three options as:

Jesus’ death was not an actual atonement, but only something that makes atonement possible. The atonement becomes actual when the sinner repents of his or her sin and believes on Jesus.
Jesus’ death was an actual atonement for the sins of God’s elect people with the result that these, and only these, are delivered from sin’s penalty.
Jesus’ death was an actual atonement for the sin of all people with the result that all people are saved.

We are not universalist, so we ignore the third option.
So we are left to think what does the atonement actually mean, what does it actually achieve. Then Boice turns to how the Bible describes what Jesus did: Redemption, Propitiation, Reconciliation and Atonement.
Boice then concludes:

When we put these terms together, looking at their precise meanings, we see that Jesus did not come merely to make salvation possible, but actually to save his people. He did not come to make redemption possible; he died to redeem his people. He did not come to make propitiation possible; he turned aside God’s wrath for each of his elect people forever. He did not come to make reconciliation between God and man possible; he actually reconciled to God those whom the Father had given him. He did not come merely to make atonement for sins possible, but actually to atone for sinners.

This is why I like reading these Reformed theologians, they corner you with these questions, then push the Bible under your noses, and needle you, "Come on, what say you?"
And I'm forced to admit that reading what the Bible says about the atonement, I struggle to say that the atonement only gives the possibility of atonement, a possibility only actualised on the sinner's say so.
While your mind is reeling from the blows, you grasp for some support, some way to push back and hold on to what you believed before.
The writers help you find support. In this chapter, they title the section, "The Problem Texts". And there are three categories of problem texts.1. Passages that seem to teach that God has a will to save everyone. 2. Passages in which it is suggested that some people for whom Jesus Christ died will perish. 3. Passages in which the work of Jesus seems to be intended for the entire world.

And as you would expect, the authors take the same passage and offer an alternate, equally plausible interpretation without ridiculing people who disagree.
Wait a minute. What are the implications of this? If limited atonement is true, then how can we offer the Gospel to everyone? How can we say on the pulpit that Christ died for all of you when he did not.
Once again, the good teachers know the question before you arrived at them and they zestfully answer it.

Does this weaken the gospel message? Far from weakening the message, the doctrine of definite atonement strengthens it and alone makes it a genuine gospel. Suppose we go to the lost with the message that Jesus died for everyone but without the conviction that his death actually accomplished salvation for those who should believe. Suppose, in other words, that we proclaim a redemption that did not redeem, a propitiation that did not propitiate, a reconciliation that did not reconcile, and an atonement that did not atone? That would be a fool’s errand. But if we can say, “Christ died for sinners to restore them to God; if you believe on him, you are saved and can know that he has died for you,” then we have a message worth proclaiming and our hearers have a gospel worth believing.

So that is a walkthrough on one chapter of this book, one chapter that deals with one of the five points of Calvinism.
But wait... there is more! Part Three: Rediscovering God's GraceIf you have had the encounter to meet an enthusiastic Calvinist you may have walked away wishing you did not. Boice and Ryken know too well how some Calvinists carry themselves and Part Three offers correction and direction.
Part Three: Rediscovering God's Grace 8. The True Calvinist 9. Calvinism at Work
I quote:

The “Truly Reformed” are considered narrow in their thinking, parochial in their outlook, and uncharitable in their attitude toward those who disagree. They have a bad reputation, and sadly, perhaps some of it is deserved. There is a combative streak in Calvinism, and whenever the doctrines of grace are divorced from warm Christian piety, people tend to get ornery.

Later they argue:

This ought not to be. In fact, it cannot be, provided that Calvinism is rightly understood. The doctrines of grace help to preserve all that is right and good in the Christian life: humility, holiness, and thankfulness, with a passion for prayer and evangelism. The true Calvinist ought to be the most outstanding Christian -- not narrow and unkind, but grounded in God’s grace and therefore generous of spirit. Toward that end, this chapter is a practical introduction to Reformed spirituality. In the next chapter we will explore the implications of Calvinism for public life.

The book begins with a survey of Calvinism in history. The book ends with Calvinism and a glorious future(?). They tend to save their best argument for the end, so don't be too quick to dismiss them. Read till the end of the chapter, or the end of the book.
I went into the book thinking I understood Limited Atonement and was firmly against it. I now realised my ignorance and it does seem to make sense. Enough for me to reconsider my position on it. ConclusionWhich brings me to the question, Who is this book for? Calvinists would love the book. What about non-Calvinists? Well, it's always good to hear a well-presented argument from the opposing side. And Jim Boice and Philip Ryken have done a good job here.
You know how in elections, there are candidates who have no chance of winning, but they are really good at rousing voters on a single issue. So much so that these candidates force all the other candidates to respond.
Or consider heresies. If we can guess God's purpose for allowing heresies to happen, I would say heresies force people to respond, to clarify, to defend, what they believe.
And so when it comes to Calvinists, they may come across as single-issue, or rather five-point-issue believers, or some believe that Calvinists have gone horribly astray in their theology. My thinking is, Calvinists force everyone to contend with what the Bible says of God's sovereignty, holiness or in this book, God's Grace. And surely, God's character is worth learning, because "Who God Is" is foundational to our worship and Christian life.
And that is why I appreciate the Calvinists and Reformed, not because I want to pick a side. I am not looking for a football team to support. I am looking to understand the Bible better to know my God deeper.
And wherever you land on the question of Calvinism, I think you will profit from the Doctrine of Grace.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of "The Doctrines of Grace" by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Ryken. Book List* The Doctrines of Grace by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken. Amazon. Logos.

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Have you read those letters from John? He seems to repeat himself over and over again, love, truth, love, truth. Is it because he is old and can't remember what he just said or wrote? Or maybe, there is something deeper here that I don't get. It would be nice if someone could help me get into the meaning, help me understand the context so that I can apply it in my own life.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Letters of John" by Gary Burge. 280 pages, published by Zondervan Academic in October 2011. This is a volume from the NIV Application Commentary series. NIVACI love this series. The unique format just stands out from other commentary series. It takes a Bible book -- or in today's commentary, it takes all three of John's letters -- and breaks down the text into chunks of verses expounded in chapters. So far, nothing new, that's what every commentary does.
The difference is every chapter starts with the Scripture passage followed by three sections: 1. Original Meaning, 2. Bridging Context and 3. Contemporary Significance.

Original Meaning looks at the text and asks, "What would this text mean to the original audience?" Let's get into the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, the grammar, the historical, geographical, social, cultural background.
Bridging Context makes explicit the transition from the people there and then, to us here and now. In those days, John was warning Christians of Gnostic teachers and their Gnostic ways. Okay, how do we bridge that to today when Gnostic people don't exist. Or do they?
The final section, Contemporary Significance takes what we learn from the Original Meaning and Bridging Context sections to bring the passage home. What does this mean for our family, work and church.
This is what I tell people, "Read any commentary from this series because it makes you a better Bible reader."
There are many 'good' preachers out there, great with the feels, ticks all the boxes in the Tiktok crowd. That's an awesome(?) sermon but that's not what the text says. And people don't like it when you tell them that the sermon which they enjoyed so much is problematic, it's like you are putting down their children or they just ignore your comment, they shrug and say, hey, to each his own.
But I am not commenting on the subjective experience which can be impressive, I am saying beneath all the boom-boom-boom, testimonies, dreams and visions is a faulty interpretation of the passage. If the passage was even expounded. Sometimes passages are just used in the beginning as a jumping point, somehow as a prop to legitimise it is a sermon. So we get feel-good emotions but we may not be getting the Truth of the passage.
And knowing what is the Truth is important. Just ask John. The Apostle of Love was not a hippie singing "love, love, love", he was driven by the deep deep conviction of Who he witnessed and Who he followed, the God-Man Christ Jesus. BurgeAnd Gary M. Burge is here to tell us all about it.
Burge is the Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary. Before that, he was a professor at Wheaton College for 25 years. He wrote his dissertation under I. Howard Marshall on the title, "The Anointed Community: The Holy Spirit in the Johannine Tradition". Since then he has written a lot on John including the 965-page NIV Application series commentary on the Gospel of John.
And it's a good thing that Logos did not make that the free book for August, otherwise you wouldn't be getting a review from me. Instead today we get a review on the NIV Application Commentary on the "Letters of John" by Gary M. Burge. JohnThe three epistles or letters, are named 1, 2 and 3 John, even though the writer did not sign off on his letters. Burge acknowledges that the identity of the author is contested but insists we should take the writer to be the Apostle John, who wrote both the gospels and the letters, unless we have evidence that says otherwise.
John is known as the Apostle of Love, yet, the Apostle of Love was not slow to condemn false teachers. In his letters, you can see how he warned Christians in the strongest terms of false teachers. This was how he showed love. But what was the dispute about? OpponentsBurge writes:

John says that his opponents hold the following beliefs:* they deny the Son (1 John 2:23) * they deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (4:2; 2 John 7) * they deny that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22)

These statements may be compared with affirmations in the letters that buttress John’s own Christology. It is likely that these verses are also connected to the opponent’s Christological error.* Jesus is the Christ (5:1) * Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (4:2) * Jesus is the Son (2:23; 3:23; 5:11) or the Son of God (1:3, 7; 3:8, 23; 4: 9, 10, 15, etc.) * Jesus Christ came “by water and blood” (5:6)

From these statements a composite image of John’s opponents begins to emerge. They are no doubt Christians who have begun to deviate from the traditionally received understanding of Jesus Christ. They affirm the idea of Christ, but doubt whether Christ became flesh and whether the man Jesus was indeed the incarnation of God.

You might be thinking, "Oh, nothing for me to read here. I don't believe any of those false teachings and I don't know anybody who does."
But just because the false teachers of John's time have died nearly 2000 years ago, it does not mean their teachings have died. The warnings are still valid. We just need someone to build us a bridge. In ShortBurge does that for us in 12 chapters for 1 John, and a chapter each for 2 and 3 John. 2 and 3 John are really short, they are the equivalent of tweets today.
You can read 1 John in one sitting, it's only 5 chapters long, and upon finishing 1 John (and perhaps 2 and 3 John), you can congratulate yourself for finishing 3 out of the 66 books of the Bible, that's 4.5%.
If you are like me, you will be slightly perplexed with 1 John. It's not that I don't understand what he is saying, it's just that it's so repetitious and sometimes there is these imageries that he assumes the readers know? You get a sense that this is an important heartfelt letter, the stakes are high but you need some help to understand it.
Burge divides the letter into two parts: "God is light" (1 John 1:5) and "God is love" (1 John 4:8). He makes a compelling connection with the Gospel of John which also has a two part structure, which is the first half is on the light that shined in the darkness and the second half is on Jesus caring and nurturing those who believe in him. SampleNow that we know how everything is laid out, I will attempt to bring out the essence of the book by taking one chapter as an example. I want a chapter that is self-contained so that we can understand it without referring to previous or next chapters. It should prove to you the usefulness of the three sections: Original Meaning, Bridging Context and Contemporary Significance, for this is the Unique Selling Point of the book. Other than these literary considerations, I want to offer you a biblical insight, a divine truth that you can take away from today's episode to pray, meditate, worship and delight in.
I've taken the chapter on 1 John 4:1-6. The chapter begins with the verses printed in full.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Today we have the same problem. We have false teachers on the pulpit. People claiming to be prophets and apostles, entering our homes, teaching our children, writing books and signing autographs. What should we do, how do we test the spirit? Read the Bible. That's the answer. Know Jesus. Pray more. Get myself into a proper Christian community. Original MeaninWait... wait... wait... we have gone ahead of ourselves. Do you see what I did? As soon as I read the passage, I immediately thought of my situation today. And I can go on and on about the todays problems and how we should solve them.
But isn't that the way we should read the Bible? Make it relevant in our lives? Yes, but not so soon. Consider how Burge does it. In the Original Meaning section, he explains the problem of those who call themselves prophets, but were frauds.
Burge writes:

It is important to pause and gain some appreciation for this problem in the early church. House churches were isolated in cities throughout the Roman empire. In the early years there were few formal creeds (such as the later Creed of Nicea) to give doctrinal guidance, nor were the Scriptures available as we have them today. No one owned a “New Testament,” and at best the early Christians only had random collections of letters from the apostles and collections of stories about Jesus. Therefore oral communication was essential. Churches relied on emissaries from their leaders, who relayed information from other communities and taught. Paul sent out Timothy and Silas in this capacity, and John sent out elders as his spokespersons (3 John 5). But problems came when prophets or teachers arrived claiming an authority that was not rightfully theirs. Paul had to address the problem of unauthorized teachers in Galatia and Thessalonica. Because some churches received false letters (see 2 Thess. 2:2), he even decided to sign his correspondence with recognizable markings (Gal. 6:11; Col. 4:18; 2 Thess. 3:17). This phenomenon meant that churches could fall prey to unscrupulous itinerant prophets and teachers, and John’s churches were no exception (cf. 2 John 7). Consequently, Christians had to be ready to assess the message they heard and the spirit that inspired it.

So it's not about you (yet), it's about them. You need to travel back in time, and see the problems they faced. They didn't have Google. Not even a Bible. No seminary trained pastors with 2000 years of scholarship to back them up. In that situation, how can anyone know what is true? Without the Bible, with these prophets claiming divine inspiration, how can the early Christians test?
John tells us how. Read the passage. There are two tests. The first test is what do they say about Jesus. The second test is how does the church receive their teaching. Burge summarises:

If the incarnate Christ has been theologically removed, if Christology is not at the center of what someone says, we are right to be suspicious. In addition, if the community we have always trusted, if the church as the historic custodian of truth, refuses this prophesy, we should be warned. Moreover, if it finds a ready reception in the world, we should flee because it may be a message that has originated with the evil spirit that dominates that world.

"Okay. Now that I know what it means, tell me how to apply it in my life."
"Not so fast!" Bridging ContextBefore we leave the past and rush to the present, there is an intermediate state, called "Bridging Context".
In John's time, we have truth and falsehood. In our time, we have your truth, my truth, as many truths as we need and nothing is false.
In John's time, the false teachers taught that Jesus was not truly human. In our time, false teachers can affirm what John said but they also say that Jesus was not the only man who can be divine.
In John's time, he appealed to people who pursued truth. In our time, let me read what Burge writes:

Among the students I teach I find that most of them are eager to tell how they feel about a particular question, but few of them are capable of giving a coherent, objective, carefully reasoned argument for or against it.

The Bridging Context gives us space to consider what the text says and does not say. The last thing we want is to wrongly apply the lesson, and do something or believe something that is contrary to whatever John is saying. A spectacular example that Burge points out later in the book is how Oral Roberts healing ministry began from a misreading of 3 John 2. Contemporary SignificancSo it is only after we know the original meaning and the bridging context, that we can move to the contemporary significance. For this "test the spirits" passage, Burge outlines four application points:1. The church is called to the be custodian of the truth. He asks, "How do I cultivate a discerning spirit without becoming cynical?" 2. The centrality of Christology. He wonders if John's concern is alive in our church today? 3. How do we unmask false teachers? He writes:

He has at least two concerns: (a) False teachers should not have access to the church as a platform for their teachings, and (b) people should not be deceived by what they hear in the church. This means at least that the church should be a spiritual refuge where experimental teachings or controversial points of view are checked. Practically speaking, when I send my daughters to Sunday school, I deserve the assurance that the teacher in the class is not there simply because she is the only one who volunteered. The church must guarantee that those who teach are theologically and spiritually qualified to do so.

Where or who are these spirits today? Burge describes two types of spirits. One is spirits as in territorial spirits, demons, bondage and exorcism. He refers to Peter Wagner's book "Territorial Spirit: Insights on Strategic-Level Spiritual Warfare from Nineteen Christian Leaders". The other is spirits as in spirit of the age, a world that has no use for truth, God becoming human is not simply rejected but now it is incomprehensible. He quotes David Well's "No Place for Truth".

Remember, there are as many application points from a verse as there are Christians in a church. Each could and should apply the verse in their own ways so what Burge does here are just helpful samples.
Alright. So that is one chapter and I hope that gives you a good idea of how this commentary series can train you to separate interpretation from application and how this book in particular can you train you to separate truth from falsehoods. Burge vs WagnerLet me share some reflections. When I finished the book, I realised that my take on this book was surprisingly influenced by the previous book I read. In the last episode, I read Peter Wagner's commentary on the book of Acts. I did not expect Burge to mention him and mention him in a positive light.
I don't know what is Burge's take on the controversial figure of Peter Wagner and his legacy but when I read the two books, they are so different.
Speaking only of Wagner's commentary on Acts, Wagner exults in creative interpretation which leads to questionable application, which comes at the reader with the force of a biblical rule. If you can't distinguish between interpretation and application, the reader could take as Gospel truth what is merely a speculation, or on the other extreme, because of all the guess-work the reader cannot extract the missions and power ministry insights Wagner offers.
You could overcome these problems if you can get to the original meaning, bridging context and contemporary significance of the passage. In contrast to Wagner, Burge is more careful, and I appreciate his prudence because it is a check on me that I don't make the text say what I want it to say or don't say.
One last difference between Wagner and Burge and this is on the content rather than the approach.
The main thesis of Wagner's book is that the best and perhaps the only way to evangelise is to through the indigenous community. According to Wagner when the Hellenistic Jews complained to the Hebrew Jews, there was an amicable church split. This insistence on a culture ministering to its own dominates his interpretation of events in Acts.
Then I read this passage from Burge. He did not write this in response to Wagner. He was merely commenting on 3 John, but I thought it was funny how it was a strong counter point to Wagner. Burge writes:

The names given in 3 John (Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius) are all Greek; this fact suggests a cultural context far removed from Judea and Galilee. Thus when a traditional source of authority steps forward -— an apostolic elder -— some chafed at the thought of submission. “Our religion is working for us! It feels right! Why should we conform to a foreigner, someone who represents traditions and people we don’t even know?”

First, normally I would not have noticed the Greek names. They are all Greek to me.
Second, I would not have thought much of Burge's point here of how truth trumps culture.
These are just two of the many points of, I wouldn't say difference but, engagement after reading first Wagner than Burge's commentary. ConclusionIn conclusion, the NIV Application Commentary series is a standout series. One volume from this series that I recommend is the commentary on Acts by Ajith Fernando. If you have to get a commentary on Acts get this Fernando's, not Wagner's.
Every student of the Bible should learn how to separate interpretation from application. Don't rush to application. Put more effort in understanding what the text says. Because Truth matters. God is light. God is love. How Great is Our God.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "Letters of John" by Gary Burge. 280 pages, published by Zondervan Academic in October 2011. This is a volume from the NIV Application Commentary series.
The commentary was available for free in August but if you miss out on that deal, don't miss out on September's free book. I am reading "The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel" by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken. I hope to give you my review soon. Thanks for listening. Bye bye.

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When you read the Book of Acts, you can't help but think, "Why isn't the church today like that?" Well, maybe it can and it should.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "The Book of Acts: A Commentary" by C. Peter Wagner. 526 pages, published by Regal Publishers in 2008. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD16.99 but it was available for free, some time ago via Logos.com.
C. Peter Wagner was a Fuller Theological Seminary professor, specialising in missiology. He became famous, or infamous depending on your position, for the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a term he coined. Peter Wagner and the New Apostolic Reformation are big topics that go beyond the scope of today's book review. My review is focused on what is written here but first, let me explain my personal relationship with this book.
15 years ago, I read this book and my eyes were opened. At that time, I had just became a Christian, having placed my skepticism aside. To my amazement, I came to believe that Christ walked on water, Christ raised the dead, Christ was crucified, he was resurrected on the third day and ascended and one day Christ will return.
In those early days of my coming to faith, I read this book. And wow! I was electrified. Who said the Bible was boring! Not the way he tells it. Spiritual warfare. Gods and demons. What was true for Paul and the apostles is still true for us today. I can still remember the thrill of knowing all these things.
That was 15 years ago and a lot has happened since. For one, I have read the Bible cover to cover, I have read more books after this one, listen to more sermons and engaged in many a great conversations on the biggest questions of the faith.
For one thing, back then I had no opinion on the New Apostolic Reformation. Now, I do. As I review this book, I know that some love this book and treasure the life and ministry of Peter Wagner, who had passed way in October 2016. I can somewhat understand the enthusiasm because I had a taste of it 15 years ago. I take today's review as a sign of how far I have come and a wonder that I was so taken in by Peter Wagner's book.
With that, let's turn to the Book of Acts: A Commentary by C. Peter Wagner.
Chapter 1 is titled, "God's Training Manual for Modern Christians". Here he makes the case that the key verse to understand the book is Acts 1:8, which reads:

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

In this chapter, he asks the question, "There are 1,398 commentaries on Acts, what will mine offer?"
He writes:

It is in these two areas—power ministry and missiology -- that I feel I can make enough of a contribution to justify adding yet another commentary on Acts to our library shelves. I bring a degree of expertise in these areas that few of the biblical scholars who have produced the classical works on Acts could provide. In doing so, I have no illusions of grandeur. The classical works have a well-deserved reputation as classics.

As a missiologist, Wagner brings out the cultural aspects that we may not fully appreciate in our first reading the Book of Acts.
For example, in Acts 6, when we read how the Hellenist Jews raised a complaint against the Hebrew Jews, Hellenist and Hebrew may not mean much to us. Wagner helpfully informs us of the historical and cultural background so that we can fully appreciate the underlying tension between the two groups. By highlighting the cultural barriers, we become more sensitive, more aware, of how culture impacts our evangelistic efforts.
The second major theme is Power Ministry. Wagner writes:

How do we know that the kingdom of God is authentically among us? One way is to see healings and demonic deliverances as part of the ongoing ministry of the church.

Even the most hardened cessationist, who believes the sensational acts of the apostles have ceased, even they would give pause as Wagner brings out passage after passage of signs and wonders, miracles and healings. These are all glorious events in Acts. And no Christian should be dismissed for wondering, "Why is it that our Christian life today does not resemble the days of the apostles?"
But it can. And it does. That is Wagner's exhortation throughout the book. What you read in Acts, the healing, deliverance, power and authority is happening in Latin America, in China, it's happening, it's expanding and you can be part of it too.
What Peter Wagner has set out to do with this commentary is to emphasise these two themes: Power Ministry and Missions. And he does it with style. He takes passages that we would just read through without a second thought and makes us see something that wasn't there before.
To take a trivial, deliciously enticing, example, Wagner's commentary on Acts 16 includes these words:

After many exciting events in Philippi, which we will see in detail shortly, the last place we find the missionaries, Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke, is in the house of Lydia where they had been lodged. But when they leave Philippi, the “we” suddenly changes to “they”! Luke obviously had stayed behind. Did he stay lodged in Lydia’s house? Could they have decided to marry each other and help form the nucleus of that wonderful church in Philippi that later sent substantial financial gifts to Paul and his missionary team?

I bet you have never even considered that possibility. And you almost imagine the storyteller's eye twinkle and a massive grin. Just to be clear, Wagner doesn't make a big deal out of Luke's single or married status but it is a charming way to remind readers that the people we read about, Paul, Luke, Lydia were flesh and blood men and women much like we are.
Wagner has a great imagination. Imagination is a good thing for bible readers, for us to get into the drama of the dogma. But Wagner takes it too far. The phrase "It could have been" occurs 43 times in the 24 chapters of this book.
If those "could have beens" were limited to artistic license, suggestions to invoke wonder, nothing to be taken seriously, it would be okay. But Wagner goes too far.
Let's look at the heart of the book, the two themes that he draws from Acts 1:8, namely power ministry and missiology.
I appreciate how Wagner brings his expertise in missiology, the study of missions, to bring out the cultural aspects of Acts but he has allowed his expertise to bring his interpretations into the realm of fantasy or historical fiction.
It starts out innocently enough. Remember the Hellenist and Hebrew Jews in Acts 6? The common understanding is the apostles appointed Stephen and other Hellenistic Jews to minister to the widows and all ends well. Everybody stayed together in harmony right? Right?
Wagner writes:

Although the term “church split” is harsher than Luke would use, this passage is an account of the first major church split.

Now, it is a good church split. A harmonious one according to God's will. Stephen and the Hellenistic believers are now separate from the apostles. They have control over their own finances. They are free to minister to their own culture.
Wagner justifies this church split idea from the word deacon. He names scholars like Derek Tidball, John Stott, Hans Conzelmann who each say what Stephen and friends did is more than waiting at tables.
At this point, I did something which I did not do 15 years ago. I looked up the references. Sadly, two of the references were not available as ebooks so I couldn't get them with a click of the button. But I have John Stott's commentary on Acts. Without going into the details, Stott refutes Wagner's conclusion. At the end we still have one church.
Wagner has a tendency to read his own experiences of multi-cultural missions into the text such that he exaggerates the tensions between cultures so that it can only be reconciled with a split.
And he draws the lesson that the biblical way to do missions is to establish indigenous leaders to lead their own church. That is certainly a desire of every missionary but is that what happened in Jerusalem between the apostles and Stephen's group?
And it doesn't stop at Jerusalem.
Consider Antioch in Acts 13:1-3. Let me read from Acts:

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Do you detect any tension in Antioch? I can't see any. Would you describe it as a united church? I would even wonder why you would suggest it.
You will note that there are foreigners named in the list.
Let's use our imagination of how that passage would look like. Maybe it would be something like how your church gathered together, everyone, rich, poor, young, old, men, women, black, white and every colour in between coming together to bless your church's mission team before they go off. There is a good chance someone would say you are doing the same thing that the church in Antioch did when they sent off Paul and Barnabas.
Except according to Wagner, that's not what happened.
The listing of foreigners in the passage gets Wagner to wildly speculate. He imagines these foreign missionaries served in the Cyprus and Cyrene Mission, or CCM for short. Because he can't seem to imagine two different cultures in the same church or mission organisation. He writes:

... it is inaccurate to say, as many attempt to do, that Paul and Barnabas were sent out by the church at Antioch.

Enough about culture. Let's hear what Wagner has to say about the other big theme of his book: Power Ministry. And we should, we must, hear what he says because God told him to say it.
In an earlier chapter, when he comments on God commissioning Paul, Wagner writes:

I myself can testify that receiving such commissioning words as these, directly from Jesus, brings powerful spiritual sustenance later on, especially when difficult times arise. Jesus told Paul “how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (9:16). In 1989, at the massive Lausanne II Congress on World Evangelization in Manila, Philippines, God spoke to me in as clear, although less dramatic, a way as He spoke to Paul. He said, “I want you to take international leadership in the field of territorial spirits.”

I want to say upfront that I don't believe Wagner is saying, "Thus says the Lord... This is what God says about spiritual warfare..." But I also want to say that by making such a big claim, it's not easy for Christians who want to be faithful to what the Lord says to ignore him. Or to question him.
And question him, I must.
Wagner says that Paul failed in Athens because there were so many idols there.
He writes:

I believe that Paul’s experience in Athens, although far from a success in evangelism and church planting, would have been a valuable learning experience for him, and by application for us as well. Paul learned important lessons about (1) the awesome power of the enemy, and (2) missionary methodology.
None of the commentators I have checked raises the question of whether the demonic powers behind the idols and the festivals and the sacrifices in Athens could have been strong enough to frustrate Paul’s evangelistic intentions in the city. I personally believe they could have been and they probably were more than Paul could handle. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ ministry in His hometown of Nazareth. It is said, “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matt. 13:58). Neither Jesus nor Paul did anything particularly wrong; they simply encountered powers that, at that particular time, were fortified enough to hold their position and to prevent the fullest penetration of the kingdom of God.

Oh boy... I am so upset by the suggestion that Jesus encountered powers that were too strong for him but this is a throwaway statement from Wagner so I won't spend time here. But the fact that he doesn't substantiate this, he just throws a remark like that without needing to defend, just shows how he plays fast and loose with basic doctrine. He throws the King of Kings out the window to fit his spiritual warfare narrative, which is often informed by what he sees, what his friends sees and goes beyond what the Bible actually says.
So anywhere, Athens is a failure because evil powers were too strong.
Paul goes to Corinth. He succeeds there. Wagner lists the differences between Athens and Corinth, he points to Acts 17:16 "[Paul's] spirit was provoked within him when he saw the city [Athens] was given over to idols."
Thus, Wagner concludes:

Even a novice spiritual mapper in the first century would have been able to recognise that darkness lingered over Athens more than either Berea, Paul's previous stop, or here in Corinth.

In short, Corinth is a success because the evil powers there were weak.
Okay, then Paul goes to Rome.
Wagner describes the strong Christian presence in Rome:

How many house churches might have been located in Rome by this time we have no way of knowing exactly, but it is likely there were quite a few. In the Epistle that Paul wrote to these Roman believers a few years previously, he mentioned some house churches by name.

Wagner describes Rome as "known for its extraordinary political power over a large part of the world."
And finally let me get to my spiritual warfare question. Wagner says that in spiritual warfare just as in normal swords and shields warfare, victory is won by the stronger army.
The Apostle Paul failed in Athens because the evil powers were too strong. The Apostle Paul succeeded in Corinth because the evil powers were too weak. Then how is it that a bunch of no-name Christians which suggests people without apostolic authority could have succeeded in establishing house churches in the very centre of Imperial religion.
Wagner does not explain. He does not even see Rome as the counter argument to his thesis.
And speaking of thesis, the central thesis of this book is flawed.
Early in the book, Wagner asserts that the theme of Acts is seen Acts 1:8.
Let me remind you of what it says:

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Right after this, Wagner writes:

Very simply, in His last recorded words spoken on this earth, Jesus highlights two themes: power ministries and missiology.

That seems to me an unshakeable fact. Then Wagner does the most peculiar thing. He skips over a third of Acts.
And he knows it.

According to my calculations, I am devoting only 8 percent of my full commentary on Acts to chapters 20 to 28, which in turn comprise 32 percent of Luke’s original work.

He explains why as follows:

Five years pass from the time Paul is arrested in Jerusalem to the end of the book of Acts. In the seven-and-one-half chapters Luke uses to tell of this experience (about 27 percent of Acts), explicit accounts of power ministries are few and far between in comparison to the other three-fourths of the book.

Wagner's commentary on Acts is short on last seven and a half chapters of Acts because it has too few power ministries. What does that tell us about the starting thesis of this commentary?
Does Acts 1:8 describe a central theme for Acts? How can it be a central theme when it does not fit with the last 32 percent of the book?
Let's say that it is the central theme because it is true. These were the last recorded words of Jesus. Let's read it again:

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

You shall be witnesses in Jerusalem to the end of the earth does fit with missions.
But let's re-look at what it means to receive power. Wagner understands Holy Spirit power to mean signs and wonders, miracles and healings, angels and demons.
I put to you that the power of the Holy Spirit also includes the power to preach.
Wagner does not give Paul much credit for his Mars Hill sermon. Sorry, I got it wrong, Wagner gives the Holy Spirit no credit for Paul's Mars Hill sermon. Wagner puts it like this:

In Athens Paul displayed brilliance in human wisdom; in Corinth he ministered with public displays of supernatural power.

Likewise, Wagner does not see Holy Spirit power in Paul's defence in his trials. After all, nothing miraculous happened.
But do you remember what Jesus said? Luke 12:11-12:

When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.

Rather than see Athens as a failure, it should be seen as the Holy Spirit's work through Paul.
And how do I know all this? Because the Holy Spirit told me. Wagner claims God spoke to him. I, too, say that God speaks to me.
I'll tell you now what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. The Holy Spirit speaks through the Word and this is what the Word says, in Acts 17:11:

Now these Jews [in Berea] were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

The Holy Bible commends believers to refer to the Holy Scripture to see if what is taught by others are true. So when I say the Holy Spirit speaks to me, the Holy Spirit speaks to you too, through illumination of the Bible.
And I put to you, if you read through Acts and if you consider that power from the Holy Spirit includes signs and wonders, yes, but also spiritual power to teach and receive the Word, if you do this, you will conclude as many Christians have, that we too live in the days of the apostles.
If you are looking for a book that takes the Book of Acts as a source material for "it could have beens", speculative non-fiction, then Wagner's commentary is one of a kind. The best I can say is Wagner makes vivid the reality of spiritual warfare and inter-cultural missions but he does it by over-reaching.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "The Book of Acts: A Commentary" by C. Peter Wagner. 526 pages, published by Regal Publishers in 2008. It's available in Amazon Kindle and logos.com.
Speaking of logos.com, they have another free commentary for this month:
It's the NIV Application Commentary (NIVAC) Letters of John by Gary M. Burge. In Burge's comments on 1 John, he writes:

... the problems in the church are essentially pneumatic. They stem from prophets who, under the alleged inspiration of the Spirit, are teaching false things. John’s first response when faced with such teachings is to train his followers that theology must be anchored objectively or else it will be shaped by any whim or inspiration.

Thanks for listening. Bye bye. Book List* "The Book of Acts: A Commentary" by C. Peter Wagner. Amazon. Logos.

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If ever there was a category called the Theologian's Favourite Mystery Novelist, a serious contender would be Dorothy Sayers for her Lord Peter Wimsey series.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review the Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy Sayers. All 11 books reviewed in one episode.
The first book, "Whose Body?" was published in 1923. That's 100 years ago. The widespread acclaim led to more and more books, Sayers ditched her advertising day job to be a full-time writer. The Lord Peter Wimsey series concludes in 1937 with "Busman's Honeymoon". Dorothy SayersDorothy Sayers is a name that comes up often in the books I read. She seems to be a favourite for many theologians and Christian writers. But I didn't know anything about her or felt compelled to read her books until I listened to an Undeceptions episode where John Dickson interviewed Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing, who studied Sayers for her PhD at Oxford University.
To my disbelief, in her day Dorothy Sayers was as famous, actually more famous, than Agatha Christie. Christie is my favourite detective writer so it shocks me to know there was someone better than her. Perhaps the reason for Christie's longevity is because she continued churning out detective novels while Sayers...
Sayers put her writing talents to the drama of Christianity. She had the cheek to put everyday English into the mouths of Jesus and the disciples. Many Christians protested, preferring their Saviour to speak in King James English. In an essay titled, "The Greatest Drama Ever Staged", Sayers responded:

[It’s as if] Christ wasn’t born into history – He was born into the Bible (Authorised Version) – a place where nobody makes love or gets drunk or cracks jokes, or talks slang, or cheats, or despises his neighbours ... no wonder the story makes so little impression on the common man.

Sayers wrote theological books including: "The Mind of the Maker" which explores the nature of God and creativity and another book is titled, "Are Women Human?" which addresses the role of women in society. Sayers was notably one of the first women to graduate from Oxford University.
Recognising the impact of her radio plays and books, the Archbishop of Canterbury wanted to award Sayers the prestigious Lambeth Doctorate of Divinity. She turned it down.
Dr. Amy in that Undeceptions episode suggests it's because Sayers the famous crime writer and public theologian felt unworthy because she hid a secret sin.
You see, Dorothy Sayers fell in love with a non-Christian who did not believe in marriage. Because of her faith, Sayers would not sleep with the man before marriage. Eventually they separated because the man told her that he would not get married on principle. A few months later, that man got married. She was devastated because she really, really loved him. Later, she got involved with a married man, slept with him, got pregnant, had the child. A child who was then brought up by her cousin.
For more on Sayers her life and work, please go to the Undeceptions episode. One day I hope to review the books of Dorothy Sayers the theologian but for today I review the books of Dorothy Sayers the crime writer. LOTR of Detective NovelsLet us now turn to the Lord Peter Wimsey mystery novel series.
Having finished the series, I would say that Lord Peter Wimsey is to mystery novels as the Lord of the Rings is to fantasy.
"Surely not! Nobody knows Lord Peter Wimsey, so how can it be at Lord of the Rings level?"
What I meant is you can see Tolkien's Christian faith bleed into Middle-Earth making the epic story seem real. In the same way, Sayer's faith bleeds into 20th century England and makes the people more real than the paper-thin characters you read or watch on TV.
Consider Agatha Christie's books which are also set in post World War 1 England. People go to church, they fundraise to repair the church roof, there is even a murder in the vicarage. But Christianity here is nominal. We read the inner thoughts of a murderer but we never read the inner thoughts of a believer.
Whereas in Sayer's world. Christianity is overt. It's almost in your face. Detective Parker Reads Commentaries (to Relax)In chapter 3 of the first novel, Lord Peter and Detective Parker are tracking a criminal through a little wood. Lord Peter says:

I say, I don't think the human frame is very thoughtfully constructed for this sleuth-hound business. If one could go on all-fours, or had eyes in one's knees, it would be a lot more practical.

Parker replies:

There are many difficulties inherent in a teleological view of creation.

When I read this I was laughing out loud with delight. For it is a line written by a theologian for readers who enjoy theology and mystery. No wonder, J.I. Packer lists Sayers among his favourite writers. No wonder, so many of the books I read cites Sayers.
How does Detective Parker relax after a long day of chasing murderers. I quote:

Parker was sitting in an elderly but affectionate armchair, with his feet on the mantelpiece, relaxing his mind with a modern commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. He received Lord Peter with quiet pleasure, though without rapturous enthusiasm, and mixed him a whisky-and-soda. Peter took up the book his friend had laid down and glanced over the pages. "All these men work with a bias in their minds, one way or other," he said, "they find what they are looking for."

Listen to Parker's response:

"Oh, they do but one learns to discount that almost automatically, you know. When I was at college, I was all on the other side -- Conybeare, Robertson and Drews and those people, you know, till I found they were all so busy looking for a burglar whose nobody had ever seen, that they couldn't recognise the footprints of the household, so to speak. Then I spent two years learning to be cautious."

Lord Peter then concludes:

"Theology must be a good exercise for the brain."

Reading Sayers is a good tickle for the theologian's brain. That conversation is about eisegesis, reading into the text what you want it to say. And Parker's response is a detective's rebuke to a theologians fault. Miss Climpson on Friendship and IdolatryLet's have a look at another character. Miss Climpson is a spinster who helps Lord Peter dig things up. In the course of digging things up, she strikes a conversation with a young lady about friendship.
The young lady says:

A great friendship does make demands. It's got to be just everything to one. It's wonderful the way it seems to colour all one's thoughts. Instead of being centred in oneself, one's centred in the other person. That's what Christian love means -- one's ready to die for the other person."

Miss Climpson replies:

Well, I don't know. I once heard a sermon about that from a most splendid priest -- and he said that that kind of love might become idolatry if one wasn't very careful. He said that Milton's remark about Eve -- you know, 'he for God only, she for God in him' -- was not congruous with Catholic doctrine. One must get the proportions right, and it was out of proportion to see everything through the eyes of another fellow-creature.

Harriet Vane or Dorothy Sayers?Another great strong character is Harriet Vane. She appears in the novel, "Strong Poison". The character is a writer of detective novels. And if you think this is a bit meta-, you haven't heard the rest. So Harriet is on trial for poisoning Philip Boyes. Philip is a man who does not believe in marriage. Harriet agrees to live with him without marrying. Philip later changes his mind and decides to marry Harriet after all. Harriet gets angry and breaks off the relationship. Was she angry enough to kill him?
I got a chill when I saw in Harriet Vane, the secret life of Dorothy Sayers. And the whole novel became a meta-mystery. Which is fiction and which is autobiographical? Peter UnpredictableThey are side characters. Parker, Miss Climpson, Harriet. I would love to talk about Bunter the faithful servant or the Wimsey family, his mother, brother Gerald and Mary. They are all important in the series. But I must now turn to Lord Peter Wimsey.
British detectives are like superheroes. Sherlock Holmes, was after all, acted out by both Ironman and Dr. Strange. Armed with his smoking pipe and superior intelligence, Sherlock catches his man, "Elementary, my dear Watson".
Lord Peter Wimsey has his monocle but take away his noble birth, his immense wealth, his service in the war, he would be a fairly ordinary man. In one case, it was not even he who solved it. It just somehow ringed a bell. Just because he is less of a super hero does not make him boring.
Lord Peter Wimsey reminds me of another famously rash and unpredictable Peter. No, I don't mean the Apostle Peter. I mean, Peter Quill from Guardians of the Galaxy. Yes, it might be a bad idea to watch that movie and do this review because I am in danger of reviewing both and neither.
If you have watched the movies, you have seen Peter Quill in the first movie. Despite every attempt to stop Ronan the Accuser, it looks like all is lost. The heroes are beaten. Ronan is giving his victory speech and then... Peter does the coolest thing ever... And if you have never watched the movie, you should watch it in disbelief. What is more, through out the movies we see in Peter Quill, beneath that devil may care cockiness, there is vulnerability and naivety that endears.
If I could choose one fictional detective to be a friend, I would choose Lord Peter Wimsey. He would make a good friend, he is funny, unpredictable, loyal and such a sensitive soul.
If you plan to pick up any of the Lord Peter Wimsey books, I suggest you read it in order. Otherwise you will miss out on the special events, the in-jokes, the callbacks.
Just to take one example: you will miss out on the Wimsey family growing as a family. Sherlock has a brother, Mycroft. But really, other than that freakish Holmes genes, the brothers might as well be friends, colleagues or total strangers.
Not so with Gerald and Peter Wimsey. Here we have history, undercurrents, family expectations and how they grow. They all grow. Parker. Climpson. Harriet. Bunter. Lord Peter Wimsey. That is what makes this such a compelling read. Write What You KnowThere is one thing that could keep people away from the series. While the language is a bit harder to get into for the casual reader, it is surpassable. A tougher barrier is the world she brings you into.
You know how kids complain about getting dragged by their parents to someplace that they insist is fun but is not. In other detective books, the world is incidental. You could easily transplant the plot into a modern world.
When Dorothy Sayers puts the story in Oxford University, we get the buildings, the dons, students, ceremony, the world is very real. In another book, the story is in an advertising agency. Again, we are immersed whether you like it or not into the nuts and bolts of advertising in 1920s England. Oh by the way, did I mention that Sayers studied at Oxford University and worked at an advertising agency?
She writes what she knows and sometimes that means the details get in the way of the plot. Sometimes she makes a reference, she quotes something, which I just don't understand. If you like world-building in your books, Sayers is your writer. There are moments I would have given up reading if not for the ensemble of characters that I have grown to love and respect. Agatha vs. DorothyLet me conclude by putting Dorothy Sayers against her contemporary Agatha Christie. I have read all the Agatha Christie books. She wrote 66 detective novels, six times more than Sayers. Here is the difference between the two: Christie is plot-driven; Sayers is character-driven. Christie has a gimmick, the ABC murders, the Labours of Hercules, the Murder in the Orient Express. Sayers has Wimsey, Bunter, Harriet, Climpson and Parker. In Christie, it's "What will happen next?" In Sayers, it's "What will he do, what is she thinking, how does he feel?" In Christie, the world ends when the case is solved. In Sayers, the world seems to carry on.
Of the eleven books, I liked the early books. They succeeded in hooking me in. The middle books can be a bit hard going. Sayers seems more confident and expects the reader to be able to go the distance with her in her world building. The series ends well. And makes the whole journey worth it. Sayers treats her characters with a lot of respect. Maybe because there is too much of her in them. Her secret sin, her life in Oxford University, working in an advertising agency.
For Christians, the unique experience here is we get Dorothy Sayers the nascent theologian putting her faith into this world. A world that comes alive through the characters and the sincerity of their stories. ConclusionThis is a Reading and Readers review of the Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy Sayers. I bought the 3 volume box set in Amazon Kindle for a hundred dollars.
As we just heard, what Detective Parker's hobby is to read a Bible commentary. And what do you know, for August, Logos is offering a free commentary on the Letters of John. This NIV Application Commentary is written by Gary M. Burge and the series is accessible, for the busy detective seeking to wind down after a hard day's work chasing murderers, and also for you. So get this free book, while it's still August. Thanks for listening. Bye bye. Book List* The Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy Sayers. Amazon.

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I know that Christ saved me. That happened 10, 20, 30 years ago. I know that Christ will save me. That may happen tomorrow, next year, or the next millennia. What I need to know is Christ is with me now. And he is because Jesus declared, "I AM". How do these two words, "I AM", assure us of his presence?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "He Walks with Me: Enjoying the Abiding Presence of God" by Warren Wiersbe. 192 pages, published by David C. Cook in June 2016. You can get it via Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 or for the low, low price of USD1.99 via Faithlife and only in July. WiersbeWarren W. Wiersbe is a famous Bible teacher and writer. He wrote that commentary series that proves you can summarise any book in the Bible into two words. The commentary on Psalms is titled, "Be Worshipful". Galatians, "Be Free". Nehemiah, "Be Determined" and this goes for all 50 books. It tickles me that the name Wiersbe gives birth to 50 "Be ..." books.
Today we are not looking at any of the "Be ..." books. Instead, we look an "I AM" book. Are you familiar with the seven "I AM" statements in the Gospel of John?
If yes, how many can you remember? 1. I am the Bread of Life. 2. I am the Light of the World. 3. I am the Door. 4. I am the Good Shepherd. 5. I am the Resurrection and the Life. 6. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. 7. I am the True Vine.

That's 7 "I AMs". But the book has 12 chapters.
Chapter 1 is titled "Moses Asks a Question". Chapter 2 is "The Apostle John Provides Some Answers". Chapters 3 to 9 is the 7 "I AMs". Chapter 10 has the most enticing title of "The Neglected I AM". Chapter 11 is "I am Jesus". Chapter 12, the last chapter, is Living and Serving in the Present Tense. This title explains the purpose of the book.
A purpose Wiersbe states way early in the preface. He writes:

My past may discourage me and my future may frighten me, but “the life I now live” today can be enriching and encouraging because “Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

I Am The DoorI am familiar with the 7 "I AM" statements, having taught it in Youth Bible Studies. But I look forward to reading what Wiersbe has to offer. I hope to re-learn familiar truths and to discover new insights. And I did.
Let's look at one of the statements that is often neglected.
John 10:7-10 reads:

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Twice Jesus says, "I am the door." But most people focus on what he says in verse 11, which is "I am the good shepherd."
The Good Shepherd is personal, picturesque, he is the assuring figure in Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd."
Whereas a door... everyday we open a door. Be it our bedroom door, house door, car door and we have doors that open themselves. Doors are commonplace, mundane, and so absent from our Christian meditation.
Yet Wiersbe dedicates a whole chapter to "I am the Door". Listen to this:

Let’s consider first the physical aspects of the sheepfold, and then we will better understand the spiritual lessons Jesus wants to convey to us. The sheepfold was an enclosure surrounded by a wall of rocks that was too high for the sheep to jump over. The shepherds sometimes put thorny branches on the tops of the walls to deter thieves from trying to climb over. An opening in the wall allowed the sheep to enter and exit; and at night, the shepherd lay across that opening and became the door of the sheepfold.

Just picture it. The Lord lies across that opening bordering life and death. The Lord has placed you and I on this side. He is the door of the sheepfold. Truth leads to praise. Praise the Lord!
Now, there are people who can take that picture and run amok with it. To them preaching is creative writing and "I am the door" is a passageway to wherever the mind brings. Jesus said, "I am the door". And we all know that a door must open for it to be useful. There Jesus is telling us to be open-minded to all sorts of teaching. That's not what it says and that's not what Jesus meant. You can't just pick any Bible verse to be a doorway into whatever you want to say.
By saying, "I am", Jesus is revealing who he is, and we can know who he is, by reading what else the Bible says.
And that's what Wiersbe did. He models it for us. After describing how a shepherd becomes a door for his sheep, tapping into what it means for people in those times, he draws upon more than 20 Bible verses to show how the door means separation.
John 7:43 reads:

Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.

Luke 12:51 reads:

Do you think I come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.

John 15:18-19 reads:

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

This is a Bible saturated book. You come away knowing that if you want to understand what the Bible says, you have to read more of the Bible and it is possible to access that understanding without specialist knowledge.
But enjoying the presence of God is not just about understanding the historical and cultural context or connecting multiple Bible verses together.
In the "I am the Door" chapter, he shares a children's Sunday School song:

One door and only one, and yet its sides are two. Inside and outside—on which side are you? One door and only one, and yet its sides are two. I’m on the inside—on which side are you?

I have never heard of this song before. There is no waffling. No ifs, buts, and maybes. On which side are you.
He closes that section by writing:

To stand before Jesus Christ, the Door, and make no decision at all is to stay on the outside of salvation! It means not entering the “one flock” of which Jesus is the Savior and the Good Shepherd. At the door you are in a place of decision, and to make no decision is to make a decision—the wrong one.

The message is received loud and clear. Wiersbe takes what the Bible says and brings it right out to you. I Am a WormAs I read the book, one chapter after another, I was in familiar territory up till chapter 10. The mysteriously titled, "The Neglected I AM".
The chapter opens with Psalm 22:6:

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

Wiersbe says it well:

Up to this point, the I AM statements we have considered have all carried some dignity. There is nothing dishonorable about bread or light, shepherds or sheepfolds, resurrection or life, truth or vines; but worms are quite another matter.

He then writes that he has meditated on this over the years and we have his thoughts in four sections: astonishment, adoration, shame and gratitude.
Before this book, I have never thought of this "I AM" statement. But now I cannot forget it. In Genesis, God says "I AM". In Psalms, our Saviour says, "I am a worm". One is so high, one is so low.
This is an example of what I love of the Bible and being a Christian. You can almost think you know enough of the Bible to no longer be surprised, but just by merely positioning one verse alongside the famous seven "I AM" verses and it opens up thought and wonder. Or as Wiersbe puts it astonishment, adoration, shame and gratitude. Book TitleI wished I read this book when I was teaching that series on the "I am" statements to my youth group. It's a great resource for any Bible teacher and Wiersbe never fails to land the lesson with an exhortation towards Christ. Love it.
This is also an easy book for a group to read together. I think every Christian should study the "I am" statements. And this book might be the best book next to the Bible for that study.
However, if I can make one small criticism, the title of the book does not convey what the book is about. "He Walks with Me: Enjoying the Abiding Presence of God" is not wrong but it does not tell us that this is a book about the "I am" statements. The title fails to distinguish itself from the many devotional books around.
A better title is, "Jesus in the Present Tense: The I AM Statements of Christ". I didn't think of that title myself. That is the title of another Warren Wiersbe book, also published by David C. Cook. It's actually the same book with a different title. Can they do that? What happens if someone loved this book so much and he went out to buy another one, not realising it's the same book with a different title!
The title "He Walks with Me: Enjoying the Abiding Presence of God" appeals to a wide range of readers, Christian or non-Christian. It's good marketing.
On the other hand, "Jesus in the Present Tense: The I AM Statements of the Christ" is a title that only a Christian would love. I prefer this title. I think this title would attract the serious Christian who wants to dig deep into the I AM statements, because the life we live today is all the more richer, all the more encouraging because Christ lives in us. ConclusionThis is a Reading and Readers review of "He Walks with Me: Enjoying the Abiding Presence of God" by Warren Wiersbe. 192 pages, published by David C. Cook in June 2016. You can get it via Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 or for the low, low price of USD1.99 via Faithlife and only in June.
I am a bit behind in my reviews. For the month of July, Logos is giving away Peter Wagner's commentary on Acts. I read this book more than ten years ago and was entranced, spellbound even!, by what I read. Re-reading it now, the spell has been broken. I am now somewhat annoyed, disturbed, with some of what he writes. After listening to my soon to come scathing review, you might want to read the book for yourself. So go download the July free book now in logos.com before August comes and takes it away.
Thank you for listening. Bye bye. Book List"He Walks with Me: Enjoying the Abiding Presence of God" by Warren Wiersbe. Amazon. Faithlife.

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As you listen to my voice, how do you know the real you is not hooked up to a machine feeding reality into your brain? Or when you go to bed at night how do you know that the world did not switch off and that when you woke up, the world switched back on. Today, dead philosophers tell us what is and what is not.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped our World" by R.C. Sproul. 224 pages, published by Crossway in 2000. In Amazon, it costs USD59.92 for the hardcover, USD19.99 for the paperback. I don't see a Kindle version. You can get it for free from Logos.com if you saw the deal last month in June. And if you didn't get the book then, I'm here to tell you what a great deal you missed. The Growl and Chuckle TeacherR.C. Sproul will be remembered in history for popularising Reformed Theology. Popularising not by bringing theology down to appeal to popular opinion but by bringing people up to gaze upon Heaven, to be in awe of the holiness of God.
There are teachers who can communicate deep theology, e.g. Martyn Lloyd Jones. J.I. Packer. John Piper. But no one who can communicate and teach like Sproul, with a growl and a chuckle. One minute a profound insight, the next minute a rousing zinger. His impish jokes are classic, unforgettable, moments in church history. All this is to explain why I come to this book as a child would to his favourite teacher.
Today's book is not about Theology but a close relative of it, Philosophy. In the past, I have tried to make sense of philosophy and failed. So I come to this book expecting Sproul to break it down, show us how philosophy relates to us today and all the while I want his trademark clarity and wit.
Let's open the book. Hitler Does Not Want You to Read This BookThis is the introduction:

"The summer of 1959: ... My biggest concern was summer employment. Many friends who were engineering students had found lucrative summer jobs that paid well above the minimum wage. My prospects were bleak: I was a philosophy major. I did not find in the newspaper a single want ad calling for philosophers. My only real option was a job for unskilled labor paying the minimum wage. Even at that I was delighted to be offered work in the maintenance department of a hospital.
When the foreman heard I was a philosophy major, he handed me a broom and said, “Here, you can think all you want while you’re leaning on the broom.”

I can literally hear his voice and see his grinning face when I read this.
Let me continue to read from the introduction. Actually, are you interested in philosophy? Imagine that you are not. See how he hooks you in.
Sproul writes:

During my first week on the job, I was reaching the end of my sweeping territory. My zone ended where the main hospital driveway intersected the parking lot of the nurses’ home. I noticed another man sweeping the adjacent parking lot. He greeted me, and we exchanged names and pleasantries. When I told him I was a college student, he asked what I was studying. When I said philosophy, his face brightened and his eyes lit up. He fired a barrage of questions at me, inquiring about Descartes, Plato, Hegel, Kant, Kierkegaard, and others. I was astonished at this man’s knowledge. He obviously knew far more about philosophy than I did.
My new friend was from Germany. He had his Ph.D. in philosophy and had been a professor of philosophy in Berlin. When Adolf Hitler came to power, the Nazis were not content to find a “final solution” for Jews and Gypsies. They also sought to eliminate intellectuals whose ideas were at odds with the “values” of the Third Reich. My friend was removed from his position. When he spoke out against the Nazis, his wife and all but one of his children were arrested and executed. He escaped from Germany with his young daughter.

Sproul homes in to his point:

I mused on something else that morning, which is why I am recounting the tale here. I was pushing a broom because I lived in a culture that sees little value in philosophy and gives scant esteem to those who pursue it. My friend was pushing a broom, on the other hand, because he came from a culture that gave great weight to philosophy. His family was destroyed because Hitler understood that ideas are dangerous. Hitler so feared the consequences of my friend’s ideas that he did everything possible to eliminate him -- and his ideas.

As I did so often reading this book, I paused. I reflected on our own times. Sproul wrote this in the year 2000. At that time nobody knew critical theory or gender ideology. It was just an idea. Today, it seems to be the only thing everybody talks about. An idea with great consequence.
And if you think along those lines, you can see how Marxism and Darwinism are also ideas that have -- and this is such a trite way to put it -- changed the world. Karl Marx appears in Chapter 10 of the book, Darwin in chapter 14. Marx and Darwin are known influencers. How about the less well known but no less influential? It's not just bad ideas that have consequences, how about some good ones? Who's Who of IdeasThe book starts from the First Philosophers: Thales, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno, Empedocles, Anaxagoras. Then we continue in the next chapters:* Chapter 2: Plato * Chapter 3: Aristotle * Chapter 4: Augustine * Chapter 5: Thomas Aquinas * Chapter 6: Rene Descartes * Chapter 7: John Locke * Chapter 8: David Hume * Chapter 9: Immanuel Kant * Chapter 10: Karl Marx * Chapter 11: Soren Kiekegaard * Chapter 12: Friedrich Nietzsche * Chapter 13: Jean-Paul Sartre * Chapter 14: Darwin and Freud * Conclusion: Gilson's Choice

You will note that the book is organised around individuals rather than philosophical ideas. So it's Thomas Aquinas, not Thomism; Karl Marx, not Marxism; Friedrich Nietzsche, not nihilism.
And this way works. The best introduction to an idea is to understand the man. Why was Socrates forced to commit suicide? How did David Hume provoke Immanuel Kant? Soren Kierkegaard argued that in Denmark, (to quote Sproul) "the state church had reduced Christianity to an empty formalism and externalism, which in effect produces mere spectators to true Christianity." How did Kierkegaard go from here to be the father of modern existentialism?
Another thing we can learn from the Table of Contents -- and by the way, if you don't know this, let me tell you, one of the best ways to figure out what a book is about is to simply look at the Table of Contents. You can get a lot from well-written, well-thought out Table of Contents. If you can't judge a book by its cover, you could very well judge it by its Table of Contents.
So back to Sproul's book. From the Table of Contents we can also see that it is chronological. He starts from the Philosophers in Ancient Greece and stops at Darwin and Freud.
I suppose if Sproul was alive today he might be tempted to write about critical theory. How I wish Sproul was here to explain to us how we got from philosophy professors making unintelligible prose to police arresting parents for demanding boys be boys and girls be girls. This just goes to show how philosophy never stops, there will be more ideas ahead, more consequences, thus more reasons to understand where all this is coming from.
In merely 220 pages, you get a summary of this 2500 years conversation about god (small g) and reality. Some guy in Ancient Greece says something and Augustine refutes it and someone else refutes him and this continues all the way to our Postmodern World. Philosophy, not TheologySo this long conversation involves some reality-bending, mind-twisting, concepts. R.C. Sproul goes into it. He is not content to tell you amusing anecdotes, he means to teach you philosophy.
He invites us to live the examined life. In Chapter 4, on Augustine, Sproul explains the big cultural influencers of the day: the Stoics, the Epicureans, the Skeptics and the Neoplatonist.
On Epicureans, Sproul writes:

Epicureans sought to escape the “hedonistic paradox”: The pursuit of pleasure alone ends in either frustration (if the pursuit fails) or boredom (if it succeeds). Both frustration and boredom are kinds of pain, the antithesis of pleasure. Thus Epicureans sought not the maximum pleasure but the optimum pleasure. They concluded that a wise man’s diet of bread and water will more likely bring happiness than a glutton’s diet of gourmet food.

Epicureans have understood what many don't and you may be one of them. This is the “hedonistic paradox”: The pursuit of pleasure alone ends in either frustration (if the pursuit fails) or boredom (if it succeeds).
If someone else wrote this book, he could at this point promote the Epicurean way of life. Epicureans have a solution to optimise pleasure and you can see their influence today in self-improvement books, gurus promote lifestyle changes, ancient wisdom packaged in bite-sized videos with click-bait titles.
Yet, Sproul does not engage with the Epicureans. He could. He is an apologist. He could easily tell us the only real solution to the hedonistic paradox is the Gospel. But he doesn't do that.
He introduces the Epicureans, not as a foil to tell us what we should believe and how we should live, but as the necessary background to understand Augustine, the man and his ideas. Sproul's focus throughout the book is to faithfully expound, not the Bible, but all these men and their ideas. A Philosophy Book by A ChristianFor example, it's easy to vilify Karl Marx. Marxist is a political slur. But name-calling does nothing to inform us of its attraction and frenzy-inducing power.
You see, Karl Marx, with his PhD in Philosophy, has this ideal vision of society. And as we read from this book, this society makes sense. It all sounds so wonderful. Sproul tells us all of that but he is also compelled to speak up else you join the millions of people sucked into Marxism. He writes:

Marx predicted that the condition of workers in capitalist societies would become steadily worse. The poor would become poorer while the rich would become richer, until the masses would revolt and take over the means of production for themselves. This was Marx’s greatest error. He assumed the myth that the rich can only get rich at the expense of the poor. One man’s gain must spell another man’s loss... No economic system has been as effective as capitalism in raising the human standard of living.

The interesting thing is not that Sproul is against Marxism. If you read this book because of Sproul, you expect more arguments from Scripture. But against Marxism, he brings not the crucifixion but capitalism.
This is a podcast dedicated to Christian book reviews. Surprise, surprise, today's book is not a Christian book. It is a book written by a Christian.
R.C. Sproul gives us this introductory book on philosophy and so it only makes sense to counter Marxism, with the other working economic system, which is capitalism. It would be illogical to inject Christianity into the discussion because Christianity is not an economic system.
However, Sproul is not conceding that Christianity should stay out of public discussions.
In the first chapter, Sproul quotes Protagoras the father of ancient humanism, "Man is the measure of all things." Sproul then says, "From a biblical perspective, of course, the honor of being the first humanist does not belong to Protagoras. Indeed, it is accorded not to a man, but to a serpent whose maxim was ... “You will be like God” (Gen. 3:4).
In chapter 12, Nietzsche distinguished between slave morality and master morality. The master is strong, the slave is weak. The master is his own judge, might makes right. The slave morality elevates sympathy, patience, kindness, humility and so forth. And Sproul makes a side remark that this sounds a lot like the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.
What I like about this book is how Sproul exemplifies how Christians can participate in public discourse. If you want to understand philosophy, you can get it from a Christian. You should not be worried that the author will invite you to say a word of prayer at the end of every chapter.
You should be able to read a book on politics, biology, medicine, astronomy, or any other subject from a Christian writer. The Christian just like any other person has an opinion. And the Atheist who insists that his books say nothing about God is likewise expressing an opinion, and this is a consequence of an idea, traceable to a philosophy.
Christian or not, you should give R.C. Sproul's book a try.
Sproul guides us through the history of philosophical thought using every trick in the book: stories, diagrams, reasoning, drama and humour. And once in a while, he lets us know what he thinks. But the side remarks do not detract from what is an excellent introduction to Western Philosophy. ConclusionThis is a Reading and Readers review of "Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped our World" by R.C. Sproul. 224 pages, published by Crossway in 2000. USD59.92 for the hardcover, USD19.99 for the paperback, no Kindle version. It was free in Logos last month, and it's now USD13.99. Is it worth paying for it? Well, that really depends on how you see value and how you see value depends on how you see reality and that is where philosophy comes in. Book List* "Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped our World" by R.C. Sproul. Amazon. Logos.

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"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." That chilling -- or is it sobering -- quote comes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and today we will learn more about the man and more importantly, what he believes and why we must listen.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Bonhoeffer Speaks Today: Following Jesus at All Costs" by Mark Devine. 192 pages, published by B&H Books in November 2005. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD7.99 and through Faithlife for free. Only free in June. So you only have a few more days left for this deal. Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, SpyMark Devine is a professor at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. He has taught at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City and also served as a missionary in Bangkok, Thailand.
In four words, who is Bonhoeffer? Bonhoeffer is a Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. That is the title from Eric Metaxas' biography on Bonhoeffer. I'll share more how Metaxas' book compares to Devine's later but for now those four words aptly describes the man Bonhoeffer. A man who should be more famous than James Bond.
Hopefully that whets your appetite to know more about him and you can read all about him in Chapter 1 of this book, from his early childhood years to his untimely execution ordered by Hitler a few weeks before World War 2 ended.
That's chapter one done so what are the rest of the chapters about? What Does He Believe?The book has five chapters:1. At All Costs. A one chapter biography on the man. 2. Knowing and Doing the Will of God. 3. The Community of Believers 4. Witness and Relevance 5. Freedom, Suffering and Hope

The question this book answers is not "Who is Bonhoeffer?", for good biographies abound, the standard in the field being Eberhard Bethge's, who was Bonhoeffer's close friend, fellow conspirator and husband to Bonhoeffer's niece. So the book does not answer, "Who is Bonhoeffer?", the book answers the question, "What does Bonhoeffer believe and how does it matter for us today?"
This is primarily not a narrative. The narrative in chapter one serves as explanation and testimony for Bonhoeffer's belief, a belief which Devine analyses and calls the Church to listen. Worth Listening ToThis is Bonhoeffer's most famous quote:

Cheap Grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.

Cheap grace. When someone says Christianity is very easy, no sweat, no trials, just smooth sailing all the way to Heaven, that's cheap grace. There is a cost to discipleship. That is the title of Bonhoeffer's book where that quote is found.
Devine quotes this in Chapter 3: The Community of Believers. In that chapter, Devine also quotes from Bonhoeffer's booklet Creation and Fall:

In man God creates his image on earth. This means that man is like the Creator in that he is free. Actually he is free only by God's creation, by means of the Word of God; he is free for the worship of the Creator. In the language of the Bible, freedom is not something man has for himself but something he has for others. No man is free “as such,” that is, in a vacuum, in the way that he may be musical, intelligent or blind as such. Freedom is not a quality of man, nor is it an ability, a capacity, a kind of being that somehow flares up in him. ... Freedom is not a quality which can be revealed—it is not a possession, a presence, an object, nor is it a form of existence—but a relationship and nothing else . ... Being free means “being free for the other.”

