The C. S. Lewis Bible #BookReview

Bibliographic Info

FROM WORLDCAT
Title: The c.s. lewis bible
Author: C S Lewis
Publisher: HarperOne, 2014.
Edition/Format: Print book : Graphic : Fiction : Juvenile audience
Genre/Form: eBook : Document : English
Material Type: Document, Internet resource
Document Type: Internet Resource, Computer File
ISBN: 9780062213587
OCLC Number: 877989210
Description: 1 online resource
Responsibility: C.S. Lewis.
Subjects:
Bible.
BIBLES -- New Revised Standard Version -- General.

Background

I don't know what's going on with Barnes & Noble, but I keep getting settlements which mean more money for my ebook library. That can't be good for their company. But I benefit from it... so I got The C. S. Lewis Bible NRSV.

Additionally, I was challenged by a series of lectures on the cannon of scripture. The speaker called out the fact that we all ascribe to our own "cannon within the cannon." He also asked if we had ever read Nahum... While I probably have read Nahum, I couldn't remember it at all. So I vowed to read the Bible through from begining to end.

Further, I became increasingly frustrated with the shallowness of the reading plans available in the Bible App and other places. Single verse readings, pithy devotionals... none of these things fit the bill for my needs.

Therefore, I resolved to read 10 chapters a day starting with Genesis on January 1. Tonight, I finished the Revelation of Jesus Christ on April 30. That's 66 books in 4 months. It feels good to set and meet a New Year's goal. And I learned a few things along the way.

Review

C. S. Lewis' Writings as Bible Notes

I had sky-high expectations for this Bible. I expected valuable insight from one of my favorite writers ever. I thought this Bible would intricately weave Lewis' key points into scripture at key points to illuminate and inspire my mind. And yes, there were a few points where selections were perfectly selected for the passage.

But sometimes the quotations were not quite right. Also, there were some repeated pieces. My gripe is probably more directed at the editors than at Lewis at this point.

The New Revised Standard Version is a great, academic Biblical Translation. It was my first time using this translation for daily reading and I really enjoyed it.

Reading in Context

By reading ten chapters daily, I was able to read in context. I was able to read selections that I would not have typically read in the same sitting.

Additionally, I was able to read books like Genesis in the space of 5 days and the Psalms in two weeks. This allowed the entire book to remain fresh in my mind during the entire reading.

The flow from book to book was also fascinating to note as I read through the scriptures. I was able to read the Torah in the space of a couple weeks. Joshua, Judges and Ruth was next. The prophecy of Jeremiah and poetry of Lamentations complemented one another beautifully and tragically. And so on...

Reading Out Loud

One major boon was the fact that I have children that need to be put to bed at night. This was getting in the way with my readings for a while until I decided to read the Bible to my children at about the book of Job.

Scripture was always intended to be read aloud. I was able to not only consume the text cognitively, but I was about to feel the Word vibrate my vocal chords and resonate in my ears.

Next Steps

I plan to start it up again with a new translation. The founder of my faith tradition has his own translation of the Bible. Tomorrow, May 1 (my kids and) I start reading the Darby Bible! (You can also find it on the Bible App)

Keep reading!

 

The Flying Inn. G.K. Chesterton #bookreview

The Book

The Flying Inn
G. K. Chesterton

I saw this book on a friend's GoodReads list and decided that since I like Chesterton I'd give it a try. As a bonus, since Chesterton's works are in the public domain, I was able to get the book free of charge (and you can too!). So there really is no excuse for not cozying up with a little G. K. Chesterton.

To add to my bonus, I scored an audiobook from LibriVox. If you are not familiar with LibriVox, you can go to their website. In short, people volunteer to record books in the public domain and distribute them. You can actually subscribe to a book in your favorite podcast app and listen to it that way!

NOTE: While this is not a review of LibriVox, and beggars really can't be choosers, but note that when you subscribe to a LibriVox audiobook you are at the mercy of the readers who volunteered. Some readers are top notch. Some should be encouraged to volunteer to do other things. Some need better equipment if they plan to continue doing this type of work. Enough on this. Overall it's a great service you should totally look into!

The Review

G. K. Chesterton was bold, brash and british. He writes with the dry wit one commonly associates with his type. As a result, it takes some time to acclimate to his prose if you are completely unfamiliar with his writing. But once you get used to it, there are many gems embedded in his writings.

The premise of The Flying Inn is that the English government is slowly being infiltrated by a group of Muslim extremists while in the process of enforcing the Temperance Movement. Inns (pubs/taverns) can only sell alcohol if they retain their sign as an inn, something that law enforcement has been restricting.

Enter Humphrey Pump, hero of the story. Pump is an innkeeper who owns and operates The Old Ship. After a scuffle with Lord Ivywood, Pump and Captain Patrick Dalroy grab their sign, rum and cheese and canvas the countryside serving liquor under their traveling sign.

The pair effectively executes their subversion by finding other such loopholes throughout the story as the law becomes more and more restrictive.

The Conclusion

Chesterton cleverly uses this backdrop to present a critique on Christianity more so than Islam. While the heroes are struggling with the Muslim impetus for temperance, Chesterton offers a blazing critique on Christian ascetics who would prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol and meat (forced vegetarianism is also covered in this book).

This is an interesting book in that it anticipates a world where extremists may successfully take over a major metropolitan area and use their sectarian views as the basis for their governance. Chesterton was not contending with Isis when writing The Flying Inn. Though fanciful, it is an interesting mental exercise and reinforces the positive aspects of the separation of Church and State.

Screwtape Letters #bookreview

The Book

The Screwtape Letters
C.S. Lewis

As is my tradition, I try to read a C.S. Lewis Signature Classic every year. This year, the lot fell on The Screwtape Letters.

The Review

The Screwtape Letters serves as a window to the correspondence between a young devil and his affectionate uncle named Screwtape. Being a novice tempter, he seeks advice to properly ruin his assigned human being. Screwtape offers his advice in letter form. You only read what Screwtape has written throughout the entire book.

This is another example of Lewis' masterful work. This is still my least favorite of his works due to the limitations of the format. Although, it can be argued that the format he chose was apropos to the subject matter. It would have been far more difficult to get all the content into a traditional prose-style work of fiction.

Note that since this is a collection of letters, the chapters are really small. This makes it a great on-the-go read when you are not sure if you have 30 minutes or just 5 to get a chapter in.

Content wise, Screwtape generally advises to use current culture as a means to distract the human through life. It does not matter which side of any issue the mortal takes, so long as he confuses it for Christianity. Extremism, whether it be extreme pacifism or extreme warmongering, is really the goal.

Below are a few of my favorite bits of Screwtape's awful advice:

• It is funny how mortals always picture us putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out. (p 16)
• The safest road to hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. (p 61)
• The characteristic of Pains and Pleasures is that they are unmistakably real, and therefore, as far as they go, give the man who feels them a touchstone of reality. (p 64)
• Parochial organization should always be attacked, because, being a unity of place and not of likings, it brings people of different classes and psychology together in a kind of unity that the Enemy desires. (p 81)
• The earliest converts were converted by a single historical fact (the Resurrection) and a single theological doctrine (the Redemption) operating on a sense of sin they already had... The 'Gospels' come later and they were written not to make Christians but to edify Christians already made. (p 126)
• [Substitute] negative unselfishness for the Enemy's positive Charity. You can, from the outset, teach a man to surrender benefits not that others may be happy in having them but that he may be unselfish in foregoing them. (p 141)
• Since we cannot deceive the whole human race all the time, it is important thus to cut every generation off from all the others; for where learning makes a free commerce between the ages there is always the danger that the characteristic errors of one may be corrected by the characteristic truths of another. (p 151)

The Conclusion

The Enemy is very tricky. As mentioned in the book, they have no resources of their own and must pervert God's goodness. This book helps the reader to think sinisterly and really consider their own struggles in light of the cosmic battles being fought around them.

