Category: Non-Fiction Page 32 of 62

What Are Christians For? Life Together at the End of the World by Jake Meador: A View for Living in Culture and Nature

DETAILS:
Publisher: IVP
Publication Date: February 21, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 170 pg.
Read Date: March 27- April 3, 2022

God looks at this world and loves it, which is why we can and should do the same. This world is not something we should seek to escape through conquest or bend to our will through technique, power, or control. Rather, it is a gift given to us by God for our joy and his glory. Because God is love and his law is good, we can look at our neighbor and love him or her. Because God gave himself to us, we can give ourselves to others. We can confidently and joyfully enter into these debts of love that we build up over a lifetime of living in the world, and we can dispense them with extravagance, trusting that whatever wrongs we might experience today as a result of such living will be gathered up and made right in the glorious and perfect love of God.

The Back of the Book

What does a Christian political witness look like in our day?

Politics ought to be defined by fidelity to the common good of all the members of society. But our modern Western politics are defined by a determination to bend the natural world and human life to its own political and economic ends. This wholesale rejection of the natural order is behind the dominant revolutions in our history, and defines our experience in Western society today—our racialized hierarchy, modern industry, and the sexual revolution.

In What Are Christians For?, Jake Meador lays out a proposal for a Christian politics rooted in the givenness and goodness of the created world. He is uninterested in the cultural wars that have so often characterized American Christianity. Instead, he casts a vision for an ordered society that rejects the late modern revolution at every turn and is rooted in the natural law tradition and the great Protestant confessions. Here is a political approach that is antiracist, anticapitalist, and profoundly pro-life. A truly Christian political witness, Meador argues, must attend closely to the natural world and renounce the metallic fantasies that have poisoned common life in America life for too long.

Faithful Presence

In his discussion of the Christian response to those revolutions, Meador borrows a scheme from James Davison Hunter describing the four postures Christians have taken: defensive against, relevance to, purity from, and faithful presence.

He doesn’t spend a lot of space—but sufficient space—defining and then critiquing the first three, but gives more space to faithful presence. And actually, everything he argues for in the remainder of the book could fit in this category. I want to say I’d heard of Hunter’s categories before this, but I can’t remember where (in print or lecture). But first off, I really appreciated the schema in terms of describing how the American Church has responded. But even more, I appreciated Meador’s explanation of faithful presence and then his application of it.

Influences

Meador builds the arguments in this book on the work of Herman Bavinck—particularly his book, Christian Worldview. But he’s drawing on several other thinkers and writers from across the theological spectrum (a methodology borrowed from Bavinck). You can see the fingerprints of Lewis, Tolkien, Wendell Berry, John Paul II, Solzhenitsyn, Martin Bucer—and others. There’s a breadth of influences here that’s impressive and adds a lot to the arguments (and makes narrow-minded guys like me a little uncomfortable).

So, what did I think about What Are Christians For??

What did [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn] propose as a way through the revolution? We must turn, our eyes upward to the heavens, he said, not as a place to conquer, as his compatriots in the space program believed, but as a reminder that our lives exist as a vapor in the wind, and then comes the judgment.

We do not conquer the heavens; we are judged by them. And if we fail to discover the sources of spiritual health, there is nothing else for us. Our spiritual lives will continue to be trampled on by the weight of our age. And if our spiritual lives are destroyed, no amount of wealth or power can atone for such a loss.

This seems like one of those books that I need to read a handful of times and then read some scholarly reviews—pro and con—before I can really say I have a handle on the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments. Thankfully, this isn’t that kind of blog.

How did it read? Very nicely. Meador’s writing is strong, it’s clear, and he’s able to express complex thoughts in a very digestible manner. Sure, I think I need to read it a few more times before I could say I mastered the thoughts—but that’s on me, not the text, this is just not the kind of thing I spend a lot of time thinking about. I appreciated Meador being critical of both the American Left and the American Right (you rarely see that in Christian literature), while putting forth a vision built on the best of the Christian traditions.

I don’t think Meador offers a perfect solution to the situation we find ourselves in, but there’s a lot of insight and wisdom to be found in these pages. And even if it’s not perfect, it’s a whole lot better than anything else I’ve found.

4 1/2 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.

Recovering Our Sanity: How the Fear of God Conquers the Fears that Divide Us by Michael Horton

By HCNewton

On April 3, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Recovering Our Sanity:
How the Fear of God Conquers
the Fears that Divide Us

by Michael Horton

DETAILS:
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date:  February 14, 2022 
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: February 27-March 13, 2022

Even in more conservative contexts today, the reading of a “fear of God” passage is often quickly followed up with an explanation, dying the death of a thousand qualifications. The upshot is that fear doesn’t really mean “fear.” In such widespread dismissals we are not only failing to give God his due but are depriving ourselves and each other of the only antidote to the crippling fears that haunt us.

