Review: "Shane"

 

My father liked Westerns, but they never really appealed to me.  So, when the book club I am a part of said we were reading Shane by Jack Schaeffer, I thought “meh.”

Shane is one of the first Westerns written, and it is considered one of the best – if not the best.

Schaeffer portrays the struggle in the 1800’s between the cattle ranchers and the homesteaders over who will have the land.  These disputes led to much of the property laws we now have one the books.

Shane appears one day at a homesteader’s home.  The family consisted of Joe Starrett, his wife, Marion, and their son, Bob. Shane has a dark past which is never explained, but it comes forth as he defends the Starrett’s and as he encourages the best in them.  And that is the point of the story.

Schaeffer shows the family to be made up of three different people – not unequal, but different.  There is the father whose job is to earn a living and protect his family, there is the wife whose job is to care for the homestead, and there is the child who is to learn from and respect his parents and grown into the man he ought to be.

In a time of belief in gender fluidity, this is not a message that is well accepted, but this is how the country was made – how humans were made – and it was the accepted understanding until a short time ago.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Rembrandt is in the Wind"

 

A friend of mine took me to see sculptures in an outdoor setting.  There are painters I enjoy.  Musicians, writers, all types of artists.  With God as the Author of beauty, art will enhance and lift our lives – even if we have preferences with regards to art – and that’s ok.

Russ Ramsey has written a very helpful and encouraging book for those who love art and those who have little experience with art – specifically focusing on paintings and painters in Rembrandt is in the Wind:  Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith.

Ramsey tells the story of over a dozen painters in his book – the “big” names as well as some I have never heard of.  Ramsey shows that knowing the life of the artist helps the viewer to see the art.

Each chapter has a black and white painting, and in the middle of the book is a collection of full-color paintings.

As the title of the books suggests, all of life is connected to faith, and the understanding of Scripture.  Ramsey shows how each of the artists and their work reflect some aspect of the beauty of God – whether it be I sorrow or joy.

This book helped me to better understand Art – not the methodology of painting, but how to see it.

There is an epilogue in which Ramsey encourages and challenges the reader to “give yourself to a craft” (208).  There is no guarantee that your efforts will make you rich or famous, but you will “contribute beauty to this world” (208).  We are more than cogs in a machine, we are expressors of beauty that emanates from the Beautiful One.

The first appendix explains how best to visit a museum.  He includes what I found to be encouraging guidance to look around and go consider what you are attracted to – it is not necessary to go to each work one at a time.

The second appendix explains how to look t a work of art.

The third gives an overview of Western art from the Renaissance to the modern day.

Finally, there is a list of selected works and a section of endnotes.

This book is an excellent entrance into art, and it has taught and encouraged me to create beauty and to love other’s art.  It is also an excellent book for those well-acquainted with art and its beauty.  So, I have bought a copy for my friend.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "How to Be Poor"

 

Milo Yiannopoulos has called himself a “provocateur.” Without getting into a debate on his political views and the rhetoric of his speeches, one can acknowledge that he uses humor, the politics of the right, and an over-the-top persona in his appearances.

In recent years, Milo has fallen on hard times, largely due to his excessive spending and naiveté about the money he had and the people he considered friends.  In his book, How to Be Poor, he addresses these errors and gives advice that will help the reader avoid becoming poor.

He addresses seven issues:  eating the wrong foods and too much of them, using expensive transportation, having your hair done far too often, picking “friends” who only care about what they can get from you, using your body self-destructively, being paralyzed with shame, and turning away from Christianity.  These things, he argues, drove him into poverty.

He doesn’t just state what he did wrong, but he specifically goes through how to correct each of these issues, hopefully regaining a footing in life.  I leave the answers to these issues to your reading.

That being said, Milo makes good arguments for what he did wrong – and what we may have done wrong – and well as how to become a better person.  I recommend this book to you.  It doesn’t answer everything, but it does address some serious issues and will help you consider making positive changes in your life.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "The Qur'an and the Christian"

 

The Qur’an and the Christian:  An In-depth Look Into the Book of Islam for Followers of Jesus by Matthew Aaron Bennett is my latest read.

