Book Review | Sola Scriptura!: The Protestant Position on the Bible

Sola Scriptura!: The Protestant Position on the Bible by Don Kistler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Throughout Sola Scriptura the authors expound on what the authors argue is the key principle of The Reformation. The book compares and contrasts the Protestant doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture for faith and life and what the Roman Catholic Church believes regarding Scripture, Tradition, and the role of the Church in the life of Catholic faith.

The Good
Each of the articles provides a clear explanation of Sola Scriptura and why it is important. The author(s) of each of the essays also do a good job of carefully representing the Catholic position by not cherry picking the “worst” examples from the “other side” and then blasting them for being wrong.

The final chapter does a great job challenging pastors/ministers responsible for leading churches to encourage a more bibliocentric approach in the life of the Church and individual believers. Sections pointing to and calling for a more Scripture-centered, gospel-saturated pulpit ministry were particularly challenging and worthy of another reading.

The Bad
At times the arguments were very dense.The comparisons between the two positions became difficult to follow and required a second reading. So, the reader should read carefully. The book is more academic on the whole, so this is less a criticism and more a point of information for those who decide to read it.

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Book Review: #OrganicJesus

It is helpful to look at things from someone else’s vantage point.

#OrganicJesus by Scott Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Irreverant. Funny. Provocative. Sincere. Challenging.

The Good
Scott Douglas does a great job of keeping you on the edge. He says things in a way that challenges you to think more deeply. He has a knack for seeing the ironies and the humor in the Christian subculture. But, he does this while a committed member and defender of that same community.

The Bad
There is not a lot. This book is not about theology per se. It does tackle some theological topics in general terms. This leaves the reader wondering what they should believe on the matter. It would have been nice for there to have a been a nudge toward other resources to dig deeper. But, in the end, this is not the purpose of the book.

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Book Review | The Complete Guide to Bible Translations: How They Were Developed – Understanding Their Differences – Finding the Right One for You

One of the most helpful and concise guides for understanding Bible translation.

The Complete Guide to Bible Translations: How They Were Developed – Understanding Their Differences – Finding the Right One for You by Ron Rhodes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you are looking for a helpful, easy to read introduction to the background of the most popular Bible translations, this is the book for you. I will definitely be referring back to this volume.

The Good
The major issues surrounding Bible translation are covered in this book (translation philosophy, textual basis of each translation covered, gender-neutral language issues). The historyical context that caused each translation to be undertaken is provided. And, several benefits and cautions are provided for each translation.

The Bad
There is not much to complain about in this book. The author offers his own opinions, but they are measured and brief.

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Book Review | Translating Truth: The Case for Essentially Literal Bible Translation

This collection of essays does a good job of making the case for the “essentially literal” Bible translation philosophy.

Translating Truth: The Case for Essentially Literal Bible Translation by Wayne A. Grudem
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Good
This collection of essays does a good job of making the case for the “essentially literal” Bible translation philosophy. I found the arguments compelling. The first three essays are worth the purchase of the book. The strongest case for the “essentially literal” approach are clearly presented.

The Bad
Making the case for a word-for-word philosophy does not need to descend into accusations of malpractice on the part of those that do not follow this approach. Grudem’s essay (the first essay) did this a few times (four or five times). It was unnecessary.

The final two essays were a little more technical and not as helpful. While these two did tease out the practical implementation of an essentially literal approach, it was a little hard to follow.

That being said, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a clear and concise argument FOR the essentially literal translation approach.

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Book Review | “How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth” by Gordon D. Fee

How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions by Gordon D. Fee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Good:
Provides clear and helpful information about the history of translation and the entire process involved. They explain what they mean when using technical ideas and jargon. And, they offer clear critique of the twenty or so versions they survey.

The Bad:
At every turn, they are clearly “biased” toward a particular kind of bible translation (mainly less “literal” and more meaning based translation approaches). They do not hide this bias (which is nice). And, they provide a clear explanation about what a “literal” translation approach means. So, this is not meant to be a slight against versions that use this approach. It is just not their preferred approach.

I would have given it 4 stars if it had not been so tilted in one particular direction. This is still an invaluable resource to have in your library for the study of bible translations, and I will be referring back to it.

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Book Review | “A Peculiar Glory” by John Piper

Only when we change what we see do we change who we will eventually become.

I recently finished reading Dr. John Piper‘s book A Peculiar Glory. It is an amazing book on the subject of the Scriptures. There are basically two questions that Piper seeks to answer. The first one is this: What about the Scriptures, as they are, reveal that they are in fact divine revelation? The second question is related and yet slightly different and it is this: Can a “normal” person interact with the scriptures and come to a knowledge of the truth? When I use the word “normal” I mean to say (as does Piper) someone who does not have training in the Biblical languages or who has an extensive education. At the center of this second question is wondering if people can come to a well-grounded faith just by being exposed to and interacting with the Word of God as it is contained in the Old and New Testaments. Continue reading “Book Review | “A Peculiar Glory” by John Piper”

Book Review | “The Bishop of Rwanda”

bishop-of-rwanda
DISCLAIMER: While I understand that this is one man’s retelling of the events, I will engage and comment based on the good faith effort of the author to represent the events he related.