I have not read Cost of Discipleship. I have not read Creation and Fall. But I know enough to know that when Bonhoeffer speaks, I should listen. Devine does not merely cut and paste the best bits from Bonhoeffer's writings. This is not a book of quotations. A Pastor Plots To Kill HitlerWhat is the sixth commandment? "Thou Shall Not Murder".
Pastor and theologian Bonhoeffer was in a plot to assassinate Hitler.
Some sought to cover Bonhoeffer by minimising his involvement in the plot. That might have worked if Bonhoeffer's own words did not incriminate him.
Devine writes:

When he speaks of having a clear conscience about his participation in the conspiracy to assassinate Hitler, he means something akin to the abandonment of self-justification in the matter. He means that he offers his decision to God for judgment. He means that he could no longer maintain a good conscience by attempting to keep his own hands “clean” while praying for the “success” of military and “secular” attempts to stop Hitler.

This is explosive stuff. And it's not even the main part of the chapter. Bonhoeffer lives only to follow the will of God. What does following Christ and resisting Hitler mean? And dangerously, can Christians sanction violence?
This assassination is just one example of how everything comes together. You have the dramatic background of Nazi Germany. You have the doctrinal rigour of a top theologian. You have the decision to follow Christ, no turning back, no turning back.
Devine integrates all of them to discuss for example, church as a community, and when you talk about community, about living together under God's Word, we read Bonhoeffer starting an underground seminary. We read about his prison ministry.
I quote:

It is right for the Christian prisoner or missionary or exiled apostle to yearn for contact with fellow believers. The absence, not the presence, of such longings would call into question one's relationship to Christ. We were made for one another, and our relationship with Christ includes our divinely created and sustained connection to one another. It is a life-giving, mutually interdependent connection as described in 1 Corinthians 12.
For Bonhoeffer, we misunderstand the constituent role of the community for the Christian life if we reduce it to a means for our individual enjoyment of other supposed blessings. Though not simply wrong, it is a distortion to think of the church as mainly the path to the benefits of knowing Christ.

If you have never heard of Bonhoeffer, this could be the book that sets you off to read Cost of Discipleship, Life Together and other books. Whats The Problem With Bonhoeffer?So why do evangelicals reluctantly welcome Dietrich Bonhoeffer? Often times I read something, it mentions Bonhoeffer, then it would quickly provide a disclaimer, "But we don't believe everything that Bonhoeffer believes". I also remember R.C. Sproul commending Bonhoeffer and issuing that same disclaimer. Bonhoeffer holds to certain doctrines that we don't believe.
When I came to Devine's book, I was hoping that a systematic analysis of Bonhoeffer's theology would answer this question, "Why are evangelicals so careful around Bonhoeffer?" Because this has been bugging me for a while.
Devine writes of the "disproportionate welcome Bonhoeffer has received among progressivist Christians" and often times in the book shows how Bonhoeffer would have responded to such welcome.
Devine writes:

Theological liberals and progressives may chafe at the exclusive claims of Christ belonging to ancient, orthodox, biblical, Christian witness, but Bonhoeffer did not.
Against sanguine and optimistic estimations of human nature so prominent within liberal and progressive theologies, Bonhoeffer took a dim view of humanity in its “natural” state.

If I may say so, I come away from the book knowing what Bonhoeffer firmly believes, but I don't know how or why there is a disproportionate welcome for Bonhoeffer among progressivist Christians than among evangelicals.
I feel that I have to read between the lines but it is not stated outright. The Dogma is the DramaI would have liked to be led down a garden path.
Give me a Bonhoeffer quote. Then give me a liberal take on that quote. Make me uneasy. If this is true, then imagine the consequences. Does Bonhoeffer truly believe this?
When the tension is at its peak, release me from my misery. Give me another word from Bonhoeffer that not just dismisses liberal theology but gives clear direction on how to resolve the tension.
Give me the drama. And to some who think this is ugly showmanship, I quote to you Dorothy Sayers, "It is the dogma that is the drama."
A writer who understands the drama of Bonhoeffer's life is Eric Metaxas. He wrote Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Why not Theologian? It would ruin the catchy title. I give Metaxas' book an A for storytelling. It was my first introduction to Bonhoeffer and it made me cry and love him for his life in obedience to our God.
I would give Devine a B or maybe a high C for storytelling. Having said that, Metaxas had a whole book to bring out the man's life, Devine had to do it in one chapter.
Here is the thing, whereas the focus in Metaxas book is on the man, the focus in Devine's book is on the man's belief. And that belief is our belief, maybe. But if it is, then we must listen. Devine has given us substance, well-written, well-argued substance, and I just wished there was just a little more drama, the weighty consequence expressed as cliffhangers, cliffhangers in the Bonhoeffer past and also in our present life. Submersibles and James BondThis could be too soon to use Oceangate's submersible tragedy as an illustration -- we don't even know the cause of the implosion -- but because it's so vivid, I will do it with some assumptions.
The tragedy illustrates how a man can have rock-solid conviction that innovation works, that his product is safe. Look, to prove that, he is in the submersible going down nearly 4000m under the sea. But all the talk, conviction and assurance is worth nothing when a flawed, untested, vehicle goes against the laws of physics.
Similarly, a man can have rock-solid conviction on an interpretation, that his teaching is safe before the throne of God. All the talk is worth nothing when it breaks under great pressure. The story of Bonhoeffer is compelling because his life and teaching integrated so well, tested under unimaginable pressure.
Before I end, I want to share with you a passage that provoked much thought in me:

Many aspiring scholars pursuing the doctorate chafed at the ministry requirement then prevailing at Berlin and found ways to check off the ministry box as quickly and painlessly as possible. Not Bonhoeffer. Once his catechetical students outgrew the Sunday class, Bonhoeffer started a Thursday reading and discussion group in order to maintain his ministry among them. Papers on religious, historical, economic, and political subjects were presented by Bonhoeffer. They enjoyed field trips together, spending hours together during which these youth, many from Jewish families including several atheists, would speak their minds and challenge their teacher who patiently answered their questions. Many of these students continued to correspond with Bonhoeffer across the years. Nearly all of these students would die in Hitler's war or in the concentration camps, as would their kind teacher.

How do you respond to that? Profound sadness, yes. But is it a tragedy? Or is it a triumph? Is this the outcome that we want our Sunday School teachers to aim for? Can you show me your lesson plan? Does it prepare our kids to die for Christ? If Bonhoeffer's teaching makes Christ's commands clear and compelling, do we want more of it? We are sad at the deaths of so few, but imagine if all of Germany at that time were as diligent in their Bible Study, and as committed to only Jesus is Lord. Hitler might never have been Hitler.
The world's most famous spy would be James Bond. In a just world, Dietrich Bonhoeffer would be more famous than James Bond. Bond is make believe, Bonhoeffer is real. Bond got on machine gun cars against campy, creepy, sometimes even cool villains. Bonhoeffer got on radio and called Hitler a Verfuhrer, a misleader. Bond lives, dies, and comes back on screen. Bonhoeffer lives, dies and his reward for obedience is life forever more. So why does the world know and care about Bond when instead of listening to Dietrich Bonhoeffer? What more must a man do before the world will listen? ConclusionThis is a Reading and Readers review of "Bonhoeffer Speaks Today: Following Jesus at All Costs" by Mark Devine. 192 pages, published by B&H Books in November 2005. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD7.99 and through Faithlife for free. Only free in June and there are only a few days left in June.
Another free book is from Logos and that is R.C. Spoul's "The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped Our World". I won't be in time to release a review this month but I hope to do so next month. Wouldn't it be terrible if you heard my review and decided, "I would like to read that book" but the deal is over and I have to pay full price for it. Actually, that's not such a terrible thing.
Until next time. Bye bye. Book List"Bonhoeffer Speaks Today: Following Jesus at All Costs" by Mark Devine. Amazon. Faithlife.

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The way we read the Bible can affect what we get from the Bible. And since there are five ways to read the Bible there are five ways to feast on what the Bible offers. Find out more in today's episode.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Five Models of Scripture" by Mark Reasoner. 311 pages, published by Eerdmans in August 2021. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD19.17 and it was free last month via Logos. If you missed the free book, shame on you, but you can always make up for it by getting this month's free book from Logos and Faithlife. I'll tell you more about it at the end of the review. Roman Catholic and the ElephantIt has been said, "Seminary is where faith goes to die." There the Bible ceases to become a fount of comfort and becomes a document to dissect. Take heart, Mark Reasoner has written today's book to help everyone understand the five models of Scripture to nourish the faith.
And when I say everyone, I am thinking of Protestants, Roman Catholics and Orthodox.
Mark Reasoner got his MDiv and MA in New Testament from an evangelical Protestant Seminary. Then, tragically or fortunately, depending on where you stand, he became a Roman Catholic and is now teaching Scripture to undergraduates at a Roman Catholic university.
Reasoner writes:

I do my best to respect readers’ diverse ecclesiastical affiliations. It would have been easier to write this book simply for Catholic seminarians. But Scripture is too sumptuous a feast to limit a book like this to one branch of the family.

Later he writes:

Yes, I actually regard the Catholic hermeneutic, in which the Catholic Church’s teaching office provides the boundaries and referees on the field of exegesis, as preferable to the hermeneutic popularized by the Anabaptists during the Reformation, in which the individual believer marks the boundaries and functions as both player and referee. I also regard the Catholic hermeneutic with its millennia of tradition and conversations across time and cultures as preferable to approaches that have selected a single individual or limited body of believers as the arbiters of exegesis. And so there will be places where I point out the ecclesiastical stakes in a given approach to Scripture. It is better to name the elephant in the room than to proceed as if the church question does not matter in exegesis.

That is a big elephant and one that jumps up every so often in this book. We will talk more about it in the second half of this review. Canon and InspirationThis is my first Roman Catholic book review. I just generally don't come across them in my reading radar. And I'm happy to read what they believe straight from the horse's mouth.
For example, we know that the Roman Catholic bibles have extra books, the Apocrypha. Protestants removed them because they are not inspired. Roman Catholics and Orthodox know they are not inspired but have left them in. Why?
Reasoner goes through the history of the biblical canon, how the early church dealt with the Apocrypha and amongst many points, he notes how a familiarity with the fantastic, fictive elements helps readers to:

identify more non-historical elements in other narratives, such as the narrative of Jonah and the great fish or various episodes within the book of Daniel.

We'll come back to what Reasoner calls fantastic and fictive elements in the Bible later.
After explaining what is the Bible canon, Reasoner turns to the matter of biblical inspiration. And I like how he explains what biblical inspiration means for the Protestant (he was one before), the Catholic (who he is now) and the Orthodox. Reasoner wants to unite all Bible readers together. Is he successful? There are good reasons to be hopeful. Five Models of ScriptureHaving established what is the canon and inspiration from the perspective of Roman Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox, we go into the essence of the book: the five models of Scripture, which are:1. Documents 2. Stories 3. Prayers 4. Laws 5. Oracles

Without knowing it, you actually employ one of those models every time you read the Bible. Reasoner tells you which model you are using. I quote:

You know that someone is using the documents model when they seek to identify and argue that a specific human authored a book of the Bible ..., when they emphasise that eyewitness testimony is behind a given book of the Bible ..., when they seek to discover and prove the date(s) when a given book of the Bible was written or edited ..., when they seek to discover and prove what sources were used in the composition of a biblical book ..., when they seek to harmonise Scripture's differing accounts of the same event.

Isn't that how everyone reads the Bible? No, that's how scholars read them. Children read the Bible as a story. Not just children but adults too!
When you read the Bible as stories, which is the second model, you pay attention to the plot or the literary style. Even if what you are reading is not a story. What do I mean by that? The models Reasoner describes are not genres. Genres are categories of literature, they are fixed, e.g. Genesis is narrative, it is not poetry. Psalms is poetry, it is not narrative.
Reasoner's models are about the way you read, while genres are about what you read. Adopting a Stories model, you can read Psalms as part of the bigger story of Israel relationship with God.
The third model makes this quite clear. Everything in the Bible can be turned into prayer. If you read the Bible with that frame of mind, then you are using Reasoner's third model, the prayer model. You are not asking who wrote Psalms, when and where (that would be using the Documents model) nor are you wondering what is the plot (that's the Stories model) but rather you read the Bible in order to pray, to evoke the gift of God's revelation to touch the divine.
Next is the fourth model, the laws model. Here, you think about what is right and what is wrong, you look for the moral lesson in what you read.
The fifth and final model is oracles. The Fortune Cookie model. You open the Bible and a verse pops up and that verse is the answer to the problem of the day. Yes, it smacks of superstition and it breeds a consumer mentality. Initially, I rejected this as a valid model to read Scripture.
But Reasoner addresses the abuses of this model. And he gently corrects me by pointing out that we all, at some point, read Scripture using the oracles model. Augustine's life was changed by one verse. You and I have stories of how that perfect verse was the answer in our time of need. I appreciate it when a book changes my mind, especially when it's backed by strong reasoning.
These five "Models of Scripture" chapters are models of clarity. For each chapter, Reasoner starts with a definition and characteristics and specific applications of the model. If you still fail to understand what the definitions and characteristic means, his examples from the Old Testament and New Testament will clear everything up. Then he discusses the key issues of the model, the strengths and limitations of the model, before concluding the chapter with helpful suggestions, making a helpful distinction between the classroom and ministry.
But that's only half the book! He then spends a chapter to discuss about literal and spiritual senses, another chapter on Sola Scriptura - a Roman Catholic speaking about Sola Scriptura, so much to say here but I will resist the temptation - and another chapter on metanarratives. There is - surprise, surprise! - more than one way to outline the grand story of the Bible. But these are controversial chapters.
The least controversial chapters are the last, chapters 11 and 12. Scripture in Worship and Devotional, Academic and Professional Uses of Scripture. These are mild chapters in comparison and most of the time easily agreeable to all Christians.
As he wrote in the introduction, Reasoner did not set out to write a book to defend the Roman Catholic faith but rather to share different ways of reading the Bible to enrich all Christians. Nevertheless, he does not shy away from asserting Roman Catholic views over Protestant's. I Beg To DisagreeI wonder whether does his interpretation of certain verses reflect the official Roman Catholic view or whether his views are even within the boundaries of acceptable Roman Catholic thought.
Reasoner says that there was no big fish in Jonah, there are events in Daniel that are fictional, there was no conquest of Canaan and the list goes on.
Let me pick an easy one to dismiss. Reasoner empathises with Origen's dilemma with Matthew 5:39, which reads "if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."
Consider the problem. Since most people are right-handers, a slap would land on the left cheek, not on the right. Origen concludes that this means the command was not meant to be taken literally but spiritually.
But I ask you, wouldn't it be easier to interpret the slap as a backhand slap, or that Jesus was looking at a left-hander when he was preaching, or maybe people that time used their left hand because they sneered, "you don't even deserve to be slapped by my right hand." Why take this command in the spiritual sense when the rest of the sermon is understood in the literal sense?
At another point of the book, he writes:

But once one has learned of some of the historical questions behind Scripture, such as the lack of any evidence for camels in the land of Canaan during the time of Abraham, the lack of any sign of military conquest of Canaan in the Iron Age, or the fact that Quirinius was not governor of Syria when Jesus was born (cf. Luke 2:2), then it is difficult to read the Bible simply as a compilation of time capsules. Indeed, if we are to love God with all our minds, then for those of us who have studied the Bible academically, we must read it both as scriptural time capsules and as artifacts of others’ faith. If we turn our minds off and seek to read it only as scriptural time capsules, we are not fully loving God with our minds (Deut 6:5).

In Reasoner's mind, this is the best way to handle the difficulties in the Bible. If it doesn't make sense, just change the way we read it. The documents model does not fit so read it with a stories model. But Luke writes his gospel claiming it is an accurate historical record. We can't just ignore his claim, can we?
So many seemingly historical inaccuracies in the Bible were later proven to be accurate! Archaeologists dig up pots, jugs and bullas, a shepherd boy throws stones into a cave and together they silence Bible sceptics everywhere. Who Shall Come To Our Aid?Looking at my long list of disagreements with Reasoner, how can we resolve this? The best way is to refer to the Roman Catholic Church.
Listen to this:

The Council of Trent responds to Protestant developments, and so begins its section on Scripture with an insistence that the gospel Christ proclaimed, described as “the source of all saving truth and rule of conduct,” is “contained in the written books and unwritten traditions that have come down to us, having been received by the apostles from the mouth of Christ himself.” Thus there is an emphasis that the inspiration of Scripture is not sufficient as a guide to all truth but is complemented by the traditions that have come down to us.
Trent also emphasized the significance of reading Scripture with the church, instead of trying to interpret it on one’s own in ways that depart from what the church, including the church fathers, has taught.

To me, this begs the question, if a church father or a pope flatly dismisses Reasoner's interpretation, what will Reasoner do? Does he meekly submit to tradition even though those people in the past never thought of or considered Reasoner's points? Or does Reasoner hold on to his convictions that depart from what the church, including the church fathers, has taught? Come on, did the early church believe that the conquest of Canaan was fiction, or that Jonah's big fish was a fisherman's exaggeration for spiritual effect?
Reasoner mentions at one point that everyone, including Protestants have their own body of authority, their own traditions and church fathers to appeal to. Yes, but Protestants are brought up to believe that if any of our authorities got it wrong, then they are wrong! Are popes infallible? Smart Enough to Solve a Jigsaw PuzzleAlthough Reasoner does not say so in this book, I think Roman Catholics believes so. And Roman Catholics have a reason to believe that people in the past got things perfectly right. After all, they were wise enough to assemble the Bible together.
Reasoner writes:

It was the church that selected and canonized Scripture. And as we will see in the sola Scriptura chapter, the church is necessary for guiding our reading of Scripture. Catholic and Orthodox theologians are more likely to include the church in their discussion of the origin of Scripture’s authority. They emphasize that it is the church that has recognized Scripture as inspired and therefore invested it with authority. This leads to a more tradition-conscious way of reading Scripture. If one views Scripture as simply falling out of heaven, there is more of a tendency to use one interpretation of it as the only legitimate interpretation, which all people must heed. If one by contrast views Scripture as the church’s book, one will not accept only one interpretation as legitimate until one has considered how the tradition has handled the passage.
Both Catholic and Orthodox churches view Scripture as the creation of the church. In their consciousness, Scripture was composed by, collected by, and canonized by the church. Protestants by contrast, ..., are more prone to treat God’s word as its own category, closer to the doctrine of God and not inside the doctrine of the church.

Later on Reasoner writes:

Catholic and Orthodox theologians prioritize the church over Scripture, emphasizing that this priority occurs in history and in logic. By “history” I mean the fact that the church came into being first, and then centuries later defined its canon of Scripture. By “logic” I mean the idea that the text of Scripture only functions as Scripture when it is read and interpreted within the church.

In response, I quote Charles Spurgeon who said, "The church does not determine what the Bible teaches, the Bible determines what the church must teach."
To illustrate, I ask that you imagine in front of you a pile of jigsaw puzzle pieces. A big glorious mess. Your job is to assemble the puzzle but there are some pieces that don't actually belong there. So you set to work. And you solved the puzzle.
You deserve some credit for solving the puzzle, but you could only solve it because you recognised the colour, the lines and how each piece connects to one another, so that you can assemble it the whole thing, right? So the key to assembling the puzzle is because there was a final picture fixed beforehand, correct?
Imagine another person who grew weary solving the puzzle. He decides to glue the pieces together, oh never mind if it doesn't fit, or if the picture doesn't make sense, just as long as I get something to fit the picture frame. At the end, he declares, "This is the final picture because I got it to fit into the frame!"
If you believe that people can be smart enough, wise enough, to put together the Holy Word of God, then of course it is reasonable to give weight to tradition.
But if you believe that God first established the Bible and it is a miracle of the first order that the early church recognised the pieces for what they were, the same Holy Spirit wrought miracle that got us to recognise the Word for what it is, then you would also believe that priority goes to that shining beacon of Truth, Scripture, not the Church. And we would be less inclined to see the Church and tradition as infallible or even as helpful as others do. A Better Book?How did we get here?
We started with the problem that people only knew how to read the Bible in one way and didn't get the full nourishment it offers. Reasoner gives us five models with some discussions on how to read the Bible.
Alongside the good, he gives what I think are bad interpretations. I make a list.
He says interpretations should be subject to church and tradition. I say, "Oh dear".
He says it was the church who established the Bible. I say "Ah, that's why everything is wrong."
Would this be a better book if Reasoner wrote it without these Roman Catholic hot takes? You see, anybody could have written a book on the five models of Scripture and gave it a different spin.
Instead of saying, "We should consider changing the model when things don't make sense", we could say, "Let's consider the genre of the book, does the genre demand from us to take it as a historical document?" By the way, this book really needs a discussion on literary genre.
Instead of saying, "This doesn't make sense let us read it allegorically or spiritually", we could say, "Have we dug deep enough? Are we humble enough to wait?" Science, history, linguistics and divine intervention have made Bible skeptics eat humble pie.
In conclusion, Reasoner's book is great as an introduction to this five models of Scripture. He seeks to unite but the thoughtful Protestant will meet resistance. What I tried to do in today's review is to identify the root cause of this resistance. It's ironic that the reason we differ so much is, ultimately, we hold to a different model of Scripture. ConclusionThis is a Reading and Reader's review of "Five Models of Scripture" by Mark Reasoner. 311 pages, published by Eerdmans in August 2021. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD19.17 and it was free last month via Logos.
For the month of June, the Logos free book is "The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped Our World" by R.C. Sproul. And in Faithlife, their free book for June is "Bonhoeffer Speaks Today: Following Jesus at All Costs" by Mark Devine. I'm a big fan of Sproul and of Bonhoeffer so I really hope I can review these two books before the deal ends. But really, why take that risk. Just get the two books now and figure out later whether you will actually read it. Go on. This episode is finished, so that you can get those free books. Bye bye! Book List* Five Models of Scripture by Mark Reasoner. Amazon. Logos.

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If you are a Christian, have you ever wondered how life would be if you chose to an Atheist or if you were born in a Muslim family? If you are not a Christian, what would change if you had embraced Jesus as Lord and Saviour?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "What's Your Worldview? An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions" by James N. Anderson. 112 pages. Published by Crossway in January 2014. This book was awarded World Magazine's 2014 Popular Theology Book of the Year. It's available for USD7.99 via Amazon Kindle and free via Faithlife for the month of May. Yes, for a limited time, you can get this book for free through Faithlife, so just stop whatever you are doing and do that. Before There Were Game MachinesBefore Gameboys, I played game books. Game books are page turners, literally.
You are a warrior searching for treasure in the forest. A troll ambushes you. What do you do? To fight, turn to page 10; to flee, turn to page 37. You turn pages to eventually know how your story ends.
Story books give you immersion. Game books give you immersion and decisions. Can we use game books, not to explore a make-believe world, but to explore beliefs and worldviews?
You are a man, a woman, searching for meaning in the world. A Professor of Theology and Philosophy ambushes you. What do you believe? Is there a God? If you say yes, turn to page 10; if you say no turn to page 37. You turn pages to eventually discover your worldview.
Who was that Professor of Theology and Philosophy who ambushed you? The writer of today's book, Dr. James Anderson, a Professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, is also an ordained minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. He has two PhDs. The first PhD was in computer simulation. The second PhD explored the paradoxical nature of certain Christian doctrines and the implications for the rationality of Christian faith.
With the power of his two PhDs, Dr. Anderson has seen a million possible worlds, a multiverse of madness, and reveals that there is only one worldview that truly explains the reality you and I live in. A Million Possible Worlds But Only One Is TrueThe first cosmic question he throws at you is: "Do you have the Power to Make Free Choices?" In just 200 or so words, Anderson takes is a head-spinning philosophical question and breaks it down to a street level. The chapter begins: "Chips or salad? Diet Coke or Dr Pepper? Dine-in or take-out?" He continues to give us just enough background for us to understand and attempt the question, "Do you have the Power to Make Free Choices?" Yes or no. Turn to the corresponding page.
Once you have made your choice, you are set on a pre-determined path that branches off into more and more questions until you reach a destination. That destination is 1 of 21 listed worldviews. Based on your choices, this is what you believe. Or is it?
Let's do one question in depth to see how this book works. Let's consider: "The Knowledge Question". "Is it possible to know the truth?"
Anderson sets up the question:

Most people would agree that we have intellectual faculties, such as reason and perception, that allow us to investigate matters of interest to us and to discover the truth about those matters. Even if we don’t have absolute certainty about most things, we can still know a great deal about ourselves and the world around us by using our intellectual faculties in responsible ways.

Later he writes:

Other people, however, take a much lower view of the human mind. They insist that even if there is objective truth about important matters, no one can really know what it is. Everyone has his own opinions, and some of those opinions may happen to be true, but no one’s opinions are more or less reasonable than anyone else’s. Certainly no one has any right to say she knows the truth. We’re all mired in ignorance, and the sooner we accept that the better.

The question is: "Is it possible to know the truth -- at least some truth?"
If you say yes, go to this page. If you say no, go to that page.
What is your answer? I know your answer is yes, of course it's possible to know the truth or some truth, but just for fun, out of curiousity, let's explore the other answer. What if it's not possible to know the truth.
I turn to that page and I am greeted in big letters, "Worldview: Skepticism". Anderson explains that Skepticism is attractive because it's humble to say, "I don't know" but skepticism is wrong because it's hubris to say, "Nothing can be known".
First, what you say is not consistent with how you live. If you truly believe that there is no possibility to know things, then "our everyday decisions and actions would be pointless and worthless".
Second, it is self-defeating. "If you want to be a consistent Skeptic, you should be as doubtful about Skepticism as you are about everything else."
Do you want to re-consider your answer? That's easy because every worldview ends with an invitation to go back to the earlier question. Before I knew it, I finished the book, meaning I went through every possible path in the book. It's been a long time since I finished 100% of a game. Choose Your WorldviewI could read out all the questions you would encounter in the book but that will just spoil it, it would kill the fun. Not knowing what questions will come up is part of the reading experience. The experience of surprise and delight.
"Oh, I didn't expect him to ask this question." "Hmm... if I answer it this way, what will be the outcome?" "I didn't realise if I believe in this, then it also means I believe in that."
Anderson is giving me enough rope to hang myself with, meaning his questions prompts answers where I incriminate myself. What I claim to believe is inconsistent with how I live.
In the hands of another author, you might feel bullied by the incessant questions and manic compulsion to take a position but in the hands of James Anderson, it is all in good fun. It is a game. An intellectually satisfying puzzle where you can trace the logical cause and effect every step of the way. When he asks a question, he doesn't stack the deck to make you choose 'the correct answer', the Christian answer, but he poses it in such a way that all the choices are reasonable. Clear Christian BiasBut reasonable does not mean it's true. People have reasons to believe that the Earth is flat, that doesn't mean it's true. If you are worried that Anderson's book ends up like one of those small group session where everyone shares an opinion but nobody has a conclusion, then be assured that Anderson has a conclusion.
As Anderson tells us upfront, everyone has biases. Anderson is a seminary professor and an ordained minister, but more importantly he is a Christian so he can't and mustn't end on all religions are true, all paths lead to God. That's pluralism, by the way, not Christianity.
His Christian bias shows up not just in what he considers as the correct worldview, it also comes up when he evaluates other worldviews.
Anderson asks, "Can a God that is less than purely good be worthy of the title 'God'?" In another place, he asks, "Would a God who is neither personal nor perfect be worthy of our love and our worship?" These are Christian presuppositions.
If I was a non-Christian, I would argue, "Why not? Why can't God be flawed like the Greek or Norse gods. Why should God desire our love or worship? It is what it is."
Hang on, would a non-Christian even open this book? It's so obviously a Christian book designed to challenge our worldviews. That sounds as enticing as jumping into a pool of thumbtacks. Boundary Markers For Non-BigotsThe appeal to non-Christians here is truth packaged in an interactive back and forth with a friendly tone and intellectual honesty.
He sets up the question as briefly and as fairly as he can, then responds to your answer by admitting the attractiveness of the position but also the problems that arises.
If you are not a Christian, you might object that Anderson has exaggerated the problems. But you can't expect too much from a short 100 page book that covers Atheism to Unitarianism. Or you might object that it's too simplistic or your worldview is not covered or some other objections. To his credit, Anderson pre-empts many of these objections in the Appendix of the book including a straightforward answer to those who question the Christian bias in the book.
The intellectual honesty is not just in how he brings out opposing views and at the same time asserting his own convictions. That is hard to do but perhaps harder now than ever is being able to set boundary markers without being called a bigot. Is it possible to draw a battle line without engaging in battles?
Yes, if you role play it. The same way how gamers can take turns playing Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists. So in a unique way, the format of the book allows non-Christians to explore worldviews, maybe discovering their own and understanding others, without being defensive or antagonistic about it.
After finishing the book, I wondered whether a "Choose Your Adventure" approach could be used to explore the different cults and denominations within Christianity. But how would you arrange the cults and denominations so that you could separate them with one big question after another. What is the one question that would separate Roman Catholics from Baptist? Or one question to distinguish Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons. It's not easy to design a series of questions that would gradually put each group in its rightful place.
After thinking how difficult, if not impossible to do it for groups within Christianity, I gained a new appreciation for Anderson's success here. He makes it look so easy. For The Explorers Among YouI mentioned at length how non-Christians would receive this book because I think the book's format makes it a curious novelty for even the most hostile reader. Let's turn now to the Christian.
Christians in general will like the book because it affirms what you always believed to be true and it's always nice to have our Christian biases confirmed by err... other Christians.
But I want to zoom in to a particular sub-group of Christians that I think will greatly benefit from this book. The people who grew up in Christian homes, Sunday schools, youth meetings, and churches who feel like they never had a real choice in what to believe. They are taught, some would say brainwashed, that other worldviews, beliefs and religions are not just wrong, but evil.
Then they meet people outside of church who are kinder, smarter, more sincere and more open than the people they know in church. Maybe they have a reverse Road to Damascus encounter, a pagan epiphany. There is no progress for the pilgrim. They deconstruct their faith. They conclude that Christianity is irrational. They come out of the church and celebrate their de-conversion.
What if before all that happened, they were able to explore other worldviews without feeling conflicted about reading the Quran or listening to Richard Dawkins. Maybe by making it forbidden, the church has also made those worldviews attractive and more powerful than they really are.
This book allows you to enter so-called forbidden worldviews. You pick up a worldview, just as you would play a role in a game. And as you run through this simulation, you see how it ends and thus you save yourself from what was at first an enticing worldview, but in reality an intellectual, spiritual anti-climatic dead end.
This book is good for the Non-Christian to enter the worldview of the Christian and see how Christianity does make sense and it is beautiful. It is also good for the Christian to simulate an alternate worldview without losing the soul. ConclusionThis is a Reading and Reader's review of "What's Your Worldview? An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions" by James N. Anderson. 112 pages. Published by Crossway in January 2014. This book was awarded World Magazine's 2014 Popular Theology Book of the Year. It's available for USD7.99 via Amazon Kindle and free via Faithlife for the month of May.
If you like another book to share with non-Christians, turn to Episode 47 of Reading and Readers and listen to my review of "Why Believe?" by Neil Shenvi.
If you want a big book answer to the Free Choice question, you can turn to Episode 7: "Providence" by John Piper.
If you want to read something different, perhaps how to read the Bible in more than one way, subscribe to Reading and Readers to get the next episode where I review "Five Models of Scripture" by Mark Reasoner, a book free from Logos for May. So get in May, without delay.
Thank you for listening. Bye bye. Book List* "What's Your Worldview? An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions" by James N. Anderson. Amazon. Faithlife.

What's Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions

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The loudest alarm clock, the most inspiring motivation speaker, even a world-ending earthquake can do nothing to get a tired, overwhelmed, sad soul out of bed. What all of them can't do, a humble, gentle, book can.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review, "On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living" by Alan O. Noble. 120 pages. Published by Inter-Varsity Press in April 2023. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD14.99.
If not for this podcast, I never would have come across this gem. Last year, I reviewed "The Care of Souls" by Harold Senkbeil. Good book. Check out my review. I then followed Senkbeil in Twitter. March this year, he tweeted and brought to my attention Alan Noble's new book. In that tweet, I listened to Noble read the introduction.
As soon as it came out, I got out of bed, I got out my wallet, I got out my device to read it. What a great chapter. I shared it. This is another great chapter and I shared that too. And I had to stop myself before I copied the whole book and get arrested for copyright.
The book is so good that the professor of psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, Siang-Yang Tan, writes:

Alan Noble has given us another great gift in writing this short, honest, and deeply moving book on the powerful witness to the goodness of life and of God of simply getting out of bed each day, especially when we experience mental suffering or affliction. It contains many gems of wisdom and profound truth, such as living one day at a time, one step at a time, accepting God's love and grace and the help of others -- including mental health professionals and lay people -- and reaching out to others in community. Highly recommended.

I might as well end the review here right? You already know what I think of the book, but stay so that I can tell you more about the book.
This might be the book you never knew you needed to read. The Author's Great Existential Question For YouBe honest with yourself, there are days when you don't want to get out of bed. Maybe it's today! And you don't have to have a diagnosed debilitating disease to feel that way. You could have some something unnamed, probably trivial in the eyes of some people, and it's weighing heavily on you. It's nothing you need to see a doctor for, it's just the everyday stress and pressure of life. But sometimes it can be too much and you just want to stay in bed, hide under the covers and hope that the storm will pass. Bring a torchlight and take this book with you.
Listen to Alan Noble. He knows what he is talking about. Alan Noble is a professor and professors know their stuff. He is an author of many books and articles. And I'll have you know that his dissertation title was, "Manifestations of transcendence in twentieth-century American fiction: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Carson McCullers, J.D. Salinger, and Cormac McCarthy."
"Wait. What? Did you just say F. Scott Fitzgerald? American fiction?"
Yeah! Alan Noble is Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University. He has two other books on Amazon, "You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World" and "Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age". And his latest book is on mental suffering.
I know what you are thinking. If you have a plumbing problem you find a plumber. If you have a car problem, you ask a mechanic. If you have a mental problem, you need a mental health professional. What can one get from an English professor?
Well, one hopes for a well-written book. And we have that. It's not high brow literature. It's eight chapters of soul food written for the common man. For the common man has a common ailment.
Listen to this, I quote:

We have many terms for the different types of mental affliction that humans experience: depression, anxiety, clinical depression, melancholy, despair, low self-esteem, trauma, lethargy, boredom, guilt, lack of ambition, laziness, mourning, a failure to launch, exhaustion, burnout, mental illness, mental disorder and so on. We have a massive medical field devoted to treating the problem through medication and therapy. We have a million self-help books and life coaches and social media mindset influencers to inspire us. But here's the thing: each morning it's you. Each morning you must choose to get out of bed or not. All the medication and cognitive therapy and latest research and self-care in the world can't replace your choice. This decision can be aided by these resources but never replaced by them. Which means that you have to have an answer to a fundamental question: Why get out of bed? Or, more bluntly, why live?

There are so many ways to answer that question: Why live? Take any person, real or fictional, and imagine asking that question to him or her. Some dismiss it. Some get drunk. Some seize the day. Others hide in their beds.
"Why live?" is the great existential question. And Noble answers it in a series of essays, or chapters. I don't want to quote too much from the book because it's only a hundred page long. So I'll give you my impression of the book without spoiling your potential enjoyment of it. Biblical WisdomOne way to describe it is to refer to the Bible's different genres. The Bible has historical narratives. This book is not telling a story of the author, of his struggles with mental suffering, and it's refreshing to read a book where someone does not feel the need to put himself in the book to make a point.
The Bible also have epistles, letters written to the person or to the church. Noble writes in a conversational style, not in a dry detached voice of the lecturer. And like Paul, Peter and the epistle writers, Noble's intention are noble, he writes for the good of the readers.
However, if we were to fit this book to a biblical genre, it would be the wisdom literature.
It's like a cross between Ecclesiastes and the Book of Job, the quintessential book on suffering. Generally, the epistles start from theological truths and move towards praxis, how the believer lives according to the Word. If the epistles are top down, then Ecclesiastes and Job are bottom up.
The readers meet them where they are hurting, where they are confounded. They bring up human observations, sometimes flawed, into the discourse. God and His Revelation is still above human thoughts, but you can see in the text people grappling with how to make sense of the world.
I bring up the Bible genres because I want to show how the Bible itself validates an honest wrestling with the Word and the world.
We know that the Gospel is the answer to all our suffering. Convinced of this great truth, some think that the only way to speak life to another is to preach and preach and preach until the pain is exorcised away.
Alan Noble does not start at Genesis, then the Gospels, to end at Revelation. And how ironic it would be to comfort a suffering friend by preaching from Job. Job, of course, asked his preachy friends to be quiet, for that is wisdom.
Unlike Job's friends, Alan Noble has better bedside manners. Whether you rely on psychologists or psychiatrists, or think of suicide or seek attention, he does not blame or accuse. A safe book for sensitive souls. American FictionAnother unique strand of this book is the American Fiction aspect. For a book on suffering, Noble does not tell Job's story, he mentions Job once, and assumes you know it. Instead, Noble tells us the story from Cormac McCarthy's book, "The Road".
In chapter three, Noble writes that things can get so bad that "it feels rational to give up on life." And while friends "will remind you that you are wrong, that it's the illness talking and life is worth living," it is difficult to trust others because it's you who is suffering not them.
Noble then writes:

This is precisely the situation the nameless wife in Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road finds herself in. By every rational materialist calculation, suicide is the most ethical and appropriate response to a world of evil and suffering. She, her husband, and their young son are alive at the end of civilization. The sun is darkened by ash. Nothing grows. Everything and everyone has died or is dying. Every day brings a new horror. There is every reason to believe that even if they manage to fight off starvation and the elements, they will eventually be captured, raped and eaten alive by cannibals. When she lays out the case for suicide to her husband, he can offer no rebuttal -- because there is none. The facts are the facts. Staying alive will lead to greater agony. When you no longer have hope for a pleasurable life, when you have every expectation of increased suffering, suicide is logical -- unless the reason we choose to go on living is something greater than pleasure, or freedom from pain, or even hope for a better tomorrow.

I was thinking of stopping here. But that would be an unbearable cliffhanger, and you should in this episode get a resolution, a partial one at least, for the full one, you would have to get Noble's book, or read the McCarthy novel.
Noble continues:

And yet her husband refuses to join her, and he prevents her from taking their son with her. Despite the persuasiveness of his wife's argument, despite all the evidence that seems to confirm her decision (the man and his son are very nearly caught by cannibals at least twice after she dies), the father chooses to keep his son alive.
McCarthy forces us, through the father, to grapple with the question at the heart of life: Why is life worth all this agony? And while the father cannot verbally respond to his wife's argument that suicide is the least harmful response to suffering, his embodied answer is powerful and is validated by the ending of the novel.

Thankfully, I didn't have to read the novel to know how it resolves. Through this book, Noble has kind of spoiled the ending. But he must reveal it. Because he uses that story as one of the vehicle to explore the question of "Why live?" and Noble must give us an answer or risk the wrath of his readers.
And so he does. And his answer is familiar to Christians. It's familiar to anyone who reads the Bible. And yet, even though we know it, the truth remains comforting, lovely, motivating, sufficient for us to get out of bed, to do the next thing, to worship God in the small act of living. Semantic Differences AsideBefore I end this review, I do have one criticism, and it's the only one. And I will even say upfront that it's a difference in semantics. Noble uses a particular word with a particular meaning, while I use the same word in a different way. Otherwise, Noble and I should be in total agreement, I cannot imagine him disagreeing with me.
I just have to point this out because some readers may walk away with a wrong understanding.
Let me read and you try to detect what I see is the problem.
This comes from chapter eight, where he wants to end the book by assuring the reader that God's love is not conditional on your usefulness. I quote:

Usefulness is the sole criterion for the World, the Flesh, or the Devil. But you have no use value to God. You can't. There is nothing He needs. You can't cease being useful to God because you were never useful to begin with. That's not why He created you, and it's not why He continues to sustain your existence in the world. His creation of you was gratuitious, prodigal. He made you just because He loves you and for His own good pleasure.

If Noble was only attacking usefulness as defined by the World, the Flesh and the Devil, then I would cheer him on. But when he claims that there is no aspect or sense of our usefulness to God, I say this is a marked contradiction of what Scripture teaches.
2 Timothy 2:20–21 (ESV) reads:

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

I cannot imagine Alan Noble rejecting the clear teaching of Scripture so I emphasise that he is directing his fire against our need to feel useful, to be useful, in order to be of worth, in order to be worthy to live. This is the deadly mind virus going around. And it harms people created in God's image: old people, sick people, depressed people.
However, there is such a thing as godly usefulness. And it's not preaching, serving, church-planting, teaching, helping, doing whatever deeds great and small, because what then can we say to people who can't do any of them. We have merely listed all the things they cannot do, and have made them more worse off than ever.
But if we read 2 Timothy carefully, receiving it to teach, reprove, correct and train us for righteousness, we see that what is needed to be useful is to be cleansed from what is dishonourable. That is what the text says. Later, we also read that what we need to be equipped for every good work is Scripture.
And if I define usefulness in these terms, which I believe is how the Bible defines usefulness, then Noble and I are in total agreement because all the advice that he gives, all the reasons that he gives to carry on the burden and gift of living, are rooted in Scripture. In a way, he is using Scripture to cleanse us from dishonourable thoughts, dishonourable thoughts we have of God and of ourselves so that we can worship God for his goodness, and the goodness that he created in us.
As I said earlier, Noble and I are not in disagreement, but the way he explains usefulness only considers worldly usefulness and not Biblical or godly usefulness. ConclusionIn conclusion, this is a book that I wished I had read when I was younger, going through my own existential demons. It's a book I am glad to read now, for there have been days, and there will be days, when I would say, "The bed is my refuge", when it should be God.
I share Alan Noble's confidence that:

suffering -- even profound mental affliction and personal tragedy -- is a normal part of human life.

And since suffering is here to stay, will you not consider some wisdom to face it?
This is a Reading and Readers review of "On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living" by Alan O. Noble. 120 pages. Published by Inter-Varsity Press in April 2023. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD14.99.
My next book review will be on "What's Your Worldview? An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions" by James N. Anderson. This book won the World Magazine 2014 Popular Theology Book of the Year. It's free for May from Faithlife. So please get it before the deal is off.
I have the book. I have finished the book but it's so good that I bought ten hard copies just to give them away. I can't wait to tell you more about this interactive approach to life's big questions. Until then, bye bye. Book List* "On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living" by Alan O. Noble. Amazon.

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Do you know how to pray? In one of his books, A.W. Tozer wrote:

Some of the churches now advertise courses on how to pray. How ridiculous! That is like giving a course on how to fall in love.

And I got that quote from his book on prayer! How ridiculous!
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Prayer: Communing with God in Everything - Collected Insights from A.W. Tozer" compiled by W.L. Seaver. 224 pages, published by Moody Publishers in February 2016. It's available for USD1.99 in Amazon Kindle and it was the Free Book for April in Faithlife. And it's now May. Oops! Writing on Tozer and CatsIf you asked me, "Who is A.W. Tozer?" One answer would be, "He is your grandfather's Paul Washer." By that I don't mean that they hold the same doctrine. It's that they both don't pull their punches. Their words are daggers plunging into the all-too-comfortable Christian soul.
Today's book is a collection of Tozer's writings compiled by W.L. Seaver. Seaver has another book on Tozer titled, "Fiery Faith: Ignite Your Passion for God" but, far more curious is a three book series titled, "Purring in God's Ears".
Seaver, good man that he is, rescues wild and dumped cats. He writes:

God used the cats I was caring for to care for me in this difficult time just as He used the ravens with Elijah. I felt as though the feral cats ministered to me more than I helped them.
As I became acquainted with each cat, their unique purr, and their special story that covers many years, I was inspired to write about them.

Cat-lovers out there, these three books are for you. I'm a dog-person myself so I will satisfy myself with Seaver's other great love, the writings of A.W. Tozer.
So, let's turn to today's book, "Prayer: Communing with God in Everything - Collected Insights from A.W. Tozer" by W.L. Seaver.
Seaver begins his introduction with these words:

With fear and trembling, I approached this task of compiling Tozer’s words on prayer and praying. I tried to avoid it, but the Spirit kept drawing me back to the riches of the topic for myself and others.

Later, Seaver explains how the book is structured:

the first twenty-two chapters of this book focus on Tozer’s writings from sixteen books that deal with some aspect of prayer. The next three chapters are snippets from some sermons that deal with prayer and related topics. The last three chapters are excerpts from two major sermons that Tozer gave on prayer. To help us reflect and respond, each chapter concludes with a response section, “To Reflect and Apply,” which includes questions and action steps. In addition, chapters one through twenty-five have a transition section, “Exploring with Tozer,” that amplifies on Tozer’s thoughts on the specific prayer topic.

Prayer Changes PeopleFor today's review, let me read from Chapter 13, titled, "Prayer Changes People -- And Things". This is one of the shorter chapters in the book, so I will read it out in full.

No one who has read the Bible with any perception can fail to see that to God, men and women are more important than things. A human being is of more value than a thousand galaxies of stars or a million worlds like ours. God made man in His own image and He made things to serve man. His concern is with intelligent moral beings, not with lifeless matter.
However, since every person has a material body and must live out his days in an environment of matter, time, and space, things are important to him. His earthly life is to a large degree interwoven with matter and the laws that control matter. He is often deeply affected by the report his senses bring him from the world around him. Situations sometimes develop where the welfare of the inner man is for the time allowed to depend somewhat upon outward circumstances. At such times it is altogether proper that he should pray to God to alter those circumstances and “change things” to afford a more favorable climate for the growth of the Spirit. A thousand promises are recorded in the Scriptures to encourage him to ask and seek and knock to the end so that unfavorable things might be changed or removed altogether. And the history of Israel and the church abundantly demonstrates that God does hear and answer prayer.
In all our praying, however, it is important that we keep in mind that God will not alter His eternal purposes at the word of a man. We do not pray in order to persuade God to change His mind. Prayer is not an assault upon the reluctance of God, nor an effort to secure a suspension of His will for us or for those for whom we pray. Prayer is not intended to overcome God and “move His arm.” God will never be other than Himself, no matter how many people pray, nor how long nor how earnestly.
God’s love desires the best for all of us, and He desires to give us the best at any cost. He will open rivers in desert places, still turbulent waves, quiet the wind, bring water from the rock, send an angel to release an apostle from prison, feed an orphanage, open a land long closed to the gospel. All these things and a thousand others He has done and will do in answer to prayer, but only because it had been His will to do it from the beginning. No one persuades Him.
What the praying man does is to bring His will into line with the will of God so God can do what He has all along been willing to do. Thus prayer changes the man and enables God to change things in answer to man’s prayer.

That was a selected extract from Tozer's book, "The Price of Neglect". And with that reading you have a sense of Tozer's way with words. He speaks plainly, meaningfully, powerfully. He makes us ponder on our spiritual life. It made Seaver ponder on prayer so much so that he collected those sayings and compiled a book on them. And he adds his own thoughts to the mix.
Seaver reads "Prayer Changes People" and Abraham comes to mind. How Abraham lingered before the Lord and prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah. Seaver concludes this chapter's reflection by writing:

This whole prayer experience changed Abraham, Lot, Lot’s family, and all the people in Abraham’s sphere of influence. But even more, it changed not only Abraham’s walk with the Lord but his prayer life (see Gen. 20:7, 17). May we be willing to embrace such change to further God’s glory!

After we read Seaver's reflection, he invites us to join him, as if saying, "You have seen me do it, now it's your turn."
He gives you a quote from Tozer, and asks: what do you think of this statement, how can you apply it, what is your experience in living out what Tozer said and so on. These questions are suitable for small groups and for the individual reader.
And that's it. That's how each of the chapters are like. Let me now give you my thoughts on the book as a whole. Ridiculous! Ridiculous!If you know Tozer, you know that he gets quoted for outrageous things. The crowd roars with approval but some of us take a hesitant step back.
Take that quote at the start of this episode. Is it so ridiculous to teach people to pray? Isn't it harsh to say that teaching people to pray is like teaching people to fall in love? If falling in love happens naturally, is Tozer saying that prayer should not be taught?
But didn't a barber write to Martin Luther asking how to pray? Luther didn't rebuke him! Don't we have early church writings that instructed early Christians on how to pray? Wait a minute, the disciples themselves asked Jesus, 'Teach us how to pray' and Jesus did! How can Tozer say it is ridiculous to teach people how to pray, when the Master did so?
And that is the thing with Tozer quotes -- and I should know, I have two books of Tozer quotes -- they are easily taken out of context.
Do you know what he wrote before he ridiculed churches for advertising courses on prayer? He quoted Luke 11:1. He tells us that we need to learn how to pray from Jesus. Jesus was on his mind when he ridiculed what those churches were doing.
And if you read the sentences that follow after, you will see that Tozer is not against teaching on prayer, he is for teaching on prayer with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit takes the things of God, translates them into language our hearts understand. Even if we do not know the will of God, the Holy Spirit does know and He prays "with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26).

Modernism and Post-ModernismWhen you read Tozer, you need to remember that he is a man of his time. He lived back when Modernism was emerging. Modernism says that we can manage our faith like how we manage our factories. We just need the practical steps, an effective technique to teach them, an attractive way to advertise them, and all will be well.
Today, Modernism is bankrupt like some banks we know. Broken cisterns without water. Churches without the Holy Spirit. Surely, now people will turn to the Truth.
That didn't happen. After Modernism is Post-modernism.
Whereas before, truth was material, practical and manageable, now, there is no Truth or Everything is Truth. The Lie is Dead. Long Live the Lie.
This explains why Tozer still reads well today. We are children of Modernism living in a Post-Modern age. And Tozer calls out the delusion of both. Tozer vs. Classic Books on PrayerTozer didn't write today's book. Seaver selected and annotated Tozer's works.
Therefore, by design, this is not a cohesive, focused, guide on prayer. For that you could read Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Tim Keller or The Hidden Life of Prayer by David McIntyre or Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney.
If you are looking to be inspired you can read Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans, a collection edited by Robert Elmer. My personal favourite book on prayer would be the classic Power through Prayer by E.M. Bounds.
So when stacked against classic books on prayer, masterfully written, is Tozer worth reading? If yes, why settle for a hodgepodge book instead of a real Tozer book? The Worth of a Collected TozerTo the first question, is it worth reading Tozer? If your prayer life has grown cold, then you need this book like a vampire needs a stake in the heart. Piercingly painful but a release from a tortured life is better than the alternative.
See what I did there? That was my own Tozerism. A shocking line easily misunderstood without the follow up.
There are many great writers on prayers and Tozer should be included among them. Tozer at his best shakes the Christian out of his spiritual slump.
Then to the second question, if you decide to give Tozer a try, why not just pick up one of his books? The problem is you may not know where to start. And for that reason, I would recommend today's book.
In this one book, you have extracts from sixteen Tozer books and two of his sermons. This is as good a place as any to start your journey with Tozer on prayer.
And you have a good guide in Seaver. He has done more than cut-and-paste pages of Tozer together. He also includes his own personal thoughts. But why would anyone want to read what a 'nobody' like Seaver thinks when you can read the thoughts of great men like E.M. Bounds or the Puritans?
Rather than comment on the writing quality of Seaver, and I think he would prefer I focus your attention on Tozer than on him, I want to commend the practice of engaging with what you read.
This is what Seaver did: "I read what Tozer wrote and I thought of Abraham. Let me collect my thoughts and write them down."
These written thoughts of his will not win Seaver any literary prizes. Perhaps he might win one in a Christian Cat-Lovers Convention. But I think the important point is he engages and shows us you don't have to be fancy to digest on what you read.
How many of us can write a bestseller or a classic? But all of us can read and engage with what we read. Your reflections on your reading will probably not get you published. But if sharing your thoughts fires you up, then post it in social media, start a blog, or try your hand at a Christian book review podcast.
I see in this book, a man who has gained much on prayer from Tozer and wants to introduce these good things to new readers or even those who know Tozer but have never seen his writings on prayer compiled together like this.
Tozer was a plain-speaking man. I don't know whether Tozer liked cats but if he did, that would be an extra bonus that a cat-loving, plain-speaking man got the chance to write a book on Tozer and prayer.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "Prayer: Communing with God in Everything - Collected Insights from A.W. Tozer" compiled by W.L. Seaver. 224 pages, published by Moody Publishers in February 2016. It's available for USD1.99 in Amazon Kindle and it's the Free Book for April in Faithlife.
My next book review is "On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift Of Living" by Alan O. Noble. I know it's a good book when I find myself spamming screenshot after screenshot of the book. Book List* "Prayer: Communing with God in Everything - Collected Insights from A.W. Tozer" compiled by W.L. Seaver. Amazon. Faithlife.

Prayer: Communing with God in Everything--Collected Insights from A. W. Tozer

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Today, according to the BBC, "There are currently around three to four million podcasts internationally, but just over half of those have more than three episodes, with only 720,000 podcasts comprising more than 10 episodes."
Well, not to brag, but the podcast you are listening to has 70 episodes and is today two years old!
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host of Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. But not today. Today we take a Behind the Scenes look at the world's number one podcast dedicated to Christian book reviews. A Developing RelationshipI still remember the first year of podcasting. It was like jumping off a cliff. Exhilarating. Scary. Fun. I juggled with web hosting, podcast hosting, microphones, headphones, figuring out a workflow that worked and flowed with my already busy, busy, life.
Now that I've just passed the second year, 70 episodes in, the feeling is different. It's like how the first year of romance drives boys and girls crazy, puppy love. It's when the first year goes on to the second year, that the relationship is challenged. This podcast, Reading and Readers, is it a Covid-induced fling or a long term, life-long, serving?
I've lasted years and still going strong. I still love to read and I still love to share what I read.
I've even got an idea for a special 100th episode. I have a special personal book in mind. And I can't wait to review it for the 100th episode. My only fear is that my review doesn't do the book justice. At the pace I'm going, the 100th episode will be in 2024. I don't want to say anything beyond the 100th but I'm thankful I still love what I'm doing in Reading and Readers. Wisdom For 2 Year OldsFor today's special episode, I'll do something simple. I'll read a portion of Proverbs 2. Then I will use what I just read to reflect on podcasts and book reviews. What better way to celebrate the podcast's second anniversary than to do a reading first, followed by thoughts from the reader.
Before I begin, a trigger warning. If you are one of those poor souls who throws a fit whenever someone takes a passage of Scripture and starts talking about it or applying it without first expounding on it, then be warned.
I'm not expounding, or preaching or even teaching here. So I don't intend to connect the dots. This is a devotional reflection. And I think this is a perfectly acceptable way to grow as a Christian, which is to read Scripture and ponder how Scripture relates to work, family, ministry, technology, society, all things in all creation including a podcast where I review Christian books for you.
So let us open the Good Book.
Proverbs 2:1–15 (ESV)

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.

The passage is entirely about God's words and God's commandments. There are conditions with rewards, if you do this, you will gain, you will know every good path. Take heed, it is God who gives knowledge and wisdom. Beware of falling in with evil people their paths are crooked. One Book ManA man calls out, "I am a one-book man. I only read the Bible because that is all a person needs to be wise."
And he quotes Scripture in support. The final chapter, final sections of Ecclesiastes, 12:11-12 reads:

The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Does that mean that the man was right. It is good to be a one-book man? Sounds like false piety to me. It sounds praise-worthy but it is not. How can I reconcile Proverbs 2, Ecclesiastes 12, with Reading and Readers, the podcast and its goals? Spurgeon To The PartyI'd like to invite a dear old friend to speak on this issue. He is Charles Spurgeon. Let me read from his "Lectures to My Students". He has a chapter on commentaries. What he says on commentaries I will later extend to Christian books. But first let's hear from Charles Spurgeon on commentaries:

In order to be able to expound the Scriptures, and as an aid to your pulpit studies, you will need to be familiar with the commentators: a glorious army, let me tell you, whose acquaintance will be your delight and profit. Of course, you are not such wiseacres as to think or say that you can expound Scripture without assistance from the works of divines and learned men who have labored before you in the field of exposition. If you are of that opinion, pray remain so, for you are not worth the trouble of conversion, and like a little coterie who think with you, would resent the attempt as an insult to your infallibility. It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others. My chat this afternoon is not for these great originals, but for you who are content to learn of holy men, taught of God, and mighty in the Scriptures. It has been the fashion of late years to speak against the use of commentaries. If there were any fear that the expositions of Matthew Henry, Gill, Scott, and others, would be exalted into Christian Targums, we would join the chorus of objectors, but the existence or approach of such a danger we do not suspect. The temptations of our times lie rather in empty pretensions to novelty of sentiment, than in a slavish following of accepted guides. A respectable acquaintance with the opinions of the giants of the past, might have saved many an erratic thinker from wild interpretations and outrageous inferences. Usually, we have found the despisers of commentaries to be men who have no sort of acquaintance with them; in their case, it is the opposite of familiarity which has bred contempt.

Did you get all that? Commentators are a glorious army. People who have laboured before us in the field of exposition. The problem in Spurgeon's time, more than a hundred years ago, was for people to follow novelty of sentiment rather than accepted guides. How is it that what he says then is so applicable to us today?
Anyways, I skip a bit and Spurgeon continues:

who will deny the preeminent value of such expositions as those of Calvin, Ness, Henry, Trapp, Poole, and Bengel, which are as deep as they are broad? and yet further, who can pretend to biblical learning who has not made himself familiar with the great writers who spent a life in explaining some one sacred book? Caryl on Job will not exhaust the patience of a student who loves every letter of the Word; even Collinges, with his nine hundred and nine pages upon one chapter of the Song, will not be too full for the preacher’s use; nor will Manton’s long-metre edition of the hundred and nineteenth Psalm be too profuse. No stranger could imagine the vast amount of real learning to be found in old commentaries like the following:—Durham on Solomon’s Song, Wilcocks on Psalms and Proverbs, Jermin on Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, Green-hill on Ezekiel, Burroughs on Hosea, Ainsworth on the Pentateuch, King on Jonah, Hutcheson on John, Peter Martyr on Romans, etc., and in Willett, Sibbes, Bayne, Elton, Byfield, Daillé, Adams, Taylor, Barlow, Goodwin, and others on the various epistles.

As I have said before, more than once, how privileged we are that there are top minds, spiritual giants, who give their life to study, in some cases, one book. How privileged we are to be able to tap on a life-time of learning. And do you recognise the illustrious authors that Spurgeon casually throws about? I don't. Because God has blessed not just one generation with gifted writers. God has seen fit to bless every generation with gifted writers to equip the church in its own time and setting. We have Dale Ralph Davis, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., D. A. Carson, just to name a few of the authors I have read and reviewed. One Friend Man?To the one-book man I ask, "Are you also a one-friend man?" Do you only need one friend, and one friend alone, whose name is Jesus? Well, Jesus calls his disciples his friends and we sing what a friend we have in Jesus.
We can have many friends but only one friend has authority over us. He is God. Similarly, we can have many books but only one book has authority over us. That is the Bible. So this helps to explain the making of many books in Ecclesiastes.
What about Proverbs 2 which clearly says wisdom and knowledge come through God's Word. So why waste time reading other books?
I suggest to you that the making of many books within Christians is a physical manifestation of Proverbs 2. If we were to pile up all the Christian books, books written by believers to glorify God, the pile would tower to the heavens, demonstrating how seriously, how fervently, we treasure God's Word that we would spill so much ink and give so much time to wisdom and knowledge that ultimately stems from God.
As Spurgeon says, these books do not have authority over us, but they offer great value. Faithful books are friends of the faith. All Books Not Just CommentariesAnd not just commentaries.
Whether it's a comic book Action Bible or a funny novel of a soul-searching pastor or a systematic analysis on the theology of Lord of the Rings. A good Christian book in some way lead us to wisdom, righteousness and justice and equity, to every good path.
When a community of believers come together, receiving and treasuring God's Word and commandment, isn't it the most natural thing, having received wisdom and knowledge to sing it, draw it study it, and write it to share with fellow seekers? Doesn't this holy activity deliver us from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, men whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways?
So I reflect on Proverbs 2.
As a reader, I read to the glory of God. Reading and interpreting what I read with a Christian worldview.
As a podcaster, I create to the glory of God. I use the technology and reach that God has given to the people of my generation to be blessed and be a blessing.
As a book reviewer, I review to the glory of God. I serve the community of believers, the authors, publishers and readers. My hope is in some small way my podcast can lead you to times of refreshing through a good book found.
It's only two years. I hope you will join me in seeking, treasuring and sharing the wisdom, knowledge and understanding God gives.
A heartfelt thanks from me to all who listen to Reading and Readers. I hope the podcast and the book reviews are as profitable to you as they have been to me. God bless you. Bye bye.

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The Whole Gospel of Mark in a Single Verse. That's the title of Chapter 1 of today's book but it could just as well be the title for the whole book. Intrigued? Keep listening.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "A Ransom for Many: Mark 10:45 as a Key to the Gospel" by John Lee and Daniel Brueske. 200 pages, published by Lexham Academic in April 2023. Available for USD9.99 in Amazon Kindle and USD16.99 in Logos.
I got this book as a review copy from the publisher. They have no input on this review.
The big idea of the book is Mark 10:45 is the key verse to the Gospel of Mark. The whole Gospel of Mark can be summarised in one verse. And what does Mark 10:45 say? Let me read it for you:

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

First of all, you can get a certain amount of satisfaction when you can identify the key idea or key verse in a passage. When you find it, if it exists, with that one verse, you can unlock the meaning of the passage, chapter or even the whole book.
Take this famous verse for example:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

That was from Romans 1:16-17, and understanding the meaning behind "the righteous shall live by faith" is key to unlocking the whole letter, to understanding what Paul is saying in the letter, which got Martin Luther mind blown, giving us the Reformation and to where the Church is today.
Knowing how powerful it can be to identify a key verse, it was with eager anticipation I came to today's book. I wanted to see how the authors substantiate their claim and how, if their claim is true, how this changes anything. I am also particularly interested in the word ransom, because this is the word that lead to the ransom view of the atonement, a historical interpretation which we now have set aside.
Once in a while, it's good to review what we believe to be true, just to affirm once again that we are right to believe so. So I looked forward to exploring the Ransom View in this book.
Let's open the book.
"A Ransom for Many" has six chapters, followed by two appendices and a bibliography, subject and author index and scripture index.
The chapters are:* Chapter 1: The Whole Gospel of Mark in a Single Verse * Chapter 2: The Occassion of Mark's Gospel * Chapter 3: The Purpose of Mark's Gospel * Chapter 4: The Meaning and Significance of Mark 10:45 * Chapter 5: The Function and Contribution of Mark 10:45 * Chapter 6: Learning to Live the Message of Mark 10:45

So chapters 1-3 gives a broader view of Mark's Gospel including the when, where, who, how and why and chapters 4-6 is the deep dive into Mark 10:45.
Appendix I is Annotated Recommendations for Further Reading. The authors recommend six books and explain why.
Appendix II is A Short History of the Ransom View of the Atonement. More on that later. I Was Blind But Now I SeeBefore reading this book, I did not fully appreciate how the Gospel of Mark was organised.
Chapter 4 begins with a wide view of Mark's Gospel, which gives us the needed outline and background for later in the same chapter when we breakdown down Mark 10:45 into separate components.
Chapter 5 goes on to show that Mark 10:45's strategic location calls our attention to it's importance. In the Gospel of Mark, as they make their way to Jerusalem, Jesus tells the disciples three times that something big, something bad, will happen to him there. And that prediction becomes more intense the nearer they get to Jerusalem.
Interestingly, these three predictions are book-ended by blind men. First the blind man at Bethsaida in Mark 8, and later Blind Bartimaeus at Jericho in Mark 10. I didn't notice this until I read it here. The authors helpfully tell me the significance of this. I quote:

These two stories symbolically anticipate the “healing” of the disciples’ “blindness” toward the nature of Jesus’s messiahship. The sequence of passion prediction, the disciples’ error, and corrective teaching repeated within each of the three cycles, together with the framing of the Journey section by the only two healings of sight in Mark’s Gospel, implies an intentional design on the part of the author.

I like learning how to read the Bible. This book teaches me how to see patterns, and how to make sense of them, to guide me to what is in the Gospel writer's mind.
It's like learning how to follow animal tracks. To the old hunter, the tracks are as plain as day, but to me, it's just dirt. But once he tells you what to look out for, then you start to see what he sees, and you follow the trail to the prize.
So I like that. I like how this approach also forces me to read around the text. It forces me to get a lay of the land and I can apply what I learn to other books and be a better Bible reader. Deprived Without Mark 10:45The second thing I want to share is not something new I have learnt, rather it is a validation of something I figured out own my own.
Early in my Christian life, I struggled to understand why some verses are in the Bible. In some cases, some books! When I read that Martin Luther wanted to remove James from the canon, I sympathised with him and thought I could suggest a few more books for removal too!
I have since moved past such thoughts and have grown to love each book of the Bible. They are all good. They all belong in the canon.
And how I arrived to this position was simply by asking the question, "What happens if this verse or book was missing?" Just by asking that simple question, I soon realise that we don't appreciate what we have until we lose it. Try it. We lose a lot when we cut out even the simplest and what seems to be the most inconsequential part of the Bible.
Brueske and Lee show this is critically true for Mark 10:45. In Chapter 5, as they explain the verse's contribution to explain Jesus' death, they write:

Without 10:45 (and 14:24, which is built on and confirms 10:45), it would be much harder for Mark’s audience, then or now, to grasp the author’s atonement theology. In this sense, the contribution of 10:45 to Mark’s theology of atonement is undeniable, as is its contribution to how Mark wants his audience to understand the meaning of Jesus’s death and to appreciate this narrative in which the passion of Jesus holds a vital position.