Bennett clearly and readably offers insight into the Qur’an – where it came from, what it claims, and what Christians ought to do with it.  Though he doesn’t say it until later in the book, let me state upfront that he recommends that Christians read the Qur’an to understand something of what his “neighbors” believe.

The book is divided into three sections:

In the first section, he explains how the Qur’an came to be and what believers in Islam understand to be its revelation and how it is to be used as a teaching instrument.

Next, he examines the teaching of the Qur’an and its relation ship to the texts of Judaism and Christianity.

Finally, he consider how a Christian might “use” the text of the Qur’an.  He explains and evaluates positive and problematic uses of the Qur’an in presenting the Gospel.

This is an excellent primer both on understanding how Muslims understand the Qur’an and how the Christian can engage with it and followers of Islam. (Thus the need to actually read the text and interact with it prior to talking with Muslims about it and its relationship to the writings of Judaism and Christianity.)

This is a book I would recommend reading more than once to get a handle on all that he is explaining – and it would be good to read along with reading the Qur’an.

I received this book for free from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Kerux Commentaries: Colossians and Philemon"

 

From The Kerux Commentary series: Colossians and Philemon:  A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching by Adam Copenhaver and Jeffery D. Arthurs – the first being an exegetic author and the second, a homiletics author.

This is the second commentary I have reviewed from this series – and these commentaries are full – making this a useful commentary for preachers, teachers, and seminary students. It can also be well used in Bible-study groups.

Each section begins with the exegetical idea, the theological focus, preaching ideas, and preaching pointers – each of these is given a fuller examination at the end of the commentary section. Then, the authors give the literary structure and themes of the text and then into the commentary proper. Throughout the commentary, there are boxes with questions and explanations about the text and the ideas in the text. Finally, they include a list of discussion questions.

As I said, these commentaries are jam-packed with useful information for preaching and teaching, and this is where I have difficulty with the commentary – not with all of the information given with the commentary, but with the format of the commentary.  I find it confusing. I would appreciate the work that must have gone into this commentary more if all the other information was not interspersed throughout the commentary.  I would rather have separate chapters with the information prior to the actual commentary.

This commentary and the series are certainly useful, though I found it confusing to use.

I received this book for free from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "The Biggest Story Bible Storybook"

 

The Biggest Story Bible Story by Kevin DeYoung and illustrated by Don Clark is what it says it is:  a big book of the major stories of the Bible – with an emphasis on how the Bible is one story.

DeYoung writes the Bible story on an older elementary school level, though younger children can understand it being read to them with some help. The illustrations by Clark are attractive and appropriate to the text.

The pros of this book are both showing that the Bible is, indeed, one story, and putting it on a language level that younger children can understand better than many translations of the Bible.

The caveats about this book – not necessarily cons – are: (For those who believe the Second Commandment forbids pictures of Jesus) there are pictures of Jesus. Second, this would be considered a paraphrase and errors are more likely in paraphrases than in translations. Third, and most importantly, if you use this book, also make sure that you read and introduce children to the actual text of the Bible – reading it to them, explaining it to them, and having them read it as early as possible. You, as the adult, can explain and answer questions about the actual text.

Thus, this can be a useful book – when used carefully.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: "Preaching Life-Changing Sermons"

 

Preaching Life-Changing Sermons:  Six Steps to Developing and Delivering Biblical Messages by Jesse L. Nelson was written to help those who don’t have seminary training (as Nelson didn’t when he began preaching at age fourteen), as a text for ministers to discuss, for use in seminaries, etc.  He states that he is writing from and is influences by black preaching tradition.

Nelson’s work is commendable in arguing that a sermon is to be developed through prayer and study, relying on the Holy Spirit, understanding the text in its grammatico-historical context, preaching what the text says, and addressing it with your congregation – its strengths and weakness – in mind.

It is helpful to understand where he is coming from – his influences – and he lists numerous preachers and their works throughout his book.

