Category: Non-Fiction Page 21 of 54

DETAILS:
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 208 pg.
Read Date: August 21-28, 2022

What’s Confronting Jesus About?

Most people have a lot of preconceptions about Jesus, a lot of people have read and/or heard things about Him and the Scriptures that tell about him. But not as many have actually read those Scriptures, particularly the Gospels.

Rebecca McLaughlin tries to clear away some of the cultural debris that has piled up between non-Christians and the Gospels and the subject of the Gospels. For example, as she points out, given Christianity’s impact in shaping Western Civilization, it’s difficult to think of Jesus as non-Western.

The goal of the book is to help the reader (particularly those with little-to-know-exposure to Christianity) begin to see the Gospels for what they really are, not the readers’ preconceptions of them. And the Jesus revealed in the Gospels as the Gospels want to portray him, not what the reader may already think.

It’s a high and lofty goal—possibly too lofty for 200 pages. But this isn’t intended as a definitive work, more like an invitation for the reader to do their own work.

A Menagerie of References

A lot of writers (and preachers, truth be told) will introduce a subject or thought by grounding their introduction in some sort of shared knowledge. Sometimes it’ll be an experience (first day of school), a person everyone knows (George Washington), a current event, or some sort of cultural reference (literature, music, film/TV, etc.). McLaughlin almost always goes for the latter. And, for the overwhelming majority of the time, it’s a very contemporary reference.

She starts off by invoking the musical Hamilton, and does so in-depth—it wasn’t long at all before I made a note, “can we be done with Hamilton now?” The answer was no—she came back to Miranda’s hit time and time again. Thankfully my worries about this being a book about Jesus, the gospels, and a hip-hop musical about a Founding Father quickly evaporated and she moved on to other cultural touchpoints—Harry Potter, Doctor Who, The Princess Bride, Gladiator, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Lord of the Rings, Jane Austen, A Tale of Two Cities, and more. It’s an interesting mix of pop-culture and more high-brow references.

I’m spending more time on this than I initially intended, but I kept bumping on this tendency of hers, and I ended up spending as much time thinking about it as I did her arguments. Now, I don’t think most readers will do that—but most readers aren’t considering the delivery of the content as they are the content. So I don’t think most readers will be distracted by this as I am.

Still, the volume of pop culture references strikes me as a dangerous strategy (as comfortable and relatable as it might be). It can trivialize the subject matter. It can possibly cause offense (how many people really want to relate to J.K. Rowling right now? A different crowd than those who didn’t want anything to do with her in the 90s, to be sure).

Lastly, it reduces the shelf-life of the book tremendously. Wilde, Dickens, and Austen are references that will stand (and have stood) the test of time—but will The Hunger Games and Ted Lasso? Maybe. But Maybe not. McLaughlin’s arguments and insights may be worth reading in ten years, but will the book as a whole? Or will what makes it most approachable today make it stale and off-putting within a presidential election cycle or two.

(that took a lot more time to express and explain my concerns than I thought it would—this is not a significant detriment to the effectiveness of the book, but it is one)

The Tone

McLaughlin has an approachable, almost breezy style. I started this book while taking a break from a more scholarly book, and the early chapters had some overlap with the other book I was reading. And I suffered a little mental whiplash. I got over it the more of the book that I read (especially as it diverted into different territory from the other), but it almost seemed too shallow. A lot of readers might think that, too. If you persevere, however you’ll see that’s not that case.

McLaughlin comes across as open, honest, and earnest—the kind of person you’d enjoy chatting with—and her grounding things in events with her life or a movie you’ve both seen (or that she’s told you enough about that you want to see it), makes the material something you connect with.

So, what did I think about Confronting Jesus?

I enjoyed the book. I was charmed by McLaughlin’s style and found her arguments compelling—not convincing. But, as I said, I’m not sure she was trying to convince her readers—I think she was set on moving them to do more research, more reading, and to deal with more convincing ideas and arguments. This was an introduction to Jesus, hopefully lowering perceived barriers to him—and a challenge to deal honestly with Him and His claims rather than preconceptions and reputations about Him (and His followers).

That said, I’m predisposed to agree with her. We’re on the same team, and don’t have the same barriers that the non-Christian will have. So I can’t ultimately say how well the book works. Do I think that several of my friends would benefit from it? Sure. But that’s just a guess/hope. The ultimate sign of the quality and effectiveness of this book is going to come from the non-Christian reader.

Also, this book does make me curious about McLaughlin’s other work—and I anticipate grabbing at least one of her earlier books soon.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Crossway via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this opportunity.

3 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

20 Books of Summer 2022: Wrap-Up

By HCNewton

On August 29, 2022

In Books, Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

So today, I completed the 20 Books of Summer Challenge, as hosted by Cathy at 746 Books.