I appreciate how by highlighting this, they make me appreciate the precious position this verse holds in the Gospel of Mark. Ransom View of The AtonementHaving shared a bit of what I gained, allow me bring up a criticism.
I would say this is a case of mismanaged expectation, and I am going to say upfront that it's probably my fault for expecting something that was never promised in the first place.
When you have a book with the title, "A Ransom for Many" which is an exposition of Mark 10:45, I expected a thorough discussion on the Ransom View of the Atonement.
For those who don't know what this is, it's simply saying that when Jesus paid a ransom to save us, he paid it to the Devil.
It's not that the book doesn't address it, they do. In Chapter 4, after explaining how ransom is used as a metaphor to describe how God redeems 'his people from sins, lawlessness, transgressions and a futile lifestyle', they write:

since the condition from which the 'many' are ransomed or redeemed is not made clear in Mark 10:45, it seems safe to presume that it is figurative here as well. Instead, Mark shows Jesus employing the figure of ransom and redemption mainly to describe the effect of his death. Through his death, Jesus becomes the way that “the many” are redeemed—presumably from death and presumably by God. If the “ransom” in Mark 10:45 is a metaphor, then common questions like, “To whom is this ransom being paid?” probably miss the point. Mark’s focus in this verse is not to whom the payment is made.

It seems safe. If the "ransom" in Mark is a metaphor. Questions like, "To whom is this ransom being paid?" probably miss the point. Seems, ifs and probablys don't make me sleep well at night. I need more security in my exposition.
But wait! There is an appendix. Maybe the authors will give me what I want there. They probably don't want to get bogged down in the theological debate which distracts from their main point. If true, then all I got to do is just finish the book and read the appendix later.
I finished and eagerly flipped (or rather scrolled) to Appendix II. And I was disappointed. To be fair, it does what it says on the title, "A Short History of the Ransom View of the Atonement". It's short. And it's just a history of who believed what, when and how it changed. But it says very little, I would say nothing at all, on the biblical basis for people believing in the Ransom View and why we should not.
I want something more than seems, ifs and probablys. I want them to tell me that those old guys got it wrong and taking ransom as a metaphor is the correct interpretation.
Just to illustrate why a word and its meaning is so important.
Much has been made of the word propitiation in Romans 3:25. Some argue that a better translation is expiation. The meaning is similar but that small difference can lead the preacher and thus the congregation in a wildly different direction.
While propitiation is such a technical word that it invites everyday Christians to study it to understand what it actually means, ransom is a common enough word that most Christians would just assume it means what it means in every day life.
This means that in reading Mark 10:45, it is natural to see Jesus paying a ransom to Satan to release those who were ensnared by the Devil. In fact, it's easy to imagine a preacher somewhere right now, taking the word ransom and running with it.
Tourists are captured by terrorists and ransomed. Rich kids are pulled into vans by kidnappers and ransomed. Young men and women are promised jobs by scammers and ransomed. Ransoms are paid to terrorists, kidnappers and scammers.
In the Old Testament and New Testament, ransoms were paid to evil slave-owners. Taking the literal sense of ransom, it's plain to see that Jesus paid a ransom to the Devil to release us. Can I get an amen to that?
To Brueske and Lee, emphasising on who the ransom was paid to is unhelpful. In my opinion, they do not go far enough to persuade us so. And I see this as a missed opportunity. Self-Evident Needs No Justification(?)Not just that. It's a tragedy because it could have made for a better book. You see, the publication of this book seems to be fundamentally flawed because it's not needed.
In Chapter 1, the very chapter that makes the case the reason for this book, I quote:

Many interpreters have recognized the importance of Mark 10:45. But as with every consensus, there are some who disagree. Julius Wellhausen, for example, in his monumental commentary downplayed the weightiness of Mark 10:45 and, relatedly, the atoning significance of Jesus’s death within Mark’s Gospel. Nevertheless, most biblical scholars do agree that Mark 10:45 is important. Even popular Bible teachers like Irving Jensen, Warren Wiersbe, Max Lucado, and Chuck Swindoll have presented 10:45 as a key verse. For many, the significance of Mark 10:45 within the Second Gospel is self-evident.

Nowhere else in the book do we read about Julius Wellhausen and how or why he downplays the weightiness of Mark 10:45. Instead, we get a book that merely elaborates what the authors admit many see as self-evident.
What does it mean that it's self-evident. It's like reading the headline, "Scientists prove that the sun rises in the East" or "that water is wet" or "fire is hot".
We know there is probably some scientific geekery behind those headlines but for most of us, we don't need it to confirm what we already believe is true.
And that is the problem with this book.
This is a solution in need of a problem. Or a resolution in need of a conflict. Or a superhero movie in need of a villain. Julius Wellhausen might make a good villain. If not him, then the Ransom View. But sadly, there are no villains here, and thus we have an informative but ultimately dull book.
But you know what, as I was thinking of things that are self-evident, I also read today in the news, "According to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, '100% of Women do not have Penises'". There was a time when such a statement would not make the news. Because it is self-evident.
So that got me thinking, maybe at this point in time, I don't fully appreciate what this book attempts to do because I live in a time where there is no need for it. But in the last days, there will come times of difficulty, and many will turn away from the truth, many will have itchy ears, many may believe that up means down, left means right, 'came not to be served but to serve' means Christian authoritarianism, 'giving his life as a ransom for many' means 'give the preacher money, money and more money' and the key verse of the Gospel of Mark is not Mark 10:45 but Mark 3:22, where the scribes say, "Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul".
In such times, this book and the scholarship that comes with this book, will bolster the walls as Christians man the defences to once again, defend the faith.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "A Ransom for Many: Mark 10:45 as a Key to the Gospel" by John Lee and Daniel Brueske. 200 pages, published by Lexham Academic in April 2023. Available for USD9.99 in Amazon Kindle and USD16.99 in Logos.
In case you missed it, Faithlife and Logos have free books out for April. The Logos Free Book is "The New Testament Commentary Guide: A Brief Handbook for Students and Pastors" by Nijay Gupta. I've gone through it and if you are a pastor or Bible student, just get the book because it does what it says, it will guide you on New Testament Commentaries. It's a good resource to navigate through the many commentaries around.
I won't review it for the same reason I won't review a dictionary, it's useful but not something I can read cover to cover.
Instead, in the next episode of Reading and Readers, I will review Faithlife's Free Book which is, "Prayer: Communing with God in Everything" Collected Insights from A.W. Tozer, compiled by W.L. Seaver. Until then, bye bye. Book List* "A Ransom for Many: Mark 10:45 as a Key to the Gospel" by John Lee and Daniel Brueske. Amazon. Logos.

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After nearly two thousand years, finally the answer we have all been waiting for arrives. The question is, "What is Paul's thorn in the flesh?" And the answer is found in today's book.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Paul's Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem" by Kenneth Berding. 280 pages, published by Lexham Academic in February 2023. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD19.99 and in Logos for USD26.99.
I got this book for free from Lexham Academic to review. They have no input in today's review. Mystery Novel and AuthorLong time listeners to this podcast will know that I love a good mystery novel. The detective finds clues, invites the readers to solve the mystery, and the story steadily moves towards that big reveal.
In this book, we look at a real life mystery, what is Paul's thorn in the flesh? And our detective is Kenneth Berding.
Kenneth Berding, according to Amazon, is:

Professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University where he has served since 2002. He teaches courses such as Life & Letters of Paul, Principles of Interpretation, Biblical Greek, Romans, and Apostolic Fathers.

It is as if everything he taught prepared him for this book. When tackling a narrow subject like Paul's Thorn in the Flesh, I don't want a guy who is obsessed about this one mystery for 50 years of his life. He only has tunnel vision.
I want someone who is aware of the broader picture, someone who knows Paul, his life and letters, someone who can survey the nearly two thousand years worth of attempts to crack the mystery.
I want someone qualified and, on paper, Kenneth Berding is abundantly qualified.
Qualification is one thing, can he pique the reader's interest? Can he banish the fog of incomprehensibility surrounding a topic that belongs more in seminary than in the public? And crucially, can he convince us that nearly every commentary is wrong and that his solution truly best explains this verse:

2 Corinthians 12:7–9 (ESV) So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Nobody KnowsBefore I read this book, this is my interpretation: We don't know what is Paul's thorn in the flesh. Nobody knows. It is a mystery that will forever remain a mystery. And you know what? It is good that we don't know. Because this thorn in the flesh can represent any one of your pain, your suffering, your trial, your temptations, it can mean anything you want it to mean because, by God's great Providence, Paul has left it undefined.
That's what I understood. I taught this because I believed it.
Then along comes Kenneth Berding. He shatters all my presuppositions, and says that my interpretation is wrong. Wrong in the first premise. He makes this astounding claim that the Bible and other sources gives us enough clues to solve the mystery.
So let's open the book, "Paul's Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem" by Kenneth Berding. Pain Oh the PainHe begins with this introduction:

Imagine with me a first-century house-church meeting. The apostle Paul is addressing a new group of Jesus followers that has recently sprung up as an extension of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. Paul is passionately exhorting the assembled group about their need to view one another as brothers and sisters in the family of God. He is twenty minutes into his talk when suddenly—and without warning—Paul’s face grimaces, his hand moves rapidly to the side of his face just in front of his ear, he collapses into a sitting position, his breathing quickens as he leans forward, eyes shut, fighting to hold back the groans working their way out of his throat. The matron of the house rushes forward along with a half dozen others. She cries out, “Brother Paul, are you OK? What’s happening? What’s wrong?”

Is that a great introduction or what? If this was a movie, the opening scenes shows the ending. What I just read, a snippet of a longer story, is Berding's solution to the problem, namely Paul's thorn in the flesh is a terrible pain, possibly intermittent, which he experiences in his face, perhaps around the ear or eyes.
This is the big reveal. And he gives it to us in the first page. The rest of the book is a carefully written, methodical and enjoyably series of engaging and convincing arguments. And he needs those arguments because everyone else thinks it's impossible.
In Chapter 1, "Why We're Skeptical", Berding gives a list of imminent scholars. Let me read the shorter comments from this list. * C.H. Dodd says, "Diagnosis is impossible." * F.F. Bruce states bluntly, "... no certainty is possible." * Colin G. Kruse writes, "However, the plain fact is that there is simply insufficient data to decide the matter." * Gordon D. Fee writes, "“Finally, even though we have no way of knowing what the infirmity was, Paul continued to be plagued by a physical problem, even after seeking relief from God.” * David E. Garland writes, "In the end we must accept the fact that we will never know for certain what Paul’s stake in the flesh was."

I'm glad to read that all of these guys agree with me. Berding is against the consensus. And he knows it. Nobody Knows But Many GuessesIn chapter 2, he gives us a list of people and their solutions. Tertullian says it's a pain of the head. Lightfoot suggests epilepsy. Ramsay says malaria. Chilton thinks shingles. These are just some of the people in a long list who think it's a physical ailment.
Then we have another long list of those who think it's not something physical. Basil of Caesarea suggests the thorns are trials in ministry. Aquinas says sexual temptations. Luther says temptation to anger. Calvin plays it safe and guesses temptations of various kinds.
For the scholar, this is a great chapter! You have footnotes after footnotes. The last item in the list is citation number 99!
Yet Berding writes for the everyday Christian. Remember the introduction, how the story draws us in. He is writing with the everyday Christian in mind.
When I read the two lists, in the back of my head, I was thinking why is it you have some who say its physical while some very strong theologians, I'm looking at Aquinas, Luther, Calvin think it's not physical but spiritual.
I quote Berding here:

When “sharp-pointed object in the flesh” (a literal English translation of the Greek skolops tē sarki) got translated as stimulus carnis meae into Latin, the subsequent use of that Latin translation opened the door to psychological and spiritual interpretations (such as sexual temptations or spiritual distress). This is because stimulus in Latin is more commonly used metaphorically for “incitement” or “stimulation” than is the Greek skolops. Don’t forget that the Latin translation of the Bible was the preferred version for both western priest and scholar for more than a thousand years, so such a translation carried the potential of wielding a far greater influence than was justified.

I have spent more time than I should on the first two chapters. Mainly because I enjoyed them so much and I have not even reach the main section of the book. The clues! CluesAs I said earlier, the big reveal is given, the rest of the book is presenting the arguments for it. That would be chapters 3 to chapter 11, which cover clues from the historical context, clues from the book of Job, clues from the literary context and just on the literary context, there are three chapters.
A masterly three chapters where he goes from the, here I simplify so that you can get the gist, he first unpacks the sentence, then the paragraph, then the chapter. He zooms in at the centre and steadily expand outwards.
Moving on, in the other chapters, we have clues from the Suffering of Jesus, clues from Irenaeus and Tertullian, clues from Galatians and a whole chapter on clues from miscellaneous sources.
I have learned so much from these chapters. Not just on the content but in the approach. If anyone ever wants to write a book or article to persuade readers on a point of view, or forget about writing, if you just want to be a clearer thinker, I highly recommend this book.
He is gentle and respectful of differing opinions. He is not desperate to win your approval. He lays out the case, without any appeal to the emotions, he just communicates as clearly as he can the significance of these clues, trusting that the reader is intelligent enough to connect the dots.
Let's look at one of those clues. From chapter 5, "Clues from the Literary Context (Part 1)", Berding states that the word Paul uses to describe his thorn in the flesh is a word that evokes a face-punch.
I quote:

Most of our translations translate the word with general terms, such as “torment,” “trouble,” “harass,” “buffet,” “beat,” or “hit.” This general usage is possible in certain contexts, but these renderings of kolaphizō mask both the word’s initial evocation and most common usage.

Normally that would be the end of it and we readers would have to take the writer, the expert's, word for it because you don't know Greek. I don't know Greek. He knows Greek so he must be right.
But Berding does not just want us to take his word for it. He wants us to understand so he explains. I quote at length, and I hope you can get a sense of the teacher's soul in Berding.

Some words are more general but can be particularized using additional words if a speaker or author wants to limit the application of the word. In English, words like “hit” or “punch” are such words. But there exist other words that can be used generally, but still evoke certain associations even before being employed by a particular author in a particular sentence, because those words commonly have been used in particular ways in the past. That is, for some words, if you could ask people to define a word, even without a sentence, they would normally associate the word with a part of the body, because that is how those words are most commonly used. For example, in English, when you hear the word “stub,” you initially associate it with someone’s toe. When you hear the word “spank,” you normally think of a person’s rump. When you hear the word “slap,” you customarily associate it with one’s face. Without a qualifier (like “finger” for stub, “leg” for spank, or “arm” for slap), such words are of a category that a listener will initially associate with a particular part of the body unless the author uses additional words to instruct otherwise. Kolaphizō seems to be such a word. Its most common association appears to be with the face.

OrganisationNext I want to talk about the organisation of this book. It is just simply brilliant. In the very beginning of the book, he introduces us to twenty criteria that we must consider to solve the murder, I mean, mystery. He shows us from the Bible, from the clues, how these criteria come about.
For example, when we see that the word used Kolaphizō then what we gather is whatever this thorn in the flesh may be, it is impacting Paul's face (as a part of his head). That is Criterion number 7.
From the clues, he extracts a set of criteria. And crucially, these criteria will narrow our list of suspects or possible solutions to a particular category. The Excitement of Reaching the EndingI want to explain the sense I got from reading this page-turner of a book.
Coming back to the mystery movie idea. If you give the reveal away in the beginning of the movie, then the excitement is the events that lead up to the reveal. Tom Cruise dies. Oh my goodness. That's not possible! He is the star of the show! And you watch the rest of the movie to see how the impossible happens.
When it comes to Paul's thorn in the flesh, we come to this book thinking, "It's simply not possible to know what it means. We don't have enough clues or data."
Berding does his reveal. He claims it's a face-related disease, something like Trigeminal Neuralgia Type 1. We don't quite believe it. It's a guess, maybe even a good guess, but surely there is no way he can pull it off and make an overwhelming support for it.
Throughout the book, it is as if he says to us, "I have nothing up my sleeves. I'm not doing any tricks. No appeals to the emotions. No great leaps of faith. Just twenty criteria drawn from different categories of clues."
You could say some of his points are a stretch, and Berding often reminds us that by itself, the individual points do not mean much, but when taken together as an accumulated whole, it is no longer a just good guess but a very likely conclusion.
At the end of the book, he brings out the twenty criteria we have extracted and collected as we processed the clues from history, from the Bible, from what the Apostolic Fathers said and so on. We are convinced that any solution should meet these twenty criteria.
And he gives us three tables. For the first table he lists the non-physical solutions like maybe the thorn in the flesh is a demonic attack or it is Paul's experience of psychological pressure. Next, he lists the physical ailments like malaria or epilepsy, which seem to make better sense of the data. Lastly, he lists seven face-related diseases, any of which could be what Paul experienced in his day.
Everything is so methodical, everything is so well put, it is a masterly piece of work. So What?At this point I can imagine Professor Berding taking a bow to the thunderous applause of admiring readers. Then someone in the back row asks, "So what? How does knowing what Paul experienced make any different to me, to us, today?"
The professor has fully anticipated that question and gives us one more chapter, the last chapter, that addresses the implications of everything we have learnt. He goes through the implications of each item in the twenty criteria, but the title of the chapter says it all, "A Fuller Portrait of Paul". That is ultimately what we gain and the more we know who Paul is, the more accurate we can know what he is thinking when he wrote the epistles and the more accurate we can interpret his words for our spiritual gain.
My final thoughts on the book. I got this book, wanting to be educated on this very narrow topic. I was open to changing my mind. I was educated and I changed my mind, I just did not expect the book to be so well-researched, so well-written, and thoroughly enjoyable. I have said it often in this review that this book has made me a better reader and thinker. I want to approach every problem in the Bible the way Berding has done so here.
Thanks to this book, I will be reading Paul's letters being mindful of Paul's excruciating pain. Imagine suffering from an ailment that feels like being punched in the face, or pierced with an ice pick, over and over again. Then imagine saying this:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

How can it be? And Paul directs us over and over again, only through the power of Christ.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "Paul's Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem" by Kenneth Berding. 280 pages, published by Lexham Academic in February 2023. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD19.99 and in Logos for USD26.99.
I got this book for free from Lexham Academic to review. They have no input in today's review.
If you enjoy today's book, be sure to subscribe to this podcast for more book reviews. You can also visit readingandreaders.com and leave a note of encouragement through the contact form. Thank you for listening. Bye bye. Book List
* "Paul's Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem" by Kenneth Berding. Amazon. Logos.

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A man comes home from work and flops on the coach. His children runs and jumps all over their father, but he remains motionless. His lovely wife comes over and asks, "Dead tired?" And the man says, "Dad tired." Fathers everywhere, how is fatherhood going for you?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Dad Tired and Loving It: Stumbling Your Way to Spiritual Leadership" by Jerrad Lopes. 192 pages, published by Harvest House Publishers in September 2019. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD12.99 and for USD3.99 at Faithlife, only in March.
Every month, Faithlife has a new free book to offer along with a long list of deeply discounted books. The free book for March is No Reason to Hide: Standing for Christ in a Collapsing Culture by Erwin W. Lutzer. Normally, I consider the free book as an assignment, or a challenge, and I'll just read what ever Faithlife gives me. But as I scroll down the list of titles, this title just pulled me in. Dad Tired and Loving It. I'm a Dad. I'm tired. And I would love to hear someone tell me how they are loving it.
So I pulled the trigger, got the book and finished all 192 pages to tell you all about it today.
Who is the author, Jerrad Lopes? Let me read the biodata from his website:

Jerrad Lopes is a best-selling author, international speaker, and host of the Dad Tired Podcast; downloaded over 5 million times by men from around the world.
Lopes has become one of the most influential voices in the men's ministry space and has been featured on Focus on The Family, The Hallmark Channel, The Mike Huckabee Show, along with many other media outlets.
Through his speaking and Dad Tired ministry, he has partnered with thought leaders like Gary Chapman, Paul Tripp, John Mark Comer, and many more to equip men for the sake of the Gospel. He and his wife Leila live in South Carolina with their four children.

Towel BoyWhat is this book about? Let me read a long excerpt from the introduction and I'll get to my thoughts. I quote:

When I was a junior in high school, I landed my first-ever job at a local gym in town. I have to admit, as a sixteen-year-old boy, it sounded pretty cool to tell your peers that you worked as a gym employee. I never really told them exactly what I did at my job; I just wanted my friends to imagine that it was something amazing. In my mind, I hoped they pictured me lifting weights and teaching other people how to get in the best shape of their lives.
The truth is, I was a towel boy.
My job was to collect the nasty, sweaty, used towels from around the facility, throw them in a giant bin, wash them, fold them, and then hand them to the members as they walked in the front door.
It was far from glamorous. In fact, most of the time it was completely disgusting, and I spent the majority of my shift trying not to vomit. But I was determined to convince my friends that I had the best job in the world—and, more importantly, that I was an expert in physical fitness.
I wasn’t an expert in physical fitness, however. I was a towel boy.
I didn’t possess the skills to get my friends in shape, but I could offer them a clean towel.
Sometimes when I tell people I run a ministry for young dads, I secretly hope they think I’m an expert in parenting. In my mind, I imagine they look at me as a young father who has wisdom well beyond his years.
The truth is, when it comes to parenting, I’m a towel boy.

This tells us what to expect from the book.
The tone is a I'm one of the boys, I'm just like you, I'm just a towel boy. So it's an invitational tone. Not a master-to-student but student-to-student conversation or rather a dad-to-dad talk.
Your friend calls you up for coffee. You head over to meet. And over cups of coffee, he tells you a story. While you are still laughing, you didn't realise but your guards are down. Then your friend slips in a Biblical truth. Tells you about Jesus. Tells you that he knows how hard it is to be a good dad, a good husband. But God. He tells you about God. And you thank him for it.
That's the whole book. That's how every chapter is. Color-BlindLet's take chapter one as an example. The chapter title is Color-Blind. Lopes tells us how watches videos of color-blind people who put on special glasses, and now they can see in colour. Then he tells us of his disappointments that despite all the test and eyeglasses, he still can't see in colour. He can't see the world as it should be. And he writes, "Sometimes I think none of us can see the world as it should be." And with that he segue ways to the story of Genesis, the Fall, Jesus, the Lord's Prayer and he closes the chapter with a personal note to the reader.

Sometimes as tired dads, it can seem like our only objective is to survive the day. There have been many nights where I’ve laid my head on my pillow and tried to think about what I accomplished as a parent. It often feels like I spend most of my days saying “No!” or “Don’t touch that!” or “Not right now.” When I zoom in to the daily moments of my life and parenting, I am often discouraged. My guess is that as a dad, you’ve probably felt the same.
As a follower of Jesus, I am convinced that there is more to parenting than simply surviving. If we get lost in the chaos of dirty diapers, grumpy bosses, and overflowing dishwashers, we’ll lose sight of the bigger story of God’s redeeming work around us. We’ll forget that God is relentlessly at work fixing the brokenness of our hearts and equipping us to be part of that same work in the lives of our children.
If we miss that story, the rest of this book is pointless. On the other hand, if all you gain from this book is a bigger picture of the gospel and God’s work throughout the world, it will be worth it.

The nine chapters in the book are divided into three equal parts. * Part 1: The Kingdom of God Around You * Part 2: The Kingdom of God in You * Part 3: The Kingdom of God Through You

Honestly, I don't think the three part division really matters. The chapter titles don't say much. What can Football Jerseys (that's the title for Chapter 3) and Squirrel Food (the title for Chapter 6) tell you? But the subtitles, they reveal the substance behind the fun stories. The subtitle for chapter 3 is "What's the Goal of Parenting?" At the end of the chapter he says this to you:

Your kids ultimately don’t need to have the best report card in their class. They don’t need to excel at a sport or master an instrument. Ultimately, your kids need Jesus. May we be fathers who aren’t just passionate about good things. May we be passionate about eternal things. Running toward anything else is running toward the wrong end zone.

Dumb and Dumber, AgainWhen I read reached the last chapter, as I read the first sentences, I laughed out loud. Not because he said anything especially funny. The last chapter's title is "Headed to Aspen" and that title, which sets the scene for the entire chapter, comes from a scene from Lopes all-time favourite movie, Dumb and Dumber. This is the second time in less than a month, I have two pastors referencing Dumb and Dumber. The last writer who did it was Pastor Kees Postma and his book, "The Retreat".
If I read a third Christian book that somehow references Dumb and Dumber, maybe it's a sign that I need to re-watch it. Maybe I am directed by divine providence by all these books to learn something profound from the movie. If I make Dumb and Dumber my favourite all time movies, I too can be a best-selling writer like Kees Postma and Jerrad Lopes. For DadsAlright, I finished the last chapter so I want to share my thoughts on Dad Tired and Loving It: Stumbling Your Way to Spiritual Leadership by Jerrad Lopes.
This book does not tell me anything new. But sometimes, oftentimes, what we need is not to learn something new, but to be reminded of eternal truths. The Gospel.
What Lopes offers is the Gospel in the hustle and bustle of being a dad. Yes, we know that Creation is Fallen but did you know that fatherhood is likewise fallen. Yes, we know that the World needs Christ the Redeemer. But did you know that as a father, as a dad, you need Christ the Redeemer.
Are there are many Christian books for dads? I might be wrong but I imagine there is a bigger book market for mothers than there is for dads. I could be wildly wrong here.
Would this be a good gift for a new dad? Yes! A Father's Day gift? Yes! Or a spontaneous gift for your brother, your friend, a buddy who really needs encouragement as a dad. Yes!
If you are buying a book for someone, especially if that someone is not a reader, you want to get him something that is easy to read.
Lopes begins his sentences saying, "Last year, something happened...", "Once my family did this...", "I remember when X, Y, Z happened."
It's stories after stories. Easily digestible. Often amusing. Told with a purpose, he directs you to a Biblical truth. The first chapter is, "Why the Gospel Changes Everything", the second chapter is, "How Your Marriage Points Your Kids to the Gospel", the third chapter is "What's the Goal of Parenting" and so on. It's not preachy, it's story telling. Stories after stories. And many would like that. I know many people around me, who are not readers, who would appreciate getting this book as a gift. Not For Me, Why?And if you are listening carefully to what I'm saying, you will sense that I think this is a book for other people and not for me. I actually struggled with reviewing this book because it's not a bad book but I personally didn't gain as much from the book as I think I should.
And that troubled me. Is it because I'm deeply suspicious of sermons, and hence books, that are made up overwhelmingly of stories? But I enjoy 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy, which is a collection of mini biographies. Is that because I'm impressed by great feats of heroism, sacrifices of great giants of the faith? No, I don't think so because I truly believe that God loves all creatures big and small. Jesus said that the whole world will remember the widow and her copper coins, and what he said came to pass.
So why am I struggling with this fun, insightful and sincere book? Somehow the lessons are not sticking to me. And as I reflect, I think I have somehow conditioned myself, and this is not necessarily a good or a bad thing, it's just me reflecting on myself here, I have somehow conditioned myself to separate what the Bible says and what Man says.
And I make such a sharp distinction, I put up all sorts of guards cause don't want to be sucked into the story, unless it's such a good story told so well that my guards just come down.
What does all this mean? If I hear a sermon or read a book, and let's say this personal story or anecdote is not true, it's an exaggeration, hyperbole, or a bald-face lie, do I gain anything from the session? If it's a Bible-saturated exposition, even if the illustration is flawed, but the truth remains true, I am convicted of that truth.
With today's book, Lopes tells me of God and Jesus, and everything he tells me is true, and he does draw upon Scripture, but much of the space is taken up by personal anecdotes that I end up listening to wonderful, amusing stories, but nothing convicting reaches me.
I know he sincerely wants to encourage me, comfort me, challenge me, Lopes desires to draw me to Christ, but because of who I am, this book not for me or for the reader who over-thinks, or over-analyses and thus ruins a perfectly good movie, or as the case may be, a perfectly good book.
If you are a dad, a tired dad, why not give this book a try. You might end up loving it. The stumbling towards spiritual leadership. And if you are not a dad, give this book to a tired dad.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of "Dad Tired and Loving It: Stumbling Your Way to Spiritual Leadership" by Jerrad Lopes. 192 pages, published by Harvest House Publishers in September 2019. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD12.99 and for USD3.99 at Faithlife, only in March.
Speaking of tiredness, there is one book that is coming out next month that I would like to read: "On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living" by Alan Noble. That book may make a good companion or comparison to today's book. It's coming out next month, I hope to read it and review it soon.
Before that, I have another book to get to. It's honestly a thorn in my flesh. Tell you more about it next time. Until then, bye bye. Book List* "Dad Tired and Loving It: Stumbling Your Way to Spiritual Leadership" by Jerrad Lopes. Amazon.Faithlife.

Dad Tired and Loving It: Stumbling Your Way to Spiritual Leadership

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In a world that celebrates individuality and autonomy, too many of us struggle to form deep, meaningful relationships. Loneliness is the norm, rich friendships are rare, and the church is no exception. We long for real community but often don’t know how to get there. What will it take to develop healthy friendships?

That's the description from today's book.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review, "The Sacred Us: A Call to Radical Christian Community" by Justin Kendrick. 240 pages, published by David C. Cook in September 2022. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and in Faithlife for February it's at a deep discount of USD4.99. The free book from Faithlife is "40 Prayers for Lent: Prayers for Your Church and Small Group" by David Clowes. I didn't want to review a prayer book and I thought in the list of discounted books, this book, "The Sacred Us" to be the most pertinent to the church today.
Justin Kendrick is the Lead Pastor of Vox Church, which he founded in 2011 with a small group of friends on the doorstep of Yale University. It's a young church in the least-churched region of the US that has grown to multiple locations. So its apparent success is explained in this book. Vox Church has three core values: 1. Jesus at the Center 2. Intentional Community. There are 7 key elements to an intentional community. 3. City Mission

Why am I spending so much time on Vox Church? Have they sponsored this podcast? No. It's because after I finished reading this book, I realised that the 7 key elements of Vox Church's core values are the 7 chapters of today's book. So I guess today's book is a required reading for membership classes at their church.
Is the book any good for the rest of us? Let's open the book.
The first three chapters gives the background and the need for radical community. The three chapters are: 1. Friendly but Friendless 2. The Theology of Us 3. Re-Churching Your Life

The next seven chapters are the seven key elements of Intentional Community, the core of the book. 4. Proximity Provides Opportunity 5. Vulnerability Creates Connection 6. Discipleship Sets Direction 7. Fun Amplifies Grace 8. Mission Drives Adventure 9. Sacrifice Matures Love 10. Boundaries Sustain Growth
The last chapter, Chapter 11, is titled "A True Friend", where Kendrick concludes the book with a final call to the reader to join him in radical Christian Community. He gives a powerful exposition of Leviticus 14:1-7, directing the reader's attention to Jesus Christ. He shows how all 7 elements can be linked to Jesus.
Proximity Provides Opportunity. He writes, "Jesus led the way by coming as close to us as supernaturally possible."
This is how I'll do today's book review. I'll do the Good, the Bad and the Conclusion. I'll take one good chapter, one bad chapter and wrap the whole review. Each chapter begins with some introductory quotes, followed by the main text and ends with a few reflective questions. The GoodMy pick for a good chapter is Chapter 4, the first element in his list of seven. Proximity Creates Opportunity.
He quotes in the beginning, Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.

Now, for some of us, you are already convinced that physical presence is needed. You, like me, are convinced that online can never replace the physical, convinced not just from our experience of joining the chorus of praise and sitting side by side listening to the word preached, but convinced from the Old Testament assembly, the New Testament letters to the churches and the end times vision of the people gathered from every tribe and every tongue.
That's not how Kendrick writes this chapter. Kendrick has lived out a more radical, unorthodox, counter-cultural and mildly invasive form of community.
He writes:

For most people today, the idea of being consistently present and available to other Christians feels pretty unrealistic. Take a few moments and consider the potential disruption it would cause to your schedule. You have your career, and you’re finishing up school. You’ve got young kids, and you still get together regularly with your friends from college. You have family commitments. Your son plays travel sports. You have a lot going on.

Later he writes:

When my wife, Chrisy, and I moved to Earl Street in the Westville section of New Haven, Connecticut, we were in our late twenties and already had two kids. We had just started our first church, but we’d been experimenting with living in intentional community for nearly ten years. Our family bought a house with a small backyard, and some friends we knew bought the house next door. Soon, friends from our church owned the houses in front, back, and on both sides of ours. I know that to some people, this might sound like a nightmare—and it certainly came with its challenges. But in that season of life, at that stage in our church, this experience was integral in teaching us the importance of proximity.
We took down the fence. We invited people to take their kids on the swings in our backyard anytime. Before we knew it, proximity took on a whole new meaning. I would often get home from work and find thirty people in our backyard. Kids were running around. Someone was cooking on the grill. We would spontaneously start a game of Wiffle ball or football.

And this is just an introduction to the Kendrick community experiment. He shares bits and pieces of those years in the chapters ahead. I like how the chapters are mildly flavoured by these anecdotes.
Flavoured in the sense that he has experiences and stories that most of us do not have.
Mild in the sense the stories do not over-power the content.
For Kendrick is not calling for us to tear down our fences, and buy a hot tub in the backyard for neighbourhood baptisms. He wants us to move in our own ways from our own circumstances towards a community.
You can see his heart in the questions he ask. Question 3 in the chapter is:

Examine your living situation. Do you live alone? With friends? With family? Find one or two new ways you can use the space where you live to create greater opportunities for spiritual relationship. Should you host a small group? Should you rent a room?

So even though Kendrick has lived what some of us would call a crazy life, and I invite you to read how that part of his life turned out, he does not present in this book a model.
When a mountain climber tells us of his journey up Mount Everest, we gain life lessons from his experience. He does not call us to climb Mount Everest. Rather we learn to prepare for the journey, persevere and triumph.
In this book, Kendrick presents characteristics and outcomes. Proximity Creates Opportunity. Fun Amplifies Grace. The BadFun Amplifies Grace is Chapter 7 in the book and it is my pick for the Bad Chapter. And I first of all, I want to say that it is a hard topic. I have heard John Piper criticise the idea that church should be fun. He qualifies, he explains but it is in response to a felt need from a fun-obsessed culture.
So I was looking forward to seeing how Kendrick would support the idea of fun in the community.
He starts the chapter with a prank. And maybe I'm a stick in the mud, but it's a prank that he and the friend he pranked think is funny, but I don't. So when we have different ideas of what is fun, that's not a good start.
He gives biblical support from Proverbs 17:22, a cheerful heart. Proverbs 15:30, a cheerful look. Okay. Cheerful, joy and fun can be related. But it's still a stretch. I hope to see more substance.
Kendrick describes how animals have fun, and Romans 1:20 does say that God's invisible qualities are seen in what has been made. To me, that's still a stretch. Let's read on.
He writes:

He's [God] is described in 1 Timothy 1:11 as the "happy God"...

I don't ever remember reading "Happy God" in my Bible so I checked. In the ESV, it reads the blessed God. And that's also how it's translated in the NET, HCSB, NIV and NLT. And I checked in Biblehub for more translations, and none of their translations says "Happy". So I am not happy because he seems to stretch the word so that it can say what he hopes it means. It wouldn't be so bad if he said that the Greek word covers a multitude of meanings and he takes the view that it means happy here. But that would be too much work for the general reader. He is after all not writing for scholars or seminarians. He is writing for the Average Joe.
But then, that means the Average Joe, would think that having fun is biblically supported on a verse that does not exist.
Kendrick then paints a scenario from the Bible, Jesus, after the resurrection, calling out, "Do you have any fish?" And Kendrick asks us to see this as Jesus being playful.
In another story, again after the resurrection, Jesus meets the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and he disappears. Kendrick writes:

Finally, he opened their eyes and they recognized him, but as soon as they did, he disappeared. What was he up to? Once again, I'm pretty sure he was chuckling to himself. He was having fun. God has a sense of humour.

I want to say that I believe God has a sense of humour. I believe fun is from God. I believe as Martin Luther did, in the quote to this chapter, Martin Luther wrote, "If you are not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there."
What I was looking for was solid biblical foundation. And what I got was a desperate clenching of straws.
To his credit, Kendrick does go through the Bible. We have Abraham and Sarah laughing, Jesus making wine at a party, and he even manages to present a strong gospel message in this chapter. Because Fun Amplifies Grace. And fun and joy, he argues, is not boxed up in the individual, it's for the community. Biblical joy is a community experience.
So as you can tell, there are positive parts to this chapter. And you may read this chapter and say, "I don't see the problem, I think he makes great points and has abundantly proven his case." I disagree. I still think you need a lot more to say on the pulpit that the Bible wants us to have fun. Have joy yes. Be blessed, yes. Have fun, the concept needs to be qualified so that we can distinguish the world's fun and Gospel fun. Spurgeon's fun. Piper's fun. Church fun. And I don't think this chapter has done enough to show us that distinguishing mark, that peculiar sense of fun, that God delights in. The ConclusionI have done the Good, the Bad and now the Conclusion.
Kendrick got into this Intentional Community, this life together, having experienced it in a visit and then taking bigger and bigger steps to a radical Christian community.
The way he writes, it is not "I read this, now I do", it's more of "I do, I experience, and I confirm by reading the Bible". That sounds harsh but I'm describing how the book reads. And even if it's true, there is nothing wrong with Christians doing and testifying that what they do is in accordance with the Bible.
I just think that sometimes in the desire to confirm something good, he stretches the Bible to say what it does not say with the confidence that Kendrick says it does. Just like the Fun Amplifies Grace. It is not a good case study for hermeneutics.
On the other hand, there are parts where I appreciate Kendrick tying in theology with practice. One notable example is how he explains God is a community. He explains the Triune God. And this is who God is. And from who God is, this is who we are and how we are to behave.
And I wish he did more of that.
And this is my main criticism of the book and with the entire approach. The approach is very much in line with the spirit of the age. Pragmatic and results focused. The seven elements all describe results. Vulnerability Creates Connection. Discipleship Sets Direction. Mission Drives Adventure. These are all result statements.
It does not help us understand what the church is. Actually, although I say church, and Kendrick is thinking about the church, he is often describing community.
Taking his words, God is a community. That is true. It is also true that God is Love. God is Just. God is Almighty and so on.
So it would be a mistake to reduce God to just a community.
I suggest in the same way, when we read this book, we should read this as describing one aspect of the church. The church is a community. But the church is also more than that.
The church is the Bride of Christ. The church is the Royal Priesthood of Believers.
The Bible has many more images of the church. Kendrick does unpack what it means for the church to be the body of Christ. But overall, it's too focused on the community and thus needs to be supplemented by other books or other aspects, otherwise you are at risk of a lopsided, distorted church.
Let me explain using contrast.
A famous book about church is "Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" by Mark Dever. And as I list them compare them with what you have heard from The Sacred Us. The nine marks are:1. Preaching 2. Biblical Theology 3. The Gospel 4. Conversion 5. Evangelism 6. Membership 7. Discipline 8. Discipleship 9. Leadership

"That's not fair! If you put it that way then are you saying there is only one way of writing about church?"
That's precisely my point. I think we should read more. And my go to book on the church is "Strangers and Sojourners" by Gregg Allison. I have found his book to be the most helpful and most clarifying in that I can think about church properly. I can recognise that Kendrick's approach to church is in what are the results. The telos. And the tension I experience when I read his book is I think of the church from what it is.
Does that mean that you and I can't gain from Kendrick's book? Not at all. I think he has achieved most of what he set out to do. He aims to call us to a radical form of Christian community. Many have done so before, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Francis Schaeffer, and I welcome the many experiments and testimonies and lessons that we can learn from our brothers and sisters as they wrestle with obeying the Word.
This is a Reading and Reader's Review of "The Sacred Us: A Call to Radical Christian Community" by Justin Kendrick. 240 pages, published by David C. Cook in September 2022. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and in Faithlife for February it's at a deep discount of USD4.99.
If you have not done so, please subscribe to Reading and Readers, a podcast where Reading Provides Opportunities and Readers Create Connection. Thank you for listening. Bye Bye. Book List* "The Sacred Us: A Call to Radical Christian Community" by Justin Kendrick. Amazon. Faithlife.

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Before I became a Christian, I thought Christians were not free to have fun. After I became one, I've been having the fun of my life. Somehow, strangely, as a Christian I have freedom to have fun. And in today's book, the author brings out the funhouse mirror so that we can poke fun and laugh at ourselves.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "The Retreat: A lighthearted and humorous story about a soul searching pastor" by Kees Postma. 197 pages. I don't know who published this book, that information is not listed in the Amazon page. But it was published in January this year. It's available in Amazon for USD3.99. Challies, "New and Notable Christian Books"Normally I would never come across this book. I don't know the author. I read many far too serious books. And I didn't even know I needed this until I read it, that I needed a lighthearted and humorous story about a soul searching pastor.
All thanks goes to Tim Challies and his blog. He has this monthly "New and Notable Christian Books", where he lists around 8 or 10 newly published books. I always look forward to his list for the unexpected gems. And that's where I got today's book. So go to challies.com. Hero's Journey from Holland to IrelandBack to the book. According to the author information in Goodreads:

Kees Postma (1982) is a pastor and church planter. He and his wife and four kids live in the rural Northern part of Holland called Friesland where he pastors a Baptist church. Next to that he works for European Christian Mission, helping churches plant new churches. His favorite movie of all time is Dumb and Dumber and he loves the harmonies of the Everly Brothers, the thought provoking lyrics of Andrew Peterson and the fact that he is and always will be a sinner saved by grace.

This is a lighthearted book so I will take a lighthearted approach for this review. This is also a spoiler-free review.
I can tell you that this is a hero's journey, where the hero is a pastor.

My fall took place in slow motion, away from the sight of others. No adulterous relationship with a church member or a financial scandal. No public outburst of anger or straying from sound theology. No, knowledge about God replaced knowing God. Academically intellectual Christianity replaced my times of prayer and my long walks in the Dutch forests interacting with the Most High. The ministry became a burden, people became a burden, and the cracks grew bigger and bigger.

Pastor Case Parker needs help. And where do pastors go when they need help? They go to a pastors retreat, of course. And the book follows Pastor Case and his motley crew of fellow pastors as they travel from Holland to Ireland, to find something, someone, to help them in their hour of pastoral desperation. Big Bang ClergyWe sometimes wonder whether the author is revealing far more than he intended. I remind you, the author of this book is himself a pastor. And he reveals the sub-culture of the pastoral ministry. The closest pop culture reference I can think of is this is the Big Bang Theory for pastors.
It's full of insider humour. In the Big Bang Theory we have jokes about science, science fiction, gaming, comics and all things in geekdom.
In the Retreat by Kees Postma, we have jokes about denominations, hermeneutics, rituals and all things in Christendom.
Listen to this. Pastor Case and his fellow pastors are on the plane heading to their destination:

In Row 14, two of my Dutch reformed brothers have started an exegetical and hermeneutical debate on the application of Psalm 121. "Let me ask you this, Brother Vincent. Do you think we can still wholeheartedly pray Psalm 121, traveling at 30,000 feet? After all, we are not lifting our eyes to the mountain, but we are looking down on them."

That may be too much theological geek for you. I thought it was funny. And if the insider, sometimes slapstick, humour is what Big Bang Theory and this book have in common, then satire is where they differ. SatireI have this quote from G.K. Chesterton:

A man is angry at a libel because it is false, but at a satire because it is true.

And as we read this book, we will laugh, maybe not laugh out loud, we will smile knowingly whenever Postma winks at us, we get the joke, it is nice to be in on the joke. But it is satire.
Pastor Case observes and records his thoughts. And it's funny but it's true. I mean, it's funny because it's true.
It can be uncomfortable as we see how Pastor Case squirms as he justifies certain actions. Or when we see the flaws and foibles of his fellow pastors and the people around them. It is sometimes cutting edge humour, cutting to the heart because it is uncomfortably absurdly true.
So in that sense, there are moments in the book, where you wonder, "Hmm... what do I think about this? Why am I laughing?" Am I supposed to agree cause I don't know what to think. And that I think is humour at its best. Simultaneously Saint and Sinner and NarratorAnother feature of the book, and it is a feature, is the untrustworthy narrator. The narrator, Pastor Case, is sincerely reflecting on his past. He is honestly recording his observations. But he is also trying to justify himself. He is using the measure of the world, not the Bible, to interpret the world. We are reading, the inner thoughts, of a man who is simultaneously saint and sinner.
For example, when Pastor Case is reading the reviews on the retreat, he makes this conclusion about the pastor in charge of the retreat:

Funnily enough, I can't find anything about Cornelius online. Google, Instagram, YouTube, even the more debatable online platforms, none of them have any of this modern monk's sermons or seminars. Not even a biography of some sort. This makes me question if he is as good as other shepherds say he is. If you're going places as a spiritual giant, you should invest in online visibility, shouldn't you? Otherwise, you will never go global! What's the point of preaching if others can't praise you for it?

Cue laugh track. Also cue cringe. We do think like that even though we shouldn't, and it's absurd we should even think in this way, hence why we laugh when our thoughts are outed in this book.
Pastor Cases' companions are an unpredictable bunch. I don't want to say too much, this is a spoiler-free review, but Postma's all time favourite movie is Dumb and Dumber. And there are certainly scenes in this Christian book written by a pastor and church planter that would fit in a Dumb and Dumber movie. And that's a sentence you probably never heard before.
I won't give you the context behind this paragraph, you'll have to puzzle it out or read the book for yourself. I'm quoting this because I like how the paragraph ends. And it's a sample of the zingers Postma throws at the reader:

Although my co-workers knew about my acrophobia (fear of heights) and bathophobia (fear of depths), they had decided to save the best for last. The only alternative was to turn around and suffer in silence, walking all the way back. But since I suffer from monophobia (fear of being alone) as well (you'll never see me at prayer meetings in church for that reason) I decided that wasn't a viable option.

So here, the jokes are thrown as an aside. And it throws us off guard. He confronts us as Christian who take pride at our immediate access to God through prayer, Christians who celebrate the formation of the church, and yet at the same time, make prayer meetings a scary place for the monophobic. Make It A SeriesWhen the book ends, I wish it didn't because I wanted to read more. I wanted more of Pastor Case. I wanted to know more about his best friend. What did he say to his wife? How did his church in Netherlands welcome him from his retreat? Did he ever own up to Father Henry on what happened that first night?
Thank goodness, in the epilogue, Postma tells us there will be a sequel. The title is: "The Heaven and Earth Conference: The Wondrous Diary of An Ordinary Pastor". I don't know when it will come out but I'll definitely get it when it's out. I think this could be the beginning of a series. At least I hope so.
There are lots of material in Christendom to mine. More awkward truths for us to laugh at ourselves.
For fun, let me throw some ideas for future books.
We have Book 1, "The Retreat". We will have Book 2 "The Heaven and Earth Conference". Maybe Book 3 can be titled "The Church Family Camp" or "The Vacation Bible School" or "The Christmas Concert". Many long time Christians can imagine the possibilities for humour and tragedy.
And if dysfunctional get-togethers have lost their charm, Kees Postma can try 'dark humour' or perhaps more accurately, morbid humour? What about "The Funeral" or even worse, more deadly than a funeral, "The Split". Can our hearts take it if a satirist takes a hand at church splits?
Kees Postma, if you are listening, I hope you continue to write a whole series. Show us how our conflicts are sometimes, maybe it has always been, absurd.
Make us laugh so that we do not cry. Make Us Laugh, So That We Do Not CryIn the epilogue, Postma comments on the source material for this book. He writes:

I would love to say that every similarity between you, your church, and your shepherd is based on mere coincidence, but maybe you've recognized a little bit more than you hoped while reading this book. Maybe you don't have the gift of exaggeration that I have myself, maybe your can't appreciate the satire. But I hope you will be able to read between the lines to discover a nugget of truth here and there.

And that's why I think you should read this book. Sure, it's entertaining. It's lighthearted. But as is true for all great fiction, especially ones written by Christian authors, it is soul-enriching.
I just had a thought. When John Bunyan writes Pilgrim's Progress, it's obvious that the reader is in that journey. For we are all pilgrims. I just realised when Kees Postma writes The Retreat, the reader is in need of a retreat, for the reader is also soul-searching alongside the hero of this journey. Read this and laugh, so that you do not cry.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "The Retreat: A lighthearted and humorous story about a soul searching pastor" by Kees Postma. 197 pages. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD3.99. Once again, special thanks to Tim Challies for bringing this book to everyone's attention. You can and should visit his website at challies.com.
The next book I'll review is the Faithlife Free Book of the Month, "The Sacred Us: A Call to Radical Christian Community" by Justin Kendrick. I've just finished it and you can listen to my thoughts on it soon.
You can get this book for free from faithlife.com. Another website, logos.com has their own free books. The February free book is The Broadman Bible Commentary on Matthew and Mark. My church is going through an expositional series on Mark, so I told my pastor about the free commentary. So, tell your pastors.
In the Logos free book page, there is a list of discounted books. 10-12 discounted books. I bought one book, "Puzzling Passages in Paul: Forty Conundrums Calmly Considered" by Anthony Thiselton. Looking at my schedule I don't know whether I'll get to review this book.
But I put it out here so that you know there are good resources at good discounts out there. And if you like that, subscribe to Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Thank you for listening. Bye Bye. Book List* "The Retreat: A lighthearted and humorous story about a soul searching pastor" by Kees Postma. Amazon.

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The future King David is foreshadowed in the ending of the book of Ruth. Thousands of years later, a blind man calls out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." Who is David? Why is this name so important in the Bible and in my life and yours? Find out in today's book.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "After God's Own Heart: The Gospel according to David" by Mark J. Boda. 208 pages, published by P&R Publishing in June 2007. P&R stands for Presbyterian and Reformed. Today's book is available in Amazon Kindle for USD7.99 and free in Logos.
Yes, it's free but only for January. By the time this podcast is published, there will only be less than 2 days left in January. And if you did not subscribe to this podcast, you might have missed the free book deal. Oh no! So subscribe to this podcast. You never know, you might just hear about a book that you never considered reading that would convict, refresh, and inspire you in your Christian walk. That is the aim for this podcast. AuthorSo coming back to the book. "After God's Heart" is written by Mark J. Boda, who is the Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Looking at the catalogue of books he has written and edited, I see a commentary on Zechariah from the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series, a commentary on Haggai and Zechariah from the NIV Application Commentary series and another book that stands out is "Return to Me: A Biblical Theology of Repentance" from the New Studies in Biblical Theology. The NSBT is one of my favourite series. According to his biodata in Amazon, Boda has written 12 books and edited 19 collected essays, and you can clearly see a strong emphasis on the Old Testament.
And this is important because today's book, "After God's Heart: The Gospel according to David" is not the story of David. It includes the story of David, which we can read in 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, these three books covers the life of David, but this book is more than that. Let me list the thirteen chapter in this book and just by reading the title of the first chapter, you will know what to expect from today's book. * Chapter 1: David and Biblical Theology

If you don't know what is Biblical Theology, just hold on, you will get a sense of it and I will explain soon.* Chapter 2: David, Abraham, and Ruth

Consider this, what does David have to do with Abraham and Ruth? Abraham and Ruth in their lifetime didn't even know of David's existence. Of course, David is the descendent. But if you were asked to write an essay on the title, "David, Abraham and Ruth" what would you write?
What would you write if you were given the following chapter headings. * Chapter 3: David and Anointing * Chapter 4: David and Covenant * Chapter 5: David and Rule * Chapter 6: David and Faith * Chapter 7: David and Justice * Chapter 8: David and Unity * Chapter 9: David and Worship * Chapter 10: David and Temple * Chapter 11: David and Faithfulness * Chapter 12: David and Sin * Chapter 13: David and Messiah

You have heard how the chapters are arranged by themes but I want to stress this is Biblical Theology. And how I love it so. Let me explain by saying what this book is not. The Way Not TakenLet's say I was assigned to write an essay on David and Worship. Okay, let me think, David plays the lyre with the sheep and later for the troubled King Saul and in the Psalms, he sings to God. Let me write about how music soothes animals, and psychological or spiritual effect of music on troubled souls, and what I write how the lyrics in the Psalms are so different from the lyrics in modern music today. Everyone loves a good trashing on Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). So three sections, all related to David and Worship, all interesting and relevant today.
That's not Biblical Theology. Biblical Theology requires us to scour the books of the Bible to determine what each book says about the topic. Does Leviticus talk about how music soothes the animals? Oh dear, when animals are mentioned in Leviticus is not about soothing them but about sacrificing them. And if we move the essay towards a discussion on Contemporary Christian Music, we can, it is possible, but through Biblical Theology, you need to show that this is what this book says, directly or indirectly, but your eyes are looking at the Bible, and not so much with what is wrong with the world today. Biblical Theology with DavidSo, let's try again but let's invite Professor Mark Boda to write the essay. The title is "David and Worship". What does he write?
He divides the essay or chapter into five parts.* David Brings the Ark into Jerusalem * David Initiates a New Phase of Worship * Musical Worship * Implications * For Further Reflection

Boda does not assume the reader is familiar with the story. He explains how David put the Ark on the cart, how Uzzah touched the Ark and died, then David placed the Ark at the home of Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom was blessed, David didn't wanted the blessing, so he tried again, now doing it the right way, according to the instructions God had given the Levites. David dances on the streets of Jerusalem. Saul's daughter didn't like that. And David had choice words to say to her. The background is helpful for those who don't know the story.
If you are new to the Bible you will like this. The best part is if you are familiar with the story, and even familiar with the entire Bible, Boda has something for you too.
In the second part, he explains, he lists, how David's worship shows continuity from Moses time. What Moses did in Exodus and Leviticus, David also did in 1 Chronicles.
But Boda also shows how David innovated. He introduced new elements: musical instruments, new sacred objects, new sacred personnel, and new functions to the Levites.
I've always been told that our modern worship team are our Levites. But -- hey! -- it was David who first commissioned them as singers and musicians. And I like this. I like seeing how the Bible tells me things which are in plain sight.
When God instructed Moses, He never said anything about music for the sacrifices. How to sacrifice, what to sacrifice, when to sacrifice, yes, but never the soundtrack. So David innovated. Doesn't this give us license to innovate?
Boda writes:

the breadth of musical media in David’s new phase of worship challenges us to remain open to new ways of worshiping God. For some it is easy to equate praise with the use of organ, piano, and choir, to identify true worship with these modes. For others, however, it is just as easy to equate worship with the use of drums, guitars, and worship teams and to see no value in any other forms of worship. David’s new phase of worship certainly stretched his community to adopt new modes of worship, but underlying all of this there was strong evidence of joy (1 Chron. 15:16, 25), showing a people who fully embraced the new forms.

Christians have strong opinions of worship. And the worship debate is as old as time. So it's nice to read a new argument drawn from Scripture.
I also note that this is a P&R book, a Presbyterian & Reformed publishing house. You would think they are church-organs-only or Psalms-only type of people. It is books like this that show the Biblical basis to decide whether drums are in or out. I Got A Question For YouThe last part of the chapter is the Further Reflection. Two to three questions, sometimes a bit more, to spur some thought. I like the open-ended nature of the questions. A small group could read this book and come together to discuss the answers to the questions.
Or, you can read this book on your own, come across an interesting question, ponder on it, and bring it up in your next conversation with a fellow brother or sister in Christ. You could ask them, "What do you think about this?"
Let me read a portion of Question 3 from the worship chapter. It's a long question, I'll just read the second half of it:

It is interesting that although the majority of psalms in the Psalter are psalms of Disorientation (lament), most Christians find they rarely express their heart to God using the language that is found in the laments, that is, asking God questions like “why?” or “how long?” Try to broaden the ways in which you speak to God, even in some time alone with God today. If you are a worship leader in a church, reflect on the ways in which you can incorporate the laments into the worship of your church in the coming month.

The way the question is phrased shapes the Christian way of life. He nudges us for time alone. He nudges the worship leader to include the laments. You have read the chapter, now do it. You know what the Bible says, now do it.
Even the 'comprehension' questions are tough! Question 4 in Chapter 2 goes like this:

I once heard a sermon that contrasted Boaz and the kinsman-redeemer as the contrast between Christ and the law. What is wrong with the logic of this sermon?

If you don't even know how to begin to answer this question, that's what the chapter, what the book, is for. Past and Future KingBoda doesn't just bring us to the past to the times of Abraham, Moses and Ruth: when a Davidic Kingdom then would be a dream too good to be true.
Boda also brings us to the future: when the great kings of Israel and Judah are but near-forgotten memories, as enemy nations occupy the land, the temple, the throne that God said would never end. In chapter 13, Boda blitzes through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Haggai and Zechariah, showing us how David lives on in those books, ultimately in Jesus Christ.
Boda is a Professor of Old Testament. His expertise and love for the subject shows in this book. "After God's Heart: The Gospel according to David" goes beyond the lifespan of David, beyond his 70 years in this life.
As Boda tells the story of David through the millennia, it only makes us grow in awe at the wonderful Providence of God, the God above all History. On a more practical level, this book helps us to make sense of the frequent reference to David, allusions in Abraham, Moses and Ruth, generations before he was born all the way to unbelievable prophecies that King David will rise again. The Gospel According to the Old Testament SeriesWhen I finished the book, I realised that there is something missing in the book. If the intent was to do total Biblical Theology with David, then the New Testament was peculiarly left out.
For example, there is no exposition of Blind Bartimaeus calling, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." Nor is there any elaboration on the most cited Psalm in the New Testament, which is "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."
I chose my words carefully. I said there was no exposition, no elaboration. There was Scripture reference, and a slight mention. But these New Testament verses are so rich especially in the fulfilment of the Davidic prophecies that I was surprised.
Was Boda, the Old Testament professor sticking to his lane? Or was he keeping it in the Old Testament to make the scope manageable, otherwise we would have double the page count?
I sought to answer the question by reading the preface and introduction and I saw my mistake. I skipped the series preface because the series prefaces is always kind of the same, right? Well, no.
This book belongs to the series titled, "The Gospel According to the Old Testament". That's the name of the series.
And the series aims to:1. to lay out the pervasiveness of the revelation of Christ in the Old Testament 2. to promote a Christ-centered reading of the Old 3. to encourage Christ-centered preaching and teaching from the Old Testament

So I'll just be quiet now and take this podcast as a reminder myself to always read the preface first.
My rushed reading, the fact that I sensed the Old Testament was overwhelming the New Testament showed that Boda achieved the aims of the series. ConclusionIn conclusion, "After God's Heart: The Gospel according to David" is a good introduction to Biblical Theology. If you have ever wondered what is the big deal about King David, why do Christians from all around the world bother about a long-dead king in a faraway land? This book answers that question using history, law, songs and prophecy, organised through themes with straightforward application and thought-provoking reflection questions.
If you will ever do a study on David, and you should, because David is all over the Bible, then this is, for you and your small group, a must-have resource.
This is a Reading and Readers Review of "After God's Own Heart: The Gospel according to David" by Mark J. Boda. 208 pages, published by P&R Publishing in June 2007. Today's book is available in Amazon Kindle for USD7.99 and free in Logos in January. And I know there is less than 2 days of January left, so what are you waiting for?
And if you like to hear monthly reviews of free Christian books, subscribe and stay tuned for February's free book, coming soon. Bye bye. Book List* "After God's Own Heart: The Gospel according to David" by Mark J. Boda. Amazon. Logos.

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What was the most important battle in history? Would you say a battle in Ancient Rome, or Ancient Egypt, or perhaps a battle in World War 1 or 2. What if I told you that the most important battle in history was a battle not fought with swords and spears or guns and tanks but it was a battle fought with words. The battle for the person of Jesus.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "For Us and Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church" by Stephen J. Nichols. 176 pages, published by Crossway in August 2007. It's USD10.99 in Amazon Kindle but it's free from Faithlife for January. AuthorReading from the author's page: Stephen Nichols is the president of Reformation Bible College, chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries, and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow. He holds a Ph.D. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is host of the podcasts 5 Minutes in Church History and Open Book. He is author of more than twenty books, including Beyond the 95 Theses, A Time for Confidence, and R.C. Sproul: A Life and coeditor of Crossway’s Theologians on the Christian Life series.
Today's book, "For Us and Our Salvation" was written in the wake of the Da Vinci Code, the novel by Dan Brown. The book that was adapted into a Tom Hanks movie got a lot of people excited about the Council of Nicea and Chalcedon. The atmosphere was there was this great revelation, a two thousand year old conspiracy sudden broke, and the true story of Jesus was finally told.
Except the book and the movie was a fictional story built on creative non-biblical and non-historical plot devices that were sold as the gospel truth.
While it is true that there were disputes on the identity of Jesus -- from the very beginning until today! -- just because something is disputed doesn't mean it's a 50-50, even odds, on what is the true story. Isn't that how the serpent fooled Eve? He did not outright say God was a liar, he just suggested, "Did God really say that?"
In order to clear up disputes on who Jesus was, Christian leaders came together to settle the matter once and for all. They did that in Nicea to give us the Nicean Creed. A couple more councils later, they assembled in Chalcedon to give us the Chalcedonian Creed. Because they felt, as we also do, that it is important to get Jesus right.
Let us open the book. The Special SauceThis book has a unique format. The book is worth buying and reading because of the way Nichols organises the book. See if you can detect that unique feature this book offers.
It begins with: * Acknowledgments * Introduction: "Who Do People Say That I am?": Christ's Crucial Question * Chapter 1: In the Beginning was the Word: Christ in the Early Centuries * Chapter 2: In Their Own Words: Select Documents from the Early Centuries * Chapter 3: The Triumph of Athanasius: The Battle for Christ at Nicea * Chapter 4: In Their Own Words: Select Documents from the Fourth Century * Chapter 5: The Wisdom of Leo the Great: The Battle for Christ at Chalcedon * Chapter 6: In Their Own Words: Select Documents from the Fifth Century * Epilogue Jesus: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

In Their Own WordsThe unique feature is entire chapters dedicated to giving us the original words.
In this age of fake news, where everyone can spin any short video clip or quote to say anything they want, I've become more appreciative, sometimes more demanding, to see the primary source. I want to read what they wrote and not what you say they wrote.
The trouble is we don't have the time and sometimes the brain to gather, filter and read the primary sources. In the appendix to this book, Nichols shares some primary sources for further reading. You can read the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, the first series has 14 volumes, the second series also has 14 volumes. You could read all the primary sources on the Nicene and Chalcedon council or you could read the next best thing.
This book is the next best thing. Nichols selects and extracts and frames the text in the theological and political context. The politics tells us who are the good and the bad emperors, who are friends, who are enemies and who were friends who became enemies. The theological context tells us the finer details of the argument, details that are important but sometimes not easily understood.
Nichols tackles the question of "Who is Christ?" by writing for the modern reader while pointing to the ancient writers. Actually, he goes beyond pointing, as I have told you, half the book are quotes from the ancient writers.
Nichols has written a book that does not assume the reader knows the background nor necessary the scholarly interest. For example, he writes:

A fundamental doctrine of Platonic philosophy conflicts with the doctrine of the incarnation. For Plato, matter is bad, while the ideal is good. The body is bad, while the soul is good and pure. In Greek a catchy little jingle catches this well: Soma toma. Translated, it means: “Body, tomb.” If they’d had bumper stickers, this saying would have been on the chariots of the Platonist philosophers.

Soma Toma. Catchy jingle, isn't it? You will probably remember that phrase long after this podcast has faded away. Stephen Nichols will later turn his talent of finding catchy little jingles into a podcast. If you haven't done so yet, I recommend you listen to Stephen Nichols' "5 Minutes in Church History". Listening to him there helped me looked forward to reading today's book.
I tell you this to assure you that if you ever wanted to know about the Council of Nicea, Council of Chalcedon, the controversies and creeds for the Trinity and Christ - Truly God, Truly Man, Stephen Nichols is a good guide.
He knows that reading the primary sources can be intimidating. Every ancient text is preceded by an introduction, and he explains how the introduction works:

Introductions to these texts provide some information on the context of these selections. Notes are also included to help contemporary readers get a better handle on tricky points in these ancient texts. These samples are but the tip of the iceberg of the rich literary legacy of the early church. The early fathers went to great lengths to see that the church thought and believed properly about the person of Christ, so that it in turn accurately and persuasively proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

You never feel like you are reading someone else's love for ancient word puzzles. It is always tied to the importance of 'accurately and persuasively proclaiming the gospel of Christ'. Still Powerful A Thousand Years LaterFor example, remember 'soma toma'? Ignatius has something to say about that.