However, for a number of reasons, I cannot recommend this book:

Nelson argues that there is a lack of illustration and application in sermons – and he often uses stories about himself, his family, and friends. Although he says that the sermon – and applications – must be what the text says, not what the preacher wants it to say – I find todays preachers illustration and application heavy – taking away from the Gospel and the Glory of God.

Nelson conflates preaching though a book with preaching verses or sections of a book and/or a topical series.

And Nelson approvingly cites preachers with questionable doctrinal positions, such as Tony Evans.

For these reasons, it would be best to look to another book on preaching.

I received this book for free from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: A Tale of Two Cities

 

Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities in 1859.  The French Revolution began in 1789 – the storming of the Bastille plays a significant part of the novel.  The two cities of Dickens’ novel are London and Paris.  This novel is much more of a historical novel than so many of Dickens’ character-driven novels.  It concerns two revolutions – and a warning about revolution.

Dickens is not against revolution per se, but as he sees it, revolution with an eye towards establishing established rights – especially based on a religious foundation – will lead to progress; whereas revolution with an eye towards destroying those one disagrees with – especially based on an atheistic or “secular” – will lead to chaos.  Revolution can be good (in some sense), or it can be evil.

Dickens is looking back at past revolutions and warning his contemporaries that revolution is not neutral – as it unfolds, it has consequences towards one way or another.

I prefer Dickens’ character-driven novels, but the characters do work and make the point – the warning – that Dickens desires to get across.  Read and be warned.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings and Funerals and other services

 

Many denominations have liturgies that they put forth for weddings, funerals, and other services. Sometimes these are mandated; sometimes they are one option. If you are of the latter group, you may be helped by A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings and Funerals and other occasions (revised and updated edition) edited by Aubrey Malphurs, Keith Willhite, and Dennis Hillman.

As one would expect from the title, the first two – and major – sections of the book deal with weddings and funerals. Each presents a variety of contemporary liturgies, sample “messages,” and “helps” such as prayers and other “incidentals.”  The funeral section also includes perspectives on death and dying that may be helpful in counseling and service preparation.

The third section deals with other occasion, liturgies, and issues that may arise:  What if you use a bread machine to make the communion bread? How should Christmas be celebrated? There are sample “messages” for Mother’s Day and earth day, the installation of a minister, and the closing of a church, etc.

This book came out of the request from Dallas theological seminary from students and others to provide “fresh” liturgies (13).

The book contains a list of contributors, resources, and a Scripture index.

I have three responses to this book:

First, I am not against new liturgies, so long as they are biblical and appropriate to a worship service.

Second, in using this book, I would not neglect knowing older liturgies and understanding why they were written as they were.

And third, I would caution those who use this book not to simple preach the “messages” in the book. They are there for inspiration and guidance, not to be plagiarized.

That being said, this can be a helpful manual as ministers seek to preside at weddings, funerals, and other occasions.

I received this book for free from Kregel Academic in exchange for an honest review.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

 

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain takes Huck from his adventures with Tom Sawyer and lets him loose on his own – largely accompanied by the escaped slave, Jim. In his adventures, he learns about being civilized – from Jim, the King, the Duke, the minister, and others. The truly civilized person is Jim – the others are false. Meeting up with Tom at the end of the novel, Huck expresses his thoughts on being civilized.

His thoughts in what it means to be civilized build through the book as the story carries him through his adventures – his conclusions are worth considering.

Twain uses the varying dialects of his South in writing the novel which takes a little getting use to.  Another point that makes this a controversial book for some is the persistent use of the “n-word.”

The latter of these observation leads one to ask the question of the novel:  should it be “banned”? Should it be “sanitized”? Or should it be left as it is as a challenge to understand what Huck means by the word and what the word meant in Twain’s time.

I think the latter is the appropriate choice.  However, reading the text and understanding the use of that word is different from speaking it and using it. That word has come to have a vile and disgusting meaning in our time – far beyond anything it ever meant before. I would argue that if the text is read aloud, the word should be substituted with “n-word,” and I would argue that the word itself should never be used by anyone of any race for any purpose – it is that charged and vile a word today.

