Alright, I know you've all been waiting in eager anticipation for this, so here it is. This is my reading list for the year 2012! Hopefully there is some nice overlap in some areas, but enough eclecticism overall (although, obviously most are intended for "Christian" audiences, I guess).
(Apologetic series)
1. End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, by Sam Harris
2. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Timothy Keller
(Evangelism)
3. One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven, by Mark Cahill
(Youth Ministry)
4. Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church, by Kenda Creasy Dean
5. You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church.... And Rethinking Faith, by David Kinnaman
6. (a re-read!) Shaping the Spiritual Life of Students, by Richard R. Dunn
(Personal Spiritual Growth/Devotionals)
7. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream, by David Platt
8. The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul
9. Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together, by Mark and Grace Driscoll
(Biography)
10. Abraham Lincoln: A Biography, by Benjamin P. Thomas
(Fiction)
11. The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
(Theology)
12. What is Reformed Theology?: Understanding the Basics, by R.C. Sproul
Again, this is one of those times where I'm so excited to read so many things that this list hardly contains everything I hope I read this year! However, I wanted to re-read one book and make sure that the majority of the books on this list are ones that I already own rather than needing to purchase!
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Review of "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy" by Eric Metaxas
This was my second favorite book of the year and probably the best biography I've ever read. Then again, it has all the things you would want in a theological spy thriller (who knew that existed?).
What I Liked:
The story itself is one just begging to be told. The courage, spiritual insight, theological depth, trust in God, and peace that surpassing all understanding in this man's life is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Metaxas does a great job at building tension in this book. He also gives more focus to the ecumenical movement going through Germany (and Europe in general) during these crazy times. It was fascinating to hear Bonhoeffer's role in all of this. I don't want to reveal too much about the plot for those unfamiliar with this story, but will simply say that you should read this book.
What I Didn't Like:
Metaxas does get a little hairy in the details of Bonhoeffer's early life and at times reading the letters between Bonhoeffer and his friends/family in length seems tedious. That having been said, getting through some of those chapters only makes the pay-off of the espionage, assassination attempts, and the chaos of Germany even greater.
Favorite Quotations:
- (on prominent preachers in the US) "In New York they preach about virtually everything; only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, sin, and forgiveness, death and life."
- (on his fellow theologians joining Hitler's "German Christians" church) "'If you board the wrong train,' [Bonhoeffer] said, ' it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.'"
- "For Bonhoeffer, the challenge was to deliver the Word of God as purely as possible, without feeling the need to help it along or to dress it up. It alone had the power to touch the human heart. Any frippery would onl dilute the power of the thing itself. He had told his ordinands of this time and time again. 'Let this power speak for itself, unhindered.'"
Recommendation:
This book is fantastic and I do widely recommend it. However, as much as there is a political thriller feel to the plot of Bonhoeffer's life, this book reads nothing like a John Grisham novel. But it is worth it if you can put the time (500+ pages) and patience into the story.
What I Liked:
The story itself is one just begging to be told. The courage, spiritual insight, theological depth, trust in God, and peace that surpassing all understanding in this man's life is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Metaxas does a great job at building tension in this book. He also gives more focus to the ecumenical movement going through Germany (and Europe in general) during these crazy times. It was fascinating to hear Bonhoeffer's role in all of this. I don't want to reveal too much about the plot for those unfamiliar with this story, but will simply say that you should read this book.
What I Didn't Like:
Metaxas does get a little hairy in the details of Bonhoeffer's early life and at times reading the letters between Bonhoeffer and his friends/family in length seems tedious. That having been said, getting through some of those chapters only makes the pay-off of the espionage, assassination attempts, and the chaos of Germany even greater.
Favorite Quotations:
- (on prominent preachers in the US) "In New York they preach about virtually everything; only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, sin, and forgiveness, death and life."
- (on his fellow theologians joining Hitler's "German Christians" church) "'If you board the wrong train,' [Bonhoeffer] said, ' it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.'"
- "For Bonhoeffer, the challenge was to deliver the Word of God as purely as possible, without feeling the need to help it along or to dress it up. It alone had the power to touch the human heart. Any frippery would onl dilute the power of the thing itself. He had told his ordinands of this time and time again. 'Let this power speak for itself, unhindered.'"
Recommendation:
This book is fantastic and I do widely recommend it. However, as much as there is a political thriller feel to the plot of Bonhoeffer's life, this book reads nothing like a John Grisham novel. But it is worth it if you can put the time (500+ pages) and patience into the story.
Review of "What Does God Know And When Does He Know It?" by Millard J. Erickson
Ahhhhh (sigh of relief), saving the best for last. This is the final book in my personal series on Open Theism, and it was like a breath of fresh air. This is the book I'd been waiting to read on OT.
What I Liked: Although much more highly academic in nature, finally someone tackles the arguments both for and against OT in the original Greek and Hebrew. Truly, Erickson traces and deconstructs each argument in the way only the best systematic theologians can.
From hermeneutic inconsistencies, to directly answering the challenges brought forth from the front-runners of OT, Erickson presents a case against the open view of God and for the classical view that is hard to deny.
What I Didn't Like: This is less of a critique and more of a word to the wise: This book is much harder to access than the previous mentioned volumes in my personal series. This is not to say that it is impossible to understand, but I did find myself feeling like I was reading a textbook more than anything else.
My only criticism is that Erickson doesn't present his case for classical theism until he basically reviews the purpose/arguments of the book throughout the last two shorter chapters in the book. Now, this is also a great thing because his deconstruction of the OT view throughout the book is so spot-on that little needs to be said in direct defense of the classical view.
My Favorite Quotes:
(with this book being so based upon nearly flawless argumentation, it is hard to pull just anything out of context to quote, but here are a couple that can stand on their own.)
- "The open theist appeal is not a call to return to an earlier, purer version of biblical understanding [like the Protestant Reformation]. It is a call to something new to the mainstream of orthodox Christian thought."
- "Similarly, for God to know what he is to do requires in some cases his knowing what humans will do. his predictions about the coming of his Son required knowing that humans would persist in their wicked ways. His prediction of the resurrection of Jesus assumes that he will be rejected and put to death."
Recommendation:
I would recommend this to anyone who already has at least a basic understanding of the current debate between open theism and classical theism. It would also help if you have a basic understanding of philosophical/theological terms as Erickson does little explaining, and uses much jargon. This book is for the inner academic in us all.
