Category: Non-Fiction Page 31 of 62

This is Going to Hurt (Audiobook) by Adam Kay: It’s Funny Because It’s True. Also, Dispiriting Because It’s True

DETAILS:
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publication Date: March 7, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 5 hr., 47 min.
Read Date: May 17-18, 2022

Doctors must be psychologically fit for the job — able to make decisions under a terrifying amount of pressure, able to break bad news to us anguished relatives, able to deal with death on a daily basis. They must have something that cannot be memorized and graded; a great doctor must have a huge heart and a distended aorta which pumps a vast lake of compassion and human kindness.

What’s This is Going to Hurt About?

This book covers the years that doctor-turned-comedy writer Adam Kay spent as a junior obstetrics doctor in the NHS. I’m going to gloss over the various titles he had because it’s a different system than I’m used to, and I’d botch it—but basically, it’s the first few years post-medical school.

Essentially these are excerpts (details tweaked to everyone’s privacy) from his diaries from that time showing the day-to-day realities he faced. Told with a comedic bent, sure, but it’s just real life—a version of real-life that’s more exhausted, more stressed, and covered in more and various bodily fluids than most of us have, sure. It’s told very anecdotally, he’s not trying to construct a narrative here, just “here’s Day X, here’s Day X +2,” and so on.

He talks about preposterous situations he’s put in because of his low-ranking status and/or NHS regulations, he talks about funny situations with patients, ridiculous colleagues, unsympathetic friends, harrowing experiences, and just strange ones. Given his specialty, he deals with expectant mothers, newborns, clueless fathers-to-be, and heartbreak. We get the gamut here.

Bonus Material

The audiobook I listened to was released with the paperback release and contained some bonus material—a few more diary entries and an afterword. The afterword was essentially a rallying cry for people to support the NHS’s existence.

I don’t have a dog in this fight—but I found his arguments compelling, and I thought his support of the NHS throughout the book (while freely critiquing aspects of it) added some good and necessary grounding to the humor. The life and death aspect of the book did, too—obviously—but that’s common with medical memoirs, this is distinctive (at least in my limited experience)

So, what did I think about This is Going to Hurt?

Called to the Early Pregnancy Unit by one of the SHOs to confirm a miscarriage at eight weeks—he’s new to scanning and wants a second pair of eyes. I remember that feeling only too well and scamper over. He’s managed the couple’s expectations very well, and clearly made them aware it doesn’t look good—they’re sad and silent as I walk in. What he hasn’t done very well is the ultrasound. He may as well have been scanning the back of his hand or a packet of Quavers. Not only is the baby fine, but so is the other baby that he hadn’t spotted.

I audibly laughed—twice—during the Introduction, so I was instantly on board with this book. The laughs really didn’t let up. At times, I wondered if it was a little too jokey, and wished we got more of the narrative about his experience—but then he’d say something else funny and then I decided I didn’t care because he’s a good comedy writer. Bring on the jokes!

Like the best medical comedies (e.g., MAS*H (in all its forms), Scrubs), Kay intersperses the laughs with drama and tragedy—stories of hard-fought success and heartbreaking—even devastating—loss. That augments both ends of the spectrum—while you’re chuckling, you’re more open to feeling the empathy to appreciate the dramatic. When you’re reeling from a hard experience, you need the laughter. If Kay’s TV scripts are anything like this, I wish I could see some of his episodes.

Kay handles his own narration here and is great at it, wry detachment mixed with a no-nonsense delivery. He knows it’s funny, so he’s not trying to push the humor, he just trusts the material and lets it do the heavy lifting.

When the library told me that my hold for this was ready, I didn’t remember requesting it—wasn’t sure at all why I did. But I gave it a chance, and am so glad I did—it made for a very entertaining 5+ hours. I think you’ll find the same if you give it a try.

3.5 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, opinions are my own.

Repentance: Turning from Sin to God by Thomas Boston: Calls to Faith and Repentance as Clear Today As They Were 300 Years Ago

By HCNewton

On May 15, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Repentance:
Turning from Sin to God

by Thomas Boston

DETAILS:
Publisher: Christian Heritage
Publication Date: September 19, 2012
Format: Paperback
Length: 250 pg.
Read Date: May 1-8, 2022

What’s Repentance About?

This is a collection of sermons preached by Thomas Boston to his congregation in the parish of Ettrick in the early eighteenth century.

