Category: Non-Fiction Page 36 of 63

The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

Super Powereds: Year 1

by Drew Hayes, Kyle McCarley (Narrator)
Series: Super Powereds, #1
Unabridged Audiobooks, 26 hrs., 11 min.
Tantor Audio, 2016
Read: November 19-25, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Lander University has a program that most universities don’t. They offer a Hero Certification Program—a way for super-powered students to become qualified to be a super-hero. This book focuses on five particular students—they’re not just super-powered, they’ve got a secret, too.

As the title suggests, this book follows them over the first year—as they grow, increase in power and ability, develop bonds, and so on. The book is a nice mashup of superhero training and dumb college kids being dumb college kids.

I went into this expecting something that felt a lot like Fred, the Vampire Accountant. This was less like it than I thought possible—it’s much longer, it doesn’t feel like a collection of interconnected short stories, it’s a novel.

I was impressed at how different it is, sure. But I liked the story, world, and characters. I’m not sure I’m up for four more in this series, but I have a feeling that Hayes will change my mind.

3.5 Stars

Master of Formalities

by Scott Meyer, Luke Daniels (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 14 hrs., 58 min.
Brilliance Audio, 2015
Read: November 12-17, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Thousands of years in the future, elaborate rules of honor, etiquette, and form have been imposed on the planetary governments to preserve order—even in the midst of war. We’re talking rules that Downton Abbey’s Carson would find overly elaborate and restrictive.

Two planets have been at war for decades—but things have come to a tipping point. It’s up to the two arbiters of these rules on these planets to keep things under control.

This book did something I didn’t expect—I would have admitted it was possible, but wouldn’t have expected that Scott Meyers and Luke Daniels produced something that left me frequently bored and that I had a hard time connecting with at all. It was clever, but that cleverness strayed into convolutedness in the plot. Good enough to listen to, but by a hair.

3 Stars

See Her Die

by Melinda Leigh
Series: Bree Taggert, #2
Kindle Edition, 315 pg.
Montlake, 2020
Read: September 30-October 2, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I don’t have much to say about this book, which is why it’s here, but I wish I did. There’s just something nice about this series, and I’d like to talk about it more.

This is really a follow-up to the first in the series—okay, so Bree got herself the job, what’s she going to do with it? How are the vets in the department and the community as a whole going to handle her coming in? How is she going to do with the whole parental figure for her niece and nephew? Etc. We don’t get definitive answers, but we get some good ideas.

But more importantly, there’s a creepy killer on the loose. In the end, that story is both too outlandish to buy, and I can actually imagine reading about this happening.

I’m coming back for more.

3 Stars

Cold Wind

by C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator)
Series: Joe Pickett, #11
Unabridged Audiobook, 11 hrs., 13 min.
Recorded Books, 2011
Read: August 23-24, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Wow. There’s a lot going on in this one. The events of the Nate story were horrible, but Box pulled it off in a way that will be good for the character/series long-term.

Killing Missy’s husband Earl on the other hand…well, like Joe himself, I’m not crazy about any time we spend with Missy, so making her a focal point of a novel isn’t going to make me thrilled with it. But, I ended up really liking this one, too.

These books don’t inspire a lot of thought or writing from me—and maybe they should—but I do consistently enjoy them. Chandler’s narration is solid as ever. At this point, I don’t think I can switch to the print version of the series—I need his voice for Joe and the gang.

4 Stars

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses

by Kristen O’Neal
Hardcover, 379 pg.
Quirk Publishing, 2021
Read: June 2, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
It’s really bothering me that I haven’t gotten a full post out of this yet—and it’s been long enough (and I lost my notes) that anything I end up saying will be super vague and would be too much work to get a longer post.

In a Discord support for chronic illnesses, a group of people from around the world from a variety of age groups, come together to share struggles common to people with a variety of ailments and disorders. A couple of them realize they live nearby and strike up a friendship. Eventually, one of them disappears from contact for too long, so the other takes it upon herself to go try to find her friend IRL.

It turns out that this friend’s chronic illness is a case of lycanthrophy—things get strange and heartwarming from there.

A lot of this is told in modern-epistolary: texts, emails, Discord chats, tumblr posts, etc., etc. I loved the jumble of methods used to tell the story. It really captures the feel for these characters and their lives.

If you look at places like Goodreads, you’ll see a lot of controversy about elements of this book. I didn’t know about any of it until I’d read the book. 96% of what I saw doesn’t reflect the book, and seems to stem from one or two people who hadn’t read the book. Ignore it all.