…The fear of God leads to trust, and trust bears the fruit of the Spirit, producing a harvest of blessings for ourselves and for others. Fear really is worship— we fear what we believe is ultimate, what we think has the last word over our lives.

What’s Recovering Our Sanity About?

In Part 1, “The Fear to End All Fears,” the goal is to remind readers about the Biblical virtue of the Fear of God—what it means, how it contrasts to other fears, and how when our focus is on the Fear of God, other fears lose significance and power.

In Part 2, “Facing Our Fears with Eyes Raised to God,” Horton puts shoe leather to this understanding of Fear of God vs. other fears. He looks at our fears of death, suffering, disease, the future—and, perhaps most importantly, other human beings.

Confronting Our Fear of Each Other

Once we regain the fear of God— indeed, of Christ as well (he’s not just the friend of sinners but the judge of all)—and face up to who we are before him, coming with empty hands to receive his Son, we’ll begin to lose this fear of the world. We will not be embarrassed when the unkempt widow sings off-key with the gusto of heartfelt conviction or when the building is drab or if we have never had a brush with greatness and our pastor has never been photographed with anybody in the news. The faithful preaching of the Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper; the gracious care, encouragement, and warnings of elders and the wider body; the extension of Christ’s love for temporal needs through the deacons; common prayers, singing, confession of our faith and of our sins, Christ’s declaration of forgiveness, and even God’s greeting at the beginning and his benediction at the end— all these will seem so marvelously familiar and new to us at the same time. And then we will begin to not need the world’s affection any longer.

Roughly the last third of the book is taken up by the third part of Part 2, “Confronts Our Fear of Each Other.” In this Horton talks about the fear we have of other Christians and other people outside the Church—there’s a focus on social and political issues and how American Christians ought to react to them instead of how we tend to. Horton avoids a “Left Wing” or “Republican” response—finding positive things on both sides of an issue (many of which shouldn’t find binary responses, but it seems impossible for Americans to do anything else), as well as things to critique on both sides.

Horton goes out of his way not to demonize those who disagree, but reminds his readers that there are those on each side who are fellow image-bearers, and all need Christ more than they need to be corrected or encouraged about their stances on any issue. The Church’s calling is to set aside the focus on the temporal and point others to the eternal and the world to come, while showing our gratitude for Christ’s work by serving those around us.

This sub-section is worth the price of the book (not that the rest was a waste).

So, what did I think about Recovering Our Sanity?

My goal in this book is not to take sides in cultural and political debates. Instead, it is to raise our eyes to heaven so that our sanity can be restored, as Nebuchadnezzar experienced in Daniel 4.

There were more than a few times where I wondered if Horton had lost track of the thesis of the book—I found each chapter, each topic that he covered very valuable and was impressed by the wisdom that Horton offered.

But I was wrong about that—and by the end, it was easier to see where he was going all along. Horton’s been one of those writers that have been helpful to me for a couple of decades now and it’s good to see that hasn’t changed.

There’s a lot to chew on here, and as I said, a lot of wisdom to be gleaned. I can’t imagine every reader is going to agree with everything he has to say (and I can’t believe that Horton expects that, either)—but his major points are sound, Biblical, and needed by the American Church so that we remember what our priorities are supposed to be.

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.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: Some Audiobooks from Feb. & March 2022

By HCNewton

On April 1, 2022

In Audiobook, Don Winslow, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Here are some audiobooks that I’ve listened to in the last couple of months, and I really don’t have much to say about them—all are worth the time to listen to (or read, if you prefer), I just don’t have enough to say to make up a typical post.

Hard Reboot

by Django Wexler, Morgan Hallett (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication Date:  May 24, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 3 hrs., 57 min.
Read Date: March 14-15, 2022

(the official blurb)
This just seemed like a lot of fun when it was published last year, so when I saw it on the library site, I had to jump on it. And it was fun.

But it was a bit too short—I know that’s by design, but it felt too abrupt. You got fighting robots on the cover, I want more than two major fights. Sure, the fights we get are pretty cool, but I wanted more.

If this was 20 percent longer, I’d have been happy. As it was? I was satisfied.
3 Stars

Demon Magic and a Martini

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound Series, #4
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: April 22, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 15 min.
Read Date: March 9-10, 2022

(the official blurb)
So, um…yeah. This was okay.

