This book promised more than it delivered. At 225 pages (including the end notes), Kaiser Jr. goes wide, rather than deep. He gives an overview on theThis book promised more than it delivered. At 225 pages (including the end notes), Kaiser Jr. goes wide, rather than deep. He gives an overview on the importance and need for churches to preach and teach the Old Testament in Part 1. And in Part 2, gives an overview on seven literary genres(?) in the Old Testament: narrative, wisdom, prophets, laments, Torah, praise, apocalyptic.
Readers expecting a detailed "how" will be disappointed. Nevertheless, his concise examination of the main features of each literary genre is useful. The illustrations at the end of each chapter is a good reference, but if the reader is expected to move from his text immediately to preaching and teaching, the gap is too large - he does not spend enough words showing how to move from identifying features to crafting a talk.
Appendix B is the best chapter of the book. Kaiser Jr. traces the recent developments that undermine "meaning" in the OT, which has consequences for the life of the church. He offers suggestions for the church to make course corrections in its relationship to institutions of theological education. He writes from a wholly evangelical perspective. A good foil is Luke Timothy Johnson's The Future of Catholic Biblical Scholarship.
This book serves as a good introduction to the subject, but readers looking for more detailed principles and methodologies will need to search elsewhere. For preaching, I'd recommend Sidney Greidanus' Preaching Christ from the Old Testament. ...more
A good handbook on news writing, but with guidelines, personal tips and examples that go beyond its scope. This sentence probably sums up Rene Cappon'A good handbook on news writing, but with guidelines, personal tips and examples that go beyond its scope. This sentence probably sums up Rene Cappon's philosophy: By and large, though, the most effective journalistic tone in the '90s would seem to be the plain and unadorned. (p.58)
I learned that being concise and clear is extremely important for all forms of communication.
This short book is full of examples and Cappon's wit. He identifies common writing pitfalls and helpfully offers suggestions to improve them. He also advocates for simplicity, writing against the overuse of metaphors, cliches, redundant phrases.
Though not a journalist, I appreciated this book and will frequently refer to it for practical wisdom....more
Overall, I couldn't see a clear progression in the book. The first four chapters sets the scene - arguing that although relationships are tough becausOverall, I couldn't see a clear progression in the book. The first four chapters sets the scene - arguing that although relationships are tough because of sin, but they are worth it because God is a communal God - he cares about relationships; and human beings are communal - to live without community is to not be fully human.
The rest of the book explores various aspects of relationships. For example, how relationships are built on identity and worship - both of which must be centred on God. They write about the importance of listening and the constructive and destructive powers of speech, about what it means to forgive, to accept others as formed in God's image (rather than one's own), to be hopeful that despite the chaos of relationships in the already-not yet, we have God with us.
The book is filled with anecdotes, and most chapters are anchored by one key biblical text with supporting references from others. The authors share personal struggles and practical tips about what we can do when faced with relational problems.
The book makes a strong case for why and how relationships break down and offer a better vision if we understand the true purpose and nature of relationships, and that one must first be right with God.
The authors say a lot of true things but I personally found the book lacking in depth. Most chapters start with a problem with relationships, and ends with how they can be solved if both parties are willing to seek Christ and be transformed. My main issue is that this is too simplistic a model. If only it were that easy.
I feel that what they say will work if people in a relationship read this book and talk about it - it takes two to clap. I do struggle in my relationships, with my fiance, with church members, with general friends, with colleagues at work.
I was convicted by many things the authors wrote, but there's an internal conflict within me. On the one hand, I want to be extremely vulnerable and dive into forming and working hard at relationships. On the other hand, I am tired and I know that I don't easily make or mantain friends.
I'd still recommend this book to those who are struggling with relationships. Are there better resources out there? Possibly, but this is a good starting point.
From the outset, Stephen Covey frames his work as a contrast to what he calls the “Personality Ethic” towards making one’s life better. For Covey, lasFrom the outset, Stephen Covey frames his work as a contrast to what he calls the “Personality Ethic” towards making one’s life better. For Covey, lasting improvement in all areas of one’s life must begin with one’s character, principles and paradigms, what he calls an “inside-out” process. The first three habits (Be Proactive, Begin With The End In Mind, Put First Things First) are what Covey terms “Private Victory.” Covey argues that everyone has the freedom and ability to change, to decide what their life would be, rather than be acted upon by others.
