Category: Books

all about books

“Keoni’s Big Question” by Patti Ogden

~ Bob Hayton

Authors: Patti B. Ogden, illustrated by Mary Manning
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Productions
Publication Date: 2008
ISBN: 9780981678368
Rating: 2 of 5 stars

As the father of four young girls, I have to pay attention to kid’s books. As a Christian, I look for good Christian literature that is age-appropriate for my children to read.

Keoni’s Big Question (by Patti B. Ogden, and illustrated by Mary Manning) is a large, colorful, and very attractive book. It has an old fisherman, a boat, fish and animals, a young boy, family, church and home pictures, it is sure to grab the attention of many a young inquiring mind. The story contained in the book is good as well.

A young boy wants to know if anyone can see God. He is frequently let down when various adults evade his question. Along the way he has an adventure with his friend the old fisherman. The fisherman finally answers his question and Keoni begins to understand what it is to know God.

Such a story provides ample opportunities for Christian parents to ask (and answer) questions of their children about spiritual matters. Children will certainly identify with the boy and his quest to get a “straight answer” from adults. They too have wondered why we can’t see God physically.

I would guess this book to be appropriate for children from ages 3 through 12, and it really is produced well. The only drawback of the book comes on the last page. There we discover that this book and others were “inspired and written using stories excerpts and actual sentences from the sermons of William Branham”. Who we are later told “received revelation and visions from the Lord Jesus Christ of what actually happened down throughout Bible history.” Branham’s personal stories are told, they believe, “to inspire spiritual growth so that we would personally know the character and loveliness of our savior”.

I can agree with that last line. That purpose and aim is worthy. But setting Mr. Branham up on a pedestal as if he is uniquely inspired by God is troubling to me. I don’t know much about Branham or his teachings, but such undue admiration for and devotion to one man should be cause for strong caution and concern. Because of this unqualified promotion of a man, and implied belief in extrabiblical revelation of “what actually happened” in Biblical history, I cannot unreservedly give my recommendation to this book. It gets only 2 out of 5 stars from me.

All in all, its a great book for kids. The theology and message of the book is not at all troubling. I was quite surprised when I read the above sentiments on the last page. Parents can discerningly take advantage of this book, but they would need to be careful not to blindly follow the teachings of Brother Branham however, and use the book with caution.

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

You can still pick up a copy of this book at Amazon.com.

Book Review Blogging Made Easy

~ Bob Hayton ~ 4 Comments

I’ve written before about how to get books for free by reviewing them on your blog. Since that post, more and more Christian publishers are starting up book review programs for bloggers. Rather than having to email publishers and plead for a book, they are soliciting you to join their book review program. That makes it easier to manage so I’m hoping more of you bloggers out there can take advantage of this. Reading good books is important, and promoting them on your blog keeps your blogging productive and helps publicize a good thing.

So here are the book review programs I’m aware of. If you know of others, please let me know, I’ll add them to the list. I’ll divide them up into those programs that send an actual book, and those that send a PDF copy. Note: click on the Publisher names to visit the book review program and join!

Physical Copies

  1. Thomas Nelson
  2. Bethany House
  3. Tyndale House
  4. NavPress
  5. Waterbrook Multnomah

E-Books (PDF) Copies

  1. Reformation Trust
  2. NetGalley — titles by Broadman & Holman, Moody, Barbour, and others

Personally, I prefer reviewing physical books. The NetGalley thing is primarily self contained. They want you to post reviews on their site. Reformation Trust will send you a hard copy of the book, after you’ve posted your review. For me it is hard to read PDF books, though. So unless I get a free Kindle sometime soon, I’m going to continue my slow progress on pdf book reviewing.

I hope the trend continues with more and more Chrisitan publishers opening up to bloggers. It creates great publicity for them, and exposes their material to many new readers. And it makes blogging a more productive and fulfilling hobby!

Update: WaterBrook Multnomah can be added to the list too.

“Don’t Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Isn’t Enough” by Michael E. Wittmer

~ Bob Hayton ~ 11 Comments

DontStopBelievingAuthors: Michael E. Wittmer
Format: Soft cover
Page Count: 230
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: 2008
ISBN: 9780310281160
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m guessing that many who will read this review will be younger evangelicals who are aware of the Emerging Church movement. Many are intrigued with the idea of doing church differently. We’ve awakened to inadequacies in the church our parents raised us in. For people like us, the generational appeal of the Emergent movement is strong. Polarizing doctrines along with the conservative-liberal divide turn us off. A welcoming community of large-hearted lovers of Jesus sounds both authentic and attractive.

This desire for authentic Christian fellowship is not wrong by itself. Doing church in new and tantalizingly different ways isn’t either. Luther, Wesley and Moody attest to that. Yet the newness of the Emergent movement is often all that is needed for it to earn sharp and stinging conservative rebukes. Such smug dismissals only prove the point of these “postmodern innovators” , as Michael Wittmer dubs them. Conservative Christians today are infected with a rampant modernism that assumes it has arrived. With everything figured out, conservative Christianity has no room for postmodern Emergent craziness.

Put me down as one conservative who doesn’t think we’re above criticism. I tend to see the Emergent movement as reacting against some very real deficiencies in some versions of conservative Christianity. Before reading Don’t Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough, I wouldn’t have been able to articulate all of this exactly. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was that seemed right about the Emergent phenomenon. With Michael Wittmer’s book, however, I’m much more equipped to think through the all the ramifications of the postmodern innovations so popular today.

Wittmer isn’t afraid to listen to the postmodern innovators. Listen and learn. From what I can gather from reading the book, Wittmer hails from a staunchly conservative background. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is intimately familiar with independent Baptist fundamentalism like I am. From such a background it is easy to see how many of the Emergent criticisms would hit home.