For the second book in a row, we get to peel back the mysterious backstory of one of Tori’s new best friends while they’re battling a new magical threat. This time it’s demons—and rival guilds. One of which is pretty ethically challenged.

It was a bit too similar to the previous book for me. But it delivered the same kind of quippy UF action that characterizes the series. It’s entertaining enough to keep going with the series—and to recommend them—I just want to see a little more out of them.
3 Stars

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead

by Elle Cosimano, Angela Dawe (Narration)

DETAILS:
Series: Finlay Donovan, #2
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: January 31, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hr., 20 min.
Read Date: February 25-28, 2022

(the official blurb)
I was a little worried how the premise would carry over to a sequel, and I clearly shouldn’t have—largely because Cosimano didn’t just repeat the way the first book went. It was very much an “okay, so now with that finished, what comes next?”—assuming that Finlay and Vero don’t just wholly abandon their new revenue stream.

We get some important new information about Vero—making a lot of what she did in the first book make sense. Finlay makes some smart romantic moves—and there’s some decent movement on the divorce front.

All in all, a solid sequel that shows that this can be a series with legs, not just a quirky one-off.
3 Stars

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law

by Mary Roach

DETAILS:
Publisher: Brilliance Publishing
Publication Date: September 13, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 17 min.
Read Date: January 31-February 1, 2022

(the official blurb)
So this is about what happens when animals and humans have a hard time co-existing—which basically means when animals being animals inconvenience (or worse) humans. Was that hiker killed by an animal, or did they die of other causes and become food for an animal? What happens when we put a building where an animal expected to be able to be?

I don’t think it was as amusing as Roach tried to make it. It was interesting, but it went on too long and therefore became less-interesting the longer it went on. I don’t remember anything more specific than that—which says something about the book. It just didn’t hold my attention for long.

This is my first Mary Roach book—and maybe would’ve been my last if I hadn’t run into a couple of other bloggers who are Roach fans that were as tepid as I was about the book. Still, I’m going to get a bit more distance between this book and my next.
3 Stars

Murder Under Her Skin

by Stephen Spotswood, Kirsten Potter

DETAILS:
Series: A Pentecost and Parker Mystery, #2
Publisher: Random House Audio
Publication Date: December 6, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 40 min. hrs and 40 mins
Read Date: March 28-29, 2022

(the official blurb)
The circus that Will used to be in is in trouble—one of their performers has been killed and another has been arrested. Will’s mentor, to be specific. So she and Lillian Pentecost head down south to see what they can do.

It’s a culture clash (both the South and the circus) for the duo—Will learns the hard way that maybe she’s been gone too long—as well as a fish out of water kind of thing for Pentecost. Although not as much as Will and the reader might expect.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than the predecessor—it’s still a bit too much about Will and her current love interest than it is about Pentecost and the case they’re supposed to be working on. The mystery was clever, the character arcs were solid and Will’s narrative voice is strong enough to keep the reader/listener locked in.
3 Stars

Free Billy

by Don Winslow, Ed Harris (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Dawn Patrol 
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: 2022
Format: Audiobook
Length:1 hr., 6 min.
Read Date: March 30, 2022

(the official blurb)
This is a silly, fun, and sweet story in the world of The Dawn Patrol (one of my top 5 All-Time books), all our favorites get a quick appearance and we’re introduced to a couple of new characters.

Despite being in the same world as the crime novels that introduced Winslow to me, there’s no crime to be found here.

Which is fine—it’s not needed in this short story. It’s just a fun story about one of Boone’s friends. I laughed audibly more than once, and just enjoyed the story as a whole—I just wish it was longer so I could spend more time in this world. The story didn’t require it.

Ed Harris gives exactly what you’d expect from him in an audiobook narration—near perfection. I thought his stuff was great.
5 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.

Glorification: An Introduction by Graham A. Cole: A Vital, and Ill-Understood, Topic

By HCNewton

On March 27, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Glorification: An Introduction

by Graham A. Cole

DETAILS:
Series: Short Studies in Systematic Theology
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: April 19, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 121 pg.
Read Date: March 20,

What’s Glorification: An Introduction About?

This book is focused on a particular aspect of individual eschatology—glorification, although Cole touches on the other aspects of eschatology, too. The first chapter focuses on the glory of God—it is His glory shared with believers, so it’s right to start there. The fifth and final chapter gets a bit speculative about who will and won’t be glorified. The three chapters in between those two are the heart and focus of the book. Cole begins by sketching God’s project following the fall in restoring the image (and glory) lost. He then shows the beginning of the work of glorification in the sanctification of believers in this life. He ends this portion of the book by looking at what we know about the glorification in the New Earth—which is where the cosmic and ecclesiastical aspects of glorification are looked at, in addition to the individual.