The sermons were selected from the sixth volumes of his collected works, and really weren’t conceived of as a set by him. They’re all on the theme of Repentance, from a variety of texts of Scripture.

They are warm, pastoral, clear, and firm. Pretty much everything you want and expect in a collection of Eighteenth-Century Presbyterian sermons.

Tweaking Boston

There were some layout changes and restructuring of the original texts for this book (it’s too long to detail it here)—basically taking works from the early 1700s and making them read like something that was written in the early 2000s.

It bugged me. It might make it easier to read and more approachable to contemporary readers, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Modernization of spelling and punctuation don’t bother me that much (I prefer to read it without the editing, but I’m weird that way). It’s the other tweaks that get to me.

The Introduction

Not at all surprisingly to anyone who’s ever read anything J.I. Packer ever wrote about Puritans and their successors the Introduction he wrote is almost as good as the rest of the book. It’s simply impossible to read that and not get ramped up for the rest.

So, what did I think about Repentance?

I like Boston—I’ve never not profited from time with his work. The Crook in the Lot is one of the greatest works I’ve ever read.

However (you knew there was a “but” coming), I’m not entirely convinced this collection is the best representation of either the doctrine or the preacher. As Packer notes, by the time of the later Puritans and then Boston, the emphasis on repentance had shifted from the penitent life (as espoused by Luther, Calvin, Book of Common Prayer, etc.) to the initial act of repentance of the convert. It’s that focus that dominates this book.

It’s good that it does. It’s important that it does. There’s not a word that Boston says on that point that is incorrect. But, I really could’ve used more about what repentance should look like every day, calls to/reminders for the believer to shape their lives that way. I realize that says more about me than the work, but given the title, that’s what I expected.

It’s a good collection of sermons. Boston’s way with words is rare and great to read. I just didn’t appreciate this as much as I’d hoped to.

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, opinions are my own.

Funny Farm (Audiobook) by Laurie Zaleski, Erin Moon: A Woman Rescues Herself, Her Kids, and a Big Bunch of Animals

By HCNewton

On May 11, 2022

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Non-Fiction

Funny Farm:
My Unexpected Life with
600 Rescue Animals

by Laurie Zaleski, Erin Moon (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: April 25, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hr., 10 min.
Read Date: May 9-10, 2022

I Did the Things You’re Not Supposed to Do

I judged this book by its cover.

I put this on my Want-to-Read this some months back, and really don’t remember why. All I really remembered is what I saw on the cover—it had to do with rescue animals, an “unexpected life”, and was called Funny Farm. The cover image has some friendly-looking animals. Something about it also reminded me of the cover of Straight Man by Richard Russo.

It looked to me like a light-hearted book full of animal stories, probably some that are inspirational, some that are funny, maybe some that are sad. Think James Herriot, David Rosenfelt (non-fiction that is), or Andrew Cotter. And while I read the publisher’s description, I’d forgotten it, so I just walked into this with my assumptions from the cover.

And you know what they say what happens when you assume…

So, What Is Funny Farm About?

It’s primarily the decades-long story of the establishment of the Funny Farm in its current form. It starts with Zaleski’s mother taking her and her two siblings and escaping from their abusive husband and father, dealing with both their poverty and continued harassment from him, and how they stumbled into Animal Rescue. From there we get a little about Zaleski’s outside career before we focus again on their mother’s relationship and battle with cancer, before getting a few chapters about the Farm’s permanent location and establishment as a non-profit organization.

More than anything else, this is a tribute to Zaleski’s mother—and a deserved one.

Animal Tales

The small, between-chapter, profiles/extended anecdotes about some of the Rescue’s animals are what I came for, and are absolutely worth it. I’d read another book full of nothing else. I don’t know that such a book would be a great read, but it’d be fun.

How was the Narration?

I liked the book, but I think I liked Erin Moon’s narration even more. She did a great job of bringing the text to life and augmenting the emotions.

I did think there was a weird New England-ish accent to the way she said “Mom”—particularly when she stretched it out a bit. I didn’t hear it at any other point, just that one word. It happened pretty frequently, and I bumped on it each time. Not a big deal, by any means, just something I noticed.

So, what did I think about Funny Farm?

I’d have liked it more had I come into it knowing what to expect—and that’s on me. Also, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if I remembered what I was getting. Not that it’s bad, just not the kind of thing I put on a list to get.

