Book Review: Lit! {Crossway- Beyond the Page}

Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke

PDF ISBN: 9781433522277/Mobipocket ISBN: 9781433522284

ebook, 208 pages

Publisher: Crossway

Retail: $12.99

About the book {from Crossway}:

I love to read. 

I hate to read.

I don’t have time to read.

I only read Christian books.

I’m not good at reading.

There’s too much to read.

Chances are, you’ve thought or said one of these exact phrases before because reading is important and in many ways unavoidable. Learn how to better read, what to read, when to read, and why you should read with this helpful guide from accomplished reader Tony Reinke. Offered here is a theology for reading and practical suggestions for reading widely, reading well, and for making it all worthwhile.

About the author:

Tony Reinke is a former journalist now serving as a theological researcher, writer, and blogger. He works for Desiring God in Minneapolis where he lives with his wife and three children.

In your light do we see light.- Psalm 36:9

My thoughts:

I definitely could not relate to the person who wrote the foreword for this book because he said he hated to read. Gasp! But I do understand that there are some who aren't that thrilled with reading. I read a lot. And for the most part I enjoy reading. I requested this book to review because I struggle with what to read and why to read. 

In chapter 1, Reinke attempts to give a fast breakdown of the good of books and reading, from a Christian perspective. The title of the book is a play on words; it stands for literature but also enlightenment. 

"Lit is short for literature, which is long for books, which is the topic of this book. Lit reminds us that the glow of God's creative power is all around us...Most importantly, lit represents a conviction underlying this entire book: Christian readers are illuminated by "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4). "In him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4)" (loc 210).

Chapter 2 is a rundown of the author's personal journey I suppose from reading to really reading and seeing a connection to God in that. I thought this chapter so long and drawn-out. I appreciate Christian books where the gospel is there (that as humans we are sinners and in need of a savior, that without that savior we will be on our way to eternal damnation, that we need to see our need and then repent of our sins, and finally accept Christ as our savior) but...I had a difficult time not just skimming this entire chapter. 

"Fundamentally, literacy is a spiritual discipline that must overcome the spiritual darkness that veils us" (loc 571).

Chapter 3 discusses the way reading is ultimately superior to watching television {smile}. He didn't really say that but... it's true! He even quotes from Amusing Ourselves to Death. 

"What will we lose if we ignore books? And what will we lose if we fill our lives for the next twenty years with sitcoms, movies, ESPN, video games, and the Internet? What will we gain if we fill our lives for the next twenty years with disciplined reading" (loc 605)? 

I do have a lot of highlights from this chapter on my Kindle but I won't barrage this post with them all. Suffice it to say that Reinke is much more in favor of cultivating a love for literacy than television and the image driven society. 

I'll move along to chapter 6 where Reinke talks about imagination. What a wondrous thing is the imagination!

"God has given us the ability to "see" in our minds things that we have never experienced...secondary imagination [imagination that doesn't arise from our personal experiences] is essential for our pursuit of godliness, and that it's a skill we can sharpen by reading" (loc 1303). 

The rest of the chapter talks about instances in the Bible where that secondary imagination is required because really, who has seen the things portrayed in the books of prophecy in the Bible as they are written? They are symbolic and that requires our imagination.

"Christians can read a broad array of books for our personal benefit, but only if we read with discernment. And we will only read with discernment if the biblical convictions are firmly settled in our minds and hearts. Once they are, we have a touchstone to determine what is pure gold and what is worthless" (loc 940).

As it gets into the second part of the book, Reinke gives advice on what to read, what to avoid, and why he suggests what he does. One thing that I have a very difficult time with is that with the exception of some things, I felt Reinke was saying [although he does not really say this; it's just a personal hang up perhaps] we should read books by non-Christians because we would see God through them because whatever is light is from God. But... Satan is the angel of light... And here is a quote from Martin Luther that Reinke uses: 

"For no heresy has ever sprung from pagan belief, from Aristotle, and from the books of other heathen. No, these necessarily emerge from the church...heresy and false doctrine are taken and adduced from no other source than Scripture" (loc 951).

Overall, I found it to be a thought provoking book that may be of benefit to those who are on the fence about reading only "Christian" books as opposed to "non-Christian" books. My {oh-so-informed} advice: first and foremost, go to God's Word; next go to God in prayer. He will tell you if it is a good book or not to be reading. 

I received this book free from Crossway- Beyond the Page blogger review program for the purpose of this review. See Disclosure/Policies.

Book Review: Praying for Boys {Bethany House}

This post contains *affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies. 

Praying for Boys: Asking God for the things they need most by Brooke McGlothlin*

ISBN: 9780764211430

Paperback, 192 pages

Publisher: Bethany House

Retail: $12.99

About the book: 

What Are Your Biggest Concerns for Your Son?

Instead of trying harder to change your boy's behavior or worrying about his future, enjoy the peace that comes when you pray specific prayers for him straight from the Bible. This encouraging book helps you target your prayers on what your son needs most--from patience and self-control to having a pure heart and making wise decisions.