So, what did I think about Glorification: An Introduction?

Cole talks a little at the beginning of the book about the lack of book-length looks at this topic. I’m not convinced that this is the best way to address the lacuna. It’s good and useful, but maybe it’s too speculative. Maybe setting out to do more than it needed to for this introduction. Throughout the work, Cole takes some close looks at pivotal texts on the topic of glory, sanctification, and glorification—these are the highlight of the work and are very valuable. I’m less convinced that what he does outside of those exegetical portions are nearly as useful. Maybe if given more space to develop some of his ideas, I might have a different impression. In the end, I’m glad I read this and will return to it for the exegetical moments and gladly recommend it.

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. 2022

REPOSTING JUST CUZ: Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? by L. Michael Morales

By HCNewton

On March 20, 2022

In Theology/Christian Living

Fatigue is winning over my will to get the post I intended for today finished. So, I’m going to repost this—I’ve been thinking a lot about this book recently, but I feel like I remember too much of it to commit, even if I want to master the arguments. I didn’t do justice to the book when I wrote the original post, but maybe it’ll nudge someone to read the book.

Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of the Book of Leviticus

by L. Michael Morales
Series: New Studies in Biblical Theology, #37Paperback, 306 pg.
IVP Academic, 2015
Read: October 16 – November 27, 2016

So this is another one of those books that I’m not really qualified to talk about, but . . . whoops, here I go.

Morales doesn’t give us what you typically find/look for in a study of Leviticus — detailed explanations — or dodges — of the various purity laws and other commands and regulations contained in it. Instead, he begins by explaining his conclusion that Leviticus is the center of the Pentateuch, and that Chapter 16 is the center of it. Beginning in Genesis, everything is leading up to the Day of Atonement, and then everything from that is to be seen as the result of, or in light of that day.

That’s a lousy summary, but that’s the best you’re going to get from me in a couple of sentences. The argument is so detailed, so complex that I can’t really do much better without spending a few pages on it — and no one wants to read that (especially since you can read Morales doing a better job). At first, I thought that it was an interesting idea, but it really didn’t matter much. But as I read on and understood what he was doing better, it started to capture my imagination and draw me in. This was well argued, well researched — and well explained for even non-technical types like me.

But when it comes to Biblical Theology, the proof in the pudding comes from tying in his theses to the unfolding story of redemption — first in Israel’s story and then showing how it leads to Christ and His work on earth, His Ascension and pouring out of His Spirit to prepare a people to meet with Him on Mount Zion. The last two chapters were fantastic — and I’m going to have to reread them a few times to really wrap my brain around it all. There were moments of beauty here — it’s hard for an academically-inclined work to inspire and touch the emotions of a reader, but Morales did it.

This volume is the first I’ve read in New Studies in Biblical Theology (I believe it’s the first I heard of it, too) — the series is edited by D. A. Carson. The series aims “to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead. . . While volume notes interact with the best of recent research, the text of each work avoids untransliterated Greek and Hebrew or too much specialist jargon. The volumes are written within the framework of confessional evangelicalism, but they also engage a variety of other relevant viewpoints and significant literature.” If this is a representative volume, it won’t be my last in the series. If I can just pick another — the list of 41 is daunting — just too many choices.

Anyway, Who Shall Ascend was a challenging, interesting, educational and inspiring work — there’s not much more that you can ask for. If you’re up for the work, I heartily recommend it.

—–

4 Stars

The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson: A Hilarious Fantasy Filled with Adventure and Shenanigans. Definitely Shenanigans.

By HCNewton

On March 14, 2022

In Fantasy, Fiction, Humor

The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True

by Sean Gibson

DETAILS:
Publisher: The Parliament House
Publication Date: December 10, 2020
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 358 pg.
Read Date: March 10-12, 2022

I am, if not the most well-known bard in Erithea (yet), arguably the most talented, and unarguably the cleverest. I also wouldn’t quibble if you suggested that I’m the most beautiful, but that’s just because I’m very agreeable (and beautiful)…

Decades ago, I was sworn to secrecy regarding the true story of the great and terrible “Dragonia,” but recent developments have released me from that promise, and so I can finally tell the tale.

What’s The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True About?

This is that true story about Dragonia, told alongside the “official” account so the reader can see how the details were adjusted and tweaked to create the story everyone knows.

The town (or village, depending on who you ask) of Skendrick is being terrorized by a dragon—crops are being ruined, trade is disrupted, and the town is about to fall apart. Desperate, they put out a call for adventurers to come and kill the dragon. But they get no takers—so they go to Plan B. The villagers (or townspeople) pool their meager resources to hire a bard. This bard is to compose a song to make the attempt to kill the dragon sound appealing enough—and its treasure (which may or may not actually exist) enticing enough—to get a band of adventurers to come.

This is where Heloise comes in. She takes the gig and soon gets a new and yet unaccomplished band of adventurers to take up the call to action. I don’t want to get into describing the group, you want to meet them in the book.

They encounter difficulties from without and within; nasty, malodorous geography; orcs and other creatures; and, well, the dragon.

Heloise the Bard

“You’re not half as funny as you think you are, as I suspect you have a very high opinion of yourself.”

“My opinion of myself is in direct proportion to my amazingness,” I said sweetly.

The half-elf, Heloise the Bard is our narrator—as you can tell from the quotations above, she has a fairly high opinion of herself and her abilities. She’s also rather impressed with her hair and certain other physical attributes. Probably her greatest skill is self-promotion.

She decides to accompany the adventurers, to chronicle their journey and the outcome of their clash with the dragon. Her wit and quick thinking prove valuable to their effort and her particular set of skills make all the difference.

She is a hoot. It’d be easy for Heloise to be an annoying, over-the-top character, but somehow Gibson keeps her as an entertaining, over-the-top character. I’ve been trying to come up with a character to compare her to, and I’m failing. Maybe she’s the Fantasy version of Evanovich’s Lula, except Heloise has the skills that Lula thinks she has. Maybe she’s the equivalent of High Fidelity‘s Barry. Somewhere in the Venn Diagram featuring Fantasy, Lula, and Barry, I guess.

She appears in a couple of other books by Gibson, and I’m eager to spend some more time with her.

The Humor

The section could easily be merged with the previous one because the humor displayed in the book is primarily Heloise’s. The jokes are pretty much non-stop—even in the middle of fight scenes, or when death is nigh. The danger is still present, and the combat (and so on) is as deadly as it would be in another book—it’s just surrounded by laughs.

It didn’t take me long before I’d highlighted too many lines to quote—not that it stopped me from going on. My notes on this one are ridiculous. I kept chuckling throughout the reading. I probably would’ve finished the book in 2/3 the time, if reacting to the jokes didn’t make me stop reading for a moment.

If you’ve read The Tales of Pell, you’ve got a good idea for the pace of the jokes—and tone of the book, too.

There’s slapstick, there’s scatological humor, a great Meatloaf (the singer) line, some fantastic bursts of alliteration for the sake of a laugh, some general silliness, clever dialogue, and…honestly, I’m having a hard time thinking of a kind of humor that’s not in there. There’s a running gag (that I’ve alluded to) throughout about whether Skendrick is a town or a village—I can’t tell you how often it’s brought up. And the joke works every time—I should’ve gotten sick of it, and I never did. I don’t know how Gibson pulled that off, but that alone is the mark of a fantastic humor writer.

In addition to The Tales of Pell, if you’ve enjoyed Christopher Healy, Dave Barry, K.R.R. Lockhaven, Peter David, Scott Meyer, Joe Zieja, Jim C. Hines’ Jig the Goblin series, or John Scalzi—you’re going to dig the humor here. And if you dig the humor, you’re going to really enjoy the book. It’s that simple.

So, what did I think about The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True?

You know by this point that one of my main goals in telling this story is to show that the adventuring life isn’t all it’s thought to be. It’s mostly boring, frustrating, dangerous (though not excitingly dangerous), smelly (dear gods, so smelly), and not particularly lucrative. Occasionally, however, it’s exactly how the songs make it sound, and in those moments, it’s easy to see why people—even smart, capable people like Nadi—would devote their lives to doing something so irrational. Let the record show that entering a dragon’s lair for the first time is one of those moments, and it’s fair to say that each member of our intrepid band experienced more than a frisson of excitement as we crept across that threshold.

I think it’s pretty clear that I had a blast with this book, but I should probably make that explicit. I had a blast reading this book.

I think I should not that this is not a book to read if you’re in a “find out what happened and get to the end of the story” frame of mind. This is a “enjoy the trip, not the destination”/”stop and smell the roses” kind of book. The destination/what happens is fully satisfying, but the getting-there is so much better.