Or maybe it was Friday. If you count finishing the reading*, then it was Friday. Either way, I’m done.

And I typically do.

This is my third attempt at this challenge—one year, I finished only because I re-defined the deadline (in the U.S. we colloquially consider Labor Day as the end of Summer). Last year, I didn’t finish writing about the books until September (well, okay, I still haven’t written about one of them. Don’t ask me why, I can’t explain it). But this year—I put forth a list of 20 books, read that list, and posted about that list between June 1 and August 29.

I call that a win. Even better—I enjoyed all of them. Well, at least I appreciated the writing or storytelling of a few. I didn’t dislike any of them, anyway. Still, it’s a win.

Works for me.

11. Divine and Conquer by J.C. Jackson (my post about it)
✔ 12. Mortgaged Mortality by J.C. Jackson (my post about it)
✔ 13. The Ghost Machine by James Lovegrove (my post about it)
✔ 14. Roses for the Dead by Chris McDonald (my post about it)
✔ 15. A Wash of Black by Chris McDonald (my post about it)
✔ 16. Whispers in the Dark by Chris McDonald (my post about it)
✔ 17. Down the River unto the Sea by Walter Mosely (my post about it)
✔ 18. Crazy in Poughkeepsie by Daniel Pinkwater (my post about it)
✔ 19. Ghost of a Chance by Dan Willis (my post about it)
✔ 20. The Border by Don Winslow (my post about it)

(also, this is the first year that I didn’t end up making any substitutions along the way).
20 Books of Summer '22 Chart

Crossway Short Classics: Schaeffer, Spurgeon, Chalmers

By HCNewton

On August 28, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Crossway Short Classics Series

DETAILS:
Publisher: Crossway Books
Format: Paperback
Read Date: July 2022

Some Thoughts on the Series as a Whole

The point of this series is to take classic short works—sermons, tracts, articles—package them attractively, edit a bit (modernize language, eliminate footnotes, tweak grammar, etc.) and make them widely available. Each is given a short introduction to help the reader get the context and a bit of information about the author.

I think this is a great idea, and I don’t know how I didn’t hear about this until a few weeks ago. I do hope they put out new books in the series (at least one of the books on the original list isn’t out yet, but they did publish one not on that list, so maybe they exchanged the titles).

I wonder a bit about the cover design—I wonder if the floral theme is a bit off-putting (Evangelical publishers usually reserve that for books marketed for women, and I don’t get the impression that this series is designed for that).

I don’t want to try to cover the whole series in one post, so I’m going to do this in chunks. This is the second in the series of posts I’ll be doing.

The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way and No Little People

by Francis Schaeffer, Ray Ortlund (Foreward)

DETAILS:
Publication Date: May 30, 2022
Length: 90 pg.
Read Date: July 31, 2022

I’ve never read a sermon (in this case, two) by Schaeffer before, so I was pretty curious. I’ve read a couple of books by him, but there’s a big difference in genres.

I appreciated the content and found it helpful. But for a man who is capable of pretty profound thought, I thought these were a little shallow.

3 Stars

Encouragement for the Depressed

by Charles H. Spurgeon, Randy Alcorn (Foreward)

DETAILS:
Publication Date: October 12, 2020
Length: 100 pg.
Read Date: July 31, 2022

It’s well documented that Spurgeon battled depression through much of his career, so if there’s someone who can speak to the topic with authority, it’s him. These two sermons are pretty helpful.

The first, which bears the name of this slim volume is far superior and is well-named. Not only is it encouraging for the depressed, but there’s plenty of encouragement for those with weak and struggling faith.

The second sermon, “The Minister’s Fainting Fits,” is directed primarily (obviously) toward ministers and preachers. It’s not bad, but it’s hard to relate to or find a lot that’s applicable to most readers of a series like this.

3.5 Stars

The Expulsive Power of a New Affection

by Thomas Chalmers, John Piper (Foreward)

DETAILS:
Publication Date: October 12, 2020
Length: 72 pg.
Read Date: July 31, 2022

I was a little disappointed by this one—Chalmers is regularly held up as a model of the best of Presbyterianism, and this sermon is regularly talked about as his best.

Now, I liked every bit of the sermon, I loved the argument and Chalmer’s perspective. I thought the language was a little stilted and the sermon left me a little cold. (those sentences seem contradictory when I read them, but they work in my mind). The central premise of this—that the love of God, in Christ, overpowers and pushes out the sinful inclinations and affections we’re born with. It’s an important emphasis, and one we would all do well to focus on.