I recommend this book heartily to anyone willing to give it a read. It is actually a very easy book to pick up and complete.

Retrieving the Tradition & Renewing Evangelicalism #bookreview

The Book

Retrieving the Tradition & Renewing Evangelicalism: A Primer for Suspicious Protestants
D.H. Williams

This is the second in a series of books recommended by a colleague centered around a discussion on Sola Scriptura and it's validity as a protestant argument. While an older work (published in 1999), it still holds an important conversation around several pertinent questions of tradition and the Church's catholicity.

The Review

As another scholarly piece, the text is not readily accessible. That is, if you are not familiar with Patristics or any Church history, you may get a little lost. Sadly, D.H. Williams is keenly aware of the fact that most Protestants, particularly Free Church Protestants are out of touch with the history of the church. He apologizes right away for all the historical discussion he must have in order to prove his points and advises unfamiliar readers to catch up on the topic.

Once critique I have at this point is the lack of supplemental material to help with the historical part of his argument. There is a lot of text when a chart or timeline could have provided a nice visual to go with the sentences and paragraphs explaining the flow from the Apostles to the Church Fathers. He argues that, historically speaking, the Church Fathers arose sequentially and naturally from the Apostolic age. A chronology could have illustrated this point powerfully and elegantly.

In addition to a seamless transition from the Apostles to the Church Fathers, Williams argues against the notion of Constantinian corruption, explains the place of councils and creeds and discussed how Luther and the Reformers protected Patristics as a guide to Orthodoxy.

However, William's main point centers around the fact that Scripture does not live in isolation. We have Sacred Scripture because Church Tradition venerated and preserved it. Conversely, whatever was proposed as Church Tradition was first measured by Sacred Scripture as part of acceptance. The two go hand-in-hand and could not be separated.

Tradition (capital T) is different than tradition (lower case t), which can also be called mere custom. Scripture itself refers to the Traditions that were being "passed down". In fact, the term "passed down", Williams points out, is a form of the word translated "tradition". Hence, Tradition refers to how the Church interprets and hands down doctrine from generation to generation. In other words: Jesus teaches the Apostles who pass the teaching on to the next generation of believers who encounter challenges to the faith and draw from the teaching to answer said challenges. Doctrine is synonymous with Tradition in the sense that it is the extraction and communication of a coherent system of belief based on the Bible.

Without Tradition, doctrines of the Church must be re-formed and re-argued while heretical beliefs will need to be re-refuted. Things that are settled in orthodox teaching will be up for grabs once again. I close this out with the following quote from the text:

Whereas Scripture does indeed define the center of gravity of the true faith, it does not set the limits of its reading or knowledge. The Reformers' appeal to scriptural sufficiency was crafted on the assumption that the Bible was the book on the church's faith. That faith of the church, New Testament and patristic, was seen as contiguous with the biblical narrative, so that the only proper way to read the Bible was within the framework of the church's teaching and practice. (Williams, 200)

The Conclusion

I would argue that everyone reads the Bible within the framework of a "tradition." Whatever you grew up being taught, that's the tradition that you will hold. Unfortunately, when the tradition once grew up with turns out to be a- or even un-historical, you begin to undermine the entirety of Christendom. D.H. Williams believes that reading scripture through the framework of the Church Fathers is the historical path to orthodoxy which has been unnecessarily undermined by some in Free Church traditions.

Note: He is not arguing for a return to Rome. He looks to a pre-Roman catholic (Little 'C') Church (though he concedes that this church eventually became the Roman Catholic Church). He cites early church sources all the way to Luther, Calvin and beyond as groups that looked to the Fathers for a framework to the reading and interpretation of scripture.

If this review piques your interest, go read the whole book. It is a bit dense but not very long (243 pages including index). I recommend it to anyone interested in church history and biblical interpretation.

A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War #bookreview

The Book

A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and A Great War
Joseph Loconte

One of my duties at work is to serve as liaison to the History Department. It's a bit tricky because I do not work with people in the department who do Latin American history because we have a Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) specialist who plucks those researchers, leaving me with the rest of the world. Given my location in Miami, Fl., it is understandable that most of the research conducted in the department is LAC oriented. However, in my searches I realized that a section of the community is gearing up for one big event: The Centennial Commemoration of the U.S. involvement in WWI (The Great War). So I put together a research guide on that topic with a colleague and in the course of my research I came across Joseph Loconte's book. Any time you can bring Tolkien and Lewis into the conversation, you do it. Immediately.

So this background, coupled with the fact that Barnes & Noble keeps settling lawsuits by sending me in-store credit, drove me to this book. Note the tag line on the cover, "How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis rediscovered faith, friendship, and heroism in the cataclysm of 1914-1918."

The Review

This is a very accessible book. It reads very much like a conversational lecture. Lecture because it is clearly structured to be informative. Yet, conversational in diction and in it's explanatory mature. It is an easy read. It contains just over 200 pages of content, making it an easy weekend reader if you have that kind of time to devote to reading. For this, and for excellent content, I give the book a five-star rating. It simply is a great book for historians and inklings alike.

Loconte begins the book by describing the pre-WWI world attitude towards scientific progress. Technology improved man's lifestyle enormously. Science was learning new things and implementing them for man's benefit constantly. The industrial revolution made the future look brighter than ever. This also reached into philosophy when men took Charles Darwin's Evolution of Species and ran it through to an extreme conclusion when applied to mankind. Thus, the idea that man is also evolving and improving with every generation. Loconte calls this "The Great Myth."

The Great Myth has many implications. The first of which manifested itself in the notion that evolving man will be able to negotiate peace without conflict and, eventually, wars will shrink in magnitude and carnage until it disappears altogether. But to achieve this peace—this ultimate state of evolution—man must help nature by participating in a program called Eugenics. Essentially, Eugenics is natural selection applied to mankind where only the best human specimens are allowed to breed.

There seemed to be no stopping this train of thought. Steam engines, railways, light bulbs, etc. all provided great conveniences to mankind. Science was not something that could be argued against. So the church did not. Here, we get the rise of Liberal Theology, which went along with science and called for increased eugenics programs and sought to bring the kingdom of heaven down to earth's level. It's a nice idea, though clearly unethical by today's standards. This wave of theology is what Tolkien and Lewis was dealing with.

But WWI smashed The Great Myth to pieces. Instead of eliminating conflict, Europe was embroiled in it. Instead of limiting the scope of conflict, the entire world was engulfed. Instead of minimizing casualties, this secular war killed more men than any previous war could have even conceived. Both sides, believing in this Myth, believed they would leverage new technologies and bring a swift end to the war. New machine guns, mustard gas, trench warfare, and naval improvements, unchecked by ethical restriction, mowed soldiers down with frightful speed and force.

This is the conflict that Tolkien and Lewis fought on the front lines and survived. Not only does the brutal experience of war inform their writings, but also the disillusionment that follows. After the war, mankind saw The Great Myth as a failure and subsequently lost all hope in this life. Tolkien and Lewis also fought to restore hope. Hope in the living God who moves in this world. They do this by creating their own mythologies that echo the Romantic myths they adored and, ultimately, echoes the True Myth delivered to man in the scriptures.

