Tried With Fire

The following are my favorite books for 2018. They are listed in the order read/listened. Writing on the Wall: Social Media, the first 2000 years - Tom Standage. This was a fun and informative book and makes the case that there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to human communication. Proof? People literally wrote on the walls in Pompeii to give their status and receive comments on their posts. There is an entire chapter devoted to Martin Luther and the spread of the reformation via the newest media of the time - pamphlets that were affordable by the general public in German. Excerpt  here . Walking Through Twilight: A Wife's Illness, A Philosopher's Lament - Douglas Groothuis. This is a moving book of a husband's love and grief for his wife as he walks with her through her dementia. His struggles and lament are real, but so is God's keeping. Excerpt here The Search for Christian America - Mark Noll, George Marsden, Nathan Hatch. The dream team of Ch...

This summer was busy and felt longer than usual. I had an ambitious list of potential reading, but good intentions take a back seat to real life. However, here are some of the books I finished over the past few months. The Paper Magician - Charlie Holmberg. The premise is an alternative history of late 19th - early 20th century England where magicians are trained to work with a specific material like paper,  glass, or metal. It sounded promising, but the vibe was too modern. I just couldn't buy the heroine living unchaperoned with her mentor and cooking penne pasta. This was author's first novel, so I will give her some slack, but I doubt I will read any more books in this series. For an example of an alternative history with magic that captures the time period well - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. One Nation Under God - How Corporate America Invented Christian America - Kevin Kruse. Another book in my quest to understand how we got to where...

Here are my top books from 2017. They are listed in the order read. Favorite Books: The Making of Asian America - Erika Lee.  This book covers quite a lot of ground as it documents Asian immigration from before Columbus up to today. After reading this, it gave me a greater understanding and respect for my immigrant family. It also also demythologizes the model minority and the idea that the Asian American experience is uniform. The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind - Mark Noll. "The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind." This is a classic work from the 1980's early 90's but is still relevant today. We've recovered very little of the thinking that Noll says we've lost, and we may have lost even more in the last year. No Little Women - Aimee Byrd. I wrote a review at Out of the Ordinary. But in a nut shell, it's time we stopped dumbing-down women's discipleship, calling cultural ideals biblical, an...

Some recent reading: Ordinary by Michael Horton. I have not read Radical nor do I think Ordinary is specifically countering David Platt's book. But I think Horton is very valid in his criticism of American Christianity's weakness in succumbing to the next big thing and elevating those things as being more spiritual, almost like another form of two-tiered Christianity. There were many good points, particularly the importance of the means of grace and the local church. It rambled a bit at times and could have been a bit more concise. I'm glad I read Ordinary, but I prefer The God of the Mundane by Matthew Redmond. Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges. We recently had a Sunday school class on this book. I had read the book several years ago, and it was nice to refresh my memory. Bridges has a knack for taking theological issues and making them more accessible. My only criticism is the wordiness and sometimes his analogies do not have the best one-to-one corr...

Philosophy for Christians? You bet! I'm sharing a few mini-reviews at Out of the Ordinary of books/resources that can help Christians think and convey ideas more clearly. Read the post here .

Another round of mini-reviews: The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology - Pascal Denault Credo baptism and covenant theology are not at odds with one another.  Drawing on the scriptures and the writings of Puritans Nehemiah Coxe and John Owen, the author explains the difference between the Presbyterian and Baptist views of covenant theology. An excellent book and a must read if you are reformed Baptist. The Story Girl and The Golden Road - L.M. Montgomery  These two novels tell the story of the youngest generation of the King family.  Like Montgomery's other novels, the setting is rural Prince Edward Island. The children's adventures are funny, endearing, with a little sadness and drama thrown in. The God of the Mundane  - Matthew B. Redmond If you've ever wondered if your boring life matters or has any connection with the Kingdom of God, this is the book for you. This series of short essays by Matt Redmond are a window into his struggle...

Git along, little dogies A few mini-reviews: Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More  by Karen Swallow Prior. Hannah More was quite the Renaissance woman of her time. She was an educator, writer, playwright, and social reformer who was instrumental in the abolition of slavery in England. She was also an activist for education for the poor. If the proof of a biographer's success is how interested you are in the subject when you've finished the book, Dr. Prior has done her job well. Some of Hannah More's works are now on my TBR list. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. This was a mixed bag. Human behavior is fascinating, and I learned quite a bit from the different studies on introversion that are detailed in the book. I could relate 100% to the chapter that focused on introversion and Asian culture. However when the author switched to therapist mode, I was ready to close the book.  Gospel and ...

