Panorama of a Book Saint

"The Biblical Hebrew Verb" (John A. Cook)

2025-03-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Biblical Hebrew Verb: A Linguistic Introduction (Learning Biblical Hebrew)
AUTHOR: John A. Cook
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (352 pages).

Why a book just on verbs? Why is this book important? Who can best benefit from this book? Why would anyone read this book? These questions might be good to ask before picking up this book. It is academic and technical, even for Hebrew students. It is important for students, pastors, preachers, and anyone wanting a more in-depth knowledge of the Hebrew Bible. As a linguistic introduction, this book aims to broaden our learning and understanding of the nuances demonstrated by Hebrew verbs.

From "valency" to "tense-aspect-mood/modality," students can find it challenging to deal with when, how, and where verbs manage both subjects and objects. Other nuances include the use of tenses (time-based), aspect (temporal nature), and mood (actual vs potential). The author recognizes an existing gap between scholarly treatises and textbook treatments of the topic. The former might be too technical or academic for new students while the latter lacks the space to explain the vast complexities of the Hebrew verb. In filling this "niche," it is hoped that students will develop a "linguistic framework" to connect the literal meaning with the historical contexts. This will enable one to give clearer linguistic explanations of the verb in question. This road is often uphill and requires much diligence. As an introductory book, author John Cook provides us many examples to facilitate our learning. Chapter One covers the "Linguistic Background" to show us how Latin-mindsets differ from Semitic-mindsets; various linguistic theories used; terminologies; and the differences between "text" and "language." Hebrew being a more "Internal-language" can be quite challenging for English-language speakers. This is more so when we are asked: "Which Hebrew? Biblical, Rabbinic, or Modern?"

Chapter Two covers "The Thematic Domain" which deals with the lowest level of the morphology hierarchy. From this level we get the roots underlying adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs, etc. Cook describes the Infinitive, Adverbial Infinitive, and the participle in detail, followed by the Situation Aspect. Simply put, the Infinitive is a "verbal noun." The Adverbial Infinitive is a "Verbal Adverb," and the participle a "Verbal Adjective." We are also introduced to the seven basic binyamin: Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, Hithpael, Hiphil, and Hophal; the use of voice, and valency. Care is taken to show readers about how "valency" plays out in the verbal lexical strategies.

Chapter Three is about the "Inflectional Domain" associal with the triad: Tense, Aspect, Mood. Tenses locate the meaning in time. Aspects refer to viewpoints that one chooses to interpret from, such as "perfective" (complete) or "imperfective aspects" (in-progress). Mood and modality refer to classifications of actual, potential, hypothetical, or counterfactual situations. Cook even gives us a TAM overview toward the end of the chapter. This is considerably more complex as the author describes the different linguistic theories of definitions and oppositions.

Chapter Four combines the Hebrew syntax with the situational contexts to show us how the TAMS interact with contexts, concluding with a glossary of linguistic terms for easy reference.

My Thoughts
In Hebrew, verbs are considered one of the most central pieces of the Hebrew grammar. Not knowing it would be a big handicap. Hebrew verbs in particular are not only necessary by complex in nature. The chapters in this book are progressively more challenging to read and understand. With verbs being such a major part of the language, and also one of the most difficult ones to learn, author John Cook has dedicated an entire book for us to review, refresh, or reinforce our understanding of Hebrew. It is not an easy book to study, let alone read. Even students who have studied Hebrew before will find it challenging to make sense of the grammatical nuances. Depending on the entry-level of the reader, the subtitle of the book "introduction" can be quite deceiving. That said, even the casual reader will be wowed by the power of the Hebrew language. Unlike English, the Hebrew can nuance events, emotions, and situations in more ways than one.

Studying Hebrew is hard work, especially for those of us who come from an English-speaking background. This probably has to do with learning Semitic languages with our Latin-based mindsets. Those who manage to pick up some Hebrew will find the process rewarding. That said, the learning path is often more uphill and even discouraging. May the love of the Bible enable the prospective student to press onward to deeper insights that leads to much biblical inspiration.

In summary, this is more an "Intermediate" level book for anyone learning or refreshing their Hebrew.

John A. Cook (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison) is professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages and director of Hebrew instruction at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is also a research fellow at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in North America at the University of Wisconsin (Madison and Milwaukee campuses), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Wheaton College, and Grace College and internationally in the Philippines, Singapore, Russia, and India.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Surprised by Grace" (Kevin P. Joyce)

2025-02-15T06:26:00.000-08:00

TITLE: Surprised By Grace: A Spiritual Journey from West to East and Back
AUTHOR: Kevin Patrick Joyce
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Crossroad Publishing, 2024, (240 pages).

This book is about the author's spiritual memoir of his journey from faith to commitment; theological education to ordination; and his engagement with spiritual experiences from both East and West. Since he was 11, Kevin Joyce has strong calling for the priesthood, so strong that he chose it over romance, a career in medicine, and other youthful endeavors. He grappled with various emotions and contexts throughout his youth. He left the seminary for a time to pursue other goals instead of the priesthood. He nearly committed to a long-term relationship with Antonia, only to realize he was not ready. Ultimately, together with his family background, prominent spiritual influence from his maternal grandmother, his positive impressions of Church Mass, and realizing the reality of Jesus' Resurrection, he returned to his religious vocation. He has two purposes in this book. First, to share his learning from spiritual masters. Second, to compare the spiritual paths and traditions of both East (Vedic) and West (Christian). This is Kevin Joyce's conversion, confession, exploration, redemption, and re-commitment story.

With many spiritual masters as his guide, he looks at how God had moved in his life. One significant moment was his encounter with Simone Weil's book, "Gravity and Grace" where grace can be most felt in a void. Human efforts alone cannot manufacture this encounter. From Teresa of Avila, he learns of the 5th state of consciousness, which occurs when the human will conform to God's will. From Father Duncan, who the author calls a modern desert father, he receives a fresh reminder of the monastic vocation. These and many more accompany Kevin on his spiritual walk. He shares his spiritual exercises such as the Lectio Divina, giving us the description and his way of practicing it. One significant teaching was Mother Teresa's reminder that the end goal of the Christian is Transformation rather than Enlightenment.

On the Eastern tradition, he describes his learning from the principles of Transcendental Meditation as well as questions about the Hindu use of avatars. He deals with questions about whether all religions deal with the same god. Whether directly or indirectly, it seems like one of the reasons for him leaving the seminary was the influence of TM. At the same time, it was also the perceived self-absorption with self-actualization in the Eastern religions that diminished its appeal for him. Interspersed throughout his spiritual reflections, Kevin also shares his emotional struggles and confessions. He admits his romantic feelings for Vicki in his seventh grade, and Antonia during his seminarian-on-leave period. While there were periods of doubt, his conviction about the priesthood grew with each encounter with Jesus.

The author ends the book with a moving story of his brother, Brian's last days, covering acts of forgiveness and grace.

My Thoughts

This is a deeply honest book about the author's struggle with faith. He openly shares his thought processes and how his progression and regression from the priesthood were constantly met with grace and contemplation of God's presence in his life. More importantly, his personal encounter with Jesus tilted the balance toward his religious commitment. Amid the deep search for meaning and significance, he dabbles with romance. He studies the Eastern religions and Vedic philosophies. He tries to find meaning in his travels and interactions with people of different faith persuasions. During some of his most depressing and disappointing moments, he suddenly gets a revelation of the reality of God in this world. One by one, like dominos, his doubts about his vocation were dealt with. His first love has always been with God. His breakthrough came when he saw the film about St Francis of Assisi's conversion. Like a prodigal son who had squandered some years to explore other things in this world, Kevin Joyce returns to the Father with an acknowledgment of God's grace to him.

Scripture plays a big part in the author's journey throughout his explorations. It was the anchor of his soul, a bedrock of assurance, and illumination of grace personified. One factor behind his re-commitment to his Catholic faith was his discovery of the stark differences between Eastern religions and Christianity. For instance, while both Buddhism and Christianity promote meditation, the goals and contexts are different. Christianity focuses on the personal relationship while Buddhism is non-theistic. Even after earnest attempts at practicing TM, he finds that it does not aid in terms of clarity and peace. It only makes him miss Jesus more. Moreover, he realizes the elevation of spiritual pride when he focuses on TM practices. Through it all, the constant anchor for the author was the Bible.

This book helps to partially answer the question of "Why Christianity?" Many books deal with the why either from a philosophical or a theoretical angle. Kevin Joyce goes beyond that through personal engagement. Like the famous words from "Amazing Grace," he can say that he "once was lost" (in searching for God in all the wrong places), "but now am found" (in the arms of Jesus), "was blind but now I see" (the reality of Christ). Some people can seem incredibly certain of their calling initially, only to become discouraged and fall away. Some returned to the faith while others did not. Safe to say, not everyone of us can follow after the endeavours of Kevin Joyce. We all have our own unique journeys to make. However, one thing is clear. As long as we are open to God working in our lives, we too can be surprised by grace. The author's memoir is one such evidence.

Father Kevin Joyce, priest of the Diocese of San Jose since 1980, serves as professor and spiritual director at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park, California. He studied at seminaries in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the University of the Americas in Mexico City, and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he received a doctorate in spirituality. He attended courses in Spain and Switzerland on the spirituality and meditation practices of the Far East. As a diocesan priest, Father Kevin served as pastor of large, multicultural parishes and founded and directed SpiritSite, a Catholic Spirituality Center. Father Joyce has a particular interest in the East–West interreligious dialogue and in the spiritual masters of the Christian tradition, especially John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Crossroad Publishing via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Reviving Mission" (Linson Daniel, Jon Hietbrink, and Eric Rafferty)

2025-02-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

TITLE: Reviving Mission: Awakening to the Everyday Movement of God
AUTHOR: Linson Daniel, Jon Hietbrink, and Eric Rafferty
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (240 pages).

Are missions outdated? Does God still speak today with signs and wonders? Is there any similar outpouring of the Spirit like the 20th-century Azuza Street revival? Are revivals a thing of the past? Are revivals in general considered anomalies? Inspired by the Asbury revival of 2023 which spread to several campuses in America, the authors of this book excitedly proclaimed that mission can be revived. This book is about reviving: a) our conceptions of mission; b) the impact of mission on the people we are sent to; and c) the impact of mission on the people who are sent. Instead of jettisoning the old ways of mission, the authors urge us to renew our old ways in terms of re-contextualization. Go back to Jesus as the root of all missions. Follow the ways of Jesus in everyday living. Be Christlike to all. Claiming that "The Old Way is an Everyday Way," they encourage us to follow Jesus' ordinary life in an ordinary society. Once we recognize the many similarities of first-century culture and our modern society, we can breathe new life into the ordinary.

Together, they share with us three convictions:

The Church and the World need revival.
This new season will be marked by the everyday movement of God.
There is a new way forward, expressed in terms of holistic mission of Jesus.

These convictions are conveniently expressed via the "4Es of Reviving Mission."

Encounter: Noticing the Presence and Movement of God;
Explore: Remembering God exists and acts in multidimensional ways;
Empower: Recognizing God enables us to serve in the power of the Holy Spirit;
Establish: Seeing God as Master-Gardener-Architect to make us as living stones to build a temple.

Sharing many real-life stories of conversions, conversations, and convictions about the power of the gospel, the authors use a reviving mission grid to guide us through the process of reviving everyday mission wherever we are.

My Thoughts

In the Western context of the Church, revival is increasingly necessary to wake the sleepy Church toward the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. Using the 4Es paradigm, the authors in this book bring together their experiences as they try to contextualize the gospel message for our contemporary culture and times. The personal stories help us see the significance of the gospel that works in ordinary people in everyday life. Just like how Jesus involves himself in ordinary day-to-day matters, we are encouraged to do the same in three ways. Who God is determines how we live. How we live connects with what we do.

Sometimes, having too many different models can become more academic than practical. While the grids and frameworks are relatively easy to remember, they might unwittingly become a stumbling block when it comes to actually practicing them. Unlike a lab with controlled environments, life has its own unpredictable moments that require us to know on the fly what to do. Ideally, one should have studied and understood the paradigms introduced in this book. That said, we don't need to study everything before we can apply anything. Just being able to benefit from something in the book is already beneficial. Like a soldier trained in many disciplines and skillsets, we can store the tips from the book into our arsenal of resources to be used anytime or sometime later.

Finally, revival is never something humanly driven. It is always Spirit-led. For all our good intentions to witness for the gospel, we need to actively sense the movement of the Holy Spirit in all that we do. This requires constant discernment and sensitivity to God. All the right training and tools we have are nothing if we do not use them at the appropriate moments and divine opportunities.

This book might not drive revival in our communities but it sure gives us the tools to be ready for any Pentecost moment that could come anytime, anywhere, and anyhow.

Linson Daniel (Indian American) is associate pastor of Metro Church in Dallas, Texas. He previously served as the national coordinator for South Asian InterVarsity and is a doctoral student at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Jon Hietbrink is a vice president at InterVarsity, where he helps to cultivate missional movements on campuses across the country. He's one of the founders of the EveryCampus coalition, earned his MA in missional church movements from Wheaton College, and loves hiking in creation and traveling to new places. He lives in the Midwest with his wife, Stephanie, and their two Gen Z kids.

Eric Rafferty is the associate national director of chapter planting at InterVarsity, where he coaches, trains, and creates resources for students and campus ministers to start new ministries on college campuses across the United States and around the world. He earned his MA in missional church movements from Wheaton College, and he serves as the director of groups ministry at his local church, One Hope Benson. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife, Stacy, and their three children.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Sacred Attachment" (Michael John Cusick)

2025-01-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

TITLE: Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love
AUTHOR: Michael John Cusick
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2025, (192 pages).

