Do we really need another book about grace? Yes, I enjoyed reading a previous Andy Stanley book about leadership and realize that he is an "in-demand" speaker. But on this topic...? Interestingly, in the opening paragraph of his acknowledgements, Andy Stanley shares that this same question came to his mind when Matt Baugher from Thomas Nelson books asked him to write the book. Fortunately for all of us, he graciously agreed to do so and Christians around North America (and hopefully around the world) will benefit from His insight into Scripture and teaching on grace.
In fourteen chapters, pastor Stanley covers a broad range of OT and NT characters and identifies a major principle (or two) that the biblical person's life illustrates. As someone who has grown up within evangelicalism, the individuals and their stories were familiar, and yet the understanding of grace that Stanley draws from the texts was refreshing and challenging. The book is well-written, theologically solid, and graciously convicting. For high school or college age students (or adults) who tend to choose either "law" or "grace" sides, the book is an especially well-explained treatise on the complementary-ness, not competitiveness, of this perpetual discussion. I highly recommend this book, for personal edification or a group study; for new believers as well as "mature" believers who want to be inspired to be more Christ-like without backing down from truth; and for the disillusioned who are hesitant to give Christ's grace another try.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favorite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday, October 08, 2010
Book Review - YHWH by GP Taylor & Paula K Parker
Reading and writing a review of GP Taylor & Paula K Parker's YHWH: The Flood The Fish and The Giant, Ancient Mysteries Retold is one of the more intriguing tasks I have embarked upon recently. The reason is that while there is nothing specifically wrong or negative I can say about the book, there is also very little to say in terms of recommending it to others.
Although not stated explicitly, it seems the purpose of the book is to "fill in the details" on twenty stories from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). And in so far as that seems to be its purpose, it accomplishes the goal decently. Positively, none of the "extra details" of the narratives contradict the biblical accounts, and they do fill in the details as one might imagine. At times, it makes up names that seem fitting for the historical time of the story, and yet at least in chapter 1, The Fall, the characters who would seem to be Adam and Eve are named Marah and Havva. The rest of the book seems to take seriously the biblical accounts as historically accurate, so this odd re-naming of Adam and Eve seems out-of-place with the rest of the book.
However, there are two negative features to point out... though they are not so much negative as non-descript. First, the writing is nice, easy to read, clear, and reasonable. Yet that it is all that one can say for the writing. It is not historically inaccurate, yet it also does not seem to include or explain any "additional" historical or cultural research that would add to the story beyond what your average high school educated student could add. It is not "brilliant writing" that makes this book come alive.
Secondly, and ultimately my largest criticism of this book is that it adds nothing to our Biblical understanding. Its nice to read on paper what me, my friends, pastors or others may have said in various contexts to fill-in-the-details of the biblical accounts. However, that is all this book is... another person's (two peoples') speculations about what happened based upon what the Hebrew Scriptures do say. Again, nothing wrong with their speculations, yet there is nothing more or less inspiring about their ideas of "reading between the lines" than any other suggestion. And there is nothing about their writing style or research or creative expression that makes this book worth purchasing as something that enlightens biblical thinking.
So, while I do not think anything bad will happen from reading this book, I cannot recommend one spend their hours reading this book, when the Book itself often stays on the shelf unopened or while other additional sources of good writing and/or biblical exposition remain untouched.
Although not stated explicitly, it seems the purpose of the book is to "fill in the details" on twenty stories from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). And in so far as that seems to be its purpose, it accomplishes the goal decently. Positively, none of the "extra details" of the narratives contradict the biblical accounts, and they do fill in the details as one might imagine. At times, it makes up names that seem fitting for the historical time of the story, and yet at least in chapter 1, The Fall, the characters who would seem to be Adam and Eve are named Marah and Havva. The rest of the book seems to take seriously the biblical accounts as historically accurate, so this odd re-naming of Adam and Eve seems out-of-place with the rest of the book.
However, there are two negative features to point out... though they are not so much negative as non-descript. First, the writing is nice, easy to read, clear, and reasonable. Yet that it is all that one can say for the writing. It is not historically inaccurate, yet it also does not seem to include or explain any "additional" historical or cultural research that would add to the story beyond what your average high school educated student could add. It is not "brilliant writing" that makes this book come alive.
Secondly, and ultimately my largest criticism of this book is that it adds nothing to our Biblical understanding. Its nice to read on paper what me, my friends, pastors or others may have said in various contexts to fill-in-the-details of the biblical accounts. However, that is all this book is... another person's (two peoples') speculations about what happened based upon what the Hebrew Scriptures do say. Again, nothing wrong with their speculations, yet there is nothing more or less inspiring about their ideas of "reading between the lines" than any other suggestion. And there is nothing about their writing style or research or creative expression that makes this book worth purchasing as something that enlightens biblical thinking.
So, while I do not think anything bad will happen from reading this book, I cannot recommend one spend their hours reading this book, when the Book itself often stays on the shelf unopened or while other additional sources of good writing and/or biblical exposition remain untouched.
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