Book Review: Building the Body, by Gary McIntosh and Phil Stevenson

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Be as fit as you can be!

When we look at the church, how do we describe it? Often the word used to describe a "solid" church is the word healthy. McIntosh and Stevenson advocate that being healthy is not enough. Their reasoning is this: someone who is healthy is not necessarily going to be able to run a 5K race, let alone a marathon. But a fit person can do this. A person can be healthy but not fit and in the same way, a church can be healthy but not fit. 

Just like exercise, this book is divided into 4 sections: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. Each of these 4 sections is then broken down further into twelve specific areas that the church can improve on, such as outreach, personal ministry, Christ-exalting worship, and loving community. Each of these areas of ministry can be measured much in the same way that runners measure their progress: beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, and elite. The authors encourage each church leader to evaluate their own church in the areas presented, to praise God for the areas where they are strong and to improve the areas where they are weak.

I absolutely loved this book. The theme and the analogy presented challenged me greatly. Life isn't about just getting by and being healthy. Rather we should be striving, pushing to be as fit as we can be. For these reasons, I give this book 5 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Building-Body-Characteristics-Fit-Church/dp/0801019621/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516563935&sr=8-1&keywords=building+the+body+mcintosh

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

McIntosh, Gary L., and Phil Stevenson. Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2018.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Baker Book Bloggers book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Post-Traumatic Public Theology, Edited by Stephanie Arel and Shelly Rambo

Has there ever been a time in your life where a traumatic experience has changed you? This doesn’t have to be you personally. You could no someone who lost a loved one in 9/11 or another terrorist attack. You may know someone who has battled cancer. The point is that trauma can affect everyone, and every one must decide how they will respond to that trauma. As the writer of the introduction says, “This volume argues that the work of theology offers something distinctive in the aftermath [of trauma] (3).” With that in mind, how do the contributors to this work see the work of theology after times of trauma?

Chapter 1 is an introduction to the terminology presented here: post-traumatic, public, and theology. Chapter 2 talks about times of war and how we remember those who have fought in wars. Chapter 3 looks at a view of trauma and reality tv, with the Eucharist (communion) being a point of concern at the end of the essay. Chapter 4 deals with the trauma that comes with or because of physical disabilities. Chapter 5 discusses how trauma has come from the racism that permeates our society. Chapter 6 is an analysis of the scriptural/theological response to trauma, specifically from looking at John’s writings. Chapter 7 is titled “Elegy for a Lost World,” and by definition is a poetic chapter meant for the dead world that we now live in. Chapter 8 deals with the body of Christ as it exists now and how we help those who have been traumatized by some form of cancer. Chapter 9 discusses the justice that rightfully comes to those who have inflicted trauma on another. Chapter 10 examines how the effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks changed how religious classrooms run. Chapter 11 talks about the suffering of those who go to an immigration detention center and the trauma that they face. Chapter 12 discusses community violence, like school shootings and how we should respond as individual communities. Chapter 13 talks about the different “communities” that exist in the world: national, religious, and gender. 

This was an enjoyable book to read. I liked how each author of the essays was able to take their own topic and run with it. There is so much trauma in the world and we often do not know how to deal with it. Hopefully, this book, which I give 4 stars out of 5, will help us learn more about dealing with trauma. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319406596

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Arel, Stephanie and Shelby Rambo, Eds. Post-Traumatic Public Theology. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Religion, Authority, and the State, by Leo D. Lefebure

When we hear about the state and religion, we often hear the words “separation of church and state” in our minds. But the state is what first gave religious freedom. This book of essays was developed from a series of lectures given at a remembering of the Edict of Milan, which had been proclaimed law 1700 years before in 313 A.D. This edict by Constantine gave religious freedom to Christians around the Roman Empire.

In this volume, the authors remember Constantine’s legacy, and how religious freedom in some places and the lack of it in others have been affected by that legacy. Section one deals with the international perspective on the edict’s legacy. Section two goes to Africa and Asia, where the church and Islam are the primary subjects. Section three moves to the United States of America, where religious freedom has been cherished from the beginning. Section four moves to Europe, the home of where the Roman Empire was and the most diverse area of the world regarding religion. 

