Category: Non-Fiction Page 60 of 62

The Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones – 1899-1981 by Iain H. Murray

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On February 9, 2014

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

The Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones - 1899-1981The Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones – 1899-1981

by Iain H. Murray
Trade Paperback, 496 pg.
Banner Of Truth, 2013
Read: Jan. 12 – Feb. 9, 2014

This is a frequently flawed book, and at times it was only a sense of duty/politeness to the person who eagerly pressed it into my hands that I persevered. But in the end, I couldn’t help but walk away awed at both the man and the book that tried to summarize his life (yet, I don’t think you’ll see me picking up the two-volume version this was condensed from anytime soon).

The first fifty or so pages, recounting his youth, medical school/early practice, and conversion — and even the beginnings of his ministry — were pretty tedious, and more often than not, far too detailed.

Once Murray was able to focus on his first years of ministry in Wales, and his eventual move to Westminster Chapel, the book took off. It’s clear that the hand of the Lord was upon his ministry, and gave him much evident fruit. It’s impossible to disagree with Murray’s explanations for Lloyd-Jones’ success, and I can only imagine ministers would benefit from reading this with an eye for how to reform their own work. Throughout the chapters detailing his pastoral work — particularly the chapter “Sundays in the 1950s” — Murray’s affection for, and devotion to, Lloyd-Jones threatens to overwhelm the narrative, and at times it seems that “the Doctor” could do nothing wrong. I remarked during that chapter that I wasn’t sure if I was reading biography or hagiography, which may seem a bit harsh. But really, Murray became a rabid fanboy here.

The chapters devoted to the controversies over Evangelical unity, conflict with Graham, Packer and Stott (and names that didn’t register with me) were again, far too detailed for my taste — but it’s understandable, I think. Murray was trying to set the record straight on certain issues/incidents, to make sure the historical record gets Lloyd-Jones’ perspective on them (particularly when others, claiming to speak on his behalf, got it wrong). Not having a dog in those fights, my eyes glazed over more than I liked, but I sure didn’t go back and re-read to make certain I didn’t miss anything. Murray is able here to critique Lloyd-Jones a bit in these chapters, which was good to see.

The final chapter, depicting the final three years of his life, as his cancer was gaining the upper hand, was moving, inspirational and convicting. Lloyd-Jones continued to preach when able, to correspond with and advise younger ministers, write and start Murray on his biography — spurred on by the knowledge that his death was near. Lloyd-Jones spoke of paying attention to death, dying the right way — with an eye to the glory he was going to, and anticipating it. No way that I try to summarize will do it justice, just read it for yourself. You might want to keep a Kleenex™™ handy. This chapter made all the stuff I’d grumbled and trudged through worth it.

Not Murray’s best — but obviously a work of love for the subject. Can’t imagine a little of that won’t rub off on the reader.

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4 Stars

Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation by Anthony J. Carter

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On September 15, 2013

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation
Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation by Anthony J. Carter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Um, yeah. This was okay. This is a brief survey of the New Testament’s usage of Christ’s blood — both literal and metaphorical — essentially looking at the question, what does the Atonement do for the believer?

Carter’s answer would be: quite a lot. The blood of Christ purchases, propitiates, justifies, redeems, cleans, sanctifies, ransoms and frees the believer who is brought near to other believers by the blood, are given peace by it and are elect in it. In addition to looking at key texts supporting or explaining each of these aspects of the atonement, Carter brings in historic catechisms and confessions to help understand his point, and then invokes song lyrics to demonstrate (in part) that this is what people have believed for generations — or to help the reader apply the lessons to themselves.

Carter writes with a very personable style and obvious passion — it is easy to “hear” a lot of this book being preached, and done so with great efficacy and application to the individual. It’s this that kept me going through the book after it became pretty clear that this was going to be a survey at best, and not an in-depth examination of anything. While I did admire his ability to quote a historic catechism in one breath and hip hop lyrics in the next, I wonder if he wasn’t too reliant on quoting lyrics (rap or hymnody) to seal his points. A minor quibble at best, but one that stuck with me.

Ultimately, I was a little disappointed, I wanted more. I can’t put my finger on anything and say “This could’ve been made better, here.” But there were several places that could’ve been true. It’s certainly not shallow, but it’s nowhere near deep. Nor particularly insightful. But it is solid, it is passionate, it is focused on the essentials — and for many people that’s exactly what they need. Maybe if I’d read this a week or so later (or earlier), I’d have had a different reaction.

View all my reviews

Superman: The Unauthorized Biography by Glen Weldon

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On September 10, 2013

In (Auto)Biography, Comics, History

A briefer (and less self-indulgent) version of this appears on Goodreads.

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Superman: The Unauthorized Biography
Superman: The Unauthorized Biography by Glen Weldon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was five years old when Superman: The Movie was released, and while I can’t remember much of the experience — by gum, when I left the theater with my parents, I believed a man could fly. I don’t know if that was my introduction to the character, it’s certainly the one that I remember. He was certainly around for the rest of my childhood — action figures, in SuperFriends, coloring books, the sequels, clothing, and, of course, in comics. He was never a favorite the way that Robin (later Nightwing), Cyborg, Changeling, or Spider-Man were, but he was a constant, an ideal. The cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 is burned into my brain. I can’t tell you how many times I read John Byrne’s Man of Steel. Even after I stopped collecting comics, he was around — I watched most of Lois & Clark‘s episodes, and every one of Smallville‘s. My older sons and I spent who knows how many hours with the Justice League cartoons. I even own Superman Returns on DVD (as I recall, I purchased it the same day as I got the Donner Cut of Superman II, a far better use of my money).

In other words, this was a book written for people just like me.

Glen Weldon, NPR’s Comics Critic, has given us a great cultural history of Superman — from his prototypes and then genesis in the early work of Shuster and Siegel up to The New 52 and looking forward to the release of Snyder’s Man of Steel — and all points between. At once entertaining and pedantic, Weldon examines The Last Son of Krypton, the state of comics as a medium, and what both say about American culture through the decades.

He begins, as he ought, with Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster growing up, reading and (even as kids) writing comics, their struggles along the path to publication and eventual establishment in the field. Shortly after this, they came up with their most famous creation, which was essentially the inception of the dominant genre in comics. Weldon focuses on this period in painstaking detail — giving detailed descriptions of the early stories (panel by panel sometimes), their reception and sales.

Following this, he moves into decade by decade summaries — in these chapters Weldon looks at the predominant themes in the stories, power changes and development, new characters, and so on. Special attention is given to Lois Lane (both as an individual and in her relationship(s) to Clark/Superman), tweaks to his origin, and depiction of Krypton. I thought there were too many reboots, resets, etc. today — glad to see it’s not a novel development. Superman’s appearance in other media is also discussed — comic strips, radio, television, cartoons, movies, and even merchandising — how that affects Superman, Clark and the rest. As interesting as that was, I was most interested in seeing how cultural movements, politics and wars impacted the character.

Weldon spends a lot of time discussing Superman: The Movie, the ups and downs along the path to its production. I laughed out loud at the lengthy list of actors considered for the role — so, so few of them should’ve been in the running. Everyone so up-in-arms about the recent Affleck-as-Batman casting should read this list, it might help them see how good he might be in comparison. The list for Lois was shorter, but no less interesting. In light of how far-reaching movie cross-promotion goes today, it’s amazing to see how little DC Comics did to capitalize on this movie (or the sequels).

I think he went lighter on Superman in the comics from this point on, focusing on the Reeve films, the Superboy TV series, Lois & Clark, Smallville, and Singer’s movie. Well, except a really good and thorough look at The Death of Superman saga from the 90’s. Still, fascinating on the whole — sometimes the level of detail can get overwhelming and hard to wade through, but it was worth it. It’s not encyclopedic — however close it feels — there were stories and creators that I thought got short shrift from the last couple of decades. For example, I was disappointed in the lack of any discussion of It’s Superman by Tom De Haven — 2005’s best depiction of the character, although as it wasn’t sanctioned by DC, I understand it.

I would’ve liked to see a more consistent tone — he never steps over the line in to fanboy territory, but generally he’s positive about the characters and universe — but from time to time, he seems snide and like he’s looking down on the franchise and its fans. That said, his take on the character as a whole, and why he’s still a force in popular culture today expressed in the Introduction was great — almost perfect. I wish that Nolan and Snyder had more in common with that take than they seem to have. My major complaint was the utter lack of any images whatsoever — as thorough as some of his descriptions of the art may be, it’s no replacement for the Real (reprinted) McCoy. Licensing those images would be a nightmare (and likely an expensive one), so again, I understand it — I just would’ve liked to see it.

For fans, for those who like the character but wouldn’t go so far as to call themselves that, those interested in the medium — this is a recommended read on this slice of American history.