What I Liked: Although much more highly academic in nature, finally someone tackles the arguments both for and against OT in the original Greek and Hebrew. Truly, Erickson traces and deconstructs each argument in the way only the best systematic theologians can.
From hermeneutic inconsistencies, to directly answering the challenges brought forth from the front-runners of OT, Erickson presents a case against the open view of God and for the classical view that is hard to deny.
What I Didn't Like: This is less of a critique and more of a word to the wise: This book is much harder to access than the previous mentioned volumes in my personal series. This is not to say that it is impossible to understand, but I did find myself feeling like I was reading a textbook more than anything else.
My only criticism is that Erickson doesn't present his case for classical theism until he basically reviews the purpose/arguments of the book throughout the last two shorter chapters in the book. Now, this is also a great thing because his deconstruction of the OT view throughout the book is so spot-on that little needs to be said in direct defense of the classical view.
My Favorite Quotes:
(with this book being so based upon nearly flawless argumentation, it is hard to pull just anything out of context to quote, but here are a couple that can stand on their own.)
- "The open theist appeal is not a call to return to an earlier, purer version of biblical understanding [like the Protestant Reformation]. It is a call to something new to the mainstream of orthodox Christian thought."
- "Similarly, for God to know what he is to do requires in some cases his knowing what humans will do. his predictions about the coming of his Son required knowing that humans would persist in their wicked ways. His prediction of the resurrection of Jesus assumes that he will be rejected and put to death."
Recommendation:
I would recommend this to anyone who already has at least a basic understanding of the current debate between open theism and classical theism. It would also help if you have a basic understanding of philosophical/theological terms as Erickson does little explaining, and uses much jargon. This book is for the inner academic in us all.
Review of "The Christian Atheist" by Craig Groeschel
I am still trying to decide why I didn't love this book. I mean, it's solid theologically, well-written, has a semi-controversial title, written from conviction and has a decent narrative to each chapter; however, I found it overall lackluster. This is like the new Sherlock Holmes movie: it has a decent setup and should work well-enough, but left me wanting so much more.
What I Liked: Again, this book does what it set out to do. It seeks to call out, convict, and encourage people who claim they believe in God, but in their day-to-day live as if He doesn't exist. I've waited for a few years now to read a book like this, and Groeschel beautifully weaves in and out of biblical concepts and his own personal journey. It's obvious to see the heart of a pastor coming out from the chapters of this book. I think especially in high school this book would have been monumental for my spiritual growth.
What I Found Lacking: For a book that desires to call out the lukewarm within the church body, this book has little bite. This is not to say that Groeschel is timid in his approach/writing, but rather that at times he danced around an issue instead of calling things like he sees them. I knew where he was getting and I honestly agreed with basically every point of this book, but there was just something missing in his overall presentation.
My Favorite Quotations:
- "Over time, we accumulate such a long list of sins that we can't understand how God could possibly forgive us. Locked in a prison of shame, many Christian Atheists hate their pasts and themselves in equal measure -- and there seems to be no hope of escape."
- "Our actions confirm that a disturbing number of us truly believe this equation: better possessions + peaceful circumstances + thrilling experiences + the right relationships + the perfect appearance = happiness."
Recommendation: I DO widely recommend this book; however, I think the best audience might be a newer believer, or a believer who has been in a rut for years. That having been said, there still is a wealth of analogies and everyone will likely be challenged in one way or another throughout the course of this book. I would recommend this most widely to my high schoolers who are more inexperienced in the day-to-day life of a believer.
What I Liked: Again, this book does what it set out to do. It seeks to call out, convict, and encourage people who claim they believe in God, but in their day-to-day live as if He doesn't exist. I've waited for a few years now to read a book like this, and Groeschel beautifully weaves in and out of biblical concepts and his own personal journey. It's obvious to see the heart of a pastor coming out from the chapters of this book. I think especially in high school this book would have been monumental for my spiritual growth.
What I Found Lacking: For a book that desires to call out the lukewarm within the church body, this book has little bite. This is not to say that Groeschel is timid in his approach/writing, but rather that at times he danced around an issue instead of calling things like he sees them. I knew where he was getting and I honestly agreed with basically every point of this book, but there was just something missing in his overall presentation.
My Favorite Quotations:
- "Over time, we accumulate such a long list of sins that we can't understand how God could possibly forgive us. Locked in a prison of shame, many Christian Atheists hate their pasts and themselves in equal measure -- and there seems to be no hope of escape."
- "Our actions confirm that a disturbing number of us truly believe this equation: better possessions + peaceful circumstances + thrilling experiences + the right relationships + the perfect appearance = happiness."
Recommendation: I DO widely recommend this book; however, I think the best audience might be a newer believer, or a believer who has been in a rut for years. That having been said, there still is a wealth of analogies and everyone will likely be challenged in one way or another throughout the course of this book. I would recommend this most widely to my high schoolers who are more inexperienced in the day-to-day life of a believer.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Overall Book Ratings for 2011
Although I still have a few (8 actually....wow) to post for my 2011 reading list, I have finished all of my books for this year (finished last night, just in time!). Here is my list in order of which books I thought were a combination of best-written, highest clarity, most valuable (important), and overall which book I would most recommend to someone!
1. Just Do Something, by Kevin DeYoung
3. The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer
4. Generous Justice, by Timothy Keller
5. When The Bottom Drops Out: Finding Grace in the Depths of Disappointment, Robert Bugh
6. Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God, by John Piper
8. The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun, by Brother Yun
9. Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate, by Jerry Bridges
10. The God Who Risks: A Theology of Divine Providence, by John Sanders
11. Seeking and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
12. God’s Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism, by Bruce Ware
14. God of the Possible, by Gregory Boyd
15. Strengths Finder 2.0, by Tom Rath
16. Rites of Passage: A Father's Blessing, by Jim McBride
17. Churched: One Kids' Journey Toward God Despite A Holy Mess, by Paul Turner
Check out the reviews I've already written if you're interested in one of the books as well, and keep an eye out for my last reviews in the next two weeks!