The Conclusion

I suppose I could continue writing, but I will not give up everything Joseph Loconte has written on the subject. Know that he goes into greater detail and provides more supporting evidence of The Great Myth and on the great casualties sustained during the battles of WWI. He also weaves passages of The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Space Trilogy throughout the book, showing how the war absolutely influenced their respective author's writings.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, literature or theology as this book touches on each of those topics.

SIDE NOTE: Loconte dwells on TLOTR more than Lewis' works as it is written for a more mature audience and displays some of the gruesome details not found in Narnia.

The Bible Made Impossible #bookreview

The Book

The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism is not a truly Evangelical reading of Scripture
Christian Smith

I was given this book to read by my colleague. He has recommended books for my edification before and I greatly appreciate this gesture. Over the past couple weeks I have been able to digest this book section by section.

The Review

I have to give the author only 3 out of 5 stars for the actual composition of this book. While it is extremely well reasoned, I believe the points could have been articulated in a clearer, more organized manner. This is possibly due to his perspective as a sociologist writing on religion. However, his intent was clear: Smith began with the problems of Biblicism and continued toward (not a formed conclusion, but, rather, the beginning of a discussion) a better understanding of the Bible within an evangelical context.

Biblicism, as commonly defined within Evangelical circles, typically includes some version of the following nine arguments about the Bible:

1. Divine Writing
2. Total Representation of God's will
3. Complete Coverage
4. Democratic Perspicuity (anyone with common sense can understand the Bible)
5. Commonsense Hermeneutics (read the Bible plainly)
6. Solo Scriptura (no need for tradition when you have the Bible)
7. Internal Harmony (the Bible fits together like a puzzle)
8. Universal Applicability
9. Inductive Method (anything can be learned by study)

In addition to these nine points, Smith argues that there is an unstated "Handbook Model" of reading scripture that pervades Evangelical Biblicism. This is seen by a simple stroll through the Christian Bookstores and noting titles like: Cooking with the Bible: Recipes for biblical meals, The Biblical Guide to Alternative Medicine, Biblical Psychology, & Gardening with Biblical Plants. In essence, the Bible is understood to be an authority on everything it covers, therefore opening God's credibility on every front under the sun.

The problem with this outlook is something Smith calls Pervasive Interpretive Pluralism. In short, you can give four evangelicals a single passage of scripture and potentially get four different interpretations of the passage. The problem here is that these outcomes are inconsistent and—as highlighted in the title of his book—actually impossible given the theory of biblicism. It should not happen.

Yet, it happens all the time. Particularly among the educated biblical scholars. Consider that Christian Bookstore again. In the book, Smith lays out the titles of over thirty "Four Views" books. That is, four different interpretations of biblical doctrine. These include four views on baptism, Christ, Hell, Divorce & Remarriage, Eternal Security, etc... This should not be.

Smith continues to address the typical responses which, no doubt, my readers currently have in their minds. In fact, you (my reader) may have already dismissed the problem posed by this book by your own rationale. Please note that Christian Smith addresses each response and deftly shows how their arguments do not hold up. In essence, most arguments are actually a deviation from biblicism.

Smith proposes a few ways to read the bible that might be more in tune with evangelicalism as a whole. His main potential solution (though, admittedly, not a complete solution) is a Christocentric reading of scripture. In other words, Christ is the main point of scripture. Everything else either leads up to him or stems from him. Even though most evangelicals will nod their heads and claim that they actually do read the bible Christologically, it is clear from the literature that they fall short in practice.

Other potential solutions include a redefinition of our beliefs into a tier system. There is dogma, doctrine and opinion. Dogma is the small circle of common christian beliefs. Doctrine is the slightly larger circle that includes assembly distinctives but are not necessary for a Christian Classification. Finally, opinion is just that, an opinion that can find deviations within a denomination. This paradigm allows for disagreement and unity within the same umbrella of christendom.

This is just a taste of what you will find in this book.

Conclusion

I had some real problems with this book. I kept arguing with him in my head. Going in, I felt that I was essentially an open-minded biblicist. I come from a tradition where biblicists abound and I grew up believing a lot of these things about scripture. Yet, after reading this book and analyzing my own arguments over the past few years I had to come to the conclusion that I am no longer a Biblicist. I still respect the Bible as God's communicative tool for us to learn about his nature and will. Yet, I do not read it as a handbook for life and science and history and psychology and gardening and cooking and... The Bible is so much more than that. It is about God's only Son who came to redeem me. That's the point and that's what I want to stick with.

I would not recommend this book to most of my Biblicist friends. I do not feel that most of them are ready to really question their reading of scripture in an honest way. The text of this book is also highly academic and potentially inaccessible to a lot of people. Granted, if my reader is ready to read with an open mind (and maybe an open dictionary) then I absolutely would recommend picking up a copy of Christian Smith's book. It may do you good.

The Future of Evangelicalism in America: Book Review

The Book

The Future of Evangelicalism in America
Edited by: Candy Gunther Brown & Mark Silk

This book was slapped on my desk by a colleague who knows and shares my interest in all things Christian. He told me it was a good, interesting read. And it most certainly was. I saw expressed in these pages many of the things that I had worked out in my own struggle as a young evangelical (quickly becoming or, perhaps, already become a middle-aged evangelical). These struggles have to do with the fact that I both agreed and disagreed with a lot of the stereotypical stances of evangelicalism. In fact, you can read another book review on a similar topic in the aptly titled: Everything You Know About Evangelicals is Wrong plus one on a book referred to in this title: Karl Barth's Evangelical Theology.

I knew that this book would likely be a scholarly work given the one who recommended it. I was not incorrect.

The Review

The tone of this work is scholarly. It is infused with statistics throughout. Particularly, the final chapter on racial diversity in evangelical churches at times reads like a textbook. (Though, thankfully, the author finds a narrative once he plows through the data.) It is not a book for the faint of heart or mind. In addition to race relations, the essays tackled in this books cover topics like: music, divisions, and politics.

An interesting note is how the authors envision the future. Since each chapter is contributed by a different author on a different topic, there is no consensus on the future of evangelicalism. Some say the future looks bright, some say the collapse of evangelicalism appears imminent. Most fall somewhere in between skewing to one side or another. The final chapter serves as a guide of things to consider moving forward. These things include:

• Biblicism - How will evangelicals define biblicism moving forward?
• Nondenominationalism - Will the nondenominational denominations continue becoming institutionalized?
• Magnetic Leadership - Who is the next charismatic leader?
• Popular Culture - How will evangelicals assimilate and integrate popular culture into their moral code?
• Pentecostalization - Will evangelicalism become overrun by the Pentecostal trends?
• Globalization - Will the center of evangelicalism shift into Latin America?
• Racial and Ethnic Diversification - How will the continued growth of nonwhites effect evangelicalism?
• Political Realignment - As evangelicals detach from traditional political "allies," where will they turn as they exercise their voting rights?
• Generational Change - As we get further from the roots of evangelicalism, what will the next generations do with their heritage?

