Book Review: Antisemitism Before and Since the Holocaust, Edited by Anthony McElligott and Jeffrey Herf

When one considers the most despised people of all time, he cannot go far without reaching the Jews. Countries and people groups have attempted to eliminate the Jewish nation for centuries- millennia even. This hatred has become known as antisemitism and it has grown through the ages, up to what many would consider being the high point of antisemitic thinking, the Holocaust. This book, as the title suggests, is an analysis of antisemitism both before the Holocaust and after. 

The first part of this book is dedicated to 2 separate false viewpoints: Holocaust denial and Holocaust inversion. Denial is simply saying that the Holocaust never happened. Inversion is the belief that the Jews were the true villains of the Holocaust and deserved what “punishment” they received. Part two of this book looks at three major religions and their views of the Jewish nation: Christianity, Catholicism, and Islam. Part three takes a deep view of the historical and political views that contribute to or against antisemitism. From the USA to Germany, to Great Britain, to the other Middle Eastern Nations, antisemitism is analyzed from the past and the present. Part four deals with antisemitism in public conversation- how do individuals exhibit or not exhibit antisemitic qualities. Part five is two more observations of the Holocaust denial that has permeated our society.

This book was an excellent analysis of this issue. While some would deny that the Holocaust happened, this could not be further from the truth. The Holocaust was one of the most poignant events of human history in religion. This book did a good job analyzing antisemitism for what it is: racism. For these reasons, I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319488653

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

McElligott, Anthony and Jeffrey Kerf. Antisemitism Before and Since the Holocaust. 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: Love Thy Body, by Nancy R. Pearcey

Standing absolute in a world with none.

The world we live in today is not a pretty one. And that is reflected in humanity's treatment of itself. As a Christian, I know that the Bible tells me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. This means that I can truly love and respect who God made me to be. This book follows this Biblical truth to deal with the issues of abortion, sex, homosexuality, and transgenderism.

I know that this would cause an uprising within the "LGBTQ community," but I most definitely agree with this book when it says their way of life is a dehumanizing worldview. It takes away from the very essence of who we are-- we have been created specially by God to serve His purpose. I love how Pearcey doesn't pull any punches, but goes straight for the jugular of culture. She calls herself a former agnostic, meaning that she was unsure if there even was a God, and as a person who had lived in unrighteousness she falls into the category of I Corinthians 6:9-11, where Paul writes, 

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

Knowing this about Pearcey, and about every Christian gives  us a new perspective. We all were once in the shoes of Nancy Pearcey and of those who are living in these sins. This should give us the motivation to tell the truth about what that lifestyle is. Pearcey's book is an excellent apologetic resource to do just that- to teach on loving our bodies, respecting what is the temple of God after salvation. I highly recommend this book. For these reasons, I give this book 5 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Thy-Body-Answering-Questions/dp/0801075726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517005392&sr=8-1&keywords=love+thy+body+pearcey

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Pearcey, Nancy R. Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality. 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: Religion, Philosophy and Knowledge, by Gregory W. Dawes

Any religion has a philosophy behind it and a knowledge in it. As one grows in his or her religion, that philosophy and knowledge are going to be engrained in their everyday life and into their being. This book is all about that philosophy and the knowledge behind religion.

Part 1 talks about religious language and thought. This is the lingo of religion and the thought that goes into and behind religion. Part 2 deals with what the essential goals are of any religion: sacred order, personal salvation, knowledge and skill, and an embodied knowledge. Part 3 discusses the different ways we can know things: signs (divination, dreams, and visions), acquaintance (mysticism and self-authentication), reason (ontological, cosmological, and theological arguments), and testimony (possession and prophecy, revelation and faith, and self-authentication). The book concludes by assessing one’s religious beliefs. 

This book is a good book on basic religious philosophy. While not dealing with any one particular religion, it finds basic principles on what makes a religion. For these reasons, I give this book 4 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319434995

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Dawes, Gregory W. Religion, Philosophy, and Knowledge. 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. 

"Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out"

If you follow any news sites at all, you have no doubt heard about the trial of the former Michigan State University and USA Olympic Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. While already convicted and sentenced to 60 years in prison on child pornography charges, it was later found that he abused some of the very girls that he was supposed to be helping to achieve NCAA and Olympic greatness.

This has been happening for years. Many of the women who were abused are now older. 156 women in total have made statements over the last few days in a hearing where Nassar was sentenced today to another 40-175 years in prison.

In all of this, while we rejoice that justice has been wrought, we all must realize that we are only a few steps away from becoming a Larry Nassar ourselves. We are all sinners. We all have done wrong. And while our actions may not be to the extent of Nassar's actions, our sin will still come back to find us in the end. The Bible says as I've written in the title, "Be sure your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23)."

Nassar had been taking these actions for years, and as the judge said at his sentencing, was "unable to control [his] urges." Nassar issued a statement of apology and accused the women of lying and manipulating him into pleading guilty to see him shut up in prison for good, but it was too little, too late. He did wrong and now he is facing the consequences. For him, that is life in prison. For us, this could be the loss of a friend or privileges. It could be a punishment from parents or even reach the point where we are being punished by the government for some wrongdoing.

What's more important is the punishment of our sin by a just God. Because God is just, righteous, and perfect, he cannot abide with sin. Our sins that we commit separate us from God. And while when we are saved we can never be taken out of God's hand or lose our salvation, when we sin, we lose our fellowship with God. And this punishment of separation from fellowship with God affects all other relationships, actions, and thoughts that we have.

Our sin will always find us out. Larry Nassar found that out, and if we have not already, we someday soon will find that out. 

Photo credits: https://www.si.com/olympics/2018/01/18/larry-nassar-sentencing-victims-abuse-stories-mckayla-maroney-statement-day-three, text on the photo from Numbers 32:23, all edits mine

Book Review: Enter the Ring, by D.A. and Elicia Horton

Taking on the boxing match of marriage and knocking it out!

The marriage of a man and a woman is a beautiful thing. But it is also a struggle. It's difficult. It is ultimately a fight. And much like a boxing match, each person in the fight needs to be willing to go every round. That's what the Horton's are attempting to emphasize in their book, Enter the Ring.

To show that they know what couples go through, the Hortons tell their own story- they had more than their share of struggles and fights before they were even married. They almost didn't get married. But through God's grace they did, and now they encourage others with their writings. What they first advocate for EVERY Christian marriage is for the couple to have a relationship that is "gospel-saturated." This quality of being completely filled with the gospel of Christ is vital to any relationship or life for that matter, but especially in marriage. 

One of the things that I loved about this book is its reliance on what is true- the scriptures. In a book about a topic that needs practical advice, there will be some opinions. That much is obvious. But the number of scriptures used to back up those opinions is amazing. One of the paragraphs (that I actually counted) contains 15 scripture references alone! This emphasis on the scriptures directly relates to their emphasis on gospel-saturated marriages.

This book is a knockout! A must read for every married couple. I am not married yet myself but know that the principles that I found in this book will be used to help my marriage in the future. For these reasons, I give this book 5 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

https://www.amazon.com/Enter-Ring-Fighting-Together-Gospel-Saturated/dp/163146695X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516816430&sr=8-1&keywords=enter+the+ring+da+horton

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Horton, D.A. and Elicia. Enter the Ring: Fighting Together for a Gospel-Saturated Marriage. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 2017.

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

Book Review: Talking About God, by Steve and Cheri Saccone

True Stories, Good Examples.

Talking About God, by Steve and Cheri Saccone, contains six different conversations about God that the authors had with individuals that they know. While some names and details have been changed or omitted to protect personal identity, these are real stories of real conversations. From a coffee house chat to talking to someone from work or school, this book presents situations that we all may find ourselves in.

Reading through these stories was a blessing to me. I loved how the authors remained human - they admit the mistakes they made and they ask questions that anyone can ask. That transparency is critical to any leader in ministry. 

While I was expecting a book filled with principles for talking about God, seeing examples in action really punched the points that the authors were trying to get across home. For these reasons, I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

https://www.amazon.com/Talking-about-God-Conversations-Spirituality/dp/1631466992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516735150&sr=8-1&keywords=talking+about+god+saccone

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Saccone, Steve and Cheri. Talking About God. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 2018.

