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Through The Wardrobe – Your Favorite Authors On C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles Of Narnia

Through The WardrobeI recently received Through The Wardrobe: Your Favorite Authors On C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles Of Narnia from Smart Pop Books. They stumbled across the review I wrote on The Narnia Code, and contacted me, asking if I would be interested in reviewing their book. I gladly said yes. I’m a pretty big C.S. Lewis fan, this could be a great read.

I was wrong.

Through The Wardrobe is a collection of chapter-long essays written by many different authors of young adult book. The more I read, the more astonished I was, frustrated even, about the lack of understanding of The Chronicles Of Narnia.

While there were several things that bothered me about this book, I’ll keep it brief and only mention a few.

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4 In 10 Americans Still Hold Creationist Views

Science on MSNBC posted an article last week citing a recent Gallup poll on Americans’ views of creation versus evolution. Gallup found that 40% of Americans believe God created humans about 10,000 years ago. An additional 38% believe that God used evolution, a model called “theistic evolution”. And only 16% believe that humans evolved over millions of years without any divine intervention.

While I suspect these numbers are slightly skewed, they are somewhat encouraging and discouraging at the same time. Encouraging because there is a significant amount of people out there who accept a recent Creation as told in Genesis. Discouraging because the smallest segment has the loudest voice, and to listen to the media, these 16% have solved the issue of mankind’s origins definitively.

That’s simply not true.

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The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave

The Shadowed MindJulie Cave has a great future in Christian fiction. I was really impressed with her book The Shadowed Mind. I read it in less than two days. I simply couldn’t put it down.

While fiction, Cave deals with some heavy stuff in The Shadowed Mind. The main topic underlying the storyline is eugenics, including the controversial debate over euthanasia, and the discussion of whether nurture or nature is supreme in dictating a person’s destiny.

Cave lands solidly on the sanctity of life, and does so with logically sound reasoning. And with the scriptural principles found throughout the book, as well as Scripture itself, The Shadowed Mind is a great read, and is free from a lot of the crud that mainstream fiction seems to include by default.

I loved reading The Shadowed Mind, and plan on purchasing the other books in this series by Julie Cave, one of which won’t be released until June. Until then, I’ll have to pick up her first book and be content. Sigh.

Well done, Julie!

I highly recommend that you read The Shadowed Mind, by Julie Cave. You can purchase it at Amazon.com.

I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick

Sun Stand Still

If you’re not daring to believe God for the impossible, you may be sleeping though some of the best parts of your Christian life.

That’s what the back of the book boldly proclaims. Sun Stand Still is a book about having the faith that God can do the impossible in your life.

Sun Stand Still is taken from the story of Joshua leading the Israelites into the promised land. At one point, the Israelites are fighting a battle, but daylight is running out. Joshua prayed a faith-filled prayer that God would stop the sun in its path across the sky. God did so, extending that particular day by several more hours.

Steven Furtick holds forth the idea of audacious faith: faith big enough to see God “stop the sun” in your life.

While there were some good points in the book, I wasn’t all that impressed with Sun Stand Still. I suppose, with all the hype and visibility, I expected a book that would impact me deeply, such as Radical by David Platt, or Primal by Mark Batterson.

Sun Stand Still just didn’t impact me like that. That said, it does have some good points about having a bold faith, faith that asks for the impossible and believes that God can and will deliver. But there are other books out there that can deliver that message better than this one.

My recommendation is this: don’t rush out and buy Sun Stand Still. Wait until it’s offered free for the Kindle or something.

I highly recommend that you read tw of the books referenced in the post above: Primal by Mark Batterson and Radical by David Platt. Click on either title in this box to be taken to Amazon.com, where you can purchase it for yourself.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Book Review – Hipster Christianity

Hipster ChristianityIt seems like Christianity is facing an identity crisis.

That is the main idea behind Brett McCracken’s book Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide.

I was immediately interested in the idea when I first saw the book. Take a look around postmodern Christianity; it’s all about trying to be cool, culturally relevant and hip.

But is that what the church is called to be? I’m not so sure. McCracken takes a stab at it in this book. And I think he hits pretty close to the mark in most of it.

In the first few chapters, McCracken defines hip and hipsterdom. And as I read those pages, I had to ask myself, is this even going to apply to my ministry situation? I mean, seriously. I live in a small town in rural southern Missouri, about as far from the centers of culture as you can get. What influence does the hipster mentality of Brooklyn, Chicago and LA really have on this area?

Quite a lot, actually. While Mountain View may not be a mecca of the postmodern hipster lifestyle, there are traces of hipsterdom in the church even here.

And then, the second and third parts of the book really started to hit home. What do Christianity and cool have in common? Should Christianity attempt to be so culturally relevant that it looks like everything else? Or is it perceived as a weak attempt at trying to fit in, after finally jumping on board eighteen to thirty-six months too late?

Is Christianity facing an identity crisis?