Evangelical Ethos

It is important to understand how the authors define evangelicalsim. Rather than a readily apparent set of beliefs with clearly divisive properties (i.e. Calvinism, Roman Catholicism, Arminianism, etc.) the authors follow Mark Knoll and David Bebbington in describing an Evangelical Ethos based on biblicism, conversionism, crusicentrism and activism. These points actually work to unite Christians across denominational boundaries. This method helps explain why we have the existence of self-described evangelicals all over Christendom without there being one Evangelical denomination. Yes, you have Methodist Evangelicals and Catholic Evangelicals and Presbyterian Evangelicals and they can all work together for a parachurch organization like Youth For Christ (which figures prominently in the book) and agree with the teachings of Billy Graham.

These four points are explained as follows:

1. Biblicism: The belief that the Bible is central to Christianity. Look to the Bible for the answer. While there is debate on whether the Bible is inerrant vs infallable, and there is debate on the role of Tradition and the Magisterium, the Bible settles all disputes in the end.
2. Conversionism: A personal relationship and regeneration. You have to have some kind of experience with God. There has to be a moment when you were converted. The story of your personal decision to follow Christ must be a prominent feature in your life-narrative. Without this, you might not be a Christian at all.
3. Crucicentrism: A focus and emphasis on Christ's atoning death. The Church, the Bible and all of God's efforts in this world find their culmination at the cross of Calvary. Without an emphasis on Jesus Christ, you have no Christianity.
4. Activism: Evangelistic activity aimed at conversion, renewal and activism. Your faith must be lived out, your faith requires some kind of action. In most cases, this means sharing the Gospel with neighbors, friends, and colleagues. However, this may also mean social activism, like feeding the hungry and clothing the poor.

The Conclusion

I really liked the layout of this book. It was nice to hear from different voices about the changing face of evangelicalism. More than that, I liked to see how some of my own thoughts on the subject were reaffirmed. I know I didn't go into detail on that in this review, you just have to read the book to get that information.

That being said, I would not recommend this book to everyone. At the end of the day, it reads more like a scholarly work so if that's the kind of piece you enjoy reading, go ahead and pick it up. You will not be disappointed. For a similar book that treats the topic in a more informal manner, I recommend the book mentioned earlier: Everything You Know About Evangelicals is Wrong.

Evangelical Theology: Book Review

The Book

Evangelical Theology: An Introducton

Karl Barth

I came across this book quite by accident. I had finished a novel and wanted to grab some weightier substance to crunch my brain cells on and so I searched my local library for various names I thought might serve that purpose.

Through their recommendations, I came across Karl Barth—a name that I recognized from my undergrads. So I clicked and was confronted with the Evangelical Theology: An Introduction audiobook. I snagged it and listened to it all the way to Walt Disney World (My wife was running the Glass Slipper Challenge).

No, I did not finish it in one weekend. No, I did not digest everything there is to learn in this work. But what I learned, I will share in this review using quotes that I think can be loosely attributed to this book. Please bear in mind that I listened to the book and furiously wrote down quotes.

I absolutely plan to buy this book and give it a thorough reading before shelving it for reference.

The Review

I gave the book 4 stars on GoodReads. The content is absolutely fantastic. The only problem I have is with the way certain things are phrased. I understand that Theology is not an easy subject, yet I feel that things may be phrased more simply. Perhaps this, again, has to do with the fact that I listened to the book and did not read it. It certainly does not lend itself to audio.

This could also be due to the fact that the work is a translation into English. That always makes for dodgy literature since translators may be to blame. Yet, there are moments when Barth bores through the dense language with a clear, condensed thought that cuts to the quick. I will not share some of those statements:

Think of Christianity more as a new nation and less as a system of beliefs.

Here, Karl Barth was referring to this new community that developed after Christ's resurrection. This new community that was called "Christian" in Antioch. They were a new kingdom that was held together by their King. They were less dependent on creeds than they were on their love for one other. They had no doctrine but the story of what Jesus had done. They had no qualifications other than what they heard from Christ.

Perhaps it would be good to remember that part of primitive Christianity. To be evangelical is to be devoted to basic biblical truths. It does not get much more basic than this.

How is your heart? That is the question every theologian must face.

Barth hones in on the study of Theology a lot in this book. He places a greater burden on theologian, for the theologian should know the most and be responsible for more than a person who does not study scripture. Theology is a dynamic study—the process should fundamentally change the theologian. Inevitably, the theologian will have to ask themselves: What about my heart? There will be nowhere to hide from the answer.

Christian faith is not a belief THAT but a belief IN...

Theology is the study of a person, not a thing. Likewise, the Christian faith is a belief in the person of Jesus Christ and not a belief that anything happened or that anything is. Without the living Christ, our faith is useless.

It is terrible when God keeps silence and, by keeping silent, speaks.

Returning to the Theologian's struggle to know and believe, Barth touches on the single most disturbing part of the study of theology: times of silence.

There are times when the theologian may cry out for understanding or clarification but hears no answer. But the silence is not God withholding a response, it is God's intended response. This could be due to a number of things like:

• The theologian's stubbornness.
• Some undealt with sin.
• God's timing.

This leads right into another quotable from Karl Barth, "The theologian can only have God for himself when he has God against himself." That is, true faith is held against all doubt. True faith says, I believe. Lord, help my unbelief. It is not a stubborn refusal of facts to the contrary. It is the act of holding on to facts that were true yesterday and allowing them to carry you into tomorrow.

Conclusion

Again, there is no way I got all of this down. I listened to the book and wrote this review from memory with only the quotes to guide me. This review is more impression than actual rendering of the writer's work.

So I would recommend that you go out and read this book for yourself. It is a tougher, rewarding read so be cautioned in that regard. Do not let it intimidate you. Read and get what you can out of it.

Note that Barth does not bother to defend basic questions in this book. He assumes that the Bible is authoritative and that God exists and that Theology is important, etc. He tackles the next steps after those things are sorted out.

Free Audiobook - N.T. Wright

I never do this. This blog is not devoted to freebies. However, whenever I come across a freebie that pertains to our pursuit of Truth, I gladly pass it on. I don't know how long this offer will be available, but right now you can download N.T. Wright's audiobook: Hope in a Hopeless World from Noisetrade, presented by Regent College Audio.

I just downloaded it myself and I am in the middle of other books so I have no knowledgeable recommendation. All I can say is that I've heard a lot of good things about N.T. Wright from people I trust. So readers, here ya go! Don't say I never give you anything. ;-)

Come Thirsty - Max Lucado

The Book

Come Thirsty
Max Lucado

I bought this book for my wife. We went through a phase where we could not read enough Max Lucado. It was a good phase. Max Lucado is an excellent teacher. I try to read Lucado's Grip of Grace once a year, though I have (admittedly) not been able to do so for the past few years. It will probably be on my short list for my next read.

I had a long run scheduled for this past weekend, so I decided to grab the audiobook version of Come Thirsty from my local library. (Overdrive for the win!) After saying my usual prayers for the first couple miles, I dove right into CT. I finished the book during my ice bath. Two conclusions:

1. An audiobook is great for a long, pleasure run.
2. An audiobook is terrible for a run which pace is important.

Review

Max Lucado's calling card is Grace. It is his number one topic. Don't read Lucado for a treatise on anything other than God's marvelous, infinite, matchless grace. Yes, he touches on other subjects. But his forte is the grace of God. Come Thirsty is yet another angle on that theme. If you are parched by this desert of a world, drink deep from the wellspring of God's Grace.