I purchased the “Norton Critical Edition” of the novel for the original drawings and because of the explanatory notes and essays, critical essays, chronology, and selected bibliography. I have only scanned these thus far – I believe the primary source should be read and considered first before looked at any secondary sources.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Reprobation and God's Sovereignty

 

When I saw the title Reprobation and God’s Sovereignty: Recovering a Biblical Doctrine, by Peter Sammons, and I saw that John MacArthur wrote the forward, I knew this was a defense of the doctrine being biblical, and I hoped it would be good. I was not disappointed.

MacArthur writes: “to worship [God] as the one true sovereign God is to worship him for his glory revealed in heaven and his glory revealed in hell” (9).

In the first chapter, Sammons looks at Who God is – His Omnipotence, Holiness, and decrees.

Then he explains the God is Sovereign over damnation. And in the third chapter gives the reader a definition of reprobation: “Reprobation is defined as the eternal, unconditional decree of God for the non-elect. In this decree, he chooses to exclude the non-elect from his electing purposes of mercy and to hold them accountable to the strict standards of justice to display the glory of his righteous wrath” (47).

Sammons relies heavily on Romans 9 as he explains what this means and answers objections. The argument being – in part – that God does not merely elect some to salvation and allow the rest to their own devices, but God actively elects some to salvation and some to reprobation (72).

In chapter six, he argues that there is a distinction to be made between God causing people to sin – which He does not do – and God choosing some to salvation and some to reprobation apart from anything a person does or does not do – for, election and reprobation occur prior to the Creation.

He contrasts Hyper Calvinism with Calvinism (110) and defines the parts of reprobation (126-127).

A major assist in seeing that reprobation is biblical is to understand causality, compatibilism, and concurrence. In these, one sees that God often uses means to accomplish His purposes and God sometimes cooperates with the actions of a creature to accomplish what God would have done. In this, one can understand how God is not the author of sin. God does not force anyone to sin. Yet, sin occurs according to the Providential and Active Will of God (133ff). That is, humans have freedom according to their desires (135).

In chapter 11, he answers the objections of fatalism and reprobation limiting God’s Sovereignty. In chapter 12, he addresses the objections of reprobation demeaning God’s justice.

In chapters 13 and 14, he goes into detail explaining causality and how the understanding of causality is vital in understanding reprobation.

Then he turns to address human volition, will, responsibility, and theodicy. He follows this by looking at the idea of divine abandonment in the Scripture, hardening, and God’s use of personal and non-personal agency in affecting human volition.

The conclusion is a solid summary of the work, which is followed by charts outlining the types of restraints explored in the final chapters, followed by a Scripture index, a terms index, and a persons index.

This is a stunning, biblical, and God-glorifying book which I cannot recommend highly enough to anyone who wants to understand the biblical doctrine of reprobation and to address objections to it. This is the book I will recommend on the subject.

The one item that puzzled me was Sammons seems to indicate that there may be such a thing as an “age of accountability” (44). Perhaps I misunderstood that.

This is not an overbearing academic tome, but it is not something all congregants will be able to handle. Pastors, theologians, seminarians, and college students can and should read this and become aware of how to show that this doctrine is biblical and why it matters.

Excellent – highly, highly recommended.

[I received this book free from Kregel Academic in exchange for an honest review.]

Review: 1984

1984 by George Orwell. You’ve probably heard of it.  You may know the line, “Big Brother is watching you.”  I did, but I only just read the novel having joined an online book club. This was our book for January.

Winston Smith is a member of the Party, but he hates Big Brother. He must be careful about saying or even thinking that thought, but he does hate Big Brother and wants it taken down.

The three slogans of the Party are:

War is peace.

Freedom is slavery.

Ignorance is strength.

Orwell is portraying a totalitarian government.

First, to control the collective mind and keep them from turning on Big Brother, the nation must be constantly at war --- keeping the people’s eyes and hatred on the enemy.

Second, the state gets to control meaning and reality. Whatever the state says is the truth is fact, and anyone who argues against it will be punished. Even, as the example is given, that 2 + 2 = 5.

