Book Thoughts: Time to Stretch

So I don't have a book to highlight today, partly because my brain is task-switching back and forth between too many things right now. It's taken about an hour to produce this sentence. Now, is this because my brain has a weird concoction of Autism Spectrum Disorder issues and ADHD issues? That may be part of it--at least 2 mental health professionals would support that idea, so I won't argue too much against it.

But I will also say this: it's also partly from letting my brain go slack for the last 4 months. About mid-April of this year, I defended my dissertation and officially could add "Ph.D." at the end of my name. Which I do in cases where adding that is useful, but I'm not roaming around calling myself "Doctor" very much. I'm afraid I'll get wrapped up in a malpractice suit.

After finishing the doctoral work, I dropped reading serious books. Which was necessary for a little while to let the brain relax. I reread a couple of longer novels, but honestly I could half-read them because I remembered most of what was there. Okay, honestly, even with the unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo I already had it down pat from the first time I read it. The result of this was that I let my brain go into a standby mode that I now have to get it out of.

The neurodivergence issues (remember that first paragraph from 2 hours ago about ASD and ADHD?) are ones I have long dealt with--you don't go to bed one night and wake up with these the next morning--so I have learned methods to cope. I learned how to power through large assignments. I have read and retained excessively long books.

But it's a learned skill, it's like building muscle. In truth, it's a lot like building muscle if you add to the idea that muscles only work in certain directions: you can't just build a massive quadricep that goes any direction. There are limitations on the direction of movement. Training a brain is like training muscles amid the joints they connect to, and neuro issues are like having sketchy tendons or missing cartlidge: the muscle is powerful but you can blow out with other problems.

My muscle, and its accompanying connective tissue, was allowed to slide past recovery and into a vegetative state. "Was allowed" here is me using lanaguage the way politicians or CEOs use "mistakes were made." I allowed it. I did it. So, now, I have to push a little harder to get it back in shape. The last time I was mentally slack like this, I forced myself into a doctoral program to shape up. That's a bit like deciding to train for an Ironman Triathlon because you're overweight. It's great if it works...

I don't think I'm going full-bore into another doctoral program. Instead, I will work on my own diet and exercise, adding some heavier lifting into the reading. I mean, Word Nerds Unite! by Webb Garrison is turning out quite fun, but it's not really challenging me very much. 

In truth, we all need to challenge ourselves. Grab some heavier reading alongside your fun reading. Push yourself. Bit-by-bit. Hopefully in this space I'll get some other encouraging thoughts as well as some book recommendations posted.

But in the meanwhile: I'm going to get back to reading like I want to learn something. I already know I don't know enough, I need to treat that problem like it can addressed.

Book Briefs: August 2025

Okay, I have recovered from the dissertation experience as much as I ever will! Now, on with the posts. Instead of doing a single book review today, I'm going to give you a quick look at some of the books I've been reading or have recently finished. All of them are available at a variety of booksellers.

First, Overnight Code: The Life of Raye Montague, the Woman who Revolutionized Naval Engineering. It's by Paige Bowers and David R. Montague, Raye Montague's son. She was the first person to design a US Navy warship via computer. She accomplished several other things, but you need to read the book. She did all of this with a business degree from what is now the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, because the doors of the engineering schools in Arkansas were welded shut tight against both minorities and women. And she was Black Woman. 

I first learned about Raye Montague when reading a children's book, The Girl with a Mind for Math by Julia Finley Mosca, but Overnight Code is a more complete biography. Montague is the featured Arkansan in the U.S Mint's American Innovation Dollar Coins. Montague passed away in 2018. Definitely worth the reading.

Next, let us turn to one I'm in the middle of reading, Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman. (Translated by Erica Moore.) Bregman does not write from the same theological positions that I hold. For that matter, I was introduced to this book through Ryan Holliday's blog/email list, and Holliday and I do not hold similar theological positions. However, you will find that all three of us hold similar practical positions, so wait until I recommend someone for their theology before you copy author theologies.

Bregman's primary thesis is that we human beings ought to be setting our sights higher in terms of making the world a better place than we often are. He illustrates this idea well and (I'm about 70% through it) also gives practical guidance on how to be better about changing the world. One note he makes that I think is valid if properly bounded: make your ambition that you will improve the quality of life, address a wrong, not that you will pick your cause because you find the cause attractive. That's a good starting point, but you should adopt as "life work" something that is actionable and practicable. The background on the Against Malaria Foundation is part of the highlight here: it was started after someone took on a smaller cause that he was passionate about, then said "I could do more good!" and went and found malaria as something to fight. He was British and hadn't had to give malaria 2 brain cells his whole life, but saw it as a big issue (it's huge, Americans) but one that could be tackled. 

Anyway, a good challenging book for me to work through. I would need to make some adjustments to bring the recommended practices in-line with Christian theology: he doesn't recommend anything "wrong," but I would add that the Christian must choose causes of good that are aligned with the Gospel. There's a bit more constraint. Still, Christians, he's got this straight up right: we should be trying to change the world. Why aren't we?

Finally, for a bit of fiction: I return, again and again, to Patrick W. Carr and both The Staff and the Sword Trilogy and The Darkwater Saga. These have been individually reviewed on this blog in the past. It's always good to have some fiction to rest in.

Bookish Thoughts for January 14 2025

I'm sitting here, still hoping to find some motivation to wipe out that last little bit of dissertation that needs doing. But, it's my birthday and I'd rather be goofing off. 

