Book Reviews – Page 154

Saying Yes to No: A Biblical Approach to Disagreement Among Christians by Patrick Webb

August 4, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: If there are people, there will be disagreement. Avoiding disagreement, or insisting on a ‘be nice’ Christianity does not solve the problem. Instead, we need to focus on disagreeing in love and with purpose.

Purchase Links: Kindle Edition, Paperback

I am on a personal investigation of books about how to disagree as Christians. I am giving a talk in September on the subject. But the main reason I am giving the talk is because I am trying to force myself to think a bit more deeply about how we as Christians can disagree and still fulfill Jesus’ John 17 prayer “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (NASB)”

It is pretty easy to look around at the Christian world and see lots of people being examples the opposite of this prayer. It is not all that easy to find really good examples of how Jesus’ John 17 prayer is being fulfilled. I think in large part it is because movements toward unity are a lot harder than disagreements. It is often very slow gradual steps toward unity, but breaks in unity are often loud and well publicized. One of the best books I have read on the reason for this unity is John Armstrong’s Your Church is too Small. I have read it and plan on reading it again very soon.

A ‘Down and Dirty’ Guide to Theology by Donald McKim

August 3, 2011 by Adam Shields

A "Down and Dirty" Guide to Theology Takeaway: A unique, and useful overview of what theology is about. More of introduction to the study of theology and Christian thought than introduction to theology itself.

It is a rare book on theology that includes a section on theological jokes. I have to admit that while I thought some of them were fairly funny, my wife and some friends that I told a couple of the jokes to, were not as amused. It was probably that I am the world’s worst joke teller.

This is a very unique introduction to theology. There is nothing in this short book that I thought was extra or could have been cut, but it was not what I thought of when I thought introduction to theology. This is a quick book. I read almost all of it on a plane ride. In the end it is really about 100 good pages of content with a little bit more in the appendix and introduction. When I think of an introduction to theology I primarily think of a short systematic theology. That is probably not the best way to introduce someone to theology, but that is what I think of.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson Book 5)

February 26, 2024August 2, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: The Hero is often the hero in a way they do not anticipate.

Percy Jackson, in the last book of the series, is sure he is “the one” of the prophecy. He is going to have to save Olympus and defeat Kronos. So he debates undertaking a dangerous task to prepare himself.

Of course, there is always a problem with his love life (since Hera cursed him).

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4) by Rick Riordan

August 1, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: The difference between friends and enemies is sometimes difficult to discern.

Purchase Links: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook

This is a classic penultimate book. The bad guy gains power. A new character (potential love interest) is introduced. There is some tension between the main characters. And a character seems to be sliding between the good guys and the bad guys.

The Grace and Truth Paradox: Responding with Christlike Balance by Randy Alcorn

July 29, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: We cannot be 50 percent truth and 50 percent grace. We have to be 100 percent truth and 100 percent grace.

Purchase Links: Hardcover, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook

I am trying to read about how to properly disagree as Christian (I am giving a talk about this in September). I have several good short resources. The introduction to John Piper’s The Future of Justification (Free PDF download) is one of the best short articles about how to disagree as Christians that I have read. (I did not like the rest of the book that much, but I keep telling people about the introduction.) I keep running across short sections of books that also are good. But I have been struggling to find longer works that are focused on disagreeing properly as Christians.

A Visit to Vanity Fair: Moral Essays on the Present Age by Alan Jacobs

July 28, 2011 by Adam Shields

A Visit to Vanity Fair: Moral Essays on the Present Age

Purchase Links: Hardcover

I do not often read books of essays. Frankly, I do not frequently read essay length works. I read a lot of blog posts and I read a lot of book length works. But the essays are difficult for me. Jacobs is a very good essayist. And that is why I wanted to read the book. He was (and is) a professor at Wheaton College when I was there, but I did not have him (and do not remember meeting him.)

Over the past couple years I have follow his blogs and writings fairly closely, but this is the first book of his that I have read. I bought it a bit over a year ago to take to the beach (found it for $3 including shipping on Amazon.) Unfortunately it ended up in my Sister-In-Law’s beach books and I forgot about it until I went to the beach this year.

Streetwalking with Jesus: Reaching Out in Justice and Mercy by John Green

July 27, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: Not all of us are called to minister to male prostitues, but all of us are called to work out Micah 6:8 “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” for ourselves.

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition (until July 27, the kindle edition is on sale for $3.99)

I have been aware of John Green and his ministry almost as long as it has been around. Green was finishing up a Master’s degree at Wheaton College as I was starting my undergrad. We did not know one another, but I knew of him and what he was doing. There were Wheaton students from very early on volunteering. Until 5 years ago when I moved from Chicago to outside of Atlanta, I would see John regularly at Wheaton events, especially those alumni events that were trying to get alumni in urban ministry together.

Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson Book 3)

July 21, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: Some new friends, some characters die.

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook
(Kindle Edition is lendable if someone wants to borrow the series)

The series is aging. Percy is now in 8th grade. Annabeth is trying to live with her Dad and Stepmom again. Tyson has found a home and Grover has found two new children of the Gods that need to make their way to Camp Half-Blood. Percy is still the main and center character, but he is not in charge of the quest, in fact he is chosen to join the quest at all.

Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson Book 2) by Rick Riordan

July 21, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: Friends are important.

Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook

In the second book of the series, Percy is getting comfortable in his role as one of the half-bloods and excited about going back to camp for more training. But as normal, the mosters that seek after the children of the Gods cause problems and another adventure is started.

The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way by Eugene Peterson

July 18, 2011 by Adam Shields

Takeaway: We often live like Jesus is the Life, sometimes like Jesus is the Truth, but often forget that Jesus is the Way. It is a path that we are to follow, not just a belief that we are to ascribe.

This is the second time I have started this book. A couple of years ago, I got bogged down and did not finished it. Because it was the only one of Peterson’s series of practical theology that I have not read, I decided that I should go back and read it again. This time I got it. That is not to say that it is an easy book to get through, I still think it is the weakest of this series. It is a bit disjointed. The beginning of the book talks about the reasons that we need to follow Jesus. This section primarily revolves around the passage of Jesus saying he is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Peterson says we spend a lot of time on Jesus being the truth and the life, but we do not often think a lot about how Jesus is the way.