Stay tuned for my 2012 Reading List!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Review of "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung
Wow. This little book by a pastor in university-city Michigan contained much more wisdom than I anticipated. I know in my review of Pursuit of God, I said, "nearly this entire book is quotable." I don't want to sound like a broken record, but nearly this entire book is quotable.
In this book, DeYoung attempts to help the reader understand how to make biblically-wise decisions without relying on "dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random Bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc." He succeeds in spades.
What I Liked:
DeYoung calls things like they are. He beautifully mixes humor, pith, biblical exposition, challenges, and understanding into an extremely accessible volume. Some authors spend several hundred pages saying a fraction of what DeYoung communicates into a 123 page book. I read it in just a few days, but have been digesting it for weeks.
My favorite part of this book is that he deals with the logic behind our interaction with the "will of God" and helps us understand how we think, why we think that way, and why most of our thoughts about how God works is not biblical. But he doesn't simply diagnose the problem. In the second half of the book, he helps the reader apply biblical truths into how we please God with our futures. That is, he gives us practical ways to make decisions based on Scripture. This book was a breath of fresh air.
Favorite Quotations:
- "Waiting for God's will of direction is a mess. It is bad for your life, harmful to your sanctification, and allows too many Christians to be passive tinkerers who strangely feel more spiritual the less they actually do."
- "That's often what we are asking for when we pray to know the will of God. We aren't asking for holiness, or righteousness, or an awareness of sin. We want God to tell us what to do so everything will turn out pleasant for us."
- "We risk because God does not risk. We walk into the future in God-glorifying confidence not because the future is known to us, but because it is known to God. And that's all we need to know. Worry about the future is not simply a character tic, it is the sin of unbelief, an indication that our hearts are not resting in the promises of God." <----- that's what we call a verbal punch to the gut.
- "The only chains God wants us to wear are the chains of righteousness - not the chains of hopeless subjectivism, not the shackles of risk-free living, not the fetters of horoscope decision making - just the chains befitting a bond servant of Christ Jesus. Die to self. Live for Christ. And then do what you want, and go where you want, for God's glory."
Recommendation:
This review isn't very in-depth because the book is so short and so full of godly wisdom that I simply want you to go out and read it. All of you.
In this book, DeYoung attempts to help the reader understand how to make biblically-wise decisions without relying on "dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random Bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc." He succeeds in spades.
What I Liked:
DeYoung calls things like they are. He beautifully mixes humor, pith, biblical exposition, challenges, and understanding into an extremely accessible volume. Some authors spend several hundred pages saying a fraction of what DeYoung communicates into a 123 page book. I read it in just a few days, but have been digesting it for weeks.
My favorite part of this book is that he deals with the logic behind our interaction with the "will of God" and helps us understand how we think, why we think that way, and why most of our thoughts about how God works is not biblical. But he doesn't simply diagnose the problem. In the second half of the book, he helps the reader apply biblical truths into how we please God with our futures. That is, he gives us practical ways to make decisions based on Scripture. This book was a breath of fresh air.
Favorite Quotations:
- "Waiting for God's will of direction is a mess. It is bad for your life, harmful to your sanctification, and allows too many Christians to be passive tinkerers who strangely feel more spiritual the less they actually do."
- "That's often what we are asking for when we pray to know the will of God. We aren't asking for holiness, or righteousness, or an awareness of sin. We want God to tell us what to do so everything will turn out pleasant for us."
- "We risk because God does not risk. We walk into the future in God-glorifying confidence not because the future is known to us, but because it is known to God. And that's all we need to know. Worry about the future is not simply a character tic, it is the sin of unbelief, an indication that our hearts are not resting in the promises of God." <----- that's what we call a verbal punch to the gut.
- "The only chains God wants us to wear are the chains of righteousness - not the chains of hopeless subjectivism, not the shackles of risk-free living, not the fetters of horoscope decision making - just the chains befitting a bond servant of Christ Jesus. Die to self. Live for Christ. And then do what you want, and go where you want, for God's glory."
Recommendation:
This review isn't very in-depth because the book is so short and so full of godly wisdom that I simply want you to go out and read it. All of you.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Review of "God of the Possible" by Gregory Boyd
This is the first book I've read by Gregory Boyd and the third one in my personal study of Open Theology (or Openness Theology). Boyd is a local pastor up here in Minnesota, and is the counterpart to Reformed, Classical Theist John Piper. This book goes less into detail of the open view and instead is more pastoral in nature as it is more of a "layman's guide" to OT.
What I liked:
Gregory Boyd, being a pastor, is able to make the current debate on the openness of God accessible to most any audience. While he still uses some theological jargon, he does explain all of his terminology well. I don't believe his main goal is to convince his audience, but rather to spur them on towards change. Although I don't agree with his conclusions, I love that he realizes the implications of his stance, is willing to embrace them, and show how such a fundamental change in our view of Theology Proper changes everything. I just don't think the root of those changes is true to the biblical portrayal of God.
What I Didn't Like:
I know that he is intentional about building on mainly the relational and practical aspects of Open Theology, but if this was the first book I'd read on OT, I would be a little confused. His attention to practical implications means that he deals less with biblical languages, nuances, and history. This makes his work inspiring at first, but upon further thinking and questioning, it seems to deflate once more of the arguments occurring at the root level of the issue are developed. Furthermore, since many of his arguments are underdeveloped, I think that this volume fails to be an entrance-level, layman's guide to the Open View of God.
A few examples of quotes I found disturbing/did not agree with/sounded good at first:
- "Practically, a God of eternally static certainties is incapable of interacting with humans in a relevant way. The God of the possible, by contrast, is a God who can work with us to truly change what might have been into what should be."
- major implications behind this, especially as relates to God's plan of salvation for us.
- Of Peter's denial being prophesied by Jesus, Boyd says, "...it seems evident that we do not need to believe that the future is exhaustively settled in God's mind to make sense of Jesus' prediction of Peter's denial. We need only believe that God possesses a perfect knowledge of the past and present and that he revealed some of it to Jesus."
- in this paragraph Boyd claims that Jesus simply knew the character of Peter because of his divine knowledge of the past and present, and therefore could guess properly that in this situation, Peter would deny him. However, he never even mentions that Jesus prophesied specifics about the situation, like a rooster crowing and the number of denials Peter would utter.