But I read many years ago in Steven Pressfield's works that having the same practice, every day, makes a difference in delivering on creativity. 

The problem is, whatever I may have read in the War of Art or even The Daily Pressfield, is that one still has to choose to follow that practice. Books only get you so far.

Eventually, choices are what carry the day. There are whole shelves of brilliance in the possession of many people, but few of us do anything with it. Because that wisdom still has to be acted upon.

What do we do with this, then?

First, don't forget to read the wisdom of others. There is no arrogance like those who think they do not need the wisdom of others to live life well. You are not the first person on the planet, and, honestly, most of your struggles at the very least have analogues to the struggles of others. Read something. Learn.

Second, when you read for wisdom, take notes in a manner that works for you. One suggestion I like is to use an index card for your bookmark and jot down ideas from the book that seem valuable. Then, when you're done, you will have some action steps to take.You can leave the card in the book as a reminder, but take a look at the summary and pick one thing to do.

Third, remember that you started on a learning journey for a reason. Maybe it was work. Maybe it was personal. Maybe it was to check out how this path looked. Whatever it was, you need to finish at least a portion of it. Your action step may be to put that book down and go another direction. That's okay.Make that as a choice, though, don't blunder into it.

Oh, and remember this: you can also learn from stories, perhaps even as well as you learn from intentional teaching. Whether it's "serious" literature (there's a lot to learn in War and Peace) or in "fun" books (there's a lesson in The Kobyashi Maru from Star Trek), you can be inspired and informed in fiction, too.

But then you have to act on it. Find one step and take it.

Tomorrow, take that step again.

2024 Ends 2025 Begins: Books!

 Briefly, which I know is a strange word for me, I'd like to touch on reading for the previous year and make some recommendations for the coming year. Yes, I also know it's too late for you to start a daily reader tomorrow if you do not already own it. Unless, of course, you've got a Kindle or Nook and make the digital order.

First, this year I've read these three as daily devotional and growth reads:

Jesus Every Day by Mary DeMuth. This was an easy read, moving through the Bible in a year, and guiding me with some prayer suggestions. I liked it as the introductory moment for my daily devotional time, it helped me tune my brain in the right direction. I won't immediately read it again, but it goes on the list for another year later on.

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. A classic in the devotional field, I read again my copy that I've had since 1996. This was my second year reading through it daily, so it will get set aside for this coming year as I usually do this in two-year bursts. For example, I read it daily in 2020 and 2021, then again 2023 and 2024. Written by Gertrude Hobbs Chambers from Oswald Chamber's sermons and spiritual talks that she had taken down in shorthand, this is a good, challenging read. It's available in both "Classic" and "Modern" language editions, I've got the "Modern" and recommend it, but the "Classic" is not that hard.

The Daily Dad by Ryan Holiday. At this point, we diverge from Christian teaching and read some philosophical mediations. Some of Holiday's thoughts are drawn from Scripture, most are centered on very practical thoughts and illustrated from history. Holiday's personal beliefs run more toward a modernized version of Stoicism (the real philosophy, not the "don't have emotions" nonsense), so at times he is just a bit not-right from a Biblical perspective. Still, there is enough value here to make it worth reading. I've given this as a gift to new parents.

Other books that I've wrapped up this year will be addressed at other times--these were the page a day.

Now, starting this year:

Every Day for Everyone: 365 Devotions from Genesis to Revelation by N.T. Wright and John Goldingay. As you can guess by now, I'm a fan of things that work through the whole Bible in a year. Next year, I will probably redo a read through the whole Bible plan, but for this year, I'm doing more time on less text. So this one will start off my days. Wright and Golindgay are both from a different Christian tradition than I am, but that will keep me challenged.

The Daily Pressfield by....Steven Pressfield. This one is more motivational than spiritual, but I'm looking forward to it. Pressfield is one of my favorite authors, despite wishing some of his vocabulary choices were different. I've got it on Kindle, so that will be digital reading.

In the "not a book" category, I get Seth Godin's daily email which I think is worth your time. It's not something I read in my daily devotional time, because I try to do the devotional work before I fire up the digital world. It's early in the workday, though.

Beyond that, we'll look at some of the various books for spiritual and personal growth as I read them!

Have a great new year celebration.

Oh, and this year will be the next Pearls Before Swine page-a-day calendar because we all need to laugh.

Books

 This week, I do not have a specific book to recommend to you. Instead, I want to highlight a couple of thoughts about books:

1. You should buy books.

2. You should read books.

There we go.

Oh, you want more details? 

First, you should buy books. I'm a big advocate of e-Readers, especially dedicated e-readers like the Amazon Kindle (or the Kobo, etc.,). We've had Kindles here since the Kindle Keyboard/Kindle 3, which was 2010, I believe. There are times those are just perfect: most of our fiction buys we make these days are on Kindle. This cuts down on shelf space and on move headaches.

Some we still get in hardcopy, and most of our non-fiction we get in hardcopy. Also, most of the children's books we have (like Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She was Extinct by Mo Willems) are in hardcover. 

Why? Mainly because it's much easier to just pick up a regular book and read it. You can casually grab one, spend a few minutes, then move on. When you have kids in your home, you want them to be able to do this. You also want kids to know that it's a good adult habit as well: reading is a good thing. (I also have kid-friendly books in my office for the same reason: to encourage reading.)

It's also easier to read a book and stay focused than it is to read on an app. I know dedicated e-readers don't have some of those distractions, so it's quite the same, but if you have a book in your hand, it's obvious you've got a book in your hand. And you aren't doing much else, like also tracking stock prices and weather reports. 