This is one of those reads that in retrospect, I think I might not have been in the right headspace for—I’d also read a lot that day, and by the time I got to it, my mind might have been done. I expect when I revisit it, I’ll get more from it and think better of it.
3.5 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

These Dog Days Aren’t Over

By HCNewton

On August 26, 2022

In Books, Dogs, Fiction, News/Misc., Non-Fiction

(Updated and Revised 8/26/22)

It’s National Dog Day, the annual celebration of “all dogs, mixed breed and pure. Our mission is to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort.” So it seemed like a good day to post another version of this.

These Dog Days Aren't Over This was a hard post to come up with a name for‡, essentially this post came from a comment not too long ago about being hesitant to read books about animals if the reader doesn’t know if they survive the book. I get that, I absolutely do. I still bear the scars of Where the Red Fern Grows and Marley and Me (sure, that wasn’t that long ago, but the wound still stings). So, for readers like my correspondent, here are some perfectly safe books prominently featuring dogs!

I plan on updating this when I can remember to, so by all means, chime in with comments about Dogs I’ve forgotten about/haven’t yet!

Non-Fiction

bullet The Particulars of Peter by Kelly Conaboy—this is a collection of humorous essays giving Conaboy the opportunity to rave about her dog, Peter. In her eyes, Peter is a perfect dog, and as you read this, you’ll be tempted to agree. (my post about it)
bullet Olive, Mabel & Me by Andrew Cotter—Cotter’s charming book describes his life with the two dogs that rocketed to international stardom (and brought him along). (my post about it)
bullet My Life as a Dog by L. A. Davenport—Davenport’s short little book about the relationship between the author and his dog, Kevin, a black and tan, pure-bred dachshund. It focuses on what the two of them did over two days and then a weekend selected from the years they spent together. (my post about it)
bullet Dogtology: Live. Bark. Believe. by Jeff Lazarus—Humans are so obsessed with their dogs, we’ve devoted so much time, energy, and work into them that it’s become a religion, with humans essentially worshipping their pets. This book is a look at that devotion and the rituals and beliefs that accompany it. It’s technically humor, but a lot of it seems pretty on-target. (my post about it)
bullet What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs by Cat Warren—Warren basically covers three topics: there’s the science and history of using working dogs (of all sorts of breeds, not to mention pigs(!), birds, and even cats) to find cadavers, drugs, bombs, etc.; there’s the memoir of her involvement with cadaver dogs via her German Shepherd, Solo; and anecdotes of other cadaver dogs and trainers that she’s encountered/learned from/watched in action. (my post about it)
bullet What the Dog Knows Young Readers Edition by Cat Warren, Patricia J. Wynne—The above book adjusted for younger readers, with some great illustrations. It’s not dumbed-down, just adjusted. (my post about it)

Fiction

bullet Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series by Jeffrey B. Burton—A Dog Trainer/Cadaver Dog Handler and his dogs get involved in serial killer cases. Warning: Like many heroes in action novels, most of Mace’s dogs get beat up/injured. Some pretty badly. (my posts about them)
bullet Suspect by Robert Crais—One of my all-favorite books, a cop with PTSD gets assigned to the K-9 Unit and works with a dog fresh from Afghanistan combat. (my post about it) The pair also plays a major role in The Promise.
bullet Pug Actually by Matt Dunn—Doug, a loyal pug, plays cupid for his owner. This is a cute rom-com with a charming canine narrator. (my post about it)
bullet Stepdog by Nicole Galland—A love story where the major impediment to happily ever after is her dog (a gift from her ex). (my post about it)
bullet Noodle and the No Bones Day by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator)—This picture book relates the origin of the Internet Craze and the wonderful, photogenic pug behind it. (my post about it)
bullet Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries by Kevin Hearne (Audiobooks narrated by Luke Daniels)—Oberon, the scene-stealing Irish Wolfhound from The Iron Druid Chronicles narrates this series of novellas (my posts about them).
bullet Neah Bay series by Owen Laukkanen—Lucy is a dog who is trained by prisoner Mason Burke, who has to track her down when he gets out. She’s a service dog for Marine Vet Jess Winslow. Lucy connects the two humans in her life and helps to keep them safe when a corrupt deputy comes after Jess. (my post about them)
bullet I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson—I’m not sure how to sum this one up in a sentence. It’s a pretty typical novel about a troubled writer with a romantic life and family in shambles. But his dog is the thing that makes all the difference. (my post about it)
bullet Chet and Bernie books by Spencer Quinn—Bernie Little is a PI in Phoenix. Chet’s his four-legged partner and the series narrator. It’s too fun to miss. (my posts about them)
bullet The Right Side by Spencer Quinn—”a deeply damaged female soldier home from the war in Afghanistan becomes obsessed with finding a missing girl, gains an unlikely ally in a stray dog, and encounters new perils beyond the combat zone.” (my post about it)
bullet Woof by Spencer Quinn—The beginning of an MG series about a with a penchant for trouble and her dog. (my post about it)
bullet Andy Carpenter books by David Rosenfelt—Andy Carpenter is New Jersey’s best defense lawyer and a devoted dog owner. He helps run a rescue shelter, too—and almost every client he takes as some sort of connection with a dog. These books aren’t dog-centric like the others on this list, but they’re dog-heavy. (my posts about them)
bullet The K-Team books by David Rosenfelt—a spin-off from the Andy Carpenter series. This features a PI team made up of Andy’s wife/investigator, Laurie; the near super-heroic Marcus; and Corey Douglas, a freshly-retired K-9 officer. His canine partner, Simon Garfunkel, comes along, too. Simon Garfunkel doesn’t play a giant role in the books, but he gets at least one good action scene per book. (my posts about them)
bullet Voyage of the Dogs by Greg van Eekhout—SF for all ages about a team of dogs on a long-distance space flight. (my post about it)