Third, the state controls history and rewrites it and obliterates inconvenient “facts” previously believed to bolster the positive image of the state.

The good of the collective is greater than the good of the individual and the state is best suited to control what the good is and feed it to the people.

Winston Smith attempts to find ways around the strictures and watchful eye of the state. In the end, he faces horrific torture and becomes a faithful part of the collective.

This dystopian novel is a warning to what can happen – it has happened in various places at various times to different degrees. While there is a sense of being part of our country, state, and town, we are individuals with individual rights that must be protected. The government is not to be allowed to put its authoritarian boot on our neck for what it believes to be good – ignoring our freedoms.

Watch out.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Day by Day with Jonathan Edwards

 

One of the devotional books I used for the past year was Day by Day with Jonathan Edwards, compiled and edited by Randall J. Peterson.

Each day has a text from the Bible (King James Version) and then a half to a full-page text from one of Edwards’ writings.

If you’ve never read Edwards, this would be an excellent introduction to disabuse you of the stereotype of Edwards as being pure hellfire and brimstone. Rather, he is a biblical scholar who believes both in the justice of God against those who never believe in His Son, Jesus, the Only Savior, and the grace of God that lovingly gifts salvation to all who believe through His Son, Jesus.

I was encouraged and challenged by Edwards’ reflections through the year, and I would recommend this as a yearly devotional to anyone looking for sound biblical reflection for each day.

At the end of the book, there is a listing of what text each quote comes from. While I am glad for that, it would be even more useful to have the title, edition, and page number listed for those of us who might want to read more around the text one the page. I would encourage that to be added in an update of the book.

You will grow in the knowledge and love of our Triune God using a devotional like this.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One

 

I was cautious and curious when I picked up The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One: A Multi-Layered Approach by Gregg Davidson and Kenneth J. Turner. I was encouraged to see that the authors affirmed The Chicago Statement on Inerrancy (10). That meant – to me – that wherever the authors were going, they were going to affirm the text as the True Word of God.

The authors break down each chapter addressing their points and concerns that readers might have, and each chapter ends with questions for reflection and study. The reading is not geared for the average layperson, but for the college student, seminarian, and pastor.

The authors identify the seven layers as song, analogy, polemic, covenant, temple, calendar, and land. The authors identify these layers as within the text, but neither opposed to the text or each other. These are additional facets of the text that one may find and study to flesh out the beauty of the text and the fullness of the meaning already there.

In presenting the layers, the authors look at the linguistic uses within the text, other Ancient Near Eastern parallels to the text – not to say that the Bible is a copy of their texts, but to make the point that God has condescended to present His True Word to us in a language and structure that we can understand.

This is an example of the parts being greater than the whole. The book looks small from the outside, but it is filled and becomes fuller as one reads the text and applies it in Genesis one and considers the use of the layers in other texts. It is an interesting and useful approach to gain more of what is already in the text.

Within the text, an assertion is made that floored me:  humans bringing of sin into the world did not change the Creation, only our experience of it (90). How can this be right?

Paul writes, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21, ESV).

If sin didn’t change the Creation, then what is the “futility” and “bondage” that it longs to be freed from?

Other issues such as seeing the days of Creation from the “framework” position and support for the idea of animal death in the Garden just don’t make sense to my reading of the Scripture.

So, I would say this book has value in showing how the text can be opened like and onion to bee seen to the further glory of God and our joy in seeing its beauty. However, I find some of their conclusions/interpretations of the text problematic. Use this book with care.

The book ends with a bibliography, author index, and Scripture index. (Footnotes appear throughout.)

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Berserk, Volume 1

 

I know little about anime, but I know a little more now.  Cole Hastings talks about it on his YouTube channel – and he said Berserk is his favorite. I asked my sister about it, and she’s likes it as well, and has the first few volumes, so I borrowed them.

These volumes are paginated from back to front and right to left, as the original language version is.

The series is by Kentaro Miura.

Berserk 1

The story opens introducing the reader to Guts, the Black Swordsman, and his friend, Puck the Elf. Guts has suffered in war and been tortured and is now out for revenge. He is marked on the neck with a brand that draws evil to him. And he lost his left arm which is now replaced with a mechanical one.