This was a fun, earnest story that addresses serious things like living with chronic disease and finding your place in the world along with silly things like Lycanthropy and excessive binge-watching with friends. A nice break from reality that maybe helps you think about some things.

3 Stars

Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives

by Tim Hartford, Nicholas Guy Smith (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 45 min.
Penguin Audio, 2016
Read: December 16-17, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I think I’m going to have to make a point to listen to more Hartford books—between the time I put this on my TBR list and picking it up, I’d forgotten it was by the man behind The Data Detective.

The basic premise is this—people who are messy (not those full of utter chaos in habits or possessions), function better than those who are ruled by rigid standards—either metaphorically or literally. When rules (primarily at work) are too inflexible it hurts productivity and satisfaction in the work.

So let people organize their work and workplaces as they will, don’t impose a filing system on people who don’t want it, etc. Sure, keep things tidy, but beyond that…let the individual reign. That’s a horrible oversimplification, but to do it justice would take…well, most of this book. Just go with that as a thumbnail and read/listen to it. It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, and empowering.

I think this went on a bit too long—perhaps if the last couple of chapters had been excised, it would’ve been better. But I might change my mind on a re-read/re-listen.

3.5 Stars

Stuff You Should Know:
An Incomplete Compendium
of Mostly Interesting Things

by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs.
Macmillan Audio, 2020
Read: December 27-28, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Very little (if any) of this fits into things I should know, and I’m glad the subtitle talks about “Mostly Interesting” things. It’s a strange hodgepodge of in-depth look at topics like…the history of facial hair, Murphy beds, Mezcal, and child prodigies.

It was fine, but nothing special. Before I started it, I figured this would end up turning me into a subscriber to the podcast. It didn’t, but I can see why people would listen to it—the narrators/hosts are pretty engaging and had an interesting approach to their explanations. Maybe it was these topics, the randomness of the topics, or…I don’t know. I just didn’t see the point. It made for a good soundtrack to my workday, but within two days, I’ve pretty much forgotten everything I heard.

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.

Faith in the Time of Plague Edited by Stephen M. Coleman and Todd M. Rester: Reformation and Post-Reformation Voices Speak to Our Moment

By HCNewton

On December 26, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Faith in the Time of Plague

Edited by Stephen M. Coleman and Todd M.Rester

Hardcover, 309 pg.
Westminster Seminary Press, 2021

Read: November 7-December 12, 2021

The main point? Two rocks must be steered clear of: stupid boldness and exceedingly vicious fear. On the first, one does those things that while we fear nothing—would often lose ourselves and others. On the second it happens that as we would look to our own life, we would desert the work of Christ. Therefore, let us fear what can happen if we fail to avoid those evils. But let us be confident in the Lord and let us remain as steadfast as possible—even to the point of death—in our calling and in the work of Christ.

What’s Faith in the Time of Plague About?

The Editors describe the book like this:

The body of extant plague writings is vast and much of it remains unavailable in English. The selections in this book were determined to a great extent by the treasures that came to light in translating the 1655 pamphlet Variorum tractatus theologici de peste, which makes up Part I of the book. This collection of tracts is an unparalleled Post-Reformation treatment of the plague, from pastoral and scholarly points of view. Part II consists of those Reformation and Post-Reformation works that Beza, Rivet, Voetius, and Hoornbeeck [the authors in Part I] engaged with frequently (Zanchi, Abbot, and Ursinus). Alongside those pieces are additional contemporary works that we felt would be especially useful for pastors, scholars, and interested readers to have available in book form (Zwingli, Luther, Lavater, and Rawlet), and which give the reader a more complete picture of the Reformed tradition’s branch of plague writings. Each of these eleven authors addresses the unique questions posited by the plague in distinct ways, yet each does so by definitively Reformed methods—grounded in Scripture, historically informed, and always with the issue of faith in Christ at the forefront.

There are also two appendices, On Mortality by Cyprian of Carthage—a work that multiple authors in the main texts refer to (and likely shape even those who don’t) and the section Prayer and Thanksgiving from the Book of Common Prayer—an application of all the theology of the main texts.

Part 1: Variorum tractatus theologici de peste

The various works in part one are careful, methodical, Scriptural, and thorough—they cover all the bases. The treatise by Beza seems to both reflect the thinking of the rest of the Reformation as much as it shapes everything that comes after (or at least everything in the book).

Some parts of this took some work to get through, but it was worth it.