Embodied living by faith is better than explanations about faith. The experience transcends knowledge. Feeling loved is far better than talking about love. Information does not necessarily lead to spiritual formation. We can try hard to grow spiritually but become frustrated at the lack of progress. The key thesis of this book is that divine growth comes from a combination of feeling loved and trusting God. The former comes from being seen, soothed, feeling safe and secure. The latter flows out from the results of the 4S paradigm. This 4S sequence is the essence of the author's "Sacred Attachment." Beginning with being SEEN, we are reminded that God sees us, either directly or via the communities we are in. Being seen virtually means we are understood as we hear the words "I get you." This stage lays the foundation of being SOOTHED where God or our carer(s) say to us: "I've got you." The third stage is SAFE (I've got this) and the final stage is SECURE (Love has me). Author Michael John Cusick believes that these 4S encapsulate our emotional needs and human longings. It sets out for us the path toward Sacred Attachment. Using attachment theory, Cusick believes that spiritual growth is best cultivated when our "immature infant brain" gets attached to a "mature adult brain," so that we can better organize and regulate the way we learn and grow. Our limitations stem from a false paradigm that as long as we do the right things, we will naturally grow. We often believe lies about ourselves or our capabilities. We trust ourselves more than God. Our self-dependence leads us toward the perfectionism trap while Cusick reminds us about the superiority of Hebrew wisdom over Greek philosophy. Using Brain McLaren's words, he affirms that "Hebrew good is better than Greek perfect." Once we recognize our human limitations, that we are broken but not bad, we are ready to turn the page toward confession. Here, Cusick gives us the 5Ws to show us how these affect the way we attach to God. These 5Ws are:

Wretchedness: We are in exile and we need to find a way back to God as our home.
Weakness: Own our weaknesses and accept our limitations.
Woundedness: Have we become overly defensive that we fail to recognize our wounds?
Warfare: Take up arms to fight the lies around us.
Wiring: Recognize our form and learn about our own genetics and biological makeup.

Cusick puts together a helpful table to show us the intersection between the 4S and the 5Ws. Understanding this is the key to escaping spiritual exhaustion, which forms the first part of the book. The second part stems from this understanding as we grow our trust in divine love.

My Thoughts
First, this book combines psychology and spirituality. This book is based on the premise of attachment science, to take us back to the roots of our human makeup. The author recognizes the good intentions of many believers who want to grow spiritually but often find their attempts frustrated. Instead of knowledge accumulation or dependence on set external spiritual methodologies, Cusick takes us back to the roots of personhood and our need to be seen, and soothed, and to be safe and secure. Some readers might question the premise of using attachment science and neuroscience to guide one toward authentic spirituality. This is a subset of the never-ending debate between science and faith. The key to accepting the author's approach is to let Truth lead and guide us. One reminder from the author is about the lies that we believe or others say about us. As long as the Bible is our template and measure of Truth, we can see all other methodologies through God's lens.

Second, this book is best suited for those who have earnestly tried but honestly failed. Written from his own experience with spiritual exhaustion and the many cases of Christians getting discouraged about their spiritual exercises, Cusick takes us back to what it means to be human. Many books about spiritual disciplines and practices tend to ignore our spiritual positions at any one time. They are often written in a generalized manner which does little to help those who need specialized guidance. This book takes us back to the way we have been wired with the assumption of us as infants. That is something we can all identify with.

Finally, this book encourages us to press on with faith and hope from the position of being loved via the 4S. It gives us the needed shot to carry on working on our spiritual disciplines, this time with a better understanding of our limitations and weaknesses. The more we are aware of our need for the 4Ss, our acknowledgment of our 5Ws, and a renewed perspective of our Source for all things, we are on the way toward authentic experience and spiritual growth. While the author purports "Hebrew good as better than Greek perfect," this book's approach seems to be more Greek than Hebrew. Maybe, that is the way we have been wired in our present society. Perhaps, this is intentional. We work on the Greek side while we let God lead us on the Hebrew side. That way, none of us can ever claim that we grow toward God using our own strength and wisdom.

Michael John Cusick is the CEO and founder of Restoring the Soul, an intensive counseling ministry in Denver. He is a licensed professional counselor, spiritual director, and former assistant professor of counseling at Colorado Christian University. Michael is the author of Surfing for God, and his articles have appeared in such places as Relevant, Huffington Post, and Red Letter Christians. He and his wife, Julianne, have two grown children and live in Littleton, Colorado.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Preaching in a New Key" (Mark R. Glanville)

2025-01-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

TITLE: Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Communities
AUTHOR: Mark R. Glanville
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2025, (240 pages)

Our audiences are changing. Culture is shifting. So too are people's expectations. While we should not follow worldly ways, preachers must be aware of new cultural attitudes and changing paradigms. Expository preaching is needed but it needs to be adjusted in a manner that connects with modern listeners. Australian-Canadian pastor and author Mark Glanville helps us contextualize our message sensitively to changing cultural movements. Trained in Haddon Robinson's Big-Idea Preaching and updated with Graham Johnson and Tim Keller's apologetic approaches, Glanville feels that expository preaching needs to move with changing times. A paradigm shift is needed for a post-Christian culture. Our preaching strategies need to change simply because our audiences are changing. This itself is not a new idea. This book casts fresh light on expository preaching for a new post-Christian generation. Glanville intends this book to be an introductory textbook for new preachers and a "recalibration" for experienced ones. His thesis is this: Expository preaching needs to form communities that will participate in God's big redemption plan to bring healing and hope to the communities we are in.

The author divides the book into four parts. Part One is "Deeper" which examines the preacher's emotional health, the Church's, and the cultural Context. The chapter on the "Deeper Self" is particularly illuminating as Glanville talks about the meaning and consequences of preaching from a "defended self." If we do not manage that wall of defensiveness, we might preach a great message but miss out on connecting with our listeners. We learn about the importance of the five foundational needs of the preacher and the need to take care of the preacher's soul. His "hermeneutic of witnessing community" adds a unique perspective on expository preaching. In context, his story about Kate who left the faith, presents a new face of doubt, something that preachers should be aware of. Such doubts are not simply about disbelief and rationality but about "plausibility and values." Instead of addressing doubt directly, he suggests we preach from the angle of Christ's wisdom, the beauty of Scripture, and how God can respond to the complexities of life. Sermons ought to be preached to inculcate hope, connect with the curiosity of the listeners, and contextualize the message.

Part Two deals with CRAFT, and the art of creating a compelling sermon. Here, Glanville guides us through the nitty-gritty of sermon preparation. We learn about the movements, from exegetical ideas to sermon structure, aesthetics, and delivery. He gives us eight practices for honing the craft, eight "licks" to write the content, how to launch the sermon, using illustrations and stories, and the conclusion. Other gems include artistic delivery of sermons, feeling the emotions of Christ and the audience, using the five-word strategies, delivery preparation, learning from master communicators, and using a preaching sketchpad.

Part Three looks at TRADITION so that we understand the roots of rich history and lessons learned. He guides us through the four themes of the foundations of preaching: Biblical Story, Biblical Ethics, Gospel, and Witness. He goes on to describe some ways to exegete and interpret the text with the hindsight of tradition. With clear pointers and rational flow, we prepare the sermon with an eye on developing "intercultural competence."

Part Four covers BEAUTY, where the author looks at the aesthetics in preaching. Not many books on preaching cover this portion that activates the right side of the brain. We are challenged to develop all of our five senses through creative storytelling. We consider our preaching postures that come from breaking out of the limitations of our deeper self. Using his musical talent and background, we are blessed to see music as a creative metaphor for the sermon. We learn about preaching justice and violence from the Old Testament, and how the people of God were shaped in the past.

Finally, he concludes with a few appendixes that contain useful tips on preaching on a theme, short texts, and discussions on vocation issues.

My Thoughts

What struck me at first was Glanville's take on how Haddon Robinson's Big-Idea Preaching was written for the late President Jimmy Carter's era. Even though he acknowledges some practical relevance for Robinson's method, there might be an unwitting dismissal of the method altogether. To a lesser degree, he does the same for the Graham Johnsons and Tim Kellers. I am sure Glanville does not mean to, but how it was presented appears to diminish its suitability in contemporary Western culture. Many authors tend to do that in the run-up to their theses. Most likely, it is more about distinguishing their ideas from the rest of the pack instead of belittling past contributions. Therefore, I would give the author the benefit of the doubt. Many preachers have trained diligently and passionately under both Robinson and Keller. Even today, seminaries continue to use their materials in their courses. The best way to use this book is to enrich our preaching armour with Glanville's. That is why I believe we should continue to learn from preachers both past and present. The main reason is because of an increasingly complex and diverse audiences in the Church. From multicultural to intergenerational communities, we are better served with an understanding of the different methods of preaching and delivery styles. Glanville supports that by proving to us with a whole section on the need to learn, trust, and exegete our traditions.

How then do we use this book? My short answer is to use it as a supplement to accompany the wealth of preaching resources we now have. My longer answer is to use it as a tool to re-calibrate our approaches to preaching in a new era. Such an adjustment is necessary as the Church adapts to a new world, a largely post-Christian world. In the West, this is necessary as we face the challenges of atheism, secularism, and widespread idolatry of all kinds. Glanville gives us a new lens to understand the expectations of an upcoming generation that is less interested in apologetics or affirmations of faith statements but more concerned about authentic experiences, emotional connections, and hopeful living. That does not mean we jettison the past methods in favour of the new. It simply means building upon the foundations we have with these new perspectives. Like how the temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt with elevated layers upon layers, Glanville's lens is better used when standing upon past foundations.

He is spot on when talking about the importance to move away from "overly individualistic" approaches of the past. This is difficult because of the largely individualistic environment we live in. I suppose baby steps can be reason enough to celebrate. This calls for a deeper commitment to the communities we are in. As we deal with the challenges of a post-covid era that includes infrequent physical meetings and distant interactions, building communities might be one of the hardest to achieve. This is made more challenging as lesser people gravitate toward face-to-face meetings and more preferring online interactions. How then do we be embodied people in an increasingly disembodying social media and online environment? How do we connect more authentically with people online? How are we to build communities in a technologically diverse environment? These questions tell us that we need to keep learning and to keep improving our approaches. This book is thus a start to spur this ongoing discussion.

Mark R. Glanville (PhD, Bristol University) is associate professor of pastoral theology at Regent College, Vancouver, and an Old Testament scholar. He is the author of Adopting the Stranger as Kindred in Deuteronomy and Freed to Be God's Family: The Book of Exodus.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of IVP Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Evangelical Idolatry" (Jeff Mikels)

2025-01-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

TITLE: Evangelical Idolatry: How Pastors Like Me Have Failed the People of God
AUTHOR: Jeff Mikels
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2025, (256 pages).

Why are there so many people who were baptized but not growing as Christians in daily life? Why are Church people ready to discuss love but not demonstrate it on social media? Why do people trust Fox News more than the words of Jesus? If Christians preach love thy neighbour, why is it not seen more frequently in daily interactions? From social media to politics, pastor Jeff Mikels shares three events that led to personal changes from hope to disappointment: Donald Trump's impeachment trial, the pandemic, and the murder of George Floyd. All three events touch on the sensitivities surrounding politics, race, and religion. He encounters deeper discouragement and disillusion as he tries to change his messaging to adapt to the changing environment. Dealing with cultures, and increasingly subcultures are damaging to Church health. As a pastor, and now an ex-pastor, Mikels feels he failed at several levels. Even as he tries to find out the reasons behind the disappointments, he attempts to expose false teachings and presumptions both personal and external. This book is about that journey of exposing personal weaknesses and worldly idolatry. Beginning with "Evangelicalism has idols," Mikels attempts to uncover false beliefs happening within the Church, especially the American evangelical Church. His main target: Idolatry within evangelicalism. Writing as a former pastor, he begins with his personal disillusionment and disappointment with the Church.

He takes a four-staged approach. First, he dives into the roots of evangelicalism doctrinally and asks pointed questions about our faith. Diving into the meaning of the gospel, he helps us understand the gospel according to Jesus and Paul. He calls it a "Jesus-Centered Gospel" that lets God's Truth transform believers to be good news for God. Using Acts 15, he doubles down on four principles when comparing the values of Christ to those of the world. These values focus on distinguishing what is central to the faith and what is peripheral. Once we are centered, we will be better able to promote the positives and minimize the negatives. One compelling observation is about how many evangelicals measure their faith, that many are content to simply practice a private faith instead of sharing their faith publicly. Mikels argues for a shift away from the passive to the active.

Secondly, he points out the implications of the gospel based on New Testament teachings. Using his twenty-plus years of pastoral experience, he points out false beliefs, false hopes, and false gods. Some of the problems include learning the "narrow gospel" that focuses on individualism instead of the community; personal salvation instead of evangelism; and diminishing Christ's death through superficial practices. Other problems include "selective morality" as well as the same old world of hypocrisy. In chapter 5, Mikels laments how he lost friends over his theology. Some of his views wade into controversial topics like creationism, racism, religious privilege, and so on.

Third, he looks at Christians' responsibilities, values, and their relevance to society. He challenges us to rethink our understanding of the gospel. He notes the moral teachings of Jesus and contrasts them with the Church today. These are covered in chapters 7 and 8 which are one of the most compelling must-reads in this book. He deals with Christian Activism and criticizes how some of them have turned political and in some way, unChristian. He looks at the temperance movement, social welfare, religious freedom, anti-abortion and warns us not to politicize such issues. He then proposes "Proper Christian Activism" that focuses on human dignity, nobility, Truth, care, stewardship, etc. Chapter 10 has some interesting views on same-sex marriage, social welfare programs, science, journalism, history, and the importance of using of influence in society.