- About Moses' response to God's commission for him to represent Israel to Pharaoh in Exodus 4, Boyd says, "The Lord initially tells Moses that the elders will listen to his voice.... Moses apparently doesn't hold to the classical view of divine foreknowledge, however, for he immediately asks, 'suppose they do not believe me or listen to me?' (Ex. 4:1)."
This argument is misleading for several reasons:
1) There is a major difference between doubting and deep belief. Many people (myself included) sometimes doubt God when our own humanity fails to trust a holy capable God. Just because Moses has a moment of doubt does not mean that he actually believes God does not know the future conclusively.
2) Even if Moses did believe this to be true, God's character/nature is not contained within our individual beliefs.
3) God giving Moses several things to do so that the people "may believe" does not mean that God in his sovereignty actually wonders if and when the people will listen to Moses' message. To assume that God could have no other reasoning/purposes and in fact doesn't know what's gonna happen is quite presumptuous.
Favorite Quotation:
- "Striving to have a plausible theology is necessary because, for many of us, the mind must be thoroughly convinced if the heart is to be thoroughly transformed."
Recommendation:
- People who want to hear a real pastoral-like application to the implications of the Open View should read this book; however, if you're simply wanting to understand the basics of this theological view, there are better books out there.
What I liked:
Gregory Boyd, being a pastor, is able to make the current debate on the openness of God accessible to most any audience. While he still uses some theological jargon, he does explain all of his terminology well. I don't believe his main goal is to convince his audience, but rather to spur them on towards change. Although I don't agree with his conclusions, I love that he realizes the implications of his stance, is willing to embrace them, and show how such a fundamental change in our view of Theology Proper changes everything. I just don't think the root of those changes is true to the biblical portrayal of God.
What I Didn't Like:
I know that he is intentional about building on mainly the relational and practical aspects of Open Theology, but if this was the first book I'd read on OT, I would be a little confused. His attention to practical implications means that he deals less with biblical languages, nuances, and history. This makes his work inspiring at first, but upon further thinking and questioning, it seems to deflate once more of the arguments occurring at the root level of the issue are developed. Furthermore, since many of his arguments are underdeveloped, I think that this volume fails to be an entrance-level, layman's guide to the Open View of God.
A few examples of quotes I found disturbing/did not agree with/sounded good at first:
- "Practically, a God of eternally static certainties is incapable of interacting with humans in a relevant way. The God of the possible, by contrast, is a God who can work with us to truly change what might have been into what should be."
- major implications behind this, especially as relates to God's plan of salvation for us.
- Of Peter's denial being prophesied by Jesus, Boyd says, "...it seems evident that we do not need to believe that the future is exhaustively settled in God's mind to make sense of Jesus' prediction of Peter's denial. We need only believe that God possesses a perfect knowledge of the past and present and that he revealed some of it to Jesus."
- in this paragraph Boyd claims that Jesus simply knew the character of Peter because of his divine knowledge of the past and present, and therefore could guess properly that in this situation, Peter would deny him. However, he never even mentions that Jesus prophesied specifics about the situation, like a rooster crowing and the number of denials Peter would utter.
- About Moses' response to God's commission for him to represent Israel to Pharaoh in Exodus 4, Boyd says, "The Lord initially tells Moses that the elders will listen to his voice.... Moses apparently doesn't hold to the classical view of divine foreknowledge, however, for he immediately asks, 'suppose they do not believe me or listen to me?' (Ex. 4:1)."
This argument is misleading for several reasons:
1) There is a major difference between doubting and deep belief. Many people (myself included) sometimes doubt God when our own humanity fails to trust a holy capable God. Just because Moses has a moment of doubt does not mean that he actually believes God does not know the future conclusively.
2) Even if Moses did believe this to be true, God's character/nature is not contained within our individual beliefs.
3) God giving Moses several things to do so that the people "may believe" does not mean that God in his sovereignty actually wonders if and when the people will listen to Moses' message. To assume that God could have no other reasoning/purposes and in fact doesn't know what's gonna happen is quite presumptuous.
Favorite Quotation:
- "Striving to have a plausible theology is necessary because, for many of us, the mind must be thoroughly convinced if the heart is to be thoroughly transformed."
Recommendation:
- People who want to hear a real pastoral-like application to the implications of the Open View should read this book; however, if you're simply wanting to understand the basics of this theological view, there are better books out there.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Review of "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer
I am always trying to find new authors that I enjoy reading. Recently I've discovered Timothy Keller, Kevin DeYoung, and Jonathan Edwards. Obviously, most people have heard of all of these authors before-- they come highly recommended. A.W. Tozer was an author that I was directed towards in pretty much every class I took at Moody Bible Institute. I finally caught up with one of his books and can honestly say that I'm ready to read anything this man has written.
What I liked: Tozer has such a heart for the Lord, it comes out in every line of this book. There is no question left to the reader about what Tozer's intentions were in writing this volume. I found myself challenged, impassioned, and encouraged time and time again.
Tozer writes beautifully. He has a way of stating basic principles of Scripture and Christian life in the most profoundly simplistic way. Nearly this entire book is quotable. He writing is clear, concise, stretching, and exciting. It was truly a pleasure to read. On a more formatting level, each chapter is short enough to easily read along with Scripture for daily devotions.
What I Didn't Like: The only problem I had with The Pursuit of God is some of Tozer's theology. This really doesn't get in the way of most of the message of the book. Simply, he mentions God's prevenient grace a couple of times in regards to the salvation process. Having moderate calvinistic leanings, I personally don't believe Scripture teaches prevenient grace; however, it was only mentioned a few times, and again did not distort or confuse the message of the book.
Favorite Quotations:
- "Everything is made to center upon the initial act of 'accepting' Christ... and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him."
- "We read our chapter, have our short devotions, and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar."
- "Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster make a man dear to God."
- "One of the greatest hindrances to internal peace which the Christian encounters is the common habit of dividing our lives into two areas - the sacred and the secular."
Recommendation: I highly recommend this for all Christians. It is fairly accessible to all readers (there is a bit of Old English flare, but still quite comprehensible), and I believe any believer would be greatly challenged and encouraged by reading the heart of this great man of God.
What I liked: Tozer has such a heart for the Lord, it comes out in every line of this book. There is no question left to the reader about what Tozer's intentions were in writing this volume. I found myself challenged, impassioned, and encouraged time and time again.