He [Jesus] was baptized by John, really and not in appearance; and when He had preached the Gospel three years, and done signs and wonders, He who was Himself the Judge was judged by the Jews, falsely so called, and by Pilate the governor; was scourged, was smitten on the cheek, was spit upon; He wore a crown of thorns and a purple robe; He was condemned: He was crucified in reality, and not in appearance, not in imagination, not in deceit. He really died, and was buried, and rose from the dead,

Written nearly 2000 years ago. And we can still feel the force of his words.
Let's hear from another author. Tertullian!

... if the worker were imaginary the works were imaginary. On this principle, too, the sufferings of Christ will be found not to warrant faith in Him. For He suffered nothing who did not truly suffer; and a phantom could not truly suffer. God’s entire work, therefore, is subverted. Christ’s death, wherein lies the whole weight and fruit of the Christian name, is denied although the apostle asserts it so expressly as undoubtedly real, making it the very foundation of the gospel, of our salvation and of his own preaching.

Still Damning A Thousand Years LaterWe don't just read the words of the great defenders of the faith. We also read the words of the heretics. Is it right for us to call them heretics. Maybe they were misunderstood. Not so, their own words condemn them.
This is a letter from Arius to Eusebius of Nicomedia, written around 319AD. I quote:

To his very dear lord, the man of God, the faithful and orthodox Eusebius, Arius, unjustly persecuted by Alexander the Pope, on account of that all conquering truth of which you also are a champion, sends greeting in the Lord.

Arius believes he is unjustly persecuted. But I wonder who believes that they are justly persecuted. That was the greetings. A few paragraphs later, Arius writes:

We are persecuted, because we say that the Son has a beginning, but that God is without beginning. This is the cause of our persecution, and likewise, because we say that He is of the non-existent.

Do you hear the error? If you hear it, is it a big deal? Perhaps everybody got bent out of shape over nothing. Nichols does a splendid job explaining the importance of these doctrines, my summary is this: If Jesus had a beginning, then he is not God. He would at most be a demi-God. Nearly God. Nearly infinite. And nearly infinite is not infinite, nearly God is not God.
Let me jump to the practical implication of this. If Jesus is not God, then you cannot worship him, you can honour him, but you cannot worship him. Because we can only worship God, to worship another is to commit idolatry and idolatry is a sin. Of Two MindsIf you are familiar with apologetics or church history, you would be familiar with Arius and Athanasius. That famous controversy was settled in Nicaea.
In contrast to Arius, most are not as familiar with Apollinarius, Nestorius or Eutyches. I was of two minds on which to choose, so let's talk about Nestorius.
Nichols writes:

As Cyril listened to Nestorius, he heard him saying that Christ is two persons, two “he’s.” What Cyril wanted to hear was that Jesus was one “he,” one person. Nestorius so stressed the humanity and divinity of Christ that he veered very near to saying that the two natures are so distinct in Christ that Christ is a divided person, a human person and divine person, that Christ is two “he’s” and not merely two natures. Nestorius would even point to specific instances in the Gospels where the human Jesus was present and to other places where the divine Jesus was present. For Nestorius, it’s not Jesus Christ is. Instead, it’s Jesus Christ are, which is both grammatically and theologically incorrect.

Before this, I never really understood Nestorianism, but thanks to Nichols, now I do. And so I appreciate how Nichols explains these sometimes subtle differences in a clear manner. Do you? Or do you grow weary at what seems like theologians splitting hairs, I repeat myself.
Some bishops in the council of Chalcedon felt as you do. They didn't want to hear more of this. They just wanted to go home.

They had grown weary of the intricacies of debating Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and Eutychianism. This group simply did not want to engage the matter of relating the two natures of Christ. Instead all they wanted to do was to reaffirm the Nicene Creed, suspending the discussion of how the two natures come together. The second group disagreed. They saw the dangers in not trying to somehow express, in language true to Scripture, how the human and divine natures relate in Christ. If not dealt with decisively, this group argued, then even more complex and subtle views would keep popping up. Now was the time to deal with this issue and complete the trajectory started by Athanasius and the Nicene Council by offering a statement of the orthodox view of Christ’s humanity and deity.It would take some work, this group acknowledged, but it was well worth the effort. The second group won out over the first, and the council pushed on.

And thanks to them, we have the Chalcedonian Creed, which I think is a wonderful piece of writing.

Following, then, the holy fathers, we all unanimously teach that our Lord Jesus Christ is to us one and the same Son, the self-same perfect in Godhead, the self-same perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man; the self-same of a rational soul and body; co-essential with the Father according to the Godhead, the self-same co-essential with us according to the manhood; like us in all things, sin apart; before the ages begotten of the Father as to the Godhead, but in the last days, the self-same, for us and for our salvation (born) of Mary the Virgin Theotokos as to the manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten; acknowledged in two natures unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably;

It goes on. I think this creed, and the other creeds, are meant to be read out loud. When you read it, it's just squiggly lines on paper. But when I read it out loud, there is a sense of declaring Truth to the Universe.
Jesus is truly God and truly man. Acknowledged in two natures, unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably.
I have not yet mentioned Leo the Great. In this book we read the letter from Flavian to Leo asking for advice on how to handle these controversies. And we read the reply from Leo to Flavian, a seven page letter which is printed in full in this book. It's known as the "Tome", and it shaped Chalcedonian creed. Read For YourselfAnd this just reinforces what I've been saying. There is a difference between Nichols telling us, or me telling you, versus you reading for yourself what Leo the Great wrote and seeing for yourself how familiar the words are that later appear in the final creed.
And if you ponder it for a moment, you appreciate the urgency, the intensity of the moment. The emperors. The bishops. The words flying around.
Basil of Caesarea wrote:

To what then shall I liken our present condition.

Later he continues:

See the rival fleets rushing in dread array to the attack. With a burst of uncontrollable fury they engage and fight it out. Fancy, if you like, the ships driven to and fro by a raging tempest, while thick darkness falls from the clouds and blackens all the scenes so that watchwords are indistinguishable in the confusion, and all distinction between friend and foe is lost. To fill up the details of the imaginary picture, suppose the sea swollen with billows and whirled up from the deep, while a vehement torrent of rain pours down from the clouds and the terrible waves rise high. From every quarter of heaven the winds beat upon one point, where both the fleets are dashed one against the other. Of the combatants some are turning traitors; some are deserting in the very thick of the fight; some have at one and the same moment to urge on their boats, all beaten by the gale, and to advance against their assailants. Jealousy of authority and the lust of individual mastery splits the sailors into parties which deal mutual death to one another.

There is more. But I have probably read too much. Settled and Never SettledI have two more reasons why more Christians should read this book. Especially if you are a nice Christian. Who loves peace. At any cost.
The book will impress upon you the need for Truth and the willingness to fight for it. Especially in the life of Athanasius. If you want the life story of Athanasius, you can read a short biography in John Piper's "27 Servants of Sovereign Joy", a book I reviewed two episodes ago. What Nichols books offers over Piper's book is a study on the controversies themselves.
And what I wish more people would know is this: any one of us can be a heretic. Meaning, it doesn't matter how nice you are, how sincere you are, it doesn't matter how much you love God and Men, you and I can still be a heretic because we believe in the wrong things about God. If you believed that Jesus had a beginning, you are a heretic in the eyes of Athanasius, Nicaea and churches today.
Is it possible that you and I are heretics in a belief that we hold? I say this not to drive fear and doubt into your heart, but to drive you and I to the Bible. To constantly check whether our faith corresponds to the Truth revealed in Scripture.
Because regardless of what you believe, you know there are false teachings out there. The heresies that Nicaea and Chalcedon settled were never settled, the heretics talk still spread like gangrene until today.
In the epilogue titled, "Jesus: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" , Nichols offers a sobering summary of what has happened since those early church times. And he tells us frankly, he warns us, "The church is always one generation away from getting it wrong, from taking a misstep."
And if you need a book to make that point clear, today's book is as good a book as any.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of "For Us and Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church" by Stephen J. Nichols. 176 pages, published by Crossway in August 2007. It's USD10.99 in Amazon Kindle but it's free from Faithlife for January.
The next review will be the free book from Logos. That's After God's Own Heart: The Gospel According to David by Mark J. Boda. This book is one volume in the "Gospel According to the Old Testament" series. This free book offer will end with January, so if there is even the slightest chance you might read it or refer to it, just get it. And, God willing, after a week, you can listen to my review to know whether the book was worth that one click of the button. Until then, bye bye. Book List* "For Us and Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church" by Stephen J. Nichols. Amazon. Faithlife.

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Do you love the Lord of the Rings? Doesn't everyone? Do you love Systematic Theology? Of course! Then today's book is perfect for you.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Tolkien Dogmatics: Theology through Mythology with the Maker of Middle-earth" by Austin M. Freeman. 432 pages, published by Lexham Press in November 2022. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD19.99 and Logos for USD23.99.
I don't know much about Austin M. Freeman other than what is in Amazon. He is a lecturer at Houston Baptist University and a classical school teacher. He has a PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, which explains a lot. Because a certain Professor Kevin Vanhoozer is from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School as well. But we will come to that in all good time. Tolkien the Public TheologianToday we are talking about Tolkien, a man who really needs no introduction. He launched the fantasy genre! Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Game of Thrones and many more fantasy novel could be blamed or traced to J.R.R. Tolkien.
He is the author of The Lord of the Rings, a trilogy of books that Peter Jackson directed into a trilogy of movies. That worldwide success soon led to the filming of another Tolkien book, the Hobbit, a single book which Jackson stretched into a trilogy of movies. And last year, Amazon launched Rings of Power, a TV series of this fantasy adventure.
Why has the Lord of the Rings, a book series that began in the 1930s, so capture the imagination of readers and viewers around the world across generations. This could be your great-grandfather's favourite book. Is it the plot, the characters, the world-building? Tonnes of ink has been spilled over decades analysing the film from all angles.
But maybe, just maybe, the reason why Tolkien's world is so lasting is because it has so much resonance: there is something in that mythical world that perks up the realities of this present world. Maybe the reason Middle-earth pulls us in is because we are, by virtue of how God made us, attracted to Truth. Truth with a capital T.
Today I am not reviewing Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, I am reviewing Tolkien Dogmatics by Austin Freeman. This is how the book's description begins:

J. R. R. Tolkien was many things: English Catholic, father and husband, survivor of two world wars, Oxford professor, and author. But he was also a theologian. Tolkien’s writings exhibit a coherent theology of God and his works, but Tolkien did not present his views with systematic arguments. Rather, he expressed theology through story.

And that is the premise of this book. Tolkien was a public theologian conveying theology through story. Freeman has scoured the literature, his gaze pierces books, letters, talks and journals, to reconstruct Tolkien's theology into a systematic form. And when I say systematic, I mean systematic in the technical, theological, seminary textbook sense. StructureThe book begins with a chapter titled Prolegomena that presents the background, scope, use and methodology. Then we have:* Chapter 1: God * Chapter 2: Revelation * Chapter 3: Creation * Chapter 4: Humanity * Chapter 5: Angels * Chapter 6: The Fall * Chapter 7: Evil and Sin * Chapter 8: Satan and Demons * Chapter 9: Christ and Salvation * Chapter 10: The Church * Chapter 11: The Christian Life * Chapter 12: Last Things

These chapter headings are what you would expect from a Systematic Theology textbook, so when I first saw this I eagerly anticipated how Freeman would fit the Lord of the Rings as well as Tolkien's other writings, into these categories.
The book ends with a couple of resources.
We have a glossary of names and terms from Tolkien's fiction, just in case you don't know who are the Valar, they are the angelic rulers of the world. Or the Maiar, they are the lesser angelic spirits. Everyone knows, that Saruman, Gandalf, and the Balrog he fought in the Mines of Moria, they are all Maiar. (I'm joking, I didn't know that before I read this book.)
We have a Bibliography which is divided into two sections Tolkien Sources (nearly 60 sources from Tolkien's own words, sometimes edited by his son Christopher Tolkien) and Secondary Sources (more than 200 sources from scholars, mostly on Tolkien, sometimes on theology apart from Tolkien).
And no self-respecting textbook on systematic theology would be without indices. We have a name index, subject index and Scripture index. Theology From MythologyNow that we understand how the book is laid out, I want to spend some time challenging the entire premise of the book.
Systematic Theology textbooks exist because we want to know what does the Bible say about specific categories or headings of God, Creation, Sin, Man, Jesus, Salvation, Holy Spirit, End Times. So I would read Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology or Millard Erickson's Christian Theology or Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics to better understand, let's say, Jesus Christ. I will know Bavinck's conviction because he tells me directly what he believes in his book Reformed Dogmatics.
This is not so straightforward with Freeman's book. I read this book to know Tolkien's conviction, not through Tolkien's direct thoughts on these topics, but mostly through Freeman's compilation, selection and stringing together of Tolkien's writings.
This is an audacious task.
Perhaps this is an everyday task for the literature critic to reconstruct the man or woman behind the book, but I would be very careful to reconstruct J.K. Rowling's faith from the Harry Potter series or draw a line from the religious zealots in Battlestar Galactica to the personal faith of the creators of the show.
So how far can we take Freeman's premise? First, that we can know Tolkien's belief from his stories. Second, that doing this, we can know God, for knowing God is the ultimate purpose of systematic theologies.
Freeman takes the challenge to the premise seriously. In the Prolegomena, there is a section titled "Scope and Use of This Book" and "Methodology".
The critical difference between J.K Rowling and Battlestar Galatica versus J.R.R. Tolkien and Lord of the Rings is Tolkien's faith truly undergirds his world. Tolkien believes that God is the Creator and that Men are created in the image of God, therefore we are sub-creators.
Tolkien's faith is real, it is true, it corresponds to reality. That is why his underlying faith has resonance with readers and viewers in the real world. His elves and orcs makes our present reality more real.
Let me quote Freeman:

Many critics have tried to account for the effect a good story has on us with terms like “literary belief” or “willing suspension of disbelief.” But Tolkien demurs. We instead become successful sub-creators, making a secondary world that other minds can enter into. There are then things which are true within that world -- that is, which accord with its laws. That is why we believe it when we are inside it.

As I read the book, I continually asked myself whether we could apply the methods Freeman uses here to Greek or Norse myths or Fantasy or Science Fiction stories.
If you want to go in depth into the methodology, Freeman states upfront he does not have the space to explain but he invites readers to read Kevin J. Vanhoozer's book "Is There Meaning in this Text?" I have reviewed a different Vanhoozer book, "Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends" which you can check out in Episode 50. Special (Author's Only) RevelationNow, assuming you can for the moment accept the premise and purpose of the book, let's go to a rather revealing chapter, chapter 2.
Let me read the second paragraph of this chapter:

This chapter will be broken down into two major sections based on these divisions. We will first deal with general revelation -- here, with how much Tolkien believes pagans might know of the true God apart from Scripture. We will next address Tolkien’s views on special revelation in Scripture and his attitudes toward the Bible, then specific extraordinary revelations such as dreams and visions, and finally his views on the (perhaps) supernatural provenance of his own work.

We have general revelation, special revelation, and supernatural provenance or origin of Tolkien's own work. This entire chapter is good but I will skip to the last part which is the sensation one.
I'll quote the section at length:

This section explores Tolkien’s views on one aspect of an extracanonical special revelation addressed to the world: his own writing. While grading student exams one day, Tolkien wrote down ten fateful words without any clear meaning behind them: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” Whence did this sudden impulse come? Tolkien seems to have explicitly admitted he believed his work to have been inspired in some sense.
In a letter from 1971, two years before his death, he recounts a strange visit. A man had come to see him with some old pictures which seemed to have been made to illustrate The Lord of the Rings ages before it was written. The man wanted to know whether Tolkien had drawn inspiration from such images. When Tolkien revealed he had never seen them before, the meeting took a strange turn. His visitor asked him whether he believed he had really written the whole work on his own. No, Tolkien had answered, not anymore. Tolkien then tells his correspondent that he has never since been able to believe that The Lord of the Rings was purely his own invention. Recognizing that this is a somewhat alarming and possibly arrogant conclusion, he reasons that God after all uses quite imperfect instruments all the time.
We must make clear from the outset what Tolkien did and did not believe here. He did not believe his fiction was true in the primary world, though he did believe it was not entirely false. He did not believe he was writing Scripture, or some special basis for a new religion or teaching. He did not believe his work ought to be considered “inspired” in the same sense as the Bible or the church’s teaching. But he did seem to eventually believe that he received large portions of it from God by the ministry of angels operating on relatively normal authorial processes -- that is, not by means of an Islamic angelic delivery, but in a more subtle and synergistic manner.

Authors often describe the creative writing process in this way: "The characters have a life of their own. The story wrote itself." It's said so often it's become cliche.
But this matches with Tolkien's experience:

He [Tolkien] says he no longer “invents,” but instead waits until he seems to know what really happened. This sort of independent development is a large impetus for his conclusion that parts of the story seem revealed through him rather than by him. He deliberately chose to work with archetypal motifs, and sometimes characters intrude out of narrative necessity. But he describes the full characterization of Aragorn in tones of awe as a revelation.

I am still fascinated by the idea of theology through mythology. I can't let go. If we take Tolkien's impressions of divine revelation seriously, then we are compelled to ask, "Do we listen to him as a 'prophet'?". Yet both Tolkien and Freeman strenuously deny writing Scripture.
Is it proper to credit God as the writer's muse?
Bavinck never suggests that the hand of God was on him while he was writing Reformed Dogmatics. On the other hand, many are convinced that the hand of God was indeed on Handel when he composed Messiah.
Let us, just for a moment, accept that God intended Tolkien to write Lord of the Rings for God's Divine Purpose. While saying that 'God intended for this to happen' is true for any author, Christian or not, for any piece of literature, fiction or not, let us assume God intended something special for Tolkien and Lord of the Rings, hence why Tolkien felt the story was revealed through him rather than by him.
Let us explore, for a minute!, the divine purpose, for a divine purpose is worth teasing out, worth speculating on.
I take my cue from what one Tolkien scholar, Claudio Testi, wrote:

Tolkien’s characters live in a world that is chronologically pre-Christian but metaphysically Christian. That is, he has sub-created a fictional world in which Jesus Christ will one day become incarnate.

Where do myths come from? From a Christian point of view, all myths are man-made, in the sense, they are fictional, they are stories, they are not materially real. We will not dig up the bones of a Medusa, or a Pegasus, or a Fairy. Men as sub-creators, created these myths.
Christians recognise many or all(?) of these myths as pagan, non-Christian, because they convey a belief antithetical to the faith. If we wanted to be harsh, we could say they are lies inspired by the father of lies.
On the other hand, if, big if, God positively wills Tolkien to write Lord of the Rings, then we have a sense that myths can be good, even if they are not real. They convey Truth even though the people never existed and the events never happened.
Just like the Parables! The Parables in the Gospels are not materially real, we will not dig up the remains of the Prodigal Son or the Samaritan Man or the Sower, but the Parables powerfully convey Truth.
Where does that leave us. Is God speaking Truth through Tolkien to us? Roman CatholicI found the solution to this question in Tolkien's Roman Catholicism.
First I want to say that Freeman is very even-handed on Tolkien's Roman Catholic beliefs even as Freeman is a Protestant. Freeman doesn't shy away from them, it is a necessarily important part of Tolkien's conviction, and we can see that in his devotion to the Catholic faith in marriage, in parenting and his letters. Although Tolkien never speaks publicly as a theologian, Professor Tolkien of Oxford University has thought deeply of his faith and is not shy on expounding on them on specific occasions.
Tolkien rejects the worship of Mary but insists she was sinless and ascended to Heaven. He believes the Roman Catholic doctrine on the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper, which is the bread transforms into the body of Christ and the wine transforms into the blood of Christ. And while Tolkien remains friends with C.S. Lewis the Anglican and other Protestants, he truly believes that the Roman Catholic church is the one true church of Christ, if only his friends would come to their senses.
So I commend Freeman the Protestant for not feeling the need to educate the reader on the errors of the Roman Catholic church. He trusts readers would know enough of the difference and their positions. This makes this book a comfortable read for both Roman Catholics and Protestants. Unless you are a Roman Catholic who wished Freeman wrote more positively, or a Protestant who wished he wrote more negatively, you will probably be disappointed that Freeman doesn't go far enough.
The good news is that once Freeman presents these Roman Catholic doctrines, then it's easy for us to think about how to receive this book of derived systematic theology and also Tolkien's musings that the stories were revealed through him rather than by him. Myth: Christian vs PaganIt's obvious when I say it and it is a repetition of what has been said, but this is the way to read this book: We should not read Tolkien or Tolkien's Dogmatics to establish our faith. We can learn from Tolkien because he writes as a Christian. His faith informs his fiction. He has bluntly said so in interviews.
What this books shows us is how some men are gifted sub-creators. The Egyptians, Greeks, Indians and Chinese have their own Creation origin stories. These stories came about to fill the gaps on what they didn't know of the One God and His Creation. Even within the Christian Church, people have created sub-Christian beliefs, contrary to the Truth. Making things up to make things better.
Contrary to Tolkien. Freeman quotes Priscilla, Tolkien's daughter who describes her father's belief:

without our lives being seen as a journey to God, our artistic or other talents will come to nothing.

In medieval Middle-earth, we have a modern day myth. Tolkien's myth informs by revelation. In knowing God, God the Father, who will send the God-Man in the future, Tolkien creates a world that co-exists with that revelation.
And it is fascinating how the story, the people and the events in Middle-earth can shed light on that revelation.
Have you ever read any Systematic Theology which considers Humanity in light of Elves, Men, Hobbits, Dwarves and Orcs?
Have you read anywhere a chapter on Angels which compares Gandalf and Sauron?
Have you studied temptation from the perspective of Frodo, Galadriel, Boromir, Gollum? How they failed and triumphed when tempted by the one ring?

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.

And a curious side-effect of writing fiction is because it is fiction, Tolkien is free to speculate on angels and demons, heaven and hell, without having to run the theological gauntlet. Who Is This Book For?And that leads me to the question who is this book for. If you don't feel a thrill in your heart when I mention Hobbits, Gandalf, Gollum and the one ring, then this might not be the book for you.
Some of you might look at the cover of this book and think, "Hmm... I know a guy who loves Lord of the Rings. He is not a Christian. Maybe after reading this book. He will be more willing to consider the faith."
Nope, that's not going to work. The idea is good, but not with this book. Not a Systematic Theology. You might want to try with another book, "Walking with Frodo: A Devotional Journey Through the Lord of the Rings" by Sarah Arthur. I never knew this book existed until Freeman cited it here. In fact, I never knew there was so much research from all angles on all things Tolkien until I picked up Freeman's book.
Now, on the flip side, some of you may think, "Hmm... I know a girl who loves theology, Systematic Theology, she just goes on and on about Augustine, Bavinck, and Calvin, but I would like her to have a bit of love for Aragorn, Bilbo and Saruman. Maybe this is the book for her."
Nope, that's also not going to work. Freeman freely assumes you know the main story, the people, the significance of the Ring and spoils the ending every few chapters.
You see, you will not fall in love with Tolkien's stories by reading Tolkien's Dogmatics. You fall in love with Tolkien's stories by reading his stories or you could try watching the Peter Jackson movies with your friend. If the movies can't pull him or her, then I can't see how this book could. Unless your friend is someone like John Piper or some really serious theological geek. That goes wild-eyed at the prospect of reading another Theology book. Eagle's HymnIdeally, this book is for those who love theology and Tolkien. The one who needs to be validated in their love for both; to read what Freeman writes here and give thanks, "I knew there was something really deep and spiritual here but I just couldn't put my finger on what it was."
Let me end with this quote from the book.

Tolkien also offers a picture of the new heavens and the new earth in his own poetry and prose. He is in fact at his most eschatological (and biblical) when he writes of an Eagle that sings a hymn over the rescued city of Minas Tirith. It is here quoted in full, with biblical allusions footnoted:
And the Shadow departed, and the Sun was unveiled, and light leaped forth; and the waters of Anduin shone like silver, and in all the houses of the City men sang for the joy that welled up in their hearts from what source they could not tell. And before the Sun had fallen far from the noon out of the East there came a great Eagle flying, and he bore tidings beyond hope from the Lords of the West, crying: Sing now, ye people of the Tower of Anor, for the Realm of Sauron is ended for ever, and the Dark Tower is thrown down. Sing and rejoice, ye people of the Tower of Guard, for your watch hath not been in vain, and the Black Gate is broken, and your King hath passed through, and he is victorious. Sing and be glad, all ye children of the West, for your King shall come again, and he shall dwell among you all the days of your life. And the Tree that was withered shall be renewed, and he shall plant it in the high places, and the City shall be blessed. Sing all ye people!

Freeman's footnote traces the eagle's hymn to multiple Scripture references such as Revelation 22:5, where it says, "And night will be no more. They will need no light or lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light."

Sing and be glad, all ye children of the West, for your King shall come again, and he shall dwell among you all the days of your life.

This is a Reading and Readers review of "Tolkien Dogmatics: Theology through Mythology with the Maker of Middle-earth" by Austin M. Freeman. 432 pages, published by Lexham Press in November 2022. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD19.99 and Logos for USD23.99.
The next book I will review is by Dr. Stephen Nichols, "For Us and Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church". It's a Free Book from Faithlife. Only free available for January. So you can read along with me or you can listen to my review first. Until then, bye bye! Book List* "Tolkien Dogmatics: Theology through Mythology with the Maker of Middle-earth" by Austin M. Freeman. Amazon. Logos. * "Walking With Frodo: A Devotional Journey Through the Lord of the Rings" by Sarah Arthur. Amazon.

Walking With Frodo: A Devotional Journey Through the Lord of the Rings

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Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you except for today. Today, I ask the question, "How did I get here?" I look back at the books that I have reviewed that have influenced my worldview, my actions, my affections, my life. Not Best Books of 2022This is not a best books of 2022 episode. I have not yet mastered the skill of ranking books. If forced to, I would choose Cur Deus Homo by Anselm of Canterbury because one can't go wrong with a thousand year old classic. And if you restricted me to books published in 2022, then I've only five books to consider out of the 30 books I reviewed this year.
I'm not doing a best books of 2022 episode. I'm doing a reflection. I'm recognising that there are 'flash in the pan' books. Books that were so good when I first read them but had little lasting influence. On the other extreme, there are books that was just okay but unexpected led to long term changes.
I'm looking for such long term changes. That is why I'm not restricting myself to books reviewed in 2022. If Reading and Readers continues for ten, twenty years, you will hear through my year end reflections how I have grown through the books, how one book leads to another, and how books are not just the filling of the mind but can lead to habits and pleasures.
In today's episode, I will talk about books that have encouraged a Christian habit, books that have formed a Christian worldview, and finally and most significantly, books that unexpectedly change my way of life. The keyword being unexpectedly. Books That Encouraged A Christian HabitBooks that have encouraged a Christian habit. It's a habit that begins with the letter 'M'. We all know it's good for you but somehow think it's a habit for the super-holy-edifying-walk-on-water-people-sanctus. It's not meditation, it's memorisation.
In last year's reflection, I shared how Chris Wright's book, "Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit" was helpful especially how he describe John Stott and his habit of praying the fruit of the spirit every morning. Before the book, I had memorised Galatians 5:22-23 but I didn't see how it could help me in maturing as a Christian.
I am not disciplined enough to pray it everyday but I have found it helpful to pray it when I need to. Sometimes it's before breakfast, sometimes it's before I sleep, often it's before I am on the verge of saying something I shouldn't say. Instead of biting my tongue, I recite in my heart, "Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control." And wouldn't you know it, self-control is what I needed the most.
Then in October this year, I read Andrew Naselli's book, "Romans: A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written". What impressed me the most was that he memorised Romans. I tried that before but gave up half way through. So challenged by Naselli's success, I attempted once more to memorise the greatest letter ever written.
Nearly three months later, I have only managed to memorise Romans chapter 1. But that is because after memorising Romans chapter 1, I decided to memorise 2 Timothy because my need for it was more urgent. I was preaching on 2 Timothy and I knew if I had the letter in my head it would benefit my study and ultimately the church. And if you have never done this before, I invite you to try it.
If you are going to teach on a verse, or a passage, try memorising the whole chapter. The act of memorising will make you familiar with layout of the land. And every commentary you read will make more sense because you are never lost in the details.
And lest some think I am bragging, I am not. Chris Wright shared on John Stott's daily prayer as an encouragement to all. Andrew Naselli only mentioned memorising Romans because he wanted to thank his youth group for the challenge. I am so far away from Stott's maturity and Naselli's achievement, that the reason why I share my meagre success is simply to encourage you, dear readers in the habit, and to thank these servants of the Lord for their encouragement. Books That Formed A WorldviewNext, books that formed a worldview.
Have you asked or gotten this question before, "Can I read or watch or listen to this book or movie or song?"
The best answer I got is from Tony Reinke's book, "Lit!". "You can read anything you want as long as you hold to a Christian worldview." Which if you think about it is the same as Henry Ford saying of his cars, "You can have any colour you want as long as it is black."
Because you hold a Christian worldview, you will filter out books you should not read. Because you hold a Christian worldview, you will interpret or learn to interpret anything you read or watch or listen to from the Biblical lens.
Does that mean you can listen to edgy, aggressive rap like Eminem or bloody, violent war movies like Gladiator? Glad you ask. Because those are the examples included in Kevin Vanhoozer's book, "How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends". If you want more details on how to interpret Eminem, or Gladiator, or the many, many examples in this book, you can listen to Episode 50.
I read that book and applied the tools to do cultural hermeneutics, tools that take every cultural artifact, whether a building or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as a text and bring out the World Behind the Text, the World In the Text and the World in front of the Text.
For example, I'm reading Tolkien Dogmatics by Austin Freeman and I am conscious when Freeman speaks of the World Behind the Text. Behind the text we have Tolkien's belief in revelation, Tolkien claims the story came by revelation rather than by his creation. Freeman writes what Vanhoozer would label the World In The Text, the world of Tolkien's Middle-Earth, has revelation for example the prophecy of the Return of the King.
Do we need cultural hermeneutics to enjoy books? No. You don't need to be steeped in knowledge of wine to enjoy wine. You don't need to distinguish sweetness, acidity or alcohol to savour wine. But the knowledge, the categories help you process the flavours and in its own way increases the pleasure.
So rather than the boring question of "Can a Christian enjoy this or that?", we ask the more interesting question of "What is here for the Christian to enjoy?"
When I put forward who I am as a Christian first, I realise there is more freedom to enjoy. And the beautiful thing is we can grow to have a Christian worldview.
Just to complete my reflection on forming a Christian worldview, I'll add another book from Episode 35, "Redeeming Our Thinking About History" from Vern Poythress.
Now whenever I consider historical events, I try to tease out God's purposes in those events. I speculate on God's purposes, not to gain certainty, but to continue to be mindful of God's hand.
It's like going to a mystery theatre. I am not sure that my guesses are correct but that is not important because I am certain that all the pieces will come together to a dramatic conclusion.
And this is not just casual armchair musing. This has pastoral effect. The other day I was trying to comfort someone who was going through very difficult trials. Trial after trial. What comfort can one give? There is much to offer from Scripture but the one I offered then was the truth that God's purposes will stand. No one could tell David Brainerd that his short life will lead to a missionary movement. No one could tell Adoniram Judson that his suffering will lead to a nation saved. But we can tell all believers that God's ways are higher than our ways, and that while we live, we keep on guessing, keep on wondering, knowing that we will all be surprised at the end, when the credits roll, the curtain calls, and all applause goes to God, who is Director of all.
So whether it's books or culture or history, I am thankful for the books that I have read have helped me form a Christian worldview. Books That Unexpectedly Changed My LifeLastly, let's talk about a book that unexpectedly change my life. I stress on the word unexpectedly. You should prepare yourself for a surprise.
When you pick up a Christian book, you can expect it to change your Christian way of life. When you read a book titled, "The Possibility of Prayer", you can expect to have a stronger prayer life.
Last year, when I picked up John Dickson's "Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History", I expected to be informed. I didn't expect to spend the year laughing out loud in my commute to work or pondering deeply on the Maid of Holland, the Ashanti Empire or the White Rose of Germany. My life is all the richer because of John Dickson's book but alas it's not because of John Dickson.
Let me explain.
I enjoyed Bullies and Saints. And you can listen to my review on that book. There was a historian by the name of Tom Holland who was not a Christian, who did not ridicule Christianity but credited Christianity for civilisation.
Let me read from John Dickson's book:

Holland has not had a "Damascus Road" experience. He is not a believing Christian. He has just come to realise that he -- like many atheist and agnostic Westerners -- is ethically Christian. In a controversial article announcing his shift in thinking, he explained:
Today, even as belief in God fades across the West, the countries that were once collectively known as Christendom continue to bear the stamp of the two millennia old revolution that Christianity represents. It is the principle reason why, by and large, most of us who live in post-Christian societies still take for granted that it is nobler to suffer than to inflict suffering. It is why we generally assume that human life is of equal value. In my morals and ethics, I have learned to accept that I am not a Greek or Roman at all, but thoroughly and proudly Christian.

It is fascinating when a non-believer declares himself, "in morals and ethics, a thoroughly and proudly Christian." Who Is This Guy?So I looked him up. Tom Holland has a podcast with some guy who I also didn't know Dominic Sandbrook. What is this podcast about, "The Rest is History"? I can't remember what was the first episode I listened to. I thought it was good. So I subscribed, which meant I got notified of new episodes.
I listened to a few, a few became many, and many became, dare I say it, a daily experience. They don't publish daily unless it's for a special series but when I got into them, I had 200+ episodes to catch up with.
Through Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, I got introduced to many books, including Sandbrook's "Adventures in Time" series, many podcasts like Empire, Battleground: Falklands and the World War 2 podcast, "We Have Ways to Make You Talk". Yet there is something special about "The Rest is History".
It's not just their choice of topics. One day, I'm shedding tears because of a heroic pigeon, yes, pigeon the bird! Another day, I'm listening to the prostitute(?)-turned-Christian Empress Theodora of Byzantium who built the first hospitals for the poor. Another day I'm listening to a three part series on Australia Prime Ministers, a four part series on the American Civil War, a five part series on London. The Most Awesome Road TripThe topics are fascinating but it is the hosts that make the topics come alive. Tom and Dominic enjoy each others company. They exchange wits, they have their own in-jokes. They are experts in their sphere of history, both have written multiple bestselling books, and yet are transparently curious, so humble to learn from others. They are simultaneously podcaster and audience, because when one shares a fascinating fact, or plot twist, the other gasps.
It feels like being on a road trip with two smart and witty fellows. I listen to them on the commute and I sometimes just sit in my car in the parking lot just to finish the episode. And my colleagues must be wondering what am I doing laughing or listening so intently.
And who knew history could be so fun! In the news, history seems to be re-written as we speak. Angry people, pulling down statues, screaming at everyone. Before I have time to take a breath, rebut or even question, it's already an established creed.
So it is incredibly refreshing to listen to Tom and Dominic, not because their politics matches mine. They make fun of both Biden and Trump. They make fun of both Boris and Corbyn. But their fun is good natured fun. Not cruel and not out to score points with a mob.
Maybe I'm biased because of the way they handle Christian history. Neither are Christians. Although Tom Holland is a lot more receptive to Christianity than Dominic Sandbrook. These are guys who are quite willing to admit that Christianity has done some good in the world, something that used to be a lot easier to just accept, yet they are equally able to point out the really bad apples, and that's all I want from secular historians or any person, believer or non-believer. Christian WorldviewBefore their podcast, I didn't know that the word slave came from the Slavs, a people who are the ancestors of today's Central and Eastern Europeans. Maybe the Slavs should seek reparations. A dollar every time someone uses the word 'slave' in a movie, song or tweet.
So I listen and ask, "How can I bring a Christian worldview into this?"
There were slaves in Old Testament and New Testament times. For some, slavery is exclusively associated with the African American experience. Yet, history shows us that it's complicated.
It does not diminish the evils of black slavery to recognise that there was white slavery, the Slavs. It does not diminish the evils of the African American experience to acknowledge that Brazil had more slaves than any other country. It does not diminish the evils of Western slave traders to say that it was Africans who invaded other Africans to capture slaves to sell to the West and also to the East. It does not diminish the evils of Christian slave owners to affirm that it was Christians like William Wilberforce and Christian theology like "All men are created in God's image" that overcame slavery.
When it comes to evil, Christians understand evil better than the atheist, the secularist or any other religion. We understand evil because God defined it, God denounced it, God will judge it. But if we only knew what is evil, we would be a sad lot. It's like knowing what is cancer but know not the cure. Christians are a blessed people because we know evil, and we know good. God has saved us from evil, from slavery to sin, and called us to a holy calling, by the grace God has given us in Christ Jesus.
Can we tease out God's purpose in all this? Dare we talk about a plan to bring out good from evil? I don't dare. At least not today. That's not the purpose of today's episode. In today's podcast I want share my growth as a Christian to encourage you. Because of the books I have read, I have gotten to be more intentional in having a Christian worldview and in pondering on God's purposes in all things.
Before I go to the conclusion, I just want to say that I've enjoyed The Rest is History so much that I want to announce I have just, only just, recently become a card-carrying member of the Rest is History Club. If I had Netflix, DisneyPlus and Amazon Prime in one corner and The Rest is History in the other, I would pick The Rest is History. I learn more, laugh more and come away more educated after every episode. And since I value them so highly, I thought it was only proper to put my money where my mouth is and give them cold hard cash.
So that's my year end reflection. Next year, make a resolution to read more good books.
Why?
First, you can be encouraged into a habit one book at a time. If I manage to memorise Romans by next year, it's only going to give me a rich annual dividend for the rest of my life.
Second, through books, you can form a Christian worldview. Instead of Superman's X-ray vision, you have the far superior Christian true vision, the ability to see reality as it really is.
And third, through books, you never know what you are going to get. One book, whether bad, average or good, may lead you to a whole new world of pleasures, experiences and relationships.
I can't wait to see what God will reveal in the new year ahead.
This is Reading and Reader's year end reflection. And if you would like to support this podcast, please visit www.readingandreaders.com and buy me coffee. And thanks to every one who has bought me coffee, meaning you have sent over cold hard cash. Your support means so much and helps keeps me and this podcast going. Have a Happy New Year and see you in 2023! Bye bye.

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Whoever subtitled this book, "Faithful, Flawed and Fruitful", said more than he knew. For he was not only describing the saints in this book, he was also describing the book itself.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today's episode is Part 2 of my review on John Piper's "27 Servants of Sovereign Joy: Faithful, Flawed and Fruitful." 1024 pages, published by Crossway in September 2022. This book is available in Amazon Kindle for USD34.99, and in Logos for USD35.99, but as I revealed in the last episode, you can get this Piper book, for free in desiringgod.com. That's desiringgod.com. (I feel like I'm revealing a secret, something publishers don't want me to tell anyone but Piper's books are free, legally free.) RecapA brief recap of the last episode. 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy is a collection of nine books. Each book consists of three biographies. In the last episode, I picked one man that best represents the theme of the entire book, and that man was Augustine. So if you are wondering whether you will like this book, you can listen to the last episode or even better you can read the 26 pages that make up Piper's biography on Augustine.
I also pointed out that each book has a theme and that theme is conveyed from a Reformed base. Before these biographies were written books, they were first messages spoken in the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors, a 'conclave of Calvinists'. Piper tells these stories to teach and encourage those pastors first and later to all Christians how to live in joy, in endurance, in contending for the faith, in suffering and more, the more that we will see today. The Most Piper-Like BookIn Part 1, I looked at Books 1-5 now I look at Books 6-9.
I thought I would have an easy time doing Part 2. I expected the remaining books to be the same well-written God-magnifying, Christ-exalting, Holy-Spirit-edifying reading that I enjoyed. Looking ahead to the final book, I expected a climatic conclusion with Jonathan Edwards (Piper's hero), Martyn Lloyd-Jones (my hero) and Bill Piper (Piper's father). Those were my expectations, but after finishing the book, I'm disappointed to say... well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. You must listen till the end.
We have here the last four books in this collection.* Book 6 is titled, "Seeing Beauty and Saying Beautifully", we have here the lives of George Herbert, George Whitefield and C.S. Lewis. * Book 7 is "A Camaraderie of Confidence" with Charles Spurgeon, George Müeller and Hudson Taylor. * Book 8 is "The Power of Doctrinal Holiness" with Andrew Fuller, Robert Murray McCheyne and J.C. Ryle. * Book 9 is "The Passionate Pursuit of Revival and Christ-Exalting Joy" with Jonathan Edwards, Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Bill Piper.

Book 6 is the most Piper-like book. Piper did not launch a Reformation like Martin Luther (Book 1), nor suffered in the Indian wilderness like David Brainerd (Book 2), nor contended against the world like Athanasius (Book 4).
Book 6 is a special book because here, we have George Herbert the poet. Piper is a poet. We have George Whitefield the dramatic preacher. Piper is a dramatic preacher. We have C.S. Lewis, who makes Christianity simple and beautiful. Piper makes the faith simple and beautiful. Vividly Speaking of Spectacular RealitiesLet's focus on one man. George Whitefield, the Preacher of the Great Awakening. In an age without cars or planes, thousands upon thousands came from far away to hear him. Thousands upon thousands stood in the field under the night sky under the rain just to hear him. There were many preachers so why does Whitefield stand out? Because he saw beauty and expressed it beautifully.
Piper quotes Benjamin Franklin who said:

Every accent, every emphasis, every modulation of voice, was so perfectly well turned, and well-placed, that without being interested in the subject, one could not help being pleased with the discourse: a pleasure of much the same kind with that received from an excellent piece of music.

Strong praise from a non-believer. But maybe it is damning praise. Piper quotes a critic, Harry Stout, who claims that Whitefield was plying a religious trade, pursuing religious fame, craving respect and power, driven by egotism and putting on 'performances' and 'integrating religious discourse into the emerging language of consumption'.
Piper writes, "I do not doubt that Whitefield was 'acting' as he preached."
If Piper himself concedes that Whitefield was acting on stage, is it wise of us to look up to an actor, no matter how gifted or devout the showman may be?
Then Piper asks the crucial question, "Why was Whitefield 'acting'?"
Piper quotes Whitefield. Whitefield is speaking.

I’ll tell you a story. The Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 1675 was acquainted with Mr. Butterton the [actor]. One day the Archbishop ... said to Butterton ... “Pray inform me Mr. Butterton, what is the reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations with speaking of things imaginary, as if they were real, while we in church speak of things real, which our congregations only receive as if they were imaginary?” “Why my Lord,” says Butterton, “the reason is very plain. We actors on stage speak of things imaginary, as if they were real and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.”

Soon after that, Piper concludes:

This means that there are three ways to speak. First, you can speak of an unreal, imaginary world as if it were real -- that is what actors do in a play. Second, you can speak about a real world as if it were unreal -- that is what half-hearted pastors do when they preach about glorious things in a way that implies they are not as terrifying or as wonderful as they are. And third, you can speak about a real spiritual world as if it were wonderfully, terrifyingly, magnificently real, because it is.

So Piper takes the essence of Whitefield, the great preacher, and asks what does the man see and why does he express it the way he does.
He does the same with the next person is C.S. Lewis. Romantic, Rationalist, Master Likener, EvangelistIn previous biographies, Piper showed us how the Reformed doctrine is the ground from which Bunyan, Machen, Paton would tower mightily and shine for Christ. But not all Reformed. For example, Piper makes a footnote that in one of William Wilberforce's letters, he writes, "I myself am no Calvinist." Yet Piper notes that many of Wilberforce's closest and admired friends were Calvinists. And when he looked for a church to attend, he often chose to sit under Calvinists. So we will always get a Reformed perspective on all these men, whether they are Reformed or not.
And C.S. Lewis is not. Piper has a sub-heading that reads: "Lewis's defective views" which includes views on inerrancy of Scripture, salvation without Christ and atonement. Those are fundamental doctrines that fill up Piper's theology.
Piper writes:

Lewis rarely shows his exegesis. He doesn’t deal explicitly with many texts. He is not an expositor. His value is not in his biblical exegesis. It lies elsewhere.

Piper shows that it lies in him as a romantic, rationalist, master likener and evangelist.
What is a master likener? C.S. Lewis famously wrote:

Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

I'm not sure whether Piper was the first to see Lewis as romantic, rationalist, master likener and evangelist, but those categories fit him well and I've taken to think of Piper on those terms as well. And in doing so, shows us how to distinguish the man from his doctrine, and that we can embrace one without the other. Why No Women?For the second half of this episode, I want to present two criticisms against the book. The first criticism is all too prevalent, especially in today's race- and gender- sensitive culture and it's a criticism I refute.
The second criticism comes from my finishing the book and I want to express my disappointment because this should have been a much stronger book.
Let's start with the first criticism. When I started the book, I went through the list and, without meaning to, noted that in this list of 27 people, they are all men. Not only that, they were all white men. And without any malice or hidden agenda, without being in one political party or denomination, or ideology or theology, one could innocently ask, "Pastor John, are there really no women or non-white people in all history who could make your list?"
Nowhere in the book does Piper directly answer that question but I think I can draw out a reasonable response based on what he wrote here and the complementarian view I know he holds. The complementarian view is that God created men and women to hold different and complementary roles. For example, the role of the pastor is only for men, and not for women.
This is not the podcast or the book to get into this debate. My purpose is not to persuade you the complementarian view, but it is to show how that view permeates the book and helps explains the all men list.
Consider the genesis of this book. These were not messages to married couples, or to the family, or to the church in general.
These were exemplary men that Piper picked to encourage and teach pastors. Only men can be pastors. So his examples are men.
Does this mean that women have nothing to offer to pastors? No. Piper never says that. You would be making an argument from silence. He brings out men as examples because he believes men need to see men being manly.
"To see men being manly?"
Yes. And there is a chapter in Book 8 that proves my point. The title of that chapter is: "The Frank and Manly Mr. Ryle: The Value of a Masculine Ministry".
As part of the lessons from the life of J.C. Ryle, Piper gives us 8 traits of a masculine ministry.
Listen to the first one: "A masculine ministry believes that it is more fitting that men take the lash of criticism that must come in a public ministry, than to unnecessarily expose women to this assault."
Piper goes on to explain how this masculine ministry is seen in J.C. Ryle. What about women? For this first trait, Piper ends by saying:

Courage in the midst of combat, especially harsh and painful combat, whether with arms or with words, is not something a woman can’t exercise, nor even something she shouldn’t exercise under certain circumstances. The reason we call such courage “manly” is not that a woman can’t show it, but that we feel a sense of fitness and joy when a man steps up to risk his life, or his career, with courage -- but we (should) feel awkward if a woman is thrust into that role on behalf of men. She may be able to do it, and we may admire her for doing it, if necessary. But we wish the men were numerous enough and strong enough and courageous enough that the women could rejoice in the men, rather than take their place.

And he does this for all of the 8 traits. First, what he means by it and how J.C. Ryle demonstrates it, followed by how masculine ministry works with respect to women, with the expectation that both men and women welcome it.
You may agree or not agree with Piper's complementarian view but we have to agree that Piper is consistent within the confines of this worldview. Why All White?That explains why they are all men, now let's attempt to justify them being all white.
Can you name me ten Christians who have impacted your faith? And if you can do so, praise God for surrounding you with ten witnesses of Christ! The question is should you be expected to pick names to fulfil a diversity quota? And how does that diversity quota even look like?
Does Augustine fulfil it? He is from modern day Algeria. Or Athanasius from Alexandria in Egypt? Does Hudson Taylor count? A British man who gave his life for the Chinese. Does Adoniram Judson count? An American who gave his life for the Burmese. Because in his time, you couldn't find a Burmese Christian, so would he do?
There is a place for diversity because God has created a diverse human race. But even though I'm not white, I find I have a deep connection to these men, not because of the skin colour or even gender, but because they are Christians.
I saw a meme the other day where on the top you have a group of girls agonising over the right skin tone for Ariel in the Little Mermaid. While at the bottom, we have boys of all colours looking at a giant robot, thinking, "I am Optimus Prime."
In the same way, all of us should look at these giants of faith and say, "I am a Christian." Ramming A Theme Distorts A LifeSo that's my rejection to what I consider as an invalid and unfair criticism against Piper's list of heroes. What I say next, is my criticism against what should be a stronger book.
After completing the book, my conclusion is "Less is More". The book should have ended with 21 servants instead of 27. And if listened to Part 1 of this review, you will remember that it was 21 but it was expanded to 27, with the inclusion of Books 8 and 9.
In Books 1 to 7, the theme works. For example, in Book 5, Tyndale, Paton and Judson suffered for Christ. In Book 6, Herbert, Whitefield and Lewis saw beauty and gloried in it. These themes jump at you. You would naturally group these men together.
The problem I have is the theme for Books 8 and 9 don't work.
Book 9 is titled the "Passionate Pursuit of Revival and Christ-Exalting Joy." We have Jonathan Edwards, Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Bill Piper. In order to make the theme work, Piper distorted the the life and ministry of Lloyd-Jones.
It would be like describing the life and ministry of John MacArthur by Strange Fire, a cessationist position, rather than his crowning achievement of expounding through the New Testament book-by-book, verse-by-verse, and completing this task in 42 years.
Or it would be like describing the John Piper's life's work by saying he objected to women being pastors. That's not wrong. But imagine reading a 40 page biography on Piper and the emphasis and concluding thought was John Piper doesn't like women pastors. Is that the emphasis? What about Christian Hedonism? Or you know... desiring God?
So I am not saying that what Piper wrote on Martyn Lloyd-Jones is wrong. It is a possibly good analysis of Lloyd-Jones' position on revival, Pentecostalism and his practice. The section that ends the chapter is titled, "Did He Practice What He Preached?". And I would say that is not how the story of any of these 27 men should end. All of these men, including Martyn Lloyd-Jones deserves a better conclusion. Where Is The Conclusion?And that is the second part of my criticism. Where is the conclusion? In Books 1 to 7 we have a concluding chapter after the three biograhies. We have a separate chapter that ends the book.
In Book 1, we have a chapter on Augustine. We zoomed into the life of Augustine, then we switched targets and zoomed into Martin Luther, then lastly we zoomed into John Calvin. The most important part of the book is when Piper zooms out and tells us how Augustine, Martin Luther and John Calvin all connect to the theme of the Legacy of Sovereign Joy.
Piper puts these men side-by-side, standing shoulder to shoulder, we can see their similarities and differences with respect to, say, Sovereign Joy. Or Hidden Smile of God. Or The Roots of Endurance. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say the conclusion is what sets this series of biographies apart from all the other biographies you can get out there.
So when I get to Books 8 and 9. It is missing. And I'm left guessing. The revival connection between Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Jonathan Edwards and Bill Piper is very tenuous. Do you know who would be a better replacement for Lloyd-Jones? Billy Graham. From what I heard and read elsewhere, Bill Piper and John Piper have a stronger personal connection to Billy Graham than they do with Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
And that personal connection would work well with the personal touch that Piper ends with. 21 is Better Than 27In conclusion, 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy is a splendid book. These are all men you want to know. They will encourage you. They will teach you many things. These short biographies will show you the wide spectrum of what it means to be faithful, some came to faith early, some late, for some their faith bloomed in a short life, some live a good long life of service.
We see here flawed saints. We have depression, loneliness, sexual addiction, pride, it's all here. Whatever trials and temptations you face, you will find solace in these companions.
And they were fruitful. Some saw their fruits while they lived by God's mercy, but some never saw any fruits. But how they would wonder to see what amazing things God has done to bring entire nations to faith and inspire missionaries, martyrs and ministers. We thank God that their faith is proclaimed in all the world.
If I had a wish, it would be that Piper would re-write Books 8 and 9. This could have been a much stronger book. A go-to classic for biographies for everyone. If not for the fatal flaws in the last two books. Less is more. 21 is better than 27.
But don't let that stop you from getting and reading and profiting from this book. You can always stop yourself at 21.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy: Faithful, Flawed and Fruitful. 1024 pages, published by Crossway in September 2022. Available for USD34.99 in Amazon Kindle, USD35.99 in Logos and free in Desiring God. You can check out all the links in the show notes of this podcast or you can go to the website at www.readingandreaders.com. That’s www.readingandreaders.com.
The next episode will be a special episode where I do a long term reflection. Of all the books that I have reviewed, which books have made a lasting impression in my life? As we know, we could read a book and rave about it but it's forgotten after the next great book. On other other hand, we could read a book and didn't think much of it, at first, but later we could trace the unexpected impact of that book. And I have one book in mind. Let me tell you about it in the next episode.
Why don't you join me in this reflection? It's the end of year, why not take a minute to reflect which books or book reviews you enjoyed and drop me a note. You can contact me at www.readingandreaders.com, that's readingandreaders.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for listening. Have a Merry, Merry Christmas! Book List* 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy: Faithful, Flawed and Fruitful" by John Piper. Amazon. Logos. Desiring God.

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If you were on a deserted island, what one book would you bring with you (other than the Bible)? Think about it, if it's only one book, it should be a big, big book cause you might be spending a long time on the island. Seeing that you will have no friends on the island, you should bring some spiritual friends. How about bringing exactly 27 spiritual friends?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "27 Servants of Sovereign Joy: Faithful, Flawed and Fruitful" by John Piper. A whopping 1024 pages, published by Crossway in September 2022. Available for USD34.99 in Amazon Kindle, USD35.99 in Logos, but listen to the end to get this book for free. A Collection for the GenerationPreacher, teacher, writer, poet. Pastor John Piper has made many, many grown men and women all around the world cry with joy through his sermons, books and podcasts. But what will be John Piper's most enduring work? Will it be one of his books? Perhaps "Desiring God"? It is after all the book that gave the name to his ministry. Or his magnum opus, "Providence", a book I reviewed in Episode 7. Another likely contender is today's book, "27 Servants of Sovereign Joy". This book is an update of his 2018 book titled, "21 Servants of Sovereign Joy".
That book was a collection of 7 books. This book is a collection which adds the never before published Books 8 and 9. This is a great deserted island book. It's kind of like cheating cause it's 9 books in 1 but it's not because it is technically one book.
In today's review, I'll review Books 1 to 5. In the next episode, I'll review the rest. You might think that it's because it's such a good book that it deserves two dedicated episodes. That might be true but real reason is I haven't finished it. I'm only up to Book 7. I don't want to delay the podcast release nor do I want to rush through the book. I'm taking Piper's advice here. To read good books, slowly.
To get an idea on how these books are organised and how they can help you, let me ask this question: If you could phone three friends, who would you call to remember joy, to endure or to suffer well? Well here are the names Piper picked. * Book 1: The Legacy of Sovereign Joy. Augustine. Martin Luther. John Calvin. * Book 2: The Hidden Smile of God. John Bunyan. William Cowper. David Brainerd. * Book 3: The Roots of Endurance. John Newton. Charles Simeon. William Wilberforce. * Book 4: Contending for Our All. Athanasius. John Owen. J. Gresham Machen. * Book 5: Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ. William Tyndale. John G. Paton. Adoniram Judson.

Do you know those names? Do you have some idea on the richest men, or the prettiest women, or the strongest, fastest, smartest sportsmen in the world? Then it is only right and good that Christians know the saints who have rejoiced the most, endured the most and suffered the most. Though They Died, They Still SpeakIn the preface to this book, Piper writes:

I think that what was said of Abel in Hebrews 11:4 can be said of any saint whose story is told: “Through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (ESV). It has been a great pleasure as I have listened to these voices. But not only a pleasure. They have strengthened my hand in the work of the ministry again and again. They have helped me feel that I was part of something much bigger than myself or my century. They have showed me that the worst of times are not the last of times, and they made the promise visible that God works all things for our good.

There is more but you get the purpose of the book, the reason why Piper presents these lives to the pastors in the Bethlehem Conference.
This means that if you are looking for critical scholarship, if you are looking for a new perspective on George Herbert, or George Whitefield, or George Muller, this is not the book for you.
Piper did a good study. The evidence is in the footnotes. Lots of them. Lots of quotes. Quotes from their own sermons and writings. Quotes from contemporaries, family and friends. Even quotes from critics and skeptics and modern scholars, but I repeat myself.
In Piper's own words:

Throughout the year before each conference, I would read about the life and ministry of some key figure in church history. Then I would decide on some thematic focus to give unity to the message, and I would try to distill my reading into an hour-long message. The messages -- and the edited versions -- are unashamedly hortatory. I aim to teach and encourage. I also aim never to distort the truth of a man’s life and work. But I do advocate for biblical truths that his life illustrates.

You may ask, "Why read Piper?" You could read Augustine's Confession or David Brainerd's Journal. Why not get it straight from the saint's mouth? Because Piper takes what he reads in a year and distills them. Augustine's Confession is 161 pages long, Brainerd's Journal is 426 pages. And if Piper read what the saints wrote, he might even have read John Owen's commentary on Hebrews. All 3600 pages of them.
For the rest of us mere mortals, we benefit from Piper's biographical portrait, each person has, give or take, 40 pages long. And after reading these short portraits, nothing would give Piper more pleasure than to know how you thirst to better know such true pilgrims. The Man Who Best Represents The BookLet's pick one man as an example. And I struggled at this! From Books 1 to 5, I have fifteen man to choose from. Do I choose my favourite? Oh, how can I choose?
I can't even choose my favourite John! The book has John Calvin, John Bunyan, John Newton, John Owen, John G. Paton, John Charles Ryle (a.k.a. J.C. Ryle), John Gresham Machen. All the men have impacted me in different ways in different times of my life, it is an impossible choice. I was going to roll a dice until I thought of a different question.
"Who best represents the book? Whose life crystallises the theme of the book?" And when I asked that, one name rose above the rest. And it's a name that I believe the other 26 men would agree with a smile on their face.
Let me read the prayer he wrote in his most famous book, titled "Confessions".

How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose. ... You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure, though not to flesh and blood, you who outshine all light, yet are hidden deeper than any secret in our hearts, you who surpass all honor, though not in the eyes of men who see all honor in themselves. ... O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation.

This man coined the phrase "Sovereign Joy", which is the title of the book and the theme of the whole series.
Remember, before this collection was published as one big book, it was a series of small books. The series was titled, "The Swans Are Not Silent". You can read the origin story in Book 1. The man I'm thinking of is the swan, the original swan, in that story.
Martin Luther was a monk in his order, John Calvin quotes him extensively in his writings, and John Piper listed him as the first of the twenty seven, he is none other than St. Augustine of Hippo. He coined the phrase "Sovereign Joy". What Sets This Book Apart From Other BiographiesThis sovereign joy is what sets this collection apart from other biographies. Someone else might tell a better story of William Cowper, or William Wilberforce or William Tyndale. A biographer like Iain Murray can undoubtedly do a masterful work of art with these subjects. Iain Murray inspired Piper to do this series.
Even so I can't think of any one better than John Piper to tell the story of the sovereign joy in these 27 men, in their persevering, in their suffering, in their contending. I can't think of anyone better than John Piper. Merely because his entire life and ministry is an extension of Augustine's.
Piper writes:

Few people in the history of the church have surpassed Augustine in portraying the greatness and beauty and desirability of God. He is utterly persuaded by Scripture and experience “that he is happy who possesses God.” “You made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you.” He will labor with all his might to make this God of sovereign grace and sovereign joy known and loved in the world.

And what may turn some readers off is the Reformed flavour of the book as captured in Piper's quote of Augustine here:

A man’s free-will, indeed, avails for nothing except to sin, if he knows not the way of truth; and even after his duty and his proper aim shall begin to become known to him, unless he also take delight in and feel a love for it, he neither does his duty, nor sets about it, nor lives rightly. Now, in order that such a course may engage our affections, God’s “love is shed abroad in our hearts” not through the free-will which arises from ourselves, but “through the Holy Ghost, which is given to us” (Romans 5:5).

Unabashedly ReformedIf your blood pressure goes up every time you see a tulip, then allow me to put things in perspective.
John Piper is unabashedly Reformed but Piper does not set out to be tribal or controversial.
I say this because of how he groups the people. In Book 4, Contending For Our All, the theme is to contend, to fight! Piper could be tribal here. He could have rallied people to the Calvinist cause. In the blue corner, George Whitefield the Calvinist. In the red corner, John Wesley the Arminian. Piper could have called us to join Charles Spurgeon to contend against the Arminian belief.
Instead, Piper puts George Whitefield in Book 6: Seeing Beauty and Saying Beautifully, where he brings out Whitefield's preaching power. Every Christian can celebrate Whitefield's preaching prowess. Piper puts Charles Spurgeon in Book 7: A Camaraderie of Confidence, where he brings out Spurgeon's common man ministry.
And who does he put in Book 4? He introduces to us Athanasius who contended against Arianism, the belief that Jesus was not truly God. He picks John Owen who contended for holiness, public and private. And lastly he gives us Machen who contended against modernity a.k.a. liberalism.
As he tells the story of all these men, he brings out the Reformed doctrine -- not to persuade you to take Reformed, he doesn't want you to take the Reformed doctrine, he wants you to take Jesus. The doctrine is the bedrock from which they grasp Jesus and they contend, they fight. You may ask, "How can Piper ask us to take Jesus and not the Reformed system if he brings out the Reformed system to present Jesus?"
Piper articulates it better than I ever can. Let me read what is currently my favourite paragraph. Piper starts Book 4: Contending For Our All, with these words.

Some controversy is crucial for the sake of life-giving truth. Running from it is a sign of cowardice. But enjoying it is usually a sign of pride. Some necessary tasks are sad, and even victory is not without tears—unless there is pride. The reason enjoying controversy is a sign of pride is that humility loves truth-based unity more than truth-based victory. Humility loves Christ- exalting exultation more than Christ-defending confrontation—even more than Christ-defending vindication. Humility delights to worship Christ in spirit and truth. If it must fight for worship-sustaining truth, it will, but that is not because the fight is pleasant. It’s not even because victory is pleasant. It’s because knowing and loving and proclaiming Christ for who he really is and what he really did is pleasant.

And to the Christian who thinks that the time spent on endless arguments about doctrines should be better spent doing good. Or for Christians who cannot see how doctrine can be a bedrock to faith. Piper says this:

There are more immediately crucial tasks than controversy about the truth and meaning of the gospel. For example, it is more immediately crucial that we believe the gospel, and proclaim it to the unreached, and pray for power to attend the preaching of the gospel. But this is like saying that flying food to starving people is more immediately crucial than the science of aeronautics. True. But the food will not be flown to the needy if someone is not doing aeronautics. It is like saying that giving penicillin shots to children dying of fever is more immediately crucial than the work of biology and chemistry. True. But there would be no penicillin without such work.

Thus the Reformed doctrine is not an ends but rather a means to seeing Jesus. And that's why I think this book is useful for all Christians. Piper's enthusiasm for Jesus is contagious and as you read, you wish you can see Jesus the way Piper sees Jesus. You wish that you can live wholeheartedly for Jesus the way these 27 men lived for Jesus. Don't you wish for that? Finding Joy in SufferingEspecially, and this is my final point for this episode of this review, when we see them persevering, enduring and suffering. As is my custom when I read a good book, I shared excerpt with people I who I think can benefit.
On the life of John G. Paton, a name I didn't know before this book, Piper writes:

Over and over this faith sustained him in the most threatening and frightening situations. As he was trying to escape from Tanna at the end of four years of dangers, he and Abraham were surrounded by raging natives who kept urging each other to strike the first blow.

Then Piper quotes from Paton's autobiography:

My heart rose up to the Lord Jesus; I saw Him watching all the scene. My peace came back to me like a wave from God. I realized that I was immortal till my Master’s work with me was done. The assurance came to me, as if a voice out of Heaven had spoken, that not a musket would be fired to wound us, not a club prevail to strike us, not a spear leave the hand in which it was held vibrating to be thrown, not an arrow leave the bow, or a killing stone the fingers, without the permission of Jesus Christ, whose is all power in Heaven and on Earth. He rules all Nature, animate and inanimate, and restrains even the Savage of the South Seas.