Today you can start giving whatever concerns you have to God and

- learn to fight for your son's heart in prayer

- look at raising boys as a gift

- see how even quick prayers make a difference

- understand boys' deepest struggles, no matter their age

- rest in knowing that God is the only One who can change your son's heart

Written for moms but great for dads (and grandparents) too, this easy-to-use book is filled with uplifting stories and biblical wisdom that will equip you on your journey to raising a godly man.

Includes a 21-Day Prayer Guide for Small Groups, in Person or Online!

About the author:

Brooke McGlothlin has encouraged thousands of moms toward a richer prayer life as co-founder of the popular online community for mothers of boys, the MOB Society (www.themobsociety.com). She's the author of several books and resources for moms, and lives in the mountains of southwest Virginia with her husband, their two sons, and two Labs.

My thoughts:

This book has a lot of good verses for praying over boys. There are quite a few "pray over children" memes that include specific verses. available of course. I chose this book to review though because I sometimes am not sure what I should be praying for. Thankfully the Spirit knows what I mean to pray even when I cannot say it. Still, this book has helped me "visualize" what I need to pray for when it comes to my son. I really had not thought to pray for some of the things McGlothin brings up in the book, but I should have! 

The set up of the book is very easy to use. After an introduction to who Brooke McGlothlin is, and why she published this book, there are 21 areas of prayer. In all of these we can be examples to our boys but only God can change their hearts to do what is right. Here are the areas of prayer:

• Heart Change
• Obedience
• Overcoming Fears
• Integrity
• Wisdom
• Pride
• Honor
• Purity
• A Servant's Heart
• Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)
• Anger 
• Forgiveness
• Salvation

For me personally, the prayer has been to change me so that it can be seen and somehow affect others. But I began to think that it's a bit like showing someone how to do something but never allowing them to do it. Or if they do not do it right, not making sure they know how to do it right. Perhaps those are not correct examples of what I was thinking. In any case, I see the need to pray for them as well as for myself. It's not all me, that's for sure! *I* cannot do it all. But God can.

Each area of prayer starts with some words by McGlothin that relates her own story; her boys and how the area is displayed. For instance, Pride:

Boys are just prone to pride, aren't they? Whether it's hanging on the basketball rim after a slam dunk, wanting to drive the fastest car or truck, or joyfully sinking their brother's battleship, pride seems to be deeply ingrained in the heart of boys.And it's not all bad.I actually like the idea of my boys taking pride in what they do. When they set their minds to something, I want them to finish well, do the best they can, and encourage those around them to do the same. I want them to win plenty of games, score plenty of goals, work hard for plenty of As, and earn plenty of promotions.But I also want them to lose some, miss some, and fail some. ...I don't really care anything about raising men who excel at everything. My goal isn't to raise professional baseball players, or even the next president of the United States. My prayer is for my sons to work hard, take pride in what the do, and know the value of not always finishing first. I want them to fail in some things so their pride in their own abilities will be realistic and they'll know their own personal limitations. (pp. 82, 84) 

This area has 9 verses for prayer.

Lord, make ______ turn from doing wrong and keep him from pride (Job 33:17). Lord, please break _______'s proud spirit (Leviticus 26:19)
Let not the foot of arrogance come upon _____, nor the hand of the wicked drive him away (Psalm 36:11). (p. 84)

Then there is a reflection or discussion section with questions. For this particular area, this one got me:

Learning about our own personal limitations can be humbling and a difficult pill to swallow, but it's still valuable information. List some of your son's weaknesses and then brainstorm ways you can encourage him in them. (p. 86)

At the end of the book is advice for leading a study using this book, in person or online. 

I think this is a good book to have for parents, grandparents, even aunts and uncles, of boys. The emphasis on Scripture is the best part. 

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Bethany House for the purpose of an honest review. No compensation was given. All opinions stated are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.

Book Review: The 40 Most Infulential Christians {Bethany House}

The 40 Most Influential Christians Who Shaped What We Believe Today by Daryl Aaron
ISBN: 9780764210846
Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Retail: $14.99

About the book (from the back cover):

Learn from the greatest teachers and thinkers in Christian history. The Bible is the bedrock of Christian belief, yet how Christians think and talk about God, the Bible, and faith has been shaped by influential thinkers from the first century right up through the twentieth. In this book, Dr. Daryl Aaron tells the powerful stories of forty who have helped us better understand what we believe and why we believe it. 

With insight-and some surprises-Dr. Aaron explores the lives and most important teachings of these giants of church history, from Justin Martyr and Augustine to Martin Luther, John Calvin, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and many others, underscoring how their teaching has influenced the church-for better, or, occasionally, for worse.

Let your faith be strengthened as you encounter those who paved the way for us, often risking their lives for the sake of the very beliefs we hold today. 

About the Author, Dr. Daryl Aaron (from pg 303):

Daryl Aaron earned his MA at the University of Texas at Dallas, his ThM at Dallas Theological Seminary, his DMin at Bethel Theological Seminary, and his PhD at Graduate Theological Foundation. He spent fourteen years in pastoral ministry and now teaches at Northwestern College, where he is Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies. Dr. Aaron lives in Mounds View, Minnesota, with his wife, Marilyn. They have one daughter, Kimberly, who is a graduate of Northwestern College.  