A Portrait of Christ: A Look at Who Jesus Is and What He Is Like from the Gospels by D. Patrick Ramsey

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On September 8, 2013

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

A Portrait of Christ
A Portrait of Christ: A Look at Who Jesus Is and What He Is Like from the Gospels by D. Patrick Ramsey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Taking a page from B. B. Warfield, Ramsey considers our Lord from a different angle than is usually taken — rather than look at the Person of Jesus Christ, or His Work — Who He is and What He has done/is doing/will do — this book focuses (not to the exclusion of the Person or Work) on considering, what is Jesus Christ like?

Ramsey begins on looking at The Promised Christ — why we need a Savior, how God providentially protected the line of the promised Savior throughout history from His foes (human and otherwise), and once He was born his struggles against Satan. He looks at the humanity as well as the Divinity of Jesus — briefly explaining the concepts — as well as why Jesus had to be both human and divine.

That established, he then moves on to consider the question “What is Jesus like”? He started by talking about Jesus’ compassion towards those physically and spiritually oppressed, and then to the special kind of compassion He showed His people — in His prayers and desires, in the midst of His suffering, in how He loved His people. Then at how Jesus befriended children and scandalous sinners. In a chapter that more than one person I know would stumble on, Ramsey looks at another side of Our Lord — His anger.

He concludes with a look at the

one characteristic or attribute that I think nicely sums up the kind of life Jesus lived here on earth. Interestingly enough, it is the one character trait that Jesus himself mentioned he had. He brought attention to it, at least in part, because of its attractiveness and appeal. . . . humility, or lowliness of heart, which is closely associated with meekness and gentleness.

A fitting conclusion, one that shows us the character of God as it draws us to Him.

More than once, Ramsey says something like, “In Jesus, we see how a human being is to act and live before God and before other human beings.” Therefore, he’s careful to apply his observations to his readers, which keeps this book from being only a series of meditations, but prompts for action and change in our lives.

There’s a straight-forwardness, language that’s easy to understand, illustrations that aid understanding that speaks well of Ramsey’s preaching (I should mention that this book is based on a series of sermons). More than once while reading, I paused and read bits out loud to whatever family member was handy. I was moved, encouraged, convicted — this would make for good devotional reading for a Lord’s Day afternoon.

In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life by Sinclair B. Ferguson

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On August 25, 2013

In Theology/Christian Living

A briefer version of this appears on Goodreads.

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In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life
In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life by Sinclair B. Ferguson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There’s not a lot of in-depth theology here, you won’t come away from this with a deep understanding of any one subject, or a few related ones. This is a compilation of fifty articles, grouped together by topic, which will enable you to gain a refresher on a spectrum of topics, or an introduction to ideas, concepts and texts that you want to come back to and study in the future. As such, it’s a really strong compilation and one that I’m glad I spent an afternoon with.

Don’t get me wrong — it’s not that I didn’t learn anything, or gain a deeper understanding of anything. But compared, say, to his The Holy Spirit or Pundits Folly, it’s (by design) not as in-depth. I thought his framing the book of Romans as a series of exchanges (e.g., man exchanging the truth of God for a lie; the gospel exchange of righteousness and justification instead of unrighteousness and condemnation) was very handy and something I’m trying to internalize. The chapters that followed it were a series of glimpses at the letter to the Hebrews, and now I want an entire book on that epistle by Ferguson.

In the section on “The Spirit of Christ,” he has a chapter called “When the Spirit Comes,” which is an examination of John 16:8-11.

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

His thesis is that while, yes, there is a continuing relevance of these verses,

we miss their rich significance of we interpret them in a way that bypasses their historical context. In their original setting, these words constitute a prophecy of the Spirit’s work on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1 ff).
When we recognize this, we are able to fill out the content of the promise. But when we fail to recognize it, we are in danger of interpreting (and thus remolding and distorting) Scripture in the light of our own experience.

I’ve got to say, I’ve been guilty of this remolding and distorting until today, and will have to set to work on correcting my thinking.

On the whole, the book doesn’t feel too much like a collection if unrelated articles, rather than a book he set forth to write; and as such it doesn’t really suffer from being a compilation — though Part IV, “The Privileges of Grace,” is the weakest and most scattered. That said, the chapters from Part IV, “The Life of Faith” (on “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”) and “‘The Greatest of All Protestant Heresies’?” (on the doctrine of assurance) were very helpful and thought-provoking. So even at its weakest, this book rewards the reader.

Part V, “A Life of Wisdom,” is really a section on sanctification. But instead of the approach that is usually employed here, Ferguson focuses on the more internal sanctification that needs to happen to result in the external fruit. All of which could use some extended treatment by this author. Particularly, I found the chapter on discernment rich and one that I need to return to for further meditation. His extended look at Psalm 131 to show how to cultivate contentment is, naturally, valuable — Ferguson’s always at his best when discussing the Psalter.

The final chapters center on the idea of spiritual warfare — not the flashy, type that characterize so much evangelical writing on the topic. But the quieter, more difficult, and (dare I say) more Biblical approach — focusing on our sin, our need for mortification, or own worldliness.

The closing chapter on Sabbath rest is far too brief, but excellent. He reminds us that the Sabbath in creation was a “time for Adam to listen to all the Father had to show and tell about the wonders of His creating work,” — a “Father’s Day” every week. Which, of course, was ruined by the Fall, redeemed by Christ and will be fully enjoyed every day in Glory. Practically,

this view of the Sabbath helps us regulate the whole week. Sunday is “Father’s Day,” and we have an appointment to meet Him. The child who asks, “How short can the meting be?” has a dysfunctional relationship problem — not an intellectual, theological problem. Something is amiss in his fellowship with God.

There’s a lot to be mined here for devotional use, as well as a spring-board for future study.

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke

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On August 19, 2013

In Theology/Christian Living

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading BooksLit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was just not a book written for me — don’t need encouragement to read, and widely. Not crazy about his overall approach in the practical half of the book, either. Sure it’s advice, not edicts, but if you ask me, the reasoning is off.

And don’t get me started on that nonsense about marking-up books. Sure, I know a lot of people do it — even some of my friends — but people (even friends) watch Survivor or America’s Got Talent. Doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Show some respect, Reinke, trees gave their lives for those things you’re covering with graffiti.

Every now and then, he overwrites a passage, but on the whole, a decent enough read, and it could be a decent tool in the right hands. Those hands just aren’t mine.

P. S. I wrote this a few months back, and honestly don’t remember much about the book — and that probably says more about its worth than my rantings above. The one thing that sticks in my mind is that overall, Reinke sees books as collections of resources to be mined. His question seems to be, “What can I get out of/use from this book?” It just seems to cheapen the act of reading — and overall, is disrespectful to the act of writing. The Preacher said, “The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings.” Now, sure, he was referring to an inspired book — but the same principle is in place no matter the book — each word, each idea is important — as is the aesthetic, the experience, and the gestalt of the book. I’d like to think a Christian way of reading would appreciate that. Each nail (word) is there for a purpose, we shouldn’t overlook that.

Inerrancy and the Gospels: A God-Centered Approach to the Challenges of Harmonization by Vern S. Poythress

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On August 18, 2013

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Inerrancy and the Gospels: A God-Centered Approach to the Challenges of HarmonizationInerrancy and the Gospels: A God-Centered Approach to the Challenges of Harmonization by Vern S. Poythress
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such a handy resource — glad to have this in my library/toolbox.

Not the smoothest read, and the section where Poythress lays out his various principles for harmonization at times feels like a delaying tactic or filler until he hit a page count where he could start working through some Biblical passages (I know that’s not the case, it’s just the way it struck me at the time).

The examples Poythress gives to illustrate his points are very useful, and in some ways teach his method better than the strictly didactic portions. I’ll be returning to these in the future.

Sound methodology, staunch commitment to orthodoxy and innerancy, and devotion to scripture — Poythress has provided a valuable tool for students and laypersons alike.

Faith & Life by Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield

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On August 11, 2013

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Faith & Life:
Faith & Life: by Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Back when Princeton Seminary was the crown jewel of biblical Presbyterian training in the US, notable professors like Archibald Alexander, Samuel Miller, and Charles Hodge would have informal addresses for students on Sunday afternoons. B. B. Warfield, the lion of Princeton, continued this practice. These 41 chapters come from some of these addresses to the students.

I went skimming over the Table of Contents to pick out a few highlights — and I’m having a real problem. Almost every one is a gem. “Prayer as a Means of Grace” and “Prayer as a Practice” were very helpful — the latter was slightly better. “New Testament Puritanism” was great. Despite the reputation men like Warfield have, the chapters involving the work of the Holy Spirit were all tremendous. “God’s Holiness and Ours” was fantastic. I could keep going here, but it wouldn’t be long before I copied the Table of Contents.

For being the exemplar of “old Princeton,” with all the rigor and scholarship that entails — these addresses help us remember that even stalwarts like Warfield, who are known for strong stances on doctrinal issues — were men with vibrant faith, even a sense of humor.