Tozer writes beautifully. He has a way of stating basic principles of Scripture and Christian life in the most profoundly simplistic way. Nearly this entire book is quotable. He writing is clear, concise, stretching, and exciting. It was truly a pleasure to read. On a more formatting level, each chapter is short enough to easily read along with Scripture for daily devotions.
What I Didn't Like: The only problem I had with The Pursuit of God is some of Tozer's theology. This really doesn't get in the way of most of the message of the book. Simply, he mentions God's prevenient grace a couple of times in regards to the salvation process. Having moderate calvinistic leanings, I personally don't believe Scripture teaches prevenient grace; however, it was only mentioned a few times, and again did not distort or confuse the message of the book.
Favorite Quotations:
- "Everything is made to center upon the initial act of 'accepting' Christ... and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him."
- "We read our chapter, have our short devotions, and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar."
- "Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster make a man dear to God."
- "One of the greatest hindrances to internal peace which the Christian encounters is the common habit of dividing our lives into two areas - the sacred and the secular."
Recommendation: I highly recommend this for all Christians. It is fairly accessible to all readers (there is a bit of Old English flare, but still quite comprehensible), and I believe any believer would be greatly challenged and encouraged by reading the heart of this great man of God.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Review of “God’s Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism” by Bruce A. Ware
This is the second book in my personal series studying the Open Theism debate among Evangelicals. The first book I reviewed was by a well-known proponent of OTH (open theism) named John Sanders. To read my review of “The God Who Risks” click here. “God’s Lesser Glory” is written by Bruce Ware, a well-known conservative evangelical theologian, and senior associate dean at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Obviously, his views offer a critique of OTH stances.
What I Liked: Bruce Ware’s critiques of OTH seem to be spot-on from a purely biblical standpoint. This volume is formatted nicely offering the OTH stances on a topic, their perceived flaws of classical theism, and then Ware’s refutation based on Scripture. More than Sanders, Ware seems to desire a pure biblical conclusion above all else. His hermeneutic seems more consistent and thought-through, rather than seeking to prove his own point. His refutations analyze OTH arguments point-by-point, offering clear answers and asking questions open theologians need to answer.
Much like Sanders, Ware’s heart for God shines through each chapter. I believe God is truly the center of this debate above all else, not denominations, not church politics, and not schools of thought. This controversy is about God Himself as we perceive Him through His revelations in the Bible, and I do believe that both sides are desiring to know God better and make Him known more clearly. However, Ware makes a fantastic stand for orthodoxy and beautifully refutes the bulk of propositions made by open theists.
What I Didn’t Like: There is very little I did not enjoy about this book. At times, Ware’s confrontation of open theists brinks on becoming more of a personal attack than a debate on doctrine. However, I think he only toes this line and does not cross it.
Favorite Quotes: (also major points he makes against OTH)
- “The fact is that God cannot be subject to and limited by the libertarian free choices of people of which he has no prior knowledge and over which he has regulative control, and still be able to know and ordain all the days of our lives.”
- “If God’s glory rests, ultimately, in His control of all that is, then it stands to reason that when God’s control is diminished and human control elevated, so too is His glory diminished- while human pretense to assume that glory is encouraged.”
- “Again, the truth of the matter simply is that, because God’s knowledge and wisdom is vastly superior to ours, we would be utter and absolute fools to want God to wait to ‘hear from us first’ before he decides what is best to do.”
- (this sums up the book well) “...the sobering truth here is that, by the openness view, neither we nor God know now whether in fact God will so win in the end. If God is at war, and if God has taken significant risks, then we must wait to see if God will win, and so wait to see if God is in fact glorious.”
Personal Takeaways: God is glorious. He is glorious because of his infinite wisdom and knowledge of all things past, present, and future (Isaiah 41-48; Deut 31:16-21; Ps 139; etc). I cannot make the views of OTH sync with this understanding of the glory of God.
Who’s It For?: This book is fairly accessible for most readers. It gets technical in some of its theological language, but I believe is very understandable and straightforward. Anyone desiring a classical theism refutation of open theism would do themselves a great favor in reading this book.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Review of "Churched: One Kids Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess" by Matthew Paul Turner
Every once in a while I come across a book that diverges from theology, youth ministry, introspection, apologetics, or even fiction that interests me. Churched is one of those books. It describes a young man (author Matthew Paul Turner) growing up in a hyper-conservative southern baptist church. Despite all odds of being embittered against and rejecting the legalistic tendencies of his upbringing, Turner is able to see the beauty of the Gospel and continue in his faith and love for the Lord. This interested me immediately.
What I liked: Turner is a great story-teller. In each of his experiences, the reader can easily imagine all the little details he is describing to a "t." Also, this book jumps deeply into many of the ridiculous teachings that can come from a place of pride, envy, judging others, etc. Some of the examples from his real life are so preposterous they come across as simply unbelievable... in a good way. Turner calls things like they are. This book truly reveals the deception that lies in the hearts of others. It shows the dark side of the church. It angered me at times.
What I Didn't Like: First of all, I have this as an audiobook from christianaudio.com, as part of their reviewers program. Turner's voice wears on the listener. His tone is one of almost mocking the characters in his story as he tells them.
For all of the dark stories the author tells, he rarely mentions his journey with the Lord. He simply tells 15 chapters worth of stories about how crazy and pretty much ungodly his southern baptist church was growing up. Then suddenly in the last chapter he tells a story of his current church, a couple things he believes, and how he still loves Jesus despite his past. This is great, don't get me wrong, but we aren't allowed into that transformation at all. We don't see the process. It makes all his stories lack direction, purpose, and meaning.
This book would have been awesome if he had half the stories from his childhood, focused on the things he had to wrestle with because of those stories and how he was able to grow in his faith and maintain his love for Christ and passion for the Gospel. That is a book worth reading. This one seems to digress into cheap shots against people of his past and a total bashing of all fundamentalism with very little pay-off in the end.
Personal Takeaways: I was challenged in how I interact with my students as I read this book. One of the positive things this book establishes is that the mind of an adolescent is very pliable. The very tone in which I teach things, my motivation behind every talk I give, and my (potential) lack of focus on the Gospel can easily embitter my students later on in life. I must be careful to teach only what Scripture teaches and model only who Christ is. Nothing more. Nothing less. My ministry at TreeHouse cannot fall into any traps of legalism or berating others. This is not the Good News.