Using his trademark conversational style, Max Lucado invites you to God's well for a sip of God's goodness. That sip is followed by another, then another, then a gulp and before you know it, you will dive headfirst into the ocean of God's grace. This WELL breaks down as follows:

• Accept Christ's Work
• Rely on His Energy
• Trust His Lordship
• Receive His Love

Conclusion

This is a strong 3.5-star book which is often overlooked in the canon of Lucado's writings. No, it's not an essential read like several of His other books, but you will not be sorry you spent some time on this one. I heartily recommend it.

Miracles by C.S. Lewis - Book Review

The Book

Miracles
C. S. Lewis

Intro

As part of my ongoing quest to read every word penned by C. S. Lewis, I recently picked up Miracles. It's part of the boxed set I purchased with birthday money/gift card. Here's the obligatory rundown:

A Grief Observed

The Problem of Pain

The Great Divorce

A few observations:

1. Buy this boxed set for someone. It will entertain their brains for years to come. (This boxed set & I go way back to 2012)
2. For being such a Lewis Lover, I only read one of his books per year. That deflates my ego.
3. There's something about late summer (July-August) that gives me a hankering for some C. S. Lewis. Anybody else gets that?
4. Mere Christianity & The Screwtape Letters are the only two left in the set. I read & reviewed MC before getting the set (in April!) & I've read TSL a few years ago. TSL deserves its own review. Hey, the month of August is young!

Review

I have decided to do away with the technical merit section of this particular review. Lewis gets excellent marks for his structure & organization as always. It is important to note that while Miracles is in many ways comparable to Mere Christianity in its approach, it is actually much more technical, theoretical & abstract than MC. However, there are moments where Lewis's arguments rise from the drudgery of theorem & snaps into sharp focus. Those moments are pure gold.

Naturalism - Is it anti-miracle?

Lewis spends most of his time on this subject. In fact, the title of this book could have been "Nature Versus Supernature" though that title is not very interesting. Lewis deconstructs Naturalism (the idea that Nature is all there is) and leaves the reader with the conclusion that something beyond nature must exist. One poignant argument revolves around the so-called Laws of Nature & the fact that Laws of Nature do nothing without being first thrown into action by a force outside of itself. For instance, nobody ever says they tripped on gravity. People trip on an untied shoelace which causes their body to be in a position where the Law of Gravity takes over. Hence, every Law of Nature must be set in motion by a preceding cause going back to an Original Cause that had to set Nature herself in motion. Christians believe that God is this Uncaused Cause.

Having established that there must be an entity behind Nature—our Supernatural God—Lewis asks about the nature of the miraculous. Many assume the miraculous to be a violation of the Laws of Nature. Lewis argues that this is a wrong perception. If there is a God. If that God can perform the miraculous. If that God created Nature. Why would we suppose miracles to be a violation of nature?

If events ever come from beyond Nature altogether, she will be no more incommoded by them. Be sure she will rush to the point where she is invaded, as the defensive forces rush to a cut in our finger, and there hasten to accommodate the newcomer. The moment it enters her realm it obeys all her laws... The divine art of miracle is not an art of suspending the pattern to which events conform but of feeding new events into that pattern.

Hence, the moment Jesus multiplies bread, it becomes regular digestible bread. When he creates wine in Cana, it becomes real wine with intoxicating properties. When God's Seed is implanted in Mary's womb, it undergoes the process of gestation, birth, childhood, etc. No Law is suspended. A new event is fed into Nature & Nature rolls with it without a hitch.

Lewis also gets into a discussion on literalism in this book. He detests the idea of people who try to improve on the ancient pictures with something they believe to be more literal. So instead of viewing God as Father, they try to describe Him as Energy. Clearly, the Bible uses specific imagery to get at certain aspects of the divine which our modern imagery does not. Further, when we try to be more precise, we end up creating a ridiculous picture that's harder to believe than the ancient metaphor.

C. S. Lewis does eventually start talking about the Miracles themselves. He tackles the question of the Grand Miracle (The Resurrection) & its implications for Christians. He argues that the Resurrection is not a new life, but a continuation of the current life only glorified. He argues that this Grand Miracle is the pinnacle of history. Other miracles performed by Jesus affirm his identity as the ultimate Corn King (the myth of death and rebirth) which has been rumored since ancient times.

Conclusion

If you have read Mere Christianity a couple times, I urge you to pick up Miracles & give it a shot. I know that I have learned a lot from a single reading and am excited to pick it up again in the near future to see what else can be gleaned from its pages. If you've never read C. S. Lewis before, this is not the one to start with. While you will doubtless learn a lot, it helps to have a background in MC to understand where Lewis is coming from.

TIP: As you read Miracles, look for lists. Lewis loves his lists and they're really helpful!

Check out a few of my favorite quotes from Miracles. If you need to, you can pause the show on the lower right-hand corner to actually, you know, read them. :)

...

Names of God - Nathan Stone

The Book: The Names of God
Author: Nathan Stone

I was entrusted with a small library of books a few years back. I had planned to incorporate them into a chapel library, but that dream never came into fruition. Days turned to weeks, months and then years as these books became forgotten in a corner of my personal library. Upon moving to a different city, I rediscovered these books and resolved to either read them or give them away. I have given a lot of these books away. The Names of God is a book that I have heard a lot of people reference over the years, so I decided to give it a read.

Review

This is a simple, straightforward read. It is quite informative and leads into worship quite nicely. My only critique is that, like a lot of books of the genre, it is very formulaic and tries to present the revelations of the names of God in a dispensational model. That's fine when it naturally fits, but at times it seemed forced. It suffices to say that God reveals himself to his people appropriately, rather than implying that God progressively reveals himself according to some over arching meta-narrative.

While Stone writes 12 chapters revealing 12 names of God, there appear to be actually 3 names of God and 12 variants of those names which expound on God's character. The names of God are:

1. Elohim (The God of creation and power)
1. El Shaddai (God Almighty - Covenantal God)
2. Jehovah (The God who relates to his people - I AM)
1. Jehovah-jireh (Provision)
2. Jehovah-rophe (Healer)
3. Jehovah-nissi (Banner)
4. Jehovah-M'Kaddesh (Sanctification)
5. Jehovah-shalom (Peace)
6. Jehovah-tsidkenu (Righteousness)
7. Jehovah-rohi (Shepherd)
8. Jehovah-shammah (Is There)
3. Adonai (Lord who is due reverence - He is master, we are servant.)

Note: this is not the order which the author presents this material. These are my own observations. I give this book 3.5 of 5 stars for readability and content. 

Conclusion

If you can get your hands on this book, please read it. It should enhance your understanding of certain passages of scripture. I will not look at a passage with LORD versus God or Lord the same way again. It really helps to have some knowledge of the meaning behind these names of God. 

On the Road with the Archangel: Book Review

On the Road with the Archangel
Frederick Buechner

On Google+ as +Frederick Buechner

After getting ripped off by Barnes and Noble (I didn't realize it at the time, but some lawyer informed me that I was, in fact, ripped off) I was included in a settlement. As a result, I had a couple pennies to rub together in my Barnes and Noble account. A good friend of mine, +Jonathan Roberts , had recommended that I read some Frederick Buechner. He said that he really enjoyed Buechner's work and that I would probably enjoy it too. I went ahead and purchased a couple of his nook-books and just finished reading On the Road with the Archangel, my second Buechner book. My first was The Longing for Home. I am glad that I have been introduced to Mr. Buechner.

Technical Merit

On the Road with the Archangel, as with Buechner's other work, is phenomenally written. The prose takes on the aura of poetry. But alas, I am repeating the things I said in my previous review.