My thoughts

Absolutely excellent! When the book first was available to me for review, I was somewhat hesitant to select it because to say "the 40 most" is quite specific. The concern I had was that the author, who I've not read any of his works before, would be biased and only include who he thought was beneficial. I will admit that I, after the fact, would like to have more information on the tertiary Christians that he barely mentions, such as Arius when talking about Athanasius, or Chrysostom when talking about Theodore of Mopsuestia. But I gather the reason Aaron only mentions these others are because their contributions were the result of faction, or they were deemed heretical, both of those in regards to Arius, or such as Chyrsostom, the work they contributed was expounded on more fully by later Christians. Even so, these also helped solidify beliefs of Christians. Aaron's words on the title of the book:

Regarding the title of this book...Please understand that I am not under the illusion that I have nailed the definitive top 40 list of theologians...I thought a more accurate title would be 40 of the Most Influential Christians Who Shaped What We Believe Today, in the Humble Opinion of One Particular Writer, but that seemed a little unwieldy to the publisher. Good arguments can be made that some of these should not have made it while others should have. (pg 13)

My thought is that the title would have been perfect if it were written hundreds of years ago! But really I think it would be better without "The". Each of the individuals in the book have indeed had quite a bit of influence on Christian belief; they were most influential, but not the most influential.

The writing style is very easy to follow, even for someone who has very little exposure to 'theology' and/or has a very basic knowledge of theology and church history {that'd be me}. I've read George Hodges' Saints and Heroes to the End of the Middle Ages and his Saints and Heroes Since the Middle Ages, {both of those are Amazon affiliate links} which acquainted me with some of the names in Aaron's book. This book, The 40 Most Influential Christians, actually has forty-two Christians who shaped Christian beliefs. Each chapter starts with a historical setting to give context -we can see where the individual was coming from in life, where they went and who they came into contact with, through their personal life and/or writings and ideas of the time. Next it talks about contributions that were made by the individual. Finally, the author includes a conclusion- this pretty much is how the person's contributions had affected beliefs to that point. Aaron says: 

Regarding format, each chapter will be divided into three main sections with two subparts: context (theological and biographical), contribution (theological and bibliographical), and conclusion (theological and personal)...What is most important in what follows is not getting to know these great Christian thinkers better, nor is it understanding theology better (in and of itself); rather, what is most important is getting to know God better. After all, our Savior, Jesus Christ, commanded us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). There are the stories of Christians who were trying to do that and trying to help others as well. (pg 14, 15)

I learned quite a bit of where a belief of today stemmed from and who spread it, and found it was generally because of their position, but not always. Also, there is a section titled "Brief Interlude: Meanwhile in Rome (or at least in Trent)" where we are enlightened with some beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, which to this point personally I had been fairly unaware. 

Going back to the writing style: for the most part the information is presented in a no-nonsense fashion. The facts are given, the works are offered, a conclusion is made. However, occasionally Aaron inputs his own personal beliefs into this {would you really expect anything different?}, but more often he imbues the information with a little humor. Not much but it is there and I like it. I'll give you an example of both (with my own emphasis added):

As a Protestant and evangelical, I would share these concerns; however, I also appreciate and applaud the intent of Christian mystics overall--to draw closer to God in experiential relationship. (pg 147, "Julian of Norwich, Monastic Mystic")

Scholastic theology at this time focused on the integration of theology (revelation) and philosophy (reason), so it stands to reason (no pun intended) that the thought of Aristotle would attract attention. (pg 135, "Thomas Aquinas, Angelic Doctor")

At the back of the book are two things that I appreciate: Creeds (The Creed of Nicea & The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) & Resources, which includes both primary and secondary sources that I gather Aaron used to write this book. I love being able to read other books or articles on the subject presented in a book I am reading. He does include many footnotes throughout the book as well, which I also like.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in history of the church and Christianity. I don't imagine those who are partial to the beliefs that were considered heretical (such as Arianism) would find this to be too terribly beneficial, I still think for the sake of knowledge it would be good. I would definitely recommend it to those looking to strengthen their beliefs- whether they agree with the "Christian" beliefs of today or not. I think that going through the book sheds light on why the belief sprang up -we get a glimpse of the brilliance -or lack of- of thought that brought it about. All glory goes to God that allows Christians to be enlightened by his word, the Bible.

One thing I would love to have seen in this book is more. More of the words of the bibliographical contributions of these Christians. More of the "why" they believed the way they did. We are only presented with enough to give us a basic foundation to move onto the next Christian who shaped the beliefs. I do think that in order to do that, though, the author would have to devote much more time and space to each person, as well as include more people. Perhaps that is just asking too much for this sort of introductory work, as I think of it. Or perhaps a book like I mention already exists and another of its kind is not necessary. Perhaps as stated in the introduction to the book, the focus would change too much by including more. Overall, it is a satisfying and good book. 

***Disclaimer: I received the book, The 40 Most Influential Christians Who Shaped What We Believe Today by Dr. Daryl Aaron, for free from Bethany House publishing for the purpose of an honest review. All opinions stated are my own. This post does contain affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies.