Category Archives: reviews

I am aiming to post a dozen or so times each month in 2011. I like sharing about books, so my plan is to combine longer reviews of books I think y’all might be really interested in such as Mere Churchianity with mini-reviews of books you might be interested in. I will ignore some books I think you probably won’t care much about, but you can always get my starred review on goodreads (click the g icon in the right sidebar) or just ask nicely.

Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper would be a good read if you are just starting to think about how to form a family culture with traditions that reinforce your values and beliefs. As someone who has thought about it for awhile, I found it encouraging but with few new or groundbreaking ideas.

The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh. I’d recommend the original Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter mysteries to any reader. If you can’t get enough of Lord Peter, Harriet and Bunter, you might enjoy this modern Lord Peter story as well. It’s not up to Sayers’ standard but it’s still pretty fun.

The Apostles’ Creed for Today by Justo Gonzalez was mostly disappointing, but not exactly bad. Worth working through something like Karl Barth’s Dogmatics in Outline instead, for greater insight.

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a classic that is not too difficult to read and has moments of being very enjoyable. But it’s neither important enough nor enjoyable enough for me to insist it be at the top of your “must read” list. I liked it, but I probably would never read it again.

Mere Churchianity: Finding Your Way Back to Jesus-Shaped Spirituality by Michael Spencer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As the Internet Monk, Michael Spencer encouraged thousands through his blog, before he died of cancer last April. His one and only book, Mere Churchianity, is a fitting legacy.

Like his blog, Mere Churchianity is provocative and appeals to those disillusioned by the institutional church. It serves to start a conversation about what following Jesus looks like, and the ways the church is leading us astray and thwarting us in our attempts to live like Christ.

I found the book encouraging on the whole. Consistently, readers are called to go back to the gospels, and examine what Jesus said and did. Find the real Jesus, not the one other people project, and be changed by him. Spencer calls evangelical churches out for the ways they ignore Jesus and peddle a false gospel, particularly those who promote a prosperity gospel or one that requires everyone to be happy all the time.

Though it is addressed to “leavers” and is very sympathetic to their concerns, I think it makes a good case for living in community and being a part of a church. This book will be a great encouragement to those who are struggling with the church, but its short on next steps. I would have liked to see Jesus-Shaped Spirituality a little more fleshed out. But overall, it’s a worthwhile read. [I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.]

Spiritual Parenting: An Awakening for Today’s Families by Michelle Anthony
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony stands out amongst the crowd of Christian books by grounding parenting in discipleship. Instead of focusing parental energy on sin management, Anthony urges parents to share their lives transformed by the gospel. “The goal of spiritual parenting is that our children would learn to hear and know God’s voice, desire to obey it, and obey it in the power of God’s Spirit, not their own strength.”

With a goal of passing down a vibrant faith, Anthony describes environments and values that we should consciously cultivate in parenting: storytelling, identity, faith community, service, out of the comfort zone, responsibility, course correction, love and respect, knowing, and modeling. I found each chapter encouraging. Though Anthony is not coming from a covenantal perspective, I found her ideas and examples compelling and easy to comport to a reformed theology of children.

As twenty-first century evangelicals reconsider how to do church, the way we raise children in the faith must be part of that conversation. Anthony’s book is a good start for parents to consider some of the fundamental concerns of raising children who share an authentic and transformational faith. It also serves as a necessary reminder that parents are responsible for the spiritual formation of their children, and how they live is much more important to that development than anything that happens for an hour or two a week.

It is a temptation for parents to look for someone to tell them just what to do, and this book is not structured to feed that. Anthony encourages parents to know their children, embrace the way God made them, and parent them as individuals. Without a formula to follow, parents are better reminded of their eternal focus. “What is our job then? The joy of parenting can be spent on cultivating environments for our children’s faith to grow, teaching them how to cultivate a love relationship with Jesus as we cultivate our own, living our lives authentically in front of them so that they become eyewitnesses to our own transformation. “ (8.5/10) [I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.]

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Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality by Wesley Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As more and more evangelicals identify themselves as gay Christians and more evangelicals have deep and meaningful relationships with homosexuals in and out of the church, Wesley Hill’s Washed and Waiting comes as a welcome insight into Christian faithfulness in the midst of a homosexual identity.

Wesley Hill is exclusively attracted to men, and this book shares his struggles to reconcile his homosexual attraction to the gospel and life of the Church. He interacts with a wide range of great thinkers and writers as well as scripture as he describes his own wrestling with the loneliness and pain of living a celibate lifestyle. His choice to not act on his impulses and attractions is a powerful testimony to any Christian struggling with any sort of sin. Concluding with a hopeful and beautiful chapter about how sinners are made beautiful and cherished by God, regardless of how we feel about ourselves. We will hear those words “well done my good and faithful servant,” as we enter into perfect fellowship with God and his people. That was especially encouraging to me as a believer.

Some may quibble with his use of “gay Christian” and “homosexual Christian,” other reviews go into this in depth if you are interested, I didn’t find it distracting in the least. I think those who believe that homosexuality is entirely due to choice and nurture will find this very confusing, as Hill was raised by loving parents in good churches, but I hope they will persevere in reading this as there is a lot of great insight to gain.

This is a short and easy read, “reflections” rather than systematic theology or a ten step how-to guide. If you would like to understand the struggle of Christians with same sex attractions, I’d commend it to you highly. If you enjoy spiritual memoirs of any kind, I’d recommend it as well. I am looking forward to hearing more from Hill in the future, both on his spiritual journey and his study of the New Testament. (9/10)

The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In a world with great poverty and despair, what does God expect of his people? If our neighbors are people of relative affluence, what concern should we have for the poor? Grappling with these questions and others, Richard Stearns, president of World Vision US, writes an engaging and informative treatise to all Christians to life out the gospel with word and deed in the context of the world’s poor.