And these days, another reason to get the printed version of the book is that you can't change it once you have it. That may leave you with an error-riddled tome in your hands, but also means you have the knowledge at-hand even if someone makes changes to the servers that feed your connected books. As an aside, you also are far better off with books printed in countries with a "freedom of the press" mindset. Many books are printed in countries where even exported material has to pass government approval. A history of the People's Republic of China approved in Beijing could look very different than one printed in Wyoming.

It's true that the World Book Encyclopedia on the shelf behind me is marginally out-of-date in some areas. But you can't erase the entries, either.

There's also nothing like coming across an older book, leafing through it to see what it contains. 

Now, the other advice: you should read books.

Books stretch your attention span. Books expand your horizons. Books are a key to unlock ideas and places you've never seen or been. They aren't just for show. They're for learning.

And that may mean you wear out the good ones. Go ahead and have some spares!

Book: The Kobayashi Maru

 

Today's book is nothing serious, but I thought I would go ahead and hoist the Sci-Fi Nerd Flag. As with most TV shows and movies with long-term popularity, Star Trek has a good number of books that tie with the characters. This is true for all of the varied Star Trek series. These are usually from different authors, and therefore they vary in quality. Sometimes wildly.

But, the Star Trek fans I hang about with mentioned this book about the legendary Kobayashi Maru and how some of the other, non-Kirk characters addressed the challenge. 

So, today, let's look at a book you can read in an afternoon, especially if you're a Trekkie who doesn't need to dwell on the picturesque depictions of space.

The Kobayashi Maru (Star Trek: The Original Series Book 47) by Julia Ecklar is available on Kindle or paperback, I went Kindle because it's easier to move one Kindle full of novels than one shelf.

You will get the background information on what the Kobayashi Maru is and then see how Chekov, Scotty, and Sulu addressed the challenge. You will also get references to how Kirk addressed it, but if you've seen the best Trek movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, then you already know. Remember, he does not like to lose.

Now, is this is a book of deep meaning? No, it is not. It's a fun read with the expected "fixed it all at the last minute no matter how impossible" that is typical of the genre. After all, you didn't start failing in Sci-Fi until the Galactica reboot this century.

So why bother?

It's fun. That's why. Remember that life has plenty of serious, and if you are working hard to take seriously those things which are serious, it's fair to take a break. Sometimes, we run too hard because we see no stop point between "I'm doing great" and "I'm broken down and must stop everything to recover." Instead, grab a simple book about being trapped in a shuttle craft with no hope of survival.

It will do you good. 

Book: The Rest is History Returns

Some time ago, I read The Rest is History by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, two historians who have a podcast titled..."The Rest is History." There is a mild annoyance: since technically both books are the product of their podcast, the authorship shown on the book spine of the first one is "Goalhanger Podcasts" and the second is Holland and Sandbrook. So if you're sorting your books by author...the first one looks in the wrong place with all the Tom Holland books. 

Just recently, I finished the next book in what I hope will be an ever-expanding collection: The Rest is History Returns.

 (here's what the two books look like on Amazon.com)

Now, what's to enjoy with either of these books? 

First, bite-sized history. Yes, to learn all the ins-and-outs of history, you need long books. These long books need footnotes and references, places to turn for further study, and so forth. However, as you are getting started, or if you are wanting to survey a wide variety of subjects, the quick, bite-sized amounts of history you get in either of these books is just right. Are there missing details? There are. Guess what? There are missing details in Ron Chernow's 1000+ page biography of Alexander Hamilton. 

These are good amounts to get you interested.

Second, humour. Don't get me wrong: some matters in history are very, very serious. There will be matters about which joking is just, plainly, wrong. (That line has some flexibility: at one point, the Muppets made a joke about the Titanic, but then shortly after the movie came out, a humor newsletter reprinted that same joke and many people were furious about the insensitivity of it. However, certain subjects are never funny; some subjects should only be areas of humor for those affected by it. I shouldn't joke about Jews, but if Mel Brooks makes a joke about Jews, it's hilarious.) Back on track: a lot of history has funny moments, whether they are silly ironies or just things that we find funny in hindsight. 

There are also hilarious ways to present history, such as presenting one of the Spanish Conquistadors and his personal history by way of imagining his confession to a priest. Imagining the Marquis de Sade going through psychoanalysis is also...quirky.

Third, accuracy. These days, we are very used to two forms of bad story telling: one is "rush to be first" rather than "rush to be correct" news reporting, where "some sources say other news agencies are reporting" is considered accurate, even when the initial point is two anonymous goobers with a Twitter account. News keeps sliding into the background behind entertainment and marketing, so we get used to "maybe it's accurate, maybe it's not." The other is "inspired by a true story" TV and movies.

Go listen to the "Historians at the Movies" podcast or watch one of several YouTube clips where historians evaluate historical movies and see how those turn out. We can't seem to even get simple biographies come through with accuracy these days. Holand and Sandbrook, however, admit when the evidence is thin (there's a section on the JFK Assassination where they rate the evidence of various theories) and when the actual evidence is pretty solid. It's nice to have that be the apparent effort.

It's a great read. Good for evenings, if you aren't too scared of the French. They tend to show up and cause trouble. It's on the shelf under "G."

(Also worth checking out their podcast, but I haven't found a good point in my day to listen every day. I do want to.)

Book: Nobody's Mother by Sandra Glahn, Ph.D

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Nobody's Mother by Sandra Glahn. Dr. Glahn is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. 

