Tried With Fire

I'm going to jump on the 2015 book list bandwagon. The books are listed in the order they were read/listened: C.H. Spurgeon's Autobiography: The Early Years  (audiobook read by Robert Whitfield) - Spurgeon is my favorite dead theologian, and I loved hearing about his conversion and struggles to come to faith. My favorite line is "My mother said to me, one day, “Ah, Charles! I often prayed the Lord to make you a Christian, but I never asked that you might become a Baptist.” I could not resist the temptation to reply, “Ah, mother ! the Lord has answered your prayer with His usual bounty, and given you exceeding abundantly above what you asked or thought.”" The Democratization of American Christianity  by Nathan O. Hatch - A very interesting look at how the mindset of American Christianity was shaped by our culture. The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology  by Pascal Denault - I am indebted to R.C. Sproul for opening up the beauty of Covenant Theology to...

I recently listened to an audio version of Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This is one of my favorite in the series. But amongst the camaraderie and cheer at Patty's Place and the happy ending for Gilbert and Anne, Montgomery gives a chilling example of emotional abuse. In this case, it is not between spouses but a mother and son. There are no blows or harsh words but manipulation, emotional blackmail, and the desire to control another human being in the name of "love." She writes a similar tale but between two sisters in  Rainbow Valley, Chapter 31 . In this case, it also involves a promise to never marry so the other party will never be alone. This makes me wonder from what source did the author draw this storyline? Would this have been categorized as abuse in her day? I don't know, but Anne does call the antagonist "a cruel, relentless, deceitful old woman." I'm glad the plot ends well in both books, but in my opinion, the dynamic be...