An analogy he uses to picture how these three habits work together is that of a programmer. Habit 1 affirms that we are the programmers of our lives, habit 2 says that therefore, we can write the programme having decided what we want it to do. I’ll add my third picture: habit 3 then is about deploying the programme to the real world so that it’s actually being used.
Once we have established what our fundamental principles are, set the direction we want to take, the next three habits are related to how we interact with others, what Covey calls “Public Victory.” Habit 4 (Think Win/Win) makes the case that we should strive for collaboration over competition as much as we can. Habit 5 (Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood) says that thinking collaboratively isn’t enough, we need to communicate better - and communicating begins with active, attentive listening that seeks to understand. If we are reluctant listeners, we can’t expect those interacting with us to be any different. Habit 6 (Synergise) flows naturally from wanting everyone to succeed and having good communication. Synergy is celebrating heterogeneity and leveraging different perspectives and talents to be mutually beneficial.
Habit 7 (Sharpen The Saw) says that true change will take time and if we are serious about it, we must be wiling to train ourselves to be self-aware, self-reflective and disciplined.
It’s not a difficult book to read, and although his ideas aren’t revolutionary, he packages them in a helpful structure. The anecdotes he shares are powerful and I appreciated his honesty and vulnerability in sharing many personal examples.
It’s a heart-warming and motivating book, good for both group discussions and personal reflection. If we are willing to invest time in figuring out our principles, and working on the seven habits he suggest, I’m positive this book will prove fruitful. It warrants a read for anyone looking beyond quick-fix personal development tips to something deeper and comprehensive.
Although Covey writes to a mass audience, he isn’t shy to mention his Mormon faith, and Christians can see echoes of biblical principles in many parts of the book....more
The best single line summary of Os Guinness' thesis is the refrain which concludes each chapter "America cannot endure perThis book is about freedom.
The best single line summary of Os Guinness' thesis is the refrain which concludes each chapter "America cannot endure permanently half 1776 and half 1789…" For the author, 1776 represents the American Declaration of Independence, whereas 1789 represents the French Revolution. He argues that the principles of America's founding fathers is rooted in what he calls the "Sinai Revolution," which refers to God's redemptive activities in Exodus.
In the introduction, Os writes that freedom in America today is at stake, with the nation largely split between two camps - those aligned with the principles of 1776 and those aligned with that of 1789.
These seven principles form the backbone of Os' exposition of the Magna Carta of Humanity. 1. Principle 1: Freedom requires authority - exploring God's sovereign freedom. 2. Principle 2: Freedom must be grounded and authorised - exploring humanity's freedom derived from being created in God's image. 3. Principle 3: Freedom must be realistic - exploring freedom's greatest enemy - itself. 4. Principle 4: Freedom must be won - exploring God's freeing of the Israelites from Egypt. 5. Principle 5: Freedom must be ordered and cultivated - exploring the covenant the Israelites freely entered with God at Sinai. 6. Principle 6: Freedom must be celebrated and handed on - exploring the importance of education to maintaining freedom. 7. Principle 7: Address wrongs, but in the right way - exploring the way of the left versus the way of the prophets.
This book is also heavily indebted to the Rabbi Heschel and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, especially the latter's Covenant & Conversation series.
Positives Os Guinness is incisive in his analysis and eloquent in his defense and elaboration of the true, the good and the beautiful nature and vision of freedom that Sinai propounds, and makes a compelling case - but only to those who are already sympathetic with his position. Arugably, the main dichotomy Os Guinness sets up, Sinai and 1776 America versus 1789 Paris, is fair, although I have concerns about how he applies these contrasts to America today.
Despite being a Christian, he draws extensively on Jewish frames of references and interpretation of key Old Testament texts, especially Genesis and Exodus. Reading these sections were refreshing. Os Guinness clearly wanted to find common ground and I think he does so with respect.
The chapters on the "covenantal vision" of Exodus and the importance of "transmission" through education were well structured and argued. He paints a clear and grand picture of what could be if his American(?) readers frequently drank from the deep wells of its rich history.
Negatives The author writes with passion, but it can come across as lacking empathy and understanding of the "other side." When he talks about the threats to freedom today, the dangers he identifies are mostly, if not almost exclusively, from the Left. There are rare instances of him mentioning the less savoury characters and things that the Right produce.