Nobody's Mother started off when Glahn was studying deeply in 1 Timothy, especially the passage in 1 Timothy 2:12 about women being "saved through childbirth." As it does for many of us, that line just hit her as odd.

So, she did the logical thing: dug into an extended study of Ephesus, Artemis of the Ephesians, and how all of the cultural factors weigh on Paul's writing to Timothy.

I mean, that's the logical choice to make when you do not understand something: get the information you need to understand it better. Fortunately, going forward, you or I can grab a copy of Nobody's Mother from Amazon (or direct from IVP) to do our in-depth study. That way we only have to have one footnote instead of multitudes.

Glahn's work in Nobody's Mother points the reader to the cultural climate of Ephesus in the 1st Century. She starts by correcting a commonly-held misconception, that "Artemis of the Ephesians" from the New Testament era was likely a fertility goddess. Instead, the evidence shows that Artemis, also called Diana, was more the goddess of the hunt and an advocate for birthing mothers and virgins. (How the Greeks thought "both" here is something developed in the book, and takes a few pages.)

The evidence cited includes non-biblical writings from the era, inscriptions in the archaeological remains of Ephesus, and examinations of architecture and art. Glahn also notes when the "Artemis as fertility goddess" ideas first seem to appear in the historical sources, and notes that this occurs more than a hundred years after Paul wrote.

She then builds an excellent case for how to understand Paul's intent as he wrote Timothy, with some notes that can expand our understanding of much of the New Testament.

Why do I think this book, overall, is helpful?

First, Glahn writes from the assumption that the Bible is right and that we must work to understand the Scripture rather than discard those parts we find hard to grasp. Too many times, a weird passage like 1 Timothy 2:12 will simply be explained away, rather than examined and given a clear light on its original perspective. That's one of the critical steps in biblical interpretation.

Second, Glahn has worked to dig into major recent scholarship on Ephesus and Artemis. One thing that is hard to admit, but does happen, is that many of our "interpretative helps" for the Bible are not new and also not old enough. Rather, they came into common usage between the 17th and 19th century, and have since been repeated to the point of being unquestioned tradition. Artemis as "fertility goddess" is one of those, much like the oft-repeated (and completely wrong) "needle-eye door" understanding of Jesus' teaching about wealth. Someone picked it up, it got passed on, and now to question it will drive some people batty.

But those things which are not definitively in the text should be questioned. The assumptions we make about the culture surrounding the text should be questioned, and we have to realize that newer research can overturn older ideas in history as much as in chemistry or physics.

Do yourself a favor: pick up a copy of this book and stretch yourself a bit in your learning about the background of the Bible. Then, get your pastor/main Bible study teacher a copy, too, and talk about it. Talk about what you aren't sure about, ask a few good questions and go into detail. It can help a lot.

Why so many books?

 If you have ever been in my study at church or in our house, one thing you will probably notice is a *lot* of books. And the visible books are outnumbered by the invisible books: there are some print books in boxes, but then there are thousands in either my Logos Bible Software digital library or on our Amazon Kindle accounts.

So, why? Do we display a lot of books to show off our wealth? No, though I do admit that we have spent a lot of our income over the years on books. If we had a building-related disaster, our insurance won't quite replace them all. Probably it wouldn't get to halfway if we also needed to use insurance money to replace other things like....clothes and furniture.

But we're not trying to show off wealth. If we were, we'd have fancier bookshelves and probably a better organizational scheme. I admit there's wealth there, and compared to what some people are able to have, we're definitely blessed.

Is it about showing off knowledge? I have been accused of filling my church study with books as a way of looking down my nose at people because I think I'm smarter than they are. After all, look at all the books! I must be smart.

It's actually the exact opposite: the preacher and teacher who could have many books but chooses not to have them is claiming that he already knows more than enough. I've known preachers who said, "I just have my Bible and a couple of (books by favorite author), I don't need much else." 

That's great for those guys--but I'm not that smart. I don't remember all the nuances of Greek language or the archaeology of Ephesus. It's not easy to remember some of the theological concepts or better ways to address specific problems in a church, a family, a personal life.

That's why so many books: not because we know so much but because we know so little. Right now, if I need it, I can pull a book off the shelf that guides me in neurodivergent education or one in basic mechanical repair. Give me 20 minutes, I can help you with math from Algebra to Calculus, American History, and Ann can help you with Grammar. (There are not enough grammar books in the world for it to make sense to me.)

We can help you with organizational design, financial management, or communication skills.

Why?

Not because we know so much. 

Because we have books.

Having books is a luxury in many parts of the world, and many eras of history--in fact, I have a book on that--but for many Americans, having or not having books is a choice. If you can make a choice between books or no books---choose books.

Oh, and yes, I have a lot of digital books but we try to get crucial books in print. While you may need a second edition to correct errors in a print book, it's hard to change it accidentally.

Book: 10 Great Ideas from Church History

10 Great Ideas from Church History, by Mark Shaw, is an older book. It was published by Intervarsity Press back in 1997, which makes it “older” in modern terms of books. It’s not old like a “classic,” it’s simply been around for more than 2 decades.

Which, generally, is going to get this book circulated to the bottom of the stack as “out-of-date” and “not relevant.” This would be a shame. First of all, there’s some useful history to learn here no matter whether the ideas are out-of-date or not. We need to do better learning from our history rather than dismissing it as “not relevant.”

Back on track from the historian diatribe: Shaw presents historical examples (10 of them!) of ways that God has worked in churches in the past. Each of the examples are chosen from church events beginning with the Reformation, though he does refer to earlier times at moments throughout the book.