There are few times that I can remember when I have read a book and been moved by its content. The Bishop of Rwanda by Bishop John Rucyahana is one of those books. It truly is not for the faint of heart. The gut wrenching, horrific events described (sometimes in graphic detail) are terrible to imagine and even more tormenting to the heart to know that other human beings endured. With the precision of a historian and the compassion of a pastor, Bishop John diagnoses the multiple streams that led to the murder of close to 800,000 of the nearly 1.2 million total Tutsis killed. Think of it for just a moment. The following description helps to put in perspective what that means.

“The typhoon of madness that swept through the country between April 7 and the third week of May accounted for 80 percent of the victims of the genocide. That means about eight hundred thousand people were murdered during those six weeks, making the daily killing rate at least five times that of the Nazi death camps.” [Kindle Location 1626]

The shear horror that was endured by the Tutsis and those who stood for and with them could not even be portrayed in film, described on paper or evoked through words. There is simply no way of understanding the full fledged depravity of the genocide. I would read descriptions of what happened and catch myself shaking my head at what I had just read. I know that we are almost two decades removed from the events Bishop John described, but there is a freshness to it all.

There are two aspects of the book that were particularly poignant. The first was the historical overview of what took place in Rwanda on a national-political level. The picture painted of the “imperialist” and colonial nations of Belgium and France are so unflattering as to be caricatures. The problem is that the truth will many times be unflattering and down right scathing. If even a portion of what was done by outside nations was done to Rwanda it reveals the tendency of the Western, first world nations to attempt to get away with whatever they can. The misconduct of the international community in the events leading up the genocide are not only deplorable, they are reprehensible. The intellectuals of the west failed to see the barbarism that was being unleashed in a small African country. The western world needs to look in the mirror and stop acting in such a duplicitous manner.

The second aspect of the book that stood out was the reality that what took place in the hearts and minds of the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity was of a spiritual nature first. Bishop John is quick to recognize the demonic currents underlying what took place among the general population. Even if those who killed were not motivated by hatred, to be carried along with the wave requires a kind of acquiescence to the spiritual forces at work. There is no doubt in Bishop John’s mind that the reason the effects of the propaganda and fear was so far reaching was because there was not true conversion among many who claimed to be Christian. The most disgusting of the acts enacted, and that go to the heart of my identity as a clergy person, were those of the religious leaders who became accomplices to the murders, sometimes even participating in them. It just doesn’t make sense!

As I finished the book and read of the changes that have come to Rwanda I was shocked to see that reconciliation was at the heart of the healing process. The programs and efforts by those who suffered and those who caused the suffering to reunite the nation were impressive and awe inspiring. Over and over again the reality of repentance and of forgiveness were put on display. Probably the greatest lesson that I will take away from reading The Bishop of Rwanda will be that forgiveness is a power designed by God himself. I leave you with the following insight forged in the crucible of suffering and pain.

“Forgiving something does not make the forgiven act less horrible, but it does break the power that act holds over you. The truth is that those who don’t forgive are dying from their unforgiveness. The bitterness eats them up. When you forgive, you are healthier and more alive.” [Kindle Location 2262]

Book Review | “Where Do Babies Go When They Die?”

Summary

I acquired The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism by Craig R. Brown because it was free at the time. I have always tried to understand the Calvinistic system of theology and have studied it for many years now. There are many things that I like about reformed thought. Just look at the name of this blog. In many ways I am reformed. But, there are also several questions that the Reformed point of view does not answer for me. I do not think, for one moment, that I am the final word on these questions. It is just that the answers provided by the Calvinist camp tend to, at times, resort to a type of logical gymnastics when an answer is not readily available.

One of the major strengths of the book is that it frames the concerns that some have about Calvinism in very provocative questions. Questions that you might see yourself asking.

If God is in complete control of everything, to the point of predetermining all human actions, how can a man be held accountable for what he does?
If we are saved by grace and not by works, why shoudl we do anything good? What purpose do good works serve? Are there rewards in heaven for what do here on earth?

Book Review | Teaching Through The Art Of Storytelling

Summary

Teaching Through The Art Of Storytelling by Jon Huckins was not at all what I expected. It was better! I have read many books and articles on preaching and communication, but this book provided something that was both refreshing and thought-provoking–it provided a biblical rationale for storytelling.