Part II: Reformation and Post-Reformation Plague Writings

Others sin on the right hand. They are much too rash and reckless, tempting God and disregarding everything which might counteract death and the plague. They disdain the use of medicines; they do not avoid places and persons infected by the plague, but lightheartedly make sport of it and wish to prove how independent they are. They say that it is God’s punishment; if he wants to protect them he can do so without medicines or our carefulness. This is not trusting God but tempting him. God has created medicines and provided us with intelligence to guard and take good care of the body so that we can live in good health.

For me, this part of the book (roughly a third) was the most rewarding. Luther’s Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague covered most/all of the points in Part I, but in a pithier and more digestible fashion. Which is what you expect from Luther, right?

Zwingli’s Plauge Hymn is great. I really don’t know what else to say.

The most moving, the most personal entry in the volume is John Rawlet’s A Letter to my Mother is clearly part of that preparation for death mentioned in the post last week. In this printing, it’s an eleven-page letter* written by an Anglican minister in London sure he was soon to contract the plague and die. He was wrong about contracting the plague and never sent the letter—but he was ready for it.

* Hard to fathom in the age of texts, tweets, and email.

An Unimportant Observation

I’m pretty sure I’ve never run into the word “licit” as often as I have in this work. Like most people (especially those who read a lot of Crime Fiction), I run across “illicit” all the time. But “licit”? Almost never.

Maybe it’s a quirk of the translators, but I doubt it. It’s just refreshing to see the word—and it’s one I’m going to try to use more often.

So, what did I think about Faith in the Time of Plague?

One thing that struck me was how often these Reformation authors appealed to earlier theologians (like Cyprian). But largely not about plagues or other diseases. Instead, it was how they approached the response to persecution—could believers flee from it, or do they have to run toward it or simply wait for it? Both persecution and disease come from the Lord—as both trial and result of sin.

I have to say, I’m not sure I’d have approached it that way before.

Those looking for easy answers to “how would the early Church or Reformers” deal with COVID-19 (or the like)”, will be disappointed. There are no quick and easy answers here. But this can remind readers that the Church has been through similar—and worse—times before. She likely will again. There have been careful, pastoral responses to it in the past, and that can be true again. We don’t have to have a snappy, one-size-fits-all approach at the first sign of trouble, but we are called to gracious, Christ-honoring, people-serving responses.

These are some excellent examples of how to do it. This isn’t the easiest, breeziest thing I’ve read this year—it might even be the furthest from it. But it’s an invaluable resource and I’m glad Westminster Seminary Press brought it to us.

A Sheep Remembers by David B. Calhoun: Remembering Psalm 23

By HCNewton

On December 19, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

A Sheep Remembers

by David B. Calhoun

Paperback, 137 pg.
Banner of Truth Trust, 2021

Read: December 12, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

All the circumstances of the pilgrimage—want, weariness, journeyings, wanderings, perplexities, the shadowed mysteries of the valleys, the thronging enemies, and the infinite beyond—are present; and the singer knows them. They are, however, only mentioned to sing of their negation by the graciousness of the Shepherd. Want is cancelled. For weariness he has green pastures of rest. On journeys he leads by pleasant ways. From wanderings he restores. Through perplexities he guides, and that by right ways. In the valleys of death’s shadow his presence cancels fear. In the presence of enemies he makes a feast, and he is a host royal in bounty.

What’s A Sheep Remembers About?

RIght out of the gate, Calhoun cites Spurgeon: “I cannot say anything new on this text…But I can remind you of old and precious truths,” and that’s pretty much Calhoun’s mission statement, reminding readers about Psalm 23. He’s not trying to shake things up with a new understanding, he’s not going for bold scholarship, or something along those lines. It’s simply an exercise in taking a slow look at what we already know, to remember the old and precious truths.

Each chapter takes a verse (or less) and reflects on it—the chapter starts with a version of the Psalm or a hymn based on it, then there’s a commentary on the phrase(s) examined, something written by a shepherd to help the reader understand (literal) sheep and their ways, illustrations from others to help understand the theme of the chapter and then a part of his own life story. The commentary sections are largely strings of quotations from other writers of various theological persuasions and varying degrees of orthodoxy, with a little addition from Calhoun–mostly to tie them together.

Preparing to Die

Calhoun talks about this in the book a bit—the Puritans had a practice to prepare for death, when terminally ill (or at least when they would suppose they were), they’d meditate on death, and the state of their soul as they neared it. In many ways, that’s what this book was for him.

Calhoun had been battling cancer for years, and he knew his death was imminent—he actually died shortly after delivering the final version of the manuscript to the publishers. You can tell from the latter chapters that he was very aware of the shortness of his time. Which adds some poignancy to this work—particularly the chapters concerning “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” and “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Supplementary Material

I don’t typically talk about this kind of thing—because, why would I? But these merit a mention.