The story of John G. Paton is far more exciting than any Marvel or DC or Hollywood movie. This is a true story of our brother in Christ battling the kingdom of darkness. It's not a scriptwriter's comic book adaptation where an actor pretends to be a god of thunder in front of a green screen. I tell you, on that Day, many who ridiculed Christians worshipping Jesus, those people will be ridiculed for idolising men and women who pretended to be gods.
My life is richer as I read of William Cowper's depression, David Brainerd's loneliness and Adoniram Judson's lost after lost after lost. One of Adoniram Judson last words were, "How few there are ... who die so hard!"
The movies you watch, the books you read and the music you listen to can be inspiring, but where does your hope come from? In Piper's book, for these 27 men, their hope comes from the Lord. Ending Part IThis is the end of Part I of this book review. It's a 1000 page collection of nine books of 27 servants of God picked by John Piper to encourage Christians to savour joy, to endure, to contend, to suffer and so much more.
There are plenty of biographies out there, but what you get here is a determined expression of sovereign joy from a poet-writer whose whole ministry is caught up in that heavenly joy.
You know those shows where a soldier reviews war movies and he tells you things that you never noticed or consider those behind the scenes clips where we see the movie makers produce their work.
In this book, we have John Piper, himself a servant of sovereign joy reviewing the lives of other outstanding servants of joy and as he rejoices and his joy bleeds out from the pages, we also rejoice. And he also shows us what goes on behind the scenes. We see their flaws, struggles and pain. They have every reason to reject God, except for one, they know him and love him.
So that's all for this episode. Give me two weeks to finish the book and put my thoughts in order. In the next episode we will see how Piper deeply admires and firmly disagrees with C.S. Lewis. Something for us to learn there. Looking ahead, Piper has saved the best for last because the final book lists Jonathan Edwards, Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Bill Piper (his father). I can't wait to get there.
This is a Reading and Readers review, Part I, of "27 Servants of Sovereign Joy: Faithful, Flawed and Fruitful" by John Piper. A whopping 1024 pages, published by Crossway in September 2022. Available for USD34.99 in Amazon Kindle, USD35.99 in Logos and free in Desiring God. You can check out all the links in the show notes of this podcast or you can go to the website at www.readingandreaders.com. That's www.readingandreaders.com.
Thank you and I'll see you for the next episode. Book List* 27 Servants of Sovereign Joy: Faithful, Flawed and Fruitful" by John Piper. Amazon. Logos. Desiring God.

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"Do you want to be possessed by a Spirit that is like Jesus -— a Spirit that is pure, gentle, sane, wise and loving?" That's a quote from A.W. Tozer. And if you want to take him up on his offer, keep listening.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "The Counselor: Straight Talk about the Holy Spirit" by A.W. Tozer. 192 pages, published by Moody Publishers in May 2015. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD7.99 or you can get it for USD1.99 in Faithlife.
Every month Faithlife gives away a free book, and for November the free book is "Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy" by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. Along with a free book, they give a list of generously discounted books. And in that list, for this month, we have "The Counselor" by A.W. Tozer for USD1.99. And I thought it would be nice to review Tozer, one of the most quoted authors in the Christian world. He is so quotable, I have two books, "The Quotable Tozer I" and it's sequel "The Quotable Tozer II".
Aiden Wilson Tozer was born in 1897 and died in 1963. He did not graduate from any seminary, university, not even a high school. He only had a sixth grade education. He was self-taught and he read widely. Tozer served as a pastor for more than 40 years. He published 12 books while alive. Another 40 books, minimum, were published after he died.
Today's book, "The Counselor: Straight Talk About The Holy Spirit" is one of them. He has books on holy living, discipleship, worship and many others but in all those books, he is a straight talker.
I hope you have a band aid ready because Tozer's words might just cut you to the heart.
So let's open the book. StructureThe book has ten chapters. I'll read the titles for the first five chapters, so that you get a sense of what the book is about and it's tone.* Chapter 1: "Whenever Jesus Christ is Glorified, the Holy Spirit comes" * Chapter 2: "The Holy Spirit is Not Known through the Intellect" * Chapter 3: "The Presence and Ministry of the Holy Spirit: All That Jesus Would Be" * Chapter 4: "Pentecost: Perpetuation, Not Repetition" * Chapter 5: "The Promised Filling of the Holy Spirit: Instantly, Not Gradually"

Through these ten chapters, Tozer tells reader who is the Holy Spirit, our need for him and how we can be filled by him. He does this by unpacking Scripture, rebuking wrong ideas -- he is not afraid of calling them out -- and he does all this with fiery passion, like an Old Testament prophet.
The book doesn't have a preface or introduction, but from what I understand after Tozer's death, publishers have collected from Tozer's sermons and writings and published them in book form. This explains why the chapters in this book are self-contained. They don't deliberately move the argument from one chapter to the next.
I commend the editors though. First for the organisation. The first chapter is a good chapter to begin a book on the Holy Spirit and the rest flows quite well, considering Tozer did not preach a series.
Secondly, the editors did a good job of selecting a broad range of materials. Tozer's words are rapier-sharp, they are like weapons of war, wielded by many Christians from all denominations. Even from opposite sides of the topic. By reading this book, you will get a clearer sense of what Tozer meant by those quotes. Those favourites quotes of yours might not mean what you think they mean. Straight Talk It IsWhen we study the words of a biblical prophet, like Ezekiel, Amos or Jonah, it is necessary to study the time and place so that we know why they said what they said. Why such strong words? Why the intensity?
Similarly, when we read Tozer on the Holy Spirit, it helps to remember that Tozer lived in the early 20th century. It was at this time that the Pentecostal or Charismatic Movement kicked off. Every church was forced to consider (or reconsider) what they believed of the Holy Spirit. In those turbulent times, Tozer offered sorely needed guidance.
He was unquestionably zealous for the Holy Spirit. Every Christian must have the Holy Spirit. Tozer rebuked the churches at large, "You don't even know that the Holy Spirit is absent!" A fiery prophet calling God's people back to God.
He called out the craziness, and instructed Christians to not let the craziness impede their pursuit of God. Let me read a long quote here:

This is a crude illustration, but let me tell you what we did after planting a field of corn when I was a young fellow in Pennsylvania. To save the field of corn from the crows, we would shoot an old crow and hang him by his heels in the middle of the field. This was supposed to scare off all of the crows for miles around. The crows would hold a conference and say, “Look, there is a field of corn but don’t go near it. I saw a dead crow over there!” That’s the kind of conference that Satan calls, and that is exactly what he has done. He has taken some fanatical, weird, wild-eyed Christians who do things that they shouldn’t, and he has stationed them in the middle of God’s cornfield, and warns, “Now, don’t you go near that doctrine about the Holy Spirit because if you do, you will act just like these wild-eyed fanatics.” Because there has been a lot of this weird stuff, God’s children are frightened, and as soon as you start to talk about it, they run for cover. They say, “Oh, no, none of that for me! I have seen dead crows out there in the middle of the field.” Well, my brother, I will not be frightened out of my rightful heritage. I will not be scared out of my birthright because some others didn’t know what to do with the birthright or have found something else that has nothing to do with the birthright. I want all that God has for me!

Even if you did not live in those confusing and fearful times -- those events were a long time ago -- if you have been a Christian for any length of time, you know battles were fought. Questions on the Holy Spirit still come up, as they should with every new generation of believers, but thankfully we have sort of settled many of those questions today. Where ever you fall on the question, churches have main settled on their beliefs. Many were helped by Tozer and his writings.
When it comes to Tozer, the danger is people read a few pointed quotes and believe they know everything they need to know about Tozer. They pick his teachings up like a loaded pistol, not realising that they are holding the wrong side of the gun. Intellect, Creed or NotConsider, for example, the second chapter titled "The Holy Spirit Is Not Known through the intellect".
In the second paragraph of the chapter, Tozer says:

It is quite plain in the scriptural revelation that spiritual things are hidden by a veil, and by nature a human does not have the ability to comprehend and get hold of them. He comes up against a blank wall. He takes doctrine and texts and proofs and creeds and theology, and lays them up like a wall—but he cannot find the gate! He stands in the darkness and all about him is intellectual knowledge of God—but not the true knowledge of God, for there is a difference between the intellectual knowledge of God and the Spirit-revealed knowledge.

Someone hears this and says, "Yeah man! Preach it brother. What a hilarious image. Lay up the creeds and theology and the guy can't find the gate. They are so blind!"
On the need for spiritual illumination, Tozer writes:

... Bible study does not, of itself, lift the veil or penetrate it. The Word does not say, 'No one knows the things of God except the man who studies his Bible.' It does say that no man knows the things of God except by the Holy Spirit."

"Exactly. We are wasting time with Bible study!" They clap their hands vigorously, celebrating the comeuppance of those Bible study nerds with their highlighters, then we can imagine Tozer turning around to say, "Why are you clapping? I don't agree with you!"
If you only read a quote, you might not know that Tozer also says in that same chapter:

We ought to read everything we can read about Him [Jesus], for reading about Him is legitimate and good -- a part of Christianity.

And if you think Tozer ditches the creeds, you are in for a surprise.
To explain who is the Holy Spirit, Tozer quotes the Athanasian Creed. After he quotes it at length, Tozer concludes:

These old saints of God were learned scholars who knew the truth, and they came there and wrote these things and gave it to us for the world and for the ages. On my knees I thank God for them!

When someone says, "Tozer says we need more Holy Spirit, not more Bible studies!" And another says, "No! Tozer says we need more Bible study, how else will we know who is the Holy Spirit."
They might just be reading their favourite Instagram or Twitter quotes. If you read this book, you can come in like a boss and settle the argument. Quote Tozer right back at them:

He [The Holy Spirit] is Light to the inner heart, and He will show us more of God in a moment than we can learn in a lifetime without Him. When He does come, all that we have learned and all that we do learn will have its proper place in our total personality and total creed and total thinking. We won’t lose anything by what we have learned. He won’t throw out what we have learned if it is truth -- He will set it on fire, that’s all. He will add fire to the altar.

Tozer doesn't dismiss Bible study, he dismisses the notion that you can read and understand the Bible without the Holy Spirit. Instant, Not GradualOverall, I find this book helpful and I find myself applauding his straight talk. Oh! He cuts to the heart!
However, I advise discernment because there are parts where his rhetoric exceeds what he can prove.
I give you one example. In the whole book, I have minor points of disagreements with him here and there but this issue, the one I'm going to talk about, is not peripheral to Tozer. He dedicates a whole chapter to it. This is a contentious one, it affects how we look at the Holy Spirit in our lives. And he doesn't mince words. He believes that anyone who takes a different position to him is on the side of carnality.
The chapter is Chapter 5: "The Promised Filling of the Holy Spirit: Instantly, Not Gradually".
Early in the chapter we read:

... none of the persons in the Bible and none that I can find in Church history or biography was ever filled with the Holy Spirit who didn’t know when he was filled. I cannot find that anyone was ever filled gradually.

And he continues:

Now, as I said, Satan opposes the doctrine of the Spirit-filled life about as bitterly as any doctrine there is. He has confused it, opposed it, surrounded it with false notions and fears. The devil knows that if we will just say that we want to be filled gradually, he will have no more worries from us—because that process is so slow. You might encourage yourself: “Well, I am a little fuller today than I was yesterday,” or at least, “I am a little fuller this year than I was last year.” This is a place for carnal creatures to hide. It is a place for carnal church members to hide. In the Scriptures, it was never a gradual filling. It says that He fell upon them, He came upon them, He filled them -- it was an instantaneous act.

When I read something I disagree with, I highlight it in red. This was bright red. So I looked forward to see how Tozer would substantiate his claims.
The next big question he answers is, "Are you sure you can be filled?"
Next, "Do you really want to be filled?"
Next, "Do you really need to be filled?" Then, the rest of the chapter is answering the question, "How do I be filled?"
Those questions don't address the topic: Gradual vs. Instant filling of the Holy Spirit. "Can you? Do you want to? Do you need to?"
"Yes. Yes. Yes."
Tozer does share his experience.

It is probably quite generally true that any Christian who has not been filled with the Spirit since his conversion does not have genuine Christian joy. I know this was my experience. I had a lot of joyful feeling when I was first converted. I was a happy Christian. But if this is the kind of happiness that is half carnality and animal spirits, God will want to deliver you from it.

Brother, sister. Have you experienced genuine Christian joy? Because that is the experience of the Spirit-filled Christian. You might be happy before you were Spirit-filled, but whatever happiness you had before pales in comparison with what comes after.
Tozer later write:

Not everyone who listens to me is going to be filled with the Spirit. Some are going to be filled, for every once in awhile someone comes with a shining face and says, “Well, it happened! God has done it!” From that time on, that life is transformed. Spirit-filled Christians are changed people.

Maybe I'm one of those Christians who are not Spirit-filled. Tozer will not deny that I am a Christian. He would just deny that I am Spirit-filled because a person who is Spirit-filled knows it.
Let me briefly respond to his claim.
Tozer says that, "Nobody in the Bible has a gradual filling of the Holy Spirit. Everyone's experience was instant."
We tend to report the spectacular, the dramatic. The New Testament doesn't have a longitudinal study. It doesn't track the people from spiritual birth to physical death, reporting on their spiritual state and breakthroughs.
But Paul did write in Romans 7, my paraphrase: "I do what I should not do, I don't do what I should do." I believe Paul is writing as a Christian, as a Spirit-filled Christian.
Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice." (Philippians 4:4)
Peter writes, "... you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory..." (1 Peter 1:8)
When the apostles speak of joy, they point believers to the gospel and not on a singular, one-off, spiritual experience.
In the Parable of the Sower, does Jesus say of the seed that fell in good soil, "As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience." (Luke 8:15)
Can we bear fruit without the Holy Spirit? We are to bear fruit with patience.
Jesus commands us to take up our cross daily. Can we take up our cross without the Holy Spirit? We are to take up our cross daily.
Bearing fruit and taking up our cross is a command and experience of all Christians whether they experienced an instant filling of the Holy Spirit or, as I argue, a gradual filling.
The problem with Tozer's claim is that it can be true for some. Tozer and many others can truthfully, claim that they experienced such an amazing filling of the Holy Spirit that transformed them forever more. But just because Paul was struck blind on the way to Damascus doesn't mean that you and I should be struck blind on our way to the mall. Just because Tozer had his experience doesn't mean we all have to.
If you read this chapter, you will see that Tozer's emphasises an instant filling of the Holy Spirit because he sees believers are complacent. They say, "It's okay to sin because I am gradually growing in holiness." This should not be! Christians, by the very definition of the word, must make a full and immediate commitment to Christ. There should be no lingering with sin. Or acceptance of it as simply a part of life.
However, Tozer's good intentions here, intentions that are wholesome and righteous, has pushed him to an unsustainable position.
Thus, in Chapter 5, Tozer does not make a strong case for an instant filling of the Holy Spirit. He makes a strong case for a full and immediate commitment to Christ. That I welcome. ConclusionIn your Christian journey, you will meet Tozer. You might welcome him, you might push back against him, but before you do either, you should read a bit more broadly on him. Go beyond the quick quotes.
I hope from this review, you hear how sharp his words can be. Sometimes sharp words are needed for correction and healing. But sometimes, they can inflict unintentional wounds. Which is why I spend so much time on that one chapter, I don't want you to miss out on Tozer, but because Tozer is such a forceful writer, if you are not careful you might be carried away by his candour and passion.
He cuts. And when you are bleeding from a heart wound, sometimes the head gets a bit woozy and can't think straight.
Tozer's teachings on the Holy Spirit were very much needed in his time. And I believe the peace the church enjoys today regarding the Holy Spirit is partly due to his teachings then. If I can make an over-exaggeration, when it comes to Tozer's influence, the churches took the parts they liked, claim Tozer as a friend, and no longer neglected the Holy Spirit. So they accepted Tozer's cutting criticism and have learnt to passionately teach about the Holy Spirit and to embrace him as the Third Person of the Trinity.
Let me close this review with a Tozer quote:

The only Christian you want to listen to is the one who gives you more of a hunger for God.

And the reason why Tozer is so widely read today is because he gives us more of a hunger for God.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "The Counselor: Straight Talk about the Holy Spirit" from A.W. Tozer. 192 pages, published by Moody Publishers in May 2015. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD7.99 or you can get it for USD1.99 in Faithlife for the month of November.
I hope you have enjoyed this podcast, but more than that, I hope that by listening to the Christian book reviews, you have more of a hunger for God. One book can change the trajectory of a man or woman, boy or girl, Christian or non-Christian.
If any of my reviews have helped you or led you to a book that has made an impact (hopefully for good!), please let me know. As you know, encouragements can go a long way. You can email me at terence@readingandreaders.com. You can find me on Twitter if you search for readingandreaders. Or you can contact me via the website at, you guess it, www.readingandreaders.com.
Happy reading. Thanks for listening. Book List* "The Counselor: Straight Talk about the Holy Spirit" by A.W. Tozer. Amazon. Faithlife.

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What is the best way to do missions? That is possibly the wrong question to ask. The right question could be, "What are the ethical means and goals of missions?" Or "How does missions produce virtuous Christians?"
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Missions" by Michael Niebauer. 320 pages, published by Lexham Academic in July 2022. This book is part of the Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology series. It's USD19.99 in Amazon Kindle and USD26.99 in Logos.
I got this book for free to review. Lexham the publisher has no input in this review. Author and EthicsMichael Niebauer is a pastor of Incarnation Church, Pennyslvania, a teaching fellow at Trinity School for Ministry and a podcaster for the Christian catechesis podcast, "This We Believe". He was a church planter for 15 years in North America. He has a PhD in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University and specialises in Christian Ethics and Missiology.
You may wonder: "Christian Ethics? That's about abortion, or capital punishment, or the future of A.I. in war, isn't it? How is it used in missions? Oh! Is it used when missionaries do bad things like taking away children from their families? Or when people kill twin or albinos because they believe the babies are demonic or kill widows because they believe wives should follow their husbands into the afterlife?"
That is a narrow and limited view of what ethics is. And nothing to do with this book. Niebauer quotes Herbert McCabe's definition for ethics which is, "the quest of less and less trivial modes of human relatedness." Don't you want a less trivial life? Of course you do, that's why you are listening to this podcast.
Let's open the book. The Critical and the Constructive TaskApart from the Introduction and Conclusion, the book has seven chapters divided into two parts. Part I is titled, "The Critical Task: Three Models, Three Problems". * Chapter 1: Mission and the Missio Dei * Chapter 2: Mission as Growth * Chapter 3: Mission as Dialogue

Part II is titled, "The Constructive Task: Mission, Virtue and The Practices of Proclamation and Gathering". The chapters are:* Chapter 4: Mission as Virtuous Practice * Chapter 5: Proclamation * Chapter 6: Gathering * Chapter 7: Entering into the Craft of Mission: Tragedy, Tradition and Telos

Three Attractive Yet Flawed ModelsI'll briefly, very briefly, explain what are the three models.
In the first model, Mission and the Missio Dei, the idea is mission is God's activity. God the Father sent Jesus the Son, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity sent the church into the world. So the church's mission is inseparable from God's mission. The problem is when the church's mission is indistinguishable from God's mission. Where does the work of God begin and end? Where does the work of Man begin and end? By conflating the two, we cannot meaningfully speak of Man's role in mission. We have here a problem of distinction.
In the second model, Mission as Growth, the idea is the success of mission is measured by numerical growth and the activity of mission is to achieve that numerical growth.
Niebauer write:

For the mission as growth paradigm, the controlling image is the advancement of God’s kingdom through the increase of the number of Christians to the ends of the earth. This exerts a control over the types of Scriptures used (parable of the sower, Peter’s speech in Acts 2) and also how such missiological texts are construed. Here, because the goal of mission is the increase of converts and churches, and such goals are advanced through an understanding of the mechanics of human nature, biblical texts related to mission are construed as missional contrivances—they provide replicable models for how to produce effective mission.

You might not see a problem here. "Problem, what problem? The Great Commission means we need to go save all the souls out there. And if we are not thinking this way, the problem is not here the problem is you."
Let me put it this way.
When a mission effort fails, how do you respond? If you are thinking: "What went wrong? What went right? How can we improve? What can we do next?", then whether you realise it or not, you are pinning your hopes to the yet-to-be-discovered method. If only you could discover it, or tweak what you have, then you would win those souls. You just need to push the right buttons, pull the right levers, and all these souls will come tumbling out of Hell into Heaven. Niebauer points out that the mission as growth model diminishes agency, the ability to make a choice, of both the missionary and the people he is reaching out to. The problem here is agency.
Finally, in the third model, Mission as Dialogue, the idea is missionaries of the past did terrible wrongs: colonisation, Westernisation, forced coercion. That's not what the Bible teaches. According to this model, rather than trying to convert unbelievers into Christianity, Christians should be having respectful dialogues with unbelievers. The purpose is to self-convert, to be a better person at the end of the day.
How can this model be Christian? Where is the Great Commission? How can its criticism of persuasion stand in light of Peter's sermon to convert thousands, Stephen's defiant speech or Paul's testimony before kings. King Agrippa recognised Paul's attempt to convert him. He asked, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" Paul did not reply, "I am just having a dialogue." Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am -- except for these chains."
Since persuading unbelievers to convert is obviously part of missions, why did Michael Niebauer include this model? At first, I thought he needed a foil to contrast with his definition of mission, which includes proclamation. I just cannot see Christians accepting the mission as dialogue model.
Which got me thinking. Instead of trying to locate ourselves in one of these models, it may be better to see how these models have influenced how I think of missions.
Because Mission as Dialogue seems to be what most Christians are doing. Many think it is better to dialogue than to proclaim. Better to delay proclamation indefinitely.
So we profess the Great Commission and are righteously indignant when it is set aside but we set it aside in practice. So just because we don't recognise the name of the model, we don't know the people who invent it, teach it or promote it and we would never identify ourselves with the model, it doesn't mean the model is not in us.
For instance, everyone agrees that everyone is created equal but many don't know that this from the Bible, Man are created in God's image. People who would never describe themselves as Christian nevertheless take that Christian concept and have made it their own.
So if you do read this book, it is not helpful if you think tribally. You will not see yourself in any of these models. And reject them. And thus, not hear what Niebauer has to say.
Perhaps you can think of it this way. We can describe models of government in Ancient Rome, or Israel, or the Byzantium Empire. It should not be difficult for us to admit that our system of government may be influenced by those models. And we can critique those models.
And that's what Niebauer helpfully does. He uses theological ethics to criticise models that may simultaneously influenced at varying degrees our understanding of missions.Begin With Aquinas
So that's Part I: The Critical Task. Now we move to Part II: The Constructive Task.
Niebauer writes:

In highlighting the ways in which the problems of distinction, agency, and persuasion perpetually recur throughout these various models of mission, I am suggesting that the potential solutions to these issues lay outside of dogmatic and anthropological approaches to mission, and that the field of missiology lacks the resources to adequately solve them. While the discipline of theological ethics has provided the primary critical tools for identifying the perpetual problems of mission, it also provides the resources for solutions.

The answer, and main takeaway from this book, is this: Mission is a virtuous practice. Mission is a virtuous practice. It sounds axiomatic, "Of course! Mission is virtuous! What can be a more virtuous practice than missions!"
Stop. Stop. We can't just assume things. We need to unpack what mission is a virtuous practice means and then what are the implications. Niebauer does that in four chapters. Along the way, he addresses the problems in the three models.
Just taking one example (because we don't have a lot of time to do the rest), in the Missio Dei model, we had the problem of distinction because we conflate, we merge, the mission of God and the mission of the church. In missions, where does God start and end? Where do I start and end?
Niebauer shows us how Thomas Aquinas, that really smart guy from 800 years ago, how he would resolve that tension. Aquinas saw the relationship between God and creation as asymmetrical. That is the key.
Niebauer writes:

God is not in space or time and, as such, can act in created things without displacing created things. God’s agency is thus not competitive with human agency: “Because of God’s infinity, the two agencies are not competitive, as if God acts 75 percent and the creature 25 percent.” The activity of God is differentiated from the activity of human beings: God is able to send himself in ways that human beings cannot. God’s agency functions in a way that human agency cannot. God can go to where he already exists; humans go to where they do not exist. God can act without displacement; human beings act through displacement.

As I reflect on this answer, I thought about breathing. We breathe. We say God sustains life. Without God, there would be no air, no oxygen. But when we say God sustains life, we mean more than God providing the air we breathe. We believe that without God, we cannot breathe. Not that God and I are taking turns to work my lungs like a ventilator but in a way that I don't yet understand, God's work is differentiated from my work, so that I can say I breathe yet it is God who makes me breathe.
Even though I don't understand the mystery of how God and I come together for me to breath, my ignorance doesn't stop me from breathing. In a similar way, I don't understand the mystery of how God and I come together for missions, but my ignorance doesn't stop me from doing missions. With that I echo what Niebauer says here:

God exercises divine agency in a way that is different from and only analogous to human agency. For Aquinas, God exists in all things: “God exists within all things and intimately so.”

And that's not all Aquinas has to say.
Niebauer writes:

A key assertion by Aquinas is that the ultimate goal, or telos, of the human being is the vision of God. God is the greatest good, and since the good is that which is desirable and the terminus of desire, God is what human beings are created to desire, as well as where their desires terminate: “Final and perfect happiness (in Latin beatitudo) can consist in nothing else than the vision of the Divine Essence.” Aquinas here quotes St. John: “When He shall appear, we shall be like to Him; and we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2)

I am shortcutting the discussion to reach the conclusion, if you want to see how the argument unfolds, you have to read the book. So from 1 John 3:2, we get our goal which is to see God, to know Him, to glorify him. In this life, we are moving towards that goal and so what we do today, what we do now, matters because we are moving towards that goal.
Niebauer writes:

All activity that is deliberate bears a moral character, providing the opportunity for human beings to act according to their good and move toward their final end.

This is a big claim. Read the book to see how he substantiates it. We will assume it's true, that all deliberate activities bear a moral character. This thus leads us to Niebauer's next step to show that mission is a virtuous practice. Stir In Some McIntyreAnd that next step is the definition of a virtuous practice. Alasdair McIntyre defines it as:

Any coherent and complex form of socially established cooperative human activity through which goods internal to that form of activity are realized in the course of trying to achieve those standards of excellence which are appropriate to, and partially definite of, that form of activity.

Sounds like gobbledygook. Niebauer breaks down each part of that definition, but I'll only pick out one because it's the most striking.
A virtuous practice is an activity through which goods internal are realized. Not external. Money is external. When people commend you for your good deeds. That commendation is external. When many people come to church, get baptised and be faithful Christians, as good as that good is, it is external.
What is an internal good? Niebauer gives examples of temperance, prudence and faith. And so a virtuous practice is one in which goods internal are produced.
Do you see how that unanimously agreeable description of mission as a virtuous practice is not so agreeable now? It clashes with the mission as growth model?
There are still missing pieces, and so we come to the next point. Proclamation and GatheringNiebauer adapts Kevin Rowe's analysis of the Book of Acts to conclude:

mission is proclamation with the hope of confession of Jesus as Lord, and mission is the gathering of those who confess into Christian community.

He says:

My assertion is that proclamation and gathering are the two essential missional practices because the removal of either renders mission (particularly as it is portrayed in Acts) incoherent.

And that's it. We put everything together. This is Niebauer's thesis: Mission consists of proclamation and gathering, activities that produce virtue in the missionary that orients him toward the goal of his life, God.
And this definition makes an impact. It's not just another entry into a dictionary. It guides us on how to think of missions. He unpacks them in one chapter on proclamation and one chapter on gathering.
Even the most anti-intellectual would appreciate what Niebauer does here.
Proclamation start with prayer. Can I get an amen to that? Then preparation, communication, the response and finally a return to prayer. Niebauer takes everything we have talked about, the models, the problems, Christian ethics, and shows us how proclamation should be best understood as a virtuous practice.
And if my review so far gives you the impression that this book is very dry, listen to this:

And so the missionary actively delights in what God has done through the act of proclaiming the gospel. They delight in the opportunity to speak about the resurrection, they delight in convincing others of its validity to the best of their ability, they delight in the responses to the affirmative, and they even delight in their fidelity to the gospel in the face of its rejection.
To participate in God’s mission is to participate in the fullness of God. Delighting in the act of proclamation sediments God’s goodness in the soul of the missionary, and because God’s goodness is an infinite and inexhaustible plenitude, it spurs the missionary on to further proclamatory actions.

Do you hear in that joy, delight, doxology, the echoes of everything we have been talking about?
And that theology climaxing with doxology can also be seen in the next chapter on gathering. Niebauer writes:

The joy is not in seeing simply a community established, but a community that is in communion with God and each other, a community that is growing in their love and knowledge of God through Jesus Christ, and a community that has been given every spiritual gift needed to thrive.

The Robust ModelAnd that brings me to my next observation. To me, a model is robust when you can take that model, put it under conditions it was not designed for, burn it, freeze it, throw it into space, and if that model survives, it is robust.
Niebauer convinced me on the power of this virtuous model because it is robust enough to answer questions that other models can't. How should the missionary learn his craft? Are there professional and amateur missionaries? How does a missionary handle being simultaneously a citizen, a son or daughter, a parent and a pastor?
Can you hear the tension in that last question? Well, if you reflect on the virtuous model, you can actually come up with an answer yourself, the models gives you the tools to answer it. And I suspect your answer will not be too far off from Niebauer's here.
Among all the implications of this virtuous model that Niebauer has written here, the one that jumped out to me was this. I quote:

... my conception of mission and virtue calls for a recovery of a now faded literary genre, that of the missionary biography.

When I read this, I was so happy. I imagined for myself, "What would the other models say about missionary biographies?"
The Missio Dei missionary would say, "These stories show God's sovereignty and purposes coming to pass. They are a call to worship God. Stop looking at the missionary, he didn't do much."
The growth missionary looks at these books and say, "These guys, were great guys, but they did what they did a 100, 200, 500 years ago. The world, people, technology, culture, has changed so much since then, that there is little we can learn from them. Stick to the mission guys."
The dialogue missionary is aghast at these books. He will either hide them or apologise for them.
The virtuous missionary he looks at these stories. "Oh! How they honoured God!"
John Allen Chau died alone on a beach because he wanted to share the gospel to the Sentinelese in India. Jim Elliot was speared to death by the Huaroni tribe in Ecuador. He wrote these haunting lines, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
Their lives, their stories, can only resonate, call us forward, because Christians share the same goal, and we should recognise and applaud that virtue that is in their lives.
Virtues that all the other models are blind to. In the Hands of EveryoneIf you are a missionary or a serious student of missions, you must read this book. And if you are reluctant because you like what you are doing in missions and you don't want Niebauer giving you grief, don't think that way. These are all models, they are not tribes. Nobody is asking you to change citizenship, and I honestly think mission is important enough that does who can, should reflect on the theology of missions.
But other than missionaries, this book is also for you. Let me ask you: "Are you a virtuous person? Do you see what you are doing now, right now, whether you are driving, drinking coffee or getting ready for bed, do you see your actions as moral actions?"
These are alien questions. And here I recall that Socrates quote, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
That's a bit much but the point stands. And here is the beautiful part. The offer in this book is saying, you should live a virtuous life. You can live a virtuous life.
This book applies Christian ethics into missions but as I read it, you and I can, with some effort, apply this robust virtuous model into our non-missionary work. My recording this podcast episode for a book review, is a virtuous practice. And that is an eye-opening, soul-enriching realisation of Colossians 3:17: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus..."
Let me end this book review with this quote.
D. Stephen Long, Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics, Southern Methodist University wrote an endorsement for this book, it goes like this:

Virtuous Persuasion is the most important work on moral theology and missions that currently exists. It should be in the hands of everyone, scholar, clergy or lay, involved in missions.

That is an outstanding endorsement, one I heartily echo.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Missions" by Michael Niebauer. 320 pages, published by Lexham Academic in July 2022. This book is part of the Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology series. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD19.99 Kindle and USD26.99 in Logos.
I got this book for free to review. The publisher has no input in this review. OutroAnnouncement. The free books for Logos and Faithlife are out. We have two commentaries from Logos, the Preacher's Commentary on Luke and Jon Courson's Application Commentary on the New Testament. That commentary is 1824 pages and I won't be reviewing that.
Instead I will be reviewing a discounted book from Faithlife. The Counselor: Straight Talk About The Holy Spirit by A. W. Tozer.
So if you like Tozer or have never heard of Tozer, be ready to listen to my review of his book in the next episode of Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Bye bye! Book List* "Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission" by Michael Niebauer. Amazon. Logos.

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Proverbs 1:5-6 reads: "Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles."
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Proverbs: Wisdom That Works" by Ray Ortlund. This volume is part of the Preaching the Word commentary series edited by R. Kent Hughes. 224 pages, published by Crossway in March 2012. It is available for USD24.99 via Amazon Kindle or free from Logos in October.
The author is Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. He is in his 70s, having spent most of his life as a pastor and served for a season as professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has written several books, most recently "The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility" which I reviewed and recommended in Episode 25.
Writing must be in the Ortlund gene. His father and his sons wrote many books. I have Dane Ortlund's "Gentle and Lowly" in my Kindle. I have read Gavin Ortlund's "Finding the Right Hills to Die On", which you can listen to my review in Episode 34. I haven't counted but I think it's possible to find a hundred books written from the Ortlund household.
More noteworthy and praiseworthy than the amount of ink they have spilled is their faith. Ray Ortlund, who is in his 70s, is still going strong in the faith, he is a pastor to pastors. His parents finished well. And his children are going strong as well.
If only we could tap on what has worked so well in the Ortlund household. What wisdom can Ray Ortlund share with us? And as we will see, Ortlund would say, any wisdom he has is not his but God's and it is available to all, if only we would seek it.
So let us seek it. Let us open today's book "Proverbs: Wisdom That Works" by Ray Ortlund. StructureProverbs the book in the Bible is a difficult book to outline. Compared to Genesis, a child could pick out the stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as self-contained stories. Or compared to Romans, an attentive reader could outline Romans as a series of logical arguments. But Proverbs? The short sayings seem random. They are not grouped into any discernible topic.
Ortlund guides us. First he shows us that chapter 1 is where we read God's purpose for this book. Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
He explains that chapters 1-9 is:

a series of poems selling wisdom to us, motivating us to get into the book and receive its teaching with an eager heart.

Then you turn the page to Proverbs 10:1 and read, "The proverbs of Solomon" and this kickstarts the collection of proverbs from Solomon, Agur, King Lemuel and other unnamed wisemen which culminates in Proverbs 31, the wisdom of a godly woman.
In writing a commentary on Proverbs, there are two approaches. Ortlund could comment chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Or he could group the proverbs into key themes. And in his wisdom, Ortlund chose to do both.
Ortlund's commentary has 21 chapters. The first 14 chapters is a slow and steady exposition of the first 9 chapters of Proverbs. He dedicates three chapters on Proverbs 1. That's laying down the foundation. And later three chapters on Proverbs 3, an integral part of the book.
You may wonder why Ortlund takes so much time to unpack what seems obvious: "Of course, wisdom is important!" But just look around you. Do you see more fools or wise sages? Is the world suffering from an oversupply of wisdom? Wisdom calls out but no one heeds her.
After we understand what is wisdom, only then does Ortlund give us samples of what wisdom offers. He does this with 7 topics in 7 chapters:* Chapter 15: The Tongue (18:21) * Chapter 16: Humility (22:4) * Chapter 17: Family (22:6) * Chapter 18: Emotions (15:30) * Chapter 19: Friendship (18:24) * Chapter 20: Money (10:22) * Chapter 21: Life and Death (12:28)

The book then ends with a scripture index, general index and index of sermon illustrations. Long Term Review, Ten Years LaterI have told you that this book is available for free from Logos in October but I have not told you that I have, in my hand right now, a physical, hardcover of this book.
I bought this book ten years ago, when it first came out. So this is my second time finishing this book. This is a rare opportunity for me to do a long term review of a book. Ten years later, how has this book influenced me?
To be honest, I don't remember much of it. I remember thinking this was a good book and that it made a lot of sense. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement of this book.
Now, after finishing this book for the second time, I have to say, this is a good book and it makes a lot of sense.
You know how it is that you don't appreciate good advice until after you messed up? Wise people tell us, "don't go into debt" and we only see the wisdom of it after we get out of terrible debt. Then you look back and you write a post with the title, "10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 years old".
Well, ten years ago, I was a young Christian. I didn't have as many decisions to make (compared to now), children were still young and 'easily manageable' (diapers are easier than discipline). I hadn't seen the dark underbelly of the church. I shouldn't say that. My church is not a bad one, the people are a blessing. It's just that as a young Christian, I had to grow to understand that Christians are simultaneously saints and sinners.
And I confess I didn't, I don't always handle the interpersonal relationship problems well. Anger is an issue. One which I didn't fully appreciate was a problem in my heart.
So ten years ago, I read Ortlund's chapter on emotions, specifically on anger. Let me read it for you:

Conquering a city is child’s play compared with ruling the turbulent, demanding, upset world inside us. The one is only the battle of a day. The other is the conflict of a lifetime.

In those days, I read that and I nodded my head. Yup. Sure. I agree 100%. Now I read the same passage and I recognise this. I know this!
It's like how war veterans see war movies differently from the rest of us. They can tell what is real and what is Hollywood.
In a somewhat similar way, after I have lived life a little more -- only ten years -- I recognise folly and wisdom, not the theoretical but the hard realities of it. I have grown to know people who have wrecked their lives with alcohol, adultery, drugs, very poor life decisions which if I had only one word to describe what they all had in common, it would be folly. Foolishness. A lack of wisdom.
And may the Good Lord protect me from the folly of my ways!
So in terms of a long term review of this book, what is amazing is how little I cared for what is here at that time. I liked the book. I agreed with the book. But it did not resonate as much then as it does now. Learn and liveAside from the long term review, another way to look at this book is it's the only self-help, self-improvement book you ever need.
Consider the seven topics Ortlund has: the tongue, humility, family, emotions, friendship, money, life and death.
Psychologists, counsellors, publishers, gurus, social media influencers, family therapists, sex therapists, life coaches, the list goes on. Their existence and proliferation just demonstrates how utterly useless we are in handling the tongue, humility, family, emotions, friendship, money, life and death.
If you want to make friends, do you read "How to Make Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie or "Proverbs: Wisdom That Works" by Ray Ortlund? Don't get me wrong. Dale Carnegie's book is helpful. But does it offer the wisdom of the world or the wisdom divine?
This is why the first 14 chapters of Ortlund's commentary is so important. What is wisdom? You have a long line of people knocking on your door offering wisdom. But what is it?
Repeat after me:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Sure you can memorise it, repeat it but do you embrace it? Does that fear of the Lord, that beginning of wisdom grip you? Ortlund writes:

Biblical wisdom is more than what we find in a fortune cookie. It is more than an optional add-on for people who want to upgrade their lives from, say, 4 to 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. This wisdom from Christ is a matter of life and death.

Life and death. That is what is at stake.
Later he writes:

If we have love but not wisdom, we will harm people with the best of intentions. If we have courage but not wisdom, we will blunder boldly. If we have truth but not wisdom, we will make the gospel ugly to other people. If we have technology but not wisdom, we will use the best communications ever invented to broadcast stupidity. If we have revival but not wisdom, we’ll use the power of God to throw the church into reverse gear.

After Ortlund convinces the reader on the source and importance of wisdom, he presents the seven topics. And I'm not saying that these seven chapters are the final word on the topic, by all means, read Dale Carnegie, read whatever the world's experts or fellow Christian writers offer, but read them knowing what is true wisdom. GaladrielFor much more can be written on these topics. Ortlund knows that. That's why he wrote a whole book on pornography, "Death of Porn".
Just a quick aside, I've only read two of Ray Ortlund's book and in both books he uses Galadriel, the elf queen in Lord of the Rings, as an illustration.
In Proverbs, wisdom is personified, wisdom is pictured as a woman. Ortlund casts Galadriel in that role, because as he says, she is, "lovely, dignified, wise". In "Death of Porn", Ortlund invites us to see every woman as Galadriel, so that we would treat every woman as royalty.
Then we have the "Rings of Power", the Amazon series that centres on Galadriel. I wonder what Ortlund thinks of that show. If anybody knows, please tell me. Do You Need A Commentary To Read Proverbs?Coming back to the book, his commentary on Proverbs. Has it occurred to you, "Why would I want to read a commentary on Proverbs? It's so easy to understand."
"Sure, maybe you need a commentary to understand the history or culture behind Genesis. Or a commentary to get to grips with the theology in Romans. But Proverbs? You don't need a commentary for that."
And this is the part where the book shines. You are right. The book of Proverbs is incredibly accessible. It's so practical, so easy to read that one almost makes the mistake of forgetting that it's actually part of the Bible. It's a part of the historical-redemptive story in which Christ is the key.
And it's not so obvious to see how Wisdom, or wisdom applied in the tongue, humility, family, emotions, friendship, money, life and death, can be traced to Jesus Christ. And I think this is where Ortlund's book really shines because every chapter just overflows with Jesus Christ. You don't just learn how to live a godly life, you must want it and you must have Christ who enables you to live that godly life.
Oh, what a contrast this book is to the last one I just reviewed. Even after the episode was published, it's done, I was still second guessing myself. Was I too harsh? The book, "Living in Christ's Presence" by Dallas Willard is in essence his life's work and I dare suggested there was a fatal flaw.
But I was not the only one who saw it. Someone heard him define the gospel and asked, "Why does your definition of the gospel not have forgiveness of sin in it?"
I don't want you to misunderstand, Dallas Willard does not deny forgiveness of sin, he affirms it. He says it's central. It's essential. But, the way he frames it, the church has done a good job explaining the forgiveness of sin but not as good a job at explaining how to live in grace, which is where, to him, the spiritual disciplines come in.
I quote: "The idea is not to grow in being forgiven for your sins. It's to grow in learning how to live by grace..." The book puts a contrast when it should be a basis.
Dallas Willard and his ministry is much beloved and endorsed by many Christians. Am I too insistent with the way he defines the gospel? Does it really matter if the cross of Christ is there but not on the exact spot that I think it should be?
Then I read Ray Ortlund.
In Chapter 14, he asks:

Do you have a taste for sin, vulgarity, and folly? We all do. We all know what it is like to be stuck down there in that abyss of Self where we cannot even choose Christ. What do we do then? How can we choose him as the passion of our lives when we are passionate for lesser things, even wrong things? How can we jump out of a hole that has no bottom? There is only one way. We hear the gospel again.

I don't think we can ever hear enough of the Gospel. Maybe the problem is we don't know how the Gospel works in our lives.
Ortlund explains:

For your sake, Jesus lived a perfect life, he chose wisdom every time, and against intense seduction. Then Jesus died on the cross a death he did not deserve, a sacrificial death for the stupidity of the rest of us. That is what the gospel announces. If you will receive this Jesus by mere faith, he will give you his perfect record as a gift. He wants your conscience to be happy and free again. Why? Because in the strength of being forgiven, you will change.

Did you get that? "In the strength of being forgiven, you will change."
I have read so much from this chapter, I'm just going to go ahead and read the final paragraph.

Knowing that Jesus covers your sin when you deserve to be exposed, but he accepts you and rejoices over you—that stunning new awareness will lift your heart and take you further with him than you have ever dreamed of going. His love creates your wise choice, moment by moment. Look up to him by faith, see his love for you right now, and receive it. Then, whatever might be your next step of obedience, that bold new step that maybe you have been putting off, you will take it. You will be able to choose, and you will choose wisely, to the praise of the glory of his grace.

When you have these two books in front of you, the contrast between the two is stark. I don't know how Raymond Ortlund sees the ministry of Dallas Willard. For all I know, the two of them were best pals, speaking at each other's churches, recommending each other's books. But from where I'm sitting, in Willard the cross of Christ is placed in the background but in Ortlund the cross of Christ is front and centre. ConclusionLet's wrap up.
First, the book was good the first time I read it 10 years ago. And it was even better reading it the second time.
Second, we mess up in so many places. We obviously need wisdom, not the world's wisdom but God's wisdom. And Ortlund shows us where it's at.
Third, Christians who know Proverbs -- They hear Wisdom calling and they come running -- will get from this commentary, a clear line from Lady Wisdom to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a Reading and Readers' review of "Proverbs: Wisdom That Works" by Raymond Ortlund Jr. This volume is part of the Preaching the Word commentary series edited by R. Kent Hughes. 224 pages, published by Crossway in March 2012. It is available for USD24.99 via Amazon Kindle or free from Logos in October.
It's available for free only for this month, you would be a fool to miss this deal! Subscribe to Reading and Readers to hear reviews of free books, good books and often, free and good books. Thank you for listening. Book List* "Proverbs: Wisdom That Works" by Raymond Ortlund Jr. Amazon. Logos. * "Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility" by Raymond Ortlund Jr. Amazon. Logos.

Proverbs: Wisdom That Works (Preaching the Word)

The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility

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This is the situation: You accepted Christ, you affirm everything your church believes but you are not growing spiritually. In fact, what does growing spiritually even mean?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Living in Christ's Presence: Final Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God" by Dallas Willard. 192 pages, published by InterVarsity Press in, according to Amazon, 2017. But this is a mistake because Amazon also describes this book as the: * Logos Bookstores' 2014 Best Book in Spirituality * 2014 Readers' Choice Award Winner * 2014 Leadership Journal Best Books for Church Leaders (The Leader's Inner Life)

The publication year will be important as we will soon see.
The book is available for USD9.41 in Amazon Kindle at the time of this recording but you can get this book for free through Faithlife's Free Book of the Month programme. For the month October, and only October, you can get this book for free. Last Word(s)When I saw the book's title I thought the author was a tad presumptuous. The final word on Heaven and the Kingdom of God? The final word as in nothing else needs to be said? That's a big claim cause Heaven and the Kingdom of God are not straightforward topics. I soon discovered how wrong I was in my premise.
Let me begin by reading the author's biodata, found in the last pages of the book:

Dallas Willard (1935-2013) was a professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. A highly influential author and teacher, Willard was as celebrated for his enduring writings on spiritual formation as he was for his scholarship. His books include The Divine Conspiracy, The Spirit of the Disciplines and Hearing God.

Today's book, "Living in Christ's Presence" is based on a conference titled "Knowing Christ Today". That conference was held on February 21-23, 2013. According to Wikipedia, Dallas Willard died after a short battle with cancer in May 8, 2013. When was the book published? 2014. So the book was published posthumously. That is not the noteworthy part.
When I finished the book, I went back to the title of the book and I was confused. The book made no attempt to be definitive, to make the case on Heaven and the Kingdom of God as to silent all other views. How is this the final word?
Then I re-read the subtitle. It's not "Final Word on Heaven". It's "Final Words on Heaven". The book is not offering the final word on the topic. The book is offering the final words of a man who came to a conference to encourage pastors and believers, knowing that he has cancer and would soon die.
In the Amazon page for this book, John Ortberg writes:

I've known Dallas for about 25 years, and he has impacted me like nobody else has. His writings, his book Spirit of the Disciplines ― outside of the Bible has had the biggest impact on my life. And so the chance to do this conference together was really powerful. Then when he got sick and it was clear that barring a miracle he was not going to be on earth for a real long time, it took on a whole added dimension of substance. We actually thought about, just given his health, should we not do the conference? And Dallas said, "Nope, I want to do it. There are things that need to be said, and this is the chance to say it."

"There are things that need to be said, and this is the chance to say it."
Let's now look at the last words of Dallas Willard on Heaven and the Kingdom of God. Seven Chapters, Seven TalksThe book starts with the preface written by Gary W. Moon, explaining that this book was created from the transcripts of a conference. He writes:

The primary passion for the conference was to provide an overview of Dallas’s writings and ministry—his most impassioned ideas. The conference was built around the theme “Knowing Christ Today” and as a way to present the golden thread that runs through all of his primary writing: that it is possible to know the Trinity intimately and to step into their glorious kingdom.

Thus, the seven chapters correspond to seven talks given in the conference. Dallas Willard is the speaker for chapters 1, 3, 5 and 7. John Ortberg is the speaker for chapters 2, 4 and 6. The chapter titles are:1. How to Live Well 2. Who Are the Experts on Life Transformation? 3. How to Step into the Kingdom and Live There 4. Experiential Knowledge of the Trinity 5. Understanding the Person: Including the Invisible Parts 6. The Importance of Christian Disciplines 7. Blessing

In each chapter, you will first read a prayer prayed at the conference, then the transcribed talk, and lastly a Q&A with Dallas Willard and John Ortberg.
At the end of the book, we have a discussion guide, written by Gary W. Moon. It's not just a list of questions, he goes into details on what you need to prepare, how to organise the sessions and what to cover in each session.
Although the book lists Dallas Willard as the author, John Ortberg and Gary Moon are significant contributors. Let me briefly introduce them.
John Ortberg is the senior pastor for Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. The conference was organised in his church. He is a close friend and mentee of Willard, knowing him as he said for about 25 years.
Gary W. Moon is the founding executive director for the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture and the Dallas Willard Center for Christian Spiritual Formation. The centre provided funding for the "Knowing Christ Today" conference.
Now that we know the structure of the book and the authors, let's get into the content. Grow SpirituallyThere is a good reason why there is a centre bearing Dallas Willard's name. He is a giant in the spiritual formation movement. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster and The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard have helped generations of Christians escape from stunted religiosity.
Even if you have never heard of Willard or his books, there is a good chance that your understanding of Christian spiritual formation can be traced to him.
In the book, Ortberg recounts asking Willard, "How can I help people in my church grow spiritually?" Willard's answer was, "You must arrange your life so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy and confidence in your everyday life with God."
Willard exudes warmth and care. Ortberg here honours Willard, not just for his teaching, but for the cherished friendship between the two.
And that warmth and care extends to the reader and to Christians everywhere. They want to see believers flourish. They see many Christians just waiting for death to come so that they can go to Heaven. "Oh finally! Now I'm in Heaven. I can get to the good part of my faith." Willard says:

Heaven is not someplace way out there, far away; it’s the range of God’s effective will. It can be right here, closer than the air we breathe. That’s good news.

According to Willard, Christians should ask themselves, "What is my gospel? What is my central message?" Is the gospel only "an arrangement made by God through Christ that involved his death on the cross"? Willard asserts:

Isn’t this the gospel: that when others not only hear the content of it but also see how we live it and present it, they say, “I want that. I want to be a disciple of Jesus. I want to be one of his students, learning how to live in the kingdom of God now as he lives in the kingdom of God”?

Willard believes Heaven and the Kingdom of God are present abiding realities that Christians need to know in order to live in Christ's presence. Even though the book title says Christ's presence, Willard rightly emphasises the Trinity. He writes:

The advantage of believing in the Trinity is not that we get an A from God for knowing the right answer. The advantage of believing in the Trinity is that we then live as if the Trinity is real, as if the cosmos around us is actually beyond all else a community of unspeakably magnificent personal beings of boundless love, knowledge and power.

The underlying hope for this book is that readers experience breakthroughs. Here are the problems in the church. This is you struggling to grow to be more Christ-like. Listen to the glorious truth, have a mind in Christ, believe, obey and be.
The conference was designed to bring out Dallas Willard's impassioned ideas. I have not read Willard's other books but just from this book alone, the passion is evident; the passion for the Triune God and spiritual formation for His church. Transitional vs. FoundationalThus, it gives me no pleasure to say what I have to say next. Willard said, "I try never to criticise the church, because I know who is in charge of it." In the same spirit, I say, "I try not to criticise a servant of God, because I know who is his master." Yet, both of us criticise, him the church, me him. Not out of malice, but to build the Kingdom of God.
There are a few concerns but I'll stick to one, the most serious one. It's not easy to see it and for a while I could not put my finger on why I was so uneasy. I have hinted at it. It's regarding Willard's good news and gospel.
Listen to these passages. Do you hear a problem?
Ortberg writes:

This gospel of Jesus, of course, includes the free promise of the forgiveness of sins by grace alone. It includes the promise that death is not going to be the end. It includes all of that. There’s a corporate dimension to it, but it speaks to individuals very, very deeply as well. But it is more than the forgiveness of sins, and it is more than just what will happen to me after I die. A lot of people think the only real reason Jesus came was to die on the cross. That is not the only reason. Jesus came as the kingdom bringer. His gospel was the availability of the kingdom. His purpose was to manifest the kingdom. His one command was to pursue the kingdom: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” His one plan was to extend the kingdom.

Can you see where there might be a problem? If you didn't, someone did. In the conference, Willard was asked:

as you lay out the gospel, the simple gospel of the availability of life in the kingdom of God, it doesn’t include, as you put it, the phrase “forgiveness of sins.” Where does the forgiveness of sins fit in the gospel? Do you make that less central than other formulations of the gospel make it?

Willard answers:

I wouldn’t say it is less central. It is essential, and you will not enter the kingdom of God without the forgiveness of sins. It’s like the story of Abraham, see? He believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. When you put your weight on Jesus and the kingdom, all of that is taken care of. One of the things that made people maddest about Jesus was his talk about how easy it is to forgive sins. Well, if I may say so, and I hope I don’t mislead anyone, to forgive your sins is a load off God’s mind. He is happy to do it.

You can imagine the crowd nodding their heads. Pastors, church leaders, Christians who are deeply invested in helping their flock mature in Christ listening and thinking, "What he said makes sense."
I would say Willard is making the same error that he criticises the church making. In another question, someone asked Willard about doctrine. Willard answers:

So, doctrine properly understood is tremendously important, but if we think about doctrine as a separate, abstract series of statements that people need to affirm to get an A on their theology exam, but they become divorced from how it applies to actual living, it does no good at all.

No pastor worth his salt would think that doctrine should be a separate, abstract series of statements divorced from how it applies to actual living. But it does happen. Willard is correct here. It is a problem. We are to be doers not just mere hearers of the Word. The solution is grace. Listen to what he says:

we often think that it’s sinners that need grace so much, because we have shrink-wrapped grace into the forgiveness of sin, but grace is way more than that. It is the power of life, and the reality is that saints burn more grace than sinners ever could.

He asks, "How do we receive grace?" It's difficult to quote the passage in full, so I will summarise. We receive grace through the spiritual disciplines. There are other means like suffering or other experiences but spiritual discipline is a fundamental way. In them, the spiritual disciplines, we receive grace. Let me quote this sentence:

The idea is not to grow in being forgiven for your sins. It’s to grow in learning how to live by grace, to receive the power of God in your life to do what you can’t do on your own.

Okay, let me pull everything together. The book consistently trickles the idea that there is more to the gospel, more to the good news, more to forgiveness of sin, more to doctrine, more to grace. Come on! The Kingdom of God is available! Live life to the full in Christ!
To Willard, what Jesus has done on the cross is central, it is essential, but it is a pre-condition, pre-requisite, first step to the next, once you have reached the cross, you need the 'more'. As I picture it, to Willard, the cross is like a door. You enter it, you don't stay at the door, you walk forward. The cross is transitional.
In contrast, to me, what Jesus has done on the cross is foundational to all Christian living that comes after. The cross is like the ground I stand on. Without the ground, there is nothing for me to build up.
Do you get it? This is not a small matter. If I'm right, then we must keep bringing up forgiveness of sin and the cross in order to obey what Jesus commanded. If Willard is right, then we should spend less time dealing with doctrines we already know and move on to more mature things like the Kingdom of God.
If I'm right, then the Bible will repeatedly speak of the cross, atonement, the forgiveness of sin and present it as foundational to obedience, holy living and the abundant Christian life.
And here I'm fighting a temptation to preach a sermon. But I'll constrain myself and just say the whole Bible centres on the cross. I'm not saying the cross is the only thing but it is the focal point.
Read the Old Testament, the tabernacle (and later temple), holy priesthood and sacrifices is everywhere. What do they mean, read Hebrews. What does the name Jesus mean in Hebrew? What does John the Baptist say on seeing Jesus? "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!" (John 1:29) Read the Gospels, what does Jesus says of himself? If forgiving sins is easy, then God was dumb to send his Son to die on the cross and Jesus was dumb to do it. He should have lived out his natural life as a good teacher, die of old age, and be resurrected three days later. He didn't, why? Read Isaiah 53, Psalm 22 for a start.
What is the relationship of the cross to spiritual formation? Is the cross foundational or transitional? Read the epistles. Who were the epistles written to? Believers or non-believers? Believers!
How are the epistles structured? The first half is often theological. "We preach Christ crucified." (1 Cor 1:23) The second half then builds on the first. Therefore, walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called (Ephesians 4:1).
Paul teaches the cross of Christ to believers and he doesn't say, "now moving on to the next item" as if what he taught before were separate, abstract series of statements. He says, "therefore". This is the clear pattern in the epistles for anyone who cares to check. Why Do Christians Praise It and Benefit from It?Is my criticism valid? I guess for you to know that for sure, you should read the book for yourself. You can ask, "If there is such a fundamental flaw in Willard's teaching, then why do so many Christians praise it and benefit from it?"
With no data or proper study, this is my answer.
First, Christians praise it because it highlights a problem many Christians do not wish to admit. And Willard is a gifted speaker and writer, kind and caring, these are praiseworthy qualities.
Second, is the premise in the question valid? Did many Christians benefit? It may look beneficial now, but will it last? For the individual and for the churches?
Let's assume some do benefit. I think any Christian who has legitimately benefited in the long run has consciously or unconsciously have looked at the cross as foundational and not transitional. I say this because I believe that if you take the cross as a transit point to more things, greater things, you will lose everything.
Third, maybe I'm wrong. Not wrong in the cross being foundational but wrong in my interpretation of this book. Maybe Willard or Ortberg are not clear as writers. They write as hands on practitioners and not as precise theologians. Many things written here are correct. The book tells readers to be humble in learning. That's what I am trying to do now. Other Books That Hold The Cross DearAnd if you are learning about spiritual formation, there are various other books to consider: * If you are a pastor who wants to do soul care, I recommend "The Care of Souls" by Harold Senkbeil. * If you are a believer who wants to mature in Christ, I recommend "Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit" by Christopher J. H. Wright. * If you love the church and want an alternate view to Willard's on what is the problem in the church, I recommend "The Real Scandal of the Evangelical Mind" by Carl Trueman, published around the same time as Willard's book.

You can read my reviews of these books in the show notes below. The big difference between today's book and the ones I mentioned is Willard believes Christians have spent too much time on the cross, thus not enough time doing soul care. The truth is you can believe the latter without believing the former. You can build on doctrine to do soul care. That's how the Bible teaches it.
In conclusion, "Living in Christ's Presence" is an answer to a genuine problem amongst Christians, offered with much love from the late Dallas Willard and John Ortberg. I think the book is best read by taking the good and spitting out the bad but it can be difficult to discern which is which. There are less complicated books out there.
The ultimate goal of the book is that we should live in Christ's Presence, that we can all agree. We disagree on the fundamental role of the cross of Christ, I say it's foundational not transitional, but those are my words, not Willard's. I doubt proponents of Willard's teaching agree with my description and assessment. But I hope, whether or not I misunderstood Willard, we can all affirm that the cross of Christ is the ground on which we live out the Kingdom of God. That means we must continually come back to it, not move past it, if we are to live in Christ's presence.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "Living in Christ's Presence: Last Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God" by Dallas Willard. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.41 and free for October from Faithlife.
Today's book review can be contentious. I would love to hear from you, especially if you have read the book or follow Dallas Willard's teaching. You can contact me via email: terence@readingandreaders.com or Twitter: @readingnreaders or the website's contact form at www.readingandreaders.com. The website also contains all my contact details. For past book reviews, I have received comments from listeners, some critical, but always conveyed in Christian love and truth. I look forward to them. Thank you for listening to Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Bye bye. Book List* "Living in Christ's Presence: Last Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God" by Dallas Willard. Amazon. Faithlife. * "The Care of Souls" by Harold Senkbeil. Amazon. Logos. Review. * "Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit" by Christopher J. H. Wright. Amazon. Faithlife. Review. * "The Real Scandal of the Evangelical Mind" by Carl Trueman. Amazon. Faithlife. Review.

The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart

Living in Christ's Presence: Final Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God

Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit: Growing in Christlikeness

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Martin Luther said of the Epistle to the Romans:

This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament, and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. We can never read it or ponder over it too much; for the more we deal with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes.

Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Romans: A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written" by Andrew David Naselli. 232 pages, published by Crossway in August 2022. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD22.49 and in Logos for USD23.99.
I got a review copy from the publisher for free. Crossway has no input on this review. The AuthorAndrew or Andy Naselli is, to quote his website:

the associate professor of systematic theology and New Testament for Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis and one of the pastors of Bethlehem Baptist Church.

Since 2010, he has written or edited on average a book a year. Most of his books are on theology as you would expect from a professor of systematic theology.
I want to highlight a book here that gives some perspective on today's book. In 2012, Naselli wrote "From Typology to Doxology: Paul's Use of Isaiah and Job in Romans 11:34-35". This a 214 page book on two verses in Romans. Two verses in Romans. This book came from a dissertation. That dissertation came from a paper presented to the Evangelical Theological Society. That paper came from D.A. Carson's PhD Seminar where each student was asked to write a paper on the use of the OT in a NT passage. Naselli could choose any passage and he chose Romans 11:34-35 because those two verses were attached to his favourite verse in the Bible: Romans 11:36, which:

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

So we know that Naselli loves Romans. We know that he can write 200 pages on two Roman verses.
There are 433 verses in 16 chapters in Romans. Can Naselli write on the whole letter and be concise? That is a bigger challenge than you might think. The Challenge to be ConciseJust to shed light on the challenge, let me share with you the longest book I have ever read, or more precisely the longest audio book I have ever listened to.
Some years ago, I got a free audio book voucher. I could pick any book I wanted from the catalog. Wanting to get the biggest bang for my buck, I picked the longest book. I didn't know at the time that John Piper's Romans was not a book but a compilation of his sermon series on Romans; all 8 years, all 225 sermons.
Before I listened to his sermons, Romans was impenetrable to me. I knew it was important, I just could not figure out what Paul was saying. After completing Piper's expository series, I was most satisfied in the beautiful truth I now hold so dear in my heart. That sermon series has been a life-changing experience.
So much so that I wanted more.
Soon after, I bought Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones Romans set, his sermon series spanning 12 years set into 14 volumes. I started it but didn't finish. It sits on my shelf as my retirement project.
In Naselli's book, he frequently refers to top Roman scholars, Douglas Moo and Tom Schreiner. He even describes his own book as Moo-lite or Schreiner-lite. Now, since he said that, you might as well read Moo or Schreiner right? Why go for lite when you can go for the original?
You go for lite, when the original is too heavy.
Douglas Moo's book from the New International Commentary on the New Testament weighs in at 1184 pages. Tom Schreiner's from the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament weighs in at 944 pages.
What's my point here?
Great preachers John Piper and Martyn Lloyd-Jones saw Romans as so substantial that they dedicated 8 and 12 years respectively of their lives to preach from it. Top Roman scholars, Douglas Moo and Thomas Schreiner wrote around a 1000 pages on this one letter.
So when Naselli says his book is a concise guide, it is against this backdrop: the Epistle to the Romans has so much to offer to the Christian.
Can a one page summary do it justice? Can a 200 page guide? Can Andrew Naselli capture in his little book what makes Romans great?
Let's find out. OutlineIn the preface, Naselli tells us that there are six ways to use this book. Those ways include reading this book with, on the side, a bible, or more than one bible, or with other bible resources; I recommend his Phrase Diagram book which I will speak more on later.
In the introduction, Naselli answers questions like "How Important is Romans?", "Who wrote it?", "Where did he write it?", "When?", "To Whom?", "Why?" and so on. If you are new to Romans, this gives you the motivation and the broader context to Paul's letter to the Romans.
Before we get to the main content of the book, we have a three-page outline. Here, we get our first hint of Naselli's love for outlines. His book is an outline of outlines, as you will soon see.
Let me list the 7 chapter headings: 1. Introduction (1:1-17) 2. The Universal Need for God's Righteousness (1:18-3:20) 3. The Means of Obtaining God's Righteousness (3:21-4:25) 4. Benefits of Obtaining God's Righteousness (5:1-8:39) 5. The Vindication of God's Righteousness (9:1-11:36) 6. Living in Light of God's Righteousness (12:1-15:13) 7. Conclusion (15:14-16:27)

This book could be titled, "The Righteous God Righteously Righteouses the Unrighteous" except Naselli has taken that clever title for another essay.
Near the end of book, we have Recommended Resources on Romans, which includes resources: Intermediate/Advanced and Introductory. There is a Study Guide which has questions for the individual or the bible study group. And a chapter titled, "Acknowledgments", which is the only chapter that reveals Naselli's personal life. The book closes with the General Index and Scripture Index.
I said that this book is an outline of outlines. Now, I'll explain why. Chapter OneLet's look at chapter one. The chapter title reads "Introduction (1:1-17)". Chapter begins with:

Paul introduces the letter with a greeting (1:1-7), a thanksgiving (1:8-15), and the letter's theme (1:16-17).

Naselli gives us an outline of his chapter. There are three parts.
Now let us read the paragraph that follows:

1:1-7 The letter’s opening introduces Paul as the author and the Christians in Rome as the addressees. Several themes bookend the letter: the gospel, the Son, the Old Testament, Paul, the obedience of faith, and the nations (see 16:25–27).