One thing to note about this work, it is a retelling of an ancient tale. Therefore, the author did not fabricate this plot. He may have embellished details and added some interpretation, but the story is borrowed from the Deuterocanonical Book of Tobit. Therefore, this is a different type of writing since it relies on different factors than The Longing for Home, which was more of a memoir.

Taking all things into consideration, I give On the Road with the Archangel 4 out of 5 stars for technical merit. I enjoyed Buechner's storytelling and his theological interjections and clarifications a lot. He was able to take the story of Tobit and make it clear and accessible without removing its ancient feel.

Review

Tobit is all about prayers and how God provides answers to them. A man named Tobit goes through several circumstances which leave him blind and desperate to end his life. Being a religious man, he prays that God take him from this world honorably. Simultaneously, a young woman named Sarah also desperately prays to die as her 7 husbands are savagely murdered by a demon named Asmodeus. As a result, her family comes under suspicion and shame in the community.

Tobit, in preparation for his inevitable death, sends his son Tobias on a journey to retrieve some money that he had stored in a far away place (which happens to be Sarah's home town). In one fell swoop, the archangel Raphael, angel who delivers prayers and answers, disguises himself as Tobit's distant relative named Azariah and goes with Tobias on the journey.

During the course of the journey, Azariah (Raphael the Archangel) provides the answers to each of their prayers while weaving several surprises along the way.

Conclusion

This is a really well-written book. I personally enjoyed it a lot. I come from the world of Christianity that does not take Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books seriously. Unfortunately, I had not read the book of Tobit previous to this experience. However, I can see the value of this book as a mythological story that highlights God's character. I recommend On the Road with the Archangel to any who can read this book with that mindset.

The Great Divorce: Book Review

The Book

The Great Divorce
C. S. Lewis

I purchased this piece a while back as part of C. S. Lewis' Signature Classics collection. It includes many of the other Lewis works reviewed on this blog. Personally, I believe in reading a Lewis classic (not limited to the signature ones) every third book or so. (OK, maybe I'm kidding a little here. But seriously, work some C. S. Lewis into your reading schedule. You'll be glad you did.)

Technical Merit

The Great Divorce is a 160 page allegory. As an allegory, it is a thinly veiled sermon on an outwardly biblical topic. As such, it is hampered by some of the limitations to which all allegories are subjected. Since the author has an agenda, he is not free to explore the story for it's own sake—the moral is king in the story. Technically, this tendency hamstrings the story. This is why I do not feel that the Chronicles of Narnia are allegorical, though they clearly bear Christian influences. But I suppose that's not a discussion for this book review.

Compared to other, more famous, allegories like Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Spenser's Faere Queene, Lewis' The Great Divorce reads very smoothly and smartly. I have given this book 4 out of five stars because the story at times becomes stagnant as the main character (Lewis himself) moves from scene to scene to make his points.

The Review

The premise of the story is as follows:

• Lewis joins a group of people on a bus ride.
• The bus ride leads from his current existence to the gateway to heaven.
• The citizens are faced with the choice to either give up their baggage and go to heaven or keep their baggage and return to hell.
• Lewis meets up with George MacDonald who helps him understand the conversations going on around him. These conversations serve as the catalyst for theological introspection.

First off, this story is just that: a story. Lewis does not claim an out of body experience or other form of shenanigans to validate this tale. He is not suggesting there is a real bus that transports man from hell to heaven. He is not suggesting that hell is not a real place. He is not suggesting anything about the literal realness or mythological sense of any of these things. He is more concerned with the fact that there are certain things that must be dealt with before one may pass from hell into heaven. If one is not willing to give up these things, then there is no way that they are going to be able to mare the transition. It's all about submitting to God's will. Consider this famous quote:

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.

Image from We Talk of Holy Things--on Facebook 

This encapsulates the marvel of free-choice. We are free to choose God's way or our own ways. We are also free to live with the consequences. Why does God send people to hell? The answer is, quite simply, He doesn't. People choose hell.

One of the most interesting scenes in the book has to do with the mother who longs to see her son again. She is not allowed into heaven because her love was a self-gratifying love instead of a pure, sacrificial love for her child. In the end, her perverted love had replaced the "older" and "closer" love that God has for His creation. At this point, Lewis explores the following idea from the fictional mouth of George MacDonald:

There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him. And the higher and mightier it is in the natural order, the more demoniac it will be if it rebels. It's not out of bad mice or bad fleas you make demons, but of bad archangels. The false religion of lust is baser than the false religion of mother-love or patriotism or art: but lust is less likely to be made into a religion.

The sinister sins are the ones that can be mistaken for virtue. Lust, murder and theft are rarely put on a pedestal and worshiped, but love has always been and will continue to be worshiped as a god. A child molester is forever marked and shunned, but the love worshiper who only loves out of selfish ambition is never detected and fools himself into thinking he is good.

Conclusion

As with all C. S. Lewis works, I heartily recommend that everyone add this book to their reading list. This work is mostly speculative and fixated on the main point that we all must submit to God's will or else never enter the gates of heaven. This is an important lesson for everyone to learn.

The Longing For Home: Book Review

The Book

The Longing For Home
Frederick Buechner

• On Google+ as: +Frederick Buechner 

After getting ripped off by Barnes and Noble (I didn't realize it at the time, but some lawyer informed me that I was, in fact, ripped off) I was included in a settlement. As a result, I had a few pennies to rub together in my Barnes and Noble account. A good friend of mine, +Jonathan Roberts, had recommended that I read some Frederick Buechner. He said that he really enjoyed Buechner's work and that I would probably enjoy it too. I went ahead and purchased a couple of his nook-books and just finished reading The Longing for Home. I am glad that I did.

Technical Merit

Frederick Buechner is a wonderful writer. He is an author of both fiction and non-fiction, prose and poetry. As such, he is creative in both his thinking and expression. I remember one of my librarian friends said that she did not like poetry, but she loves when poets use their talents to write prose. I felt this way about Buechner's writing.

As a result, sometimes Buechner's arguments are difficult to follow. I give The Longing for Home 4 out of 5 stars for technical merit for clarity of argument. I am certain that second and third readings will provide the clarity I desire, and this may prove to be a positive thing as I will likely read this title again.

The Review

In the long run, each of our stories turns out to be the story of us all, and the home we long for has in all likelihood been home to others whose names we don't even know and will be home again to still others when the ever-rolling stream of things has long since borne us away. (pg. 76)

The Longing For Home is divided into two parts: The Home We Knew and The Home We Dream. In The Home We Knew, Buechner looks back on the places that he considered "home" and shares several episodes of what that means. He looks at places, people and relationships that make up the critical elements of what "home" is and continues to be despite how physical circumstances have changed.

This chapter is full of sentimental scenes, painting the picture of what is meant by the old adage which asks what converts a house into a home. An especially tender and heart-moving chapter contains the letter that he wrote his grandson, which was to be read at the grandson's twenty-first birthday. Yet, in the midst of all this sentimentality, Buechner states the following:

We are in constant danger of being not actors in the drama of our own lives but reactors. (pg. 80)

So even though it is good to look back and remember. Even though it is good to be cognizant of the love that surrounds us. We must also be ready to actively live out this life and not dwell on the past and depend on it to carry us forward.

The second section, The Home We Dream, looks to scripture and loosely applies the methodology of the first section to the heavenly realm. Buechner plays on the idea that our citizenship is not on this earth, but elsewhere. One of his favorite scenes is the breakfast the Jesus makes his disciples after his bodily resurrection. It is a reassuring meal, prepared by a loved one, in a familiar place. If this is not home, I do not know what is.