Calhoun includes an Addendum of Additional Versions of Psalm 23—the versions included in the text were good, but I guess that there just weren’t enough chapters for everything he wanted to use. I haven’t seen most of these before and I’m glad I was exposed to them.

The Bibliography is your standard bibliography, but Calhoun includes some personal notes describing the works—that’s a nice touch, and I wish more people would do that.

So, what did I think about A Sheep Remembers?

How could I be joyful when my body was slowly, perhaps not so slowly, dying? I have lost sight in one eye and the other eye is failing, as is my hearing. I have been hospitalized seven or eight times in the last three years with pneumonia. I can no longer swallow food or talk very well. And, most disturbing, my mind is letting me down. How could I be joyful when all this was happening to me? In the valley I learned that joy comes, not from my feelings, nor from my daily experiences, but from the inner conviction that my life is going according to God’s plan. Joy is a gift of God. David wrote, ‘You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound’ (Psa. 4:7).

This book isn’t just about Psalm 23 in the abstract, it’s about Calhoun’s Shepherd guiding him through his cancer. The latter is what made this book worth reading.

Like the other book I’ve read by Calhoun, In Their Own Words, the bulk of the text seems to be tiny quotations—that quotation I open this post with isn’t Calhoun, it’s G. Campbell Morgan—and it’s one of the longest quotations Calhoun uses, many are a single sentence long. It takes a certain genius to have these various sources on hand and be able to cite them together in such a way to present an argument. But really, Calhoun seems to use these to frame his argument, rather than to support it.

I appreciated the work, I profited from it—but I think it could’ve been stronger. If there was more of Calhoun, and less a medley of other writers—I think it would’ve been.

Still, it’s hard to walk away from time in this Psalm and not be refreshed. And the quotations, sayings, metrical versions, and paraphrases assembled here all help that endeavor. It’s hard to say anything bad about that.

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.

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem (Audiobook) by Kliph Nesteroff: One of Those Books You Didn’t Know was Needed Until You Read It

By HCNewton

On December 16, 2021

In Audiobook, Humor, Non-Fiction

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem:
The Unheralded Story of
Native Americans and Comedy

by Kliph Nesteroff

Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 34 min.
Simon & Schuster Audio, 2021

Read: December 8-9, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s We Had a Little Real Estate Problem About?

This book sketches a broad history—roughly from the end of the 19th Century to the present—of Native Americans in comedy. He starts with things like wild west shows and circuses—where people like P. T. Barnum presented “authentic Indian” practices, but would define what was authentic for the people who’d do the performing, and would punish them if they did anything actually authentic. So right away, you know this is going to be a feel-good story.

In the early days of Movies and TV, it’s not much better for most—Indians were stereotyped and usually played by Whites. Sure, you’d get occasional people like Will Rogers as the exception. Nesteroff chronicles the struggles for representation from then up to “Iron Eyes” Cody (and beyond, I’m sure).

Then he sketches out the bright spots for Native Americans in the contemporary comedy scene, from stand-up to theater to TV writing. Nesteroff spent a lot of time on Charlie Hill’s life, career, and legacy—who made a lot of the contemporary advances possible. Frankly, he could’ve spent more time on it and kept me interested (although what he gave was sufficient). His interactions with Richard Pryor was fascinating.

Interspersed with the history are brief profiles of individual comedians/teams and their careers. So it’s not just a history of the industry, but we get spotlights on individuals, too. They were definitely the highlights of the book for me.

How Funny Was It?

Nesteroff kept the narration restrained—he’s a stand-up, so I’m sure his instincts were to perform (at least) a bit more than he did. But he read it the same way you’d read a book about productivity. I’d think that would be particularly difficult when he read a transcript or script from a comedy piece/interview. But even then—the material shone through and I found myself audibly chuckling frequently. Funny stuff is funny (would’ve been funnier in the original, I’m sure, but getting permissions necessary to do that would’ve made this audiobook too expensive to produce)

So, what did I think about We Had a Little Real Estate Problem?

I heard Marc Maron talk about this book a little on his podcast (but I haven’t gotten around to any of the episodes with the author), and it seemed like it’d be up my alley. I love hearing about the business of comedy and the people that are behind it. Focusing on this one story? Sounded like a great idea. And I think Nesteroff pulled it off.

I guess I would think as a history, it’s probably incomplete—but I’m not sure how you can do a comprehensive history of something like this.