Shaw presents a counter to the idea that our best ideas must come from current events or the waves of popular culture. Rather, his overall premise is that we can find the wisdom we need in the ways God has worked in the past, in the wisdom that those who have gone before us have uncovered.

I would suggest that he’s right in this, though we often need to see how such crucial ideas as missions and discipleship and social action work forward into today. After all, while William Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect (such as Hannah More and Granville Sharp) were effective in abolishing slavery in the British Empire, that was a unique political entity. Today, one can see the benefit of the overall principles suggested by Shaw from Wilberforce’s action, but must find an application in a different sort of democracy.

Shaw does not fail to note some of the shortcomings of his exemplars. The ten ideas brought forward are not suggested because their originators were perfect but rather because these represent timeless needs of the church.

The idea that one should look at the past as well as the present is one of value. Christianity is rooted, after all, in historical reality and the unchanging nature of Almighty God. God has provided answers in the past, and God has not spoken only to our current generation of Christians. There is much to learn from what has been before. 

A student of church history and of ministry would learn a great deal by considering Shaw’s point. There is value in seeing how Christians have grown in truth, holiness, unity, and more throughout the 20 centuries Christianity has been in practice. The discussion questions are also valuable, and this would make a great group discussion starter for a group inside a church or for a group of pastors.

Book: Who God Is: Meditations on the Character of Our God

 

I'll open this with the lie preachers consistently tell: "I'll be brief."

Now to see if I can deliver while I talk about Ben Witherington III's Who God Is: Meditations on the Character of Our God.

This is a small book, published in 2020. You can get it on Kindle or in a pocket-sized hardcover that comes in around 100 pages.

Witherington's stated goal is to address the nouns used in Scripture to identify God. The introduction points out that many of our studies of God are based on the adjectives used to describe Him in Scripture: all-powerful, all-knowing, etc., or on words that capture what He has done: Redeemer, Creator.

He wanted to put forward a short look at the who God says He is. 

You get this short book. There are six chapters, five of them addressing a specific word: Love, Light, Life, Spirit, (you thought he'd alliterate, didn't you?) and One. The concluding chapter addresses God's character overall. 

The first chapter, God is Love, is longer than the others, but in it Witherington has provided a good deal of background that helps the other chapters run a touch shorter. 

It is a good devotional read. My own theological views hold more strongly to the idea of "eternal security" than Witherington does, so there are a few spaces I would take issue with. 

However, we all grow better by being challenged from time-to-time, so I think it's not a bad thing for us to read people outside of our traditions. And much of what Witherington has presented here is a good reminder of the love and grace of our God.

So go visit your favorite book shop and get a copy of this one.

Book: Worship in an Age of Anxiety

 

This week, I'm wrapping up reading J. Michael Jordan's Worship in an Age of Anxiety. This isn't an assigned review, but a book I've had on hand for a month or two and wanted to read for personal growth.

It's part of a series from IVP called on the Dynamics of Christian Worship. There are six entries in the series, this being the most recent. Jordan is a Wesleyan Pastor and the Dean of the Chapel at Houghton College. That makes his primary work with college-age students, though he also works pastorally with his church and the community he lives in.

The "age of anxiety" reference in the title launches from W. H. Auden's poem "The Age of Anxiety," which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. Auden's poem is worth reading; it deals with seeking meaning in the industrialized world. However, we're not going to look at the poem here. I'm not great with poetry reviews--my high school English grades show that to be very true.

Instead, I want to point you to this book. Jordan opens with a good description and discussion of what anxiety looks like. As well as any other book I've read that tries to bridge the gap between the more academic concepts of mental health and the popular level of mental health discussions (without dipping into the social media definitions which are almost always wrong), he provides an overview of what "anxiety" is in contrast to "worry" or "stress." The intro chapters alone were worth the time.

From there, we are treated to an examination of the deliberate uses of 'anxiety' in evangelical worship through the past couple of centuries. This includes reflecting on the practices of revivalists in the 19th century. Jordan does not pass judgment on those methods, but simply notes their usage.

Jordan then presents some basics of how anxiety can dreep into the methods and understandings of worship planning now. He suggests that evangelical circles would benefit from the grounding of historic liturgical practices, though noting the need to ensure they are presented in a way congruent with the theology that evangelicals embrace. 

In all, I'm finding this read a good challenge in how we think about worship and the value of alleviating the anxiety that comes in the door, rather than simply acting as if it does not exist.

Which is, I think, the bigger and more useful lesson here: do not ignore the reality of the people who have come to worship. Folks come in with anxieties, even as they are more current-era anxieties that rise higher on the classic "hierarchy of needs" than food and shelter. These anxieties are more nebulous and, therefore, harder to both measure and address. They are not any less real, though.

And drawing near to God in honest, church-wide worship must not ignore them, even as it is the keystone in helping to address them.

Book: Matthew through Old Testament Eyes

 

In the ever-growing intermittency of my blog writing, I have another book to talk about today. It is Matthew through Old Testament Eyes, the next entry in the Through Old Testament Eyes commentary series. Which, hopefully, will end up encompassing most of the New Testament. I would not expect OT commentaries, although a "Pentateuch through Post-Exilic Eyes" type of commentary might be intriguing.