To be homeless the way people like you and me are apt to be homeless is to have homes all over the place but not to be really at home in any of them. To be really at home is to be really at peace, and our lives are so intricately interwoven that there can be no real peace for any of us until there is real peace for all of us. (pg. 102)

Finding peace of mind, to Buechner, is the ultimate sense of being at home. Restlessness is true homelessness. For the Christian, Jesus Christ is their prince of peace and, due to the connected nature of the human race, we will not be at peace until everyone accepts our prince of peace. In this way, finding home while living in this world is necessarily to evangelize and spread the gospel. While it is a command, it is also a natural longing.

Conclusion

As always, this review is a small glimpse of the many topics that are covered in this title. I heartily recommend it to anyone who loves poetry in prose and likes connecting the dots to see the big picture of what an author is expressing. The Longing For Home is part artful expression, part worship, part challenge, part homage.

Boring Church [LAST CHANCE GIVEAWAY]

"Most of us would acknowledge that going to church is a positive thing, and yet very few of us can articulate why. We come, in the end, because we think we are supposed to. The problem is that 'supposed to' will only get you so far." (176)

Michael Kelley

Boring: Finding an extraordinary God in an ordinary life

Go to Church

This was another chapter that struck me in this book. (All the chapters are good, just these particular ones struck me uniquely enough to merit their own post.) People are leaving the church (by this I mean in attendance) at an astounding rate. They cite everything from spiritual reasons (I can worship by myself), to political reasons (that party failed me), to personal reasons (that lady is annoying). Toss in there a loss of faith (converted to X religion) and you have the whole picture.

At times, their rationale seems very convincing. What kind of argument do we have to keep professing Christians in the church anyways? How do we argue with someone who has valid, personal reasons for deserting the church and pursuing a personal relationship with God? Michael Kelley has this to say:

"When the Bible describes how we interact with Jesus, we don't find the term 'personal relationship with Christ' anywhere in its pages. Sure, the ideas are there, but the terminology is absent. Terminology like that is neither helpful nor biblical, for it increases our already present tendency to isolate our experiences with God." (177)

Michael Kelley

Boring: Finding an extraordinary God in an ordinary life

It is that simple. Particularly here in America (though I'm not sure Europe is doing all that hot either, maybe one of my readers can enlighten me in the comments section. I know you're out there!) we have a very personal outlook on life. This is my land, my home, my food, my fill-in-this-blank. It stems from the self-reliance and work ethic of puritanism (to simplify the argument for this blog post's sake) and permeates our current culture. But should these personal holdings affect our ability to contribute to society?

A friend of mine used to put it this way, "The problem is not with a personal relationship with Jesus. It's fine to have a personal relationship. But it was never meant to be a private relationship." Hence, the problem is we state that we have a personal relationship with Jesus and confuse it for a private one.

Private relationships require no social interaction...
...or correction...
...or instruction...
...or accountability...
...or contribution...

It is these elements and many more that are found in healthy, thriving churches. But healthy, thriving churches need committed members who are ready to take on the boring tasks of every day commitment—no matter how much we disagree with Brother X, or think Sister Y smells, or how tacky Brother Z's tie is, or whatever spiritual concept you are struggling with. We need each other, and Christ wants us to help each other.

Church is not for the lost. Church is for the redeemed. Doesn't scripture say something about iron sharpening iron?

Give Away

This will be your last chance to enter and potentially win this book for FREE. I'm picking a winner tomorrow and announcing soon thereafter!

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Book Review: Boring [GIVE AWAY]

Book

Boring: Finding an extraordinary God in an ordinary life
Michael Kelley

As mentioned in last night's posts both here and on my Read Books blog, I was given two (2) copies of this book. One for my own reading and reviewing pleasure and one to give to anyone I want. So I have decided to read this book, review it, and give it away to one of my *cough* faithful readers.

So, suffer through yet another boring book review and you will find out how to maximize your chances of winning this great book. Or, skip my review and scroll down to the final section entitled "Get it Free" to, you know, get the book for free.

Technical Merit

This book is 207 pages long, divided into eleven (11) chapters with an introduction and notes. It was an easy, two-day read. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars for technical merit. The book is great, it delves into some fantastic principles and applications that are needed in the church today. However, some of the syntax is a bit wonky. In addition, I found a few typos in the text. I understand this is as much a critique of the editor as the author, but this is a review of the book and that comes into play.

However, in the midst of the mundane, Michael Kelley does come through with several memorable moments. He is very good at laying a foundation and them summarizing his points with a poignant phrase. If you get stuck on one paragraph, keep reading with the confidence that he will rephrase his point, perhaps in a way that resonates with you. I know it did with me.

Review

The introduction and the first four (4) chapters lay out the theoretical principle that God's will is to do something extraordinary through you in your normal life, even if He does not choose to put you in an extraordinary circumstance. The daily routines that we are accustomed to are the vehicles for His influence in this world. As Kelley states in the introduction:

What if God actually doesn't want you to escape from the ordinary, but to find significance and meaning inside of it. (5)

All too often, we seek to escape our boring lives. Often, it is when we seek to escape boredom that we end up in trouble. God placed us in this life for a reason. We are to glorify Him in all things. We are living in His redeemed creation. We have renewed purpose. We are children of the kingdom and should seize every opportunity that life affords us!

It's a good thing Michael Kelley spends the rest of the book on applications. He allows the reader into his own home and explains how to find the extraordinary in the following areas of our boring lives:

1. Friends
2. Marriage
3. Parenting
4. Finances
5. Employment
6. Church

While not everything Kelley writes is novel, there may be a surprise or two in these chapters. I plan to write a few posts next week that expounds a little on some of these topics. But in each of these areas, this final quote serves as a nice summation:

We are so bent on the exciting, that we might miss the small choices of faithfulness right in front of our eyes. Those choices might not be easy, but neither are they complicated. (203)

Conclusion

This is a nice little book that I heartily recommend to all my Christian friends. Michael Kelley is theologically sound and gives great practical advice. I will probably refer to these individual chapters for topical studies in the upcoming weeks. What does this mean for you? More chances to win a free copy!

Get it Free

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Boring (Book) Giveaway

Free Stuff

A short while ago I was asked to read, review and give away a copy of Boring: Finding an extraordinary God in an ordinary life by Michael Kelley. I finally finished it and scheduled a review post for tomorrow. But I couldn't wait to get the giveaway party started!

So here's the deal

I want you to do all the things this Rafflecopter thing tells you to do and then you'll get entries into this sweepstakes. Make sure you tell your friends about it so you can get some competition and I get exposure for my blog. Keep coming back throughout the week for more entries!

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Book Review: C. S. Lewis A Life

The Book

C. S. Lewis - A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet
Alister McGrath

All of my readers should have a grasp of my fondness for C. S. Lewis and his works. I have written several posts dedicated to either his works, his quotes or works about him. When one clicks on the tag entitled "CSLewis", 12 posts are returned (13 actually, counting this one) which are related to Lewis in one way or another. A few of these include:

• A book review of Mere Christianity
• A book review of A Grief Observed
• A book review of The Problem of Pain
• And a critical examination of Lewis's Young Adult Fiction (written for class)

Therefore, I was naturally drawn to this biographical account of Clive Staples Lewis, written by Alister McGrath (an individual on whom I have also dedicated some space for on this blog.) I was afforded the opportunity to borrow this ebook from the Miami-Dade Public Library system and did not hesitate to put my name on the queue.