This book was a very detailed and interesting read on religion throughout the world. It was informative and detailed. I would like to have a chance to do more research on this topic of religion when it is looked at considering the authority it receives from its government. For this reason, my rating is inconclusive. For now, I will give it 3 stars out of 5, with the possibility of stars added in the future, or potentially stars taken away if it does not live up to its billing. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781137599896

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Lefebure, Leo D. Religion, Authority, and the State. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: House Church Christianity in China, by J. Kang

One cannot spend much time in Christianity without talking about overseas missions. And one of the country that is often on the radar of Christians is China. From J. Hudson Taylor to Eric Liddell, there have been many missionaries to this land of the Orient. When the Communist Party took over China, the church moved underground. This textbook is an analysis of what happened in Chinese churches.

Chapter 1 tells the history of the house churches in China, which has moved from strategic tolerance to suppression to relaxation over time. Chapter 2 tells the story of how the author connected with a house church and seminary in the city of Linyi through his connections in Beijing and chapter 3 goes farther back into the history of the Linyi house church. Chapter 4 delves into the entire network of house churches that exist in China and how those churches connect with each other. Chapter 5 talks about how the house church had to teach its members on the different aspects of the Christian life. Chapter 6 shows the bridging of the gap between pastoring the church and shepherding the church that every pastor must have. Chapter 7 shows the change that the church of Linyi had from being a rural-minded church in finances (poverty increases spirituality for the pastor) to being an urban-minded church in finances (financially supporting the pastor increases the spread of Christianity). Chapter 8 concludes the book and sums up all the changes that took place in this church.

This book is a good history of what has happened in Chinese Christianity. The one major discrepancy that I find between what this author believes and what I believe is that he highly advocates the Charismatic movement, and that feeling should be a huge part of our religion. For this reason, my rating is docked a bit lower, to 3.5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319304892

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Kang, J. House Church Christianity in China. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: The Apologetics Study Bible, CSB

If you are coming to this review for an analysis of the Christian Standard Bible, that will not be the topic of my review. I do not have the training in Biblical languages and Bible translation to even begin to analyze that. But what I can review is the physical book and the study resources included.

The book itself has a simple cover design, with a faint silhouette of the thinker statue in the background. The book has a small, but readable font. The pages are thin and some of the words from the backside of the page can be seen on the front side. This downside drops the book design to 4 stars out of 5.

The resources inside the book are excellent. Authors and apologists like Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ), Josh McDowell (Evidence That Demands a Verdict), and Ravi Zacharias (Why Jesus?) contribute to the articles within. And the articles are very good as well. They do not just focus on one topic but span all the different areas of apologetics, from abortion to religions, to the character of God. I give these resources 5 stars out of 5.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this study Bible. A simple layout and great resources make it a very nice addition to a collection of Bibles. I give this Bible 4.5 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/CSB-Apologetics-Study-Bible-Hardcover/dp/1433644096

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

CSB Apologetics Study Bible. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the BH Bloggers book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Create Vs. Copy, by Ken Wytsma

Creations created to create: it's who we are! 

In Create Vs. Copy, Ken Wytsma pushes the boundaries of what some people would call creativity. While many would say that the creative ones are the painters, dancers, and songwriters, Wytsma acknowledges that it is not only a God-given ability for us to create, it is a God-given command. Each person alive has some creativity. 

What I love about this book is its simplicity. From the book's design to the words within, Wytsma desires to help us see who we are in relation to creation. He pushes us to take our God-given responsibility to create and not just be a copy of someone else. 

Every little nuance of this book was created with that very goal in mind. I applaud Wytsma for his treatment of this topic and give Create Vs. Copy 4.5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Create-vs-Copy-Creativity-Imagination/dp/0802413498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515816579&sr=8-1&keywords=create+vs+copy

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Wytsma, Ken. Create Vs. Copy. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the MP Newsroom book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Hosea: The Forgiving Husband

Hosea 3:1-3 

1 Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. 

2 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: 

3 And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.

In our series "A Portrait of Christ," we now begin what is often the forgotten section of the Bible- the minor prophets. I would say that Hosea is the book that is turned to the second most times out of the minor prophets, behind only Jonah and it's second because people flip past Daniel and land right on Hosea. But there are some great truths about God that we can learn from this book. 

Hosea married a prostitute. Not a phrase you would often say of a prophet of God, or any of God's followers for that matter. But God had commanded Hosea to do this to illustrate something to Israel. When Hosea married his wife Gomer, she would constantly go back to her old way of life as a woman of the streets. Eventually, she was put on the market as a slave, available to the highest bidder. God commanded Hosea to go and get his wife, bring her back to him. This is a beautiful picture of God's love for Israel.

Gomer kept trying to leave Hosea for other men. Israel kept trying to leave God for other gods. But despite the times that Gomer and Israel left Hosea and God, they were welcomed back with open arms. They were loved. They were forgiven. 