I spent a few months reading 1 or 2 of these each Lord’s Day morning between breakfast and heading out for church — it was a great way to get my head (and heart) in the right frame of mind for worship. It’s everything Christian scholarship should be — warm, Christ-centered, practical, and doxological. It’s also everything that Christian devotional material should be — careful, sound, and deliberately orthodox. Highly recommended.

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey Into Christian Faith by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

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On August 4, 2013

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

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey Into Christian Faith
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey Into Christian Faith by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is simply one of the best books I’ve read this year — in years, actually. It’s billed as her account of her conversion — and after all the articles about/interviews with Butterfield, you might begin to think that there’s no point reading it, you already know her story.

But this is about more than just her conversion experience — nothing so limited as that. It’s about a conversion that’s a complete renovation of a sinner, bringing all her thoughts into subjection of the Scriptures — being transformed by the renewing of her mind. In Luther’s terms a lifetime repentance (“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. . . it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh.”).

Some of the parts I’ve seen the most complaints about are just that, strangely enough, while Christians enjoy/appreciate the story of her coming to faith, it’s harder to appreciate her working out her faith in fear and trembling. Whether it’s about her coming to her convictions about worship, or her work as a foster/adoptive parent, or her husband’s pastoral work — it’s about the Lord transforming her, renovating her character. As such, her life is an example for all believers.

Beyond that she has some powerful and wise words for how the church ought to treat homosexuals (any unrepentant sinner, really). As well as what she says about her current sins in comparison to her former life. It’s powerful, moving, inspiring and convicting.

She has a way with words, and can enthrall her reader even as she’s retelling events you know about before starting the book. She’s honest about her past, but doesn’t revel in details, there’s no sensationalism here. It’s a great book, useful on several levels. May the Lord give us many more Rosaria Champagne Butterfields.

The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling To Men by Richard D. Phillips

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On July 14, 2013

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling To Men
The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling To Men by Richard D. Phillips
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A few years ago, I spent a couple of weeks staying with a friend in South Carolina. His church didn’t have an evening service, so he would frequently attend the church pastored by Richard Phillips, and he took me along that first week I was there. He preached on the role and duties of husbands from Ephesians 5 — I don’t remember much about the sermon, most of his points have been incorporated into the rest of the sermons/books/expositions I’ve heard/read on the passage. I do remember how humbled, convicted, and challenged I felt afterward. My friend told me on the way home that we were going back the next week for sure, because after all that directed at him, his wife needed to get preached at the same way (as I recall, instead of hitting wives with both barrels like he did husbands, Phillips only gave them one barrel and used the other one at husbands again).

The Masculine Mandate wasn’t as convicting or powerful as that sermon was (books seldom are, if you ask me) — but it was definitely in the same vein. The Mandate that Phillips focuses on is God’s purpose of the first man (and through him, all others descending from him) in Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” His primary concern is to show how contemporary man can and should “work” and “keep” in every sphere of life, yet this book is very Gospel-centered, and he makes it clear that the only way to achieve this mandate is via Ordinary Means-enabled sanctification.

The initial chapters developed these doctrinal points to provide a foundation for the practical chapters. While I thought he was spot-on with his teaching, and frequently insightful, I did wonder why he picked the particular passages he built these chapters around, and why others were excluded, don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that he dodged passages/topics — not at all. All in all, Phillips did develop his teaching on “work” and “keep” enough that when he moves to the more practical chapters, the reader is prepared to see the application of doctrine, not just a list of “do’s.”

Like any good preacher, Philips uses Biblical examples and exemplars throughout to illustrate his points. For example, Boaz is shown as the husband model we should aspire to. And a particularly strong and convicting chapter is about using John the Baptizer as a model for a servant attitude. This put some flesh to hid teaching beyond sound thinking and his own experience.

He spends more time on the role of man in marriage than in anything else — fittingly enough — and much of it echoes what I probably heard in that sermon years ago. He covers topics familiar to many, without being stale — he even finds fresh insight (or at least it doesn’t seem stale) in the well-worn territory of comparing storge/eros/philo/agape. Speaking of man as protector (as part of keeping) in the marriage, the idea that struck me most profoundly is that, “The main threat against which a man must protect his wife is his own sin.” That’ll keep you up at night.

From marriage, he moves on to speaking of working and keeping as father, friend, and church member (a good chapter that could have been made better if he included more on what we unordained should do, as there are many more of us than the ordained).

A helpful book, a thoughtful — and thought-provoking book. Not the last word on the subject (not intended to be, either). But well worth the time and attention of a man seeking to live according to biblical mandates.

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