Hello! I’m back with those book reviews. When I listed the best books I’ve read so far this year, it was to my surprise that most of the list was non-fiction (since I read far more fiction). There were also too many to fit all of the reviews into one post, so this will be part one of two. For now, the non-fiction:
On Guard: Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse at Church by Deepak Reju
Not a particularly light read, though it’s accessible and very important. This book covers the convergence of child abuse and the church thoroughly and honestly. Reju touches on our great responsibility to protect our children, the problem of trusting and laid-back churches and those who would exploit that tendency, habits of predators, and ways to practically protect our children and to care for those who have been hurt. Good balance of grace and hope with awareness of the realities of the world we live in. Every parent, church leader, and children's worker should read this book.
The Good News About Marriage by Shaunti Feldhahn
We’ve all heard the pessimistic modern analysis of marriage, right? 50% of marriages end in divorce, the divorce rate within the church is the same as the divorce rate outside, etc., etc. It’s depressing and it can leave couples feeling that marriage isn’t worth it, or that perhaps they’re just in the doomed half and there’s no hope for a happy marriage for them. When Shaunti Feldhahn tried to find the actual statistics, though, she couldn’t do it...because they don’t exist. This is a fascinating read, with lots of (easily accessible) statistics and explanations of how those numbers came to be accepted and what the research actually indicates. Did you know that the actual divorce rate is closer to 30%? And that most people who are married would still choose their spouse? A quick and encouraging read. Highly recommended.
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Seven Women: And the Secret of their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
I devoured this book. It had been a long time since I’d read history or biography and I loved this collection of short biographies of influential Christian women (Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Corrie Ten Boom, Rosa Parks, Sister Maria, and Mother Theresa), most of whom I knew little about. It’s inspiring to encounter strong, feminine Christian women throughout history and to see their great differences, their similarities, and how they were used of God. These obviously aren’t exhaustive bios but they make a great introduction and starting point for more research. (I’m now partway through a longer biography of Hannah More.)
Re-living The Passion by Walter Wangerin.
For some time I have been curious about the traditional church year’s season of Lent. It makes so much sense to me to have a time dedicated to pondering Christ’s work and preparing our souls to celebrate Easter, which otherwise tends to fly past without my giving it much notice. This 40-day Lenton devotional goes slowly through the Passion as told by Mark, often narrating from the point of view of one of the characters in the story. I loved it and will certainly be using it again. (If you want a shorter Easter devotional, check out Love to the Uttermost from Desiring God.)
Debunking the Myths of Forgive and Forget by Kay Bruner
To be honest, when I first saw the title I was a little leery. This look at Biblical forgiveness and restoration was excellent, though. I hadn’t realized that the well-known saying “forgive and forget”--and by implication move on as if nothing happened--is actually not a true representation of Biblical forgiveness per Matthew 18. Kay points out that in the case of actual serious sin (her example was her husband’s long-term internet porn addiction), “forgive and forget” doesn’t bring restoration and can easily end up enabling the sinner rather than bringing them to repentance. Gave me some great food for thought and helped my understanding of Biblical forgiveness, reconciliation and confrontation. (Kay Bruner’s autobiography As Soon As I Fell is also good.)
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My currently-reading pile
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