In addition to the jokes and the dragon, there is a running commentary on what “the adventuring life” is like outside of the glamorous or exciting bits. A lot of fantasy novels will show bits of it, but not enough of them do—and most don’t do it this way. For example, The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True contains more description of various odors than every 99% of the fantasy novels I’ve read by a significant factor. If this were a scratch and sniff book…well, I can’t imagine anyone would stock it—you just don’t want that in your warehouse/store. Sure, it’s silly talking about realism in a book featuring orcs, halflings, elves, etc.—but this factor does ground the book and give it a seriousness (for lack of a better term) that makes this more than a collection of jokes.

This is the funniest book I’ve read in 2022, and I can’t imagine it’ll face much competition. It’s got it all, go get your hands on it.

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.

You’re Only Human by Kelly M. Kapic: The Reality and Comfort of Creaturely Finitude

By HCNewton

On March 13, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

You’re Only Human:
How Your Limits Reflect
God’s Design and Why
That’s Good News

by Kelly M. Kapic

DETAILS:
Publisher: Brazos Press
Publication Date: January 17, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 228
Read Date: January 23-30, 2022

What’s You’re Only Human About?

Creaturely finitude is less an idea we discover than a reality we run into.

When we do run into this idea (as we all will), we frequently interpret that reality incorrectly—not recognizing that our limits, our finitude, as part of who we are as creatures (or forgetting that if we do recognize that). As such we can push against them in unhealthy ways, ignore them to our own peril, or see them as the result of sin, not the result of creation.

What Kapic sets out to do is to remind us that part of being a creature is having limits. When we remember that, we can live as we ought—in dependence on the God who made us that way. As he puts it,

Many of us fail to understand that our limitations are a gift from God, and therefore good. This produces in us the burden of trying to be something we are not and cannot be.

Particularity and Limits

Kapic reminds his readers that the doctrine of Creation shouldn’t just be limited to our understanding of Genesis 1-2, but to reflecting on the design, abilities, and limitations of humanity. These limitations would be in place regardless of our fallen state—sure, the fall twists those limitations—but they’re part of the original state.

In the first part of the book, Kapic lays out the theology necessary for this—and ties it to the Gospel, lest we get distracted from what matters most.

Healthy Dependence

The second part of the book talks about the creaturely dependence that flows from this—we aren’t capable of everything we need or want to accomplish, but He is. This is part of created humanity, and it takes on new meaning in Christ.

Tied to this idea of dependence is humility.

Humility consists in a recognition of (and a rejoicing in) the good limitations that God has given us; it is not a regrettable necessity, nor simply a later addition responding to sinful disorders. Even if there had never been a fall into sin, humility would still have the essential character of gratitude for our dependence on God and for his faithful supply of our need. Humility is built on the Creator/creature distinction; its response to sin emphasizes our further need for God to restore us to the fellowship that he always intended us to inhabit.

Kapic spends a lot of time drawing out the implications of this—in light of both Creation and Redemption.

Lament and Gratitude

We can express our humility and dependence in both our lament and our gratitude—this part of the application section of the book was probably the most rewarding to me. Kapic makes the case that they’re mirror concepts rooted in humility and dependence on our Creator and Redeemer, and both ought to be embraced by the believer.

So, what did I think about You’re Only Human?

It took me over a month to be mostly satisfied with what I wanted to say about this book—an example of creaturely finitude, come to think of it. I struggled over this—really wanting to get into all of his ideas and arguments. But that’s not what this blog is for (thankfully, or I’d be working on this post for another six months, minimum). I’ve trimmed this post a few times while putting it together, in fact, because I kept getting in the weeds.

You’re Only Human is the kind of book that I really don’t think I got a handle on after one read—I’m planning on a re-read this summer, in fact. I’ve got a general sense of it, but I want to return to it having a bird’s-eye view, so I can appreciate more of the details.

I don’t know if this is going to hit every reader like it did me—very likely it won’t—but this is just what I needed. Still, I think what Kapic has to say will resonate with and be helpful for many.

4 1/2 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 Not to Be an *SS by Andrew J. Bauman: Essays on Important Topics, That Fall a Little Short

By HCNewton

On March 6, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

How Not to Be an *SS:
Essays on Becoming a Good & Safe Man

by Andrew J. Bauman

DETAILS:
Publisher: Brave Books
Publication Date: December 31, 2021
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 192 pg.
Read Date: February 20, 2022

What’s How Not to Be an SS* About?

This is a collection of essays* built around the idea that men who are an *ss (the asterisk is courtesy of Bauman, not me) can change and become a good and safe men.

* Plus a couple of poems. Entirely skippable poems (your results may vary).