I think the central premise of this—media depictions of Native Americans makes them conform too much to a stolid, serious, stoic type—or a tragic one. It’s hard to believe that encompasses any culture—much less the great number of Native American cultures in North America. To promote understanding between cultures in the US and Canada, we ought to see all aspects of them.

The profiles—either brief or extended (like Charlie Hill and Will Rogers)—were interesting enough to make me go check out samples (and sometimes more) of the work. The overall narrative was interesting and optimistic.

I think the book worked—if you’re at all interested in the behind-the-scenes of comedy, about those who make the movies/shows/stand-up you enjoy, you’ll probably think so, too.

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.

Who Is Jesus? Knowing Christ through His “I Am” Sayings by J. V. Fesko

By HCNewton

On December 12, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Who Is Jesus?:
Knowing Christ through
His “I Am” Sayings

by J. V. Fesko

Paperback, 93 pg.
Reformation Heritage Books, 2016

Read: December 5, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Who is Jesus? About?

This book does three things—at the same time—first and foremost, it looks at all fourteen times that Jesus uses the phrase “I am,” in the Gospel of John, and discusses the context and meaning of it. Fesko doesn’t just look at Christ’s meaning of “the door,” “the bread of life,” and so on, but the significance of the use of “I am” (ἐγώ εἰμι, ego eimi).

Secondly, it looks at the “seven signs of divinity” presented in John—and how they’re intertwined in the “I am” sayings. But Fesko doesn’t let the focus linger on these signs.

Lastly, and this is the unique part of this study, is to look at the Old Testament allusions and roots of the fourteen “I am”s. Seeing how Christ was self-consciously pointing to the Scriptures to show how he fulfills them is a real treasure.

Fesko concludes each chapter with a few paragraphs of application to the reader and some questions for further study.

So, what did I think about Who is Jesus??

This might not be the best comparison, but it’s the one that I kept thinking of as I read this, so…if you don’t like this, I’ll give you a full refund for the cost of your subscription.

In The West Wing, there were repeated worries about the President’s approach to things—the way he interacts with people, there’s “The President at his Best”/”The Professor” or “Uncle Fluffy.” Fesko’s books feel like they’re written the same way. For example, Death in Adam, Life in Christ: The Doctrine of Imputation or Word, Water, and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism are products of “The Professor.” Who is Jesus? is pure Uncle Fluffy.

This is not a complaint. This is an observation. Well, okay, maybe a little of a complaint. I’m glad this was the Uncle Fluffy Fesko—I appreciated that this was an accessible, short read—but I think it could’ve used a little more of The Professor. Just a little more depth would’ve been great. But it’s good as it is, just could’ve been a bit better.

At the same time—you give me a version of this book by The Professor? I’m there in a heartbeat.

Who is Jesus? is a quick read (it’s very easy to be too quick about it, I had to tap my breaks a few times), but it’s a good read. There’s a richness to the study of the “I Am” sayings and a real reward to looking at their Old Testament roots. This is well-worth your time, it’d be good for Bible Studies, Sunday Schools—even Family Worship aids.

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.

Dr. Rick Will See You Now by Dr. Rick is a Thing that Actually Exists (and I chuckled at)

By HCNewton

On December 7, 2021

In Humor, Non-Fiction

Dr. Rick Will See You Now

by Dr. Rick

Kindle Edition, 119 pg.
Eleven Letter Press, 2021

Read: December 6, 2021

What’s Dr. Rick Will See You Now About?

I don’t know if my out-of-the-U.S. readers will have been exposed to these commercials, but I assume that everyone in the U.S. has seen these advertisements from Progressive Insurance–Dr. Rick is an expert in “parentamorphisis,” and advises his clients on how to beat it.

What is parentamorphisis? That’s when doing things like owning your first home turns you into your parents and gets you started doing things like making dad jokes, talking too much about parking, giving unsolicited advice at a hardware store, printing out directions for driving, and so on.

This book is a collection of quizzes and tips on how to avoid becoming your parents–a few items are similar/the same as the commercials, but most aren’t. There’s a combination of text, photos, and simple drawings to illustrate

“Dr. Rick”

I didn’t see anywhere in the book (I may have overlooked it) where the author(s) were identified as other than the Dr. Rick character–Progressive Marketing Department, or something like that, I guess. I’d like to give them the credit due, but…I guess that’s not to be.

So, what did I think about Dr. Rick Will See You Now?

This is cute. I find these advertisements pretty amusing, and this is just like sitting down and watching a series of them.

And, hey, it’s free. Free chuckles and something to do for a little bit. That’s a pretty good deal.