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

Book Review: Poverty and Wealth in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Edited by Nathan Kollar and Muhammad Shafiq

When we consider poverty and wealth, we often consider it a matter to be dealt with socially- on Wall Street and in the government. But money is a religious subject as well, and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have much to say about wealth and poverty. 

I don’t have the time or space to analyze what each religion says about poverty and wealth. That is why this book was written. What I can say is that this book is an excellent comparison and contrast of each of these religions. They look at the major writings of each religion. For Judaism, this is the Torah and the Talmud. For Christianity, this is the Bible. For Islam, this is the Qur’an. Each of these religious writings contains specifics instructions about wealth and poverty.

Overall, the comparison and contrast were done well and from a purely unbiased standpoint. I think that everyone should understand other cultures and how they view the major aspects of society. This book helps every Christian, Jew, or Muslim understand the views that the others hold to. For these reasons, I give this book 3.75 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9781349948499

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Kollar, Nathan and Muhammad Shafiq. Poverty & Wealth in Judaism, Christianity, & Islam. 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 Burden Is Light, by Jon Tyson

Leave your burdens at the cross.

When I received this book, I had no pre-conceived notions about it. I barely knew the theme from the website where I received it. But after getting into it, I found Jon Tyson's book to be excellent. His main illustration is this: on a tombstone there are 2 dates-- a birth date and a death date. In between these dates is one small dash. This dash is our life. How will we make our dash count?

This book is 8 chapters with 8 different comparisons: comparisons of how we often live our lives with how we should live our lives in Christ. Comparison, competition, control, cursing, complacency, judgment, pride, and distraction all should be non-existent in the life of a redeemed Christian. Rather we should exhibit a calling, compassion, surrender, blessing, passion, mercy, humility, and presence. Exhibiting these characteristics leads us into a life of communion with God and others. 

As I read this book, it helped me to see where I am now. That was a bit convicting. I know that I'm not where I need to be as a Christian. I think that this book did a very good job of placing wrong parts of our lives in perspective and presenting an alternative. For these reasons, I give this book 4 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

https://www.amazon.com/Burden-Light-Liberating-Tyranny-Performance/dp/0735290679/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1516636247&sr=8-1

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Tyson, Jon. The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2018.

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

Book Review: Death in the Early Twenty-first Century, Edited by Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Susan Orpett Long, and Sergei Kan

Death.

It’s coming, and each of us knows it. Yet each generation that has come and gone has viewed death in a different light. And the generation of the early twenty-first century is no different. This book is an analysis of how this generation views death and the remembering of those who have left this earth through death.

The introduction brings up several terms: agency, authority, and memory. The agency is what brings death, authority is who has control over what practices are performed concerning death, and memory is how the dead are remembered after they are gone. Section 1 deals with culture, religion, and tradition in death, looking at Chile, the countries of the old USSR, the United States, China, and Japan. Section 2 talks about the memory of each individual person who dies. From mortuary rights to the technology that we use today, each person is remembered a bit differently. Section 3 deals with the individual choice and the family choice of those who have gone on. This, again, talks about the memory of individuals, but more how the dead will be remembered over time than how they will be remembered in the present. 

This was a very interesting book with different perspectives on death. I think that the church should have a bigger part in reaching those who have experienced the death of a loved on than this book puts out. The church has the true hope of life after death, because Christ has given us eternal life, even after death. For this reason, I give this book 3 stars out of 5. 

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319482699

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Boret, Sébastien Penmellen, Susan Orpett Long, and Sergei Kan, Eds. Death in the Early Twenty-first Century. 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: Spurgeon Journal

Great Bible study tool.

This isn't a book review, but a product review, so it'll be a bit shorter. This journal is very nice. Both sturdy and convenient to hold, it contains quotes from some of Spurgeon's earliest sermons. This is an excellent notebook for sermon notes or sermon preparation. I only wish it had more pages!! 5 stars out of 5.

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.