Who's It For?: If you are looking to get into the mind of ultra-conservative, fundamentalist, southern baptist churches (I'm speaking in probably too broad of terms here), this book could give you some insight. It is a quick and easy read, mainly being full of stories. I'd say it's accessible to all, but ultimately panders into name-calling and mocking far too often and fails to establish the story of what God is doing and has done in the heart of the author.
What I liked: Turner is a great story-teller. In each of his experiences, the reader can easily imagine all the little details he is describing to a "t." Also, this book jumps deeply into many of the ridiculous teachings that can come from a place of pride, envy, judging others, etc. Some of the examples from his real life are so preposterous they come across as simply unbelievable... in a good way. Turner calls things like they are. This book truly reveals the deception that lies in the hearts of others. It shows the dark side of the church. It angered me at times.
What I Didn't Like: First of all, I have this as an audiobook from christianaudio.com, as part of their reviewers program. Turner's voice wears on the listener. His tone is one of almost mocking the characters in his story as he tells them.
For all of the dark stories the author tells, he rarely mentions his journey with the Lord. He simply tells 15 chapters worth of stories about how crazy and pretty much ungodly his southern baptist church was growing up. Then suddenly in the last chapter he tells a story of his current church, a couple things he believes, and how he still loves Jesus despite his past. This is great, don't get me wrong, but we aren't allowed into that transformation at all. We don't see the process. It makes all his stories lack direction, purpose, and meaning.
This book would have been awesome if he had half the stories from his childhood, focused on the things he had to wrestle with because of those stories and how he was able to grow in his faith and maintain his love for Christ and passion for the Gospel. That is a book worth reading. This one seems to digress into cheap shots against people of his past and a total bashing of all fundamentalism with very little pay-off in the end.
Personal Takeaways: I was challenged in how I interact with my students as I read this book. One of the positive things this book establishes is that the mind of an adolescent is very pliable. The very tone in which I teach things, my motivation behind every talk I give, and my (potential) lack of focus on the Gospel can easily embitter my students later on in life. I must be careful to teach only what Scripture teaches and model only who Christ is. Nothing more. Nothing less. My ministry at TreeHouse cannot fall into any traps of legalism or berating others. This is not the Good News.
Who's It For?: If you are looking to get into the mind of ultra-conservative, fundamentalist, southern baptist churches (I'm speaking in probably too broad of terms here), this book could give you some insight. It is a quick and easy read, mainly being full of stories. I'd say it's accessible to all, but ultimately panders into name-calling and mocking far too often and fails to establish the story of what God is doing and has done in the heart of the author.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Review of "The God Who Risks: A Theology of Divine Providence" by John Sanders
A couple years ago, there was quite a stirring in Minneapolis. Two professors at Bethel University began openly debating one another’s theological views. The battle was Open (Freewill) Theism v. Classical Theism. Doing a quick google search of Gregory Boyd v. John Piper will give you a glimpse into the two positions.
Being a proponent of classical theism, and moving to Minneapolis increased my desire to educate myself on the arguments, hermeneutics, and passion behind the Open Theism view of God. I started my study with John Sanders’ The God Who Risks: A Theology of Divine Providence.
For those not familiar with Open Theism, I’ll be overly simplistic here. The basic position is that God limits himself in his foreknowledge so that he only knows certain aspects of the future, leaving some decisions/actions open to freewill agents (us). There are things that God simply does not know. “In choosing to depend on human beings for some things, God takes the risk of being either delighted or disappointed in what transpires.” The benefit, it is said, is that this allows God to become involved in real, intimate give-and-take relationships with humanity.
What I Liked: This book is much more academic than I originally anticipated, but in a refreshing way. Sanders does a great job of weaving in and out of scholasticism and pastoral insight. It was tedious in places, but overall, very enjoyable to read grammatically.
Also, this book gave me a glance into the heart of Open Theology. Many times people with theology that vastly opposes tradition are villainized; however, after reading this volume, it was great to read the love for God behind Sanders’ views. That having been said, I agree with very little of this book.
What I didn’t Like: I disagreed with this book on a fundamental level. Rather than saying everything I didn’t like (which would take forever), I’ll just outline a few of my main dissents.
- In a book rejecting the classical view of God, I found this basis to be lacking: “the goal here is to establish that there is sufficient biblical warrant (not proof) for affirming that the future is in some respects indefinite even for God..” I believe that this is not nearly enough of a foundation for me to throw out orthodoxy and embrace these views. Furthermore, this appears to show that the basis for most of Sanders’ hermeneutics are isogetical. His goal in navigating these Scriptures is to prove his point. His goal is to show that his view can work according to the Bible. I know Sanders would never take it this far, but this seems to avoid the original intent of the authors in order to adapt his own ideas.
- Although Open proponents do careful stepping around this issue, I believe a fundamental problem they must face is God’s fulfilled prophecies. Basically, their view is that sometimes God legitimately goes through with a prophecy, other times He intends to do something unless a freewill agent causes a change in the situation, or He is simply guessing what seems most likely to happen. I see why these views work within Open Theology, however, I do not see Biblical evidence that this is how the mind of God works when he says he’ll do something.
- There is seemingly an offensive elevation of man and deep demotion of God underlying open theism. In saying how necessary a give-and-take relationship is for God to truly love us, humanity is placed on some pedestal, as if we were something great, as if God was wholly dependent upon us, and as if God only loves when he allows us to make decisions and “create” with him. As Sanders puts it, “A God of sheer omnipotence can run a world of exhuastively controlled beings, but what is magnificent about that?” I would advise Sanders to read Job 38-42, and understand the majesty of God’s foreknowledge and specific sovereignty.
Personal Takeaways: This view deepened my love for the sovereignty of God. It forced me to ask hard questions of my own personal theology and to continue my search for Truth. It made me trust God even more and love his meticulous control and sovereignty. It gave me a fire that I loved!
It also, again, helped me understand where open proponents are coming from and helped me see their love and desire for knowing God and making him known. I respect Open theologians, but I think the basis of their theology is not grounded in Scripture.