Supportive Roles

These dogs aren’t as significant a presence in their books as the prior group, but they’re important enough to mention.
bullet Mouse from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. (my posts about them)
bullet The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man by W. Bruce Cameron and the sequel Repo Madness by W. Bruce Cameron— (my posts about them)
bullet Edgar from the Washington Poe books by M. W. Craven. (my posts about them)
bullet Rutherford from The TV Detective series by Simon Hall (my posts about them)
bullet Oberon from the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne . (my post about them)
bullet Ruffin from the I. Q. series by Joe Ide . (my posts about them)
bullet Dog from the Walt Longmire books by Craig Johnson (my posts about them)
bullet Purvis (and Beau) from The Good Kill by John McMahon (my post about it)
bullet Trogdor from The Golden Arrow Mysteries by Meghan Scott Molin (my post about them)
bullet Mingus from The Drifter by Nicholas Petrie (my post about it)
bullet Herbert and Daisy from Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman (my post about it)

Books with paws on both sides of the line

Some books that belong on this list, but might be a bit too close to not fitting on it for some readers
bullet Lessons From Lucy by Dave Barry—there’s a strong “my beloved dog is old and will die soon-vibe throughout this (it’s the whole point), so some may want to avoid it. But the focus is on what Barry is learning from his aging but still full-of-life dog. (my post about it)
bullet Dead is … series by Jo Perry—the canine protagonist in these mystery novels is a ghost, so there’s a dog death involved. But we meet her as a ghost, so she won’t die (again) in the series. (my posts about them)
bullet Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure by David Rosenfelt—For various and sundry reasons, the Rosenfelts decide to move their home and dog shelter from California to Maine. As anyone who’s had to get a dog (or a toddler) into their vehicle for a drive across town can imagine—getting 25 dogs moved across the country is a logistical nightmare. In Rosenfelt’s capable hands, if “tragedy plus time equals comedy,” “nightmarish logistics plus time” does, too. The shelter specializes in senior dogs, so not every dog mentioned or featured lives, but that’s not the focus of the book. (my post about it)
bullet Lessons from Tara by David Rosenfelt—a sort-of-sequel to the above. Inspired by the death of their dog, Tara, the Rosenfelt’s now operate a no-kill shelter for senior dogs. This is the story about the origins and day-to-day of that life. There’s discussion of Tara’s death, and he has to cover the end of days for dogs, but it’s not the focus of the book. One some will want to avoid, but you probably shouldn’t. (my post about it)

‡ I brainstormed this a bit with my family, and wanted to share some of those titles that didn’t make the cut, just because I enjoyed their creativity:
bullet These Dogs Didn’t Go To Heaven/Not All Dogs Go to Heaven implies these dogs aren’t wonderful creatures, and that’s a solid loser
bullet No Kleenex Required too vague, and not necessarily true, they’re just not required because of a death
bullet The Best Bois
bullet Books Where the Author isn’t A Heartless Bastard (Looking at You, Marley and Me) too long, and boy howdy, does it seem my son has bigger issues with the book than I did
bullet Books that Even PETA Would Be Okay With
bullet Books for the Vegan in You suggests the dog books I don’t mention are in favor of eating them…
bullet Paw Patrol I’m almost confident my daughter’s boyfriend suggested as a joke, for his sake I’m assuming it was
bullet Pawfect Dog Stories I refuse to resort to that kind of joke

(Images by S K from Pixabay and josmo from Pixabay

Crossway Short Classics: Warfield, Ryle, and Edwards

By HCNewton

On August 21, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Crossway Short Classics Series

DETAILS:
Publisher: Crossway Books
Format: Paperback
Read Date: July 2022

Some Thoughts on the Series as a Whole

I don’t want to try to cover the whole series in one post, so I’m going to do this in chunks. This is the first in the series of posts I’ll be doing.