Technical Merit

This book is very well written. For technical merit, I give it 4 out of five stars. It is difficult to compose a biographical narrative that captivates in the way a novel does, but McGrath does a fine job of piecing together details. In order to do this, he subdivides the biography in 5 parts:

1. Prelude: Early life up to Lewis's involvement in the war
2. Oxford: Lewis's rise in academia culminating with the international fame of Mere Christianity
3. Narnia: Section devoted to Lewis's most popular works
4. Cambridge: Lewis's move to Cambridge and end-of-life
5. Afterlife: The decline and subsequent rise of Lewis's popularity

Also included in this 471 page biography is a timeline, list of works consulted, end-notes and an index. As can be assumed from both the integrity of the author and the extensive contents, this is a well researched piece.

The Review

Alister McGrath sets out to write a biography of C. S. Lewis that is informed, not from a personal relationship with the man, but from an intimate relationship with the man's works. As he leans on Lewis's correspondence and diaries for dates, he also discusses Lewis's publications in their appropriate place in the Lewis timeline. This approach emphasizes the impact that literary pursuits had on Lewis's development. This is stated outright in McGrath's description of Lewis's conversion:

Lewis fits into a broader pattern at (his) time--the conversion of literary scholars and writers through and because of their literary interests. Lewis' love of literature is not a backdrop to his conversion; it is integral to his discovery of the rational and imaginative appeal of Christianity

Alister McGrath, C. S. Lewis: A Life, Page 132

One of the bolder distinctions made in this book is a correction to the generally accepted timeline of C. S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity from Atheism. In fact, this correction is made with careful attention to detail that borders on trepidation.

TRADITIONAL CHRONOLOGY OF LEWIS' CONVERSION

1. 28 April--22 June 1929: Lewis comes to believe in God
2. 19 September 1931: A conversation with Tolkien leads Lewis to realise that Christianity is a "true myth"
3. 28 September 1931: Lewis comes to believe in the divinity of Christ while being driven to Whipsnade Zoo
4. 1 October 1931: Lewis tells Arthur Greeves that he has "passed over" from belief in God to belief in Christ.
5. 15--29 August 1932: Lewis describes his intellectual journey to God in The Pilgrim's Regress, written at this time in Belfast.

ALISTER MCGRATH'S CHRONOLOGY OF LEWIS' CONVERSION

1. March--June 1930: Lewis comes to believe in God.
2. 19 September 1931: A conversation with Tolkien leads Lewis to realise that Christianity is a "true myth"
3. 1 October 1931: Lewis tells Arthur Greeves that he has "passed over" from belief in God to belief in Christ.
4. 7(?) June 1932: Lewis comes to believe in the divinity of Christ while being driven to Whipsnade Zoo in a car by Edward Foord-Kelcey.
5. 15--29 August 1932: Lewis describes his intellectual journey to God in The Pilgrim's Regress, written at this time in Belfast.

Alister McGrath, C. S. Lewis: A life, Page 142

I have not provided the reasoning for the changes in this review, just know that it is fascinating. These are the small details that have no real bearing on the over-arching significance of Lewis's conversion. However, they are the interesting minutiae that academics are concerned with.

Another interesting portion of this biography is found in the Narnia section of this book. In this third part, Alister McGrath emphasizes C. S. Lewis's fascination with the Middle Ages and explains a hint from Michael Ward (2008) that seeks to answer why there are seven books in the Narnia series. The pre-Copernican worldview of the Heptarchy is used as a model which explains some element of each of the books in the series:

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Jupiter
2. Prince Caspian - Mars
3. The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader" - the Sun
4. The Silver Chair - the Moon
5. The Horse and His Boy - Mercury
6. The Magician's Nephew - Venus
7. The Last Battle - Saturn

Finally, McGrath spends time unraveling the Lewis/Davidman relationship. He contends that it began as a purely mercenary arrangement that developed into true love only after Joy Davidman fell ill. Again, the significance of this relationship is manifested in literature, as McGrath credits Davidman as a midwife to three of his late books: Till We Have Faces, Reflections on the Psalms, and The Four Loves. It is in the pain of bereavement at the loss his wife that Lewis wrote A Grief Observed.

Conclusion

This is a good, if dense, read that I recommend to all who have an interest in both C. S. Lewis as an academic and as a Christian apologist. McGrath, being an apologist himself, focuses a lot on the way these two main themes manifest themselves throughout Clive Staples Lewis's life.

Orthodoxy: Book Review

The Book

Orthodoxy
G. K. Chesterton

Barnes and Noble contacted me with the settlement of a class-action lawsuit that entailed a $3 award. So, naturally, I went hunting for the cheapest versions I could find of the ebooks I have been dying to read. Chesterton's Orthodoxy is a clear example of a bucket-list book of theology that I have been meaning to get my eyes on. It has been an embarrassment for a while that I have never read it. That is, I had not read it until now.

As a big fan of C. S. Lewis' works, I was excited to read this piece. I have heard it compared to Mere Christianity as a more robust version of the piece. At first reading, I believe the two to be compatible, though written for different purposes. Remember, Mere Christianity was originally a radio talk about Christianity to be aired during the war, Orthodoxy is an account of G. K. Chesterton's journey to faith. These pieces are concerned with the same topics, but approach them from different perspectives.

Technical Merit

This title is beautifully written. Chesterton is a poet who decided to write a piece of prose. His phrasing is thought provoking and rich. At times, his diction can be a bit gaudy. For this reason, I plan to revisit this piece to ensure that I digested the material properly. It is a short book (my copy was only 155 pages) and was easily read in a week. It should not be too difficult to read again. However, for technical merit I certainly give Orthodoxy five of five stars.

Review

As mentioned in my introduction, Chesterton's Orthodoxy is an attempt to explain how he came to believe that Christian Orthodoxy is the only reasonable faith that explains the human experience. Over and over he reminds the reader how he came to a certain conclusion on his own, thought it was a uniquely enlightened position, and then turned to find the host of Orthodox Christendom standing on the same ground of truth. In other words, he used his reason to come to some conclusion about humanity and then found that Christianity had always affirmed that truth. The following quote comes to mind:

"I am the man who with the utmost daring discovered what had been discovered before." (pg. 9)

This rehashes the adage (taken from Ecclesiastes) that there is nothing new under the sun. Everything has been seen before. Of the many arguments that Chesterton makes, they can be boiled down to one simple arument: the importance of paradox to Christianity.

"Christianity is the superhuman paradox whereby two opposite passions may blaze beside each other." (pg. 141)

Chesterton gives example after example of how Christianity takes two opposing stances and reconciles them under one banner. Two examples of this are:

1. The glorification of martyrdom while denouncing suicide.
2. How Christianity can appear to be both a nightmare and a utopia at the same time.

This complexity proves the reality of a Christian paradigm since it matches the complexity of the human experience. With these apparent contradictions, Christianity is able to find it's equilibrium. This is illustrated by charges against Christianity that will say that it is too far to the left and then the critic will turn around and claim it is too far to the right. One final quote to illustrate this:

"What again could this astonishing thing be like which people were so anxious to contradict, that in doing so they did not mind contradicting themselves?" (pg. 85)

Conclusion

I heartily recommend this title if only for the reason that it causes one to really think. The conclusions reached in Orthodoxy are common enough, but Chesterton casts them in his own unique light.

Have you read Chesterton's Orthodoxy? 

What are your opinions?