Finally, he calls out the idols of our age before ending with three paths of hope. He calls out evangelicals for an overemphasis on "individual responsibility" that people get what they deserve. He criticizes the conventional approach to "sexual ethics" mainly because of the hypocritical angle held by many. On "spiritual first," the problem is not spirituality but a modern form of dualism, a gnostic practice that prioritizes the spiritual over the physical. "anointed intellect" is branded an idol because of its perceived "Christian supremacy." Other idols include "color blindness," "cultural conservatism," and the temples of "pro-life," "personal freedom," capitalism disguised as "blessings," "political conservatism," and so on.

My Thoughts
This book is an "outside the box" treatment of modern idolatry. The consistent problem throughout the Bible is the problem of idols. Even in a post-Christian society today, idolatry remains a problem. That is why Jeff Mikels's book is worth a read simply because it identifies an age-old demon dressed in modern sheep skins. The Pharisees during Jesus' time were guilty of hypocrisy. So are many Christian leaders who tend to say one thing but practice another. Not only that, the sad fact is that Christians are not even aware that they are barking up the wrong tree! That is why Mikels's observations deserve a serious read. We might not agree with everything he says but his warnings should not go unheeded. Even if we are not guilty of any, that does not guarantee we won't fall into the trap sometime in the future.

Readers should not be afraid to shy away from controversial topics. We are called to engage when needed and disengage when necessary. Such decisions require discernment and wisdom. Many of the views mentioned in the book are baked in the crucible of the author's personal painful experiences. When faced with controversy, some of us might pick a side while others flee from it altogether. Mikels calls us not only to do the right thing but to maintain a Jesus-centered gospel throughout.

While the book is entitled "evangelical idols," most of the book is about equipping us to identify such idols. This is important because training needs to come before trying. The unfortunate thing in churches today is that far too many people are focused on "trying" without the proper "training" in the first place. In the rush to do the right thing, one might mess up one's witness altogether. This book not only equips us in this training, it gives us new lens to see the idols of this age and this alone is worth the price of the book.

Jeff Mikels holds degrees from Wheaton College and Denver Seminary. He has over twenty years of pastoral experience, leading a church in Chicago for five years before planting one in Lafayette, Indiana. There, he was involved in the Pastors’ Alliance; he also helped establish the Greater Lafayette Gospel Association, which is a network of gospel-focused ministries, and served as its president.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Wm. B. Eerdmans via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"The Prayer of Unwanting" (David Williams)

2024-12-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

TITLE: The Prayer of Unwanting
AUTHOR: David Williams
PUBLISHER: Minneapolis, MN: Broadleaf Books, 2025, (176 pages).

Many have heard of the bestselling book "The Prayer of Jabez." Despite its attractive thesis, it is still a prayer contrasting sharply with the Lord's Prayer. The key difference is the focus. While the Lord's Prayer is how we yield ourselves to God's will, the Jabez Prayer's key thesis is about making God yield to our wants and needs. Enters this book about the essence of prayer. Entitled "The Prayer of Unwanting," it pushes back against almost everything the bestselling book on the Jabez Prayer is all about. Author and pastor David Williams gives us this book as a guide to the essence of what the Lord's Prayer is all about. As far as Williams is concerned, the Lord's Prayer is not a magical list of verses that we can use to bring God to our needs. Rather, it is an opportunity to think more of God and less about us. He guides us through the entire prayer with an exposition of the prayer snippets.

Beginning with "Our Father," he points out that prayer is a personal connection with God as our Heavenly Father. "Who Art in Heaven" lifts us above this finite world toward hope in the Infinite God. We learn to see the proximity of what it means to live heavenly thoughts on earth. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" focuses on holiness. Williams laments about the lack of holy awareness in this world even among believers. This prayer for holiness comes when we learn to let go of our earthly anxieties and gaze at God's holiness. The fourth snippet, "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, on earth as it is in heaven" takes us to the heart of Jesus.

The fifth snippet is "Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread" to help us sieve through the differences between needs and wants. Learning to find peace with lesser stuff is a mark of growing spirituality. "Forgive Us Our Debts as We Forgive Our Debtors" is a hard petition because forgiveness is not a natural human attribute. For we are not as innocent as we might think, especially when we are exposed before God. "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" checks our heart's desire. Anyone who thinks they can easily overcome any temptation needs to think again. That is why "Deliver Us From Evil" is essential. Though the last phrase "For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory" is not found in the gospels, it is a fitting declaration that all honour, power, and glory belongs to God alone. Whatever we pray is all about God. He closes with the final two snippets, "Forever" and "Amen."

My Thoughts

This book is a powerful rebuttal against what the Prayer of Jabez stands for. Williams is spot on when he discerns the essence of the Jabez-Prayer and the Lord's Prayer. The latter is about God while the focus of the former is about ourselves. Moreover, the two verses in 1 Chronicles 4:10 have very little context as to why Jabez prayed that way. Even if I were to grant Wilkinson the benefit of the doubt, I am not so sure that laypersons would not treat the Jabez-Prayer like a magical incantation to tell God to do man's wishes. This reverses the DIY-mentality of the Jabez Prayer to helps us lean toward "Let God Decide" posture. This theme is consistent throughout the book. At every page, we train our minds and hearts to pray according to God's will. If readers can adjust their prayer focus away from self and more toward God, it would be several steps forward in our spiritual growth.

Some might ask: Is attacking the Prayer of Jabez a helpful stance? What about those who have positively benefitted from that book? I would answer: Hold the Jabez prayer on one hand but take this book using the other hand. There is no harm in praying from the teachings of both books. Perhaps, Williams' Prayer of Unwanting could be a good complement to Wilkinson's book. As for those who have not read Wilkinson's, I recommend they pay more attention to the Lord's Prayer. There is a lot more context in Williams's approach. Moreover, there is a section on "How and When to Pray the Lord's Prayer" at the end of the book which should spur our praying exercises.

Prayer is an important spiritual discipline. Having another resource to keep us in a prayer posture is always a good thing. If there is any one reason to get this book, it is probably this.

Rev. Dr. David Williams is the author of several books, including Our Angry Eden, The Prayer of Unwanting, and his critically acclaimed debut novel, When the English Fall. His work has also appeared in The Washington Post, WIRED, Religion News Service, and The Christian Century, among other outlets. He is a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and currently serves Poolesville Presbyterian Church, a small congregation in Maryland. Before becoming a pastor, Williams worked for ten years at the Aspen Institute. He lives in Annandale, Virginia.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Broadleaf Books via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"The Art of Preaching Old Testament Poetry" (Steven D. Mathewson)

2024-12-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

TITLE: The Art of Preaching Old Testament Poetry
AUTHOR: Steven D. Mathewson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (256 pages).

This is an excellent book about preaching from the wisdom and poetic books of the Old Testament. Filled with lots of biblical insights, historical backgrounds, and illuminating observations, preachers will be excited when reading about the many ways to approach the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Written for those who preach and teach Scripture, author and professor Steven Mathewson takes us through these five books, to give us tips on teaching and preaching strategies. He typically begins with a description of what the texts are saying. He patiently elucidates the purposes of each book by ensuring that we do not put the cart before the horse. For instance, in Psalms, he shows us the emotive components of the Psalms, to ensure we are aware of the stance of each psalm and the emotional plot development. In Proverbs, he reminds us to be mindful of Proverbs 1:1-7, which shows us the purposes of the wisdom texts. In Job, he reminds us to discern the structure and flow of the arguments and counter-arguments. In Ecclesiastes, he calls us to first examine the structure, and understand its perspective, keywords, and concepts, before preaching it. He covers the general and specific structures of the book, taking care to supply the framework of the book before leading us through some powerful strategies for preaching. That is not all. He gives us helpful resources for studying and preaching, leading us to some of the most valuable resources for the Bible book concerned. For instance, in Proverbs, he recommends Bruce Waltke's monumental work on Proverbs. For Job, he highlights John Walton's NIV Application Commentary and Daniel Estes's Teach the Text series, etc. For Ecclesiastes, he takes guidance from Iain Provan, Craig Bartholomew, etc. Many pointers can also be gleaned from "The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching." Mathewson uses Dr. Haddon Robinson's Big-Idea expository Preaching throughout the book. This is no surprise given that the late professor was his mentor. (Dr. Robinson was my mentor too!) At the end of the book, Mathewson gives us six sample sermons, two from Psalms and one from each of the other Bible books concerned to illustrate his points.

My Thoughts

First, let me highlight the strengths of this book. I like the way Mathewson explains the contours and structure of each book before going into the nitty-gritty of preaching. Many preachers are often hard-pressed for time and the temptation is to rush to the main point as quickly as possible. The author takes time to keep us patient by tagging points of interest right from the start. He anticipates well the questions readers might be asking. For instance, when he looks at Psalms, he begins by acknowledging the challenges many preachers faced when approaching Psalms. Mathewson shines in giving us various categories from scholars, subtly hinting that we ought to take time to pray and discern the best approach to take. Every preacher is unique and that calls for God to lead us according to our gifting. Any preacher who wants to jump straight into the selected Psalm would have to reconsider their approach. Faced with the unique structure of Psalms, Mathewson encourages us to learn the movements from prose to poetry and to reflect the biblical flair from the Bible to our audience. Another strength is the clear strategies he gives us. I appreciate the chapter on Proverbs where he shows us not only the overall structure of the book, but also the use of key concepts of each proverb. Another highlight is the way to structure a preaching calendar for each book.

Second, there are weaknesses in this book too, one being its brevity and limited coverage. For the subject of art and poetry, other Bible books ought to be covered as well. This includes the prophetic books, the songs of Moses and Miriam, Hannah's psalm in 1 Samuel 2, etc. Perhaps, Mathewson could add an additional chapter to this book by covering these as well. Another observation is that the book tends to be more "scientific" than "art." Perhaps this is a concession for modern preachers who are more science-driven than art. It is like trying to explain the Hebrew Bible using English, when Hebrew is probably the most accurate. Alas! This "weakness" is not Mathewson's problem but ours.

Finally, this book is a powerful reference book for teachers and preachers to use. It should be on the shelves of anyone keen to preach on any of the five wisdom books of the Old Testament. I enjoy reading about the familiar scholars and theologians as Mathewson goes through the different commentaries. Maybe this has to do with my personal connections with these esteemed theologians. In summary, I believe that every preacher should read this book to enhance their understanding of the five books but also to improve their preaching from these books.

Steven D. Mathewson (PhD, Stellenbosch University; DMin, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) serves as adjunct professor of preaching and biblical studies at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Moody Theological Seminary. He served as a pastor for over thirty-seven years in Montana and in the north suburbs of Chicago. Mathewson is the author of several books, including The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative and Risen: 50 Reasons the Resurrection Changed Everything.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Discern" (Mark E. Thibodeaux)

2024-12-04T17:23:00.003-08:00

TITLE: Discern: Listening for God's Whispers
AUTHOR: Mark E. Thibodeaux
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Loyola Press, 2024, (100 pages).

How do we listen to God? The Bible tells how Elijah could distinguish God's voice from the earthly elements of earthquake, wind, and fire? In a busy distraction-filled world, how do we discern God's leading? Based on the teachings of St Ignatius of Loyola, author Mark Thibodeaux leads us through the two key Ignatian themes: Consolation and Desolation. Consolation is feeling uplifted, peaceful, and connected to God. Desolation is a state of emptiness, restlessness, or inner turmoil. The way of discernment is the way of consolation over desolation. Each page comprises a subject to think, ponder, and pray about. Presented with a brief and concise description, the empty spaces let the subject percolate through our minds and encourage us to pray. We learn to distinguish listening to God versus listening to other voices of distraction. This requires fine-tuning our spiritual senses. It puts the being before the doing. Listening helps us detect the forces pulling us away or toward God. Each page shows us how to recognize the tensions between consolation and desolation. This includes questions to challenge ourselves. Discerning desolation are questions like:

Are we able to notice the two spirits within us?
What things disrupt our peace of mind?
What are some examples of holy distractions?
What causes us to be listless and restless?
What events cause us to question or doubt God?
How much is fear driving our decision-making?
What are the sins of omission that cause desolation in us?
What pushes our buttons?
.....

Some examples of consolation questions are:

What helps us discern God's will?
How do we regain perspective?
What are some ways to resist desolation?
How do we lay low during times of desolation?
What is the most spiritually bold thing we have ever done?
What are some events in the past that we can attribute to the Hand of God?
Who brings objectivity to our perspective?
What can we do regularly to tune down the volume of distractions and tune up our awareness of God's presence?
......

My Thoughts

Do not let the size of the book deceive our expectations. In fact, this little book packs a wallop for anyone facing periods of desolation, discouragement, or despair. Written like a mini-devotional, Thibodeaux gives us bit-size information about Ignatian spirituality. The purpose of spiritual discernment is three As of Awareness: Attenuation, Amplification, and Action. The first is Attenuation. We need to distinguish between forces of consolation versus those of desolation. Like housecleaning, this step aids us in knowing what to keep and what to throw out. Once we can do that, we attenuate or cast aside the things that hold us back from God. Things like world distractions or the temporal glitters of the world that mislead us. We cannot steer into peace and serenity as long as these things preoccupy our minds. Second, we look at the Amplification of the things toward consolation of the soul. This calls for courage to move forward in faith in the face of fear. The fruit of the Spirit are attributes to be amplified. We can enlist the help of mentors, friends, or spiritual guides to enable our orientation toward the things that matter to God. Finally, as we amplify our sensitivity toward God, we take Action to grow closer to God. This requires trust in God's timing and decision-making that honours God.

All three As are different aspects of spiritual discernment. What I like about this book is the brevity and the space offered to us to ponder and to wonder. It is hoped that the simplicity of this book can enable readers to practice self-awareness, pray, and grow. Thibodeaux has managed to condense core aspects of Ignatian Spirituality into this book for practical use. That said, perhaps, this book might encourage more readers to comb the primary Ignatian texts for themselves.

Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, is an acknowledged expert on prayer and discernment. For ten years, he served as the director for Jesuits in formation, and he is currently the pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the author of several books, including Reimagining the Ignatian Examen and Ignatian Discernment of Spirits for Spiritual Direction and Pastoral Care.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Loyola Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"The Church in Dark Times" (Mike Cosper)

2024-11-28T19:56:00.001-08:00

TITLE: The Church in Dark Times: Understanding and Resisting the Evil That Seduced the Evangelical Movement
AUTHOR: Mike Cosper
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (208 pages).

What are dark times? What are the risks facing the evangelical churches today? How do ordinary churches fall down the path of shame? What are the signs of seduction? What are the social and cultural influences that we need to be aware of? What ideological, spiritual, or structural factors are involved in scandals? These questions are dealt with in depth by Mike Cosper who had previously produced and hosted the podcast, "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill." Writing with Hannah Arendt's insights on human behaviour and experiences of abuse, he defines dark times under the umbrella of totalitarianism, and how totalitarian ideology is seductive to the modern mind. Churches need to discern and resist the temptation toward evil within their organizations. Anchored on the Bible verse to "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," (James 4:7), author Mike Cosper exposes the telltale signs of abuses, conspiracies, denials, violence, and the infiltration of devilish ideologies that sought to hide the Truth. Using the defunct Mars Hill Church as a backdrop to the book, Cosper seeks to extend Arendt's reflections on her experiences with the evil Nazi regime. Dark times are not simply about totalitarianism. It includes how the world becomes disconnected from goodness and purpose.

Part One of the book lists the signs and symptoms of environments entering dark times.

Cosper aims at ideologies that distort Truth. He spends some time describing the demise of Mars Hill Church and the reasons that led to Pastor Mark Driscoll's fall from grace. Behind each rise in power of any institution or movement, beware of the evil ideologies that feed their growth. Such ideologies substitute the Truth with lies. They turn authority into authoritarianism. They coerce others to support their agendas. They subdue the good with attractive numbers. Often, external measures of success are used to hide underlying problems. Left unchecked, once the idol of ideology takes root, human wisdom, and personal agendas drive the organization deep into dark waters.

Part Two is an attempt to resist the road into dark times. Cosper learns from Eugene Peterson's life of preferring humble community over glitzy celebrity. He derives lessons from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" which highlights the beauty of love amid the hustle and bustle of a busy lifestyle. He provides practices to resist dark times:

Solitude to further spiritual formation (instead of popularity and accumulation of worldly success)
Storytelling and Culture Making to encourage the community
Worship that offers our service to God

My Thoughts

I will answer three questions: How real is the problem? What is the extent? What is my general feeling about the book?

First, the problem is a real one. In the West, there is a general decline in Church attendance. Young people are avoiding Church, leaving many congregations to gray out. Many churches are struggling financially to maintain their premises. Church boards, community leaders, and pastors continually look to "successful" churches to draw people into their churches. They try to copy how the megachurches and growing churches do their ministry. With such focus on numbers and attractional-based strategies, the Church-Growth movement becomes the driving ideology. Pastors style themselves as celebrities to draw in the crowds. Drawing people into the Church becomes the primary concern while discipleship and spiritual disciplines take the back seat. Sometimes, claims that promote the gospel first become mere lip service as long as people are coming.

This leads us to the second question: "What is the Extent of the problem?" Cosper mentions a handful of churches that have fallen prey to the idolatry of ideology. In fact, the author claims to witness and experienced the problem first-hand. His three books all revolve around the problem of unhealthy Church. The first book looks at the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. His second on the Sojourn Church where he was fired from, and the third book is this book which becomes more general. Critics might argue that Cosper is exaggerating the problem. Surely things are not so bad? My answer is simply this: Better to heed the warning before anything worse happens. Just because a Church has no signs of being in dark times does not necessarily mean it will stay that way into the future. This calls for generational witness and teaching. Soldiers do not wait until there is a war before they get trained. Firemen do not wait passively for fires to happen before equipping themselves with firefighting skills. Schools should never wait until an earthquake before practicing earthquake drills. Likewise, Christian leaders should not presume that what happened to others will never happen to their parishes. Thus, even of the problem described by Cosper might not be widespread now, it is always good to heed the warning signs.

Finally, I feel that this book is written more as a warning rather than a description of the Church today. It is birthed out of ministry pains personally experienced by the author. Before we dismiss Cosper's description of the dark times facing the Church, we should take heed of not letting ideology become our idols. Faithfulness is more important than success. Keeping the Church pure is preferred to trying to make the Church palatable to the world. Before we can solve any problem, we need to understand what the problem is in the first place. Ask the right questions. Challenge the leadership toward Christlikeness over and above personal goals. I know of churches that have tried to push human agendas in the name of Jesus. Let theology speak louder than ideology.

Mike Cosper has been creating music, radio shows, and podcasts for more than twenty years. He produced and hosted The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast and is director of podcasts at Christianity Today. He now cohosts a weekly podcast called The Bulletin. He's also the author of several books, including Recapturing the Wonder: Transcendent Faith in a Disenchanted World (Intervarsity Press). His other books include Faith Among The Faithless (Thomas Nelson), Rhythms of Grace and The Stories We Tell (both published by Crossway Books). Mike also served as one of the founding pastors at Sojourn Church in Louisville, Kentucky, from which he launched Sojourn Music – a collective of musicians writing songs for the church. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife, Sarah, and their daughters Dorothy and Maggie.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Citizenship Without Illusions" (David Theodore Koyzis)

2024-11-21T16:44:00.012-08:00

TITLE: Citizenship Without Illusions - A Christian Guide to Political Engagement
AUTHOR: David Theodore Koyzis
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2024, (168 pages).

The year 2024 is an Election Year in America. How do we vote? What guidelines are there to help us decide on which candidates are best for the country? What is the role of the Church in society? Should Christians get involved in politics at all? After the election, what should we do when our candidates of choice get outvoted? At the core of the discussion is the question of citizenship. Author David Koyzis is convinced that citizenship not only has its privileges, it carries a heavy responsibility. With this in mind, many are aware of the deep divisions in the country over the different political affiliations. With a keen awareness of the political turmoil happening throughout the country, he explores the nature, meaning, and history of citizenship matters. He looks at what it means to be a good citizen. That includes standing up for justice, being informed of matters around us; supporting our communities; volunteering in needy areas; and the courage to engage in activities that honour God. On voting, Koyzis first affirms one's right to vote and offers his perspectives on the issue of wasting one's votes. He regularly compares the political systems of Canada and the US to give context before providing his views. He even offers caveats for anyone wanting to set up a "Christian" political party. Recognizing that there will always be diverse views, the author urges all to maintain open conversational channels regardless of political alliances.

There is the issue of whether it is ok for Christians to mobilize for political action. He warns us about the dangers of accumulating hundreds of friends on our social media profiles which could build personal virtual tribes that isolate ourselves from real communities. If there is one common denominator in both Canada and the US, it is the ideologies of progressives vs conservatives. He admits that key issues like abortion and gay marriage will remain controversial. Any semblance of peace is just temporary truce. Koyzis then expands his coverage toward what it means to be a global citizen. In an increasingly secular world environment, there are still opportunities for Christians to do all the good they can in various segments of society. He then provides some guidelines on how to pray for our world, leaders, and the Church.

My Three Thoughts

First, this book addresses what it means to be a dual citizen: On Earth as it is in Heaven. In politically charged atmospheres, earthly concerns can overwhelm our heavenly awareness. While some claim that we cannot be too heavenly-minded till we have no earthly use, the fact is that too many people are too earthly-minded without heavenly considerations. The chapter on "When Kingdoms Collide" gives us an overview of such a conflict. Whether the difference is over policies, parties, principles, or people, just saying the nation is divided is already an understatement. Christians are also caught up in the mess. One can easily come across differing views on candidates and ideologies throughout social media. Some can become highly contentious, leading to factions that paint opponents as pariahs. The way to avoid political illusions is to remember, that any election win for any one party is temporal. Only the Kingdom of God is eternal.

Second, this book clears any fog or illusions at many levels. Apart from political illusions, Koyzis looks at other aspects including cultural, historical, religious, social, and national boundaries. He warns against "Christian Nationalism" before providing a way ahead for ways to set up parties that are faithful to Christian principles. For some, this might be difficult to achieve, especially when emotions are involved. The chapter on "Mobilizing for Christian Action" speaks to this need. Social responsibility is another way in which we can practice kingdom citizenship without the need to be tied to political alliances. When we are focused more on common needs, we will be less combative about personal views. Justice is a key principle both biblically and practically. On voting, he makes a case for us to vote regardless of outcome. He helps to dispel the myth of thinking our votes do not matter. We ought to be careful about virtual illusions, to avoid letting social media become our reality. We also need to beware of religious illusions. Whether it is the "conservative" idol, a "democratic" idol, a "progressive," "socialist," "independent," or a "liberal" idol, we need to take a step away to clear away any illusions we might have on them.

Third, citizenship without illusions requires us to see everything from God's perspective. The battle is less about votes or democracy, and more about principles and values. It is less about political alignment and more about the spiritual realm. For the spiritually discerned, It is about discerning the difference between the Kingdom of God and the world. On justice, we can learn from our predecessors like Dr Martin Luther King Jr's civil disobedience movements. Whether we see ourselves as conservatives or progressives, being a Christian means learning to live peaceably with all, including those who we disagree with.

Overall, this book is a sensitive treatment of the issue of politics and citizenship to expand the middle line in our increasingly pluralistic and politically-charged environment. The principles in this book offer a useful way for us to have open conversations about our allegiances. My takeaway is this: For those whose alliances won, stay humble. For those who lost, stay hopeful for earthly things are and will always be temporal.

David T. Koyzis is a Fellow in Politics at the St. George’s Centre for Biblical and Public Theology and taught politics for thirty years at Redeemer University College. He is the author of the award-winning Political Visions and Illusions (also translated into Portuguese) and We Answer to Another: Authority, Office, and the Image of God. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with his wife and daughter.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of IVP Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"How to Read the Psalms" Revised (Tremper Longman III)

2024-11-08T19:22:00.006-08:00

TITLE: How to Read the Psalms (How to Read Series)
AUTHOR:Tremper Longman III
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2025, (168 pages).

What are the biblical psalms about? Is Jesus referred to in the poetry? What does the repetitive verses mean? How do we read the Psalms? These are common questions asked by those who read the book of Psalms. For modern readers, the Bible is not easy to read simply because it has different genres. In the Old Testament, there are the historical books, narratives, poetry, and the prophetic books. The New Testament books contain the gospels, history, letters, and apocalyptic literature. Thus, there is no one set way to read and understand the Bible. The "How To Read" series of books by IVP is intended to help readers learn to read the books in their different genres. One of the most popular books of the Bible is the Psalms. First published in 1988, the author helps us through the different literary devices of the 150 Psalms. While he does not go through every Psalm, he shows us how to build three bridges to understand them: Historical, Cultural, and Theological. The motivation behind these bridges is to deepen our love for God through reading the Psalms. The first part of this book looks at the historical contexts, asking questions about how the Psalms were understood and used in the ancient era. The second part zooms in on the art and use of literary devices. The third part demonstrates how we can bring all of this learning together and apply it to three psalms (30, 69, and 98).
Part One gives us a primer about the genre of psalms. We learn about the different categories like hymns, laments, thanksgiving, and confidence. We read about the basic structure of worship and praise. Due to the wide variety of literary structures, the author urges us to exercise flexibility in interpreting and using the psalm. The "Suggestions for Psalm Study" section provides more specific instructions on approaching various psalms. Calling the psalm the "heart of the Old Testament," Longman tells us that we do not simply read them. They can be used for theological meditation and more importantly, for knowing God deeply. One chapter shows us with practical examples of how Christians can read the psalms. Another takes us via the path of spirituality, to see how psalms mirror our soul.

Part Two dives into the art and literary devices used throughout the psalms. We learn the difference between poetry and prose; parallelism; and the use of imagery. As poetry, we need to read slowly in order to unpack the psalm's poetic elements. As parallelism, we see how a main point is expressed through affirming, repetitive, and contrasting verses. Imagery helps bring the Word alive through visual thoughts and metaphors. This is something that teaches us why spirituality matters cannot be interpreted scientifically.

Part Three is about applying the principles mentioned in the book to three psalms. We read Ps 30 as lament; Ps 69 as a hymn of praise; and Ps 98 as a hymn.

My Thoughts

The Old Testament is not an easy book to read and interpret, let alone apply in our lives. That said, we must remember that God's Word needs God's guidance. This book is one channel of guidance that can orientate us toward God. However, that is just the beginning of the journey. We need the Spirit to guide us through the Psalm and understand what it means then and now. More importantly, we should learn to read the psalms with the Spirit's help. Prayer is essential to the reading of the psalm as well. This book can give us some tools but we should never use it just as an intellectual exercise. The Psalm's very genre of poetry, parallelism, and imagery points us to God. Every Psalm when read with this in mind keeps our hearts directed upward.

What I like about this book is the clear structure to guide us along. From genre discussion to tips about poetry, Longman gives us different tools to read the multivariate forms of Psalms. While structure can be identified, it should not stop us from slow reading, pausing at different verses, and simply meditate on how the psalmist had in mind. This calls for patient reading and perhaps, the use of the Lectio Divina. The author writes in a clear and winsome manner. The chapters are brief and the questions at the end of every chapter aptly summarising the principles discussed. In fact, I feel that the strengths of this book is in the "Suggestions for Psalm Study." It enables us to immediately put into good use the way we read Psalms. For the more advanced readers, attempting the Exercises and the resources for further reading should jump start deeper research and love for the psalms.

How do we read the Psalms? Together with the Spirit of God leading the way, let this book be our trusted guide by the side.