Bauman calls men to an authentic, Biblical masculinity—one built on humility, kindness, and service. While offering concrete ways to set aside patterns of abuse and neglect.

Good and Safe Men

Bauman’s description of Good and Safe men is maybe filled with a few too many buzzwords. But when you get past that, I really appreciated what he had to say, and I wish I heard more things like that coming from Reformed and Evangelical men.

His definition of “*ss”

A lot of the time he’s talking about an *ss, he’s talking about something worse. Something like a felon (perhaps not a convicted felon, but someone who should be charged, at least). Most of what he describes as an *ss are abusers. I think we should call them what they are.

Even if you take his *ss as a range—from “The Unaware Fool” (although by definition, some of those he considers unaware, are aware) to “The Narcissistic Coward”—he spends most of his time on “The Narcissistic Coward” when it’s the Fool that would be more open to the help and guidance.

Shortcoming

There are two that seem the most prominent. First, this is an essay collection, not a sustained argument. As a result, it’s a bit scatter-shot and hard to draw any firm conclusions about some of the material. Also, it makes some of the material too surface-level.

Secondly, it’s focused too much on the abusive man, on ways to he can improve. But earlier on, it seemed to be a book for those who weren’t abusive, but are wanting to be better, safer men. Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m all for the former. But I got the impression when I bought the book (and in the early essays) that it was about the latter.

So, what did I think about How Not to Be an SS*?

I’m not sure that what I’ve said here is that helpful without digging in deep into his arguments and suggestions—and to do that is beyond what I have time for here. But hopefully, there’s something useful here.

There’s a lot of good here, a lot of important resources. The theological language is a little imprecise for my taste, but none of it is a deal-breaker for me. The gold outweighs the chaff.

It’s not the book I thought I was getting, but I’m glad that I read it. I wanted more, sure, but I liked what I got.

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.

Why bother with church? by Sam Allberry: A Too-Brief (for me) but Solid Introduction to The Church

By HCNewton

On February 27, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Why bother with church?:
And other questions about
why you need it and why
it needs you

by Sam Allberry

DETAILS:
Series: Questions Christians Ask 
Publisher: Good Book Co.
Publication Date: February 12, 2016
Format: Paperback
Length: 95 pg.
Read Date: February 13, 2022

What’s Why bother with church? About?

Allberry starts with talking about one Sunday walking through a park on his way to his church’s service and how he was tempted to just stay and enjoy the park instead—he didn’t, but it raised the question, why not stay in the park? Why bother with church? Which serves pretty well as an introduction to this short book.

The Table of Contents actually does the best, brief job of telling you what to expect in this book. Sure, it uses 82 pages to answer all these questions, so obviously, none of the answers are too thorough, but they’re all complete enough to give someone a solid start on the ideas presented.

What is church?
Hasn’t the church done more harm than good?
Why do I need church?
What makes a good church?
How should I pick a church?
What are baptism and communion for?
How is a church run?
Can’t I view my small group as my church?
Should pastors and elders only be men?
Why are there so many denominations?
How do I survive church?
How can I be a good church member?
What is the future of the church?

He concludes with an important reminder about what goes on in the church—in both worship and the life beyond the weekly service—pointing to the spiritual realities that are easy to forget.

Highlights

The second level questions appear at the end of the chapter and are a more focused look at something on the chapter’s topic. While I thought Allberry did a decent enough job answering the larger question, these “sub-questions” seem to be a more pressing contemporary question and add good value to the chapter.

The other highlight I’d focus on is Chapter 5, a title that might raise an eyebrow or two. Why would anyone think they need to “survive church”? In this chapter, Allberry tackles the ideas that church can be boring or exhausting (which feel like contradictory ideas unless you’ve actually spent time in a church), which are well and good—and an idea that too few think to tackle. But the best part of the chapter addresses people that have been hurt by the/a church. In too many ways, too many people know that part of church experience. It’s vital that Christians know how to deal with this idea—either for themselves or someone else. I am so glad that Allberry addressed this idea.

Shortcomings

Really, the only thing that stood out was the length—82 pages plus an introduction and conclusion means this is only a primer. For example, the section on “hurt by the church” that I liked so much only gets 12 small-to-medium-sized paragraphs. Which is good, but it’s just a sample of what needs to be said.

I realize that the length of the book is both a strength and a weakness—it’s not intimidating and will be more likely picked up by many than a book that would satisfy this reader. That’s by design, so I don’t hold it against the book, I just find the “sample” length dissatisfying.

So, what did I think about Why bother with church??