The Emotional Life of Our Lord

by B.B. Warfield, Sinclair Ferguson (Foreward)

DETAILS:
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Length: 110 pg.
Read Date: July 10, 2022

This is the book in the set I was most excited about—I’ve read this a few times, but I’ve only had a photocopy from someone who owned a set of Warfield’s shorter works to use (I’m sure it’s online now, but…). Now I have a nice, attractive, bound copy.

This look at Christ’s emotions—and how they demonstrate his humanity—is a fantastic piece of Christian scholarship. There’s a warmth to the writing, a sense of bringing assurance and comfort to the reader, along with the discussion of the texts. I just loved it.

Also, an Introduction by Sinclair Ferguson? Doesn’t get better than that.

5 Stars

Fighting for Holiness

by J. C. Ryle, Andrew Atherstone (Foreward)

DETAILS:
Publication Date: May 10, 2022
Length: 74 pg.
Read Date: July 17, 2022

The original title of this was Are You Fighting?, and I guess the editors thought that since it wasn’t going to be republished in a series with similar questions, they needed a new title. I think the new title didn’t do it any favors. Fighting for Holiness shouldn’t be seen as Fighting to obtain Holiness or to display Holiness, but on account of Holiness, or in Holiness’ Cause. It may be nit-picking, but to me, the title just didn’t fit.

The fact that I stopped to think about that mid-way through this short work says something about how gripping it was.

This was a description of several of the passages using military metaphors from the Bible, calling readers to be fighters for the Faith. (in a spiritual sense, I should add, because too often today that would be understood as a more physical combat)

I just don’t get why this was picked—Ryle wrote a lot that were this length, and most of them would’ve been better. I can’t say that the work wasn’t well-written or anything, I’m just not sure this is the best work for the use.
3 Stars

Heaven Is a World of Love

by Jonathan Edwards, Sam Storms (Foreward)

DETAILS:
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Length: 115 pg.
Read Date: July 24, 2022

This is one of the several examples of sermons that demonstrate there’s more to Edwards than the caricature of a hellfire and brimstone preacher that’s so prevalent. And you have to think that’s at least part of the reason it was selected.

It’s a typical Edwardsian sermon in that he approaches the subject from several angles—maybe too many (or at least it feels that way a time or two). The focus here is on the love of God, as shown to His creation both in this world and the next (although the emphasis is on the next, hence the title).

Unlike the Warfield book above, I didn’t get the warmth in this one—odd considering the subject. It felt more like a scholarly treatise than a sermon, but that’s typical of Edwards and it’s clearly a sign that it’s been too long since I’ve read Edwards sermons.

It’s a nice sermon, a helpful sermon, and a nice bit of analysis, too.

3.5 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Reposting Just Cuz: The Last Adam by Brandon D. Crowe

By HCNewton

On August 14, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels

by Brandon D. Crowe

Paperback, 215 pg.
Baker Academic, 2017

Read: February 19 – March 19, 2017

I just don’t know how to sum up this book succinctly honestly. After a few attempts that are best never seen by anyone, I decided that no one does it better than Crowe does in the first three paragraphs:

What is the purpose and significance of the life and ministry of Jesus in the Gospels? At one level, this may seem like an obvious question. The Gospels are all about Jesus. Moreover, given the structure of each of the four Gospels, it is difficult to miss the central role played by the Passion Narratives. And yet there is much more in the Gospels beyond the Passion Narratives. Jesus is amazingly active. He preaches, heals, exorcises, prays, rebukes, forgives, calls, authorizes, confounds, challenges, rejoices, weeps, blesses, curses, prophesies, and more. In addition, he consistently draws attention to himself as he does these things.

And then there are the Christmas stories (that is, the infancy narratives). These are among the more familiar parts of the Gospels in today’s culture. But what is the relationship between the infancy narratives and salvation? Jesus appears to be quite passive lying in the manger as he is adored by shepherds, and we do not find him to be very active when the magi come and prostrate themselves before him in Matthew 2. But can we look even to the infancy of Jesus and say that Jesus was somehow already beginning to accomplish something of significance? To ask this question is to lead us back to the driving question of this volume, since Jesus did not bypass infancy, childhood, adolescence, or adulthood on his way to the cross. Why? What was it about the life of Jesus that was necessary for salvation—from the manger to the cross and everything in between? Do the Evangelists themselves give us any indications that this is a question they have in view as they write their Gospels? I will argue that they do.