First, the series: the idea here is to examine specifically how Old Testament thoughts informed the writing of portions of the New Testament. Not merely the "big idea" concept of "There is a God, He made the world," but rather the finer details like how the Beatitudes are informed by passages like Psalm 1. There are entries, so far, on the Gospels of John and Mark, and on the book of Revelation. (No, it's not "Revelations" through Old Testament Eyes, either. It's always singular.)

This entry to the series is on the Gospel of Matthew, and therefore draws the appropriate name of Matthew through Old Testament Eyes. It is a paperback, 390 pages, published by Kregel Academic with a list price of around $31. Endorsement blurbs include Lynn Cohick from Houston Theological Seminary and Michael F. Bird from Ridley College.

David Capes, author, is the Executive Director of the Lanier Theological Library in Houston, a place that my daughters have been to but I have not. I will try not to hold that jealousy against him in this review. He holds a PhD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary nad been involved in many scholarly works on the New Testament in his thirty-plus years of academic work.

On to the content: 

This is a generally academic commentary, more fit for the in-depth study of Scripture than for basic devotional use. It is not a deeply technical one requiring knowledge of Greek or Hebrew (the Hebrew would be relevant because of the OT references). It is broken down by sections of Matthew, with some areas detailing verse-by-verse but usually covering a couple of verses per comment. 

As an example, the commentary on Matthew 18:21-22 caught my attention. Most Christians are familiar with Peter's question about how many times he should forgive his brother--it even made one of the earlier VeggieTales episodes--and we have sermons on it, debates about it. It was not until this commentary that I even considered a connection to Genesis 4:23-24 about Lamech's boast. 

This is a good insight. And representative of the types of help this commentary will bring. The introductory material, covering background, etc., of Matthew is brief. It will hit the highlights but if you are needing details on authorship debates, date of writing, etc., you will need an additional source.

In all, this is a good addition to the Matthew shelf. This will broaden your understanding of how Matthew's original audience heard what he said.

Book: 40 Questions about Bible Translation

 

40 Questions About Bible Translation by Mark L. Strauss is another entry in the incredibly useful 40 Questions series from Kregel Academic. The series aim, overall, is to provide essentially a FAQ section on the given Title Topic. Entries include questions about the text of the New Testament, other religions, ministry patterns, and issues in Biblical interpretation. This is a handy series to have on-hand, whether you have it on your shelf or in print. The works are, naturally, all in print, and most are available for Kindle or your Logos Library.

The specific focus for today is the volume on Bible Translation. Now, I should start by being clear that all the ins-and-outs of Bible translation are the pursuit of years, but this is meant to be an introduction and explanation of some of the basic information. Mark L. Strauss, author, is a New Testament scholar and is on the Committee on Bible Translation for the New International Version. His other works include introductory textbooks on the Gospels and works on Biblical interpretation and translation. He is a qualified scholar for this subject. (Unless, of course, you're a partaker of the King James Only view of English Bible translation, but if so, you're not going to like this book.)

First, I would note that about a dozen of the questions and answers are English-specific, so these are not as helpful for non-English speakers. However, the rest of the book is broadly-based and applies to any language. There is value here for understanding missional work that groups like Wycliffe Bible Translators are involved with, and what the challenge is for that work. 

Second, each of the question/answer sections is followed up with comprehension questions. Strauss is a professor, after all, and there's nothing like a good quiz to make sure you got the point. 

The organization of the book moves from broad questions, like "Why do we need Bible translation?" to the final question, the quite specific and thorny, "What is the Controversy in Translating 'Son of God' in Muslim Contexts?," the latter being one you may have heard something about even in mainstream media, though it bears little impact on how you read your Bible in English.

Strauss approaches the entirety of the work from a perspective that respects the Bible as the Word of God, but acknowledges that people's hands have been on it and therefore, some parts of its transmission and translation may be problematic. He does not delve deeply into textual criticism or the more in-depth questions of just what Greek verb tenses are doing, but provides enough initial insight to help the reader understand why you cannot just make a one-to-one word swap to translate. He also provides the best short-form answer on textual criticism I have seen, and one that I will be using next time the question comes up in the church I pastor.

I would definitely put this more in the undergraduate student or deep Bible study participant category than I would in the "just buy copies and give them out at church" category. The information is well-presented, but it does presume some basic working knowledge of New Testament studies. There are places where some help connecting to other materials will be necessary, so a group setting is the ideal usage here. 

And, on a personal aside, we do get the necessary mention of the Venerable Bede on page 205 as well as Caedmon! The chapter on Earliest English Bible translations looks great to me, but I'm partial to that area as my first research paper was on pre-Reformation English Bible translations. So I'm always happy to see these familiar friends and to read scholars restate what I wrote back then, because I like knowing I was right. (it was all footnoted facts, hard to get wrong ;) )

This may be the last book I review here--I'm rethinking my blog and don't really have the traffic to claim I'm worth the freebies--but it is necessary to note Kregel Publications gave me this in exchange for a committed review. Am I positive? I am, because I get to choose the books I review and the publishers, and I've yet to find a bad part of this series. So...main point is that I did get the book free.

Book: Three in One

 

And we're back to BOOKS! Look, one of my great pleasures with writing is that it drives me to read more. I think my mental push on my doctoral process sputtered when it stopped being focused on me reading and learning and shifted to...something else. I'd far rather read, interpret, explain things than do just about anything else in the academic world. Anyway...on to this week's book!

Three in One: Analogies for the Trinity by William David Spencer is from Kregel Academic Publishers. A softcover, it weighs in at 216 pages counting the appendices and excluding the indices. Black and white printing throughout, this is a text-priority book, not one filled with pictures or diagrams. 

Overall, the thrust in Three in One is to look at how Christians communicate the truth of the Trinity. While Spencer is not out to prove the Trinity, he does open the book with background on this theological point. After all, why examine analogies for the Trinity if there isn't one?

That particular detail addressed--and it is illustrative, if not comprehensive--Spencer moves on to define the intentions of this work. The goals here are to express if it is appropriate to use language to explain the Trinity and, if so, what to say. One can easily assume his point will be that language is appropriate, otherwise, it's a pamphlet, not a book.

The next steps taken are to examine various analogies and explanations of the Trinity. Spencer takes the time to explain them well, then goes forward to show the shortcomings in many analogies but also notes how they still help us see and understand God better. 

Overall, I find his conclusions helpful about the use of language to explain the realities of God. Further, his summaries of various well-known analogies for the Trinity are easy to grasp. 

The subtitle of "Analogies for the Trinity" may be a bit off, as it is really more of an examination of the use of analogy than it is suggested analogies. Still, that's minor quibbling. I found Spencer's work to be helpful in expressing the inexpressible truth. 

And, of course, he references this: 

Book: Ephesians Big Greek Idea Commentary

So I still, from time to time, get books to review. It works like this: I get a free book and agree to review it. Then I beg for an extension of the due date for the review. Then I do the review. This is that review.

Ephesians is an entry in the "Big Greek Idea" series of Biblical commentaries from Kregel. The overall concept of this series is to provide a commentary based in New Testament Greek rather than from an English translation. However, the goal is not to create a commentary that is too academic and technical but rather to hit the pastoral and preaching-teaching needs of users who are functional in Greek but are not all-day academic workers.

The Ephesians volume is prepared by Benjamin L. Simpson, who is an Assistant Professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary. He holds a PhD and serves with their Washington, DC, campus. 

The format of the volume is laid out by section, but rather than drawing from any English Bible translation, it's drawn from the paragraphing used in the NA28 Greek Text. That text is provided in a causal outline format for the reader, which is then followed with syntax explanations for the whole section before the verse-by-verse walkthrough is shared.

The verse-by-verse walkthrough primarily pulls out specific words, usually verbs, and highlights how they clarify the meaning in the passage. Scattered through this are highlight boxes giving more background on textual criticism and theology.

It is hard for me to find a flaw in the Big Greek Idea Ephesians volume. If there is one, it's in the Greek background work and I am not at a level to call it out. There are two dangers to avoid for the user, though. The first is that a first-year Greek student will get ahold of your copy and never really learn the skills to work with the Greek themselves. Keep it safe :)

Second is that, with the easily accessible format you might be tempted to put too much Greek forward into your presentation. Remember that, just because you've got this book, it doesn't mean anybody else does!

I would highly recommend, though, that pastors and Bible teachers pick up Ephesians. This will be a good resource to have on your shelf. And I would recommend it on the shelf and not in the device. The causal outlines work better, at least for me, in print.

On having many books

The writer of Ecclesiastes comments that “of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). Having just moved, I can agree that many books definitely weary the body. Overall, I think the book box count was somewhere in the high 70s between the office and the house.

And that was after two hard looks through everything to consider what needed to be given away before we moved it all.

Why do we have so many books? This is a question we asked ourselves every time we found another box of books. We had already asked it every time we packed another box of books. Why?

Here are a few of the reasons:

1. We spent money on those books and we’re not throwing them away. It’s not a flashy reason, but it’s a reality: books aren’t cheap. Unless a book is bad—and by bad, I mean, bad in theology or result, like some books that endorse abuse, racism, or others like that—we don’t just toss it. (and a book from the 1700s would be treated differently than, say, the nonsense that comes out of some camps RIGHT NOW, given its historical setting). We’ll give it away to someone or, if it’s a basic fiction paperback, give it to Goodwill, etc., but we hate to throw books away or just to neglect them. Trees died for us to have that book.

2. Books represent opportunities to learn. We have books on the shelf that help with math—even parts of math we don’t expect to use, like Calculus or addition! (mainly Calculus) The more I read, the more my family reads, the more we know, but also the more we are aware of our “knowledge differential.”

What’s a “knowledge differential”? It’s the difference between how much you know and how much you know that you don’t know. For example, as I’ve said several times in the COVID mess, I know enough about infectious disease to know that I don’t know enough about infectious disease. Knowledge differential is both empowering and humbling at the same time: it’s what drives us to know more and also to listen to others, realizing that they may know more as well.

3. Books represent what we already know: why do I have so many history books? I am a historian. I’m a pastor, too, and have lots of pastor-y books. It’s helpful to remember what we’ve already learned. There are some books that I can simply pull of the shelf and remember what I learned from it.

4. Books represent the accumulated wisdom of years gone by. Sometimes, there is the presence of error from years gone by that we can then learn from even now, like the assumptions about race or gender from centuries past that need to be revisited. Even so, people learned, grew, and passed on what they had learned. Life without books is like suggesting that we do not need anything from those before us, which risks buying into the myth that we are fully self-made. There may be one or two out there who taught themselves everything—but usually self-made folks did a lot with books and the wisdom of days gone by.

And lest we forget: all the authors, even the bad ones, were made in the image of the Almighty God. The God who causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust may have also left wisdom in the hands of many. Should we neglect His gifts?

5. Books are just fun. Honestly, they’re heavy, take up space, but books are well-worth the lifting, sorting, and reflecting.

