January 27, 2010

Book Review: The White Horse King

If you do not know much about Alfred the Great, have never heard of Alfred the Great, or think that Alfred the Great must be Alexander the Great's little brother, you should add The White Horse King by Benjamin Merkle to your reading list. This book will give you a crash course into the life of a man who--though you may not be aware of it--greatly influenced the world you live in today.

Although I had some idea as to who Alfred the Great was going in (thank you, home education) I realized that he was much more than an Anglo-Saxon king who held out against the Vikings. It is quite possible that had it not been for Alfred, we would all be speaking Danish and have names like "Sven". But Alfred's influence extends far more than his amazing "comeback kid" defense of Wessex. The very basis of English common law--and hence the basis of the US constitution--owes it's beginning to the legal codes set forth by the devout 9th-century king.

Benjamin Merkle's treatment of Alfred's life is detailed...but not TOO detailed. I enjoyed his vivid descriptions of battle scenes, as well as the details he gives of the cultural and political scenes of Alfred's day. The side notes are also quite interesting. (Did you know, for example, that the city of Nottingham was originally called "Snottingham" after an Anglo-Saxon ruler named "Snot"? Neither did I.)

The reading is very easy--but informative. Upon finishing the book I had a desire to learn more about this amazing period of history and this amazing individual. I imagine that this was one of the purposes of the author.

On a "missional" level, I was interested to read how Alfred confronted the pagan traditions of his day and established a biblically-based legal system.

The White Horse King is the perfect book for the history-lover in your life.

Talk back to the missionary: After reading this Alfred the Great became one of my favorite characters in history. Who is yours, and why? Give us the details in the comments section.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Posted by Andrew at 6:09 PM // Comments: 6 // TrackBack: 0 //
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January 8, 2010

Book Review: Perspectives Old and New on Paul

If one is interested in knowing about the much touted "New Perspective on Paul", but has no time or resources to read the major works that have been published--pro and con--then Stephen Westerholm's work "Perspectives Old and New on Paul" (subtitled "The 'Lutheran' Paul and His Critics) is the only book you need to read.

Westerholm begins his monumental task (in all it takes over 400 pages) by reviewing the main lines of Augustinian/Lutheran thought. He then reviews the work of those who have tried to deconstruct those lines. Finally, he delves into what Paul actually says about law, grace, and membership in the community of the redeemed. Not surprisingly, the conclusions he draws are of a decidedly "Lutheran" tone.

I can see myself returning to this book--especially the third section--as I prepare messages on any of the Pauline epistles.

Talk back to the missionary: Read any good books on Paul recently? Let us know about them in the comments section.

Posted by Andrew at 9:10 PM // Comments: 3 //
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January 4, 2010

Book Review: The Gospel Driven Life by Michael Horton

An anonymous benefactor sent this book to me from my Amazon wishlist. Whoever it was should know that they made a tremendous investment in the studies and thought-processes of this missionary. Content from The Gospel Driven Life has found its way into messages, Sunday School lessons and counseling sessions since the day I started reading it.

The subtitle--Being Good News People in a Bad News World--is an apt summary of the content of the book. Author Michael Horton is concerned that "the Good News [has] become just good advice". His main purpose in this work (which he says naturally follows his previous Christless Christianity) is to show how the Good News is central to every aspect of the believer's life--not simply at the moment of salvation. For this reason it is important that we "get it right" when it comes to describing what the Gospel actually is.

For me one of the most valuable parts of the book is where Horton expounds on the Biblical progression of Drama (God's vast redemptive plan throughout history) to Doctrine (belief in the objective facts that make up the Gospel) to Doxology (the natural worship that flows from an understanding of those facts) to Discipleship (grateful service as a natural outworking of said worship).

Not a particularly easy read, the The Gospel Driven Life is worth the effort. It should be noted that Horton is quite reformed, which means that Baptists such as myself have to discount the parts of the book where he refers to the ordinances as sacraments (and defends calling them such), the section where he claims that the sons and daughters of believers are "children of the covenant", and, of course, the obligatory disparagin of "premillenialism" (to which he offers no real alternative).

Where his subject is the Gospel and it's fruit in our lives, the book truly soars. If you want to renew a stagnated Christian walk by focusing on Christ and His Gospel, my I humbly suggest The Gospel-Driven Life as a good place to start.

Talk back to the missionary: How does the Gospel affect your daily life? Give us your thoughts in the comment section.

Posted by Andrew at 4:42 PM // Comments: 2 //
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December 14, 2009

Rapid Reviews: Of Tilt-A-Whirls and Ape Men

Since July I have had the opportunity to read several books which time has not permitted me to review fully. What follows are short summaries of them, in no particular order.