Growing up Baptist with the stereotypical “three points and a poem” paradigm of preaching, this book provides a solid understanding of the place of storytelling as a vital and invaluable tool in a communicators repertoire. Does that mean that I will be switching to teaching in this way as the only technique I will utilize? No. But, I have reconsidered my tendency to give my listeners “just the facts” about the biblical text.

My Thoughts

There were three ideas that caused me to pause and think. They were

The historical context of Jesus own upbringing
The teaching style of Jesus himself and,
The application of this method of teaching given our modern context.

I will touch on each of these points and the impressions that Huckins book left.

1. The Historical Context of Jesus Own Upbringing

It is so easy to forget that Jesus was a kid and that he went to school like the rest of us. Now the context of that education was very different because of the 1st century’s cultural realities. But, this does not change the fact that there were teachers, schools and methods and principles of instruction, commonly called pedagogy. What Huckins points out is that Jesus would have been familiar with these practices and that he would have, more than likely, used these methods with his own disciples.

It is so easy at times to forget that Jesus was a human being. A special human being, there is no denying this, but he was a human being nonetheless. And, just because we do not have a complete account if his upbringing, there is no reason to think that Jesus’ educational experiences were that much different from that of his contemporaries. That being said we turn to the second idea that Huckins describes and extols.

2. The teaching style of Jesus himself

The first question that we have to answer is, “What was Jesus teaching style?” What do the Gospels tell us about how Jesus taught and shaped the understanding of his disciples? If we can, at the very least, approach how Jesus went about the process of teaching we to can learn, glean and practice these same principles in our own teaching.

Huckins points out that the majority of what Jesus did was to tell stories or parables. This was not an uncommon practice for rabbis to make up stories that would help their pupils to grasp the concepts and ideas that they were learning. By focusing on one or maybe two key ideas in each story made it easier to address and understand the point being made. Jesus would have been following the educational norms of the day by doing the same. While for some this might make them uncomfortable to think of Jesus using fictional stories, it really is not outside the realm of possibility or probability. Culturally it wold have made sense for Jesus to use a method that the people were accustomed to. Jesus primary concern was the teaching, preaching and spreading of truth.

3. The application of this method of teaching given our modern context.

As I see it there are two issues. They are related because they represent the two extremes. The first extreme is to try and be too creative for the sake of being compelling. The second, is that we are afraid of telling a story or multiple stories because we do not want people to find Truth through a fictional (i.e., false) story.

In response to the first extreme we have to be careful about the reason we tell the story. Does the story actually convey or capture the truth that you are trying to communicate? The way that Huckins’ talks about the story, the purpose is to tell the truth. What this means is that the truth IS being told in the story. It is obvious in that sense. The story causes the hearer to think, but direction and ultimate conclusion can be understood when the full story is revealed.

The second extreme is not better than the first. Out of fear of “deceiving” or “misleading” others we shy away from a helpful tool. If you enjoy reading a good book or watching a new movie or television sitcom is evidence that stories are a part of our experience. To not tap into the imaginations of those who listen to us teach the life changing truths of the Bible would be foolish.

Conclusion

This was a very good book. I enjoyed reading the history of the use of storytelling during the first century. If you are interested in improving your storytelling ability this is a wonderful introduction.

Book Review | Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health

Donald Whitney’s book on spiritual health is probably one of the most challenging that I have read in the last few years. I began to read it not really expecting to finish. You just never know what you will find in books that claim to offer insights into spiritual formation. What I found was a book that did not travel the same path as other books. Each of the questions struck a different note. And each question moved me closer to understanding that there is much more involved in my own spiritual development than I had noted before.

I think that one of the things that struck me about each of the questions was how “ordinary” they were. There were not overly spiritual, but as I dug deeper into what they meant for my own faith journey I was struck at how much was still left to uncover. This is not a book that can be read or digested quickly. I would say that each question could be expanded into individual books themselves. As I read I found myself challenged on two fronts.

First, I was struck by the directness of the questions. There was not mincing of words. Whitney was direct and went right to the bottom line. There is a wonderful mix of practical application and spiritual depth. I found myself having to pause and think, often times several times on the same page. This is not one of those books you just push through reading. It has a tendency to push back.

The second area that I found myself thinking about was this. If I cannot answer these questions in a Biblical and honest way there is a problem with my spiritual health. Along these lines, I realized that the questions were not what I expected. I was expecting some other “spiritual” questions, but as I read and thought about the questions that Whitney asked I was left rethinking what I thought was spiritual and what was not.

As we walk along the path of faith, we will be confronted with the fact that the longer my “life” and my “faith” exist in different, separate areas, the longer it will take for me to arrive at a place of maturity. These questions reveal that I cannot avoid becoming a Christian if I practice spiritual disciplines. And isn’t this exactly what we want, to be what we profess?

My next post will give the ten questions and some of my thoughts about each.