In this volume I will argue that we find a shared perspective among the diversity of the four Gospels that the obedient life of Jesus—in its entirety—is vicarious and salvific in character. More specifically, I will argue that Jesus is portrayed in the Gospels as the last Adam whose obedience is necessary for God’s people to experience the blessings of salvation. In pursuit of this thesis, I will consider what the Gospels themselves say about the lifelong obedience of Jesus, which concomitantly involves considering how Jesus’s life and ministry are related to his passion. By concentrating on the Gospels I do not intend to imply that these are the only documents in the New Testament that speak to this issue. I do believe, however, that a focus on the Gospels qua Gospels is important because of the way they narrate the life of Jesus, and because their testimony to the significance of Jesus’s life for salvation has often not been given sufficient attention. Thus a sub-aim of this book is to help us read and interpret the Gospels theologically.

So, there’s his aim, rather, there are his aims. How does he go about it? Here’s the Table of Contents to give you a look at how he’s approaching his arguments (yeah, I’m quoting a lot here, but you try to tackle this book in a blog post rather than a dozen or so page review and see how easy it is):

1. A Tale of Two Adams in the History of Interpretation
2. The Last Adam and the Son of Man in the Gospels
3. The Last Adam as the Obedient Son of God
4. The Last Adam and the Fulfillment of Scripture
5. The Glory of the Last Adam in the Gospel of John
6. The Last Adam and the Kingdom of Righteousness
7. The Death and Resurrection of the Last Adam
8. The Last Adam and Salvation: Theological Synthesis and Conclusions

This is primarily an exegetical work — dealing with the text of the Gospels directly. But Crowe leans upon historical and systematic theology as well (especially in Chapter 8). Outside of Chapter 5, he’s primarily dealing with the Synoptics — but not exclusively. It is not impossible to read for the dedicated layman — I’ve read more difficult works in the last few months, but it’s not something you can skim with profit. There are issues that I’m not sure I understand the purpose of addressing, as I’m not aware of all of the academic controversies he’s addressing, but even when you don’t understand everything about those portions of the book, you can still gain from working through them.

I learned a lot. I thought about passages in a way I haven’t before — seeing things in a new light, or at least a different light. I really don’t have a lot to say about this particular book — primarily I just wanted to post about it to maybe get a reader or two to look at it that might not have otherwise. I loved it, even when I had to work a little harder than usual to get what he was saying, it was worth it. This is the kind of thing the Church needs more of.

This is written from a Confessionally Reformed perspective, but not necessarily for the Confessionally Reformed any more than other Evangelical/Evangelical-ish readers. Although, the Reformed will be more used to thinking in some of the categories he uses than others (as Crowe indicates late in this interview).

This is not an easy read, this is not a quick read, but it is a good read (why do I feel like Lewis’ Mr. Beaver now?). This is theology that will lead to doxology — as well as more theological and doxological reflection and study. I wasn’t sure what I expected to get out of this book, but Crowe delivered it and more. I’m not doing a good job summing things up here, just get this book and read it (as well as all the books Crowe writes that you can afford, I’m pretty sure I never got around to posting about his book on the General Epistles which was almost as good as this one (and easier to read)).

—–

4 1/2 Stars

The Attributes and Work of God by Richard L. Pratt, Jr.: A Broad and Capable Introduction to Theology Proper

By HCNewton

On August 7, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Attributes and Work of God

by Richard L. Pratt, Jr.

DETAILS:
Series: Christian Essentials 
Publisher: P & R Publishing
Publication Date: April 27, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 184 pg.
Read Date: July 31, 2022

What’s The Attributes and Work of God About?

This is a basic and broad introduction to Theology Proper—who God is, what He does, communicable and incommunicable attributes, the Trinity, etc. It’s adapted from curriculum using language that’s easy to translate—particularly into languages that don’t have a well-developed theological vocabulary—so the English is kept basic, too. There’s almost no academic or technical theological language used, and those that are used are well defined.

The chapters are short (most around ten pages, two are longer than fifteen) and well-organized. Each contains a handful of side-bars consisting of a paragraph or two with the contents of interviews with pastors and theologians on the topic under discussion. These interviews were with people from a variety of theological perspectives helping broaden the text written by a Reformed professor.

A Couple of Issues

It’s difficult, perhaps impossible, writing at the level Pratt is here and for the audience he has in mind to get too detailed on difficult subjects—that’s a given, and I wouldn’t expect that to change. Still, I found the way that subordinationism was covered because there’s a lot of good and a lot of sloppy material being put out about it right now. People at all levels need to be given the tools to look for the good.

Secondly, I was underwhelmed with the sections on foreknowledge, predestination, and election. This again is part of the design of the book—Pratt isn’t writing only for those in the Reformed/Reformed-ish camp, so he attempted to write something on these topics that can appeal to/apply to Reformed and broad-Evangelicals. I don’t think it’s possible to satisfy all corners of this discussion, and Pratt demonstrates it in the disappointing pages on the ideas.

So, what did I think about The Attributes and Work of God?