So here, we see that Naselli breaks down verse 1-7 into three smaller parts. And in the three subsections that follow, he rapidly unpacks verse 1-3a, verse 3b-4 and verse 5-7. Boom. Boom. Boom.
But the pace changes when he reaches verses 16 and 17. He writes three pages, half the entire chapter to expound on Romans 1:16-17:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

He does so because these two verses are key to understand the rest of the book.
And that is Naselli's method. He takes a chunk. Then he breaks it down. He breaks it down until we get to easily digestible chunks. When he reaches a difficult to digest chunk or an important chunk, he spends time on it. You Need the BibleIf you are a guy who has ever thought, "Can someone please slowly explain to me what is the book of Romans about? Slowly, step by step. I don't want to hear your opinion. What I want is to see for myselfhow the verses progress, how they come together. I want to see how the argument flows."
If you are that guy, then this book is for you.
Naselli takes the chunks that he broke down for us and shows how they come together. In fact, he insists that you follow the flow of arguments. He does this at the expense of making his book more readable. For example, let me read his commentary on three verses, 6:6-8.

6:7 This sentence supports the previous one(6:6) as a parenthetical statement. When we died with Christ, God set us free from sin’s power.
6:8 This sentence continues the argument in 6:6. We are identified with Christ. If we died with Christ, we will also live with him.
6:9 This sentence supports the previous one (6:8). Since Christ rose from the dead, he “will never die again” (unlike how Lazarus died again after Jesus raised him) because “death no longer has dominion [i.e., any power] over him.”

In order for me to even understand what he wrote, I need the Bible. He forces me to open up Romans to read those sentences and see the flow for myself.
This means that if you are going on a trip, and you are looking for a book to read on the plane or on the beach, if you are looking for something edifying to read as you kick back and relax, this is not the book for you. Kicking back and relax is not how Naselli wants you to read this book.
Naselli wants you to lean forward with pen, coloured pencils, highlighters, with a Bible in hand, more Bibles the better! He wants you to trace Paul's argument. Naselli's concise guide to Romans is for the serious adventurer not the Instagram tourist.
But, if I dare say so myself, there is another book better than the Bible. Oooh... heresy. Listen as I finish my sentence, there is another book better than the Bible to read alongside Naselli's book and that is his companion book: "Tracing the Argument of Romans: A Phrase Diagram of the Greatest Letter Ever Written". In his blog, Naselli writes:

Each book can stand on its own, but I designed the book with Logos to supplement the book with Crossway.

A phrase diagram is in simple terms diagrams of the text indented to outline or break down the clauses, where the text is coloured, highlighted, boxed and marked with arrows, so that we can see the relationship of the clauses. Or to trace the argument of the passage. In Naselli's words:

It's the most respectful and fruitful way I know of to take God's word seriously.

So if you read Naselli's concise guide to Romans, you must have, at minimum, the Bible next to you. Ideally, you would have the Romans book on the left part of your screen and the Phrase Diagram book on the right, so that you can closely follow Paul's arguments.
Following Paul's argument is the most important goal for Naselli. The way he has written this book, his priority is not to make the case for his views (he does) or to make you understand the minute details of various interpretations (for that he points you to scholars in the footnotes). His primary goal is to make you see the outline, the argument, of Romans.
Once you get that, you can fill the rest of the details from the scholars. ScholarlyDouglas Moo, a distinguished scholar on Romans, endorsed this book. He wrote:

“Naselli’s book on Romans gives believers a brief and accessible overview of Paul’s great letter to the church in Rome. While written for a general audience, this book is rooted in a broad acquaintance with the many issues in recent interpretation of the letter.”

I would qualify what Moo means by general audience. His general audience is a tad different from my general audience.
Naselli has a long list of books he has written and edited for an academic, scholarly audience. So relatively speaking, in contrast, this concise guide on Romans is for a general audience. Relatively speaking. In contrast.
You see, the general audience in my circle do not read books with some Greek words. This book doesn't require you to have knowledge of Greek but Naselli does think it important to explain some of them.
This book has tables that clearly lay out: Faith vs Works in Romans 4 and James 2, Adam vs. Christ in Romans 5:12-21, Flesh vs. Spirit in Romans 8:5-13 and there are ten more tables where that came from.
And let's talk about the footnotes. There are some pages where the footnotes cover half the page. They often cite academic works from Moo, Schreiner, Carson, Beale, Hodge and Murray, to name a few.
In one footnote, Naselli writes: "I am condensing and paraphrasing Anthony A. Hoekema, Created in God's Image." In another, he writes: "This paragraph condenses and updates Moo and Naselli's work" and he cites the publication.
All this means is readers are getting the best scholarly answer to the question posed in the text. And there are many questions to be found in Romans.
For example, in Romans 9 is Paul speaking about corporate or individual salvation? This has giant implications on how one reads the rest of the letter.
Naselli doesn't go into the details. Understandably so. He can't write a concise guide that is also comprehensive. But he suggests that if I want to know more on this question, I should read three articles: * Thomas R. Schreiner, "Does Romans 9 Teach Individual Election unto Salvation". * Brian J. Abasciano, "Corporate Election in Romans 9: A Reply to Thomas Schreiner". * Thomas R. Schreiner, "Corporate and Individual Election in Romans 9: A Response to Brian Abasciano".

So I did. I put down Naselli's book and downloaded those articles from the Journal of Evangelical Theological Society. And had a really good time reading the exchanges between Schreiner and Abasciano, which I would never have known existed if not for Naselli.
So one way to think of this concise guide is Naselli curates the best and most thoughtful resources on the questions that come up as we read Romans. What I Unexpectedly GainedAnd that's the weird thing about this book. I gained lots of new things but not so much about Romans. I love Romans. You can't listen to 8 years worth of Piper sermons and not love how Paul's argument flow. And since then, I have read for myself, studied and argued with others about Romans so I am somewhat familiar with the various questions.
If you are new to Romans, Naselli's book will guide you to glorious treasures.
As for me, let me outline for you what I gained from Naselli's book:1. Martyn Lloyd Jones sermon series on Romans. As I read Naselli's book, I was dissatisfied because I have been spoilt by Piper. When it comes to Romans, I want expository exultation. Naselli reminded me of the thrill of discovery. Because of this book, I downloaded the Martyn Lloyd Jones app to listen to his sermon series on Romans on my work commute. 2. Memorising Romans. In his acknowledgements, Naselli thanked his youth leaders in high school for encouraging him to memorize Romans. I once tried to memorise Romans. (Piper makes you try things you normally would not do.) Naselli has spurred me to make the attempt once again. 3. Biblearc. I didn't know this tool existed. As soon as Naselli introduced it in his books, the phrase diagrams and all, I went to the website, subscribed and I'm using it for my next sermon. Once I've familiarised myself with it, I plan to introduce and teach it to others.

In conclusion, Naselli's concise guide to Romans is a great book if you are looking for someone to break down Romans into easily digestible chunks. He shows you how they come together and points you to in-depth answers to the questions that invariably come up.
This is not a book to kick back and read. You need to lean forward as the book guides you to study Romans. And as you read it, I hope you will gain, as I did, a great appreciation of the great truths Paul writes in the greatest letter ever written.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "Romans: A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written" by Andrew David Naselli. 232 pages, published by Crossway in August 2022. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD22.49 and in Logos for USD23.99. I got the review copy from Crossway. They had no input on the review.
Let's see whether you can follow this line of argument. You have friends. Friends tell friends of good things. Reading and Readers is a good thing. Therefore, you should tell your friends of Reading and Readers, the podcast where I review Christian books for you. I hope you enjoyed this book review. Thank you for listening. Book List* "Romans: A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written" by Andrew David Naselli. Amazon. Logos. * "Tracing the Argument of Romans: A Phrase Diagram of the Greatest Letter Ever Written" by Andrew David Naselli. Logos.

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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the amazing, fantastic, incredible, book that inspires children all over the world to read the Bible and enjoy reading it.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story" by Sergio Cariello. 832 pages, published by David C. Cook in September 2020. Available in hardcover for USD18.79 and in Kindle for USD9.99 in Amazon. Or you can get it via Faithlife for USD4.99 as part of their discounted books in their Free Book of the Month programme.
By the way, the Faithlife's Free Book of the Month is "Knowing God the Father: 52 Devotions to Grow Your Family's Faith". Normally I take the free book as an assignment and just review no matter what it is but I've been reading too many devotionals lately, and I just want to read and review something else.
Not to mention, I saw a comic book amongst the discounted books. I don't see that often. I'm a big comic book and manga fan, so I was happy to pay USD4.99 for the Action Bible, to enjoy and review.
A comic book Bible has obvious appeal. It's visual, easy to read and attractive to children, all of which your King James Version Bible is not. How often do you hear your children say, "Oh Mom, can I read another page of the KJV, please?"
If you are listening or reading this review in front of a bookshelf wondering whether to get the Action Bible for your children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces, I won't waste any more of your time. Yes, get it and get it for all of them. And while you are at it, you can get one for yourself too.
Now, my strong endorsement should not be understood as a universal endorsement of all picture book Bibles. There are picture books supposedly for children, with the Bible in the title, but are in fact subversive attempts to turn readers away from the Christian faith. And I'll give you one example at the end of the episode, after I review today's book.
Let's get to the book. Origin StoryFrom the website, David C. Cook, the publisher announces:

The Action Bible family of products has more than 85 million units in print worldwide since it launched in 2010. The original The Action Bible has sold more than 2.3 million copies and has spent more than 515 weeks on the ECPA Top 50 bestseller list. It is available in 27 languages globally, with 10-15 additional language translations to be completed in 2020.

They have a family of products. They have a curriculum. You go to the website, sign up and they have resources you can download. It's a mini industry. And all that started with a humble little comic book that has gotten a second edition in 2020, which is what I'm reviewing today.
As befitting a comic book, let's do an origin story. This is my dramatised version taking some artistic liberties from the original source material. This is my comic book adaptation of what really happened.
It was a dark and stormy night, Sergio Cariello was hunched over, brush and ink in hand when the doors burst open. It was a summons from David C. Cook. They needed a wizard artist to rejuvenate the ageing Picture Bible. Sergio Cariello looks across the desk at his Portuguese translation of that very Picture Bible. The book was old, faded and well-thumbed. That Picture Bible was like the spider in Spiderman, the bat in Batman, the iron in Ironman, what turned the young Cariello into the Christian comic book artist he was today. How could he deny the chance to make a comic book Bible for a new generation?
And so Nick Fury, I mean David C. Cook, recruited Sergio Cariello, the man who drew among many others, the X-men, Batman, Superman, Ironman, he will now draw Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, Peter, John and Paul, not to mention the Lord Jesus Christ. Never before, has he faced a challenge as great and as noble as this.
And thus we have the Action Bible. It has more than 230 stories from Genesis to Revelation in 800 plus pages. A very motivated reader can finish it in a day and once he is done, he can go back and read it over and over again. Personal Testimony on the Power of ComicsThat's what happened to me. My grandmother gave me comic versions of Bible stories. At that time, her faith was not as strong as it is now. She just knew the Bible was a good thing. At that time, I had no faith at all. I knew nothing of the Bible.
I read those comics over and over again. If I close my eyes I can see Elijah riding in the chariots of fiery horses towards heaven. To me, these were just stories. They didn't make me a believer but they did make a claim that God was good, just, almighty and that he loves all.
And these ideas of God came back to haunt me when those simple days of reading comic after comic have passed. When life is not filled with comic book villains but with much troubles and despair but in the real world there is no Superman. Parents can't protect you. You have to make your way in the world and leave childish things behind. Unless those childish things have planted a grain of truth in your heart.
And that's why people buy and give these books. In the hope that a grain of truth, seeds of faith, may be sown in young hearts. Waiting for the day of harvest. Because of this, it's important that what is planted is true. It is biblical. Is it Biblical?As far as I can tell, the Action Bible is not based on any translation. Then where does the text come from? It says here that the copyright for the text belongs to David C. Cook, the publisher, while the copyright for the illustrations belongs to Sergio Cariello.
I don't know why the publishers didn't use a translation. There are children's translation or very simple English translations around, which could be included in the text. Maybe it's because they had to modify many verses to fit it into a comic book format with the pictures and a need for snappy dialogue.
Christians who know their Bible will quickly see artistic license, liberties, taken with the original Bible passage. In the first page, it says:

In the beginning, there was nothing. Except God.

"Except God" is in bold. Subtle. No 'Kapow'. Also that is not how Genesis 1:1 goes.
I am not nitpicking. Nor am I a purist. When you turn the Bible into a 800 page comic book, some things will not be in it and what is in it will be modified to fit the medium. As it should.
The question is whether the omissions and changes produce a work that remains true to the original source, to the Word of God. Because sometimes they don't.
In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Marcionites ditched the Old Testament. They saw it was incompatible with the New.
Thomas Jefferson, no less, edited his own version of the New Testament. He removed the supernatural and dogma to bring out what he thought were the true and good parts.
Today, in China, the Chinese Communist Party limits the distribution of Bibles and according to Voice of the Martyrs, the CCP is writing a translation. I wonder what they will remove and modify.
And just in case you think you will never face the threat of a distorted translation, have you heard of The Passion Translation? That translation looks like it belongs on a shelf with other legitimate Bible translations, but one day it will jump out and yell, "Hail Hydra". This not the time, nor the place to explain why I say there is something wrong with the Passion Translation, but if you have it, I ask that you read up the problems with that translation.
Not are changes to the Bible potentially dangerous, but when we visualise the Bible, you can have the wrong picture in mind. Wrong Picture in MindFor example, in the Action Bible, in the story of Abraham interceding to the Lord on Sodom's behalf, Genesis 18:22-33, the Action Bible has Abraham speaking before an altar with burning, smoking, sacrifices. But if you read the Bible, we see that Abraham is speaking to God as one who appeared as man. A theophany which is concealed in the illustration.
If you didn't know before, you now know that there is a potential danger when people remove parts or change the Bible to produce a new piece of work. There is a potential danger when pictures can wordlessly convey a meaning apart from the text. And I am glad to report that I could not find any signs or hint of a problem with the Action Bible. And I was looking for trouble but there was none.
While I wished it would use a known translation, the comic sticks to telling the Bible stories. When it gives an interpretation, whether in the text or visually, it is safely within Christian understanding. Every Book in the Bible Except OneAlso, the reader knows that there they should refer to a Bible. Every story has a title. In the title, it clearly states where the story comes from. A Rainbow Promise based on Genesis 8-10. A Babbling Tower based on Genesis 11:1-9. Eat Your Vegetables based on Daniel 1.
When moving to a new historical period, it introduces the relevant books, for example:

The books of 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles record the same period of history -- the reign of David, Israel's greatest king. 2 Samuel is the original history, as written down by the prophets, while 1 Chronicles fills in gaps from the perspective of the priests.

That's quite informative. More informative than you would expect for a comic book for 8 year olds.
I give you another surprise. The Action Bible could have skipped them and no one would notice, but they intentionally include the minor prophets and epistles into the comic.
There is one page titled "Four Prophets". The page is divided into four parts: Hosea, Amos, Joel and Micah. Under Hosea, we see a man looking at us with a kindly smile. A woman stands front of him, frowning or unsure of herself. The text above the two reads:

Hosea loves his wife Gomer, very much. But one day she leaves him. The Law says Hosea can divorce his wife, but he chooses to stay married to her. He tells the people of Israel that they have treated God the same way. God loves his people, but they have run away to worship idols.

The man in the picture, Hosea, says:

Don't you see how much God loves you, even though you don't love him back? If God can love an unfaithful people, then I can love an unfaithful wife.

It's hard to bring out the epistles in a comic. In one scene, we see Paul giving Epaphroditus a scroll. On the side, we see an open scroll with the headings: Paul's Letter to the Philippians, and to the Colossians, and to the Ephesians. Under the Colossians, we read:

But Christ wasn't just a man. He was truly God -- but in human form. Jesus is all we need.

When I read that, I wondered whether quoting a verse from a translation would have been better than a rough summary. It's not wrong. If I make a bigger deal out of this than I should, it's only because I'm impressed by scale and effort put in. So I speak as a fan, not as a hater.
It covers the whole Bible so well, they even include a Scripture index. 13 pages at the end of the book listing Bible verses book by book and its corresponding page reference. I went through it book by book and the only book that was not covered is Song of Songs. That is amazing, fantastic, incredible! And More Than The BibleThe Action Bible does not only give a good coverage of the Bible, they even went beyond the Bible.
I was delighted to read the story titled, "Years of Waiting: Between the Old Testament and the New Testament". The opening sentence to this story is:

The land of Judah is still under the rule of the Persians when Alexander, the young king of Macedonia, sets out to conquer the world, riding his famous horse, Bucephalus, he leads his army against the countries of the mighty Persian Empire. One after another, they fall.

Here we read about Alexander the Great's approach to Jerusalem, the Maccabee revolt and the rise of Herod. The inter-testamental period is not covered in other bible books. I know because I have a few. So it's a nice addition.
In a few situations, they add to the Bible story. Imagining moments that are not explicitly in it. For example, there is a scene where Daniel sits together with his three friends. One asks, "Why are we studying the Babylonian history, their gods and astrology? We don't believe in any of it."
Daniel answers, "For better or for worse, this is the culture we live in. It's good to understand their ways, just not to follow them."
That is a commentary. Is it in the Bible? No. Is it helpful? Yes, it can be.
So there we have it. The Action Bible picks up many of the familiar Bible story, covers every book except for Song of Songs and occasionally, adds elements like the intertestament period, the death of Paul and some light applications.
Enough about the text. In comics, there are two parts. The words and the art. Let's now move to the art. The Art, What More Can You Ask For?You get what you would expect from an artist who has worked for DC and Marvel. Good quality stuff. But I know art is subjective, some would love it more than others.
For me, all I ask is that the art properly and clearly convey the story in the Bible. And it does.
The storyboarding is clear. He draws simple facial expressions and gestures that set the tone and move the story along. People look sad and happy when they are supposed to be sad and happy.
Then, there are the parts of the Bible which are notoriously difficult to imagine, much less draw. The prophecies of Daniel, the vision of Ezekiel and apocalyptic writings in Revelation for example.
Truthfully, I was a little bit underwhelmed by Cariello's portrayal of these scenes but after some reflection, I realised that I am looking at something that is meant to be much larger than life. When I read these passages I am supposed to shake and tremble with fear and confusion, and I should not fault him if I do not.
In terms of illustrations, I like Samson's story. His battle armed with a donkey's jawbone and enemies flying off the page is like a page from the Incredible Hulk.
Another one I liked was Blind Bartimaeus. He hears Jesus calling. He leaps from the ground and runs like the Flash.
Give you one more of my favourites: it is the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel. We see an ancient battlefield of dry bones. God tells Ezekiel, "Prophesy to them, Ezekiel. Tell them that I will knit them back together again."
A box above Ezekiel reads, "Feeling a bit silly, Ezekiel obeys."
Ezekiel speaks, "Bones! Hear the word of the Lord! He will bring you back to life!"
We see the bones moving, tendons and flesh appear and skin covers the body. This scene made me ponder more than I expected it to probably because I never visualised it happening in my head. Now that I have seen it visualised, I am amazed at it.
And amazed because I know what that passage means for Christians today. Actually, there were more than a few occasions where I put the comic down just to think about the story. Wow. This is what the Bible says. The Action Bible's NemesisIf the Action Bible is a superhero, then let me tell you of the imposter. The Bizzaro to Superman, the ManBat to Batman, the Venom to Spiderman, no... a better example would be that time when Dr. Octopus took over Peter Parker's body and became Spiderman. You can read that in the Superior Spiderman comics. Okay, back to imposter Bible comics.
What toy evokes childhood fun and innocence? Can you think of any toy better than Lego? Now, what if you see on the shelf a two volume hardcover titled "Lego Bible"? It uses Lego figurines to tell the Bible stories. It has obvious appeal right? Better or the same level as the Action Bible right?
No.
The Lego Bible is not what you think it is.
It does not build up the Christian faith, it attempts to show how ridiculous and violent the Bible is.
You have pictures of Lego figurines beheading other Lego figurines with blood spraying out of their necks. Supposedly the author wants to tell the Bible as it is but it is not. And if you pause just for a moment and read the reviews in Amazon, you will be horrified.
In pointing out the Lego Bible's deceitful nature, I remind us that we should not take for granted the illustrators, storytellers and publishers who give us books, picture books, to read to our children that build their faith. Also, we must always be vigilant. Lego is not always a go. Villains do not always look like monsters. Physical Beats Electronic and Not Just For ChildrenCouple more things before I end the episode. I am reading the Logos version of the Action Bible, which is the cheapest of all the options.
I said this in the beginning and I'll say it again, if you are standing in front of a bookshelf wondering whether to get this for children, get it. A paperback or hardcover comic is much better than an electronic version. Trust me. I have spent many years huddled with a comic, reading and re-reading it. I love it when I see my children reading although it is occasionally frustrating when we try to call them to dinner. "Wait mom, dad, I just want to finish this page."
Don't get the electronic version. I don't know how it works in the Kindle or pdf versions but I can tell you that double page spreads don't work well in Logos. You are supposed to flip the page and be treated to a panoramic scene. You are not supposed to scroll down and figure out, "Oh... wait, this picture is cut off... oh this is the left page... cause when I scroll down, I get the right page... so all I got to do is merge the left page and the right page in my mind..." That doesn't give the same effect.
I have said that comic book bibles have obvious appeal to their target readers. Children. Preteens. But it is also appealing to adults. Especially those who are new to the faith. We live in a society where we cannot assume people know who is Adam, Moses or David. They don't know the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Give a new believer a comic book and they will catch up as fast as Quicksilver. Get the main redemptive story right and every sermon and bible study will make sense.
In conclusion, the Bible we hold so dear is a treasure, more precious than gold, more precious the first Action Comic. The Action Bible, is not the full Bible, but it introduces children and adults to our treasure, and we pray that it marks the beginning of many newcomers in their Christian journey.
This is a Reading and Readers review of the Action Bible by Sergio Cariello. 832 pages, published by David C. Cook in September 2020. Available in hardcover for USD18.79 and in Kindle for USD9.99 in Amazon. It's available in September from Faithlife for the low, low, price of USD4.99.
Do you want to feel like a superhero with a superpower for just one moment? Hit the subscribe button. You just don't know how much power you have on the future of this podcast. Hope you enjoyed listening to this book review as much as I enjoyed making it. Tell all your friends about Reading and Readers, the podcast where I review Christian books for you. Thank you for listening. Book List* "Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story" by Sergio Cariello. Amazon. Faithlife.

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story (Action Bible Series)

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The book of Ruth is a beautiful story centred on Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. We see God and God's people reflecting God, his kindness and redemptive work. If you want to dig deeper into the text, you need to keep listening.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review Ruth, a volume from the Anchor Yale Bible Commentary or AYBC for short, by Edward F. Campbell Jr. 188 pages, published by Yale University Press in May 2003. It's available in Amazon as a paperback for USD31.99, strangely there isn't a Kindle version. If you want an electronic version, you can head over to Logos, which is offering this book for free for September.
I'm quite excited for today's review. This commentary on Ruth is the free book for September and I just concluded a sermon series on ... guess what... Ruth(!). In the month of August, there are four Sundays, four sermons for the four chapters in Ruth. My head is still living in the barley fields of Bethlehem.
If you are a new listener, I just want to quickly say that while I try to spend equal time reviewing light and heavy books, my aim is to make sure you gain something out of the review, no matter where you come from. Whether or not, you are familiar with the book of Ruth or the technicalities of studying the Bible. There will be some technical terms ahead which is true for any field, whether it's photography or dress-making but don't let the photographers, dress-makers or theologians' technical talk detract you.
Alright, with that, let's get to the book.
The first thing to note is the Anchor Yale Commentary Series describes itself as:

a project of international and interfaith scope in which Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars from many countries contribute individual volumes. The project is not sponsored by any ecclesiastical organization and is not intended to reflect any particular theological doctrine.

Unlike other commentaries, the AYBC is an interfaith project. You ask, "How useful can a commentary series be if there is no theological tradition to bring them together?" Surprisingly useful as you will hear.
The book is divided into two main parts, the introduction and the commentary. In the introduction you will find among many things, a discussion on the genre of the book. Campbell says it's a novelle which implies the Ruth is fictional. He tells us about the original manuscripts related to Ruth. This tiny little four chapter book is not as simple as it seems. All these technical talk on the literature, history and theology can be very dry if not for the clarity and enthusiasm Campbell brings to this commentary.
At one point, Campbell writes in spontaneous praise:

I stand in awe of this author. He was a genius.

And that he is in awe throughout the whole commentary. Look at how the author has structured the story. Look at how he uses word-play. Look at this amazing piece of literature! Campbell's genuine love for the subject, getting into the mind of the author, makes it easier for readers to overcome the technical hurdles along the way.
Yet, you may not like how Campbell begins his book. And be tempted to close the book, not willing to read any further. Because Campbell who stands in awe of this genius, also thinks that the book of Ruth is not historical.
In the introduction, he tells us how other scholars have tried to draw out earlier versions of Ruth. For example, one scholar suggests that initially the story only had Naomi. Ruth was added later. Another scholar says the story of Ruth came from a piece of poetry, "perhaps an old nursery tale". To me, this discussion is so bizarre because it's so speculative and I was relieved to read Campbell's conclusion that trying to trace the development of Ruth is a blind alley.
However, in a subsection titled, "Historicity", Campbell says the better question is not whether it's historical but whether it's plausible. After affirming there is much historical accuracy in the book, he concludes:

This in no way diminishes the judgment that the Ruth book contains a fictional story; it is simply a plausible one, and its information is a good guide to life and custom, and to realistic expectations about human living under the rule of God.

And it is after this paragraph that he says, he stands in awe of the author. He was a genius. A genius not for the history that he recorded but for the story that he made up.
I disagree with him. And I hope you do too. At the same time, I hope you will get this book, read it and use it as a resource.
Campbell believes Ruth is not historical. I believe it is. So consider this: what does it mean if our starting position is different but our conclusions on some passages are the same? It could mean that these conclusions are not dependent on prior assumptions but stand alone based on the text itself.
On the other hand, what does it mean if our conclusions are different? It could prompt us to study why we differ and how did we arrive at those conclusions.
Everybody who reads a commentary should know this, but my repeating this is a good reminder for all. When we read a commentary we are joining a conversation with knowledgeable people. We are not going under an authority, in addition to Scripture. The big test is whether you can trace the steps to reach your favoured theological position without naming names.
The introduction is surprisingly spicy, but we still have the main dish, which is the commentary. There are seven chapters in the commentary. Each chapter is divided into three sections: Translations, Notes and Comments. Campbell did his own translation of the original manuscript, which is different to other translations in some parts and he explains and defends his translation in the Notes.
The Notes is where you get the fullness of his scholarship, he gets into the original manuscript, the Hebrew, the grammar and meaning and cites and engages with fellow scholars on these matters. If you don't know your Qumran and Syriac manuscripts, J and E narrative, masculine plural ending and reflexive Niphal form, then you can skip them and go to the Comments section.
If you only read the Comments section, you will finish the book quite quickly and you will know what Campbell thinks of the book of Ruth. If you want to know how he substantiates them, just go to the Notes. If you are using this book as a reference, you are not reading this book cover to cover, then you can zoom into that word or verse and see what scholars are saying about it.
I've given you a broad layout of the land, and now like Ruth, I'll go into the field, I will glean some fruit of the land and share them with you. Knowing What You Didn't KnowThe first thing I want to check in any commentary on Ruth is how does the commentary writer understand Naomi's complaint.
Naomi has lost her husband and her two sons. She asks her two daughter-in-laws to leave her and return to their father's house. Ruth refuses to leave her and follows Naomi home. When the people in Bethlehem see her and call out, "Is that Naomi?", Naomi says in Ruth 1:20–21 (ESV):

“Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

Campbell's translation is more colourful:

“Don’t call me ‘Sweet one,’ Call me ‘Bitter one.’ For Shadday has made me bitter indeed. I was full when I went away, But empty Yahweh has brought me back. Why call me ‘Sweet One’? For Yahweh has testified against me And Shadday has pronounced evil sentence on me.”

Naomi says very strong words. How do you take it?
Is Naomi wrong to say such things? Do we say she is speaking out of her grief and thus out of kindness we should not take her words seriously? Or do we say she is speaking clearly on who God is, there is Biblical truth here, and thus we must listen carefully to understand the believer's relationship to suffering.
In his commentary, Campbell analyses the use of the Hebrew word return, how the Ruth story-teller understands God's activity and hesed kindness, and covenant, and the legal aspect of Naomi's complaint, which leads him to assert:

... not only is complaint tolerated by God, but it can even be the proper stance of a person who takes God seriously! Anyone who ascribes full sovereignty to a just and merciful God may expect to encounter the problem of theodicy, and to wrestle with that problem is no sin, even when it leads to an attempt to put God on trial. Petulant Jonah, earnest Jeremiah, persistent Job -- Naomi stands in their company.

A commentary is helpful when you know what you don't know and you go to the relevant page to find the answer to your burning question. A commentary is especially enlightening when you don't know what you don't know. Not Knowing What You Didn't KnowDid you know that Ruth uses different words for servant? In chapter 2, when she responds to Boaz's kindness to her, for letting her glean in the field among many other kindnesses, she says "you have spoken kindly to your servant." The word for servant here is siphah.
In chapter 3, when she comes to Boaz in the night to ask him to be her redeemer, she says, "Spread your wings over your servant." The word for servant here is amah.
You couldn't tell this from the English translation. And there is probably nothing to Ruth's changing words for servant. Translators and commentators say the two words are synonymous, they carry the same meaning. But Campbell shares a fascinating bit of trivia:

Over a century ago, a damaged inscription was found on a tomb facade nearly buried beneath a home in the village of Silwan, across the Kidron valley from the temple mount in Jerusalem.

Campbell tell us that a scholar by the name of Avigad was the first to make sense of it. The inscription on the tomb reads:

“This is [the sepulcher of …] yahu who is over the house. There is no silver and no gold here, but [his bones] and the bones of his ʾāmāh with him. Cursed be the man who will open this!” Avigad translated ʾāmāh here as “slave-wife.” Surely this is correct; it is more likely that the ʾāmāh was indeed a beloved slave-wife than that she was buried with her lord simply in order to serve him in the netherworld!

Personally, I think this begs more questions than it answers but if there is a shift in meaning, there is an intentional suggestion of marriage from Ruth to Boaz, then Boaz is one of the few men who got the hint.
This is an example of coming to this book, not knowing what you don't know, and profiting from the labours of scholars. They have done the hard work of digging up a tomb, translating the inscription, and connecting a word found there to what Ruth says to Boaz and adding flavour to the scene. All we do is just read and benefit.
However, this is an inconsequential piece of trivia. It has no major impact to the big story one way or the other. Let me share the one part of the book that made me most uncomfortable. Let's Talk about SexAs I mentioned, Ruth went to Boaz at night to ask him to be a redeemer. The way she did it is not something pastors would tell young vulnerable single woman to do. She went to Boaz at the place where the men were working in the middle of the night, uncovered his feet and laid down by his feet.
This is sufficiently scandalous. Campbell tells us there is more!
He tells us that as the storyteller tells the story, Hebrew listeners will hear words with double meaning. For example, when a man lays with a woman, it can have two meanings in English and also in Hebrew. Ruth lay at Boaz's feet. Another word with double meaning is peculiar to the Hebrew that is "to know". For a man to know a woman can be to know her in an intimate manner. Naomi told Ruth to not make herself known to Boaz until he has finished eating and drinking. There are others which got me uncomfortable.
For thousands of years, Ruth and Boaz have been examples of a chaste and pure relationship. Is Campbell telling us that's not true?
He writes:

Does this roster of double entendres mean that the story-teller is simply seeking to titillate his audience? Emphatically not. His intent is much more serious than that. Having led his audience to participate in the mystery and ambiguity of the scene, he obviously means to say that it is of extreme importance whether or not here at the threshing floor things will go forward according to what Israelite custom and Israelite ḥesed-living calls for.

Thanks to Campbell, that passage is a lot more mysterious and ambiguous than before because he highlights the Hebrew words. So did they or didn't they?
And thankfully, Campbell uses the Hebrew to set our hearts at ease.

Once again, the story-teller signals us: the verb he uses is not “lie down,” that ambiguous term, but Hebrew lwn/lyn, “to lodge,” the same term Ruth had used in her avowal to Naomi in 1:16. No ambivalence here! This term is never used in the Hebrew Bible with any sexual undertone. The dark ambiguity gives way to the clarity of the kinds of human commitments which characterize this story. Now it becomes clear that both of these people are worthy, and will do things in righteous fashion.

Imagine how complicated life would be if the storyteller had opted to say Ruth lay down with Boaz while waiting for the sun to rise. Or if Boaz to Ruth said, "Since we are here, let us get to know each other." Even if it was all innocent, the choice of words would compromise their reputation or give license for loose living. Round Up and Other RecommendationsSo just to round up, this commentary on Ruth from the Anchor Yale Bible Commentary Series is great to get into the Hebrew, grammar and literary aspect. I would use it as a reference but not as a main commentary. Call me old-fashioned or nit-picking, but I think it's important we both look at Ruth as a historical record rather than a fictional story, no matter how well-crafted the story may be.
I used a bunch of commentaries for my sermon prep, including the New International Commentary on the Old Testament by Robert Hubbard, Jr., Tyndale's by Leon Morris and I've always enjoyed reading the Reformed Expository Commentary and for Ruth it's by Iain Duguid. But I want to make special mention for the one from the New Studies in Biblical Theology. The title is "Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth" by Peter H. W. Lau and Gregory Goswell. It's not a verse by verse commentary like the others but it helped me pay attention to God's kindness and hiddenness and Ruth's place in the canon.
If a commentary on Ruth deserved a Razzie award for being the worst, I nominate the one from Berit Olam series by Tod Linafelt. Compare Linafelt against Campbell.
Campbell, in the Anchor Yale commentary, said we should take the characters as the story-teller presents them and not see Ruth as a "scheming woman trying to butter up a vain old man."
Linafelt, on the other hand, in the Berit Olam commentary, wrote this:

Boaz the kindly and pious pillar of the community slips easily into a blustering paternalistic figure who is caught off guard by the surprisingly quick-thinking and mock-deferential Ruth. When Ruth appears next to Boaz in the middle of the night in chapter 3, he is clearly flustered, more than a little frightened, and acquiesces to her suggestions quite easily.

I have little patience with Linafelt's creative and highly speculative analysis. So if you are going to study Ruth, get the New Studies in Biblical Theology one by Peter Lau and Gregory Goswell and stay away from the Berit Olam one by Linafelt, unless you are in the mood for alternate history novels.
This is a Reading and Readers review of Ruth, from the Anchor Yale Bible Commentary | AYBC series by Edward F. Campbell Jr. 188 pages, published by Yale University Press in May 2003. Available in Amazon as a paperback for USD31.99 and free in Logos for September and only September.
So if you want to listen to reviews on books that you never intend to read, subscribe to Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. I read them so you don't have to. Joking aside, the books I review are not always so heavy, it's a 50-50 thing. So the next book, should hopefully, be a bit more light-hearted and fun. Maybe. Subscribe to find out. Thanks for listening. Book List* Ruth (Anchor Yale Bible Commentary | AYBC) by Edward F. Campbell Jr. Amazon. Logos. * Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth | NSBT by Peter Lau and Gregory Goswell. Amazon. Logos.

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There was a time in Israel's history, when the Word of God was lost. Then while renovating the temple, the people found the scrolls and they rushed it to the king. When the king saw it, he recognised it as treasure. In a similar way, today's classic is a treasure for Christian readers everywhere .
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review that handsome piece of work I hinted at in the last episode. Cur Deus Homo by Anselm of Canterbury. Around 120 pages, published in the late 11th century. Cur Deus Homo translated from Latin is "Why God Man?" or "Why God Became Man?" TranslationsI read two translations. The first translation is the popular one, meaning the one that appears in Amazon and comes up first in Google. It's by Sidney Norton Deane, which was published in 1903. I read this translation, there were parts I didn't understand. So searching for an answer, I discovered this second translation by Jasper Hopkins and Herbert Richardson, which was published in the year 2000. It's more recent which makes it easier to read and so this is the translation I will be using for this review.
Both translations are available for free. I share the links in the show notes below.
I want to give a disclaimer up front, I'm not qualified to compare or evaluate Latin to English translations. I just want to read and review Cur Deus Homo by Anselm. If I misunderstood the translation, that's my fault. If the translator misunderstood the writer, that's the translator's fault. If the writer misunderstood God, that's the writer's fault. Just remember it's never God's fault. Anselm's AchievementBefore Anselm, the church taught that Christ redeemed us by paying a ransom to the devil. It was Anselm who argued that the debt was paid not to the devil but to God.
Augustus Hopkins Strong in his Systematic Theology wrote:

[But,] although many theologians had recognized a relation of atonement to God, none before Anselm had given any clear account of the nature of this relation. Anselm’s acute, brief, and beautiful treatise entitled “Cur Deus Homo” constitutes the greatest single contribution to the discussion of this doctrine.

An even stronger praise is John Miley's Systematic Theology where he writes:

The treatment of the atonement in a scientific or more exact doctrinal manner really began with Anselm, late in the eleventh century. His book, though but a small one, is not improperly characterized as an “epoch-making book.”

Later he writes:

Reviews of Anselm are so common to histories of doctrine, systems of theology, and monographic discussions of atonement, that there is little need of special reference.

Reviews are so common such that there is little need of special reference. If only that was true today for the general audience.
In Amazon, there are less than 100 reviews for the various editions of this book. In Amazon it ranks at number 1046 under the category of Christian Salvation Theory. Not bad for a 1000 year old book with a Latin title.
Cur Deus Homo is an epoch-making book that is sadly unknown to the common man. Let's try to remedy that with today's episode. Let's re-introduce a classic to a podcast generation. DialogueThe book is written as a dialogue between Anselm, the writer, and his fictional creation, Boso. So it's appropriate that this book be a dialogue between myself, the reviewer, and my own fictional creation, Sobo. Sobo: It is an honour to be part of this book review. Let's start by asking why did Anselm wrote it as a dialogue?
Terence: Because we are slow. That's what he said:

Now, issues which are examined by the method of question-and- answer are clearer, and hence more acceptable, to many minds— especially to minds that are slower.

This probably explains why this book is surprisingly easy to read. Sure, there are long sentences that seem to circle the globe before it reaches a point. This is characteristic of older writings. But there are parts where the dialogue is snappy, the question and the answers come in fast and to the point. Bulletproof CaseSobo: It's nice to know that it's easier to read. I guess what readers want to know is: "Is there any reason to read this classic when there are newer books on the same topic written for modern audiences?"
Terence: In the past, in some circles, you just have to drop the book title in an argument and everybody knew what you were talking about.
The argument is so tight, it's bulletproof. Forget everything else I read, Anselm's answer is now my answer to the question, "Why did God become a God-Man?"
If your answer is, "He became Man to save us, you misunderstood the question." The question is why must God save us in this way. To an unbeliever it is ridiculous for God to die at the hands of a mob.
What do you think if the President of the United States thought that the only way to rescue hostages held by the Taliban was to sacrifice himself in exchange? We would all think it to be ridiculous! Send special forces. Pay them the ransom. Use diplomatic pressure. Surely, anything is better than exchanging the hostages for the President of the United States or the President's son? And if he does so, it must be because he is either powerless or he is not too bright. Structure of ArgumentSobo: In this book, Boso is a Christian who asks questions on behalf of unbelievers. How does Anselm seek to convince unbelievers?
Terence: First of all, Cur Deus Homo is divided into two books. In Anselm's own words, Book I "prove[s] by rational necessity -- Christ being removed from sight, as if there had never been anything known about Him -- that no man can possibly be saved without Him."
Book II "show[s] with equally clear reasoning and truth that human nature was created in order that the whole man (i.e., with a body and a soul) would some day enjoy a happy immortality."
It is too big of a task to summarise what the great Anselm wrote, 25 chapters in the first and 22 chapters in the second, within a few minutes for this podcast. Debt to GodSobo: Undoubtedly so, but please for the benefit of listeners who may need encouragement to read for themselves this wonderful book, what is the gist of Anselm's argument?
Terence: I don't feel up to the task to give you what you ask for but I will try my best. As you say, readers should read the book to properly judge how bulletproof is Anselm's argument.
In my own words, here is how I understand it:
Man owes God a debt. Who pays the debt? God?
God cannot clear this debt because that would be unjust. Man would enjoy Heaven at God's expense.
There is a debt. Who pays the debt? What if God creates another man to pay the debt? But that new man has no relation to us. Adam sinned. We are the children of Adam. That new man cannot pay because he is not of Adam's line.
There is a debt. We cannot pay. God must not pay. And God cannot create a new being to pay it.
Now, leave the question of who pays aside, Anselm asks, "What will you pay to God in proportion to your sin?"
Boso answers, "Penitence, a contrite and humbled heart, fasting and a variety of physical toil, the mercy of giving and forgiving, as well as obedience."
I thought that was an excellent answer. Wouldn't you say the same?
Anselm brings the hammer down. I'll quote him at length to give you a sense of how he answers questions.

When you render something which you would owe to God even if you had not sinned, you ought not to reckon it as payment of the debt which you owe for your sin. Now, you owe to God all of the things you have just mentioned. For in this mortal life there ought to be so much love, and so much desire to arrive at that end for which you have been created (an arrival whereunto prayer is relevant), and so much sorrow because you are not yet there, and so much fear lest you not arrive, that you ought to experience joy only over those things which give you either assistance in arriving or the hope thereof. For you do not deserve to have what you do not love and desire in proportion to its nature, and over which you do not grieve because you do not yet possess it but are still in such great danger as to whether or not you will ever possess it. To possess this, it is also a prerequisite to flee from the repose and worldly pleasures (except insofar as you know them to conduce to your aspiration to arrive at this possession) which call the soul away from that true rest and delight.

Yes, it's the type of sentence that modern readers may have to read and re-read to follow along.
Let me give a picture for how I understand it: If I ask you, "What will you pay to God in proportion to your sin?" What do you say? Sobo: I feel bad, I repent and promise not to do it again. And I commit to live a better life.
Terence: But that's what you are supposed to do!
For example, if I borrowed your car. And I crashed your car. You ask me, "What are you going to do to make things right?" I say, "I feel bad, I repent and I promise I won't crash your car again. I commit to be a better person. That's all. Bye bye." What do you say to that?
"That is all and good but my car is now wrecked so how will you make things right? A debt needs to be paid, how will you pay?"
Then you might say, "Alright then, to pay my debt to God I will give to God my money, my time and even my life. Full time missionary into a far away land. Even a martyr if God so will it."
Your grand offer is noted. But what do you have that does not come from God? Everything you have comes from God! After crashing someone's car would you now take his wallet to pay for the damages?
The question stands. So how will you pay? As I read the book, my answer echos Boso's. Nothing. I have nothing to pay with.
Now let us suppose, let us imagine, that there is something that can be given to God. First, this something must be something that God gives, right? Otherwise, it's paying for damages from the person's wallet. Second, this something must be of great worth. Something valuable to God himself.
So we come to the riddle, the dilemma in Cur Deus Homo. Which I simplify as:
A debt that Man must pay but cannot. A debt that God can pay but must not.
So this debt demands a person who is both God and Man to pay.
I can say more but I believe this summary is the crux of the whole book. More to the BookSobo: Indeed your summary seems so simple that I now wonder whether there is any point to read the rest of the book.
Terence: There is! My summary is just a drop and there is far more goodness from the book. You read classics not just to get the conclusion, the answer to the big question, but to see how they get there. The classical writers are often pioneers. They look at things differently. They ask different questions.
For example, in the book Boso and Anselm reach a point where we see it was necessary for God to save in this way. Boso asks the natural follow up question, if God saves out of necessity, then why should we be grateful since he was compelledto do so?
Anselm answers:

... when he willingly submits himself to the necessity of doing a good work, and does not merely endure this necessity against his will, surely he deserves greater gratitude for his good work. For this “necessity” ought not really to be called a necessity but [ought to be called] a grace, since he voluntarily incurred it or holds to it, without anyone constraining him. For suppose you willingly promise today to bestow a gift tomorrow; and tomorrow you do bestow it with this same willingness. Although it is necessary that, if you can, you do tomorrow give what you have promised (or else be caught in a lie), nonetheless the one to whom you give this benefit is no less indebted to you for the bestowal of it than if you had not made a promise. The reason for his indebtedness is that you did not hesitate to make yourself indebted to him prior to the actual giving.

Who the Book is ForSobo: You say it's easy to read but from the quotes, it still sounds intimidating.
Terence: I didn't say it's easy, I said it's easier. Easier than some of Puritan books. Books that I cannot finish, that I fall asleep reading and never got back to. In comparison to those, Cur Deus Homo is a fun read.
But practically, this book appeals to two types of readers. The first reader wants to get a good solid answer to the question, Cur Deus Homo, "Why did God become a God-Man?" This is it. Read this, be convinced and Anselm's answer will be your answer.
The second type of reader wants to read something old. If this is your first book, I would suggest Pilgrim's Progress or Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening devotions. Cur Deus Homo is a better read when you have already built up an appetite and some idea of what to expect from old books.
You see, there are some hard going chapters. For instance, chapters 16, 17 and 18 looks into the question of how and why the number of fallen angels will be replaced by redeemed mankind. Sobo: Say what?
Terence: Yes, it is an odd part of the book. If 100 angels fell, God intends that 100 people be redeemed to replace them. That's the topic of their discussion. Anselm and Boso argue whether God has a perfect number in mind. That notion seems awfully dated 1000 years later but it did make me wonder whether we make similar arguments today? Do we have such blindspots?
For example, one of the reasons I have heard for limited or definite or particular atonement is if Jesus died to atone for all, then Jesus' blood was wasted because some were not saved. Jesus' blood is never wasted. Therefore, Jesus did not die to atone for all. But is the idea of wasted blood something that we assume is true, that's how we would look at it. Is it true of God? Sobo: Are you saying Limited Atonement is wrong?
Terence: No, I'm not saying it's right or wrong, this is the wrong place for that discussion, I'm just saying I have heard arguments such as those for limited atonement that may 1000 years later sound as strange as Anselm's insistence that God loves perfect numbers. I'm just showing how an old book can help us look and ponder at what is happening today from a different angle. CritiqueSobo: Come to think of it, is there anything that Anselm says here that is wrong?
Terence: The parts where I understand, the debt that we owe God that only Jesus Christ can pay, I see it is absolutely right and books, and movies, and songs should be written to make the whole world know this truth.
The parts where I don't understand, or not confident of, I don't dare to comment.
However, I do share a common critique of Anselm's approach. If you recall, Anselm made his arguments in this book without any reference to Jesus Christ. He said let us assume Jesus Christ is not in the picture and just by the power of reason show that Man owes God a debt which is a debt that only a God-Man can pay.
The problem is how far can reason take you? What happens when your impeccable reasoning contradicts the clear words of Scripture?
It didn't in this case, which I would argue is not by coincidence but by design. I believe that as Anselm organised his thoughts on the question, he rejected logical paths that contradicted the Bible. We never got to see those rejected paths because he showed us his final solution.
There is a limit to where reasoning can take us because the Fall didn't only affect our behaviour and morality, it also affected our affections and our faculties, our ability to reason. Today we hear statements like "If God is love, then..." and we fill it in with what seems perfectly logical and reasonable to us, regardless of what God tells us.
Anselm as a man of his time, puts too much confidence in reason not aware how people after him will abuse reason to deny God. Children's BookSobo: A sobering thought. Do you have any final thoughts for this book review?
Terence: There is a temptation to read classics for bragging rights alone. Yes, I managed to climb this mountain, finish this book. But classics are to be read for the satisfaction of journeying with a great mind for a worthy quest.
If I was in charge of the world, I would turn Cur Deus Homo into a comic or a children's book. When I was younger, I read comic books on Western and Eastern philosophy. It is more than doable to turn Cur Deus Homo into a comic or children's book.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of Cur Deus Homo by Anselm of Canterbury. 100 pages, published in 1093. There are two translations. The popular one is Deane's. A more recent one is Hopkins and Richardson's. And I am hoping there will be a comic or children's version one day.
The next book I review will be a free book. So subscribe to the Reading and Readers podcast to hear that review and grab that book before the deal ends. Until next time, thank you for listening. Book List* "Cur Deus Homo" by Anselm of Canterbury, translated by Sidney Norton Deane. Website. * "Cur Deus Homo" by Anselm of Canterbury, translated by Jasper Hopkins and Herbert Richardson. Book I pdf. Book II pdf. * "Pilgrims Progress" by John Bunyan. CCEL website. * "From Morning and Evening" by Charles H. Spurgeon. CCEL website.

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Can prayer and theology mix? Isn't theology for the smart people and prayer for the spiritual people? How wrong you are.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Prayers for Knowing God" by Tony Evans. 190 pages, published by Harvest House, on February 2021. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD6.64 but it's free from Faithlife for August, as part of their Free Book of the Month programme. StructureBy way of introducing this book, let me describe how it's organised. After the introduction, there are 54 chapters. Each chapter is a prayer.
At the end of the book, we have Appendix A and Appendix B. Appendix A is titled "The Urban Alternative" which describes Tony Evans list of ministry.
Appendix B is titled "The Doctrine of God". At the top of this appendix in brackets it says, "Note: First appeared in the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Leadership Manual, 2001). This appendix is a study outline. The main headings are:1. The Knowledge of God 2. The Revelation of God 3. The Triunity of God 4. The Character of God

And tucked within these headings you will read about the importance of knowing God, arguments for God's existence, the Trinity, how they are distinct and how they are united and we have a 17 point list of the characters of God with familiar ones like omnipresence, omnipotence together with less familiar ones like self-existence and immutability.
What I am about to say next is a completely fictional story. I made it up just to explain this book we are reviewing today.
Once upon a time, the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship men were tidying up after an invigorating Bible study. John, one of the members, says to Ps. Tony Evans, "Pastor, this is amazing stuff! I never knew all these things about God's transcendence, his wisdom, his self-existence, man, it's so good. I just wish there was something I could do with all this knowledge."
Ps. Evans then says, "Well, you could pray with it." "You must be joking, Pastor. No, you are not joking. How do I pray with these things? I pray with the ACTS structure: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. I don't know how to pray with the Doctrine of God."
"No, John, you pray with ACTS on the Doctrine of God. I adore you God for you are holy. I confess I am not holy. I give thanks that you bring me near to your holy throne. I ask that you make me holy like you."
"Oh right, sure... you can do that for the holiness of God. But I bet you can't pray like that for all of God's attributes here, can you?"
And that's how this book came to be. Tony Evans took the bet or he saw it as a heavenly mission or a publisher's challenge and wrote an entire book where every chapter is a prayer using the ACTS formula on each attribute of God. That is the origin of the book... in my imagination.
Back in the real world, Evans wrote that many of the prayers in this were based on Appendix B, which was drafted many decades ago. But who knows, perhaps it was an encounter as a I described that somehow over time lead to this book.
Chapter 1 is titled "Knowing God Through His Holiness", Chapter 2 is titled, "Knowing God Through His Separation From Sinfulness", and on it goes. The last chapter, chapter 54 is "Knowing God Through His Overarching Power".
Let me pick an attribute of God that some may have problem praying with. Chapter 32, "Knowing God Through His Immutability".
I'll read the entire chapter. It's not too long. And if you listen attentively, you will know what to expect from the entire book.
The chapter begins with a quote from Malachi 3:6, "I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed."
There are four sub-headings in every chapter: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Under Adoration:

Father, so much has changed and continues to change in our world. What seems like normal morphs into a new normal before our eyes. What we’re told one day is contradicted the next, or so it seems. Yet one thing remains the same: Despite all the changes we go through on earth and with one another, You remain unchanged. Your immutability means You are a God who changes not. I praise You and worship You for Your changelessness in the ever-changing continuum we call life. Let people see Your stable ways, Lord, so we can all praise You and seek Your security in all that we do. Let us as a church body worship You more fully and frequently for the constancy that is truly who You are.

Under Confession:

Lord, I confess that change can frighten me. Too many changes carried out too quickly can leave me feeling anxiety and dread. When I don’t know what to expect or what lurks around the next corner, my emotions sometimes get the best of me. I confess that I haven’t come to know Your immutability as deeply and intimately as I should. Forgive me for looking at my circumstances or the circumstances of our world more than I look at You. In You I will find peace, security, strength, and assurance. Your immutability is the blessed assurance my soul seeks.

Under Thanksgiving:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your dependability. Thank You for always being stable. Thank You that, even though society sometimes looks as if it’s on the precipice of crumbling before our very eyes, You are calm, assured, and unchanging. Nothing catches You off guard. I consider that pandemics can spread around the globe, but You are not taken by surprise. You know what will happen, and You are ever-present to provide guidance and wisdom as we navigate the onset of such times. Thank You for Your loving care, which is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Under Supplication:

Holy God, I want to be more solidly like You in what I feel and in my actions. I don’t want to allow my emotions to dictate my choices. I want Your Word to take root so deeply within me that I, too, am stable and unchanging despite what life puts on my plate. I ask for this intimacy, which will produce a greater inner peace and stability for me. I ask to know You more and to love You more completely. Help me understand the importance of understanding that my identity comes tied to You and the assuring love You give. When I do, then I can rest in Your unchanging love, peace, and provision. In the incomparable name of Jesus Christ, I pray this prayer in honor of Your unchanging nature. Amen.

In terms of organisation, it's a simple book that delivers what it says on the title, "Prayers for Knowing God".
Now that you know what the book is about, here are my thoughts. I'll tell you two things I like and one thing I don't like about this book. Two Things I LikeFirst, I like how it bridges theology to Christian living. From the Knowledge of God to Daily Prayer.
You can pray using a structure you are already familiar with: ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication (Supplication is Petition or Asking God for things). We teach new believers this formula. It is practised by saints young and old. And while it may seem like an unlikely match: ACTS is a simple practical structure and the Doctrine of God has its complex theoretical categories, this book shows that both can come together.
And come together, nicely, without fuss. Evans shows that you can pray through God's Grace, God's Plurality, God's Patience using simple everyday language. You don't need to know the details of God's Omniscience, to adore, confess, give thanks and petition his favour.
The Doctrine of God is not the hallowed ground of seminarians, it is an open green field, a garden of delights, beckoning everyone to come in. Even the youngest of children can pray through the Doctrine of God.
So that's the first reason why I like this book: it's clear on it's purpose and it delivers on it. The second reason is on what he covers in the content.
Because he is starting from the Doctrine of God, the prayers are heavenward. It's difficult to be me-centred with these prayers, because when your mind is purely on who God is, the things you pray for, the things you want, are going to be: "God, I want to be like you" or "God, I want to know more of you".
Just a quick disclaimer, I'm not saying it's wrong to pray for your own needs. It's okay to pray for finances, for money to pay the bills and so on. We can pray, "God, I want to be happy" and also pray, "God, I want to be holy like you are."
Also in this book is to be Trinitarian in our prayer. Chapter 38 is Knowing God Through the Holy Spirit. Chapter 43 is Knowing God Through Knowing His Son, Jesus Christ. Chapter 47, 48 and 49 is Knowing God through His Plurality, Distinctions and Oneness. These are categories of prayer normally not given much thought on. So it's nice to see how one can pray through God's lesser known, less appreciated attributes which are no less important.
Strangely, the attributes of God in the chapters are not complete, not complete by Evans' own measure. In Appendix B, Section 4, he lists 17 characters of God. Some in the list don't make the book. Transcendence is missing. Glory of God is curiously missing. I was so surprised by this that I even did a keyword search and the phrase does not appear in any of the prayers.
He lists God's Wrath in Appendix B, but we don't have a chapter titled, "Knowing God Through His Wrath". Although wrath is mentioned in the chapter on Mercy, Patience and Overarching Power.
These are not serious omissions because it's kind of covered within the chapters. I'm just surprised to see these important attributes missing and other attributes have multiple chapters. As I'll show you next. One Thing I Don't LikeLet's move on to talk about the Big Big Reason I don't like the book.
The book is too long.
As I said, the book delivers on what it promises. The thing is what it promises can be delivered in a much shorter book. You don't need 54 chapters to show how we can pray ACTS through the Doctrine of God. Evans has done such a great job showing how simple it is to do it, that there really isn't any need to have so many examples.
Especially when the examples overlap. Chapter 1: Holiness. Chapter 2: Separation from Sinfulness. Chapter 7: His Desire for My Personal Holiness. You could lump those chapters together and no one would be the wiser.
Maybe he is doing that because he wants to go deep into each aspect of God? Listen to what Evans says in his introduction:

Each one [prayer] is directed toward one of 55 of His attributes. But they are also crafted to walk you through several of His characteristics simultaneously. For example, the prayer that focuses on God’s graciousness includes praise for His mercy. And the prayer directed toward God’s attribute of justice includes recognition of His great faithfulness.

The prayers don't go deep. They don't really connect and build up towards some pay off. They are independent broad prayers with the same four subsections. The prayer points overlap. When what you say sounds the same from one chapter to the next, it comes across as repetitive. That's the problem I struggled with when I was reading this book.
So I decided to turn the boring read into a bit of a game. When I turn to a new chapter, I avoid reading the chapter title. Instead I would guess what is the title. I had a sneaking suspicion that I would not be able to tell one chapter from another chapter.
Well, I was wrong. His writing is direct, he tells you, this chapter is about God's Truth or God's Justice or God's Ability to Become Wearied. Even though he mentions other qualities of God in that prayer, it's still obvious which one is the anchor.
I admit my complaints about the book is because I am coming to it as a book to be read and not as a prayer-guide to pray with. Is it too much to expect to have a prayer book that reads well?
Listen to this prayer from another book:

Lord, keep me from yielding to sin, whatever I suffer. How could I do such wickedness? How could I neglect this duty and sin against you, God? For your sake, Lord, let me not sin against you. You are good. You are kind. You are gracious. You are holy. Will I sin or rebel? For your sake, Lord, I will not do it. I will not for my own sake. In sinning against God, I sin against my own soul. Sin and death, sin and hell are linked together. Even if it were not so, Lord, I will not sin against you. You are good in yourself and good to me. You are my God and my Father.

There is more but I will stop here. That prayer is from "Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans" edited by Robert Elmer. It's a "collection of carefully selected prayers from leading Puritans".
To me, the Evans book is like a paint-by-numbers book. I don't mean that as an insult. A paint-by-numbers book directs people through a formula to create a piece of art. And if Evans can get you to pray, he has achieved his goal. So that's great.
The Puritan prayer book, on the other hand, this collection of carefully selected prayers, is not paint-by-numbers. It's a gallery showcase of masterpieces. Reading it, you sense the soul in anguish, in delight, in awe, and your soul comes alongside the prayer.
I don't like the book because it's poor reading. Good for praying, maybe. Reading, no.
And that made me reflect.
I don't like the Evans book and I like the Puritan one. Is it because I am a snob? But I tell people that when you pray, you should not put on an act. Pray as you speak. Don't put on another's voice.
Yet, at the same time, I also say that when you pray, reach deep into your heart. Go deep into your knowledge of God, go deep into the desires of your heart, and bring what you find there out into prayer. That's the part I don't see in the Evans book, it just reads like a template for everybody to pray with (which is it's aim) and not like a personal prayer of someone in deep communion with God. To be fair to Evans, he did welcome you to inject your own words into your prayers.
Rather than force a person to make a choice between the two books, I suppose the solution is really simple. Your shelf is big enough for more than one book on prayer. You can learn how to pray ACTS through the Doctrine of God from Tony Evans. You can also learn how to pray deep soul-wrenching prayers from the Puritans or the like.
For myself, I think Evans could have taken that list in Appendix B, expand on each point, then give 2, 3, 5 examples of praying through ACTS. Instead of readers praying Evans' prayers, they would reflect on each attribute and pray from there. You will get a much shorter book, maybe around 20 pages, but it would, in my mind, pack the same punch.
But others may appreciate how they can systematically pray through God's attributes, one chapter at a time. If you are that person, then this book is for you. And along with Tony Evans, I would say, if this book gets you to pray and know God at a deeper level, that can only be a good thing.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "Prayers for Knowing God" by Tony Evans. 190 pages, published by Harvest House, on February 2021. It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD6.64 but it's free from Faithlife for free for August, as part of their Free Book of the Month programme.
The next book I review is a 'handsome' piece of work. You will get an answer to the question, "Why God?" "Man, now I know". So subscribe to Reading and Readers. And get more book reviews and thoughtful reflections. Until next time, take care. Book List* "Prayers for Knowing God" by Tony Evans. Amazon. Faithlife. * "Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans" edited by Robert Elmer. Amazon. Faithlife.

Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans (Prayers of the Church)

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Culture, culture, everywhere. And not a drop of wisdom to drink. We spend, rightly spend, time and effort to read and interpret the Bible. And the Bible tells us that Jesus lived as a Jew in Roman-Greco times. And we look up from our Bibles and we wonder, "How should we live in our times?"
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends", a collection of essays edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Charles A. Anderson and Michael J. Sleasman. 288 pages, published by Baker Academic on March 2007. Available via Amazon Kindle for USD19.99 but if you are listening to this in August 2022, today's book is the Logos Free Book of the Month.
If you missed the free deal, not because you didn't know Logos gives free books every month (you do) but because you didn't expect to like today's book (I didn't), then subscribe to Reading and Readers to not miss out on unexpected gems. Yet Another Everyday Theology BookI came to this book with little enthusiasm. The book cover is bland and boring. If I was not 'assigned' to read this book, I would not read it much less spend money on it. I predicted that a book titled, "Everyday Theology", would be another worthy attempt to convince the general audience on the importance of theology in Christian living. I am not just convinced, I am a vocal activist as this podcast can attest.
Just goes to show that one shouldn't judge a book by it's cover or title. We need to read the subtitle. It's "How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends". Whenever you are figuring out what the ending in a movie means, you are reading a cultural text. Whenever you are figuring out what to wear, you are interpreting trends. Figure out how what you watch and wear connect to your faith and you have a fair idea what this book is about. This book offers Christian interpretations of architecture, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, fantasy funerals and more.
A more academic, but less marketable, title would be, "Cultural Hermeneutics: An Introduction with Case Studies". Biblical Hermeneutics, I know but Cultural Hermeneutics, I don't. Biblical Hermeneutics is a core subject in any seminary. It's about interpreting the Bible. Cultural Hermeneutics is about interpreting the culture.
And until this book came along, I didn't know there was a gap in my mental toolbox that Cultural Hermeneutics fills. Journey to Culture TruthMany years ago, in my more innocent age, a friend asked whether I had listened to Eminem's new song. I thought to myself, "I didn't know M&Ms do music. I thought they only made chocolate." Soon, I figured out he was referring to Eminem, a notorious rapper.
Fast forward to today, and as a Christian, as a father, what do I do with Eminem and his angry, sometimes violent, lyrics? Is it wrong to listen? And if it is, where do you draw the line?; because most, if not all, the music we hear outside of church has no God, no Jesus, in them. If everything we do must glorify God, then is it more Christian to put aside Eminem and listen to Taylor Swift? Why?
Perplexing isn't it? Cultural norms shift so quickly and the Church gives a knee-jerk reaction, appealing more to tradition than a rigorous application of the Bible, and often betraying a lack of understanding of the music, book, film or trend. This is xenophobic, not Christ-centric.
I've been on a spiritual journey to find the truth on culture. Along the way, I have found helpful guides.
I ask, "If God, who is good, is not in non-Christians, then how can they do so much good? They produce great works of art; in architecture, literature and music." Abraham Kuyper gave me an answer in Common Grace.
I ask, "Can I read non-Christian books?" Tony Reinke absolved me of any guilt and I have adapted the reasoning in his book Lit! to movies and music.
I learnt what is a good book from Andrew Peterson in his autobiography, "Adorning the Dark". Among other things, a good book makes this world brighter, not dimmer.
And I see that in the vision crafted and fought for the childrens book series, "The Green Ember" by S.D. Smith. Oh, to be a hedge-trimmer in that world!
My journey to find the truth about culture reached a new milestone with today's book. This book surfaces questions I had but didn't know how to articulate and gives me the tools to read cultural texts. First of all to see television, movies, comic books, video games and the Internet as cultural texts.
While the earlier books were helpful to give a framework and a vision, this book, Everyday Theology, tackles Eminem head on.
Let's open the book. StructureThe book begins with a Reader's Guide that tells us where this book began (in a Cultural Hermeneutics course Kevin Vanhoozer teaches at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School); what this book is about (how to read culture), how to use this book (which I will explain more later) and whom to thank for this book (the usual suspects, rightly acknowledged and thanked).
Following the Reader's Guide, we have four parts: * Part 1: Introduction * Part 2: Reading Cultural Texts * Part 3: Interpreting Cultural Trends * Part 4: Concluding Untheoretical Postscript

And at the end, we have a glossary of methodological terms, information on the ten contributors to this book, and the usual subject index and Scripture index.
With that overview, let's go into the details. The MethodPart 1 Introduction should be renamed The Method because that is where Vanhoozer is driving the readers towards. He makes the case for cultural hermeneutics. As befitting a Systematic Theologian who has written books like, "Is There Meaning in this Text?", he unpacks Matthew 16:1-3:

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

The signs of the times can refer to the zeitgeist or the spirit of the age. We are living in an age where the Kingdom of God has been inaugurated but awaiting consummation.
If Vanhoozer's opening chapter is difficult, it's because he wishes to ensure readers are on sure footing. That what he is laying out is biblical and possesses academic rigour. Some of us may not care to learn about "locution", "illocution", and "perlocution", some of us do. Bear in mind that Vanhoozer is writing Everyday Theology for the Everyday Christian.
He writes:

Cultural texts project worlds of meaning that invite us in and encourage us to make our home there. The world of a cultural text—say, for example, the world projected by Friends, Survivor, or Desperate Housewives—unfolds a possible way of living together, a possible way of being human. But we can go further. These culturally created worlds present themselves accompanied by the whisper of their creators: “And behold, it is very good.” There’s the rub. Should we accept the invitation?