There’s a warmth to the writing—even as it discusses the hardships her family endured, she writes from the perspective of someone who persevered and turned the experiences into something for the better.

While not loving the book, I really liked it—and have started following the Rescue’s social media accounts because I want to see some of this in action. It really sounds like a great organization. If you go into it with the right expectations, you’ll likely get more out of it than I did—give it a shot.

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, opinions are my own.

Reposting Just Cuz: The Man Christ Jesus: Theological Reflections on the Humanity of Christ by Bruce A. Ware

By HCNewton

On May 8, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Was flipping through this book the other day, dipping my toes in here and there after reading Bavinck on Christ’s humanity (not that there was a problem with Bavinck, I just needed someone else’s voice in my head for a minute). So it seemed fitting to repost this today, rather than something half-baked on another book. I just wish that I’d finished the sentence I abandoned in paragraph #4….

—

The Man Christ Jesus: Theological Reflections on the Humanity of Christ

by Bruce A. Ware
Kindle Edition, 160 pg.
Crossway, 2012
Read: March 9, 2014

One of Ware’s presuppositions — repeated throughout this book — is that evangelical Christians today have a good understanding of and embrace the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ, but their understanding of his humanity is wanting — enter this book. Without dipping a toe into Nestorianism, Ware wants his readers to understand the humanity of Jesus. He explains this so with a constant eye to His divinity — and how that divinity is expressed in the life of the God-man.

One of his main interests is for his readers to understand the dependency of Jesus on the Spirit — His indwelling, guidance and empowering. Without that indwelling, it would be impossible for Jesus to carry out His father’s will. If we grasp that, we see the limitations of the divine nature of Christ to his earthly work, which may seem paradoxical, but isn’t as Ware will explain.

The application portions to every chapter keep this book from being merely theoretical (however great that theory is) to helping readers put shoe leather to this teaching — as every teaching ought. It’s just easier when the author goes out of his way to help us start that on our own.

I really appreciated the chapter “Resisting Temptation,” Ware’s reflections on Hebrews 4:15 and the idea of Jesus being tempted to sin in general. He surveys some of the leading theories before suggesting his own idea how the idea of the impeccable theanthropos being tempted without sinning. He put into words an idea or two that had been floating around in my own head for a few years, and

I was surprised that Ware had to devote an entire chapter defending the masculinity of the God-man, although I shouldn’t have been. Sadly, this was a pretty boring chapter. Ware really beat this horse far beyond the point of its flatline. Sadly, he probably needed to be as through given today’s thinking.

Deep enough to discourage a casual read, but friendly enough that this should be able to be read by thoughtful laity.

—–

4 Stars

Catch-Up Quick Takes: A Few Words on a Few Books

By HCNewton

On May 5, 2022

In Audiobook, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I tried to write a full post on most of these, and I just wasn’t able to come up with enough to say. So, I guess it’s time for another one of these quick takes posts. The point of these is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. It wasn’t until I was well into writing this one that I realized there was a theme throughout this one. I was underwhelmed to varying degrees by all four of these books. On the plus side, my “To Write About” stack is a bit smaller.

Fight and Flight

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Magic 2.0, #4
Publisher: Audible Studios on Brilliance
Publication Date: March 11, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hr., 26 min.
Read Date: April 4-7, 2022

(the official blurb)
Okay, sure, this was amusing. Luke Daniels is great. I enjoyed spending time with these characters again.

But…

This was a thin excuse of a story, were this a novella, it’d probably be pretty good—but stretched out this far, it just didn’t work.

However, the last chapter made the whole thing worthwhile, and what it introduces/sets up for the future makes me pretty excited to see what Meyer has up his sleeve.
3 Stars

Goodbye, Things:
The New Japanese Minimalism

by Fumio Sasaki, Eriko Sugita (Translator), Keith Szarabajka (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Publication Date: April 10, 2017
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 4 hr., 32 min.
Read Date: April 18, 2022

(the official blurb)
Ummm….yeah, so this was a thing I listened to. A friend was pretty excited about the book, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Sasaki didn’t convince me—the picture he painted of himself—as well as his readers/listeners—is of a pretty shallow person. I don’t think he is—or was, before he went through this period of self-improvement—but he sure did a lousy job of depicting a person who had any depth.

He describes an interesting way of life, but didn’t make me at all interested in trying it. I didn’t hate the book, but I can’t find anything to commend about it.