If the progressive left is threatening freedom today, what's the solution? Os Guinness doesn't explicitly state "the conservative right," but it is implied. Because in America, there is realistically only two options if people want to make political change. But those who profess allegiance to Sinai and 1776 often don't behave any better than their revolutionary counterparts.
Furthermore, he doesn't engage adequately with the concerns of the left. Why are they upset, angry and aggressive? Os Guinness identifies societal problems like racism and inequality, but does not offer solutions. He writes about the need for forgiveness and tells powerful anecdotes, but I doubt that's going to be enough. I was hoping for him to challenge or motivate those who hold to the principles of Sinai and 1776 to take positive action.
Closing thoughts and who should read it For me, the biggest benefit of this work is introducing, or should I say, re-introducing Jewish thought back into Western Christianity. Chapter 1 on God's self-identification was hands down my favourite chapter. The way he used "freedom" as the controlling narrative of the book is a model of good political theology rooted in (Judeo-Christian) exegesis.
As a Christian, I don't deny that Os has accurately identified that America faces a crisis of freedom, and I wholeheartedly agree with the Sinai, or should I say Jewish, or Judeo-Christian, principles on which true freedom - like that of 1776 America - must be founded and maintained. However, I think the solution he proposes might work at the level of personal conviction, and maybe a small conservative, Christian community, but it will not be able to drive impactful political action and change.
I was graciously given an advance review copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review....more
G. E. Ladd's The Gospel of the Kingdom is a short treatment on the New Testament's (NT) "Kingdom of God" (KoG) theme. Ladd's introductory chapter consG. E. Ladd's The Gospel of the Kingdom is a short treatment on the New Testament's (NT) "Kingdom of God" (KoG) theme. Ladd's introductory chapter considers definitions, arguing that the Kingdom of God (KoG) in the Old Testament (OT) primarily refers to God's "reign," and that this focus should be extended to the NT and beyond.
In Chapter 2, Ladd argues that the KoG is a future reality, which has broken into the present. He has a three-age schema: this age, the millennial age and the age to come. Chapters 3-9 then consider the "present" aspects of the KoG. Jesus' coming, death and resurrection initiate the KoG, using Jesus' casting out demons as proof that the future KoG has broken into the present. His term for this is the "overlapping" or "conflict" of the ages.
Ladd considers the "mysterious" nature of the KoG in Chapter 4, which is two-fold. Firstly, it is "mystery" in that what was once hidden, has been revealed, i.e. that Jesus has come to inaugurate the KoG. Secondly, it is "mystery" because the way Jesus initiates it is unexpected. He doesn't come to to immediately establish a political or military kingdom. Instead, it doesn't look impressive now, but will be perfected in the future.
Chapters 5-7 considers the more "moral" aspects of the KoG. There are blessings (Chapter 5), but being part of God's kingdom will require us to be righteous (Chapter 6), and demands a decision that is resolute, radical, costly and which has eternal implications (Chapter 7).
Chapter 8 and 9 are closely related to "popular" eschatology, where he examines the relationship between Israel and the church, then answers the oft-asked "when will the kingdom come?" question. He posits that the church is the new people of God "This new people is the Church... God is not now dealing with a nation after the flesh, but with a holy nation, the Church, on the basis of personal saving faith in Jesus the Son of God (114)." However, Ladd see that Israel is not completely out of God's plan, and will somehow be grafted back in. He also emphasises that NT faith is individual, rather than national or familial, writing that "Jesus addressed Himself to the individual; and the terms of the new relationship were exclusively those of personal decision and faith (109)." He then closes by writing that the kingdom will come in its fullness when the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached to the nations.
Positives: This is a succinct, non-academic introduction to a complex subject. Ladd makes a clear connection between theology with praxis, speaking both to the mind and heart. His approach is exegetical, offering a good biblical theological treatment. The book's structure is tight and it's impressive that he can cover this much in so few words.
Negatives: Intermediate to advanced readers will want more depth and his views on the millennium might not sit well with those with different views. Ladd focuses almost exclusively on the NT, so this is not a whole-Bible biblical theology of the KoG.