3 Stars

Psalms that Curse by Sean McGowan: A Primer on Controversial Prayers

By HCNewton

On December 5, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Psalms that Curse

by Sean McGowan

Kindle Edition, 90 pg.
Reformation Zion Publishing, 2021

Read: November 28, 2021

What’s Psalms that Curse About?

Simply put:

…in our modern day some psalms have seemed to not “make the cut.” To say it another way, some would argue that not all the psalms should be sung or prayed today, particularly the ones that speak out harshly against enemies. Some popular approaches would say that these psalms were for a different time, or only to be used by the old covenant people of God. But the burden of proof rests on them to demonstrate why some of these psalms cannot be sung or prayed today, while the others can. Should the psalms that present “harsh language” and make us uncomfortable at times still be considered relevant for the church today? Should we still be able to sing, and specifically pray, these kinds of prayers today?

McGowan first sketches out the role of the Psalms and then ends with the question above, then he spends a chapter focusing on the imprecatory psalms and various views about them floating around the Church. He then focuses his attention on Psalm 137 and uses the exegesis of the psalm to establish his view on the purpose of imprecatory psalms. Then he spends a chapter on the use of them in the New Testament—or are they even compatible with a New Testament ethic? (short answer: yes)

This is short work, and the depth of each chapter reflects that—but McGowan covers the essentials in each.

Comparing This to Others

I don’t typically do books on similar topics back-to-back like this, but I saw this talked about on a couple of podcasts I listen to after I read The Morality of God in the Old Testament, and was curious about another take on it.

McGowan’s take is different from similar works I’ve read here in the past—like The Morality of God in the Old Testament and War Psalms of the Prince of Peace—he quotes the latter, labeling it “inadequate” (along with other views, he didn’t single it out). McGowan’s thesis is more straightforward and less nuanced than Beale’s (not superior or inferior, just more direct).

This is a primer—as McGowan reminds the reader—so he doesn’t spend time analyzing or critiquing differing views, he mentions them briefly to distinguish his—but the focus of this short book is on his take.

Would I have preferred analysis and critique? Seeing how his views match up against others? Yes. But I’m not going to fault a guy for writing the book he wanted to rather than the one I wanted (at least until I’m wealthy enough to act as a patron).

Besides, this gives me a chance to chew on the ideas myself.

So, what did I think about Psalms that Curse?

We are not saying that the only way to respond to intense persecution is to call down God’s vengeance. In fact, the normative response should be to pray for God to convert them…what we are arguing for is a recovery of the prayer of imprecation. We are arguing for the category. We are arguing that the prayer of imprecation should have a seat at the table, not for it to be the only thing at the table.

Hard to argue against that.

I don’t know that McGowan convinced me with his position about the—but he impressed me with the argument. It’s a short work, but he does the work. First, he established his thesis from a noteworthy example of an imprecatory psalm, and then after showing his thesis at work he tactfully and pastorally lays out how the believer ought to apply it. Hard to ask for more.

I really appreciated the chapter exegeting Psalm 137 and the concluding chapter, focusing on the way the Christian ought to pray imprecatory prayers. It was an important chapter and one that I hope many encounter. I think there’s some good overlap there with some of what Adams suggested in his work, too.

Not a perfect book, but a good one, a helpful one, and a thought-provoking one. A work that should lead the reader back to the psalter for study and reflection.

3.5 Stars

The Morality of God in the Old Testament by G.K. Beale

By HCNewton

On November 28, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

This is a lot shorter of a work than I usually talk about, but I needed a short read to break up longer, heavier reads. So now I guess I get to talk briefly about it before I talked about longer, heavier reads. (not that this is lightweight by any means)

The Morality of God
in the Old Testament

by G.K. Beale
Series: Christian Answers to Hard Questions

Booklet, 43 pg.
P&R Publishing and Westminster Seminary Press, 2013

Read: November 21, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s The Morality of God in the Old Testament About?

Believers and unbelievers alike stumble over some of what seems immoral in the Old Testament. Particularly what seems to be evil on the part of God. For example: God’s commands to exterminate the Canaanites and the imprecatory (cursing) Psalms.

How ought the believer to respond to their own questions about this, much less the questions from those outside the faith?

Beale looks briefly at a couple of popular responses to this and finds them wanting. In their place, he suggests a “plausible fivefold approach.”