And that God that forgave Israel is still that same forgiving God today. The Bible promises that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9)." Does this mean that we should constantly try to sin and run from God like Israel ran from Him or like Gomer ran from Hosea? Paul writes in Romans 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (emphasis added)" What it does mean is that no matter how many times we may stray, God will always forgive us. He will always welcome us home. 

Photo Credits:

1 http://s2.jcg.co/thumbs_small/prcas2037.jpg

Book Review: Animals in the Writings of C.S. Lewis, by Michael Gilmour

This book, one in a series of books on the ethics of human dealings with animals, deals with what the author calls a theology of animals. He says in his preface, “My aim is to introduce the already familiar C.S. Lewis as an animal thinker who invites a specifically Christian response to animals (xiii).” How is this possible? How can there be a Christian response to animals? The author here looks at the Genesis narrative and how Lewis used this to form his own opinion of animals.

To begin with, I would like to say that he leaves what we would classify as a Christian view of animals very ambiguous to begin with. He leaves this discussion merely by talking about different scripture passages that reference animals. I truly believe that what he is missing here is the view that man was created in the image of God. Our view of animals should be shaped by the fact that we are made in God’s image and they are not. We are to have dominion over and care for them.

He then looks at Lewis’s writings. He used Genesis to talk about animals in a peaceful co-existence with humans, humanity’s dominion over animals, the loss of paradise, animals as food, and the animal-human community.

Unfortunately, through all of this, though analyzing Lewis’s opinions superbly, the authors own opinions are misguided by not understanding the Biblical side of Lewis’s thinking. He thinks he does in some cases, but, again it is misguided. For this reason, I give this book 2.5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781137552976

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Gilmour, Michael J. Animals in the Writings of C.S. Lewis. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Tolkien's Theology of Beauty, by Lisa Coutras

In her book Tolkien’s Theology of Beauty, Lisa Coutras takes a different view than most in analyzing Tolkien’s writings. She views it from the perspective of looking at the beauty of the writing and how that shows his distinct theology, unlike any other writer.

Coutras looks at six distinctive characteristics of Tolkien’s writings that show this theology of beauty: 1) Myth, 2) Creation, 3) Language, 4) Good and Evil, 5) Tragic Heroism, and 6) Women. In her section on myth, she looks at both beauty and truth in myths. In creation, she looks at several aspects of being- from light to incarnate beings to simply the wonder of being. When talking about language, she finds that Tolkien’s words were the most beautiful things in the words to him. From the law of the logos to the song of Lúthien, Tolkien has beauty in his words. In her chapter on good and evil, Coutras goes back to talking about being. She talks for a chapter about being and unbeing and then goes to the splendor of being. Section five on tragic heroism delves into the character Túrin—his heroism all the way up to his death. Section six on women talks about how Tolkien’s treatment of women. While some would criticize him for this, Coutras finds that they are wrong for doing so. The reason is that he portrayed his entire novel in an ideal society and the women were portrayed in that society.

This book was an interesting read. To find out more about where Tolkien’s theology stands, Catholic though it may be, was certainly enlightening. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781137553447

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Coutras, Lisa. Tolkien's Theology of Beauty. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2016.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Springer book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Turn Your Setbacks Into Comebacks, by Rick McDaniel

Ready for a comeback? Still unsure.

Turn Your Setbacks Into Comebacks is a book, as the title suggests, all about comebacks. From the playing field to the pew, McDaniel sees similarities across all comebacks. He attempts to write these out to help every individual. Targeting Christians from any class of society, McDaniel finds different strategies and inspires with stories about how each person can find their own comeback.

This book did an excellent job of covering the different comebacks that may be encountered by Christians in everyday life: relational, financial, career, health, and spiritual. Each one is given its own chapter and different strategies are presented to help us come back from setbacks in each area. 

The main problem that I found with this book is its focus. While it does come back into focus after a few sections, some of the chapters begin very vaguely and can lose the reader before resolving itself in a later part of the chapter. Each reader needs to be patient as the chapters unfold, but they could have been written better. 

All-in-all, this book did a fair job of helping Christians come back. While it may lose some readers at the beginning of some chapters, the patient will find excellent strategies to come back. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. If you would like to purchase this book, you can find it at this link:

https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Your-Setbacks-Into-Comebacks/dp/1633571033/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515255406&sr=8-1&keywords=turn+your+setbacks+into+comebacks

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

McDaniel, Rick. Turn Your Setbacks Into Comebacks. Colorado Springs, CO: Crosslink, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Book Crash book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.