A few mini-reviews: The Cross and Gendercide: A Theological Response to the Global Violence Against Women and Children , Elizabeth Gerhardt, IVP Academic, 2014. Drawing from Martin Luther's theology of the cross and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life, Dr. Gerhardt argues that the church should/must offer a theological response to the gendercide of women and girls.  She acknowledges that the church's primary goal is the preaching of the gospel, but the gospel does not turn a blind eye to this sin because it "violates the integrity and humanity of God's creation."[92] Thus, we care for the oppressed because we have been justified and are saved by faith alone but by a faith that is never alone. The Cross and Gendercide is very different from many secular books on this subject which stop short at political action and education. While those efforts are helpful, only the gospel has the power to heal a life devastated by abuse. This was a tough read because of the s...

I've been on a Dorothy Sayers kick thanks to these lectures by Jerram Barrs. Here is a list of recent Sayers' reads: Are Women Human?  - Two short but brilliant essays on how women are perceived and treated. Even though these were written in the 1930s, Sayers' questions are relevant today. Are women human? Or are they sort-of human but not fully human? Busman's Honeymoon - The last of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels and my favorite. Lots of depth in the relationship between Peter and Harriet. The friendly quotation quizzing between Peter and Chief Superintendent Kirk is quite fun. Clouds of Witness - 2nd mystery in the series where Peter's brother Gerald is accused of murder. Sayers makes a small allusion to Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey . Gaudy Night  -  Trouble at a woman's college at Oxford and final resolution of Peter's courtship of Harriet Vane. Strong Poison  - Introducing Harriet Vane in the dock for a murder she did not commit. Tw...

Just completed: An Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose An Unlikely Disciple is the true story of a liberal, non-Christian, Brown University student who goes undercover at Liberty University for a semester. Roose is interested in learning more about the Evangelical culture that is so foreign to him, so what could be better than infiltrating a bastion of fundamentalism and finding out for himself? Although I would not identify myself theologically with Liberty, in a sense the book shows what "we" look like to an outsider. His story is very interesting and often funny, but it's rather touching and sad as well. It's clear that Roose meets believers who genuinely love the Lord, but it also reveals how easy it is for someone to put on a Christian facade by just doing the "right" things. He left Liberty after one semester acknowledging positive things about Christianity and yet not coming to faith hims...

Finished: Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking  by D.Q. McInerny - This little book gives tips on thinking and communicating clearly through a better understanding of logic.  Read one of my favorite quotes here . Created in God's Image by Anthony A. Hoekema - A survey of the doctrine of imago dei through the scriptures and church history and its relation to salvation, sin, and humanity. Interestingly Hoekema does not advocate dichotomy or trichotomy but  "psychosomatic unity" because man is a whole being with a physical and nonphysical side. The implications of this doctrine are manifold in how we treat one our fellow image-bearers. Is God Anti-Gay?   by Sam Allberry - A look at what the Bible says on sex, homosexuality, and the hope offered by the gospel. This would be a good followup to Rosaria Butterfield's book. Through His Eyes: God's Perspective on Women in the Bible by Jerram Barrs - In the foreword, Barrs states that his aim is to encourag...

Ministries of Mercy  by Timothy J. Keller, P&R Publishing, 1997. The book is divided into two sections: principles and practice. In the first part, Keller gives a biblical basis for mercy ministry. We may have the misguided idea that poverty is strictly lack of material wealth, but it's spiritual. We are all needy in the sight of God. We've been alienated from Him and each other by sin, the result of which is poverty and injustice. But as those who have been shown mercy, we should extend mercy to others by ministering to them in word and in deed. This includes meeting physical needs but also seeking to meet the deepest need of all with the gospel. The second section gives practical advice for fleshing out mercy ministry in the context and under the leadership of the local church. Keller doesn't promote a single model as every situation is different. He gives examples of ministries that have worked well and those that have not. Also the goal is to help the  ind...

When in doubt, write about books.  So... Recently completed: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins: If you are a mystery lover, this is a must read. The Moonstone is not the semi-precious stone but a yellow diamond stolen from an Indian idol. This cursed gem is given as a gift to Englishwoman, Rachel Verinder, on her 18th birthday but is stolen that very night from her bedchamber.  Whodunit? I won't tell, but I will say I thoroughly enjoyed this classic English country house mystery. Also Collins' use of multiple narrators added to its charm, although I winced a little at Miss Clack's Christian caricature. Considered the first detective novel in the English language. both Dorothy Sayers and G.K. Chesterton thought it to be the "finest" and the "best" detective tale written. The Help by Kathryn Stockett: I was late in reading this one, but also enjoyed it .  As to its complete accuracy, I can't say, but here's a review by Thabiti Anyabwile. ...