There seems to be a better way to look at this problem. We will explore it from five different angles, which will help us to understand it more thoroughly. First, how does the killing of the Canaanites demonstrate God’s justice and righteousness? Second, how could Israel’s unique commission as a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6) shed light on the extermination of the Canaanites? Third, how does God’s sovereignty over all things help us to better understand that he can be considered blameless in all that he does, despite the problems just mentioned above? Fourth, how does the idea of God’s judgment of unbelieving humanity at the end of time shed light on this problem? Finally, how does the law of loving one’s neighbor now and at the end of time help us to better apprehend the issue about the Canaanites and the psalmist’s cursing of his enemies (though this last point has some overlap with the fourth point)?

Each question gets a couple of pages of explanation before moving on, so that the reader is given the complete fivefold approach along with some idea of how the ideas are worked out.

So, what did I think about The Morality of God in the Old Testament?

Not surprisingly, my main concern is length. I want to see each of these points better developed–I don’t think this has the makings of a 200+ page book or anything, but I think it could easily be twice as long to really flesh out some of the points.

The brevity works against itself primarily in that I don’t get to see the ideas examined thoroughly, or tested. The reader is given enough to understand the fivefold approach, enough to chew on it. But I’d like to see it worked out. I’d like to see Beale work through one of the difficult passages, or one of the Psalms in question and show “here’s where we see this and over there is where you see that aspect in action,” etc.

But the point of this series, the point of this being a booklet is for a short introduction to the idea. It’s supposed to be enough to show the reader that there are answers to the hard questions, just not enough to convince them. So I have to take it on its own terms–as such, it’s fine. Even more than fine. And I think there’s something to that fivefold approach, I just want to be convinced. I’m just going to need to look elsewhere for that.

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.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: The Case of the Missing Marquess; Dark Arts and a Daiquiri; Breaking Silence; Everything Happens; Based on a True Story: A Memoir; How to Resist Amazon and Why; Nothing Like I Imagined

By HCNewton

On November 24, 2021

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Fiction, Humor, Jo Perry, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Politics/Current Affairs, Urban Fantasy

The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. This time, I’ve got a handful of 3 Star reads/listens (I don’t think I planned it that way, it just worked out).

The Case of the Missing Marquess

by Nancy Springer, Katherine Kellgren (Narrator)
Series: Enola Holmes, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 4 hrs., 31 min.
Recorded Books, 2008
Read: November 1, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
This is a cute read for people who like the idea of Sherlock Holmes, but aren’t that interested (or ready) in the real thing. Which may sound dismissive, but it’s not supposed to be. I can easily see why the people behind the movie(s) latched onto this character. I can also easily see why they tweaked the content of this book and expanded it for the first movie (does the second book some/all of what they used to expand?).

I don’t know that I’m going to go the distance with this series, but I can easily see going for one more dip in the pool.

Fast, amusing and pretty clever. This look at Sherlock and Mycroft’s little sister is a pleasant little book.

3 Stars

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #2
Unabridged Audiobook, 7 hrs., 39 min.
Tantor Audio, 2018
Read: October 22-25, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
For book 2 to remove our non-magical bartender to a guild of Magic Users from the Guild Members for the majority of the book is a pretty gutsy move. I’m not sure it was the right way to go, and I’m not sure it was successful. But it was gutsy.

The story was…okay, I guess. It really didn’t do a lot for me, but the last few chapters—pretty much when Tori reunites with her friends made the whole thing worth it. And the Dresden File hat-tip was fantastic.

I’m still in on this series/group of series, but I bet when all is said and done, this’ll be the one to forget.

3 Stars

Breaking Silence

by Linda Castillo, Kathleen McInerney (Narrator)
Series: Kate Burkholder, #3
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 21 min.
Macmillan Audio, 2011
Read: October 20-21, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Another horrific murder in Amish country. I’d love for a few books to involve other crimes in this community. I realize it’s her shtick, but a little variety could help things.

That aside—the villain of this piece is horrible and creepy, and you can feel the evil. Watching Kate and Agent Tomasetti try to figure out the motive behind the killing and the identity of the killer was a fun ride. I really do like these individually—even if I wonder about the series as a whole.

3 Stars

Everything Happens

by Jo Perry
Kindle Edition, 119 pg.
Fahrenheit Press, 2019
Read: October 18-19, 2021

(the official blurb)
This starts as the story of a nurse trying to get a quickie divorce from a loser and then turns into a story of carjacking, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, robbery, vengence, betrayal, and car chases.

Basically: just another weekend in Vegas.

I was riveted throughout, but…I couldn’t stop asking, “Why?” I’m not sure I saw the point of the whole thing—but you know what? I didn’t care, I enjoyed it too much to bother with things like that.