Szarabajka’s work was fine, I should add—nothing too flashy, which fits the book. I’d listen to other books he narrated.
2 Stars

Taming Demons for Beginners

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Guild Codex: Demonized, #1
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: December 30, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hr., 52 min.
Read Date: April 26-27, 2022

(the official blurb)
While I was listening to this, I said, “this protagonist is doing nothing but making foolish/stupid moves—I have to pause occasionally just to growl at her.” I’m used to protagonists making foolish mistakes, that’s not the problem. But this woman seemed to be deliberately choosing the worst thing to do at every moment.

I’m not sure that she really got past that, but at some point, it stopped being annoying. I’m not sure why. Part of it has to do with the way that this book tied into Demon Magic and a Martini—Marie’s done this before, but the way she pulled that off in this case was plenty of fun. I don’t know that I’m sold on this series, but I do want to see what happens next, and that’s good enough.

Dukehart did a fine job—maybe a little bit too close to her work in The Guild Codex: Spellbound, but it’s easy enough to get past that.
3 Stars

Rosebud

by Paul Cornell

DETAILS:
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: April 25, 2022
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 112 pg.
Read Date: May 3, 2022

(the official blurb)
I…I just don’t know what to say about this. It’s a clever premise, and Cornell (as one expects) writes well—there are some nice sentences throughout. Basically…I should be singing the praises of this one.

And yet…

I can’t. I don’t know why, but I could not convince myself that I was enjoying this. I just didn’t respond to any of it. I’ve been a fan of Cornell’s for years, this is just a blip, I’m sure, and I’ll be gung-ho about his next work. But this just wasn’t for me.
2 1/2 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, opinions are my own.
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Face to Face with God: A Biblical Theology of Christ as Priest and Mediator by T. Desmond Alexander: A Biblical Theology of Hebrews

By HCNewton

On May 1, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Face to Face with God:
A Biblical Theology of
Christ as Priest
and Mediator

by T. Desmond Alexander

DETAILS:
Series: Essential Studies in Biblical Theology 
Publisher: IVP Academic
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 138 pg.
Read Date: April 17-24

A study of Jesus Christ’s high priestly ministry takes us on a journey through paths that have largely become overgrown through lack of travelers. At times our journey will require perseverance as we familiarize ourselves with new terrain. Ultimately, we shall be rewarded as new vistas will come into view as we orientate ourselves toward the throne of grace in the heavenly sanctuary. Most important of all, as we follow the ascended Christ to the right hand of the Father in heaven, we shall hopefully discover afresh the magnitude of God’s forgiveness and the generosity of his love as he invites us to share in a kingdom that can never be shaken.

What’s Face to Face with God About?

A/The* central theme of the Epistle to the Hebrews is the Priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Face to Face with God looks at the themes of priesthood—in general, and Christ’s specifically—in Hebrews and by examining the passages and teachings from the Old Testament that the Epistle is building on.

Amongst the themes Alexander explores are The Tabernacle (and Temple), Moses and Aaron’s relationship with God (prefiguring Christ’s), the role of the High Priest as Intercessor as well as in presenting the sacrifice, and the Priesthood of Melchizedek. He looks at the texts we get these ideas from as well as how the author of Hebrews deals with them as he develops his arguments, ending with a consideration of how believers are to live as a result of his priestly work—something that ought not to be ignored.

* Depending on who you ask.

So, what did I think about Face to Face with God?

This is an introductory survey, as are all the books in this series, so Alexander doesn’t dig too deeply into any of these ideas. But he does explore them with enough depth that the reader gets the complete picture.

This reads differently than the others in the series due to the way Alexander uses the book of Hebrews as his focal point and examines the texts and themes that the author of Hebrews cites in order to understand them. It’s not better or worse than the organization of the others, it’s simply a feeling of freshness that benefits the series.

I learned a lot, Alexander’s framing of the question of when Christ’s work as priest began was incredibly helpful. Not because of the answer (although that was great), but because of the thought process that went into the answer—reframing the way I thought of priesthood in general and Christ’s in particular. I had a similar reaction to his material involving Melchizedek. The other chapters had similarly helpful material, and I don’t want to take anything away from them, but those are the two that clicked the most with me.

This is a very helpful book, an interesting read, and a great example of what Biblical Theology can bring to the table.

3.5 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, opinions are my own.