Who’s It For?: I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy engaging in theological discussions. I would advise the reader that the book is decently high in its academic theological jargon and therefore, isn’t extremely accessible on all levels. However, there are chapters that have much more of a pastoral bent to them which are much easier to follow. For a more layperson guide to Open Theology, look for my forthcoming review of Gregory Boyd’s God of the Possible.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Review of "Rites of Passage: A Father's Blessing" by Jim McBride
I received this audiobook as a reviewer for christianaudio.com. I decided to read it because I work with many teenage guys whose fathers are either absent or a negative factor in their life. The concept of this volume is that fathers/parents need to establish rites of passage with their children in order to help usher them into adulthood. This concept is vital to the development from middle to late adolescence.
What I Liked: Jim is very intentional about parents taking responsibility for their children's spiritual lives. It is not the job of the church or the youth pastor or anyone else to ensure that a child/teen grows in his relationship with the Lord into adulthood. It is the job of the parents. I think this mentality is lacking in most Christian circles, and sadly in most youth ministries.
I also enjoyed many of his explanations for how and why to do a rite of passage with a student. His examples were clear and visual.
What I didn't Like: Although I enjoyed that he gave examples and walked through a "rite of passage," ultimately, he devoted four chapters, one for each of his kids, to describing in painful detail every aspect of the rite. It seemed tedious at best, unnecessary at worst, but mostly just boring. Those chapters were a bit of a chore to get through.
Also, I wish Jim had spent more time describing the necessity of a rite of passage. In the Intro and first chapter of the book, he attempts to explain why parents should do rites, but he commits a fatal error. He fails to convince and merely exchanges information with the reader. These chapters should have built up the true urgency behind the topic of youth being shuffled into adulthood prematurely and without any spiritual guidance and encouragement. He seemed to brush lightly over the most important part of the book in order to get to tedious descriptions of actual rites of passages.
Personal Takeaways: This book challenged me to, from the beginning of their lives, establish myself as a spiritual leader to each of my children. It is important for me (and Emily) to spiritually guide our children through all aspects of their development, not just from middle to late adolescence.
Also, it challenged me to be conscious of the words I use, and the kinds of messages I may be sending my teenagers. Sadly, I am a father figure to several of my students who have been abandoned by their own biological dads. Although I am not their dad, someone needs to help usher them into adulthood, and this responsibility may fall to me.
Who's It For?: I would recommend this to people who are planning some sort of celebration/ceremony for their adolescents. That is where this book thrives-- examples.
What I Liked: Jim is very intentional about parents taking responsibility for their children's spiritual lives. It is not the job of the church or the youth pastor or anyone else to ensure that a child/teen grows in his relationship with the Lord into adulthood. It is the job of the parents. I think this mentality is lacking in most Christian circles, and sadly in most youth ministries.
I also enjoyed many of his explanations for how and why to do a rite of passage with a student. His examples were clear and visual.
What I didn't Like: Although I enjoyed that he gave examples and walked through a "rite of passage," ultimately, he devoted four chapters, one for each of his kids, to describing in painful detail every aspect of the rite. It seemed tedious at best, unnecessary at worst, but mostly just boring. Those chapters were a bit of a chore to get through.
Also, I wish Jim had spent more time describing the necessity of a rite of passage. In the Intro and first chapter of the book, he attempts to explain why parents should do rites, but he commits a fatal error. He fails to convince and merely exchanges information with the reader. These chapters should have built up the true urgency behind the topic of youth being shuffled into adulthood prematurely and without any spiritual guidance and encouragement. He seemed to brush lightly over the most important part of the book in order to get to tedious descriptions of actual rites of passages.
Personal Takeaways: This book challenged me to, from the beginning of their lives, establish myself as a spiritual leader to each of my children. It is important for me (and Emily) to spiritually guide our children through all aspects of their development, not just from middle to late adolescence.
Also, it challenged me to be conscious of the words I use, and the kinds of messages I may be sending my teenagers. Sadly, I am a father figure to several of my students who have been abandoned by their own biological dads. Although I am not their dad, someone needs to help usher them into adulthood, and this responsibility may fall to me.
Who's It For?: I would recommend this to people who are planning some sort of celebration/ceremony for their adolescents. That is where this book thrives-- examples.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Book Review: "Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate" by Jerry Bridges
I started this book about two years ago with two close friends for the purposes of discussion, accountability, and holiness. Because of many outside factors, I was only able to read the first two chapters during our time. I was able to pick this book up last month and finally finish it.
What I Liked: This book is true to its title. It is confrontational, pulls no punches, and in a sense rebukes much like is described in 2 Tim 3:16. I think this book is timely, well-structured, and has teeth to it. I thought the list of sins we respect was apt, but for me the most memorable chapters dealt with the sins of Ungodliness, Pride, and Impatience & Irritability.
Moreover, I loved that the end of each chapter usually contained a prayer or a list of verses that the reader was encouraged to memorize and meditate over if she finds herself struggling with that particular sin. The practicality of the application along with the ease of reading (nice, short, well-structured chapters!) made this book a challenging yet joyful read.
Lastly, Bridges encourages readers to daily preach the Gospel to themselves in order to put into perspective our place in God's Kingdom and how we should view and interact with sin each and every day. Blessed truth.
What I Didn't Like: The first six chapters of the book dealt with the "disappearance of sin" in society, the remedy for sin in Christ, the guidance/power of the Spirit, and how to deal with sins. Then the book moved on to directly dealing with current "respectable sins" of our culture. I found the first six chapters to be of value; however, I personally think the concepts could have been narrowed down into just two or three chapters. At times his points seemed overdrawn.
Quotes: - "Our sins are forgiven and we are accepted as righteous by God because of both the sinless life and sin-bearing death of our Lord jesus Christ. There is no greater motivation for dealing with sin in our lives than the realization of these two glorious truths of the Gospel."
- "The actual cause of impatience lies within our own hearts, in our own attitude of insisting that others around us conform to our expectations."
Personal Takeaways: This book challenged how I daily deal with my own sin nature. My grandmother is famous in my family for saying, "put that old nature to death every single day." Although it can be humorous to hear her say this so frequently, there is much truth to her statement. I believe that is my main takeaway from this book. Like Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, my desire is to "keep in step with the Spirit" so as to not "gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
I know this is a broad and sweeping takeaway, but truly this is the first and most necessary step to dealing with respectable sins.