3 Stars

Based on a True Story: A Memoir

by Norm Macdonald, Tim O’Halloran (Narrators)
Unabridged Audiobook, 7 hrs., 18 min.
Random House Audio, 2016
Read: October 12-14, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
A fictionalized version of MacDonald’s memoir, it’s hard to tell what’s memoir, what’s a joke, what’s a mixture. The more obviously genuine moments are marred by their vicinity to the clearly fictional. As a book? This is a mess—a self-indulgent, erratic, mess.

But wow. This was funny—even most of what I didn’t like was funny.

Don’t go into this thinking you’ll understand MacDonald’s life, career, or humor better. Go into it expecting a strange performance art-like experience with some giant laughs and you’ll be set.

3 Stars

How to Resist Amazon and Why:
The Fight for Local Economics,
Data Privacy, Fair Labor,
Independent Bookstores,
and a People-Powered Future!

by Danny Caine
Paperback, 113 pg.
Microcosm Publishing, 2021
Read: October 6, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
This is a no-holds barred critique (screed?) against Amazon—their business practices, the way they treat employees, the way they deal with governments, their security products…and just about everything else. It’s also a call to arms against the giant.

I have a lot of sympathies for Caine’s positions and desires—and agree with most of them. I also follow some of the practices he espouses (not as many as I want, but hey…I’m on a budget).

Still, I’m not sure the megastore is a super-villain—it may resemble one, very closely. As much as we might want it to be.

Read this—blanch at some of it—but take it with a grain of salt.

3 Stars

Nothing Like I Imagined (Except for Sometimes)

by Mindy Kaling
Unabridged Audiobook., 2 hrs., 19 min.
Brilliance Publishing, 2020
Read: October 1, 2021

(the official blurb)
I really enjoyed Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) and Why Not Me?—this has the same kind of humor—and the audio versions of all three are equally charming.

But I don’t know, this seemed lifeless? Sweet and genuinely funny, but it left me wanting a bit more. I don’t think it was just the length, either.

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, opinions are my own.

My Theology: Return from a Distant Country by Alister McGrath

By HCNewton

On November 21, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

My Theology:
Return from a Distant Country

by Alister McGrath
Series: My Theology

eARC, 96 pg.
Darton, Longman & Todd, 2021

Read: November 14, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Return from a Distant Country About?

In this brief work, McGrath starts off with a brief spiritual biography—sketching out his early life and interests and then what brought him to faith while a student at Oxford.

He then gives a brief definition of theology and how he sees himself as a theologian, and how he’s demonstrating both in his own work. He then sketches out four main themes in his own work and theology—historical theology, the relation between natural sciences and theology, Christian Apologetics, and theological education—both a look at his and then how he tries to educate others.

The My Theology Series

The publisher’s website (Darton, Longman & Todd) describes this series as: “The world’s leading Christian thinkers explain some of the principal tenets of their theological beliefs.” The US Publisher (Fortress Press) helpfully adds “in concise, pocket-sized books” to that description. It looks to be sixteen projected volumes published from September 2021-March 2022 (in the UK), this volume will be published in the U.S. in January, and I would expect the rest to follow a similar schedule.

I think that’s an interesting, and potentially fascinating, idea. I don’t recognize the overwhelming majority of names, which I guess indicates how far my finger is from the pulse of the world’s leading Christian thinkers. I’m a little curious as to who these people are, which might lead me to read some more of these books.

So, what did I think about Return from a Distant Country?

I’ve started reading “intellectual biographies” in the last few years, and I guess this is pretty much a (mini) intellectual autobiography, which isn’t the way I’m used to reading. As such it was an interesting exercise. There was a time when I’d frequently read McGrath’s work, but it’s been a long time since I did—not that I didn’t appreciate it, I just had other priorities. It was nice to touch base with him after all this time. Seeing how he views his work within these four themes–and what he thinks about them–helps the reader understand him as a thinker, theologian, and (I’d imagine) person better than you did before.

I enjoyed this work, and think I got something out of it but it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. Too much of McGrath’s description of his work makes it seem like Christianity is a largely—maybe even almost exclusively—a cognitive matter—all about thinking the right things to the exclusion of feeling, belief, and action. That’s a tendency for those in the neighborhood of conservative evangelicalism—particularly those with some connection to Reformed theology. I personally would’ve appreciated it if McGrath had made it clear that wasn’t his intention or belief. But that’s a more of a me thing than a substantive criticism.

I wouldn’t say that this book gave me new insight into Christian theology or any of the themes he addressed. But I got a better insight into who McGrath is and what I should expect as I read his other work—which, for a series called “My Theology” makes a lot of sense.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Darton Longman Todd 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.