Notes from a Tilt-A-Whirl
Author: N.D. Wilson

Subtitled “Wide-Eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World”, this book can be thought of as theology for postmoderns. Note that I did not say “post-modern theology”, as there is much in here that would cause the likes of Tony Jones or Doug Pagitt to blanch.

Notes form the Tilt-A-Whirl is written in an off-kilter, sometimes-quirky style that reflects the short attention span of current generations. Wilson consistently puts high theological concepts on the bottom shelf where they are easily reached. He is very gentle in his approach, except when it comes to philosophers. These he routinely skewers with a rollicking sarcasm—especially Nietzsche.

Rapid Rating: This book will be a treat for you to read.

The Missionary
Authors: William Carmichael and David Lambert

Set in a “fictionalized” Venezuela—complete with a Chavez-esque dictator—The Missionary explores the relationship of the missionary with the political life of his adopted country. Motivated by the extreme poverty and tremendous abuse of power around him, young missionary David Eller decides to become involved in a “regime-change” plot, with near disastrous results.

I found this book to be riveting in some places, and rather tedious in others. Also, after spending several chapters building up the complexity of the characters, I found the ending to be rather clichéd.

Rapid Rating: Read this book if you are interested in the subject of missionaries and the politics of their host country.

The Reason for God
Author: Timothy Keller

In this book the eminently successful pastor/missionary Tim Keller addresses his target audience—secular westerners. He begins by capably answering several of the more common accusations leveled at Christianity (ie There Can't Be Just One Religion or the ever-popular How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?)

I felt he handled the subject matter well. I was disappointed (but not surprised) at his defense of a kind of “theistic evolution lite”. Other than that, it was a good read.

Rapid Rating: Read this book if you are a skeptical secularist, or if you know one.

Tarzan and the Leopard Men
Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs

I found this in a little used book store while I was at the Conferência Fiel. It is full of what you would expect from a Tarzan book: jungle adventure, damsels in distress, and tree-swinging galore. In this particuar adventure Tarzan takes on the murderous Leopard Men, finally ridding the jungle of their evil menace.

Rapid Rating: If you are a Tarzan fan you have probably already read this. If not, you probably will not like it.

The DaVinci Code
Author: Dan Brown

My belated foray into the world of conspiracy theories combined with ancient gnostic heresies. If one temporarily suspends any shred of rational thought, the book is enjoyable. Otherwise it is difficult to see how it was taken so seriously.

Rapid Rating: Only read this is you are in a position of leadership that requires you to be on top of what popular culture is trying to pass off as theology.

Talk back to the missionary: What are the best books you have read this year?

Posted by Andrew at 2:20 PM // Comments: 5 //
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November 23, 2009

Book Review: The Well-Behaved Child

The Well Behaved Child by John Rosemond is, as the title suggests, a parenting book. In it the author enthusiastically challenges parents to return to the philosophy of their parents and grandparents, before the "psychobabble" of the sixties took over the culture.

Rosemond starts with a shocking premise: Children are bad. Of course this will only be shocking to those who have never had a two-year-old, or, if they have, it was so long ago they have forgotten what it was like. With this premise firmly on place, he proceeds to offer seven "fundamentals of effective discipline". Highlighted among these are the "agony principle" and the "godfather principle".

The Agony Principle

Parents should not agonize over anything a child does or fails to do if the child is perfectly capable of agonizing over it himself.

The Godfather Principle

To activate the Agony Principle, you simply make the misbehaving, irresponsible child an offer he can't refuse.

After laying down the basic principles the author provides specific tools and methods (charts, tickets, etc) to help implement the principles. The book is chock full of anecdotal accounts, mostly of parents who implemented the principles with impressive results. Rosemond's style is witty, conversational, and especially biting--especially when he touches on the prevailing "psychobabble".

Before receiving this book via the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program I had never heard of John Rosemond. Before I was halfway through the book I had decided to add every book he had written to my wishlist. As the father of an eight-year-old and a three-year-old, I began to see areas where my parenting skills needed honing. Of special interest to me was the section where he describes how to get your child to do his homework without a parent at his side. Others may find interesting the sections about potty training, tantrums and other, more bizarre behavior.

It was refreshing to read Rosemond's rejection of medicated treatments for behavioral problems. He is merciless in his criticisms of those who perpetrate this travesty on American families.

There are times when Rosemond seems to exaggerate in order to make his point. But his point--that American families need desperately to return to common-sense, biblical parenting methods--is well worth making.

If you have kids, or know someone who does, you owe it to yourself to read The Well-Behaved Child.

This review was written in participation with the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program. Though I do receive a free book for my participation, I am under absolutely no pressure to write a positive review.

Posted by Andrew at 5:34 PM
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