Tremper Longman III (PhD, Yale University) is Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He is also visiting professor of Old Testament at Seattle School of Theology and Psychology and adjunct of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary. He lectures regularly at Regent College in Vancouver and the Canadian Theological Seminary in Calgary.Longman is the author or coauthor of over twenty books, including How to Read Genesis, How to Read the Psalms, How to Read Proverbs, Literary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation, Old Testament Essentials and coeditor of A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible. He and Dan Allender have coauthored Bold Love, Cry of the Soul, Intimate Allies, The Intimate Mystery and the Intimate Marriage Bible studies.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of IVP Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Our Cry For Revival" (Nick Harrison)

2024-11-02T15:49:00.004-07:00

TITLE: Our Cry for Revival: 365 Devotions and Prayers for an Outpouring of God’s Spirit
AUTHOR: Nick Harrison
PUBLISHER: Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2024, (384 pages).

"Revival comes only through prayer," so declares the author of this book of daily devotionals. Throughout history, prayer has been the common trait in any revival movements recorded. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the Early Church to the present evangelical movements, God moves chiefly through the prayers of His people. The patriarchs touched God's heart through prayer. The prophets of old prayed constantly for God to intervene in their decaying world. The Pentecost event occurred when the disciples were praying together in unity. In our modern era, we have the First (18th Century) and Second Great Awakening (19th Century), the Azusa Street (20th Century), the Asbury Revival (1970), as well as the Asbury University blessing (2023), etc. All of these have one common thread: Earnest Prayer and Fast. How do we turn our prayers into desperate cries for revival? According to Nick Harrison, this devotional can be that guide. It is a daily guide through the whole year. Each day begins with a selected Scripture passage followed by a short devotion. Following that is a wise quote from a well-known believer, evangelist, pastor, preacher, professor, or spiritual writer. At the end of the devotion is a prayer prompt to kick start our prayer for revival. Written in an accessible and easy-to-read format, it takes less than a few minutes to read through the page. The reflection and prayer can last longer, perhaps throughout the day.

The author believes that God creates a hunger in people for revival. Led by the Spirit, the people will start pouring out prayers in faith consistently and passionately. This is not a quick-fix solution. It is a call to sense God's calling, direction, and timing. With earnest praying comes various spiritual practices like confession, repentance, and obedience. As the popular song "Pass It On" says, "It only takes a spark to get the fire going." Our role then is to be spiritually flammable so that when God's spark comes, we ignite and become fire for God. We connect with God and with people. We then obey where the Spirit leads us toward. That is what revival is all about.

Churches today need revival and they need it desperately. May this book spur more to join in the community of prayer for revival first in our immediate communities, then our neighbourhoods, our cities, our states, our nations, and throughout the world.

Nick Harrison is the author of more than a dozen books including Magnificent Prayer, The One-Year Life Recovery Prayer Devotional and five books in the One-Minute® Prayer series, including One-Minute Prayers® When You Need a Miracle. His books have been endorsed by Anne Graham Lotz, Jim Cymbala, Tony Evans, Sheila Walsh, Chip Ingram, and Lee Strobel. Nick has a background in the book world both as a bookstore owner and as a senior editor at Harvest House Publishers. Nick and his wife, Beverly are the parents of three grown daughters and grandparents to two boys and two girls.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Films For All Seasons" (Abby Olcese)

2024-10-31T20:25:00.005-07:00

TITLE: Films for All Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies
AUTHOR: Abby Olcese
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (240 pages).

Films are often influenced by the culture around us. After all, moviemakers are familiar with the need for relevance. This is necessary to reach popular appeal. In the same way, Christians living in this world ought to be aware of the cultural appeal happening in their realms of influence. Yet, culture does not stand still. It changes rapidly with various fads, fashion, and trends. How do we interpret culture from a Christian perspective? One avenue is through films. Author Abby Olcese is an avid observer of film and popular culture. She believes we can better understand the mood of the times just by noticing the messages and stories behind the movies. Believing that "stories rule our lives," just like how stories in the Bible communicate central biblical themes, the stories in movies can reveal cultural trends that we can be aware of.

Without intentionality, understanding culture is like asking a fish to explain what water is. The author's underlying conviction is that Christians should influence the world and not the other way around. By learning to engage people through understanding the things that matter to people in our community, we can better communicate the gospel in ways that they can understand. Instead of choosing films at random, the author follows the Western Church calendar according to the different seasons that Christians follow. These are:

Advent (With themes of Hope, Faith, Joy, and Peace)
Christmas (With themes of humility, lowliness, salvation, and love)
Epiphany (With themes of healing, self-sacrifice, love in ministry)
Lent (With themes of abstention, Christ's presence, and gratitude)
Holy Week (With themes of struggle and victory)
Easter (With themes of resurrection)
Ascension Day (With themes of the Great Commission and promise)
Pentecost (With themes of Holy Spirit and Community)
All Saints Day (With themes of perseverance, faithfulness, and legacy)

Olcese draws a parallel using the Lectio Divina steps to direct the way for us to watch films, specifically from a Christian perspective.

Slow Reading | (Viewing)
Meditation | (Meditating)
Contemplation | (Contemplating)

My Thoughts

Let me give three thoughts about this book.

First, it enlarges our understanding of the movie itself. Each chapter gives us an overview of the key characters and the outline of the movie. For those of us who have seen the movie, we have a fresh outlook about the meaning of the movie. In some cases, the re-telling of the story fills in the gaps readers might have about the movie itself. For example, in the Advent chapter about Hope, we learn that hope for the Star Wars resistance fighters is not simply winning the war. It's overcoming the ills of human nature. It's about taking the first step in the right direction. It's about modeling for others what hope means for future generations. I find myself able to fill in the gaps in my viewing of the movies. At the same time, I learn about other movies that I have not seen, which will enlarge my own repertoire of movies. The suggestions for further viewing segment gives us even more choices for movie selection.

Second, we get to see common themes in both the Bible as well as the movie. In every chapter, there is a narrative from the Bible to show us that the movie narratives are not necessarily new. The movie SHAZAM! focuses on an unlikely hero, something similar to how Jesus came to this earth as an ordinary person. Just like how Jesus was both human and divine, the movie's protagonist, Thaddeus Sivana was both normal as well as superhero. The difference however was the way of the Kingdom of God against the kingdom of the empire. Those of us familiar with the Bible narratives will have an immediate template to discern the similarities and differences between the Bible and the movie. It is also an opportunity for readers to sharpen their reading (or re-reading) of the Bible.

Third, we get to exercise our spiritual discernment. There are 26 movies that we can learn from the author. Each chapter begins with a brief overview of the movie, the key messages, and the characters. This is usually followed by a connection with relevant Bible passages that also reflect the themes promoted by the movies. At the end of the chapter, there are discussion questions to dig deeper into the messages. This presents an opportunity for reflection and application. As readers go through each chapter, they will become familiar with the steps and after a while, be able to discern other movies not mentioned in this book. This is best done via a discussion group.

Robert Johnston's "Reel Spirituality" is one of the first books to remind us that messages of spirituality are evident in many movies. Josh Larsen's "Movies are Prayers" shows us how films can voice our deepest longings. Mike Cosper's "The Stories We Tell" helps us connect the dots between storytelling and human longing. In "God in the Movies," Catherine M. Barsotti and Robert K. Johnston comb through four decades of film to show us that movies are actually about people searching for God. Subtly, Abby Olcese rides on the coattails of wisdom from these predecessors to introduce a fresh Christian season perspective to themes. Moreover, she hints that perhaps, the movies can also be evidence of God searching for us.

Abby Olcese writes about film, popular culture and faith. Her work has appeared at Think Christian, Sojourners, Paste and other outlets. She is also the film editor for The Pitch, a magazine and website serving the Kansas City, Missouri, area. She lives in Kansas City.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Puzzle Me Twice" (Alex Bellos)

2024-10-27T17:31:00.003-07:00

TITLE: Puzzle Me Twice: 70 Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong
AUTHOR: Alex Bellos
PUBLISHER: New York, NY, The Experiment, 2024, (224 Pages)

This book contains 70 of the author's favourite puzzles. From mathematical calculations to mind-twisters, tricky visuals to logical shapes, each puzzle presents a challenge that more than meets the eye. Each puzzle looks simple. Anyone attempting to solve the puzzle quickly is likely to get it wrong. Those who spend a longer time might err on the side of overthinking the solutions. Whatever it is, the author's intent is to challenge our everyday thinking by hoping that readers will "get the answers wrong to every puzzle" in the book. For example, trying to guess whether a tall teapot contains more tea when full compared to a shorter one can be deceiving. The eyes and the mind can sometimes outplay each other. Another classic puzzle is the "Loopy Lineup" which challenges our investigative skills that involve memory, mathematics, and methodological deduction. One of the most fascinating puzzles in the book is "Years and Years" which asks us to deduce the age of Betsy. Called the "puzzle that almost everyone gets wrong," it humbles even the most cognitively confident person.

What is interesting about this book is not just the puzzles but how it teaches us that speed is not everything. Most people who try to solve the puzzles quickly will be in for a surprise. Embedded in between some puzzles are wise words from famous philosophers and thinkers. These sayings point out the way our minds could think. Those who get the puzzle wrong can be encouraged that they are not alone. After all, these puzzles are carefully selected because they have stumped many people before. The first time we read the puzzles in this book, we will be fascinated by how wrong we are. The second time we do, we will be wiser. Most likely, we will take the puzzles and share them with others.

Overall, this book is entertaining and fun. The simple puzzles mean we can use them at any social event without much props or preparation. If this book can help us to be a little bit humbler, it would have been worth the price of the book. This book promises to be a load of fun at family or social gatherings.

Alex Bellos holds a degree in mathematics and philosophy from Oxford University. His bestselling books Here’s Looking at Euclid and The Grapes of Math have been translated into more than 20 languages and were both shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book prize. His puzzle books include Can You Solve My Problems?, Puzzle Ninja,Perilous Problems for Puzzle Lovers, and The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book, and he is also the coauthor of the coloring books Patterns of the Universe and Visions of the Universe. He has launched an elliptical pool table, LOOP. He writes a popular-math blog and a puzzle blog for the Guardian, and he won the Association of British Science Writers award for best science blog in 2016. He lives in London.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of The Experiment via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"A Higher Calling" (Harold Earls IV & Rachel Earls)

2024-10-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

TITLE: A Higher Calling: Pursuing Love, Faith, and Mount Everest for a Greater Purpose
AUTHOR: Harold Earls IV & Rachel Earls
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook, 2020, (224 pages)

This book is a beautiful love story about an army officer and a social media sensation. Written like journal entries, the book details the lives of Harold Earls IV and Rachel Earls from courtship to marriage, and how their relationship survives and thrives through their various adventures. There is romance, spiritual lessons, adventures, travel, sports, mountain-climbing, missions, childbearing, and many enthralling stories to captivate the reader's attention. One of the most gripping parts of the book is about Harold's dangerous expedition up and down the treacherous Mount Everest. Apart from the magnificent scenes described, he tells us how the highest mountain in the world had become a deadly burial ground for many climbers. Harold prefaces each chapter with a journal entry from his Mount Everest climbing experience.

The two authors alternate their thoughts throughout the book. They share about how they met, their common faith in God, their growing love for each other, and the dreams they want to achieve. After a period of long-distance relationship, they eventually married, only to be separated again because of the Mount Everest project. They share their marital challenges of being apart, the need for regular communication, and the crucial role of prayer in their relationship. Harold writes about his love for baseball, his endurance through army life,, especially his Ranger School stint, his mountaineering experience, and his constant expression of love for his wife. Not to be outdone, Rachel too has her own unique stories. She describes her days of vlogging, how she maintains a social media presence, her travels, and her roles as a supporting wife to Harold.

This extraordinary couple gives us an intimate view of marriage and intimacy, faith and hope, life with purpose, and the constant dependence on God for all things. They do not claim to be superheroes of faith. Rather, they are ordinary people seeking to live beyond themselves, to reach out and make a difference whenever they can, wherever they are, and whomever they can touch.

I leave with two words to describe this book: Exciting and Heartwarming.

Captain Harold Earls IV is an active-duty Army officer currently serving as the Commander of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Harold is a graduate of West Point. He is a recipient of the Major General Smythe Leadership Award and is US Army Airborne/Ranger qualified.

Rachel Earls is a beloved vlogger, business owner, Army wife, and mother, and she is the founder of Earls Family Foundation. Rachel graduated cum laude from Florida State University, where she was heavily involved in service projects for organizations including the FSU Wesley Foundation and the Chi Omega sorority.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of WaterBrook via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Becoming by Beholding" (Lanta Davis)

2024-10-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Becoming by Beholding: The Power of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation
AUTHOR: Lanta Davis
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (240 pages).

When young, our parents tell us fairy tales and other bedtime stories. In school, we learn through play and imagination. At home, we love watching cartoons with happy endings. Tales often begin with the familiar words "A Long time ago..." and end with that memorable phrase "... And they lived happily ever after." As we grow, imagination seems to take a backseat. Life then becomes a crazy rat race that leaves little room for imagination. Fantasies dissipate. Realities mandate. Imagination stagnate. Author Lanta Davis asserts that it is time to restore a healthy sense of imagination, in particular, to Christian Spiritual Formation. This is done by learning from our forefathers of the faith through tradition and the historical expressions of the faith. If we unearth the treasures of Christian artistic tradition, we can rediscover the rich legacies of the past. We can renew a fresh imagination to breathe creativity into our present world. We can also restore our understanding of identity and beyond. From an archeological dig into history and tradition, the author develops for us a three-pronged approach: "Right Belief," "Right Practice," and "Moral Character."