The pages are more drawings than words. The art is living and takes the reader through the story with understanding.

The volume is marked with a parental advisory for the violence of the story and art.

I am going to continue reading.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: A Brief Theology of Christmas Presents

 

As Christmas is upon us, it seems appropriate to read, A Brief Theology of Christmas Presents by Douglas Wilson.

Wilson argues that one must consider the nature of gifts, the nature of giving, the nature of receiving, and the goodness of the material world to arrive at the title’s goal.

First, the nature of gifts is found in grace (5) and giving fills a need and results in thanksgiving (7). The ground of all generosity – of all gift-giving – is the giving of God the Son to us in the Incarnation (8).

Wilson says there are three categories of gifts:  the tithe – the ten percent of one’s gross income that God requires, offerings – gifts above the required ten percent, and celebrations (10). Christmas gifts are part of the third category.

One does not give to get, rather, we give gifts on order to be able to give more (13). God gives more for giving to those who give. God does not pay off someone with more for oneself for giving.

Second, the nature of giving is understood in Jesus’ saying that it is more blessed to give that to receive” (20). To be blessed, Wilson points out, is to receive. Therefore, in giving, one receives from God “a blessing given by another” (21). Thus, the nature of giving is the desire to receive nothing for the giving except to have been obedient to God. “To be blessed in giving is to be a receiver” (30).

Third, the nature of receiving involves “giving to get to give some more” (32). Being a true receive is done in humility and equips the receiver to give more (38). Receiving is not about pride and hoarding but being made able to give more.

Fourth, to see any good in gifts, one must acknowledge that the world – the material world is good. God created the material world good, and God the Son incarnate and remains forever a real, material human being. Thus, the material world must be good (44).

The theology of Christmas presents, therefore, is – by example of the giving of Jesus Christ – the giving of celebratory gifts is good – the giving of material gifts is good. The giving of gifts is not part of a quid pro quo but giving only to receive the blessing from God. In receiving from God and from others, one is prepared to thankfully give more.

Gifts rightly given at Christmas reflect Who Jesus is, that He remains human, so the world is good, and that gifts prepare the giving and the receiver to give more to the glory of Christ.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: The Tigress of Forli

 

The Tigress of Forli:  Renaissance Italy’s Most Courageous and Notorious Countess:  Caterina Riario Sforza De’ Medici by Elizabeth Lev is my latest read.

I watched the TV series, The Borgias, and it made me seek out more about some of the characters of that period. Caterina De’ Medici is one of them. One of the things that interested me is that she came close to stopping the excesses of the Borgia Pope.

Caterina suffered the loss of three husbands but lead her people in peace and war, bore children, showing and unexpected strength. In the end, she is imprisoned, but she is released in time, spending the rest of her life preparing her children to be great.

The work includes quotations from extant writing of Caterina – as well as other figures of the time.

It ends with notes, sources, and an index.

A fascinating and very readable biography.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Why Should I Be Interested in Church History

 

Why Should I Be Interested in Church History by Joel R. Beeke and Michael A. G. Haykin is part of the “Cultivating Biblical Godliness” series.

The authors introduce the topic saying, “Generally speaking, men and women in the West today rarely think of consulting history for wisdom, direction, or encouragement” (1).

Biblically, this is the wrong attitude to have as God commands “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee” (Deuteronomy 32:7, KJV) (3).

History, the authors explain, is the viewing of God’s work of salvation in time. History helps us to avoid the errors of the past (11). History shows us the value of peoples and traditions other than our own (14). “A Christian view of history helps us see our present moment in the light of creation, redemption, and the completion of God’s saving purposes”
(18).

History shows us the value of other traditions (20), “offers models for imitation” (21), and “stirs up praise to God” because history rests upon Christ (25).

The authors go on to look at applications of Church History noting that our hope and the purpose of history is only found in God’s Word (30-31).

Finally, the authors go on to recommend a number of books to start with in the areas of overview of history, short biographies, visits to historical buildings and monuments, and primary sources to read (31).