Now, if I just could find the right organizational scheme for the ones in my office…

Book: 40 Questions about Typology and Allegory

So, today’s book comes from Kregel Academic’s “40 Questions” series. These are some of the best introductory works in Biblical Studies and Theology as academic pursuits that you will find—I’ve yet to hit a weak point in the series, from Historical Jesus through Creation and Evolution and on to Elders and Deacons.

Today’s is 40 Questions about Typology and Allegory from Mitchell Chase. Chase’s PhD is from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he serves as an adjunct professor while also pastoring with the Kosmosdale Baptist Church.

Chase begins the work by looking at the Bible’s overall story. This use of the first 2 questions sets the understanding necessary to work through the remaining questions on typology and allegory.

After laying that baseline, the next batch of questions look into literary theory: “What is typology?” is the first, then there are more details about typology developed in that section. This is followed by a section on the historical use of typology and then the flow of the Biblical text, by sections, is examined for typological use. That concept is then repeated with Allegory, but with far fewer subsections about the definition of allegory.

Each section has discussion questions to reinforce the chapter’s points, which help this to be used for a study book either for studious adults or in the college classroom.

The main question I would raise of this book is one of need: How deep is the need for a book on Typology and Allegory? Does the wider reading audience, those not required to read this for a class, really need the book?

A look at a few representative passages might help:

Take, for example, Chase’s time spent on Song of Solomon. That’s a portion of Scripture that is often moved into allegory entirely or taken down to be exclusively about marriage, as if there are no layers of meaning. Question 36 addresses allegory in Song of Solomon, and helps to highlight how the reader can draw meaning there. It’s quite helpful—and will be for anyone trying to balance why this portion of Scripture is there!

Another example would be found in the chapter asking “How was typology practiced in the early church?” Right now, there is a lot of popular literature celebrating the early church (and there should be!) but it’s valuable to see how they understood Scripture and not read-back our own modern methods.

All in all, I’m very pleased with this entry in the 40 Questions series. It will take its place on the shelf with the set for ready reference.

A sample can be found here at the Kregel Website.

Book received from Kregel Academic in exchange for the review. Opinion is my own and also very late compared to the deadline.

Book: Invitation to Educational Ministry

What does it look like to make disciples within the church? While there is a strong case to be made for the importance of one-to-one relationships that cannot be ignored, there is also a definite role for organized educational ministry within churches.

That is where today’s book, Invitation to Educational Ministry, comes in quite handy. The work is edited by George M. Hillman, Jr., and Sue G. Edwards, who assembled contributions from more than a dozen of their colleagues at Dallas Theological Seminary.

First, let’s be clear about what Invitation is. It’s a textbook. Some of you will immediately start to fade away, because in your mind “textbook” is equivalent to “boring, useless, old.” One cannot hold the editors, or Kregel Academic Publishing, responsible for your poor prior experiences with textbooks. Textbooks are simply compiled resources intended for use in teaching—and this is a book compiled to teach about teaching. And you need it in your ministry.

Why?
Because, fundamentally, organizing for educational discipleship is a wheel you do not need to spend the time re-inventing. Edwards and Hillman have shaped this book to start with the foundation of teaching—who does it, why do it, and what are basic principles, then move through the specifics of various populations and onto concepts of leading and teaching small groups.

Each chapter is put together by a contributor with experience in its specific field, such as youth or children’s ministry, or experience in senior adult work. All of the chapters provide both theory and discussion questions to help cement your understanding of the material.

For the minister already at work, trying to reshape a stalled church education program, chapter 21 turns out to be the most useful—it provides worksheets to help you walk through a process in your church.

All-in-all, Invitation to Educational Ministry fits well with the rest of Kregel’s “Invitation” series: all-encompassing works that help beginners and experienced workers grow in their understanding of a field, with plenty of guidance for further study if desired.

I received my copy of this book from Kregel Academic in exchange for the review.

Book: Philippians Kerux Commentary

Today’s book is from Kregel Ministry and is the first volume I have in the Kerux Commentary series. The overall concept is that a pair of authors will work on each volume in partnership: one an exegetical author, one a homiletical author. In other words, one author to focus on the Biblical studies concepts and one to help guide the teaching and preaching concepts.
In that light, the Kerux series fits into the category of a homiletical commentary rather than a technical one, fixed on details, or a devotional one, fixed on application.
Now, I have the Philippians volume, so I’ll take a look at the features through what this volume shows. It’s one of the first volumes released, so there may be some adjustments in format going forward, but this is where it starts.
First of all, the book is broken down into segments of text intended to be preaching units. Each of these units are then presented with an exegetical idea, a theological focus, and a preaching idea. The text then fills out details in support of the exegesis and preaching ideas, with pointers on how to illustrate or strengthen the preaching and teaching of the passage included.
The preaching passages are derived from the outline of Philippians given by the authors, which divides Philippians into 6 major sections. Each section has at least 2 sub-units, with the Kerux Commentary giving a total of 18 suggestions for sermons.
Generally, the viewpoint adopted by the Philippians authors is the conservative, evangelical one: Paul as the author, Rome as the place of authorship, and so forth. The introductory materials deal with some of the arguments and discussions, but mostly in explaining why the authors see no good reason to jettison the tradition.
I like the structure and content. At various places, there are shaded boxes to highlight exegetical information. It’s not quite as awesome as full-color would have been, but printing costs what it costs and going color would likely push these out of the reasonable price point.
Overall, this looks like a good series coming. This volume, Philippians, is definitely a useful one.

(I did receive a copy of this book from Kregel.)