Who should read it? Those new to the subject who are keen to explore it. Within my Christian circle, the popular KoG approach is Vaughan Roberts' God's Big Picture, which is similar to (but is it dependent on?) Goldsworthy's Kingdom of God approach. Ladd offers a good alternative perspective, although what he does in this book is not as comprehensive as Vaughan Roberts' God's Big Picture, which is also centred on the KoG theme....more
**spoiler alert** "Scripture does more than sanction literature; it shows us that literature is indispensable in knowing and communicating our most im**spoiler alert** "Scripture does more than sanction literature; it shows us that literature is indispensable in knowing and communicating our most important truth."
This is one of my favourite quotes from the book. As an English Literature graduate, I've feel that a lot of the Bible reading in my local church and even popular Evangelical content available online is often too "scientific" or "systematic."
Recapturing the literariness of the Bible, and more broadly, appreciating the benefits of reading literature to our spiritual lives are two of the authors' goals in this book. Overall, I'd say Recovering the Lost Art of Reading achieves the latter objective while offering just a few thoughts on the former.
This book has three parts. In Part 1, the authors make a case that practical reading (primarily to gain information) and shallow "online reading" (Chapter 1: Is Reading Lost?) have largely displaced "artful reading" (Chapter 3: Why Consider Reading an Art?), which the authors describe as slow reading, where one is receptive to a book's message and beauty, being attentive to its content and form. They identify a few things individuals and the wider culture loses as a result of the decline of deeper modes of reading (Chapter 2: What Have We Lost?).
In Part 2, they offer a definition of "literature" (chapters 4-6) before outlining the unique elements of seven "types" of literature (chapters 7-13): stories, poems, novels, fantasy, children's books, creative nonfiction and the Bible as literature. Within each type, they offer suggestions on how to approach or enjoy one's reading.
Part 3 steps back from considering individual genre, suggesting ways Christians can identify the true (Chapter 15: Truth in Literature), the good (Chapter 16: Moral Vision in Literature), and the beautiful (Chapter 17: Beauty in Literature). A few chapters explore supporting themes, including a defence of reading as an appropriate leisure activity (Chapter 19: Freedom to Read) and the relationship between a writer's calling and creativity and how readers are involved in that process (Chapter 21: Calling and Creativity).
What I enjoyed This book was a joy to read, especially the first six chapters. I wholeheartedly agree that there is a reading problem, that much reading now is about gathering information. Content proliferation has meant that it's probably much easier to stumble on something bad than on what's good. They make a strong case that everyone, especially Christians, "people of the book(!)," should recover artful reading.
It's also worth noting that there is no specific or tangible benefits to reading literature. I say this because I know that if I don't get some kind of "value" out of my reading, I do struggle with whether it's worth it. One of the zeitgeist of our age is pragmatism, and we try to meticulously measure the cost and benefits of our actions. Without being glib, the authors show that this pragmatism isn't without its problems, and that leisurely, deep reading can bring fun and order to our lives.
The book is easy reading with relatively short chapters. The authors are concise, punchy and humorous. They quote quite extensively in some chapters as examples or to strengthen the points they make, but don't allow footnotes or name-dropping to get in the way. As an introduction to the joys of reading, this is a thoughtfully written work.
There is a risk that writing about reading (or books) is like preaching to the choir, but the authors should be commended for making this book accessible. Practising what they preached about showing rather than telling, their tone is gentle and conversational, rather than feeling I was being talked at.
What could make this better? Unfortunately, this accessibility is also the book's weakness. I found sections of Parts 2 and 3 too shallow. The authors aren't saying something completely original, they draw heavily from C. S. Lewis and "pre-modern" literary theories. This is not surprising, given they write from within a Christian framework, but I was looking forward to a more robust theory.
I was also hoping that they would give recommended reading in Part 2 when describing the unique features of each "type" of literature. If this book is largely written to convince a non-reading segment to take up a book to read, I think offering suggestions would be helpful. They did mention in Part 3 that it's difficult to recommend titles, however, if space doesn't permit, they could have a list of the authors' top picks on a website.
Who should read it? I'd say two groups of people: 1) those who have tasted the sweetness of reading good literature but has been swept away (momentarily) by today's busyness and pragmatism; 2) those who perhaps haven't been an avid reader, but find they need a break from screens.
Artful, thoughtful, receptive reading of literature can expand our minds because we experience the joys and sufferings of others vicariously; it can deepen our spiritual lives as they show us the true, the good, and the beautiful; and it can give us a greater appreciation for the Bible as God's creative and wonderful story of salvific love.
I was graciously given an advance review copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review....more
Loading...