Part One on Orthodoxy takes us to the iconography of the Face of Jesus. Davis combs the various depictions of Christ from the modern to the ancient, arguing how deficient modern versions are when compared with the past. For all the aesthetic differences of modern-day art, she reminds us that the orthodox way is centered on the Incarnation. Any icons should grow from this Truth. She explains how icons, instead of becoming idols can be turned around to combat and resist any form of idolatry. The key thing is to see icons as a "visible mirror of the invisible," that is, to let the icons enable us to be more like Christ. Unlike the "American Warrior Jesus" idea that uses Jesus in the name of nationalism, or Buddy Jesus in the name of niceness, the image of Jesus Incarnate invites us to mirror Christ instead of cultural trends. Another thing for us to behold is the naturally created world. We learn from St Francis about gratitude for the world we live in. We read about St Jerome who showed us that the natural world is not simply for our consumption but also for our care. St Hildegard's attentiveness toward seeing the Creator in creation led her toward the world of natural remedies. Covering everything from nature to living creatures, we learn that creation is a "mirror of the Creator." We learn about seeing, naming, and knowing as the three practices we should adopt as caretakers of the world.

In Part Two, we move from knowing to doing. We learn about sacred spaces and how Scripture guides us in Christian living. Davis takes us through the world of architecture of worship spaces. She critiques modern churches for focusing on entertainment rather than spiritual formation, for people seeking a "holy fix" instead of fixing their eyes on Jesus. Davis argues that churches can learn from the Early Christian who design churches with the boat in mind. The theme is the Church needs to be oriented regularly to sense where God is and to orientate accordingly. Noting how many cathedrals have embedded images of people, we are reminded that the Church is a fellowship of believers who come together to worship God. On Scripture, we learn of the Ignatian Prayer, the Lectio Divina, the Via Dolorosa (Station of the Cross).

In Part Three, we learn of Orthopathy, the art of forming moral character. Two themes are evident: Avoiding Evil and Doing Good. It is about us being thrust into the world of spiritual warfare. Using Dante's Divine Comedy as a guide, we go through various vices and contrast them with corresponding virtues. Finally, the art of imitating virtues is via the images of Lady Fortitude, Lady Temperance, Lady Justice, and Lady Prudence.

My Thoughts

Let me offer three thoughts about this book.

Firstly, this book excels in helping us appropriate the visible things of this world to point us toward the invisible God. Spiritual Formation is often quite mystical and mysterious. One of the reasons is because it is not explicitly seen or heard. Like hope, spiritual growth takes time. Like faith, it is something not seen or heard. This book shines in appropriating the visible world into mirrors of spiritual formation. She uses a wide range of objects to do that. Objects like icons as a way to orientate our minds toward Jesus and to learn to see creation as loved by the Creator. She even uses words and the literary art to help fashion our souls. Davis has a way with words. I like the various appropriations of spiritual formation. Phrases such as "Fashioning the Soul," "Stamping the Wax of the Soul," "Geography for the Soul," demonstrate the laser-like focus on the soul as the target for spiritual formation.

Secondly, imagination is key to spiritual formation. Some readers might accuse Davis of not giving enough credit to modern aspects of spirituality. This is understandable as the crux of her book is about learning from tradition and ancient practices. I would argue the opposite. The theme is essentially about redemption. She is not throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Instead, she urges us to consider the ancient practices to fashion our modern devices toward deeper spiritual formation. It is not abandoning but adapting our imagination of modern things to shape our souls. Our world today is increasingly visual. Technology has played a big part in that transformation. More people watch videos instead of reading books. Pictures attract attention more than mere words. Moving images catch the eye. We consume image data more readily than textual messages. Instead of seeing these developments negatively, why not harness them constructively? Using imagination as a key theme to create and maintain attentiveness to God, author Lanta Davis argues that imagination is a powerful way to become who God has made us to be. What we need is not to abandon images altogether but to redeem them. Instead of letting our imaginations be formed by the world at large, we need to refocus our attention toward Christlikeness. We correct "malformed imagination" through reformation that is not shaped by the world but by Christ. For this, we can look at various ways like tradition, predecessors, orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy to guide our imagination process.

Thirdly, Davis proves to be a sharp cultural critique of how Christians have been shaped more by the world. One of her most powerful chapters is the one on "How Should We Worship?" Lamenting at the way modern churches have adopted the world of entertainment into their environment, she calls us to understand the importance of a place that affects how we worship. Instead of entertainment centers and utility rooms, she calls us to examine the divine design of old, of the temple and the boat. One of the most important observations the author makes is in training the eyes to see. We need to go beyond browsing or speedy looks and practice patience and time to behold beauty in our midst. Beholding is a good present participle for that. If we can move from looking to gazing, to see and behold the things of God with the eyes of the Spirit, we are on our way to spiritual formation for the soul.

Wonderful book!

Lanta Davis (PhD, Baylor University) is professor of humanities and literature in the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. She was named the IWU Outstanding Scholar of the Year for 2020 and was a Fulbright Scholar at Queen's University, Belfast. Her work on the Christian imagination and formation has appeared in Christianity Today, the Christian Century, Smithsonian Magazine, Plough, and Christ and Pop Culture.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Ezekiel" (Daniel A. Keating)

2024-10-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Ezekiel: (A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Catholic Biblical Scholars - CCSS) (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture)
AUTHOR: Daniel A. Keating
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (352 pages).

Compared to the New Testament, fewer people read the Old Testament. Those who read the Old Testament tend to avoid the prophetical books. Those who read the prophets tend to avoid the more "difficult" books. They prefer Isaiah, especially during Advent, or Jeremiah in times of lamentation. Books like Ezekiel are not as popularly read or preached on. One reason might be due to the book not referenced directly or indirectly by the New Testament. Another reason might be due to the challenges of linking the ancient book to modern relevance. This commentary combines scholarship with practical applications based on Vatican II principles. One such principle is to use historical and literary methods to discern authorial intent. Another principle is to apply the meaning within the contexts of the whole Bible, tradition, and what it means for living faith. Written for pastors, teachers, ministry workers, and laypersons, this commentary checks out many boxes. It focuses on the meaning of the text for faith and Christian living. It minimizes the use of technical terms to benefit a wider readership. Instead of a verse-by-verse methodology, the commentary treats the book on a passage-by-passage basis. With clearly marked segmentations using the RSV (Second Catholic Edition, Ignatius) as a default translation, it is easy to use the book as a reference. Each chapter begins with the complete Bible text of the passages before the commentary. Some commentaries might save space by excluding biblical texts. However, I believe that including the text in the commentary is a subtle reminder to readers to read the text before the commentary.

In the commentary, there are clear outlines right from the start. The key theme is the "Presence of the LORD." Chapters 1-33 contain judgments upon Israel and her neighbours and how the presence of God had departed from them. Chapters 34 to 48 show us the huge difference when God's Presence returns to the land. The introduction is one of the most readable sections for a Bible commentary. In simple language, readers get to learn about the authorship, the historical context, genre, literary features, theological themes, modern applications, and how the book relates to other books of the Bible. The commentary dives into the texts with bold phrases to visually emphasize key pointers in the passage. This encourages readers to pause and reflect on the meaning and relevance of the texts. This is then supplemented by insights from "Living Tradition" where we hear voices from the Ancient Church Fathers and prominent Christian leaders through the ages. The "Reflection and Application" sections boldly attempt to build a bridge between ancient and modern times. I think it is intentionally brief so that we can reflect and ponder about applications in our contexts.

My Thoughts
First, this is a good commentary. It covers many aspects of what a commentary should be, like a concise outline, an informative introduction, a clear layout, and a systematic progression of thought. I particularly like the words in bold which are helpful pointers for readers to note the main points in the text. True to the purpose of the commentary series, there is frequent "Living Tradition" wisdom from the Ancient Fathers. Technical terms are used infrequently. When used, Keating offers a simple explanation. For instance, when using the literary words "analogy," "allegory," or the biblical use of the word "abomination," he explains the meaning without bogging us down in too much detail. The brief glossary is a useful reference to supplement technical terms.

Second, there are many ways in which we can use this commentary. For teachers, the outline provides a brief educational curriculum. One can focus on theological themes like the covenants, oracles, the visions, God's Presence and Nature, or the judgment and redemption narratives. For preachers, going through verse-by-verse or even chapter-by-chapter might take too long. It is best to focus on the movements (oracles) of the texts based on the targeted audiences. Like many sermons, one can get so caught up with the details that there is not enough time to talk about applications and what the text means for today. This is where the "Reflection and Application" segment comes in. For the less initiated, use the outlines presented in this commentary to kick-start the process. Along the way, we can then adapt the outlines according to the contexts of our churches and Christian communities. For laypersons, this commentary is one of the easiest to read and reference.

Finally, a word for Protestant and Evangelical readers. It will be good to be aware of the occasional references from the Apocrypha, books that are deemed non-canonical. From my reading, the references do not necessarily impact doctrine. Plus, they are also few and far between. The overall benefits of understanding the main text outweigh the occasional references. However, I would have preferred the use of the NRSV translation as a default ecumenical text instead of the RSV2CE. I suppose this being a Catholic commentary, it is the author's prerogative.

Overall, this is a useful commentary that is clear, concise, and commendable.

Daniel A. Keating (DPhil, Oxford University) is a professor of theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including The Adventure of Discipleship, Athanasius and His Legacy, The Nicene Creed, and two volumes in the successful Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series: First and Second Peter, Jude and James, First, Second, and Third John.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"I Have My Doubts" (Philip Ryken)

2024-10-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

TITLE: I Have My Doubts: How God Can Use Your Uncertainty to Reawaken Your Faith
AUTHOR: Philip Ryken
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024, (192 pages).

Faith and doubt are part and parcel of what it means to be human. Honest doubt can lead to deeper insights about Truth. Sarcasm or superficial faith can lead one away from Truth. In a world that is infatuated with certainty, doubts can sometimes be perceived negatively. Humanly speaking, doubt gives us a weirdness that cannot be easily dispensed with. Instead of letting doubt scrape away our layers of faith, why not let these doubts point us to deeper levels of faith and understanding? The central message in this book is to "retain the courage of one's doubts as well as one's convictions." Using ten challenging stories from the Bible that deal with the interplays of faith and doubt, author-professor Philip Ryken shows us to be bold with our doubts and how we can grow in our faith. The ten stories cover several pertinent concerns about Christian living and faith. They cover topics like:

Is the Bible really true?
Given all the problems happening in this world, is God really good?
Can I really do the will and mission of God?
Can God really protect me?
Is God really as generous as people say He is?
How fair is God, really?
Is God truly loving and caring?
Can God heal?
Did Jesus truly rise again and if so, will believers also rise with Him?

Using stories from contemporary times together with biblical characters, Ryken points out how in spite of these doubts, reasons for faith far outweighs those on doubt. From the story of Eve questioning God's Word, he makes a fair distinction between dishonest doubts and honest questioning. The former has disobedience in mind while the latter looks for reasons to believe. On the biblical story of Sarah, Ryken looks at how people can doubt God's promises when circumstances go south. Rather than remembering Sarah's doubts in perpetuity, we are reminded to understand the "prequel and the sequel" of Sarah's faith. On the topic of mission and God's calling, we read about Moses whose real doubt is not about God's inability to fulfill but his own focus on himself. Elisha's servant at Dothan allowed doubt to degenerate into fear. In contrast, Elisha was the opposite, and his level of trust and confidence in God helped diffuse the situation. The story of Naomi is a wonderful example of God's abundant blessing amid trial and tribulation. Even Asaph the psalmist has his fair share of doubting. These and many more demonstrate that doubts are part and parcel of daily living. The key is to take God's Word as is and let God speak to our questions. As long as we are honest, God will answer us. Ryken ends with a concluding chapter about doubting our doubts. This calls for spiritual discernment as not all our doubts deserve prolonged validation.

My Thoughts

First, we should not be afraid to doubt. Many professors and teachers have claimed that there is no such thing as a stupid question. The purpose is to encourage the meek to ask questions and not be afraid to speak up. As long as we are honest about wanting to learn and seek the Truth, we should turn doubts into opportunities to learn more about God. The main thing to distinguish is the question behind the question. Why are we doubting it in the first place? If it is a desire to seek the Truth and to answer our deepest questions, then ask. However, if our doubts are intentional barriers against faith, or malicious skepticism to push us further from God, or mischievous tactics to justify our disobedience, then we should doubt our doubts. Doubting is natural for we have all inherited the sin that began with Adam and Eve. Rather than to let this be the final say, look to Jesus as the final arbiter of all Truth. If we dare to take up the questioning mantle from Adam and Eve, we should also learn to accept the humble posture of Jesus who was persecuted. Be honest in our questions. Be fair with our probing. Be faithful in learning to wait for divine answers.

Second, this book reminds us what it means to be human. We are reminded that Bible characters are ordinary people like you and me. Sometimes when we read the Bible, we tend to elevate certain Bible characters to superstardom, as if they were perfect. Some do character studies. Others lift these characters up as models for us to emulate. Common examples are characters like Abraham, Joseph, David, Peter, Paul, Timothy, etc. Instead of treating them as super-spiritual people, it is wise to remember that they are flawed individuals who were blessed by God not because they did well but because of God's mercy. In many Bible characters, one common trait is their moments of doubt. In that sense, they are ordinary people like you and me.

Third, when things hit an impasse, learn Anselm's use of "fides quaerens intellectum" (aka "faith seeking understanding"). When Jesus tells us that blessed are those who believe without seeing, he is pointing to a deeper level of belief that can only come when we let faith, not doubt lead the way. The logic is simple. If God is truly God, then we need to let faith in Him lead us more. If we allow doubt to dictate our every move and action, then we are letting human wisdom take control. We cannot let doubts derail our faith journey. In Christian spirituality, doubts can sharpen and shape us positively. There will come a point where we need to draw the line and let faith guide us in seeking further enlightenment. I remember one evangelist saying that those who can reason themselves into faith, can also reason themselves out of the faith.