My problems are in the closing pages of the book—until that point, I was very satisfied. People wanting a broad curriculum to cover the basics in a High School/young College-age Sunday School class or Bible Study would benefit from this—especially if the instructor can augment the material in the subordination/predestination sections.

This was an incredibly easy, but informative, read. The discussion questions and “For Further Study” resource lists at the end of each chapter are stronger than many similar examples that I’ve run across lately.

I’d hoped for something a bit deeper, a bit more thorough. But once I saw—and it took almost no time to register that—that this isn’t at all the aim of this book, I was able to adjust and ended up really enjoying this. I’ll gladly recommend this to someone looking for this level/approach and am looking forward to reading the other entries in this series.

3.5 Stars

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20 Books of Summer 2022: July Check-in

By HCNewton

On August 1, 2022

In Books, Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Just a quick check-in on the challenge hosted by Cathy at 746 Books.

This month, I read 8 of the 20, bringing my total to 13. After a quick ARC break at the beginning of this week, I should be able to finish this challenge by mid-month—the earliest I’ve finished the challenge in the three years I’ve tackled it. I don’t think I’ve just jinxed things here, but I guess we’ll see. It’s been a fun challenge so far—I picked a good group of books this summer.

✔ 1. The Deepest Grave by Harry Bingham
✔ 2. Condemned by R.C. Bridgstock
✔ 3. Payback by R.C. Bridgstock
4. Persecution by R.C. Bridgstock
✔ 5. AMORALMAN: A True Story and Other Lies by Derek DelGaudio
✔ 6. Against All Odds by Jeffery H. Haskell
7. One Decisive Victory by Jeffery H. Haskell
✔ 8. With Grimm Resolve by Jeffery H. Haskell
✔ 9. A World Without Whom: The Essential Guide to Language in the Buzzfeed Age by Emmy J. Favilla
10. Composite Creatures by Caroline Hardaker

11. Divine and Conquer by J.C. Jackson
✔ 12. Mortgaged Mortality by J.C. Jackson
13. The Ghost Machine by James Lovegrove
14. Roses for the Dead by Chris McDonald
✔ 15. A Wash of Black by Chris McDonald
✔ 16. Whispers in the Dark by Chris McDonald
17. Down the River unto the Sea by Walter Mosely
✔ 18. Crazy in Poughkeepsie by Daniel Pinkwater
✔ 19. Ghost of a Chance by Dan Willis
✔ 20. The Border by Don Winslow

(subject to change, as is allowed, but I’m going to resist the impulse to tweak as much as I can).
20 Books of Summer '22 Chart

Cyprian of Carthage: His Life and Impact by Brian J. Arnold: An Unfocused Introduction to the Father

By HCNewton

On July 31, 2022

In (Auto)Biography, Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Cyprian of Carthage:
His Life & Impact

by Brian J. Arnold

DETAILS:
Series: The Early Church Fathers
Publisher: Christian Focus Publications
Publication Date: February 1, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 138
Read Date: July 24, 2022

The Series

In case you hadn’t read what I thought of the other book I’ve read in this series, let me start with the thumbnail description of the series I came up with:

I literally stumbled on to this series, The Early Church Fathers, a few weeks ago and thought it sounded like a great idea. It looked kind of like a mix of Crossway’s Theologians on the Christian Life and Oxford’s Very Short Introductions (incidentally, that’s what it ended up being).

What’s Cyprian of Carthage About?

Arnold has two aims for this short book: to introduce the third-century Father, Cyprian of Carthage, to his readers and to show that Cyprian has a use and significance for Christians today, especially as Arnold suggests that “Increasingly our world* looks more like Cyprian’s world.”

* Arnold seems to mean the Western world, perhaps, the United States, when he says “our world.”

Introducing Cyprian

Like the biography composed by Pontius, his contemporary, Arnold pretty much ignores Cyprian’s early years and starts with his conversion. It’s clear that he came from a prominent family, and seems to have held some noteworthy position in local government.

Soon after his conversion, he’s made bishop and it’s not long after that when he finds himself embroiled in controversies, some of which come out of the persecution of the Church. Arnold gives a quick overview of the nature of the controversies and Cyprian’s role and positions in each.

His Significance for Today

The latter part of the book focuses on “three areas where modern evangelicals would benefit by retrieving Cyprian: ecclesiology, virtue, and suffering and martyrdom.” Arnold sketches out each of these areas and points to how he thinks we could use the Father’s point of view.

So, what did I think about Cyprian of Carthage?

Because death and torture were always a possibility, Cyprian needed to make martyrdom appealing so that people would not drown in fear under the next wave of persecution.

The idea of making martyrdom appealing is pretty appalling to me. Sure, buttressing the faith of his people so they’d be able to stand fast during the next wave of persecution in the face of the possibility of martyrdom, is one thing. But making it appealing? Really?