Last year, I read The Church: An Introduction and was disappointed with it, thinking it tried to do too much that was beyond an introduction and stumbled most of the time it did that. This was a much better introduction to the idea of The Church. Allberry’s approach was far more approachable, very basic—which doesn’t quite fit that other series. I couldn’t help but think while reading this one that if Allberry’s material was presented with the thoroughness and style of the other one, it’d be a perfect introduction.

That said, given this series’ approach to its topics—very simple, yet careful—or as the publisher describes it, “short, readable books,” this is a great introduction. It covers all the necessary areas in a way that’s clear and understandable by readers from 13 and up (possibly younger). Allberry writes in an easy, conversational tone that’s warm and inviting, you’ll race through the book (possibly requiring deliberate slowing down/rereading).

Is this a book on the topic that I’ll return to? Probably not—I’ll save that for more demanding works. Is this a book on the topic I can give/recommend to anyone looking for something on the idea? Without hesitation.

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.

PUB DAY REPOST: Jumping Sharks and Dropping Mics by Gareth Carrol: Adding Some Flavor to Our Speech

By HCNewton

On February 25, 2022

In Non-Fiction

Jumping Sharks and Dropping Mics:
Modern Idioms and Where
They Come From

by Gareth Carrol

DETAILS:
Publisher: iff Books
Publication Date: February 25, 2022
Format: eARC
Length:176 pg.
Read Date: February 10-11, 2022

What’s Jumping Sharks and Dropping Mics About?

The subtitle pretty much tells you everything you need to know. This is a look at several idioms, expressions, and figures of speech that have entered common usage over since the latter half of the twentieth century.

The introductory chapter describes idioms and their usage, the various types of idioms, the history of a few not-modern examples, and so on. This chapter was great and I could’ve used a whole book on this topic. But that’s something for a future library trip, I guess.

Following that we get chapters devoted to: Idioms from TV (including from commercials); Movies; The Internet (memes, hashtags, and so on); Sports; Modern Literature; and then a handful that have entered common usage without a tie to any of the rest, some from the news. that sort of thing.

Carrol talks about the origin and spread of each idiom, notable uses outside the source, and clarifies the meaning—and other commentary or trivia.

Oh, It’s That Kind of English…

Early on there was something in the back of my mind, like I was missing something. Then I ran across the phrase “TV advert,” and a lightbulb went on over my head. This book comes from the other side of the Atlantic, which is going to affect a little bit what idioms are used.

I’m not complaining or anything, I just had to tweak my expectations and go in knowing that there were going to be a few things I had no previous exposure to or that I’d be going into without the necessary frame of reference.

So, what did I think about Jumping Sharks and Dropping Mics?

The Sports chapter did nothing for me—most of that is my utter disinterest in the category, but a decent chunk of that is due to the number of cricket references. They might as well have been in Greek.

On the other end of the spectrum, as one might expect, the chapter devoted to Modern Literature was my favorite. Not just because of the page or two devoted to Douglas Adams, either. The section on The Right Stuff was a lot of fun.

There weren’t a lot of idioms that were new to me, but there were a handful—I’ve tried them out a little bit in the few days since I read the book, I’m not sure they’re going to stick, but you never know. It’s fun to watch people try to suss out what I meant, at least.

The book was a lot of fun, I appreciated re-familiarizing myself with some of these phrases, and I learned a couple of things, too. It was an entertaining read and just the kind of thing that language nerds should really enjoy.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from John Hunt Publishing Ltd, via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

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.

Category: Non-Fiction Page 32 of 62

The Back of the Book

Faithful Presence

Influences

So, what did I think about What Are Christians For??

What’s Recovering Our Sanity About?

Confronting Our Fear of Each Other

So, what did I think about Recovering Our Sanity?

What’s Glorification: An Introduction About?

So, what did I think about Glorification: An Introduction?

What’s The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True About?

Heloise the Bard

The Humor

So, what did I think about The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True?

What’s You’re Only Human About?

Particularity and Limits

Healthy Dependence

Lament and Gratitude

So, what did I think about You’re Only Human?

What’s How Not to Be an *SS About?

Good and Safe Men

His definition of “*ss”

Shortcoming

So, what did I think about How Not to Be an *SS?

What’s Why bother with church? About?

Highlights

Shortcomings

So, what did I think about Why bother with church??

What’s Jumping Sharks and Dropping Mics About?

Oh, It’s That Kind of English…

So, what did I think about Jumping Sharks and Dropping Mics?

What’s How Not to Be an SS* About?

So, what did I think about How Not to Be an SS*?