Weaving in his own personal testimony, Stearns considers the problem of poverty from various perspectives. As he explains how he left his position as the CEO of a large corporation to begin a new work he felt unequipped for in the private sector, he is also expounding on the Bible’s call to love the poor and needy. Describing his first visits to the third world, he embodies the statistics about poverty that he is also providing.

In an age where our influence can spread beyond a few square miles of our homes, Stearns lays out for readers how they can help to serve the suffering and why they ought to. I found the book compelling and thought provoking, but also winsome and easy to read. This book is one that I’d commend to any Christian, but in particular those who feel ill-equipped in their call towards mercy and justice. (9/10)

**I received this book from the publisher to review. My opinion I’ve expressed is my own.**

I first became aware of Nashville superstar pastor Pete Wilson when he followed me on twitter. I popped over to his blog, and his wife’s, and found him warm and likable. So I followed him back and have been watching him from afar for many months. I was intrigued by the book he was finishing up: Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? With a subtitle like that, who wouldn’t be? When I had the opportunity to receive a copy for review, I jumped at the chance.

Suffering is a part of the christian life, and this question is one that I grapple with a lot. Pete’s analysis is honest, Christ-centered and pastoral. If you want an academic discourse on the problem of suffering, look elsewhere. This book is surprisingly easy to read, something I appreciated considering the foggy haze suffering can bring. Knowing that there aren’t any easy answers to the question, I appreciated the reinforcement of basic truths that Plan B provided.

Wilson uses stories from the Bible and the experiences of his friends to explain suffering from a Biblical perspective. I might have done it differently, and spent more time talking about how things will be different someday in the new heavens and the new earth. Explaining how Christ has started to redeem the world and make all things new. However, Plan B is a hopeful book, and a good one, and will be a good resource to the church in the years to come. (8.5/10)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This beautifully illustrated book details the famous sit-in at the Greensboro, NC Woolworth’s counter in 1960. The prose is moving, speckled with quotes that inspired the protesters and good detail. As a picture book ought to be, it is both easily understood and deep enough for older readers. Kate (who does have some exposure to the civil rights movement) grasped the storyline and was moved by the strength it took to stay still.

The simple, powerful prose is well matched by the illustrations. Watercolor paintings with ink, they come across as modern yet classic, and moving. The author used a repetitive motif of cooking that might come across a bit strong to some adults, however, I wasn’t distracted by it and consider it effective for young readers.

Though graphic about their struggles, the story isn’t scary or overwhelming to children. It would work well in any elementary grades, and even in some middle school classrooms. I’d commend it to any family who is building a personal library with any attention to covering American History or Civil Rights.

Kate, age 5 “I like this book, it told about Dr. King and his dreams, and how these boys followed his dreams by sitting at the white skin lunch table. They sat and they sat for a long time. People were mean to them. Now people all sit together. That’s why I like this book.”

**We received this book from the publisher to review. Our opinions are our own.**

When I requested this book from Thomas Nelson, I was excited to have a book of Bible maps to use as a reference. But it ended up being so much more. Photos, charts, and outlines, as well as downloadable PDFs, make this a great first stop for visual information related to the Bible. Additionally, each book of the Bible has an overview including things like the basic message and setting. I was impressed with the balance between historicity and orthodoxy, they seemed to hit the middle ground of the majority of evangelicalism and not lean too far towards fundamentalism or liberalism.

With over 500 pages, and a list price of under $20, this is the sort of resource that belongs on on each family’s bookshelf. If you serve as a teacher, you can even use duplicate these charts and maps for non-commercial use to share with your students. I can anticipate some great uses for homeschooling families as well.

If you simply want a book with large, full color maps that remind you of the ones in the back of your Bible, this is probably not the best choice. But as an all-around resource, it really shines.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I have been writing some children’s book reviews here and there, I figured y’all might find them useful, so here are some previews with links to the full review. All of them should be available at your local public library.

The Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora (5/5) …the illustrations are truly engaging and beautiful and stand on their own merit, not just as a non-white version of a classic.

The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren (4/5) A sweet story that many will probably think of as “Little House in Sweden.”

Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson (5/5) The oil paintings and collage illustrations by Kadir Nelson are beautiful and striking, they seem to make a faraway world more real to readers, integrating African textiles and motifs.

Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Bryan Collier (5/5) Martin’s Big Words is a book that every family ought to own. It’s the best introduction to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that we have come across, something appropriate for even four or five-year-olds.

A novel in short stories, Olive Kitteridge is a skilled weaving of tales to show the way lives intersect with one another in a small coastal village in Maine, and in doing so, teach us about community everywhere.

The stories are raw and real, and the protagonist, if she can be called such, is rude, overbearing and larger than life. To know Olive is to be flummoxed by her, and yet, like Henry readers find themselves undeniably smitten with her.

Loneliness, depression, longing and pain are all vivid parts of the lives of those documented, and sometimes things don’t end up the way you’d want them to be, but the book wasn’t without hope. Somehow, the weaving of these stories together mirrored the weaving of all of our stories to me, and gave me a glimpse of something beautiful.

Virtue is also apparent in the lives of these Crosby residents. Loyalty, faithfulness, kindness… in their small connections community is born and grows. And community sustains them through many hardships. It’s a lovely book, and is even able to talk about difficult things with grace and beauty, and I’d recommend it to almost anyone. (9/10)