If you persist to the end, you will be rewarded with: The Method. When I read the phrase, "The Method", my mind went to Hercule Poirot, the fictional detective in Agatha Christie's novel. He often berated Captain Hastings for not using his gray cells and the lack of method in his approach. I like to read mystery novels to 'learn the detective's methods' and look forward to the final reveal. Wouldn't it be super if we could learn it and make our own reveals?
That's what Vanhoozer offers here, the secrets to reading the world: the world behind the text, the world in the text and the world in front of the cultural text. Along the way, you ask questions like:

"Who made this cultural text and why? What does it mean and how does it work? What effect does it have on those who receive, use, or consume it?"

There is more to say but we should move on. We have to move to the other chapters. I stress again that you must complete Vanhoozer's chapter no matter how tempted you may be to skip to Part 2. Reading Cultural TextsPart 2: Reading Cultural Texts has some of the best chapter titles I have read this year. Let me read the titles for chapters 2 to 6. We have here:* The Gospel According to Safeway: The Checkout Line and the Good Life * Despair and Redemption: A Theological Account of Eminem * The High Price of Unity: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights * Between City and Steeple: Looking at Megachurch Architecture. A short note, written by Prekumar D. Williams, noteworthy in this collection of essays as an instructor in theology at Baptist Seminary of South India in Bangalore, India. * Swords, Sandals and Saviors: Visions of Hope in Ridley Scott's Gladiator. A fairly recent movie when this book was published. Let me remind you that this book was published in 2007. Let me also bring to your attention that the movie "The Gladiator" was released in 2000. Yes, it's been that long, it's been 22 years since you saw Maximus commanding gladiators in the arena.

I had an impossible time choosing a chapter to talk about. Any of these topics could easily take up a whole podcast episode.
From the Eminem chapter, I could jump to today, 15 years after the book, in Christian Hip Hop.
In Shai Linne's 2017 album, "Still Jesus", the last track is titled, "Washer's Warning" and in it we hear Paul Washer saying:

I came here thinking that I would hear hip hop. I came here thinking that I would hear rappers. I heard preaching. I heard preaching. And I heard a respect for the truth, and a desire to communicate it.

Or how about another question that bugs me. In the chapter on architecture, "Between City and Steeple" we read about theaters and malls, steeples, pulpits and communion tables, what I really want to ask the author is: "Hey, you are writing from India Baptist Theological Seminary. I want to know more about that one enticing line in your conclusion: 'Vernacular forms of architecture, ... , have potential to recall a theological heritage and express the identity of a people called to witness in a given culture.' So steeples in Indian churches, yay or nay?" And as I ask this, my mind is thinking about the Haggia Sophia, that great Constantinople Cathedral now a mosque in Istanbul.
There are so many jumping points from this book but for the sake of a coherent book review, let us look into the thesis of one chapter. I made my choice and it is the movie: Gladiator.
Michael Sleasman writes:

Though it may initially surprise the casual viewer, this essay proposes that the theme of visions of hope is a hermeneutical key to the best interpretation of Gladiator. Grappling with hope gives this film deep relevance in a culture where so many are disillusioned by hopes that disappoint; there is a ripeness in the air for a hope that lasts, a hope that is eternal, a hope that does not fail, and Gladiator gropes blindly after such a hope.

Sleasman goes through The Method: In the World-Behind-the-Text, we read the influence of classical epics like Spartacus and Ben Hur, a quick analysis of Ridley's Scotts films, and the historical Marcus Aurelius and his family.
In the World-Of-the-Text, he explains the plot and characters and whether there is an overt Christian theme in the movie. Ridley Scott says no but also says Maximus dies as a martyr and saviour of Rome. While the Christian influence may be ambiguous, it is clear that Maximus is a religious character. His faith sustains him. This topic is explored in depth in the next section.
In the World-In-Front-of-The-Text, Sleasman explores various interpretations. He pointedly says that the privilege of interpretation should be accorded to the director, Ridley Scott, who has said that mortality is the central theme of the movie. But Sleasman refutes:

While Scott may have intended something less than Christian, the expression of a deep orientation toward the future may undercut that intention. If mortality were the cultural existential expressed, the question begs to be asked why meeting his family in the afterlife motivates his actions in this world, as Scott himself argues. In the end, I propose, Scott directs better than he knows.

And Sleasman proceeds to lay out the Christian vision of hope, contrasts it against what is offered in Gladiator and politely insists that Sleasman has a better interpretation of the movie than the director. He writes:

As such, I appeal to the interpretation I believe to be the most comprehensive and yet simplest, as that which resonates with the cultural existentials expressed in this cultural text. Quite possibly, Scott himself may have lacked a full vocabulary of hope to express his own vision and intention, even if this was at a subconscious level.

Quite possibly, Sleasman is a bit full of himself. Film critics. The bane of the director's existence. Let me critic the chapter.
My question is: "Is it correct to insist on your interpretation over and against the creator's interpretation?"
When I say something, I don't appreciate it when someone insists that he knows better than me on what I just said. And we all know how some people can read power politics, gender ideology, conspiracy theories into anything, even the Bible. So are we Christians guilty of reading things into the text when we read the culture?
This is a question Vanhoozer, Sleasman and every contributor in this book takes seriously.
I have come away from that question with thanksgiving. I am thankful that God is Truth, and I don't have to second-guess God's motives or character in what he says. When a man says I love you to a woman, maybe he has other motives. But when God says I love you to you and me, it is the purest and holiest of motives. So knowing God's standards are ever true, never tarnished, I appreciate what the authors of these essays do in bringing God's standards, God's word to bear in these works. Interpreting Cultural Trends and OthersI finished Part 2, hoping for more. Part 3 gives me more but of a different kind. Now, instead of specific cultural texts, we have broader trends. Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10, look at busyness, blogs, transhumanism and fantasy funerals. Everybody understands busyness and blogs, although Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok have since surpassed blogs in popularity and notoriety. Transhumanism is about being more than human, it is mankind's deliberate attempt to create the X-men. Fantasy funerals is a weird one because how is this a trend? I don't recognise it as anything other than a fetish subculture phenomenon. Maybe when this essay was written fantasy funerals were taking off, and all I say is thankfully it didn't.
Part 4 has only one chapter. Chapter 11: Putting It into Practice: Weddings for Everyday Theologians. He brings together everything we read, the Method and the case studies, and shows us how it applies to weddings. And in that chapter, the book ends.
I sometimes complain that books end too abruptly. Especially books which are a collection of essays. This is not one of those books. It ends well by bringing to mind Eminem, Gladiator, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, what we have learnt and what we can do as cultural agents. We end the book with a sense of closure. And I think we have the editors to thank. Editors Rock!Editors are the silent heroes of the publishing world. They take lumps of clay and turn it into a Michelangelo masterpiece. Or maybe it's the other way around.
Anyways, I don't normally observe the editors work but in this book I am glad to commend the editors.
Before each chapter, the editors give a editorial introduction. For example, for chapter 4 on UN Declaration of Human Rights, the editorial introduction begins with:

With this essay we come to what at first appears to be a very different kind of cultural text than the music of Eminem.

The short editorial introductions link the chapters together, highlighting the differences and commonalities from one chapter to the next. Helps readers know what to look for.
Then there are the little box inserts that serve as editorial comments. They have titles like "Behind the Text", "For the Toolkit", "Further Reflections" and "Book Link".
"Behind the Text" gives a Behind the Scenes look at the essay. For the Gladiator chapter, it spotlights how Michael Sleasman, the writer of that chapter, surveys various interpretations, assesses them, proposes his own interpretation with evidence.
In another box insert, "For the Toolkit", the editor critiques the interpretative technique applied and in "Further Reflection", the editor offers further thoughts on the subject.
The editorial comment I most look forward to is the "Book Link". It is a 300-word-or-so essay by Vanhoozer where he reviews books. For example, on the architecture chapter, he recommends Heaven in Stone and Glass: Experiencing the Spirituality of the Great Cathedrals by Robert Barron and Angels in the Architecture: A Protestant Vision for Middle Earth by Douglas Jones and Douglas Wilson. And Vanhoozer's recommendation are a handy supplement to the further readings suggested by the essayist.
In the beginning of this episode, I lamented the lack of resources to deal with specific issues of culture. Now, at the end of each chapter, I am spoilt for choice!
With so many editorial comments, it sometimes feels like a teacher giving students helpful pointers their work. Wait. That's exactly what this book is. It's a collection of essays from Professor Vanhoozer's Cultural Hermeneutics class. From the Reader's Guide:

My co-editors and I have selected a representative sampling from the one hundred and forty-five term papers written over the past five years.

I don't know how heavily the chapters were edited from their original submission but I must commend the final product.
It's well organised, the chapters flow seamlessly, the editorial inserts can be intrusive but I don't think so and the book ends with much appreciated closure. It reads so well, as if it was guided by a single mind through multiple hands. ConclusionEveryday Theology is for the everyday Christian. Movies, music, politics, social media, weddings and funerals. No shallow analysis on them with the Gospel message tacked on in the end. The first chapter written by the Professor might be a bit hard reading, but the remaining chapters, the best term papers selected for the best fit, were written by individuals who have yet to develop the fine art of academic obfuscation.
One criticism is the book is a bit dated: 2007. While we can see Tom Cruise reprise Maverick, we won't be seeing Russell Crowe reprise Maximus. Won't it be sweet to see The Method applied to Top Gun? And track what has changed from 1986 to 2022 from a Christian worldview. Don't we want more Cultural Hermeneutics?
I googled Cultural Hermeneutics and there are no interesting hits. It's not that people are not analysing culture from a Christian Worldview. We have tonnes of blogs, YouTube videos, podcasts speaking for culture, against culture. The problem is we don't a critical mass to work around unlike in apologetics or soteriology or eschatology, where discussions come out of those categories. Discussions on music are labeled music, not cultural hermeneutics which makes it harder to learn the skills of reading culture.
When I first started this podcast, there was another podcast idea I was toying with, which was to analyse entertainment from a Christian worldview. Surely, I'm not the only one who sees in Spiderman's "With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility" an echo of the Christian's "We are Blessed to be a Blessing".
Today's book unexpectedly showed me in book form, what I only imagined could be possible in a podcast. Do you think it's a great podcast idea? If you know anything like it, tell me. If you like the idea enough to do it, tell me and I'll be happy to be your first subscriber.
Until told otherwise, I think today's book is a most impressive and unique contribution to cultural discussions. A great jumping-off point to much that is happening around us. It keeps us on our toes to see culture as more complex, and less simplistic as so many suppose. And thus, more opportunities for Christians to be a better reader of culture.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of "Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends", edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Charles A. Anderson and Michael J. Sleasman. 288 pages, published by Baker Academic on March 2007. Available via Amazon Kindle for USD19.99 and free in Logos for August and only August.
I've given so many good reviews lately that you might think I rate every book highly. I try to see the best in every book. But the next book I review is not a book I particularly enjoy. "Pray tell, what is that book?", you say. Well, subscribe to Reading and Readers and don't miss out on any great deals and book reviews. This podcast saves you time and money. Have a good one. Thanks for listening. Book List* "Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends", edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Charles A. Anderson and Michael J. Sleasman. Amazon. Logos. * "Common Grace" by Abraham Kuyper. Amazon. Logos. * "Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading" by Tony Reinke. Amazon. Logos. * "Wingfeather Saga" by Andrew Peterson. Amazon. Reading and Readers Review. * "The Green Ember Series" by S.D. Smith. Amazon. Reading and Readers Review.

Wingfeather Saga Boxed Set: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness; North! Or Be Eaten; The Monster in the Hollows; The Warden and the Wolf King (The Wingfeather Saga)

Common Grace (Volume 1): God's Gifts for a Fallen World (Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology)

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books

Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends (Cultural Exegesis)

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A preacher walks into a church. A church member asks him, "Can you please preach on worship." The preacher says, "Sure. I've got a great sermon on John 4:24, 'Worship in Spirit and in Truth'.". The church member says, "No, that wouldn't do. The last three preachers preached on that same verse. Do you have something else?" The preacher thought for a while and said, "Nope. I've got nothing." With today's book, you will know how other books in the Bible, verses other than John 4:24, speak on worship.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review Biblical Worship: Theology for God's Glory, edited by Benjamin Forrest, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., and Vernon M. Whaley. 544 pages, published by Kregel Academic in February 2021. Take note, this is a very new book. The list price is USD42.99, available in Amazon Kindle for USD29.92, and available in Logos for July and only July for USD9.99. A very new book for a very low price. I don't think you will ever get this book at a cheaper price.
And yes, I know July ends in a few days but in the last episode, episode 47, I did call attention to this deal. If you missed the deal and don't want to miss another one, subscribe to Reading and Readers, and get book reviews on free or nearly free books. Popular vs AcademicToday's book, Biblical Worship, is a Logos Book, which to some, is a signal that today's book is not a book for you. Because the Logos Books are academic, scholarly, technical books, targeting pastors, academics and serious Bible students. But wait... today's book is about worship. If it's archaeology, nobody says anything, few know, few care. Worship, everybody has an opinion.
Now, there are many good worship books written for a popular audience. Let me give you a few: "Corporate Worship: How the Church Gathers as God's People", a 9Marks book, written by Mark Merker. Only 176 pages.
Another one by Keith and Kristyn Getty, the worship powerhouse couple, "Sing!: How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family and Church". This is also only 176 pages.
If you would prefer a shorter book, you can read "The Reset: Returning to the Heart of Worship and a Life of Undivided Devotion" by Jeremy Riddle. I got to know of this book from the "Redman & Riddle" podcast hosted by Matt Redman and Jeremy Riddle. It's like sitting in a lounge over coffee with two accomplished worship leaders tackling worship challenges with titles like: Encounter vs Entertainment or Comfort vs Confrontation or Holiness vs Helpfulness.
The point I'm making is there are tonnes and tonnes of great resources on worship so why would anyone want to read a 544 page book by boring old scholars? In fact, if you read the three books I just suggested, the total page count of those three books is still less than this one book.
Let me explain the difference between books written for a popular audience and books written for a more academic audience.
Books for popular audience like the 9Marks book or the Gettys book or the Riddle book, they are written with one eye on the Bible and one eye on how the church or the family or the individual should worship.
On the other hand, for today's book, Biblical Worship or other academic books on worship, what the writers do is they take the Bible, they tear some pages and they chew on these pages. After some years of sucking the ink off those pages, they then write about what they have tasted and it is good!
It's not that one type of book is better than the other, different methods, different audience, but I am pushing you to go beyond your comfort zone to read titles that you normally would not. Systematic Theology vs Biblical TheologySpeaking of types, today's book is a theology book. There are two ways to go about theology: Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology. The label Biblical Theology is a bit confusing because it doesn't mean that it's more biblical than Systematic, it just means its focus is on the books themselves. That doesn't seem to explain much, so I will give an illustration because I think its important you know the difference between Systematic and Biblical Theology for you to fully appreciate what you get in today's book.
Imagine, if you will, in front of you there are 66 packs of M&Ms those brightly coloured button-sized chocolates.
The Systematic Theologian would tear open all 66 packs and put all the red M&Ms in one pile, all the blue M&Ms in one pile and so on. Then he would study the redness of the reds, the blueness of the blues and so on. Eventually, he will tell you what is the essence of redness. This is the Systematic Theologian's training, to open up 66 books of the Bible to tell you what is the holiness of God, what is sin, what is salvation and so on. This is how most Christians understand theology.
Now, we come to the other approach: Biblical Theology. If you give 66 packs of M&Ms to him, he opens them but he doesn't put all the red M&Ms in one pile. He takes the pack, picks out the red M&Ms, and places them next to the original wrapper with all the other colours nearby. When you ask him what is the essence of redness, he picks up the red M&M in front of you and tells you what it means to be red while holding the wrapper and the other colours in his other hand. One way of doing Biblical Theology is to tell you the holiness of God in Genesis, Exodus and so on and perhaps relating the holiness of God to other attributes of God, like love or justice.
Which is better: Systematic or Biblical? That's not a good question because we need both. Biblical Theology is helpful when we want to see how a concept or idea is presented differently from one book to the next. But we still need to do some Systematic Theology to unify the elements, otherwise we risk pitting the Apostle Paul against the Apostle James, we do that when we only see the differences and not what they share in common.
I needed to explain Biblical Theology because that is the big selling point of today's book. It's a Biblical Theology of worship. StructureConsider the structure of the book: The book is divided into two main parts, Worship in the Old Testament and Worship in the New Testament. There are 21 chapters for the Old Testament and 13 chapters for the New Testament.
"Woah... Woah there Terence. Why are we making life so difficult? Why don't we just do a word search on the word 'worship', study those verses and we will know what the Bible says about worship."
That doesn't work because:1. You don't know what you are missing. For example, in the Old Testament, sacrifices are a vivid, visual and fragrant, element of worship. That means when we go into the New Testament, when Paul says living sacrifice, he is using worship language. When he says he is being poured out like a drink offering, that is also worship without using the word worship. 2. What you get is not what you are looking for. For example, when the magi worshipped baby Jesus, they didn't worship him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The magi's worship is different from the Christian worship today. Thus the use of the worship there is not helpful to formulate what is Christian worship.

That's why it is helpful to study what each book in the Bible teaches about worship. Hence, why in today's book, we have 34 chapters from 36 contributors. The contributors are professors of the Old Testament or professors of the New Testament. They have written journals and commentaries. There are some recognisable names in the list. These are people who spend a life time chewing on their favourite pages of the Bible.
It's easy to see which chapters refer to which books because the chapters are subtitled worship in Joshua, worship in Judges and so on.
Some chapters are groupings of books. One chapter that looks at worship in the united monarchy, another chapter looks at worship in the divided kingdom. One chapter is on the pre-exilic minor prophets. Another chapter is on the post-exilic minor prophets.
But there is one Bible book that gets special treatment. Instead of sharing a chapter with others, it gets six chapters all to itself. Star treatment.
Guess which book would that be? Hint: This is a book on worship. Another hint: Which Bible book has the most chapters. 150 chapters.
And the answer, of course, is the Psalms.
In the New Testament section, we see groupings, the synoptic gospels is one chapter, pastoral epistles is one, prison epistles is another. The last chapter has a wonderfully anticipatory title: Hallelujah, what a saviour! Worship in the Apocalypse. The whole book ends with a short epilogue from the editors followed by a Scripture index.
From the Table of Contents, I can see that it nearly covers the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Nearly covers but not completely. That's because there are some books missing: Proverbs, Job, James and most disappointing of all, Daniel. We don't just miss Daniel and his friends and their faith in God. We also miss out on a deeper look at King Nebuchadnezzar's worship of God. And how the nations will worship God in the last days. It's a big gap in an otherwise comprehensive set of essays.
Let's look at one chapter from the Old Testament and one chapter from the New. Worship in the Old TestamentFrom the Old Testament, I have picked the chapter on Joshua, which is chapter 5 and is titled, "Trust and Obedience as Worship to Yahweh: Worship in the Book of Joshua" by J. Michael Thigpen.
The editors have instructed every writer to divide their work into three sections: context, theology and significance.
So for context, Thigpen begins by telling us how he defines worship and how definition connects with the whole theme of Joshua. The definition is important because we would other wise not connect trust and obedience to worship. Then he gives us a summary background of Joshua, which is helpful to establish the context.
Then moving to the next section, the theology of worship, he begins by unpacking Joshua 1:1-9 where God prepares Joshua to be a leader. Thigpen writes:

Joshua saw the miracles in the wilderness. He was nearby when Moses spoke with God in the tent of meeting. He had been obedient and called for the people to trust and obey at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 13–14). Joshua had heard the law given at Mount Sinai, and he had personally affirmed submission to it. He had heard Moses’s exposition of the law just before his death. He had all the experience he needed to believe God would keep his promises, to prompt him to be courageous, to be obedient, and to spend a lifetime meditating on God’s great acts. But God never once mentions Joshua’s experiences or memories. Instead, God points him to the Scriptures that existed at his time—the book of the law of Moses. This sets the tone for the rest of Joshua, emphasizing that the word of God, the Scriptures, are the bedrock of all worship.

I'll tell you the significance of this theological insight to me.
Every Christian knows that our worship is built on the Word. But what about personal testimonies? Is it wrong? That is not the correct question. The question is where is the place of personal testimonies?
And we see here, that Joshua could have relied on personal testimonies, God could have asked Joshua to remember what he had seen. But instead, God emphasises Scripture, "This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth". God emphasises Scripture without dismissing Joshua's experience.
Thigpen tells us that this is important for two reasons. First is authentication. Israel cannot determine what is true and false from Joshua's personal experience. It can only do that through Scripture.
Second is continuity. What links Israel from one generation to the next is not Joshua's personal experience, it is Scripture.
Both of these reasons are true for us today.
You nod your head but you ask, "How is this related to worship?"
Thigpen makes the case that worship is a matter of life and death. He expounds from Joshua 2 and 7, which contain the story of Rahab and the story of Achan. Thigpen writes:

If the story of Rahab helps to confirm the life-and-death nature of worship, the account of Achan inscribes it in stone. Not worshiping the Lord, not trusting and obeying, is deadly.

Worship is a matter of life and death. You can chew on this statement for a long, long, time. And by chewing on it, reflecting on the stories of Rahab and Achan, you can draw significance in your own life and situation. Worship in the New TestamentThere is more to say in Thigpen's essay but I want to move to something from the New Testament.
My next on is Chapter 31 titled, "Grounded in Allegiance to Christ and Affection for God: Worship in John's Letters" by Andreas Köstenberger.
Unlike Thigpen's essay, Köstenberger writes only two paragraphs for the context. One paragraph to summarise the three letters of John and one paragraph to explain that John doesn't directly talk about worship and there is still something here to learn that applies to worship.
In the next section, he writes under the heading Personal Experience, Köstenberger comments on 1 John 1:1, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched -- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life".
Köstenberger writes:

John’s worship of Jesus—the Word of life—is grounded in personal experience. John had encountered the Word that had become flesh in Jesus—the life-giving Word—and had come to embrace him as the God-sent Messiah and God-given atonement for the sins of the world and placed his faith in him. This personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in turn, became the ground of fellowship with others and of the message John proclaimed (vv. 2–3). Thus, properly understood, worship — defined as recognizing the true worth of God’s gift in Jesus and a believing response to it — is at the root of Christian fellowship and proclamation.

From personal experience, Köstenberger goes on to elaborate on propitiation, love, spiritual warfare, confession, love revisited and faith.
Then he concludes the essay by summarising the theology of worship and tying it with the significance of it for biblical worship in two paragraphs. You will note that a big chunk of this essay is in the middle section, the theology of worship, which I will talk about later.
I picked Köstenberger's essay as an interesting contrast with Thigpen's essay. Thigpen says, "God never once mentions Joshua’s experiences or memories." On the other hand, Köstenberger says, "John's worship of Jesus is grounded on personal experience."
What each writes on worship for their assigned books is entirely consistent. It's when we put the essays side by side that we can see tension. Is it because Thigpen and Köstenberger are in conflict? Or, more worryingly, is it because Joshua and John are in conflict? This kind of thing happens in Biblical Theology.
That is not to say that Systematic Theology guarantees no conflicts but Systematic Theology comes with a mindset to harmonise all the data, its danger is it might interpret the data apart from where the data came from.
Another contrast between Thigpen and Köstenberger's essay is how they portion out their words for the three sections. The editors instructed contributors to organise their essays in three sections but the writers were free to write as much or as little in those sections.
Some writers wrote a lot for significance and some like Köstenberger wrote very little. As I read this book from cover to cover, it was a jerky experience. It's like watching a movie with a long draggy ending, then in the next movie, the ending just suddenly happened. You are left wondering, "Is that it? Is that how it ends? Oh." Who is This Book Perfect ForThe target audience for this book is clearly the preacher, pastor or serious Bible student. If you are going to write a paper on worship, preach on worship or teach on worship, then this is a helpful book. Recent scholarship, reliable scholars, every chapter has its own bibliography which is a source of other leads.
But I want to talk to the everyday reader who I think can benefit from a little stretching of the reading muscles. Who would normally not reach for an academic book because that's not your thing.
We all know our worship is ultimately based on the Bible. We may watch YouTube, listen to podcasts, read books, blogs and tweets but ultimately we know we get our understanding of worship from the Bible. The problem is very few of us would read the Bible from cover to cover to study worship. That's why we read the 100, 200 page books because someone else did the hard work.
What I'm saying here is instead of reading that, which is okay, it is good, why don't you try going nearer to the Bible. Why don't you read an essay on what is worship in Joshua? What is worship in the Letters of John? Get a more solid grasp of the source material.
Reading this book, or any Biblical Theology book, will help you be a better Bible reader, a better Bible thinker. You will be more familiar with the themes and outlines of the books of the Bible. You will see how the writer takes a verse and walks you to the conclusion, so that next time you can take a verse and make your own biblical conclusions. Your understanding of worship will be more than Jesus said we are to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), you can see worship in every book of the Bible. And isn't that a worthy goal? If everybody did this, would we have worship wars?
This is not to say that this book is the definitive word on worship and everything here you should accept without consideration.
There are statements in the book that I am not fully behind. For example, in one essay it says that the Jerusalem walls in Nehemiah was purely for consecration not for defence. That's my first time hearing it so I need to study it a bit more before I get behind it.
In another essay, it says that priests and Levites, their roles are fulfilled by worship pastors today. Once, I would have just accepted that as true. Now I think you need to back it up a bit more and with more nuance. The way I understand it, you can't say worship leaders are priests because we are all priests. You have to explain how does the priesthood of all believers work in that scheme.
But overall, many of these statements are not the main thrust of the essay, so accordingly, I set them aside. These statements do not derail the main points of the essay, or the approach, the Biblical Theological approach the writers take, that we can learn. Other BooksAnd if you like the Biblical Theology on Worship approach, what other books can you consider? There are two books here that were cited so often that the editors acknowledged them in their introduction.
"For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship" by Daniel I. Block. 432 pages published by Baker Academic in September 2016.
and
"Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation" by Allen P. Ross. 592 pages published by Kregel Academic in November 2006.
If you like the idea of Biblical Theology but on other topics, you will be glad to know that today's book is part of a series called, "Biblical Theology for the Church". There are only two books in the series for now, the other topic is on Biblical Leadership. So there is more goodness to come.
There is another series of Biblical Theology that I thoroughly enjoy, which is the NSBT, New Studies in Biblical Theology. It's a wonderful series and quite a few of NSBT books were quoted in today's book. There are 53 books in this series and counting, with titles on race, prayer, redemption, covenant, death and the afterlife, and many more. I've read 7 of them and they are just splendid. ConclusionToday's book, "Biblical Worship" is available for the very, very low price of USD9.99 in Logos. Just go to the Free Book of the Month link, it's not the free book of the month, just scroll down pass the many good deals. I honestly don't see how you can get this book at an even lower price.
And even if you missed Logos' offer, I hope you got something out of today's book review that might encourage you to try a Biblical Theology book, if you have never tried one before. Or get away from the online chatter and just draw nearer to the Bible to know what the Bible says about worship.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of Biblical Worship: Theology for God's Glory, edited by Benjamin Forrest, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., and Vernon M. Whaley.
Today's episode is a special episode because 1) it's the first time I release four book reviews in a month, whew! It's tiring! And 2) I'm releasing this out of the normal schedule because I want to get it out before the month, and the deal, ends. If you don't want to miss book reviews on free books, or on good books, then subscribe to Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Tell all your friends and they will thank you for it. I am going to take a well deserved rest, I'll see you in two weeks. Bye bye. Book List
* Biblical Worship: Theology for God's Glory, edited by Benjamin Forrest, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., and Vernon M. Whaley. Amazon. Logos. * "For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship" by Daniel I. Block. Amazon. Logos. * "Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation" by Allen P. Ross. Amazon. * New Studies in Biblical Theology Series. Logos.

For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship

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300 years ago, many Puritans believed the return of Christ was imminent. After all, the Great Awakening was divine proof that America was the last stop in the global harvest. Alas! America today is not the America the Puritans knew. America today needs vision. Not political vision. Or social vision. But a theological vision! And who better to offer that theological vision to America than America's greatest theologian, Jonathan Edwards.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review God's Grand Design: The Theological Vision of Jonathan Edwards by Sean Michael Lucas. 224 pages, published by Crossway in October 2011.
This book is a free book of the month of July from Faithlife. You can listen to this review and get the book, or you can just get the book first. Why wait? This podcast episode will always be around but that free offer ends.
Do you know what other free offer ends? God's offer for our redemption. That also ends. One day, maybe tomorrow!, there will be a cosmic conclusion to this age. But Christians do not wait and do nothing. For the redemption we receive, we apply.
300 years ago, Jonathan Edwards saw God's redemption working at two levels: the cosmic and the personal. The cosmic story of Creation and the personal story of a Christian. This vision is found in his letters, sermons, books and published and unpublished material.
But we need someone to bring together the scattered pieces to turn it into a coherent picture. Who is that someone?
I give you Sean Michael Lucas, professor of church history at Reformed Theological Seminary. His first published work, back in 2003, was "The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards: American Religion and the Evangelical Tradition", he was one of the editors and a contributing essayist. Writing on Jonathan Edwards is no easy task as Lucas explains:

One of the things that makes the study of Jonathan Edwards overwhelming is the sheer amount of literature. First, of course, is the amount of material written by Edwards himself. While the definitive Yale University Press print edition filled twenty-six volumes, the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University has made available transcriptions of a wide range of materials online that total seventy-three “volumes.” Obviously, any attempt to master Edwards is futile, although we now have a better opportunity and access than ever before to know what he said.

So while he says any attempt to master Edwards is futile, the books he has read, the books he has written, this book we are reviewing now, shows a dedicated attempt to capture Jonathan Edwards theological vision.
Thus, the scenario before you is this: "Lucas has done the heroic attempt to distill Edwards' vision into 200 pages. Will you make an attempt at Jonathan Edwards?"
This is no trivial question. Edwards comes from a time when a book title is a sentence, a sentence is a paragraph and a paragraph is an essay. By our standards, the Puritans' writing is slow, long, convoluted, yet promising to be deep, meditative and soul-enriching. But, you say, this book, God's Grand Design is not written by Jonathan Edwards, it's written by Sean Michael Lucas, so it's easy right?
That's why you need to listen to this review. StructureGod's Grand Design by Sean Michael Lucas is divided into two parts: Part I is Redemption History and Part II is Redemption Applied. The cosmic and the personal.
In Part I, we have four chapters, namely:1. God's Grand Design: The Glory of God 2. God's End in Creating the World: Creation, Nature, Fall 3. The Great Errand of Christ: Redemption 4. The Summum and Ultimum: Consumation

From those four chapter headings you can see God's Grand Design. But if you were expecting a brisk walk from Genesis to Revelation, you won't get it. The book assumes you already have an outline of redemptive history, and if you don't, there are better books for that. What Lucas offers here is Jonathan Edwards' thoughts, commentary on redemptive history. That's Part I.
In Part II, Redemption Applied, we have seven chapters, starting with chapter 5: 5. A Divine and Supernatural Light 6. The Nature of True Religion: Holy Affections 7. The Dark Side of Religious Affections: Self-Deception 8. A Love Life: How the Affections Produce Genuine Virtue 9. Means of Grace: The Ministry of the Word 10. Means of Grace: The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper 11. Means of Grace: Prayer, Personal and Global 12. The Christian Life as a Journey to Heaven
The way the book is written, you never doubt that what Lucas writes is what Edwards thought. You know how helpful it is when someone makes a biblical argument, they quote the Bible verse? Lucas does the same. When he tells us this is Edwards theological opinion, he quotes an Edwards sermon or book or letter. Lucas also gets us familiar with other writers, especially in Appendix 1.
Appendix 1 is an annotated bibliography. It's so useful, you should just download this book (which is free for July from Faithlife) just for this appendix. You might never read Lucas' book, but you might read a book he recommends here. For example, he briefly reviews four biographies on Edwards: a big one, a short one, a Harvard one and an Iain Murray one. There are around 20 books in his survey.
I appreciate his candour. On Edwards book, "The Life of Brainerd", Lucas writes:

I am not a big fan of that book either. While Edwards attempted to produce a case study in piety, Brainerd strikes me as overly morose and inward.

Considering that the Life of Brainerd is the book that launched a million missions, I like how Lucas is able to critique his hero. To him, Edwards is a man like us. That's actually the title of his essay, which we can find in Appendix 2.
This essay, "A Man Like Us: Jonathan Edwards and Spiritual Formation for Ministerial Candidates" is like a biographical sketch, but he says it's not. And it's meant to encourage the reader.
So why was it that I finished the book feeling quite discouraged?
Listen to what Lucas wrote in the introduction. After briefing describing the themes for the book:

To chart these themes well means that at times this book may be rough sledding for some. Having taught on Jonathan Edwards to seminarians, I’ve walked with them through his knotty passages and complex thoughts; but these require careful thought, precise statement, and sometimes rereading.

And I was discouraged because there were sections where I didn't get. I know Edwards is saying something profound, Lucas is translating it to my everyday language, but I still couldn't understand it. Even after rereading it a few times!
That is why my early drafts for this book review was unfavourable. I felt like I didn't gain much.
Until I referred to my notes. I use Logos software to read, so it has a list of what I highlighted. As I went through the list, I was surprised by how much I actually gained. Edwards is dense so the little that I gleaned was also dense.
I include this personal reflection early in this review, to be upfront about the difficulty of grasping Edwards' theological vision, as Lucas reminds us it requires careful thought, precise statement, and sometimes rereading. But there is spiritual gold here, and I want to tell you about two gold nuggets. One from each part of the book. Images of Divine ThingsThe big idea in Part I is God's glory and God's glory is the fount from which John Piper sweeps his hands wide, gasps at God's self-glorifying majesty, and invites all God's creatures to be in Christ-centred awe. That is the big idea in Part I but I won't talk about that. Instead I want to talk about one Jonathan Edwards notebook that might inspire my own version.
Lucas writes:

Because the end of creation is to reflect God’s glory back to him, it is not surprising that Edwards sought to read creation itself for signs of God’s excellency, beauty, and glory. In order to assist him in these reflections, Edwards put together a notebook that he entitled “Images of Divine Things.” In the notebook, he draws parallels between things he saw in God’s world and truths found in Scripture.

What I read next is an extensive quote of Lucas citing multiple examples from Edwards:

Roses and thorns signify “that all temporal sweets are mixed with bitter,” but even more that “the crown of glory” can come only “by bearing Christ’s cross by a life of mortification, self-denial, and labor, and bearing all things for Christ.” The ways snakes are able to charm birds in order to kill them “are lively representations of the devil’s catching our souls by his temptations.” The silkworm stands as a type of Christ in this way: “when it dies, [it] yields us that of which we make such glorious clothing. Christ became a worm for our sakes, and by his death finished that righteousness with which believers are clothed.” The waves of the ocean during a storm “have a representation of the terrible wrath of God and amazing misery of them that endure it.” Lightning commonly strikes high mountains, spires, trees, and the like; this signifies “that heaven is an enemy to all proud persons, and that especially makes such the marks of his vengeance.”

This is the sort of thing that Charles Spurgeon did. It's also the sort of thing I have learnt to avoid in preaching or teaching because these illustrations too easily become what people focus on and remember. But these illustrations are man-made, you can make anything say anything you want. There is no control. In contrast, if you stick close to the text, you are on sure ground, you are safely constrained by the text. That's what I believe and still believe.
But now, after reading Edwards, I love how he loves God so much that he sees God's truth everywhere. In the flowers, animals, weather and everyday things. This is evidence of a man constantly thinking, meditating and looking for God. And I would like to be such a man.
That's one gold nugget, now to the next. False Affections and Evangelical HypocritesIf Part I of this book is familiar to me, it's because of John Piper, who by the way, is the one who introduced Jonathan Edwards to me. Reading Part I, you cannot fail to see Edwards influence on Piper's ministry.
For Part II, chapters 5-8 is familiar to me because I read Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections.
I have recommended this book to young people who see a lack of emotions in some services and a flood of emotions in others and were wondering what to make of it. I suggested Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards because his thorough, meditative and precise study on this issue settled the matter once and for all for me. He wrote it so well, I thought there was nothing else that needed to be said.
At least that's what I thought until I read this book. These four chapters. And he picks up on things that that I didn't notice before. For example, in chapter 7, "The Dark Side of Religious Affections", Lucas begins the chapter by writing:

Though many people are familiar with at least some of Edwards’s argument in Religious Affections, they are probably unaware that there is another, darker side to what he was saying.

Lucas later explains:

And, as already noted, the burden of Religious Affections was to mark out what true revival and conversion look like. However, what must be recognized is that Edwards also sought to identify the characteristics of false religion; or to put it differently, he attempted to show colonial men and women that they very well might have been self-deceived about their spiritual condition.

The signs that they claim are evidence of their spiritual wellness are inconclusive. Lucas goes through each evidence one at a time.
Having extraordinary affections, emotions raised to a high pitch, doesn't mean you are converted.
Being able to speak fluently and at length of one's spiritual experience doesn't mean you are converted.
Being able to quote Scripture or have Bible verses come directly to the mind doesn't mean you are converted. I quote Lucas:

The Devil himself can bring texts of Scripture to the mind and misapply them in such a way to draw people away from God rather than to him.

A strong response to the Word may not mean anything. A free and engaged worship may also not mean anything.
Lucas writes:

All of these signs are really “not signs” of a changed life. They are inconclusive tests whether someone has truly experienced a new sense of the heart, new and holy affections that produce spiritual understanding and holy practice. Those who rest on these signs have the potential of being self-deceived about their condition. And that is because these signs can be counterfeited, produce hypocrisy, or subject the individual to “enthusiasm” in ways that cause him or her to be lost in the end.

Let us take a step back for a while why this book is helpful. Religious Affections was written in 1746. Jonathan Edwards wrote it in response to what was happening in the Great Awakening. And if you think that the Great Awakening is what happens when you just had a Great Afternoon Napping, then you are Evidence #1 on why everyone needs to read more Christian books. In the Great Awakening, there was a flood of spiritual experiences. And people thought because they had a spiritual experience, that means they are spiritual okay.
Lucas writes:

Following the seventeenth-century American Puritan, Thomas Shepard, Edwards distinguished between “legal hypocrites” and “evangelical hypocrites.” Legal hypocrites are those who “are deceived with their outward morality and external religion.” Evangelical hypocrites are “those that are deceived with false discoveries and elevations; which often cry down works, and men’s own righteousness and talk much of free grace.” Of the two, Edwards clearly saw the latter as more dangerous. Evangelical hypocrites are self-deceived, having based their confidence of eternal salvation on false signs, and yet defending themselves by claiming that they have “the witness of the Spirit”.

Guys, don't you think what I just read could so easily apply to what we are witnessing in today's church? Don't you think if they knew what these words, false affections and evangelical hypocrites, mean, they have a way of soberly reflect on their spiritual life.
Plastic flowers, not knowing they are plastic. Tragic.
So those are two gold nuggets that I mined for you. In my book reviews, I want to make sure you learn something even if you don't read the book, so I hope you will 1. see God's Truth everywhere you go, and 2. learn two new phrases: false affections and evangelical hypocrites. Concluding ThoughtsAs I go into my concluding thoughts, I am still selective of who would be a good fit for this book.
You will note that throughout this book review, I referred to Edwards and Lucas interchangeably. That's a credit to Lucas because he parks the reader in the mind of Jonathan Edwards throughout the book.
And that is also a problem because Lucas aims to keep the precise statements precise, he is reluctant to dumb down Edwards for dumb people (like me, not you).
So I would read and re-read and re-read and at one point in the book, I actually thought maybe there is something wrong with my comprehension. The words are in English and I don't understand what they mean. I got so frustrated, I skipped to the appendix just to check whether I could understand Lucas' essays. And to my relief I found that I can understand Lucas when he is using his own voice. The problem occurs when he is using Edwards-speak.
If you don't know Jonathan Edwards or are uninterested in church history or in theology or in the Puritan literature, then this is not for you. This book needs something in you to work with.
A better entry into Jonathan Edwards could be one of the other books Lucas recommends in Appendix 1. Or you could... just read Religious Affections. It's a good book. It settles an argument still relevant today, emotions in service.
Even though it was rough sledding, I am happy I finished the book. I can tick off one Puritan book for this year. Yes, I know God's Grand Design was published 11, not 300, years ago. And yes, I know the author is still alive unlike the Puritans he writes about. But 300 year old wine is still 300 year old wine, whether it's served in the original bottle or in a modern wine glass. Lucas preserves much of Edwards style and thoughts, for all the good and bad that brings.
Let me close this review with this quote. Lucas is explaining the purpose behind one of Edwards writing.

Edwards’s larger purpose was to raise his congregation’s vision from its apparently mundane and petty daily concerns to find their affections engaged by the cosmic purpose that God has in his work of redemption.

If you want a vision of God's redemption in the cosmic-sense and in the personal, through the eyes of America's Puritan Theologian, get this book.
This is a Reading and Readers review of God's Grand Design: The Theological Vision of Jonathan Edwards by Sean Michael Lucas. 224 pages, published by Crossway in October 2011. And it's available for free from Faithlife only in July, and USD12.99 in Amazon Kindle.
Before you go, normally I don't do this but I am excited to tell you about the next book I aim to review. It's Biblical Worship: Theology for God's Glory. The editors are Benjamin K. Forrest, Walter C. Kaiser Jr. and Vernon M. Whaley. 544 pages, published by Kregel Academic in February 2021. It's available for USD29 in Amazon Kindle, the list price is USD42.99. And here is the reason why I'm telling you about it now. It's only USD9.99 in Logos but only for this month, July.
The thing is I don't know whether I will be in time to review Biblical Worship before the offer ends.
I am eight chapters in and unless the remaining 26 chapters is a dud, this is an immensely helpful resource for worship. One guy writes a chapter on Worship in the Book of Leviticus. Another writes a chapter on Worship in the Book of Joshua. Another writes an entire chapter on Worship in the Book of Judges. And on it goes. If you don't know why that is a big deal, stay tuned for my next review.
If you already know that this book is for you, then get it. In Logos for July, it's USD9.99 from a list price of USD42.99. I just can't see it ever getting discounted further than that. If you like that tip, and you would like to send me your appreciation, you can buy me a coffee. Just go to www.readingandreaders.com, and click on the buy me a coffee button. That's all from me. Thanks for listening. Book List* God's Grand Design by Sean Michael Lucas. Amazon. Faithlife.

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Every generation has an apologetics book that they call their own. Will the meme generation trust a meme connoisseur to answer age-old questions on Christianity?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity" by Neil Shenvi. 272 pages, published by Crossway in June 2022.
It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD14.99. I got this book free as part of Crossways Blog Review Programme. Crossway had no influence in any part of this review. AuthorNeil Shenvi is better known as the scourge of the Critical Race Theory (CRT) movement. In his website, shenviapologetics.com, he has reviewed nearly a hundred books and two thirds of them are on race and gender. If you search "Neil Shenvi" on your podcast player, you get episodes like:* Confronting Wokeness in the Church with Neil Shenvi * Foundations of Critical Theory: An Interview with Neil Shenvi * Racism, BLM, Supreme Court, and Neil Shenvi * Social Justice, Critical Theory, and the Bible with Neil Shenvi

Today we are not reading Shenvi's book on Critical Race Theory. That book is being written, and if you follow him on Twitter, you can get near real-time updates on his progress.
For his debut, Shenvi has instead chosen to write a book on apologetics. Do we need another one when we have C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity", Josh and Sean McDowell's "Evidence That Demands a Verdict", Lee Strobel's "The Case For Christ" and J. Warner Wallace's "Cold-Case Christianity".
These books are still around. They are still relevant today. In fact, Shenvi often quotes Lewis. If he is quoting Lewis, it begs the question, why not just read Lewis? Can Shenvi do better? Let's see. StructureThe table of contents lists ten chapters. They are:1. Introduction 2. The Trilemma 3. The Resurrection 4. God and Revelation (Part 1): Nature 5. God and Revelation (Part 2): The Moral Law 6. Arguments against God 7. The Gospel (Part 1): The Uniqueness of Christ 8. The Gospel (Part 2): Christianity and Sin 9. The Gospel (Part 3): Christianity and Salvation 10. Conclusions

The chapter headings could have come from any good introductory textbook on apologetics.
Browsing through the chapter sub-headings, most of the material seem familiar but there are some new-ish questions. "What Caused the Universe?" is familiar. "Why is Mathematics So Successful?" is new to me.
Chapter Six, "Arguments Against God" covers three topics. The Problem of Evil is familiar. Evolution is familiar. The Hiddenness of God... that's new... to me.
If you are a young Christian, or better yet, not a Christian, and have not heard a reasoned argument in support of Christianity, then the content here will be immediately fresh and exciting for you.
But if you are familiar with this battle arena, called apologetics, is there anything for you? Apologetics, which I should have mentioned earlier, is the discipline to defend the faith.
Let me give you three reasons why I believe you should consider reading this book, whether you are a young Christian, or seasoned apologist, or militant atheist. 1. A Reasoned ApproachIn this book, Shenvi plays conversational chess with us. He moves the white pawn. We counter with a knight. Then Shenvi moves his queen to capture our king. And asks us to try again.
For example, in chapter two, Shenvi quotes C.S. Lewis' famous Trilemma. Jesus can either be a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. The Bible doesn't allow the options to say that Jesus is a good moral teacher. You just can't. C.S. Lewis, who is the OG, first made the case in his apologetics classic, "Mere Christianity" and the trilemma is a favourite for Christians everywhere. If apologetics is a chess game, the Trilemma is a favourite opening. But it's not a checkmate.
Shenvi writes:

Lewis assumed that most of his hearers believed the Bible to be generally reliable. While that belief may have been common in mid-twentieth-century England when Lewis was writing, it is certainly not widespread today. Most people view the Bible as an incoherent mixture of fairy tales, moral parables, and legends—a cross between Aesop’s Fables and The Lord of the Rings.

How does the unbeliever counter the Trilemma? Easy. The Trilemma is irrelevant. Shenvi eloquently explains why it's irrelevant:

We don’t need to worry about the claims of Jesus any more than we worry about the claims of Batman or Aragorn. No one lies awake at night wondering whether to surrender his or her life to Darth Vader. Fictional figures might inspire us, but they do not demand our allegiance.

Now we come to the first reason for you to consider reading this book, and that is the "reasoned approach" we read in the subtitle to the book. If he wanted to, this book could be rewritten as a dialogue because there is a lot of back and forth in this book as we go deeper exploring the topics.
If you have read Plato's Republic or any Socratic-type dialogue, you know following arguments can be tiring. Shenvi's easy writing style, the logic statements, illustrations and tables makes the arguments easy to follow. The ease of our trail hides the effort he has made to make the complex, simple. The books and writers he quotes do not make easy reading, which goes to my second point. 2. Hear What the Experts SayEarlier when I said Shenvi was playing chess with us, to be more accurate, Shenvi is showing us multiple chess games against other grandmasters.
If you, the unbeliever, lose an argument with Shenvi, you could say it's because you don't have the facts. You don't know how best to make the case against Christianity even when you know you are right. You could argue that a better player would crush Shenvi. You are at a disadvantage because Shenvi's is more prepared than you.
But that's not true for scientists, philosophers or experts who have made a name arguing against the existence of God in general and Christianity in particular. They are supposed to have the facts. They are supposed to know how to make an overwhelming argument against Christianity. Shenvi takes them on.
For example, after explaining the Trilemma, the Liar-Lunatic-Lord argument, Shenvi introduces Bart Ehrman, 'probably the nation's most well-known New Testament scholar'. Referring to the gospels, Bart Erhman says:

Imagine playing "telephone" over the expanse of the Roman Empire, with thousands of participants, from different backgrounds, with different concerns, and in different contexts, some of whom have to translate the stories into different languages all over the course of decades. What would happen to the stories?

Shenvi quotes Paula Fredriksen, a religious studies professor at Boston University. Shenvi introduces us to the Jesus Seminar, a high-profile group of scholars who have concluded that, "eighty-two percent of the words ascribed to Jesus in the gospels were not actually spoken by him."
If you have family or friends who were scared that you will turn into a religious nut, they have probably told you to watch YouTube videos or read books or consider arguments that ultimately came from these experts.
"Listen to the experts. It's not rational for people today to believe in Christianity."
Whether it's on the reliability of the Bible, or the science of creation, or the problem of pain and suffering, the unprepared Christian would be pummelled to the ground, if he or she is not prepared.
And Shenvi's book prepares you. It gives you the facts, the step by step reasoning and eventually the confidence to say that the Christian faith is a rational faith, it is a defensible faith. In an Crossway podcast interview, Shenvi explained that many Christians do not know how to defend the faith and many non-Christians are surprised or stunned to hear a rational defence.
The problem of pain and suffering? Non-Christians have it worse. Listen to their answers. In contrast, the Christian answer to the problem of pain and suffering is better, its clearer. Our answer matches with reality and our practice.
Or consider another one. Science shows that the way creation is, it's 'too perfect' for it to be random. Among the explanations, atheists give is the multiverse. Shenvi writes:

It seems very odd for an atheist to scoff at the implausibility of God and then to affirm the existence of an infinite, unobserved, and undetectable ensemble of parallel universes.

Let me give a quick recap on why you should consider reading this book.
Reason number one is his approach, the reasoned approach in the subtitle of the book. The back and forth draws us in. You don't need a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry specialising in Quantum Mechanics. Shenvi has that PhD, but you don't need it to understand him.
Reason number two is Shenvi brings the experts with the latest and best evidence for and against Christianity. And if what is here is not enough, you have the footnotes and the keywords for further research.
If this was a chess game, in every chapter, Shenvi is saying checkmate, you don't see it yet, but I'll show you that no matter what you do, I'll checkmate you. Jesus wins. Christianity wins.
But the victory celebration here is muted by reason number three. 3. The Best Defence is...Shenvi says proving that Christianity is rational is not enough, we must also show that it is true. He rightly points out that few people believe in Christianity because it was shown to be rational. Rationality is a low threshold.
Let me quote my favourite part of the book. It's a long quote. Shenvi writes:

Consider an analogy: imagine I’m playing pickup basketball at a park when I suddenly collapse. A crowd gathers, but they don’t agree on what happened. Some people say I just tripped and should get up and “walk it off.” Others suggest I twisted an ankle and may need a brace to finish the game. One person runs to get ice, another to get an ACE bandage, a third to get a bottle of Advil from the pharmacy across the street. All of them offer to help me up to my feet. While I’m lying on the ground a woman rushes up to me with a look of extreme concern. She says: “I’m a doctor. I saw this man fall and I know exactly what happened. We need to get him to a hospital immediately.” She crouches down beside me and says urgently: “You can’t feel your legs and you can’t move. I’m going to call an ambulance; your life is in danger.” I immediately tell the crowd, “Do exactly what she says.”
The people around me are incredulous. They think she is wildly overreacting. They begin to question her credentials. They start to speculate loudly about her real, ulterior motives. Yet, in spite of their skepticism, I have reason to believe her. Why? Because I can’t feel my legs and I can’t move. Somehow she knew these two truths, even though no one else did. No matter how implausible her claims might seem to bystanders, I have crucial information they don’t have. I have firsthand, immediate, and undeniable awareness of my own condition. Based on that knowledge, my trust in her is justified.

Later, he writes:

This story explains how most people come to know that Christianity is true. People put their faith in Christ when they become personally aware of their own moral condition and their need for a Savior. The implicit reasoning behind their decision is easy to follow: Christianity is either true or false. If it is true, then its truth explains its unique ability to diagnose their spiritual condition. But if it is false, then it is an incredible coincidence that Christianity uniquely explains two deep, existential realities entirely by accident.

Doesn't what Shenvi describe resonate with you? It does for me.
Chapter 7 shows that Christianity is unique. Chapter 8 is on one deep existential reality: sin. Chapter 9 is on the other: salvation.
I am going to indulge myself and give you another quote. But this time from a non-Christian. Stephen Prothero, the chair of the Department of Religion at Boston University is quoted here:

While it may seem to be an act of generosity to state that Confucians and Buddhists and Muslims and Jews can also be saved, this statement is actually an act of obfuscation. Only Christians seek salvation. A sports analogy may be in order here. Which of the following— baseball, basketball, tennis, or golf — is best at scoring runs? The answer of course is baseball, because runs is a term foreign to basketball, tennis, and golf alike. Different sports have different goals. ... To criticize a basketball team for failing to score runs is not to besmirch them. It is simply to misunderstand the game of basketball. ... Just as hitting home runs is the monopoly of one sport, salvation is the monopoly of one religion. If you see sin as the human predicament and salvation as the solution, then it makes sense to come to Christ.

In this same chapter, Shenvi then breaks it down. He decisively shows that not all religions are the same because only Christianity see sin as the human predicament and salvation as the solution.
I appreciate Shenvi making explicit the connection between the gospel and apologetics. He is not the first one to discover or write or speak about it. If you read the New Testament, it's there. The gospel and apologetics go hand in hand. Distinct but not separate.
When you study apologetics, you can very quickly get lost in the details and forget why you are even doing it.
For example, a physicist, Lawrence Krauss, claims that quantum mechanics shows that something can come out of nothing.
What do you say to that? Are you a physicist? Do you know quantum mechanics? Are you willing to do a deep dive in this arcane discipline? Shenvi can defend but that's just one topic. An unbeliever can easily machine gun ten questions before you barely answered the first.
Knowing this, it's important we focus on the central apologetic thrust: The gospel. I am not talking about the virgin birth, or the miracles of Christ, or the crucifixion, or resurrection or ascension. All these are important and related to apologetics, related to the gospel, but Shenvi reminds us we need to present the gospel itself: sin and salvation, in our apologetics because it is the best defence of the Christian faith. Gospel-Defence TrainingIn conclusion, this book is for everybody: Christians: young and old, non-Christians: docile or hostile.
Is Shenvi better than C.S. Lewis, the McDowells, Strobel or Wallace? Let me tell you that, hundreds of years will pass, Shenvi and all the rest would be forgotten, but C.S. Lewis, the Oxford English Professor, will still be fondly quoted.
As for the other apologists, they have their own angles. The McDowells have their evidences, Strobel the journalist has his journalistic methods and Wallace the detective has his detective methods.
Which made me wonder. What if Dr. Neil Shenvi decided to do apologetics by using his Ivy League training as a theoretical chemist specialising in quantum mechanics? I laughed at the thought. Readers would spin away uncertain, entangled and scattered.
At least that's what I thought at first. But on second thought, maybe, just maybe, the benefits of the theoretical chemist's training is not immediately observable.
Maybe God has prepared him for such an occasion as this. Maybe looking from God's perspective: You were trained to explain quantum theory, I will use you to explain who I am. You were trained to review scientific peers and their work, I will use you to review scoffers and their work. You were trained to study and present the most fundamental of science, quantum mechanics, I will use you to study and present the most fundamental of apologetics, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
By saying this, I'm not saying that God only makes use of apologists who succeed in getting published. If you read 1 Peter 3:15, the verse carved in the heart of apologists everywhere, that verse is written to all Christians not just the few. It says: "give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15)
Do you believe that God prepares us through our knowledge, skills and experience? If so, then Shenvi's book and other resources could be means for our preparation. I am not saying Shenvi and his book is God's gift to mankind, I'm just saying that we should be more prepared to give a reason for our faith. And his is a good resource. Other Resources and Concluding ThoughtsSpeaking of other resources, do we have other books? Newer ones?
Well, before this book, the most recent apologetics book I read and reviewed was Eric Metaxas' 2021 book, "Is Atheism Dead?" His book has three parts: science, archaeology and atheism, tackled in more depth and unsuppressed glee. Shenvi's, in comparison, covers a wider range of topics climaxing with the gospel in a more reserved tone.
Just to warn you, to the unbeliever, Metaxas' tone is "Take that, you fool!", whereas Shenvi's tone is "Change my mind. Let's have a conversation." Which is why if you give a book as a present to an unbeliever, Shenvi is a much better gift.
As for other apologetic books I would recommend, I have been naming them all day. You will find C.S. Lewis, Josh and Sean McDowell, Lee Strobel and J. Warner Wallace in any bookshop that has a shelf labeled apologetics.
Does the rookie Shenvi unseat them? No, he doesn't. I believe he joins them. As I said in the beginning every generation needs its heroes, I mean, apologists. And as hostility against Christianity increases year by year, we can only hope that apologists will raise to the challenge each and every time.
And that's what Shenvi is doing in his debut book, facing down the challenge against Christianity.
If you only know Shenvi and don't like him because of his activism or, more accurately, counter-activism in Critical Race Theory, then I ask that you read this book to get a better sense of the man. He is a Christian who loves the Lord. By reading this, you will know how his mind works and perhaps even be convinced by what he says here.
What he offers in this book is a reason to believe and if you accept it, the world will be a bit more sane, a lot less strange and everyone will grow to be more reasonable with one other.
This is a Reading and Readers' review of "Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity" by Neil Shenvi. 272 pages, published by Crossway in June 2022.
It's available in Amazon Kindle for USD14.99. I got this book free as part of Crossways Blog Review Programme. Crossway had no influence in any part of this review. Thank you for listening. Book List* "Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity" by Neil Shenvi. Amazon. * "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. Amazon. * "Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh and Sean McDowell. Amazon. * "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Amazon. * "Cold Case Christianity" by J. Warner Wallace. Amazon. * "Is Atheism Dead?" by Eric Metaxas. Amazon. My Review. * "Alive: A Cold Case Approach to the Resurrection" by J. Warner Wallace. Amazon. My Review.

Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World

Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection

Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels

The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

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What happens when you get the world's top interviewer together with the world's top evangelist? You get a book something like today's.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review Billy Graham: Candid Conversations with a Public Man by David Frost. 224 pages, published by David C. Cook in August 2014. A Free Book, SimpleI got this book for free from Faithlife. But it's not free for you. Just me. I don't know how the deal works, maybe it's only offered to those in the mailing list because when I checked today, this book is offered for USD11.99 in Faithlife. It's USD9.89 in Amazon Kindle. So I guess the lesson here is get on Faithlife's mailing list to get free book deals? Crossway does the same thing. They just gave me two free books: "The Whole Armor of God" by Iain M. Duguid and "The Case for Life" by Scott Klusendorf.
Back to the free Billy Graham book. I'm glad I got this free book when I did. Because after reviewing a few heavy books recently: Dale Ralph Davis' commentary on Daniel, Matt Rhodes' manifesto on modern missions, Rula Khoury Mansour's theology of reconciliation, it's a welcome change of pace to read something lighter.
To read a book on "a simple country preacher who preaches a simple gospel," as Billy Graham once described himself.
On the cover, this book says:

Most people know Billy Graham the preacher. Many know Billy Graham the author. In this remarkable book, Graham reveals a personal side that few have seen before.

And the one who reveals that personal side is the man who needs no introduction, the equally famous, David Frost, the legendary TV interviewer. David Frost the InterviewerDavid who? Billy Graham I know, but who is David Frost? I realise my ignorance is showing but perhaps to some listeners, Frost is a man who does need introduction.
David Frost was a British interviewer known for history-making interviews. A British Larry King, if you like. But better because none of Larry King's interviews got made into an Oscar-nominated movie, titled Frost/Nixon. That famous interview elevated Frost and brought down Nixon who must have thought he could go no further down.
It just so happens, or as I prefer to call it, providentially, I finished today's book, the Billy Graham book, in the same week as Watergate's 50th anniversary. That was the extra push I needed to watch the movie, which I thought would be like "A Few Good Men" but on Watergate. You know that scene where Tom Cruise got Jack Nicholson to confess? Well, the British don't do it that way. As much as I am tempted, I won't review that movie, but the reason I mention it is because it sheds insight on the author.
What I saw on screen was the power of questions dramatised. Questions can be so powerful. Consider: A counsellor says, "You have told me what happened, now tell me how do you feel?", or when an evangelist calls out, "When you stand before a holy God, what will you say to get into Heaven?", or when you are all by yourself and you wonder, "Who am I?" Questions are powerful.
From what I saw of David Frost, the artistic-licensed version in the movie, and snippets of the man in his interviews with Mikhail Gorbachev, Benazir Bhutto, Paul McCartney, Ron Howard and others, they all expect Frost to ask the big questions, but they chose to be there so that they can answer them in a frame of sincerity. A private setting, two guys having a candid conversation, for a public revelation.
Now that you know more about David Frost, we can look at the book he wrote based on the interviews he had with Billy Graham. StructureLet's open up the book and see what we have. First, we have a foreword from Billy Graham's grandson, Tullian Tchividjian. He writes:

Reading about my grandfather’s doubts and failures in black and white offers a refreshing view of his life and his relationship with Jesus and demonstrates the unmerited grace of God for all of us. In these pages, Daddy Bill talks with David Frost about the things he wished he never said, his failures as a parent, as well as those difficult questions he feels he will never be able to answer on this side of heaven.

Next, we have a preface from David Frost, written in 1997. 1997? That's odd. This book was published in 2014. Let me check and yeah... David Frost passed away in 2013 at the age of 74. And five years after David Frost, in 2018, Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99.
Coming back. The author's preface was written in 1997. The book was finally published in 2014. Since then, we have newer books on Billy Graham. Billy Graham wrote "Nearing Home: Life, Faith and Finishing Well" in 2013. Mind you, he wrote this in his 90s. And that was not the last book he wrote. Two years later, Billy Graham wrote "Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond".
Thus, with newer books around, why read reflections on musty old interviews? The publisher, David C. Cook, wrote in the introduction:

Our only question was in regards to the relevance of the interviews. That is, were they still timely? We should have known better from the start. In reviewing the footage we found that far from being dated, they were more relevant now than ever.

"Far from being dated, they were more relevant now than ever." And this relevance is clearly seen in how the book is organised. It is not organised chronologically, by the first interview followed by the second, instead it is organised topically, showing what Billy Graham said on this or that topic and you can judge for yourself whether it is relevant or not.
Chapter one is titled Billy Graham on Faith in God. Chapter two is Billy Graham on Family and Marriage. And so on the pattern goes: Three is on Politics, four is on Preaching, Evangelism and the Bible, five: Pain and Suffering, six: Presidents, seven: Sin and Temptation, eight: Moral and Social Issues, nine is titled Billy Graham on Billy Graham and the last chapter is Billy Graham on End Times and Heaven.
Finally in the book, we have an epilogue and a timeline of Billy Graham's life. Frost On BillyThis book is based on Frost's interviews with Graham but it is not pages and pages of interview transcripts.
Do you know how it's like after reading a good biography? You spend the next few days, weeks, reflecting on the person's life? In this case, instead of reading a book, Frost is reading the man. He reflects not just on the many interviews he conducted, he also comments on interviews Graham did with Larry King and Phil Donahue, speeches Graham made at the Oklahoma City bombing, for example, and books and articles others have written on Graham.
He is thinking about Billy Graham and selects excerpts from his interviews to flesh out the man to the reader. Consider this exchange:

Frost: You’ve been battling Parkinson’s disease for three years or so. Now, is God responsible for that? Graham: I don’t know. He allows it. And He allows it for a purpose that I may not know. I think everything that comes to our lives, if we are true believers, God has a purpose and a plan. And many of these things are things that cause suffering or inconvenience or whatever. But it helps to mature me because God is molding and making me in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ suffered more than any man that ever lived, because when He was on that cross, He was bearing the sins that you and I have committed. He was guilty of adultery. He was guilty of murder. He was guilty of everything you can think of. And He was guilty of our sins. Now, He suffered in a way that we could never understand. Frost: But, I mean, for instance, I thank God for having three healthy sons. Graham: Yeah. Frost: But, maybe that’s not logical, really, because if I am thanking God for three healthy sons, should the parents of a Down syndrome baby be blaming God?