For anyone who has been troubled by doubts and want to learn how to deal with it, this book is for you.

Philip Graham Ryken (DPhil, University of Oxford) is the eighth president of Wheaton College. He preached at Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church from 1995 until his appointment at Wheaton in 2010. Ryken has published more than fifty books, including When Trouble Comes and expository commentaries on Exodus, Ecclesiastes, and Jeremiah. He serves as a board member for the Gospel Coalition and the Lausanne Movement.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"To the Tenth Generation" (Ray & Jani Ortlund)

2024-10-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

TITLE: To the Tenth Generation God’s Heart for Your Family, Far into the Future
AUTHOR: Jani Ortlund and Ray Ortlund
PUBLISHER: Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2024, (192 pages).

There is an ancient Chinese saying: "富不過三代." In other words, the wealth or the family's material well-being will not last beyond three generations. If we look at statistics among businesses founded by Chinese families, this seems to be largely true. For many Christian parents, one of the major concerns of faith is whether their faith can be passed on successfully to future generations. Each generation has its own challenges to overcome. What about faith or faith matters? Will it falter by the third generation? As far as the Christian faith is concerned, faith is a gift to be passed down from generation to generation. Using Deuteronomy 23:2-3 as an inspirational springboard, authors Ray and Jani Ortlund believe that God will bless families with every spiritual blessing from one generation to the next. We just need to join God in this holy endeavor. With this in mind, they help us journey through the perspectives of marriage, family, parenting, and grandparenting. Written in three parts, the authors point out ways to share the faith in the family, in our homes, and for many future generations. They call this book an "investment proposal." Part One begins with a call to think beyond our own shells. "Bigger thoughts grow bigger faith" is the mantra. Calling us to keep following Jesus and to use our lives as examples for our descendants, they believe that as long as we live our lives faithfully for God while we can, God can use our lives and legacies to form future generations. God uses us as channels of influence. They pay particular attention to marriages because our children pattern their lives after what they see in their parents.

Part Two looks at how we can make our home a "foretaste of heaven." This means keeping the Word of God central in the family. It means treasuring one another in care and love. It means modeling "gospel culture" in a way that points our children back to God. With regard to parenting, the authors list down 8 insights on how we can point our children toward spiritual truth in God. They also allocate a chapter to show us how we can influence our extended families and Church. Regarding the latter, they provide some interesting ideas on making Church special in our hearts and homes.

Part Three helps us visualize what we can do for our grandchildren's generation and beyond. From boisterous family gatherings to quiet prayers, there are many subtle acts that we can adopt to influence future generations. Simple things like celebrating special occasions like birthdays to faithfully praying for each of our loved ones could mean a lot. Some of the most touching moments some from the feedback received from grandchildren about what influences them most in their growing years. The last two chapters address some potentially difficult issues such as dealing with an imperfect family and how we can move forward even when family feels like a failure. The last chapter on Ten Truths is worth the price of the book.

My Thoughts

Let me offer three thoughts on this book. First, the all-important core message that deserves to be reiterated: We exist not for ourselves. We live for God and our lives should reflect faith in God for our children and descendants. Faith in God is not just believing. It is sharing the gospel truth through our teachings and our living. For many of us, a large part of our lives center around learning and practicing our faith in order to grow spiritually. We read the Bible, books on biblical truth, and various resources on Christian living. We learn from our mentors. We interact with fellow Christians through Bible studies, Church activities, and Sunday School. There will come a point in which we need to ask ourselves: How much more learning must we do? How much more do we need to grow spiritually? What are we to do with the spiritual truths we have benefitted from? The definite message is that these are not meant to be stored up in our heads or our physical libraries. They are meant to be shared widely. The authors consistently remind us to live our faith with the future generations in mind. This is called generational stewardship in the hope that the lives that we now live will be an example of faith for others to follow.

Second, we need an intentional plan for sharing the gospel culture. The authors give us a three-phased approach, first with ourselves followed by our families, and finally to our extended circles of influence. This parallels our own life stages as well. When we are younger, we can learn and accumulate knowledge. As parents, we teach our children while they are still young. Once our children have grown up, they are pretty much on their own. Faith becomes something that is more modeling rather than teaching. At each stage from marriage to parenting, and from parenting to grand-parenting, we read about different faith strategies. All of them are connected back to biblical truth. The conclusion of the Ten Truths to Keep gives us a concise summary of what strategies are essential at various stages of life. We will need to customize our own plans for our loved ones.

Third, the importance of prayer. I notice that as the chapters progress, there is a greater emphasis on prayer. From the initial chapters on what we can do, the authors end with a sense of letting God do the rest. We can sow, water, and till, but only the Lord can give the increase. The plant metaphor is relevant here. We sow, water, and prepare our young ones as best as we can. After that, we can only go to the Lord in prayer for the rest of their lives. This is especially so because few of us can see what happens beyond the third generation. In prayer, we look to God who could see all the way to the tenth generation and the eternal future.

Anyone who has a burden for sharing the gospel to our families and loved ones should seriously pick up this book.

Ray Ortlund is president of Renewal Ministries and a founding member of The Council of the Gospel Coalition. He established Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and upon retirement was named “Pastor to Pastors.” Among his other books are The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ and Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel. His PhD is from The University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Jani Ortlund, vice president of Renewal Ministries, hosts the “He Restores My Soul” podcast and is the author of numerous books. Serving Christ through writing, speaking, and discipling is her chief passion in life. She and Ray, married more than fifty years, have four married children and (as “Bapa” and “Mayme”) have fifteen grandchildren.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of B&H Publishing via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Where Have All the Church Members Gone?" (Thom S Rainer)

2024-09-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Where Have All the Church Members Gone?How to Avoid the Five Traps That Silently Kill Churches
AUTHOR: Thom S. Rainer
PUBLISHER: Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2024, (144 pages).

This book is a fictional tale of a Church in crisis. The lead pastor, Oliver Wagner has been pastoring Connection Church for the past 8 years. Everything appears well from the outside but upon closer examination, there are more than meets the eye. People are still coming to Church but some have stopped coming. Some leaders faithfully serve albeit with different expectations of the direction of the Church. Along with those who work well alongside the pastor, some row in the opposite direction, opposing any pastoral initiatives at every turn. Pastor Wagner works well with some key individuals like Jorge Miranda, Emma Rockwell, Becky Garner, but not with people such as Ken Cassidy. With skillful storytelling, author Thom Rainer points out some common dysfunctions in that Church to help us reflect on our churches. Some of these "traps" that many fail to notice include:

Members who stopped coming;
Declining frequency of attendance;
Attrition rates that are larger than recruitment numbers;
Lack of foundational Bible teaching and Discipleship;
Recognizing and Dealing with conflict;
Having a low bar of expectations on members;
Lacking an understanding of the importance of Church membership;
Failing to evangelize or reach out;
Churches that are too prone toward programs rather than discipleship;
.....

Through the tale, Rainer incorporates all of the above into a gripping story of inspiration, discouragement, political conflict, pastoral care, board relationships, and many other familiar Church issues. Stories encapsulate many real-life issues. Just like how Jesus points out plain gospel truths using parables, Rainer tries to do the same with Church matters. The author has a deep concern for the state of the Church today. With his many decades of Church engagement, he continues to point out ways that churches should watch out for potential pitfalls while trying to meet the needs of members and friends in their community. The five traps are in bold above.

My Thoughts
In the West, many Churches are in decline. It is easy for one to say that numbers are not the necessary measure of success. Yet, we cannot avoid the use of numbers totally. They do tell a story that we might choose to ignore at our peril. Numbers may not be everything but they do tell us something. That is why one of the most important messages is to notice the people coming and going, of those who quietly vote with their feet at the first sign of unhappiness with the church. Relationships are complicated because people are complicated. Church leaders need to study their own contexts with care before applying any of these lessons. Different issues might dominate at different phases of Church life. It could also change when the church transitions to a new place, a new pastor, or even a new program. From internal concerns to external matters, Rainer gives us five broad things to beware of. Of course, these are not necessarily the only five issues all churches should be concerned about. Many will have more of course.

It is tempting to rank the issues but that will be in vain because every ranking is merely a snapshot of the situation in time. It will change frequently. What is more important is an attentive and prayerful disposition among the leadership to sense the movement of the Spirit. Hopefully, the day will come when Rainer will write another book about the five successes that lead one to celebrate the beauty and excitement of good churches. For the uninitiated who intend to diagnose their own Church health, this book serves as a launchpad toward that end.

Anyone who wants to examine their own churches should pick up this book. This is regardless of whether one's church is in trouble or not.

Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers. Prior to Church Answers, he served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. He also served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He has been a pastor of four churches and interim pastor of ten churches. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rainer has written over 30 books, including three that reached number-one bestseller: I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, and Simple Church. He has spoken in hundreds of venues and led over 500 church consultations. He can be reached at www.ChurchAnswers.com.

Rainer and his wife, Nellie Jo, live in Franklin, TN, and have three grown sons: Sam, Art and Jess, who are married to Erin, Sarah and Rachel respectively. The Rainers have ten grandchildren: Canon, Maggie, Nathaniel, Will (with the Lord), Harper, Bren, Joshua, Collins, Joel, and James.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"A Graphic Guide to Music Therapy" (Bill Matney, Mandy Griffin, Becca Kurtz, and Amy Huxtable)

2024-08-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

TITLE: A Graphic Guide to Music Therapy
AUTHOR: Bill Matney, Mandy Griffin, Becca Kurtz, and Amy Huxtable
PUBLISHER: Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2024, (224 pages).

What has music got to do with our health? Why is music included in therapeutic treatments? What is music therapy? In this graphic guide aimed at children, readers learn about the history, various music therapy methods, qualities of music, the treatment process, the therapeutic experience, theories, approaches, and how it can be adapted for general and medical use. Written by a team of four that consists of a Professor of Music Therapy, two Music Therapist practitioners, and an Art Therapist, we get a graphic guide that tells us the basics of music therapy approaches, theories, applications, and how they can be useful tools to improve our quality of life. We learn that music therapy can be used for general health and specialized situations. The authors define music therapy (MT) as the "intentional use" of music to build "shared experiences" that aid our health in our "physiological, cognitive, communicative, social, emotional, and spiritual domains." They cover various professional definitions and the qualification needs from different countries such as Australia, the UK, and the US, etc. They also clear up some misunderstandings of music therapy. For example, some might think all music therapists are musicians. While therapists know music, musicians tend to focus on performance while therapists use music to facilitate healing. The historical background is quite interesting as it shows us the universal appeal of music through the ages.

We learn about the several different beneficial applications of Music Therapy. It enables us to tell our stories via our unique interpretations. They also promote social interaction. Other applications range from physical stimulation to spiritual contemplation. The authors list four methods of MT: Composing music, Recreating existing music, Improvisation, and Listening. There are technical aspects of MT as well which the authors describe clearly and graphically.

This is a clearly written primer for the general reader to understand what MT is all about. We have heard a lot about the need for better mental health management. Doctors can diagnose and prescribe medication. Nutritionists help recommend the most optimum diet for health. Sports and general exercises facilitate our physical fitness. For holistic health, we need something for mental health. Music therapy occupies a specialized slot in this increasingly critical area. As a primer, this book checks out many important boxes. I have heard about music used therapeutically in counseling, spiritual guidance, and various calming activities. Apart from the professionals, not many understand the greater significance of MT. This book can raise the awareness of using music for the greater good.

Bill Matney is an Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at the University of Kansas. He is the author of Tataku: The Use of Percussion in Music Therapy and co-author of Roots and Branches: Songs of Tradition and Culture. He also presents consistently at regional and national conferences of the American Music Therapy Association.

Becca Kurtz MT-BC works as a Music Therapist in acute inpatient pediatric services in The University of Kansas Health Systems. She is studying for a Master's in Healthcare Administration.

Mandy Griffin MME MT-BC works as the Expressive Therapies Manager and music therapist at a community mental health center in Topeka KS.

Amy E. Huxtable earned their Master of Science in Art Therapy Counseling from Emporia State University in 2019. They work as an art therapist at The University of Kansas Health System: Marillac Campus.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Faithful Politics" (Miranda Zapor Cruz)

2024-08-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters
AUTHOR: Miranda Zapor Cruz
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (216 pages).

Do we choose Republicans because the Presidential candidate carries a Bible? Do we choose Democrats because my Christian friends are there? Do we choose parties simply because their policies are more Christian? How do we practice our Christian Faith in our often heated political environment? What is the difference between heavenly and earthly citizenship? How do we know if our actions are serving God or Caesar? How do we live as heavenly citizens while on earth? In our polarized climate, how can Christians behave as peacemakers? Is there such a thing as a Christian political party? Should we vote for candidates who claim to be Christians? These are some of the questions that trouble many Christians. Before attempting to answer any of these questions, we might need to ask a more fundamental one: "What does it mean to practice faithful politics?" This one question is the basis of this book to show us what it means to be salty, prophetic, separationist, and social. Underlying these principles are biblical applications of dual citizens, first of the Kingdom and then of earthly citizens. Living as Kingdom citizens means recognizing the different approaches to politics as compared to what we see in everyday worldly affairs. For instance, instead of limiting ourselves to relationships based on our nationality statuses on earth, we learn a universal perspective of seeing people as fellow humans living under grace from heaven. Instead of fighting one another to gain access to limited resources on earth, we learn to share in the hope that the economies of God will always be more abundant.