How to Be Perfect (Audiobook) by Michael Schur: Being Ethical/Virtuous and Funny at the Same Time

By HCNewton

On April 27, 2022

In Audiobook, Humor, Non-Fiction

How to Be Perfect:
The Correct Answer to
Every Moral Question

by Michael Schur (Writer, Narrator)
with: Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, and Todd May

DETAILS:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: January 25, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 13 min.
Read Date: April 11-13, 2022

What’s How to Be Perfect About?

From the Publisher’s Website:

Most people think of themselves as “good,” but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more so we can sound cool at parties and become better people.

Schur starts off with easy ethical questions like “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” (No.) and works his way up to the most complex moral issues we all face. Such as: Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad? And much more. By the time the book is done, we’ll know exactly how to act in every conceivable situation, so as to produce a verifiably maximal amount of moral good. We will be perfect, and all our friends will be jealous. OK, not quite. Instead, we’ll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day.

Schur did a lot of thinking, reading, and research into ethics as he was creating and writing The Good Place, this book comes out of that—it’s not quite the same as the classes that Chidi Anagonye would give, but it’s about as close are you’re going to get.

Morally Problematic Sandwiches

The most important part of becoming better people, I’ll say yet again, is that we care about whether what we do is good or bad, and therefore try to do the right thing. If we love a problematic person or thing too much to part with it altogether, I think that means we have to keep two ideas in our head at the same time: I love this thing. The person who made it is troubling.

One of the chapters I found most interesting—for a variety of reasons—is Chapter Ten, “This Sandwich Is Morally Problematic. But it’s also Delicious. Can I Still Eat It?”

For a range of issues, a lot of people struggle with things like watching Woody Allen or Kevin Spacey movies; listening to Michael Jackson; enjoying The Cosby Show; reading J. K. Rowling, Orson Scott Card, or Stacey Abrams novels; or eating Chick-fil-A or Burger King. This chapter explores how someone can enjoy these things while maintaining their ethical/political/social position.

Like almost every topic Schur addressed, I enjoyed seeing the way he approached the topic, and the kind of thinking he applied to it, more than I liked his conclusions. Although, I think I came closer to agreeing with him on this one than the rest. This is a common thread for me when it comes to non-theistic/atheistic philosophy, so I go into something like this expecting it. Interestingly, Schur’s conclusions on this idea come close to Alan Jacobs’ (Christian) conclusions in Breaking Bread with the Dead—not identical, but they strike me as pretty compatible.

The Narration

I frequently approach author-narrated works with a degree of trepidation, but I didn’t this time. Michael Schur knows what he’s doing, and I reflexively assumed that. He’s very capable of delivering this material in an interesting, almost conversational manner—as this book is a crystalization of his thoughts and the result of his research, he’s a great vehicle for this material.

And then there’s the rest of the cast…clearly, when Schur thinks “Virtue Ethics” he thinks about The Good Place and got the cast involved (along with Todd May, an actual ethicist). Would Schur on his own have been fine? Absolutely. But just having different voices helps break up what could be dry listening and add a level of variety that helps, it’s also good for distinguishing Schur’s words from a citation from any number of sources. And any time you can add Ted Danson’s voice to something, you know it’s going to improve things (I wonder if I could handle Marc Evan Jackson for an entire audiobook, or would that be too much of a good thing?).

I did have to do a mental double-take every time Manny Jacinto read, I’m not used to his normal voice.

Basically, narrator-wise, there’s nothing to complain about here.

So, what did I think about How to Be Perfect?

This is one of those books that invites you to stop and think about it. I don’t have the time or energy to do this, but what I really wanted to do when I finished this was to buy a hard copy of the book and sit down to work through it a few times to really engage with the ideas. I know myself well enough to realize I wouldn’t do it—or wouldn’t do it well enough to satisfy myself. But that was my initial reaction.

It’s a good book—it’s problematic in some of/many of its conclusions, sure, but it’s still a good book. Because of the nature of the show that this is based on, Schur produced something that assumes God does not exist. He doesn’t come out and deny or question it*, he simply writes as if that’s not something to be considered. So I’m obviously not going to be able to agree with everything he says, and will ultimately find fatal flaws to some of his conclusions—but that’s me. You’ll have your own set of issues, I’m sure. But when it comes to recent(ish) pop-philosophy books, this is better than many.

* Later in the book, there’s at least one shot at the notion of a reliable set of scriptures, or those who would pay attention to them, at any rate. But As far as attacks on religion go, it’s pretty mild.