Post-moderns claim we conservatives often love the sinner’s soul more than his body. We aim for conversions more than lasting social change. We care more about deathbed conversions than good works and justice. Our churches are not welcoming and inviting to the unchurched, and our world-view comes off too cocky and self-confident. We have everything figured out and don’t struggle with doubt or pain. We care more about scientific and logical proofs for inerrancy than we do for the Bible’s overarching themes and meta narrative. We’re too quick to distance ourselves from the world than be friends to publicans and sinners.

There’s more. Must you believe something to be saved? Are people good or bad? Is Homosexuality acceptable biblically? Doesn’t penal substitution turn the cross into divine child abuse? Does Hell really last forever, and would a loving God really send anyone there? Is it really possible to know anything for certain? These questions and more are raised, and carefully dealt with in Wittmer’s book.

As one can see, with the Emergent movement, valid criticisms and sincere questions often get muddled together with a more radical revision of the fundamentals of the faith. In light of how many postmodern innovators are quick to embrace full fledged inclusivism (the idea that people will likely be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ), and their lack of owning up to virtually any non-negotiable beliefs, it is easy to see why many dismiss the movement as a whole, out of hand.

The strength of Wittmer’s approach lies in his patient hearing out of both sides. He sketches the conservative view and the postmodern reaction. Then he paves a middle ground that holds to a high (conservative) view of Scripture while appreciating insights from the postmodern position. He argues for a both/and approach which often does more justice to the Bible than either extreme. While he ends up defending conservative doctrines, he is not afraid to challenge conservative methods and motifs.

Such a discussion could easily become tedious and overly philosophical or theological. Wittmer’s writing style is so clear and lucid that with the help of illustrations and personal anecdotes, he makes the discussion fun to read. His many charts help convey his point even more clearly. The diagrams capture the discussions well, summarizing the perspectives of each side along with his middle ground approach.

Postmodern innovators and Emergent church leaders are not likely to change course as a result of this book. What I hope happens, is many a young evangelical is equipped and encouraged to opt for a conservative Christian approach that aims to both believe and live life here on earth well. As Wittmer puts it: “Genuine Christians never stop serving because they never stop loving, and they never stop loving because they never stop believing.”

If you are looking for a helpful introduction to the postmodern/Emergent church discussion, look no further than Don’t Stop Believing. And if you are concerned for a friend, or even for yourself, about the doctrine-is-optional appeal of postmodernism, pick up this book. You will be challenged, and encouraged in the faith.

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from Zondervan.

On My Shelf: Books I’m Reading Now-2

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

The books are stacking up around here. I thought I’d give a brief update on what I’m reading, and what I’m looking forward to reading in the near future.

I’m nearly finished with The Witness of Jesus, Paul and John: An Exploration in Biblical Theology by Larry Helyer (IVP Academic). I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the book. It’s designed as a textbook, and so I could probably have had my review up already. It’s such a good book, however, that I want to read the book in its entirety, not just skim through it and give a good recommendation.

I’m also about half way through Joel Beeke’s Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism (Reformation Trust). Since my copy is a .pdf file (until I post my review), I’m finding it hard to stick with the book. I forget about it, and I really don’t enjoy reading e-Books on my PC. I don’t have a Kindle or something like that, so I’ll keep plugging away at this one.

I’m about done with 101 Portraits of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures by Bob Beasley (Living Stone Books), and I just need to find time to crank out my review of Philip Comfort’s New Testament Text and Translation Commentary (Tyndale House). On a similar note, I was thrilled to get my review copy of The King James Only Controversy, revised edition by James White (Bethany House) today. It will be hard to keep that book on the bottom of my review pile. I read the first edition about 10 years ago, and much has changed in my position with respect to that issue since then. I look forward to reading it again from a new perspective.

I’m now working my way through Don’t Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough by Michael Wittmer (Zondervan). I’ll post about this book in conjunction with Zondervan’s book blog tour on May 12th. It’s an interesting book, especially as Wittmer hails from fundamentalist circles. I’ve found it thus far (1/3 through it) to be a good critique of the Emerging phenomenon, from a careful and charitable perspective.

Recently I was given two more books to add to my growing review pile. I’m thrilled that P & R Publishing has given me the chance to review Keith Mathison’s new book: From Age to Age: The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology. This book is massive–750 pages! Despite its length, it seems to be a very approachable work, surveying the entire Bible in a readable way. I’ll post more on this as I start working through it. The other book is my first copy of P & R’s new commentary series: the Reformed Expository Commentary. The commentary on James by Daniel Doriani now sits on my shelf. It looks very good.

I shouldn’t jump too quickly to my new books, however. Beside the one’s I’m working on now, I still have quite a few more on my review list. My review of Ron Rhodes’ Commonly Misunderstood Bible Verses: Clear Explanations for the Difficult Passages (Harvest House) will be ready soon. And we’ll see where we go from there.

If my blogging slows down from time to time, know I probably have my nose in some good books!

Free ESV Study Bible, with Subscription to World Magazine

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

I thought this was a pretty good deal. Subscribe to World magazine for 1 year ($49.95) and get a free hardcover copy of the new ESV Study Bible (retail price $49.95 / $31.49 on Amazon).

I subscribed to World for a couple years or more, and really enjoyed their magazine. It’s a Christian news magazine similar to Time. It isn’t just Christianized, fluff reporting– World is a serious, professional read. Very well done, indeed.

I’ve trumpeted the ESV Study Bible in the past on my blog: here, and here. It didn’t win Bible of the Year and Book of the Year honors from the ECPA for nothing. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my copy, and I have no qualms in claiming it is the best single study Bible available hands down.

So go ahead and take advantage of this doubly good deal, and introduce yourself to World magazine as you enjoy a new ESV Study Bible.