The authors’ arguments and reasons are sound – nothing makes any sense outside of the Word of God – and through the Word of God, the study of Church history – and history more generally – will help the reader to understand what God has done and is doing and how to best live out the Scripture in history today. The recommendations at the end of the book are especially useful – I have read several of them.

You should be interested in Church history.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: These Truths Alone

 

Tomorrow, October 31^st, is Reformation Day. We will be giving out copies of Jason Helopoulos’ book, These Truths Alone: Why the Reformation Solas Are Essential for Our Faith Today. This book was first released in 2017 – marking the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation.

This book is part of “The Good Book Guide to” series.

The author states the importance of the Solas: “Each of the Solas proves to be essential to the gospel. We neglect them to our harm. When the church loses its understanding of these rallying cries of the Reformation, it loses the gospel” (5).

He then has six chapters – one on each of the Solas – Scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and Glory to God alone – and one on perseverance.

Each chapter is designed for self-study or group study. Each chapter begins with two scriptures – one from the Old Testament and one for the New that support the doctrine of the Sola in question.

The chapters include a dictionary of terms, general questions on the theme, questions on the Scripture texts, questions regarding the implications of the text, a section of addition areas to “explore more,” question on application, a section on how the reader responds to what has been learned, and, finally, a section of things to pray for.

The book includes a detailed leader’s guide for using this book as a group study.

I believe the Solas are necessary for the Gospel. This book does an excellent job of explaining them and their place in Scripture. If you are unfamiliar with the Solas, need a refresher or additional theological and practical guidance, this is a great place to go.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].

Review: Devoured by Cannabis

 

Douglas Wilson’s Devoured by Cannabis: Weed, Liberty, and Legalization is a gateway book.  (Pun intended.)

The question Wilson addresses in this book is whether cannabis should be legalized for recreational use.

Wilson begins by arguing that alcohol is not the same as cannabis (and other drugs) because alcohol is approved of, mandated, and recommended in the Scripture, whereas drugs are not.  Of course, not every use of alcohol is approved of by the Scripture – drunkenness is a sin (12).

Wilson states that another difference between alcohol and cannabis is that one can have a little alcohol and be fine – and its effects dissipate within a couple of hours.  However, it is not possible not to be deleteriously affected by cannabis (except for perhaps the most minimal amount) and that affect lasts for days interfering with the body’s function (13).

He argues that being drunk or stoned is incompatible with holiness (27).

Tobacco and cannabis are different because tobacco can be used without deleterious effect (35).

If one takes a libertarian view of using cannabis, the freedom use must exist alongside of an employer’s right to fire for use (53).  (Or the employer’s right to fire for use must remain, as per the First Amendment’s provision for freedom of association.)

Economically, he argues that legalization of cannabis would cost the taxpayer in damage while “stoned” and rehab clinics (59).

He argues that the science shows that cannabis use causes mental health problems in numerous people (61).  In fact, any use of cannabis is damaging to the body and mind (73).

While Wilson argues for the criminalization of cannabis use, he argues that possession of cannabis should be decriminalized.  The convicted of possession ought to be given the option of a fine or rehab – on an increasing scale depending on the number of convictions (88). And, the treatment centers would be private, not government run, so that the goal is the repair of the hearts and souls of the user (90).

Ultimately, the problem in one of sin, and the need of repentance – for all of humanity.  No one can ultimately be helped (do not read “cured”) without the intervention of God the Holy Spirit.  So, in working with drug users – and with all others – the presentation of the gospel must be foremost in our work.

I began by saying this is a gateway book.  What I mean by that is, as I began the book, I thought I knew what he was going to say and my response to it, but he took me up.  He stopped me and got me questioning the views I have held.

Specifically, I have two questions that I need to learn more about to better form a solid option on this issue:

First, is it true that it is impossible not to become impaired with any use of cannabis?

Second, is it true that use of cannabis causes or induces a significant percentage of mental illness?

If the answer to these is “yes,” I agree with him that the recreation use of cannabis must be illegal.

[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].