Author Miranda Zapor Cruz weaves in Scripture, Theology, History, and various cultural contexts in conversation with politics. She describes what it means for us to be citizens of the Kingdom. Taking lessons from Augustine's "City of God" treatise, she points out that Kingdom citizens are called to be different from the world. She guides us on how to live as dual citizens: Of the Kingdom and of the Earth. She emphasizes the opposing values of Kingdom and Country regarding loyalty, Freedom, and Power. Such contrasts are critical in distinguishing our dual roles. After discussing the differences, Cruz shows us what it means to live as biblical dual citizens in our engagement with government, justice, and discernment between submission and resistance. She takes special care to explain the different contexts of biblical Israel and modern American governments. Chapter Three follows up on Christian participation in politics. Here we learn about the American political system, its history, the benefits and risks of joining any party, and the risk of becoming "bland" instead of "salty" believers in the political arena. After setting forth these principles of engagement, Cruz takes us through ten approaches to Christian citizenship and political participation. Of these ten approaches, the first five are "separatist" models, followed by one social gospel model, two Calvinist options, and two non-recommended models of dominionism and Christian nationalism. They are all arranged from the most isolated to the most conflated.

Separatist 1: As Anabaptist Radical Isolation
Separatist 2: As Anabaptist Prophetic Witness
Separatist 3: Evangelical separation based on strategic withdrawal
Separatist 4: Historic Baptist Separation of Church and State
Separatist 5: Two Kingdoms Separation based on Luther's Political Theology
Social Gospel
Calvinist 1: Principled Pluralist
Calvinist 2: Direct Christian
Dominionism
Christian Nationalism

The first three separatist approaches are called "keeping the kingdom out of the country" while models #4 and #5 are called "Keeping the country out of the kingdom." The former believes that the present country will never become the Kingdom of God and thus better to be kept separate. The latter however do a slight reverse insisting that without the separation, the State would contaminate the Church. In model #6, adherents believe that the Christian gospel can influence and make the Kingdom of God a reality on earth as it is in heaven. Social gospel proponents will actively engage in society but risk granting too much trust in world systems and earthly justice. The two Calvinist approaches (#7 and #8) propose the role of stewardship and responsibility when engaging world governments. The "Direct Christian" approach tends to be the path taken by conservative parties that believe conscience and politics should never be divided. The "Principled Pluralist" believes that world governments are ordained by God and Christians ought to be involved for the common good. The author describes #7 and #8 under the umbrella of "Keeping the Country Under the Kingdom." The last two models are incompatible with Christianity because their principles of engagement revolve around domination and majority or total control. Cruz concludes by taking salient points of each model to provide us a path forward on how we can be biblical, separatist, salty, and Kingdom-loyal.

My Thoughts

Firstly, this book is timely, especially with the coming November 2024 presidential elections in the United States. The ten models listed for us are not new positions. They have been professed by different groups of believers today, some more some less. By giving us the historical developments of each model, readers can analyze their own political orientations more intelligently. Things today do not exist in a vacuum. They arise from certain causes which should inform our broader understanding. In general, many Christians are not sure how to be faithful in their politics. Most of them have been influenced by mass media, friends, public opinions, social media postings, personalization algorithms, and political candidates. Even Bible-affirming people are more influenced by world philosophies instead of biblical values. Hopefully, Cruz's presentation will help us be more informed in our political choices, in time for us to discern our votes.

Secondly, it is important to note that the author distinguishes nonpartisanship from neutrality. Just because one does not take sides does not mean one will never vote for any of them. The main benefit of reading this book is to ensure that we become more informed about biblical values and the application of principles to help us analyze and make sense of our political choices. We can also evaluate all the promises made by various candidates and better appreciate our roles as dual citizens of heaven and earth. Instead of beginning with our choices in mind, we begin with God's Word. That said, it is easier said than done. That is why I recommend taking time to understand each of the ten models before taking our positions. The ten models are not author recommended ones (especially (#9 and #10). The author is simply laying out the landscape of many existing positions.

Finally, I like the way the author concludes with the five key paradigms of faithfulness: Salty, Prophetic, Separatist, Social, and Pluralist. She does not straitjacket any of the ten models on us but encourages us to use these five paradigms to evaluate all of them. Politics is essentially about power struggle. When issues become politicized, opposing parties adopt positions to gain some advantage over their opponents. We should be careful not to become unwitting pawns to power-grabbing or lobbying entities. I usually tell fellow believers at state or national elections that we are selecting national or community leaders and not popes or bishops for the state. The more we understand the biblical implications of the above faithfulness paradigms, the better equipped we will be in discerning how we should vote or not vote at all. Having said that, when it comes to leadership, I suggest leaders or people in positions of influence assert the principles of Kingdom-living over and above any temptation to choose a candidate, party, or political affiliation. Leaders should never put the cart of orientation before the horse of biblical convictions.

Miranda Zapor Cruz is professor of historical theology at Indiana Wesleyan University. She holds a PhD in religion, politics, and society from Baylor University's J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of IVP Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"The Way of Belonging" (Sarah E. Westfall)

2024-08-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Way of Belonging: Reimagining Who We Are and How We Relate
AUTHOR: Sarah E. Westfall
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2024, (192 pages).

One of the paradoxes of relationships is that we can be together but still feel alone. Yearning for meaningful connections, many of us still struggle with maintaining relationships, let alone building them. Even families have problems with this. The Genesis story of how Adam and Eve hid from God after they sinned was a precursor to how we hide from one another today. Author Sarah Westfall admits that while we all desire deep relationships, we prefer to retreat to our shells of comfort. She describes this as "I belonged everywhere and nowhere all at once." Such conflicting push-pull experiences resemble a ubiquitous enigma in society. With this as impetus, Westfall embarks upon a journey to discover more about oneself before progressing toward how we relate to others. The author qualifies her work by maintaining that "belonging is not linear and cannot be prescribed." She gives us ten chapters on how we can relate to others. Hopefully, readers will find a relevant application in at least one or more. If we are honest, we will reject self-dependence in isolation and admit we need relationships with other people. Some ways to reimagine who we are and how we relate are:

Getting to the source of our names; Naming our feelings;
When people become vulnerable in their honest sharing;
Learning to accept others who are different from us;
Avoiding the superiority complex in us when relating to others;
Personal stories of ups and downs;
Humility in our doubts; Contentment amid uncertainly;
Shared Curiosity with mysteries;
Courage to move from the safety of shallowness to overcome fear of depth;
Creating circles of vulnerability like the layers in Russian Matryoshka doll;
Moving from Consumer to Creator;
Practice Celebration;
etc.

My Thoughts

At first, this book seems like nothing special. We all need relationships. It is better to give than to receive. We need to grow beyond ourselves. Many of these common beliefs are often talked about in society. For all the familiar statements, there is a strangely unfamiliar domain that many are either too shy or too afraid to make: Take initiative to connect. This book does not exactly tell us anything new. The reason why it is still necessary is because of non-action. Too many people know what is needed but are afraid to go beyond their comfort zones. Westfall reminds us constantly about the many ways in which we can branch out of ourselves into flourishing relationships. If all is good, then this book might not be needed. Unfortunately, we all need our asses kicked from time to time. This book does that.

Secondly, this book brings to mind that life is often a paradox. In getting relationships, we need to learn how to give. Relationships thrive not in individual silos but in vulnerable connections. Belonging comprises both inward and outward movements. We need to take the initiative to reach out. One big paradox today is the technological phenomena. We now have more ways to connect but people still need help to connect meaningfully. We have more apps and cellphones but they do not guarantee better human connections. Sherry Turkle from MIT has observed how technology can seem to bring people together but not fill the vacuum of loneliness. She notes that underlying this problem is the tendency of people to "expect more from technology and less from each other." Other commentators on our modern way of living like Andy Crouch. He notes with horror how he spends hours scrolling through updates of strangers and matters beyond his control while spending relatively less time with people within his own circles of influence.

Finally, if there is anything unique about this book, it is the authors' vulnerability. It is not easy to open up and share one's life with the wider public. It takes courage and openness to all kinds of comments. She was not afraid to share her struggles with loneliness, moving out of her comfort shell, admitting she does not love meeting new people, feeling small amid her gloomy moments, her struggles as a new college student, messy emotions, recognizing our needs are not much different from panhandlers, etc.

Thank you Sarah Westfall for the gift of sharing.

Sarah E. Westfall is a writer, speaker, and host of the Human Together podcast. Her previous work includes serving as director of community for online writing groups and as a student development professional on college campuses. She has been published in RELEVANT, Fathom Mag, and (in)courage. Sarah lives in Indiana with her husband, Ben, and four sons.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Discipleship for Every Stage of Life" (Chris A. Kiesling)

2024-08-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Discipleship for Every Stage of Life: Understanding Christian Formation in Light of Human Development
AUTHOR: Chris A. Kiesling
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (216 pages).

What have life stages got to do with discipleship? How do human sciences affect spirituality? Is it legitimate to connect Christian formation with human development? These questions should pique the interest of Christians who want to see discipleship expand and be applied beyond the regular youth and adulthood age groups. By bringing together curiosity about human sciences and the theology of Christian Spirituality, author and professor Chris Kiesling has given us a compelling work that engages the development of Christian discipleship for every stage of life. Using his thirty years of learning about human sciences, he maintains that discipleship strategies should adapt to the person's human development stage. It is hoped that not only will that help cultivate the path toward human flourishing, but it also opens up gospel-sharing moments at all stages of life. From birth to the end of life, readers learn about the stage of human development and the needed discipleship strategy. The purpose of this book is to allow the "wholistic, redemptive vision of salvation" to shine through each of the described human stages. The seven stages are listed as follows:

Womb and Infancy
Early Childhood
Middle Childhood
Adolescence
Young Adulthood
Middle Adulthood
Late Adulthood

There is the temperament and early dispositions for infants. In early childhood, formative strategies include parental styles, storytelling, embodied experiences, discipline, and play. When it comes to Middle Childhood, there is an increased awareness of gender differences, personality traits, self-awareness, etc. From Middle Childhood onward, apart from identity formation, one of the main challenges is how parents deal with their children over technology matters. The author then asserts the primacy of a child's relationship with God over and above any moral principles. That is because all morality is anchored on the foundation of God. Adolescence is the intersection between childhood and adulthood. Here, identity development is key. Both social and personal domains of development are discussed. He notes that while parental influencers remain key, there is a downward slide of family as an institution today. Peer pressure and online groups are becoming bigger influencers. Recognizing changing influencers like these will be crucial in "anchoring convictions" that will help facilitate discipleship. At the young adulthood stage, Kiesling notes how the person begins to build their life narratives, gleaning from the past to map the future. We see the many possible scripts a person could be mapping. Here, there are more insights from the ancient church fathers on how theological concepts are integrated with "cultural liturgies," demonstrating how discipleship can take place. The Middle Adulthood phase solidifies one's self-identity. Kiesling shows us the differences between young and middle adulthood which is sometimes understood as a "mid-life crisis." He calls this the "longest and least understood" stage of anyone's life. Going through the changes biologically, cognitively, culturally, and socially, the author then highlights the relevance of spiritual practices such as Sabbath, Solitude, Discernment, Hospitality, the Common Prayer, etc. The last stage is "Late Adulthood" where Kiesling deals with matters relating to retirement and the end of life. This stage can be further divided into "young-old" (65-84); the "middle-old (85-99); and the centenarians. Recognizing the different cultural perceptions of aging, Kiesling qualifies his work to focus more on the Western perspective.

My Thoughts

This is one of the most insightful books that combines the sciences of human development and Christian spirituality. Noting the lack of resources that connect the science of human development with spirituality, Kiesling hopes to fill this gap by doing three things. The first is to introduce us to the field of human development and family studies. The second is to show us which area of Christian spirituality can be relevant to each life stage. The third is to map a path forward for Christian discipleship according to each stage of life. I want to share my thoughts about these three things.

First, Kiesling excels in describing the uniqueness of each life stage. His wealth of knowledge in this area is quite formidable. Whether it is neurobiology or psychology, cultural traits, or social sciences, there are many things we can learn about the nature and stage of human development. For those of us who are parenting young kids, we can learn about the stages of childhood. Many ideas open our minds toward a deeper understanding of children in general. We will have to adapt the specifics accordingly. For those of us reading about the life stage we are in, some of the things he mentioned will hit close to home. For instance, in the chapter about retirement, Kiesling's thoughts will resonate with many of us in that phase of life. His description of Robert Atchley's theory of the five stages of life should make those of us sit up and pay more attention. It is good that Kiesling avoids putting exact years in each of these stages simply because there are too many variables in the first place. The value however is to anticipate how we progress so that we can prepare for what will come. I feel that this chapter is most well-written, probably because it matches the author's life stage.

Second, Christian Spirituality is introduced gradually through each life stage. At the early childhood stages, there are more resources from the social sciences and human development studies. The discipleship strategies are mainly through care, human connections, communications, and other relational practices. Christian resources and strategies are heavier at the young and middle adulthood phases because they assume a greater level of independent learning. Readers will find the resources educational and enlightening.

Finally, let me comment on the integration of life stage and spirituality. It is the conviction of the author that each life stage requires unique strategies for discipleship. As readers, we need to adjust our perspectives accordingly. In other words, our own present life stage will influence how we read the stages described in this book. Such integration needs to be carefully and prayerfully done. For a start, the best way to benefit from this book is to start from where we are. Read the chapters that relate to our own life stage first. For example, if we are parents in our early 30s, read the chapter on young adulthood first before moving through the childhood and adolescent phases that affect our children. If we have aging parents, read the chapter on middle adulthood before progressing through late adulthood. By doing so, we learn the integration of the life stage and spirituality first before learning how to apply the other stages. If we are educators, begin where we are before moving on to the groups we are teaching.

I want to applaud Kiesling for a valuable piece of work that deepens our understanding of the human development stages and the relevance of spirituality. Whether you are a parent, pastor, professor, teacher, student, caregiver, or layperson, there are many things we can learn from this book.

Chris A. Kiesling (PhD, Texas Tech University) is professor of human development and Christian discipleship at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. Ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church, he has served as a pastor and a campus minister. Kiesling is the coauthor of Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood: A Practical Theology for College and Young Adult Ministry.

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5.

conrade

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.