Who's It For?: This book is very accessible to all believers, both young and old, learned and new. Anyone from high school to retirement can benefit much from Bridges handling, confronting, and squashing our "respectable sins."
What I Liked: This book is true to its title. It is confrontational, pulls no punches, and in a sense rebukes much like is described in 2 Tim 3:16. I think this book is timely, well-structured, and has teeth to it. I thought the list of sins we respect was apt, but for me the most memorable chapters dealt with the sins of Ungodliness, Pride, and Impatience & Irritability.
Moreover, I loved that the end of each chapter usually contained a prayer or a list of verses that the reader was encouraged to memorize and meditate over if she finds herself struggling with that particular sin. The practicality of the application along with the ease of reading (nice, short, well-structured chapters!) made this book a challenging yet joyful read.
Lastly, Bridges encourages readers to daily preach the Gospel to themselves in order to put into perspective our place in God's Kingdom and how we should view and interact with sin each and every day. Blessed truth.
What I Didn't Like: The first six chapters of the book dealt with the "disappearance of sin" in society, the remedy for sin in Christ, the guidance/power of the Spirit, and how to deal with sins. Then the book moved on to directly dealing with current "respectable sins" of our culture. I found the first six chapters to be of value; however, I personally think the concepts could have been narrowed down into just two or three chapters. At times his points seemed overdrawn.
Quotes: - "Our sins are forgiven and we are accepted as righteous by God because of both the sinless life and sin-bearing death of our Lord jesus Christ. There is no greater motivation for dealing with sin in our lives than the realization of these two glorious truths of the Gospel."
- "The actual cause of impatience lies within our own hearts, in our own attitude of insisting that others around us conform to our expectations."
Personal Takeaways: This book challenged how I daily deal with my own sin nature. My grandmother is famous in my family for saying, "put that old nature to death every single day." Although it can be humorous to hear her say this so frequently, there is much truth to her statement. I believe that is my main takeaway from this book. Like Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, my desire is to "keep in step with the Spirit" so as to not "gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
I know this is a broad and sweeping takeaway, but truly this is the first and most necessary step to dealing with respectable sins.
Who's It For?: This book is very accessible to all believers, both young and old, learned and new. Anyone from high school to retirement can benefit much from Bridges handling, confronting, and squashing our "respectable sins."
Book Review: "Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God" by John Piper
What I Liked: The whole concept of this book is one that has been dear to my heart since taking a class called "Faith and Learning" by freshman year at MBI. The goal of this book is getting Christians to turn on their brain, engage in culture, dive into God's Word, and in so doing, learn to love God with our minds. For primarily being a pastor, Piper here finds a beautiful balance between being a biblical scholar, philosopher, and shepherd. I greatly enjoyed the chapters on "mental adultery", Relativism, and Anti-Intellectualism.
What I didn't like: My only real critique of this book is purely from an authorial standpoint. There was a section during the Anti-Intellectualism chapters that focused on how the Father, Son, and Spirit are revealed and concealed at different times. After the section, I found myself scratching my head a bit, wondering why Piper had deemed it necessary to spend so much time on a topic that didn't seem to naturally progress from the arguments/stances he had explicated at that point in the book.
Quotes:
- "There is no reason to believe that a person who thinks without prayerful trust in God's gift of understanding will get it. And there is no reason to believe that a person who waits for God's gift of understanding without thinking about his Word with get it either. Both-and. Not either-or."
- "People don't embrace relativism because it is philosophically satisfying [but] because it is physically and emotionally gratifying. It provides the cover they need at key moments in their lives to do what they want without intrusion from absolutes."
- "If we were to succeed in raising a generation of people who give up serious, faithful, coherent thinking, we will have raised a generation incapable of reading the Bible."
- "If all the universe and everything in it exist by the design of an infinite, personal God, to make his manifold glory known and loved, then to treat any subject without reference to God's glory is not scholarship but insurrection."
Personal Takeaway: This book challenged me in how I read my Bible. Piper has a whole section discussing ways to read the Bible in a way that more actively engages your mind. It can be so easy for me to simply read in order to check it off of a list. Not only that, but this book encouraged me as one who greatly enjoys learning and thinking, and also challenged me in keeping my mind, pride, and scholastics focused on God and Him alone.
Who's It For?: I would recommend this book to any Christian desiring to take his or her faith seriously when it comes to loving God with "all your mind." It does get more academic at times and may not cater to all audiences in that regard, but it is a wonderful book full of wisdom.
What I didn't like: My only real critique of this book is purely from an authorial standpoint. There was a section during the Anti-Intellectualism chapters that focused on how the Father, Son, and Spirit are revealed and concealed at different times. After the section, I found myself scratching my head a bit, wondering why Piper had deemed it necessary to spend so much time on a topic that didn't seem to naturally progress from the arguments/stances he had explicated at that point in the book.
Quotes:
- "There is no reason to believe that a person who thinks without prayerful trust in God's gift of understanding will get it. And there is no reason to believe that a person who waits for God's gift of understanding without thinking about his Word with get it either. Both-and. Not either-or."
- "People don't embrace relativism because it is philosophically satisfying [but] because it is physically and emotionally gratifying. It provides the cover they need at key moments in their lives to do what they want without intrusion from absolutes."
- "If we were to succeed in raising a generation of people who give up serious, faithful, coherent thinking, we will have raised a generation incapable of reading the Bible."
- "If all the universe and everything in it exist by the design of an infinite, personal God, to make his manifold glory known and loved, then to treat any subject without reference to God's glory is not scholarship but insurrection."
Personal Takeaway: This book challenged me in how I read my Bible. Piper has a whole section discussing ways to read the Bible in a way that more actively engages your mind. It can be so easy for me to simply read in order to check it off of a list. Not only that, but this book encouraged me as one who greatly enjoys learning and thinking, and also challenged me in keeping my mind, pride, and scholastics focused on God and Him alone.
Who's It For?: I would recommend this book to any Christian desiring to take his or her faith seriously when it comes to loving God with "all your mind." It does get more academic at times and may not cater to all audiences in that regard, but it is a wonderful book full of wisdom.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Book Review: Generous Justice, by Timothy Keller
Wow, so between support raising for the first three months of the year and moving back into full-time ministry in April, I've fallen behind on my reading schedule for the year. I finished reading Generous Justice last month, but am just finding a chance to post my review of it now.
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