And the two continue back and forth. Frost presses the issue. He asks how should parents of a deformed child look at their situation? He asks, "If you don't blame God for ill health, you can't thank him for good health, can you?" It's not an inquisition, Frost is never hostile to Graham, or any of his interviewees, Frost is respectful but he wants to draw out a part of Billy Graham that the public may not know. Billy on BLM, CRT, AOC and KKKLet's look at another chapter. In Chapter 8, "Billy Graham on Moral and Social Issues", Frost recounts their interview in 1970 on the topic of race relations in the United States. Listen and let's see what you think. Graham says:

One of the things that disturbs me in the United States at the moment is there’s a certain element in the black community, a small element to be sure, that wants separatism. ... For example, I know a university right now where the dormitories are completely integrated, but where the blacks are saying, “No, we want our own dormitory; we want our own classes; we want separatism.” Now, whether this is going to be the beginning of something that will grow, I hope not, because I think the only hope for America to settle her race problem is an integrated society. But there are those today that don’t agree with that, in the black community as well as the white community, and whether they will gain momentum or not, I don’t know.

What came to your mind as you listened to this? Black Lives Matter and Critical Race Theory? Is Billy Graham among the prophets? Is he speaking prophetically of the future, 50 years later from where he was? Consider this exchange:

Graham: ... It seems to me that we’ve got extremists, David, the extreme right and the extreme left that are almost irreconcilable. And we’ve got a group of people now that really believe in the violent overthrow of the government. Now, they do not have any system that they would like to substitute. They’ve come forward with no plan as yet; they just want to destroy. And I don’t know whether you can carry on a dialogue with this type of person or not. I don’t—some of them I know. They’ll talk to me; some of them will. And I have met with them several times. And I just find that it’s almost impossible to reason. They’re not interested in reason. They’re not interested in dialogue. They’re not interested in sitting down quietly and talking about the problem. They’re interested in disruption, in violence, in destruction to bring down the system.
Frost: But then, if you come in a little from that, to on the one hand people like hard hats and on the other hand, you know, protesting students who are protesting violently, but really passionately against the system in some way or another, how do you bring those two groups together? I mean, given that you’ll never bring a Ku Klux Klan man together with a really violent Weatherman? You know what I mean. But how do you bring closer together a right-wing hard hat and a left-wing student?

The Bible says, "There is nothing new under the sun." Fifty years on, how true that is.
Most of the book is to be expected. Graham on Marriage. Graham on Pain and Suffering. Standard fare in any conference Q&A. Some are unique to Billy Graham. Frosts ask him on Richard Nixon. There is a whole chapter on Presidents. And he talks to Frost about being famous. Things He Said That Make You Go Hmmm... TodayBut those are all things that readers would expect. Let me now quickly tell you a few things that David Frost, Billy Graham and the publishers did not expect. Things that make us ponder a bit more in these times.
For example, Billy Graham talks about his controversial trip to preach the gospel in the Soviet Union. Graham was told, I quote, "You will get the strongest criticism from the Christian right, because they will feel somehow that you're compromising with the Devil."
Six months ago, this reference to Cold War Soviet Union would be antiquated. Today, the world finds itself wrestling with how to engage with the Soviet Union, I mean, Russia. There is nothing new under the sun.
Another unexpected turn of events is Billy Graham's grandson. The cover of the book proudly states, "Foreword by Tullian Tchividjian". At that time, Tchividjian was an upcoming evangelical influencer. Less than a year later, he resigns as a pastor from his church because of adultery.
Since the passing of Billy Graham, the famous evangelist, we also saw the passing of Ravi Zacharias, the famous apologist. Except in the case of Zacharias, his life's work, the books he wrote, the speeches he gave, the people he helped are now overshadowed by the scandals that came to light after his death.
So we have Graham's grandson Tchividjian and the famous fallen apologist, Ravi Zacharias, I read with a heavy heart what Billy Graham, the man behind the Billy Graham rule, and he said that his greatest fear was:

That I’ll do something or say something that will bring some disrepute on the gospel of Christ before I go. And I want the Lord to remove me before I say something or do something that would embarrass God.

This is a throwaway statement. Frost included it as a curiosity. Isn't it funny what Billy Graham is fearful of. He is not afraid of death, he is afraid of embarrassing God. Oh, if only we had the same fear.
The book ends on a poignant note. I won't spoil it here. I'll just say it was a surprise ending to me. There is no final reflection, concluding thoughts, from David Frost the writer. The book ends with David Frost the interviewer, David Frost sitting across a pastor. It made me wonder, after drawing out the life of Billy Graham, the simple preacher, for the public, did David Frost hear the simple gospel for his own heart and soul? ConclusionIn conclusion, if you are a big Billy Graham fan, you have read all the books, listened to all his sermons, then I don't know how much you would gain from this book. For myself, I know the name but not so much the man. Much of what I know comes from bits and pieces and I knew more in the year he passed away with all the tributes coming forth.
This format is a nice one for the not-so-committed reader of Graham. There are many biographies of him but you may not know enough of the guy to want to hear his whole life story. Frost's book is a light read which can convince you that this simple preacher is worth finding out what all the fuss is about.
Billy Graham wrote many books on various topics. But instead of reading all those books, you can get a taste, a small sample, from Frost's book.
The nice thing about Frost's book is we read Graham's own words from those interviews. Nobody wants to read pages and pages of interview transcripts, so Frost wisely connects the interviews with his own observations. These are observations from a guy whose lifetime job was to interview the fabulously rich and famous and powerful. He clearly enjoyed Billy Graham's conversation. Read this book, you might enjoy theirs.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of "Billy Graham: Candid Conversations with a Public Man" by David Frost. 224 pages, published by David C. Cook in August 2014. Available for USD11.99 in Faithlife, USD9.56 in Amazon Kindle, at the time of this recording.
If you are looking for more candid book reviews on a variety of topics, be sure to subscribe to Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Or visit the website www.readingandreaders.com for transcripts and contact details. Contact me and let's surprise each other with a good conversation. Until then, thank you for listening. Book List* "Billy Graham: Candid Conversations with a Public Man" by David Frost. Amazon. Faithlife.

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You look around you and you see all those kings. Call them presidents, prime ministers or supreme leaders. Whatever the title, they are people in power. Who can stand against them? Who can bend them to their knees? Whose kingdom will outlast theirs?
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers. Today I review "The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail" by Dale Ralph Davis. This is a commentary from The Bible Speaks Today series, a series with Alex Motyer, John Stott and Derek Tidball as the series editor. 173 pages, published by Inter-Varsity Press Academic in August 2013. It is available for USD14.05 in Amazon Kindle but if you go to Logos this month, June, you can get it for USD1.99. Yes, you heard it right, you can get this really good commentary for only USD1.99 through Logos.
If you visit the Free Book of the Month site you will see the free book of the month and other nearly free books like today's. Whenever possible, I review the free book instead of the nearly free book. I chose not to review the free book but let me give a quick description of it because some listeners might need a bit more incentive to click on the "Download for Free" button.
The free book, "Justification: Five Views" is a collection of five essays on justification. Representing Traditional Reformed is Michael Horton, Progressive Reformed is Michael Bird, New Perspective is James Dunn, Deification is Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen and Roman Catholic is Gerald O’Collins and Oliver Rafferty. After a writer presents his position, the other four tell him how he is wrong. I mean, they tell him where they agree and disagree.
This views and response format helps readers see where the real divisions are. I cannot stress how important it is to see the real differences because, if I can loosely describe it this way, some people are friends when they shouldn't be and some people are enemies when they shouldn't be. I've personally gained from such books for other subjects and if I ever needed to study justification with reference to the New Perspective or Deification, I would most certainly read this book.
As of now, I don't feel a burning urge to do so. Hence this book is safely, tucked away, in my virtual library, ready to come to my aid when needed. I put it aside because I really want to read Dale Ralph Davis' commentary on Daniel.
Who is Dale Ralph Davis? He was a pastor. He was a professor. He has written lots of books. He comes with strong credentials but I am not giving those details because which church he pastored and which seminary he taught and how many books he wrote does not adequately describe who this man is. I like how a Facebook group dedicated to Dale Ralph Davis describes him:

Dr. Dale Ralph Davis is one of the most readable and reliable expositors/commentators of Scripture. He is a master at illustrations in preaching/expositing as well. Any of his books are a welcome read.

Everything there is true. Yet, it's too bland. So let me describe him in my terms. Let me tell you how Dale Ralph Davis' writing has impacted me.
In Episode 5 of this podcast, I mentioned that I enjoyed, not just enjoy but gained the confidence, to read commentaries after I read Davis, specifically his commentary on 1 Kings. Since then, I have read all his books in the Focus on the Bible commentary series, namely his commentary on Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings (which I have already mentioned) and 2 Kings.
I like them so much, having bought the hardcopies, I then bought the Logos softcopy versions of these same books, partly because I lost one. I had enthusiastically lent a friend 1 Kings. I told him, "You must read this book". He must have misconstrued my enthusiasm and took the book as gift. So, it's now a gift. And I got the Logos versions just in case, I ever gift his books again.
My enthusiasm explains why when I saw that Davis' commentary on Daniel at USD1.99 in Logos, I didn't think twice. I am tempted to say he is my favourite author but I might have to retract that one day. Just to be safe, I'll say that he is one of my favourite authors. And if you stick to the end of this review, I hope to make you a Dale Ralph Davis fan.
But you don't want to hear me raving on about him. You want to know more about the book. So here we go. StructureStructure-wise, "The Message of Daniel" begins with the series preface. The editors, Alec Motyer, John Stott and Derek Tidball intends that the Bible Speaks Today series be:

characterized by a threefold ideal:* to expound the biblical text with accuracy * to relate it to contemporary life, and * to be readable. These books are, therefore, not ‘commentaries’, for the commentary seeks rather to elucidate the text than to apply it, and tends to be a work rather of reference than of literature.

Following the editor's note, we read the author's preface and our first words from Dale Ralph Davis. His first words hints at the tone he brings to this book and to all his books. I quote:

There are a number of good reasons not to write an exposition of Daniel. For one thing, going into print on the book of Daniel makes it too easy for readers of whatever stripe to assign one’s lot among either the kooks or the nincompoops. The book is an interpretive minefield and wherever one comes down on various questions he is sure to disappoint people—one fails to take an ‘obvious’ view here or finds the data too uncertain to take a ‘firm’ one there. However, with a kind invitation from Alec Motyer it seemed only right to overcome reluctance and begin. I felt it was like eating my oatmeal—it would be good for me.

Despite the editors' rejection of the commentary label, I'll stick to it because the structure follows a commentary. We have 14 chapters that track the 12 chapters in Daniel. Navigating Word PlaySpeaking of structure, it was Davis who taught me so many years ago to appreciate the literary structure of a biblical book. Before Davis, I knew that structure was important, anybody who ever wrote an essay knows that. But after Davis, I don't just know its importance, I desire to know the structure. If I don't have it, I went searching for it.
It's like when soldiers operate in unfamiliar territory. Knowing how to shoot is important but navigating more so. If you know the land, you can ambush, defend, forage for food or vanish like a ghost. If you don't know the land, you waste time and energy, going around in circle, never reaching your goal.
With Davis, you will always know the lay of the land. In the introduction, Davis shares the big structure of the book of Daniel. In fact, he doesn't just give one, he shares three proposed structures to emphasise that the complexity of this book shows that this is a book written by a single mind rather than written by a committee.
Now every commentary will give you an outline of the book and the chapters but Davis uses all sorts of tricks to get you to turn your eyes to see at the structure.
For example, in chapter 2 of the book. He starts:

Most of us probably try to avoid beginning a sentence with a conjunction. And I don't know exactly why -- maybe someone along the way has told us it is bad form.

In this paragraph where he explains the significance of the conjunction, the word 'And' in the Hebrew text, he started five sentences with a conjunction. Okay, perhaps that humour is a bit too subtle and nerdy for you. He enjoys word play. Which is why he is such a fun guy to read. Renaissance Man of Biblical OutlinesLet's look at another way he brings out the structure.
Chapter 2 of this commentary directly corresponds to chapter 2 of Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar dreams a dream and challenges his wisemen and court magicians to tell him what he dreamt. Daniel appears to rescue the day. All glory, not to Daniel, but to God.
If you think you are familiar with this story, or any of the stories in Daniel, wait until Davis reveals the structure.
In chapter 2, he writes:

We can break down chapter 2 into broad chunks:

And he breaks it down. The focus is not the wisdom of Daniel or the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar. The focus is actually verse 28: "There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries..."
"What mysteries?" you ask. Where would be the fun in hearing it from me when you can read Davis' book for yourself?
Davis makes you a better Bible reader by showing you the 'secret' structure. It is not a secret. It's there in front of you just that you never noticed it before. In chapter 4, he writes:

Tracing the literary shape will help mentally organize a fairly long narrative. It develops like this:

And he develops the outline. After which you better understand the text.
In chapter 8, he writes:

The overall break-down of the chapter is rather straightforward; it tells of Daniel’s vision:

And he breaks it down for us rather straightforwardly. And we thank him for it.
Great artists understand anatomy. They understand how the body is structured more than the doctors. They have to in order to paint, sculpture and write Bible commentaries. What Davis does with the anatomy of the text is a work of art. Under his skilful hands, the structure outlined is not simply a practical necessity -- necessary for us to navigate the text -- it becomes a map of beauty. We appreciate the Biblical text for its literary quality, what the writer had in his mind when he wrote it. The Writer's MindWhich brings me to my next point. Mature Christians will rightly tell you that it's important to know what is the writer's intended meaning for the text. That is basic hermeneutics or biblical interpretation. Davis demonstrates it for us.
Let me share an extensive quote that gives you a good idea of how Davis brings you into the biblical writer's mind. Listen to Davis' commentary on Daniel 3:1-15. Here, Nebuchadnezzar sets up a statue and commands people to worship it. I quote:

Notice the vicious verbs our writer uses. The very first line tells of the image the king made (‘ābad), and Nebuchadnezzar himself uses the same verb in verse 15. In fact, for an Israelite, Nebuchadnezzar’s statement in that verse (Now if you are ready ... to fall down and worship the image that I have made) sums up the theological asininity of the whole affair. To worship what someone made! But a reader almost ducks under the machine-gun-like occurrences of the verb qûm (‘set up’); it appears nine times (1, 2, 3 [twice], 5, 7, 12, 14, 18), always in reference to the image the king had set up. Swipe the uses of that verb with your orange highlighter, then go back over the text—see if it doesn’t seem as if a kind of cumulative mockery is at work. The image is a ‘set up’ job, as we say. The writer is telling you that it’s no more divine than your knee replacement.

Later, Davis comments on the people who obey Nebuchadnezzar:

The praise band plays (7a), and the crowd gets its back sides in the air and its noses in the sand and enjoys job security. They felt they had no choice. They ‘had’ to do it. There’s a tremendous invisible coercion that comes from being among a whole mob of flattened worshipers.

If the Book of Daniel was a movie, and Daniel the Director, then Dale Ralph Davis would be the YouTuber vividly describing what Daniel the Director was doing in each scene. This is how the Director wants you to see these powerful kings. This is how the Director wants you to see those who put their faith in God. This is how the Director wants you to see God and his kingdom. Illustration, Applications and ReadabilityI don't have the time to elaborate on his masterful use of illustrations. Sometimes illustrations overwhelm the message.
But not so for Davis. His use of illustrations is perfect. His choice of illustration, its length and placement leaves you wanting more which he soon satisfies when he makes his next point. The illustrations are more often than not fresh, and applied in a powerful way without detracting from the text.
I also don't have time to elaborate on his application. We naturally look for, "What do I get out of the text? Give me something that I can apply in my daily life." This is another area that preachers and writers can go off-balance, to over-emphasise on the application of the text that they unintentionally make the text become all about you.
In comparison, listen to how Davis tells us how to apply the text. As an example, I draw from his commentary on Daniel 6 which is Daniel's prayer. I quote:

Kneeling in prayer is not a matter of indifference -- it reminds you of your true position. It’s as if you say, ‘I am a servant. He is the King. I do not live in a democracy but under a monarchy. He is not my errand boy. I never present my demands. I am always a beggar at the throne of grace, and, though it is a throne of grace, I never forget it is a throne.’

But the most praiseworthy quality of Davis' writing is...
Allow me to remind you of the editor's intention for the Bible Speaks Today series. The series is to be:

characterized by a threefold ideal:* to expound the biblical text with accuracy * to relate it to contemporary life, and * to be readable.

That's it. Dale Ralph Davis' book is immensely readable.
Note that John Stott is one of the editors. I love John Stott. John Stott is very readable. But to me, and this is a matter of preference so feel free to disagree, to me, John Stott is readable but Dale Ralph Davis is more readable.
If you are a John Stott fan, I imagine you rushing to object and insist I explain how I made the comparison. I did not read all of their books. However, I have read two of John Stott's commentaries in the Bible Speaks Today series. His commentary on the Sermon on the Mount and Galatians. So when I compare two of John Stott's books against Dale Ralph Davis' commentary on Daniel, all these books in the same commentary series, I like reading Davis. Stott is the guy you bring to impress your professors. Davis is the guy you bring to impress your friends. I don't think Stott intended for anyone to laugh out loud reading his commentary. I know Davis did. Great Writing... What About the Content?The careful listener will notice that I have made much of Davis' writing but what about the content?
First of all, The Bible Speaks Today series is not a reference series. The editors made the clear enough.
All the Daniel stories? Through Davis you will understand how they are all linked together. You will see that they are not random stories collected into an anthology. The writer has an order or structure in place to drive a specific theme: God's Kingdom.
What about Daniel's visions? The statue, the tree, beasts, horns, the ram, the goat and more horns. Davis doesn't exhaustively go through the many possible interpretations. He doesn't have the space and he says so. He gives us his interpretation and defends it on the basis of the text.
What about the really tricky passages? Like the interpretation of Daniel 9:24-27, the one on the seventy weeks. Davis dedicates a whole chapter on these four verses. But in the end, that may not satisfy the professional doomsday student. My advice: Go read a different book. This is not the book you are looking for. The One Chapter You Need To Watch Out ForLet me tell you one thing.
If you are an average Joe who wants to understand the Book of Daniel, what you really need is for someone to explain one chapter, which is chapter 11.
I say this because the average Joe already understands the story of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the story of Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, Daniel in the lion's den, the spooky writing on the wall and so on. You already know those stories. Davis will help you fill the gaps and connect them together.
As for the visions of the beasts and the horns, etc... would you want to know what they mean? Of course you do. The images are so fantastical, it's just natural to want to know what the beasts and horns represent. Nobody needs to make an extra effort to make you interested in understanding those visions.
And that's the difference with chapter 11. Chapter 11 is a difficult to understand vision but it's not interesting. It's boring. King of the North. King of the South. War. Lots of war. But no details. No last stands. No heroism. It is a prophecy. A fulfilled prophecy. But nobody talks about it. Looks it up. Read Daniel 11. Has anyone preached this to you? Have you studied this passage before? Do you know any song inspired by Daniel 11? Nope.
Yet, I contest that Daniel 11 is the most important chapter in the Book of Daniel. What is written here is so incredible that because of this chapter some scholars insist that the book of Daniel must have been written much, much, later than the time of Nebudchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Cyrus or Darius. They say it couldn't have been Daniel who wrote it. Because if it was Daniel writing in the time of Darius, that means God has spelled out in great, agonizing detail (read it! It is agonizing!), events that will take place 300-400 years into Daniel's future. It is as if God predicted the winning lottery numbers for 300 years. If God did that, you would want to know. But trust me, this is better than knowing wining lottery numbers.
If you get Daniel 11, the question of God's ability to foreknow the future is conclusively put to rest. And in that same deal, you get the purpose of God telling us the future. God tells us the future many times in the Bible, and he explains why to Daniel in his vision. Let those who have ears, hear and those who have eyes, see.
For you to see it, it helps to have someone who can give you a good map so that you don't get lost, someone who can get you into the writer's mind, someone to engage you with humour, confidence and ease. Otherwise you are going to feel exasperated reading chapter 11. I can think of no one better than Dale Ralph Davis to be your guide. Final WordsMy final reflection is I know that I am hyping this book up. I have not been so exuberant in my praise for any of the books I have reviewed so far.
I must admit, my enthusiasm could stem from the great debt I owe to Dale Ralph Davis. If not for his commentary on 1 Kings, today I would avoid an entire category of books, namely commentaries. Before him, I read other commentaries and they made me feel stupid. That was not the author's intent, I was reading above my level. But after him, I am the reader I am today. Not just a reader of commentaries but more importantly, I am a reader, a better reader of the Bible.
Even as I recommend today's book, "The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail", which is available for the low, low price of USD1.99 in Logos for June, I would say that if you are looking for a book by Dale Ralph Davis to start with, I would go with either Judges or 1 Kings. Because Daniel is a more complex book, it has a mix of stories and visions. It has verses that spur debates, debates that will only end when the final horny man appears and Jesus blasts him with his breath. In contrast, Judges and 1 Kings is a more straightforward narrative and Davis is in his element as a storyteller.
And I have to stop here before I start reviewing those commentaries.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of "The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail" by Dale Ralph Davis. 173 pages, published by Inter-Varsity Press Academic in August 2013. It is available for USD14.05 in Amazon Kindle as of this recording but if you go to Logos this month, June, you can get it for USD1.99.
In fact, I am rushing this episode out so that there is a higher chance that you, my dear listener, will go and get it. What are you waiting for? Don't you want the Bible to speak to you today? Don't you want to know God's awesome kingdom that will not fail? Isn't this why you subscribed to this podcast, so that you will not miss a good book deal? I hope you enjoyed today's podcast. Thanks for listening.` Book List* "The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail" by Dale Ralph Davis. Amazon. Logos. * "1 Kings: The Wisdom and the Folly" by Dale Ralph Davis. Amazon. Logos. * "Judges: Such a Great Salvation" by Dale Ralph Davis. https://www.amazon.com/Judges-Great-Salvation-Focus-Bible/dp/1845501381. Logos.

Judges: Such a Great Salvation (Focus on the Bible)

1 Kings: The Wisdom And the Folly (Focus on the Bible)

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Covid is over or eventually over. You got places to go, people to meet. Before you book your trip for your next holiday, why don't you consider reading today's book? Who knows, you might get some soul-enriching ideas for your next destination.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Going Places with God: A Devotional Journey through the Lands of the Bible" by Wayne Stiles. 176 pages, originally published by Regal in December 2006. The ebook version I am reading is published by Revell in 2014. Available for USD8.99 in Amazon Kindle and free from Faithlife's Free Book of the Month programme. Today's book is free for June and only June.
"Going Places with God" is a devotional book. In this book, we have a foreword from Charles Swindoll, 90 days worth of devotionals and right at the end a travelogue from the author's trip to Israel. AuthorWho is Wayne Stiles? What makes him 'qualified' to bring us on a devotional tour through the lands of the Bible? He isn't a historian or an archaeologist. He presents himself as a believer who visited Israel in the year 2000 and never recovered. The experience just filled him up and continued to do so. This book is an outlet for what he wants to share with more brothers and sisters in Christ. He presents to you the Lands of the Bible. What You Get In Each PageFor each devotional, you have at the top of the page a Scripture reference. Read that first. Then you have 1-2 pages of Stiles' devotion material. He ends with a short prayer, a snappy quotation and references to maps which can be found in the book.
There are 90 devotionals for you to read a day at a time. I don't recommend you do what I did which is read the whole book in a few seatings. If devotions are meals, they should be slow-cooked, not microwaved.
With so many good devotionals in the market, and many freely available online and in your phone apps, why read this book? It's a devotional journey through the lands of the Bible.
Let's do a quick quiz.
Can you find on a world map, Israel? I can think of at least five reasons why you should. Moses, David, Jesus, Gaza, Armageddon.
If I give you a map of Israel, can you pinpoint Jerusalem? How about Bethel and Bethlehem? What about Jericho and Nazareth?
Now if I put a map of Jerusalem in front of you, can you locate the Garden of Gethsemane, Calvary Hill or the empty tomb?
At this point, maybe some of you are thinking, "Why do I need to know where these places are when I can just use Google Maps?" The answer is this book. Read the book and you will see how helpful geography, biblical geography is, to your faith. There once was a time when Stiles was unconvinced but that all changed.
Listen to what Stiles has to say:

For the vast majority of my Christian life and ministry, the benefits of understanding the land of the Bible remained hidden like artifacts in the sand. I possessed knowledge of the place names, but they played no role in my study of the Bible except to distract and confuse me. Because I couldn’t appreciate a site’s contribution to the biblical narrative, I dismissed the unfamiliar as irrelevant or, at the very least, of minor importance.
But when my wife and I took our first trip to Israel . . . it all changed.
I rank the experience of learning biblical geography on the level of learning Hebrew and Greek—probably even higher. I discovered an integral part of Bible study I had missed all my life. Like seeing the whole puzzle put together, I was now able to see the individual sites in light of the whole. I became aware of a cohesion and logic as to why God included geography in the inspired text. My memory of biblical events was strengthened by associating the events with their geographical locations. What I had dismissed earlier as irrelevant I began to recognize as an essential part of God’s dealing with His people.

Let me repeat for emphasis one sentence: "I became aware of a cohesion and logic as to why God included geography in the inspired text."
Cohesion? Logic? Isn't logic seen in the text? "For... if... how much more..." Pastor John Piper's life and ministry transformed when he saw the Bible not as a bunch of quotations but as a series of propositions. Logic! Now Wayne Stiles is telling us there is logic in geography.
In the introduction he writes:

... in biblical times, the place itself often played a major role in the significant events that occurred there. Beside the place where water gushed from the ground, there a man drove his tent stake—and so laid the foundation of a city. Rains ran through immovable ravines, and beside those rivers people cultivated their fields and watered their livestock. Where the easiest ground to travel lay, there a wayfarer walked—and so a highway began. Geography affects history.

And he gives examples after examples, ninety times over.
In Day 4's devotion titled, "A Strategic Move". He writes:

A thriving fishing village, Capernaum straddled the international highway that stretched from Syria to Egypt. By choosing Capernaum, Jesus selected a city that enjoyed a constant flow of people who could carry His message to many places. And that’s just what happened. As Jesus preached in Galilee, “news about Him spread throughout all Syria” (v. 24). Not only did travelers take the news north into Syria, but they also took it by other roads into “Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan” (v. 25).

This book does not aim to just serve you geographical insights. This is not a factbook of interesting trivia to share in your next sermon or bible study. You can get that from an atlas. Or a geographical commentary. Yes, such a wonderful thing exists. This is a devotional book.
If I can illustrate it for you. Imagine you are on a lifeboat at sea for many days, maybe weeks, you are delirious. Water and food is running out. Then you see land. You row towards land. You reach land. You jump out of the boat and kiss the soil. And your eyes go to Heaven and you thank God for your salvation.
Okay, that picture might be a tad exaggerated. But the idea is the land brings you nearer to God. That is clearly seen in how every devotion lands on a prayer.
For example, in the Capernaum devotion, where he describes Jesus moving to Capernaum as a strategic move, he leads the reader to pray:

Lord Jesus, rather than pursuing a place to hide where I can escape the irritation of people and culture’s corruption, help me to see my world through Your eyes. Place me in places where I can have the greatest influence for Your kingdom. Show me today how to seek first the kingdom of God—above my own preferences.

He then closes the chapter with a quotation and a map reference. The quotation is from David Livingstone:

I will place no value on anything I have or possess unless it is in relationship to the kingdom of God. —David Livingstone

You will see familiar names: Corrie ten Boom, C.S. Lewis and Jonathan Edwards and some not so familiar names: John Flavel, Thomas Adams, George Swinnock and so on. Names that hopefully will become more familiar to you over time.
Last of all, he gives you references to maps that are included in the book.
So what I just shared is an example of Day Four in this book. I Need A Map To Find The MapAs part of my review, let me first talk about the maps. The maps are scattered amongst the devotions and the way they are placed is not helpful.
Let's go back to Capernaum in Day Four. You read about it, you don't know where it is, you check the map reference and it tells you to go to page 28, 56, 70 and 112. You have to thumb your way to the pages. The problem is the electronic copy doesn't have pages and I shouldn't need to change the setting to see the pages so that I can get to the maps. The references should be hyperlinked. I see the reference. I click on it and I jump to the map.
If hyperlinking is a problem, there is another solution which is to just group the maps and put them all at the end of the book as an appendix. That's what most writers or publishers would do. So I'm not sure why that was not done here. Random Walk JourneyMy next criticism is the subtitle is a devotional journey. Keyword: Journey. I suggest an improvement is an actual journey from one point to another. I know that can be difficult because you have the Old Testament, the New Testament and there are many stories of different people at different times in different places.
For example, at Day 10 in the book, I'm in the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. In the next day, I'm at the country of the Gadarenes. Then next, I'm at the Negev. Maybe I expect too much logic or structure in my geographical devotional journey but I like how Saint Luke arranged his travelogue to progress from point to point.
I can guess why Wayne Stiles mixed the places all up in his devotion. You get variety, it's like taking M&Ms from a bag. But I just think if it's arranged as a journey or many journeys: Moses' escape from Egypt to the Promised Land or pilgrims from Jericho ascending to Jerusalem or Jesus turning his face from Galilee towards Golgotha, any of these journeys can help reinforce the cohesion and logic in biblical geography. The land we came from connects to the land we are heading towards. DevotionalThat's my take on the journey keyword. What about the devotional keyword?
Does this book help a Christian in devotion? That made me ask: What makes a good devotional?
I jotted down some answers. It's not complete. May even be wrong. But this is what I got. A devotional should direct the heart and mind and soul of the reader towards God like how the Psalms does. A devotional should help us gain a knowledge of God and our relation to God. Ultimately, a devotional draws us nearer to God.
But having said that, ultimately whether or not you come near to God depends less on the book and more on you. A devotion book jumpstarts the engine but it is not the engine. It doesn't drive the car. A devotional book is a starting point for the scatter-brain, weak-spirited, malnourished life, and this book is as good as any devotional in that regard, but for a devotional to work, the reader's heart must kneel before God. Which brings us back to the question, what makes a good devotional? Consider: What makes Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening a devotional classic? I'm still thinking on this question because I think an answer to this will help me be a better book reviewer.
Before I move on to the next topic, I leave you with this thought. A devotional that brings you nearer to God could be a devotional you write for yourself. That would be called a journal. I know many fellow believers who have gained so much from journalling. I think it's a great practice and one I encourage you to consider. TravelogueOne form of a journal is the travelogue. Stiles has a travelogue in this book. He doesn't mention it anywhere. It's almost like an afterthought. I think it's the best part of the book.
It is his own devotional journey through the land. What I like about the book is he doesn't sensationalise the experience. Or rather I should say the experience is sensational without exaggeration. Here he writes of his journey towards Jerusalem:

This winding way snakes up nearly 4,000 feet in elevation toward the watershed of the Hill Country of Israel. And I had almost come to the top. Almost to Jerusalem. Craning my neck as high as I could, I waited to capture that first view of the city I had imagined all my life. Suddenly, we reached the crest. And there it was below me . . . a panoramic view crowned with the golden Dome of the Rock. I saw Jerusalem. I really, really saw it. But no shafts of light from heaven. No angels singing the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Not even a respectful hush on the bus of travelers with me. Just a few clicks from cameras and horns from the cars behind. I saw the city of Jerusalem . . . in all its ordinariness. And it remains one of the most special moments of my life.

The best travelogues makes would-be travellers out of readers. After this book, I am tempted to set aside money to make the trip. I tell myself I need to be fit for all those walks. I am more motivated to study Scripture, especially the land so as to make the trip more meaningful. Just like you would study your holiday destination to make the most out of the trip.
As I say all this, I am not saying Stiles' travelogue is especially well-written. He is not a literary genius painting a landscape with words. J.R.R. Tolkien, he is not.
In the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien describes Middle-Earth in ways that rouses the reader's imagination. The magic is not just from the plot. The world Tolkien imagines is a world that pulls readers in. We want to visit Middle-Earth. Middle-Earth is amazing because of Tolkien.
That is not true for today's book. Going Places with God attracts readers to the lands of the Bible. But the lands of the Bible are not amazing because of Wayne Stiles. It's amazing because of God. For God set his story onto this land.
For nearly two decades, people around the world flock to New Zealand to see the places where the Lord of the Rings: the Movie was shot. I am one of them.
For more than two thousand years, many more people travel to the Holy Land to see the places where Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul and John walked. In Bethlehem, Christ was born. He walked on the Sea of Galilee. In Jerusalem, the people welcomed him, listened to him, judged him and crucified him. On the third day, Jesus rose again and left an empty tomb.
I share one last quote from Wayne Stiles:

God used these places to mold the lives of His people in the biblical narrative. And if you will allow Him, He can use it to change your life as well. Begin to recognize that all the places God takes you—many of them painful—have nothing but His glory and your best interests in mind. The irony of going places with God is that the One who travels with us is also our destination. He takes us to these places to give us more of Himself.

"Going Places with God" is a book that will prompt you to consider a trip to the Holy Land. It's a book you can bring on that trip as you travel. And even if you are not traveling, even if there is no possibility of going to the Holy Land yourself, which is a fact for more people than not, you will appreciate what God has done through these lands and ultimately, what God has done and is doing and will do for you. Let your devotion and praise respond to who he is.
This is a Reading and Readers review of "Going Places with God: A Devotional Journey through the Lands of the Bible" by Wayne Stiles. 176 pages, published by Regal in December 2006. Available for USD8.99 in Amazon Kindle and free through Faithlife in June and only June.
Before you go anywhere, make sure to subscribe to this podcast if you have not done so. If you don't, you might miss great books at great prices. So subscribe now and listen to more book reviews coming up soon. Book List* "Going Places with God: A Devotional Journey through the Lands of the Bible" by Wayne Stiles. Amazon. Faithlife. * "Morning and Evening" by Charles Spurgeon. Website.

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We all like shortcuts. Why take that long hard road when this road is faster? If we can get things done in a shorter time with the same or even better results, why shouldn't we? It's a no-brainer. What if I told you there is a shortcut to missions? For the Great Commission. Would you take it? Does that shortcut even exist? Find out in today's book review.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions" by Matt Rhodes. 272 pages, published by Crossway in February 2022. It's available from Amazon Kindle for USD12.82 as of this recording.
Full Disclosure: I got this book for free from Crossway's Blog Review Programme. They have no input on this review.
This book came at just the right time. I've been wanting to read a book-length response to the Church Planting Movement (CPM) and Disciple-Making Movement (DMM) ever since I read how some proponents trash the established church's mission work today as complacent (some truth in that!) and hopelessly outdated. They say that we cannot keep looking back to the glory days of William Carey and Hudson Taylor. Those methods worked a hundred years ago but don't work today. Look at the church in Acts, fast-growing, outward-looking, soul-saving. So get with the Church Planting Movement or Disciple-Making Movement or some other programme, and see the Great Commission in action.
I disagree that the old ways are outdated but what do I know since I am not a missionary. I have an opinion but I can't say that the old ways still work, because I don't know. But Matt Rhodes knows and he can! AuthorRhodes is a missionary who has lived in North Africa, serving as part of a church-planting team to a previously unengaged people group. So he has credibility.
From his vantage point, in the missionary world, he sees many rushing to use Church-Planting Movement (CPM), Disciple-Making Movement (DMM) and related methods. These methods are, according to Rhodes, are attractive because they are shortcuts. But stay away, so says Rhodes. For there is no shortcut to success. Professionalism is GoodThe book is divided into two parts. Part One is titled: Where Shortcuts Have Led Us: Surveying the Problem. Part Two is titled: Correcting Our Course.
In the first chapter, Rhodes argues for professionalism. Wait, didn't Pastor John Piper write a whole book titled, "Brothers, We Are Not Professionals"? Rhodes mentions Piper's book. But the way Rhodes defines professionalism here is to excel in your field, to not be amateurish and slipshod about it. For example if you are going to reach out to an unreached people group, then learn the language. It's not enough to tell them that Jesus loves you over and over again.
Rhodes sees professionalism as contrary to the CPM-style approach. He describes CPM-style approach as follows:1. An Overemphasis on Speed 2. An Overdependence on "Silver-Bullet" Strategies 3. An Oversized Role Given to Short-Term Mission Trips 4. An Overweening Skepticism of Intellectual Preparedness

He elaborates on each point. And reading each point, just when you think his criticism is too sharp, stabbing deep into the CPM-practitioner's heart, you read chapters 2 and 3. Yikes! Chapter 2's title is "Movements and Rumours of Movements". Chapter 3's title is "In the Scales of the Scriptures".
Before I go into some of his criticisms here, I want to point out the method behind his criticism. After briefly listing what he defines as CPM-style methods and their proponents, Rhodes writes:

In what follows, I’ll do my best to characterize each method fairly, drawing quotes from popular resources written by the known leaders and principal designers of these methods. For example, to describe DMM, I’ll generally refer to books by David and Paul Watson and Jerry Trousdale. I don’t assume, of course, that every DMM practitioner agrees with Trousdale or the Watsons in every particular.

He follows that by saying:

I should also note that there’s much to be praised in today’s most popular methods. Whenever we look at any ministry method, we must attempt to learn what we can.

That being said, I've asked a DMM trainer and practitioner to read the book, which he did. We then had invigorating conversations on the book. I'll share what I learnt from that conversation later, after I describe Matt Rhodes book. Movements and Rumours of MovementsAs I was saying, the second and third chapters are the spiciest of the book. In the "Movements and Rumours of Movements" chapter, Rhodes quotes David Watson, who wrote that in Northern India[1], DMM led to 2 million Hindus being baptised in a few short years. This then became 4 million, then 5.4 million and finally 10 million baptised believers. Rhodes asks, "Are these numbers true?"
I quote:

These amazing successes have supposedly resulted from new methods that depart markedly from the slow, thorough path I’ll be advocating. And I must admit: the numbers are enticing. What missionary doesn’t dream of such success? And who but the most hard-hearted could doubt that these stories are true? After years on the field with little tangible success, many missionaries are ready to try something new; many missions organizations, after long years in the doldrums, eagerly embrace new methods. And so they send their missionaries to be trained.
I repeat: no one wants to rain on a good parade. But if we care about the lost, we must do our due diligence.

Rhodes worked in population-based statistics for eight years before entering the mission field. He explains possible reasons for what he sees as exaggerated numbers. He shares the experience of other missionaries, including himself, who served in those areas but don't see the explosive conversion claimed in these books. He writes:

... publicists of the Bhojpuri movement acknowledge that “sometimes people travel through an area where a movement has been reported and they don’t see evidence of it” but assure us that “you can walk in a jungle and never see any animals. That doesn’t mean there are no animals in the jungle.” This may be true, but it becomes less plausible when the type of jungle animal in question is purported to have a population of 10 million and when all of the other jungle animals object noisily to its presence!

In the Scales of ScripturesChapter three is titled "In the Scales of the Scriptures". And no surprise, Rhodes finds the CPM-style methods to be found wanting.
He breaks this chapter down to five sections. I'll just share one. The section is titled, "Overemphasis on Rapid Growth". He references David Watson and Paul Watson's book, "Contagious Disciple Making" to write:

For example, in Disciple Making Movements (DMM), four generations of churches must be planted every three years for a genuine “movement” to have occurred. That is, within a three-year period, a new church must plant a second new church, which in turn must plant a third new church, and that third church must also plant a fourth new church. In other words, a brand new church should plant another new church in only nine months.

Rhodes makes an effort to show that he is not putting words into the these guy's mouths. He has the receipts. Chapter three consists of 40 pages and there are 133 footnotes to these authors.
He tries to be fair. He give credit where credit is due. He writes:

I love CPM-style practitioners’ desire for lots of people to come to Christ—and quickly. As promoters of CPM-style methods often point out, the church did grow quickly in the book of Acts, and the gospel did spread throughout the entire Roman world within a few hundred years after Jesus’s resurrection.

Yet in the scales of Scriptures, speed is not the over-riding priority in Scripture. Rhode writes:

Paul writes that he proclaimed Jesus by “warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). According to Paul, then, the ability to teach “with all wisdom” is necessary to lead others to maturity. Until they gain this wisdom, new believers will be seriously limited in their ability to disciple others and plant new churches.

And later concludes this section with the following words:

We can contentedly follow the pattern of Jesus; he often avoided the crowds in order to spend time with his disciples. It was only when their maturation process was complete that he committed the growth of the church into their hands. We had better not push too hard for grandchildren before the children are fully grown!

If you have heard of CPM or DMM or T4T or other similar methods but not much more than that, then you will appreciate Rhodes reading all these books, summarising what they have in common and giving a strong critique, not as an armchair pundit (like me!), but as a missionary who cares very much for the lost and empathises with what these proponents are trying to achieve. He doesn't see them as the enemy, at most he sees them as terribly misguided. There is the question of whether he understands what he read and analysed, but I'll save that question for later. Course CorrectionRhodes says, what is needed is a course correction. That's the title of Part Two of the book. I won't be spending as much time on Part Two of the book, not because it's less important, far from it, but because I want to get to the possible pushbacks against Rhodes.
Again, Part Two is important and I would argue more important than Part One. It's easy to destroy an idea, it's harder to build up.
Ultimately, this book is not a hit piece on CPM-style methods. Remember, the subtitle of the book is "A Manifesto for Modern Missions". He makes that point clearly, credibly and boldly in the remaining seven chapters of the book which have the following chapter titles: * Ambassadors for Christ * New Testament Missionary Communication * Communicating Clearly Today * Credibility and Boldness Today * A Long-Term Path for Missionaries * Equipping and Sending * Work and the Holy Spirit

Any one or any church with an interest in missions must read these 7 chapters. By missions, Matt Rhodes is not referring to any and every activity that reaches to the lost, e.g. your soup kitchen or youth concert or personal sharing. By missions he is referring to a long term gospel work to unreached people groups. We are talking about following in the footsteps of William Carey, Hudson Taylor, Adoniram Judson and so on.
Rhodes argues that missionaries need to learn the language, maybe even translate the Bible into their language. They need to understand the community's worldview and religion in order to best proclaim the gospel. And proclaiming gospel is the goal, not teaching English, not building houses for the poor, not starting up an orphanage. These are all worthwhile initiatives that may happen alongside gospel proclamation but we cannot let secondary objectives becomes the primary. We cannot let the good works, not the good news, become the mission.
Rhodes gets down to the nitty gritty details. Are you single, are you willing to stay single? Are you married, is your spouse willing to go into the mission field? Do you have children, will your children be safe where you are going?
How will you choose where you are going? By throwing a dart at a map? Does the Holy Spirit answer these questions by giving impressions? Is it wrong to try to figure out the answers with our minds?
What is the role of the church? What are milestones to expect? So many questions, so many answers, all from the horse's, I mean missionary's, mouth. Another title for this book could well be, "How to be a Missionary and Succeed".
So Part One questions the prevailing CPM-style methods. He writes as if his way is under threat of being overwhelmed by all these new methods, which is funny to me, because the people he is criticising tend to write as if they are the minority and traditional churches are the ones stomping on them.
Part Two, to me, is less a manifesto and more of a down to earth look at what mission should look like and how you and your church can prepare for missions. Objection: False DichotomyAs we now move to a critical evaluation of the book, my aim here is not to attack or defend Rhodes but to enlarge the conversation.
Let's look at one objection. Rhodes sets up a false dichotomy. The way Rhodes presents it, it is as if what is in Part Two is not part of CPM-style methods. For example, Rhodes emphasises language acquisitions. Just because some proponents dismiss the need to learn the local language does not mean that learning languages is antithetical to CPM-style methods. Some are even translating the Bible into the local language!
To be fair to Rhodes, he did say that he can't comment on the broad spectrum of practitioners and can only critique what the architects or designers have written. Be that as it may, if the movement is truly bigger than the architects or popularisers and practitioners have adapted the ideas to address the gaps, then Rhodes' criticisms weakens.
Not just on learning the local language. If other practitioners are able to show that they do not over-emphasis on speed, they do not over-depend on "silver-bullet" strategies, they do not give an oversized role to short-term mission trips and they are not skeptical of intellectual preparedness, and they agree and do much of what Rhodes suggests, then we may not have to choose between two methods. The distinction does not need to be as sharp as Rhodes writes here.
If that was true, and I can't say that it is, because the spectrum might be wider, it might be narrower, then I would like to think that Rhodes would be happy to be wrong. He would be happy to have more missionaries see and address the gaps in Watson, Garrison, Smith and others, regardless of whether he perceived those gaps accurately in the first place.
If true, then someone really should write a book-length response to Rhodes, to correct the record, so that we can feel the real tension between the two approaches. As Proverbs 18:17 puts it so eloquently:

The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.

In this book, Rhodes has given us a critical evaluation of Watson, Garrison and others, so let's hope someone comes and examines Rhodes. Finding A Real Difference Between The Two MethodsDid Rhodes completely fail to distinguish between the essential core of the two methods, for example on the issue of language acquisition? Cause if he did, then it is a waste of time to read a poorly-researched book that gives the wrong picture of the subject.
I don't think so. Let me share one example which came as a big surprise to me. What I thought was an exaggerated description of what had happened seems to be a sought-after outcome of CPM-style methods.
Rhodes writes:

... CPM-style methods even encourage unbelievers to lead if they seem intent on obeying Scripture. James Nyman tells the story of Aysha, a woman who has read some stories about Jesus and the prophets and reports having obeyed the Bible by arguing less with her husband. Aysha is not even asked whether she has trusted Christ as her Savior — or if she even knows what it might mean to trust Christ as her Savior — before she is asked to coach Wati, another unbelieving woman, as Wati leads Bible studies with her family. As a part of this arrangement, Aysha must decide if Wati’s family “has misconceptions about faith in Jesus” in order to determine which Bible stories Wati’s family should study.

As is his way, Rhodes gives in the footnote the author, book and page number for this story. And he also pre-empts the reader's possible incredulity that this is actually endorsed by listing the endorsers:

Lest readers imagine Nyman’s approach to be unusual among CPM-style practitioners, it is important to note that his book receives high praise from David Garrison, David Watson, Steve Smith, Steve Addison, Kevin Greeson, Stan Parks, Curtis Seargant, and many other promoters of CPM-style methods.

Are you shocked? Then be even more shocked. What I thought was indefensible is actually pretty defensible. Thanks to a DMM practitioner/trainer who helped me understand what is happening here. 1. The unbeliever is not leading a Bible Study as we traditionally understand leading. A better description is facilitating. She is a facilitator rather than a leader. 2. The questions are fixed and the answers are found in the given passage. Both questions and the passage are given by the Christian mentor who is not in the group but is actively coaching the facilitator, so the unbeliever is kept, in a manner of speaking, on a tight leash.

They have more reasons for having a non-believer facilitating a Bible Study. But as I try to argue that the leader should be a Christian because only the Christian knows the high-stakes, the eternal stakes involved, only the Christian would pray for the souls of the people in the study, spiritual things are understood by the Spirit and should be conveyed by believers, as I make that case I find that I am arguing against Christians who have an incredibly high view of Scripture, a view that believes anyone who reads and understands the plain meaning of Scripture, will be open to the power of Scripture.
I still disagree, strongly, but it's not as incomprehensible or irresponsible as when you first hear it. Many famous conversions happened, for example John Wesley's, just by hearing Scripture, unmediated, without commentary. It's just strange to make it the default approach rather than seeing it as a singular, highly unusual, Road to Damascus event. Paul, Luther and Wesley, however they were converted clearly intended for Scripture to be taught and explained to believers and unbelievers. I Like My Way Of Doing It Better Than...As I argued with my fellow brother in Christ who sees great value in DMM, I recognised in my own heart a desire to win the argument for how I think missions should be done. So if you are like me, I want you to remember this quote from D.L. Moody.
Someone criticised his way of evangelism. Moody replied:

It is clear you don’t like my way of doing evangelism. You raise some good points. Frankly, I sometimes do not like my way of doing evangelism. But I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.

Consider this:
One day, I was listening to a Voice of the Martyrs podcast episode on Afghanistan. The interview was on what is happening to the Christians after the fall of Kabul. It was clear that the missionary being interviewed is using CPM-style methods because he was using CPM-style language.
On a different day, I was listening to Recorded, a podcast from the Gospel Coalition. The episode title was "Escape from Kabul". I listen to the story of an Afghan believer who eventually interned with Capital Hill Baptist Church, which is Mark Dever's church. Mark Dever, if you recall, is the guy who wrote the foreword to Matt Rhodes' "No Shortcut To Success". This Afghan brother has a different journey which is no less harrowing than the earlier one.
We have brothers and sisters in Afghanistan who are suffering for their faith. They are practising both mission methods. Maybe one way is indeed better, more biblical than the other. But our heart, our posture in this discussion is not I win means you lose but let us find a way to win souls together for the Lord. As Rhodes puts it rightly, "Whenever we look at any ministry method, we must attempt to learn what we can." ConclusionIn conclusion, if you are following Church-Planting Movement, Disciple-Making Movement, Training for Trainers, or any other mission method, new or old, you should still read Matt Rhodes. You will not like what he says. You will say he got many things wrong. But since he is quoting those books, then maybe a part of the wrongness is coming from those books.
If you are serious about missions, as all Christians should, then No Shortcut to Missions: A Manifesto for Modern Missions, is a must read. It's a book, especially Part Two, that missionaries would say, "I wish I had read this when I decided to be a missionary."
This is a Reading and Readers review of "No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions" by Matt Rhodes. If you like this book review, then make sure toe subscribe to Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Thank you for listening. Book List* "No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions" by Matt Rhodes. Amazon.

Correction[1]In the podcast, I said Northern Africa when I meant Northern India.

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A Palestinian Christian living in Israel writes a book on reconciliation. Palestinian. Christian. Reconciliation. Put all those words together and I coudn't resist to buy, read and review the book.
Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review "Theology of Reconciliation in the Context of Church Relations: A Palestinian Christian Perspective in Dialogue with Miroslav Volf" by Rula Khoury Mansour. 352 pages, published by Langham Monographs in January 2020.
How did I come across this book? The author is not famous. Yet. Maybe after this book review she will be. You won't see this book in your bookshops. It's not in any bestseller list. Yet. Again, maybe after this book review it will be. AuthorI got to know of Rula Khoury Mansour from an interview Chris Wright did. When I heard she is a Palestinian Christian, I thought, "Cool! Rare species." Listening to the interview, I learnt she wrote a book on reconciliation. That is just too many juxtapositions for me to ignore. I've got to read this book. And so I did.
We have an author's biodata on the book's cover but I like how she describes herself in the book.
She writes:

I believe I am uniquely placed to research the topic of Palestinian Baptists in Israeli and their intra-church conflicts. I approached the analysis of the data not from the unsympathetic lens of an outsider nor from the uncritical lens of an insider. I'm neither solely a woman, wife and mother, nor just a Palestinian Christian, cultural Middle Easterner, British academic, Israeli citizen and lawyer who studied in secular Jewish universities and worked as a public prosecutor in the Israeli establishment. I am all of those identities together.

MonographThis book is a monograph, meaning it's her research thesis. I paid good money for someone's research thesis. I still find it surprising that I did this. But why should it be surprising? Instead of reading titilating trashy novels, imagine if we as a society enjoy a good monograph or two.
Don't you think the title of this book is far more interesting than any trashy novel? I keep repeating myself but come on man, a Palestinian Christian in Israel writing on Reconciliation. Surely you see how intriguing this is. But is it any good? I've finished the book and I have three words to describe it: Intimate, Practical and Critical.
It's intimate because the pastors and church members involved in the church conflicts are so exposed. She doesn't name names, she uses pseudonyms. But there are only 3000 or so Palestinian Baptists in Israel. It's a small community. How did she manage to draw out people who live in an honour and shame culture to speak of conflict which to them is shameful and to have it published for the world to read?
This is not a tabloid running a headline, "The Church War You Didn't Know in Israel". This is a practical book on reconciliation. I would like to think that the reason why the people opened up is they saw greater honour in sharing their unique perspective on church conflict that blesses the global church.
This is not a how-to book with the title, "Ten Steps to Reconcile with the Utterly Irreconcilable". This book is critical in that it takes a theologian-scholar's framework and tells us where it works and where it doesn't in the Palestinian context. It's a research monograph. StructureI have put off describing the structure of the book because I didn't want to scare you to switch to another podcast. This book has subheadings that only researchers would love: * Research Question * Choice of Qualitative Methodology and Methods Used in the Study * Research Plan * Research Ethics

Take heart, if you are not a research geek, there is still plenty to love in this book.
The book is divided into two parts. If you like 'gossip', you'll appreciate Chapters 1 to 5. How did the Baptists wind up in Palestine and why did they leave? And curiously, why did the church splits only occur after they left? Did money and church buildings play a part? Was the problem the old men in power, the young rebellious group, the indomitable women or all of the above?
In Chapters 6 to 9, Mansour brings Miroslav Volf's Theology of Reconciliation to the Palestinian context. Miroslav Volf has his own unique lived experience as a Croatian who lived through the Balkan Wars and has since famously contributed towards the theology of reconciliation. Mansour develops aspects of Volf's work into four chapter-length critiques namely: "Theology of Remembrance", "Theology of Forgiveness", "Theology of Justice" and "Theology of Embrace".
In Chapter 10, having identified some gaps in Volf's framework as it pertains to the Palestinian context, Mansour makes some recommendation, which includes a stronger role for the community, a place for venting, the need for rituals and dignity restoration and others. Conflict within a ConflictThat's the overview, now let's get into the conflict in Israel. Only this time, it's not the conflict with rockets and bombs, the one debated in the United Nations, the one that arguably can be traced back to Old Testament times. We are going to study a conflict set in the background of a greater conflict. Imagine bombs exploding outside your home, while you are having a family quarrel inside your home. Welcome to the Palestinian Baptist Churches in Israel.
The Palestinian Baptists are a threefold minority.
As Palestinians, they are a minority in Israel. An unwelcome minority because Palestinians are a reminder of the greater, wider, conflict.
As Christians, they are a minority among Palestinians. Palestinians are mostly Muslims.
And lastly, as an evangelical, they are a minority among the Christian denominations. Baptists make a tiny tiny slice of the Christian population.
Adding more fuel to the mix is how successive generations have engaged with the war around them. Citing historical research, Mansour presents three generations or stages in the Palestinian community: from 1948-1955 it's the survival generation, from 1956-1988 it's the worn-out generation and from 1990-2016 it's the stand tall generation. And each generation deals with church conflict in a different way.
I can imagine some Christians getting uncomfortable reading the history of Israel from a Palestinian perspective.
For some Christians are so zealous for Zion that any news that implies national Israel is at fault is fake news. Israel is God's chosen nation, it can do no wrong or the burden of proof is so high, it might as well be.
The main theme of this book is not the Israel-Palestine conflict. That is the background that influences the conflict in front of us, the Palestinian Baptist Churches. There isn't much here to really trigger you but perhaps reading events from another perspective, from another sister-in-Christ's perspective, will help you see not just the Israeli side, or the Palestinian side, but a Palestinian Christian side.
Moving on. Churches A, B and CMansour presents three churches as her case study: Church A, B and C which are pastored by Pastor A, B and C respectively. In this review, I'll pick examples from Church A just to give you a taste of what to expect as you progress through the book. This is the scenario at Church A, Mansour writes:

When Pastor A reached pension age, the church committee decided to extend his time as there was no replacement. Two years later, Pastor A and the deacons invited Pastor George to be assistant pastor for six months and then replace Pastor A. Pastor A's wife claimed that George was invited without Pastor A being informed. After six months, surprisingly, Pastor A informed the deacons that he was not ready to resign and wished to continue. He suggested George could work under his authority, but George refused. This resulted in a dispute and many heated meetings. In one meeting, Pastor A overrode the constitution and dismissed the deacons and finally the church split and church A2 was founded.

Fortunately, they are all Christians. So after a night of soul-searching, Bible-reading and prayer, the Holy Spirit touched everyone's hearts and they came crying to each other, embracing one another. Right? Nope. In church A, the conflict went on for years.
Didn't anyone work to reconcile in these churches? There was. Mansour demonstrated that there were four different approaches used to resolve the conflict. She writes:

Two approaches are cultural: (1) The Israeli alternative-legalistic approach and (2) the Palestinian traditional sulha approach; and two approaches are theological: (1) the traditional Palestinian church approach and (2) the Western-Baptist approach.

The alternative-legalistic, traditional church and the Western-Baptist approach, if I describe them, will be familiar to you. The one that is not so familiar is the Palestinian traditional sulha approach. It's alien, even exotic. When cultures collide, we become more aware of what we take for granted in our own culture, whether for good or for bad. Sulha

Let me quickly go through the sulha approach. Let's say you offended someone. You need to form a jaha. The jaha are the respected elders of the community. A hodna or ceasefire agreement is called so that nobody is allowed to take revenge. The offender provides the jaha with a taffwid. The taffwid is an irreversible written authorisation to act on their behalf and it contains the commitment of the offender's family to obey whatever verdict the jafa reaches.
Do you see the difference? One, your family is involved. Two, you commit to obey before you know the verdict. Exciting isn't it?
The sulha not only has a different approach, it also has a different aim. In the sulha, conflict is bad, so we need to restore the status quo. In the Western-Baptist approach, conflict may be a good thing, and resolving the conflict may mean changing the status quo.
Now imagine what happens when two parties adopt different mechanisms and have different expectations. And it's not as if they write up the protocol up front. A lot of the approach and expectations is implicit, they are not explicitly stated. This research is fascinating. You should stop listening to this review and just buy the very expensive monograph. It's Really Very Simple, We Just Need To...I know what some of you are thinking. You are thinking that all they need to do, all every Christians in conflict should do is simply humbly go to the Bible.
Listen to this. I have edited this paragraph for brevity:

In case A, the group was given a few worksheets about biblical peace-making in preparation for the meeting. They met for two days. The purpose of this gathering was to discuss the problems and see how they could be resolved. During the meetings, there were sermons and Bible studies based on what Scripture says about unity and reconciliation (with a focus on Matthew 18). Two themes were addressed: relationships between believers and seeking the good of others over one's own desires. Around nine prayer meetings and Bible studies took place during the retreat. While one group met with facilitators, the other group had prayer meetings.

Now when I read that, I was thinking, "that's exactly how I think reconciliation work should look like. Lots of Bible and prayer.
Then listen to Mansour's explain why the Western-Baptist approach failed:

The findings show that studying Scripture together was not sufficient to deal with the conflict. Interveners (missionaries and Western-minded pastors) focused on how to act and related to God and others. However, this approach ignored the pastors' struggles, such as how to deal with feelings of rejection, anger, insult and loss of dignity. Also, it did not take into consideration that the parties were deeply related and influenced by their families, so any agreement was incomplete until approved by the family.

Frankly, Mansour has collected enough material on the conflict here to start a fire that would metaphorically burn down all the Palestinian Baptist Churches. She could, if she chose to, make one party the villain and the other, the hero. After all, many of us like our heroes and villains easily labeled. Well, I'm glad that Mansour didn't try to force an easy narrative. She isn't here to sell books, she is here to present her research. And her research shows that conflicts and attempts to reconcile are messy, painful and can be dragged on. There are no villains or heroes in this book. They are all simultaneously sinners and saints. Volf-TimeAt half-time, it's Volf-time. Here we have four superb chapters on Remembrance, Forgiveness, Justice and Embrace. What makes the Mansour's critique on Volf engaging is she uses his framework to analyse what happened to Church A, B and C. And in the process, help us think through aspects of reconciliation in ways that I did not consider before.
For example, in reconciliation we all naturally focus on forgiveness because that seems to be where the Bible focus is. In the Parable of the Ungrateful Servant, the servant was forgiven 10,000 talents of gold but did not forgive his fellow servant who owed much less. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father forgives the son despite everything he did. So forgiveness is clearly important but what about remembering?
According to Volf, we should remember rightly. We should remember truthfully. Mansour takes this and compares against the churches in her case study.
Mansour writes:

Pastors remembered and focused on their church's past glory and their contributions. They wondered how the "rebellious groups" could forget these past contributions. Pastor A spent 90 percent of the interview describing in detail the glory of church A during the 1970s-1980s revival. Pastor A's wife told me, teary-eyed, "When I remember [the split] I get sad and so does Pastor A who has served the church all his life." Rami, an ABC leader, told me that history is still alive in people's minds; pastors expected that members would not forget their decades of service, and thus expected that their past contributions must influence the church's present decision-making.

The idea here is if you cannot remember rightly, then this hinders reconciliation. This is just one example from the chapter on remembrance. There are more insights and examples which I won't get into.
In the chapter on Justice, we consider what is the role of compensation or repentance in reconciliation. Surely, wrongs must be acknowledged and righted before we can speak of reconciliation.
In the chapter on Embrace, Volf and Mansour bring out the question of what does embrace look like, should we expect it and how can we work towards it.
I have not read any of Volf's writings but if Mansour has presented Volf's work properly, which she should since he is her research supervisor, then I appreciate how these chapters offer a brief introduction to Volf's Theology of Reconciliation.
I also appreciate Mansour's analysis against other theologians and ministers of reconciliation. For example, Mansour shows us that Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Truth & Reconciliation Committee in South Africa is less emphatic on justice compared to the other aspects.
In this book, Mansour models for us how to adopt a framework to a real-life problem: Church A, B and C, and shows us how well and how poorly the framework applies to the Palestinian context. We know we should adjust any solution or framework to the culture we are working on but we seldom get to study the friction of adopting an analytical model to a real-life culture. This Book May Not Be For YouI like this book. I like the fact that this book exists. Its existence means there are Christians willing to share their reconciliation struggles to bless the wider Christian community. I am thankful that this is a recent monograph which means there continues to be believers studying reconciliation in the practice of the church. I am also thankful to note that the author is an unknown outside of Israel, and here I want to commend Langham for publishing books that some, most(?) publishers would not publish.
In fact, my experience with this book was so good, I bought another Langham Monograph which was available at a discount, "Interpersonal Reconciliation between Christians in a Shame-Oriented Culture: A Sri Lankan Case Study" by Mano Emmanuel. This book was discounted to USD6.27 which is a lot cheaper than Mansour's book which cost USD25.99. Warning Dear ReaderHowever, as much as I enjoy Mansour's book and think the USD25.99 price tag worth the insight a Palestinian Christian in Israel offers on reconciliation, I am duty bound to warn you.
This is a research thesis. It's not written for a popular audience. Perhaps this book review would generate some well-deserved interest on Mansour and her writing, and make it her while to write a book for the everyday reader.
And if she does write another book, I hope she tells us how well her recommendations work. Taking one example, in this book I reviewed today, she successfully showed a need for the people to express the injustice they experienced or the anger and disappointments they felt. She successfully showed how other approaches that did not consider this cultural aspect failed to move the people towards reconciliation. She successfully showed how Volf's framework did not consider this aspect and she recommended venting be part of the reconciliation process, at least for Palestinian Christians.
Therefore, this leaves a big gap, a research gap, namely, does her recommendations work in the field? I hope one day to read an evaluation of these methods. It would also be amazing if we can one day read that Church A, B and C achieved reconciliation and how they are sharing the Lord's goodness with other believers. Reconciliation is possible! Do not mistake the Lord's arm to be so short that He cannot save you from your conflicts.
Other than buying the book and leaving good reviews, there are other ways we can encourage Rula Khoury Mansour and the Palestinian Baptist Churches in her case study. If you are a researcher, you can the read and cite her work and build on her work to advance the field one step further.
More powerfully, if this book has helped you reconcile with another, and what a miracle this is!, then send a note to Rula Khoury Mansour to thank her. And if it isn't too much trouble, I would love to hear it as well. You can find my contact details at www.readingandreaders.com. That's www.readingandreaders.com.
In conclusion, I found Mansour's book to be an intimate look at the Palestinian Baptist Church, so intimate that I dearly pray my brothers and sisters there would agree in the Lord and I pray that peacemakers would come forth to help them.
The book is practical. Since reading the book, I have shared the ideas on the pulpit and applied them in a real life case, specifically the need to remember truthfully and to integrate the past into the present.
The book is critical. I learnt how to take a framework and evaluate it critically in my context. When I first heard of Mansour and her book in Chris Wright's interview, I didn't know her book was a monograph. After reading the book, I realised that I can enjoy reading a monograph.
Let me close this book review with Matthew 5:9, which says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." May the Lord send his peacemakers and ministers of reconciliation to work in Israel-Palestine and the Palestinian Baptist Churches.
This is a Reading and Reader's review of "Theology of Reconciliation: A Palestinian Christian Perspective in Dialogue with Miroslav Volf" by Rula Khoury Mansour. 352 pages. Published by Langham Monographs in January 2020. Thank you for listening. Book List* "Theology of Reconciliation: A Palestinian Christian Perspective in Dialogue with Miroslav Volf" by Rula Khoury Mansour. Amazon. Logos. * "Interpersonal Reconciliation between Christians in a Shame-Oriented Culture: A Sri Lankan Case Study" by Mano Emmanuel. Amazon. * "Exclusion and Embrace, Revised and Updated: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation" by Miroslav Volf. Amazon.

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Baggage and Grace

Married For a Purpose

The Rest of the Book

Criticisms

Outro

Book List

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