I truly appreciated and enjoyed the way that Schur was able to explain the concepts he was wrestling with and the way he used humor throughout. Using himself as an example of ethical reasoning—especially as a negative example—made it all much more relatable, too. He never comes across as “you should live like this” but as “here’s what I’ve learned, here’s where I struggle, walk alongside me.”

Would I listen to this again? Yeah, absolutely. Would I go through the hard copy of the book? Sure (especially if I could find a way to take the time to do it right). Would I suggest you get the book in the medium of your choice? Absolutely. Entertaining, educational, funny, and thought-provoking. I’m not sure what else you could ask for.

4 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, opinions are my own.

Old Made New by Greg Lanier: A Practical and Engaging Guide for Laypeople

By HCNewton

On April 24, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Old Made New:
A Guide to the New Testament
Use of the Old Testament

by Greg Lanier

DETAILS:
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: April 12, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 137
Read Date: April 10-17, 2022

What’s Old Made New About?

Lanier’s goal is to enable the average reader of the New Testament to understand how and why the authors would use an Old Testament passage at a particular point. As often as the NT uses the OT, that’s so important.

He begins—and this is beyond sad that he has to—by explaining why the reader of the NT would want to understand their use of the OT. He then differs his approach from others—primarily he’s not going to get bogged down in or distracted by technical considerations. As interesting as I find that kind of thing, he has a point.

In Chapter 1, he explains his method for analyzing the NT usage of a portion of the OT (I won’t get into that here), and then he spends the next few chapters demonstrating it.

The bulk of the book consists in tracing the NT authors’ engagement with the OT along three major themes:
Chapter 2—articulating the gospel in terms of the saving work of God in history and the gift of salvation to individual believers
Chapter 3—articulating the fullness of Jesus in his person and work, both as divine Son and human Savior
Chapter 4—articulating the identity of the church as eschatological Israel, as well as its mission and conduct for today

Each chapter has a mix of shorter examples that help prove out these themes, as well as longer case studies (six per chapter) that model for the reader how to do the work.

Appendix

There is a fourteen-page appendix to this book, “Inventory of New Testament Uses of the Old Testament,” listing most of the major agreed-upon uses of the Old Testament in order of New Testament chapter and verse, and then notes what kind of NT usage (Quotation, Allusion, Citation). There are some disagreements about what verses are NT uses of the Old, so Lanier keeps it to those with widespread agreement.

This is a very useful list both for the sake of reference and to help the reader practice the principles in the book. I know I’m coming back to this appendix.

I would’ve liked another version of this list using the same data, but in order of the OT book/chapter/verse—only to make things easier.

So, what did I think about Old Made New?

Lanier did a great job of balancing explaining his points with demonstrating the principles, and showing why the reader would want to use these principles. This is an engaging book, an eminently practical read, and an easy-to-use hermeneutic guide.

I really liked Lanier’s 3-step approach to analyzing the usages, it’s easy to wrap your brain around both as an example and for following the example. His case studies are both great object lessons and interesting for what he shows about the passage. I’d have had no problem reading these chapters if they were twice as long for personal benefit. Getting a handle on tools like this is such an aide for personal study and understanding, and Lanier’s given the Church a great gift with such an easy-to-understand and easy-to-use guide.

I definitely recommend this to your attention, study, and application. You’ll be rewarded.

4 Stars

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Blessed Are the Bank Robbers by Chas Smith: Not as Catchy as a Story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue

By HCNewton

On April 21, 2022

In Non-Fiction

Blessed Are the Bank Robbers:
The True Adventures of an Evangelical Outlaw

by Chas Smith

DETAILS:
Publisher: Abrams Press
Publication Date: March 14, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 264 pg.
Read Date: April 11-18, 2022

What’s Blessed Are the Bank Robbers About?

From the Publisher’s Site:

Chas Smith grew up deeply enmeshed in the evangelical Christian world that grew out of Southern California in the late 1960s. His family included famous missionaries and megachurch pastors, but his cousin Daniel Courson was Grandma’s favorite. Smith looked up to Cousin Danny. He was handsome, adventurous, and smart, earned a degree from Bible college, and settled into a family and a stable career.

Needless to say, it was a big surprise when Cousin Danny started robbing banks. Known as the “Floppy Hat Bandit,” Courson robbed 19 of them in a torrid six-week spree before being caught and sentenced to seven years. When he tried to escape, they tacked on another year. And when he finally got out, despite seeming to be back on the straight and narrow, Cousin Danny disappeared. Banks started getting robbed again. It seemed Cousin Danny might be gunning for the record.