Arnold also spends a lot of time discussing whether a certain period of history could be construed as a time of persecution—it’s an interesting question, and one probably worthy of debate with the scholar he’s focused on. But in a book of 138 pages, it’s not worth spending several paragraphs on the question.

I had a few other quibbles with his approach and some details of the writing. But it’s really not worth getting into.

This is a helpful volume, but it could’ve been better if Arnold had been a bit more focused on Cyprian and stayed out of extraneous areas. I do have a better appreciation for Cyprian, and I appreciate that. I just hoped for more.

3 Stars

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Quick Take Catch-Ups: Some July 2022 Audiobooks

By HCNewton

On July 29, 2022

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Don Winslow, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction

Some quick thoughts on some audiobooks from July—and one I forgot to write about in June. The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Deep Hole

by Don Winslow, Ed Harris (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: May 26, 2022
Format: Audible Original
Length: 1 hr., 4 min.
Read Date: June 9, 2022

(the official blurb)
I don’t know about this. I mean, it’s a short story, so I shouldn’t expect much from this. And it’s a decent story, but…eh. It left me wanting more on just about every front.

But it wasn’t a bad story—which makes sense, Winslow can’t write a bad story—and Harris sells it.
3 Stars

Long Lost

by Linda Castillo, Kathleen McInerney (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Kate Burkholder, #4.5
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 5, 2016
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 1 hr., 25 min.
Read Date: July 7, 2022

(the official blurb)
I wasn’t paying attention when I saw that this was the next entry for this series and checked it out of the library and was more than a little surprised when this wrapped up as quickly as it did. I was relieved, though, I didn’t think I could handle an entire novel where the setup was Kate and Tomasetti on a romantic weekend where they got distracted by a cold case.

As a short story, the concept and execution are just what you want. A nice way to tide the reader over between novels. I liked the resolution, too—sure, I saw it coming a few miles away, but Castillo ended it well.
3 Stars

My Mess Is a Bit of a Life:
Adventures in Anxiety

by Georgia Pritchett, Katherine Parkinson (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: September 5, 2016
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 4 hrs., 15 min.
Read Date: June 28, 2021

(the official blurb)

This is a very amusingly told memoir, and you can see how Pritchett succeeded in comedy writing for TV. At the same time, that’s where it gets tripped up—the memories told are very brief, and almost always seem to be leading to a punchline (not necessarily a funny punchline, but a punchline). The result isn’t so much a memoir as loosely-associated scenes. There is a narrative throughout, but it’s subtle—the effect is like reading a sudden fiction collection that happens to be made up of true stories.

There are some really funny bits, some touching bits, and some good emotional moments. But…ugh. It’s like having a skeleton laid out on a table (I’m thinking of a shot from Bones or CSI: Wherever)—and I’d prefer to see some connective tissue between the bones—and maybe some organs and flesh to cover them, so that it’s an actual memoir, not the rough draft of one.
2 Stars

How the Penguins Saved Veronica

by Hazel Prior, read by Helen Lloyd, Andrew Fallaize, Mandy Williams

DETAILS:
Series: Veronica McCreedy, #X
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: June 16, 2020
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hrs., 44 min.
Read Date: July 7-13, 2022

(the official blurb)
A sweet, almost-paint-by-numbers story of an elderly curmudgeon finding hope, kindness, and family thanks to time spent on a penguin research base in Antarctica.

There’s one scene at the end that serves to answer the reader’s questions that would be better left unanswered. We’d have been better served if we’d been left with ambiguity. Still, for a bittersweet and unnecessary scene, it was effective.

I’m not sure three narrators were necessary—I think any one of the three could’ve handled the whole thing judging by what I heard, but it wasn’t overly-distracting as multiple-narrator audiobooks can be.

I enjoyed the book, it was a perfectly charming and entertaining novel, as negative as I sound to myself—and am glad I finally indulged my curiosity about the book. But…meh. I’ve seen this story before and done better.
3 Stars

The Diary of a Bookseller

by Shaun Bythell, Robin Laing (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Diary of a Bookseller, #1
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Publication Date: September 4, 2018
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 42 min.
Read Date: July 15-19, 2022

(the official blurb)
I guess this would be the cure to any dreams/hopes/aspirations the reader might have to opening/buying a bookstore of their own. And the author certainly makes it clear that no one should do what he does—but it’s not like the book ends with him selling/closing down, in fact, he’s working to keep his store going.

The overall effect was like a James Herriott book—but with used books and readers in place of animals and their owners. Some pretty repetitive stories, just different enough to distinguish them—generally mildly amusing and engaging.

I had fun with it—would’ve enjoyed it a bit more if it were 20% shorter, I think. I do see that this is the beginning of a series. I’ll likely get the next installment, too. But I’m not rushing to do so.
3 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.