Smith’s Blessed Are the Bank Robbers is the wild, and wildly entertaining, story of an all-American anti-hero. It’s a tale of bank robberies, art and jewel heists, high-speed chases, fake identities, encrypted Swiss email accounts, jilted lovers, and the dark side of an evangelical family (and it wasn’t just Danny; an uncle was mixed up with the mujahideen). It’s a book about what it means to live inside the church and outside the law.

Some of the material in this book comes straight from Courson himself—emails while he was a fugitive and writing he did while in prison to describe his career.

Other Bank Robbers

Scattered throughout are descriptions of other prodigious bank robbers, their streaks, and their methods. Most of these are pretty interesting and probably worth a book themselves. It’s not my typical genre, but there are a couple of these that I’d jump on.

So, what did I think about Blessed Are the Bank Robbers?

Well, it wasn’t bad. A lot of it was pretty entertaining and well-written. Significant portions of it were a blast and really sucked me in. But for every section of the book that sang, there was a section or more that fell flat. I had high hopes for this one and none of them were met.

This felt like the journalism surrounding Capone and the like during their heyday—it was a celebration of Courson’s crimes. The acknowledgment that his crimes caused actual harm came from Courson himself in a throwaway comment. Sure, it’s exciting to read about this kind of crime and Courson is clearly a charismatic figure. But celebrating him like this left a bad taste in my mouth. Then sending emails back and forth with him while he’s “on the lam”* and daydreaming about following in his footsteps? Were Smith a starry-eyed adolescent, I could accept it, but in a father? It discredited the author in my eyes (it would’ve taken a 2-sentence paragraph where he acknowledged the problem with it).

* I did appreciate getting the etymology of that phrase.

I don’t think Smith did an effective job of exploring the link between Courson’s Calvary Chapel upbringing and his turning to a life in crime—it’s there if you look for it (and make some assumptions), but if you’re going to put “Evangelical” in the subtitle, you need to expand on this.

There was a lot of promise in the premise, some entertaining/informational moments, and it was an easy read—but ultimately, it was a letdown. I fully expect that others won’t stumble over the things I did (some of which are above), and I don’t know that I would argue with them.

2 1/2 Stars

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Instruction in Christian Love by Martin Bucer, Paul Traugott Fuhrmann (Translator): A 16th Century Classic We Need Today

By HCNewton

On April 17, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Instruction in Christian Love [1523]

by Martin Bucer, Paul Traugott Fuhrmann (Translator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication Date: August 4, 2008
Format: Paperback
Length: 52 pg.
Read Date: April 10, 2022

What’s Instruction in Christian Love About?

This was written in response to some requests to expand on Bucer’s “sketchy lectures,” on the topic. In this brief book, he considers two ideas:

…according to the Scripture I exhort every one of you not to live for himself, but for his neighbor. I shall later show how to attain this ideal, for it can be realized in this world and life…

There are two chapters in the work, the exhortation, and application.

The Exhortation to not live for yourself, but for your neighbor takes the bulk of the work. Bucer begins by showing this obligation comes from the way humans were created and that the obligation continues—particularly for the believer. He then goes on to decry men seeking their own advantage, how that fuels injustice, wrapping up by saying the Christian not only shouldn’t seek their own advantage but should give up what is rightly due to them in order to promote the well-being of others.

The second chapter focuses on how the believer can carry out their duties—it was helpful and convincing. Almost everything he says here isn’t exclusive to this call to self-abnegation, but can be applied to most/all Christian duties. Which makes it more valuable, really.

So, what did I think about Instruction in Christian Love?

It’s a short work, so there’s not much to say. The second chapter is useful and can even be easily applied to the modern reader (sometimes 16th Century works are harder to relate to in their application).

But the treasure of this book is in the convicting and inspiring first chapter. I really had to be impressed with some of Bucer’s arguments and interpretation.

I came across a mention/description of this book in Meador’s What Are Christians For?, and I probably should’ve waited longer between the two—I couldn’t appreciate this work for Bucer’s genius as Meador’s words were still echoing in my ears. If I came to it fresher, I think I’d be more impressed.

But oh, well, it’s still a good work—and an easy read (outside of the conviction) that was well worth the time, and in years to come will be a very profitable re-read for me.

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, opinions are my own.