Review by: Donna Mosley - Coraline by Neil Gaiman

If you had the chance to have everything you ever wanted, handed to you in an instant, would you still really want it? This is a question that Coraline unwittingly gets to answer for herself in the book by Neil Gaiman. Being the only child of busy-with-their-careers parents, her exploration was simply Coraline's effort to feign off boredom in a strange new home. This young explorer finds a whole different world within her new abode and in a quest to quench her curiosity, she discovers the true definition of bravery and how much her parents really mean to her.
Although intended for a youthful audience, I found this quick read fun, compelling and only mildy creepy. It has left me quite anxious to see the film.

Review By: C. E. Moore - The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World - Editors John Piper & Justin Taylor

The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World (Crossway, 2007) is likely going to be a difficult read for many people. This is not because the words are untrue. Rather, it is because people do not realize how much their thinking is influenced by this thing called postmodernism. It will also be a difficult read because many Christians do not esteem Jesus as highly as they think they do. Several times throughout reading this book, I had to stop and really ponder just how I viewed Jesus. The question most often raised by The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World is, “Do I really believe Jesus is supreme over all creation?” Despite all my confessions to the contrary, the answer that often came back to me was, “No.” Without trying too hard, this book will make people face some ugly things about their relationship with Jesus and force the issue of relinquishing control.

The book is actually a series of essays written by Voddie Bauchman, Jr., D.A. Carson, Mark Driscoll, Tim Keller, John Piper, Justin Taylor, and David Wells that were birthed out of the 2006 Desiring God Conference in Minneapolis. Divided into three parts–Culture and Truth (Wells and Bauchman), Joy and Love (Piper and Carson), and Gospel Theologizing and Contextualizing (Keller and Driscoll)–the essayists take a protracted look at each topic in relation to the supremacy of Christ over his Creation. “Whether addressing culture, truth, joy, love, the gospel, or the church, each seeks to sharpen our thinking and motivate our ministry by considering how each of these intersects with the truth of Christ in our contemporary world,” says co-general editor and contributor, Justin Taylor.

It is very easy to pick out who among the essayists are academics and who are pastors. The writings of Carson and Wells will likely make your head hurt (unless you are academically minded). Still, what they have to say is integral to the conversation. The essays written by Keller and Bauchman are likely the most accessible of the bunch.

Though this reviewer is a fan of Mark Driscoll, his essay, “The Church and the Supremacy of Christ,” deserved a better treatment than it received in this volume. (Thankfully, it will get such a treatment in his forthcoming book with Gerry Bershears, Vintage Jesus.) Here, his essay reads more like a series of flat statements about orthodox Christian beliefs without a treatment as to why Christians ought to hold to such beliefs. If a person did not believe Driscoll’s presuppositions already, they would not be any more likely to believe them now. A strong point of his essay is a call to balance between the extremes that Emergents and Fundamentalists tend to go to.

Of the essays, Bauchman’s “Truth and the Supremacy of Christ” was the strongest. Looking at life’s biggest questions from the perspective of two distinct categories—Christian theism and a postmodern version of secular humanism—Bauchman uses Colossians 1:12-21 to show that Christ is supreme in truth over a hurting postmodern world. His treatment of postmodernism’s answers to life’s biggest questions are stark and to the point, turning to Christian theism’s answers to those same questions through the lens of Scripture. In the end, the reader is shown that postmodernism’s answers to such queries are bankrupt and wholly inadequate in a world that is fallen. It cannot provide hope. It cannot provide peace. Ultimately, it cannot provide answers. Conversely, Scripture speaks intimately to the human situation and provides an answer: redemption through Christ.

Reformed (Calvinist) readers will likely rejoice at The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World. Those of a more Arminian (Methodist) bent will likely find something to disagree with here. But, regardless of one’s theological bent, The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World is a resounding call to the evangelical community to regard Christ as supreme over all areas of life. It calls all Christians to search the Scriptures for how we ought to live and engage the world around us.

To see more like this visit http://thechristianmanifesto.wordpress.com/

Review By: C. E. Moore - Jesus Without Religion by Rick James

Rick James’ Jesus Without Religion (Intervarsity Press, 2007) reminds me of not so many sermon series preached from the pulpit over a several week period. This is both its strong suit and its weakest link. Seeking to provide an unvarnished look at the life and ministry of Jesus, James tries very, very hard to present a Jesus divorced from the ordinances (i.e. religion) that have come to surround his teachings. He gives a picture of Jesus with “no dogma, no politics, no moral at the end,” according to the book’s jacket.

The answers about Jesus, according to James, are in the context. In his own unconventional way, James recalls the specific contexts that color Jesus’ story, bringing forward this man you’ve heard so much—and so little—about. The problem with Jesus Without Religion is James’ “unconventional way” fails for trying too hard and breaking the flow of the book. If I wanted to sit down and have a conversation about Jesus with someone—a conversation that would likely get interrupted by childish jokes and lackluster illustrations that always fall far short of what I’m actually trying to communicate—then I’d find someone to sit down and have that frustrating conversation with. I don’t want or need that in a book.

The book also fails in that James does a poor job of defining the ‘religion’ that he is trying to divorce Jesus from. He seems to be playing off the notion that many people have a favorable view of Jesus but an unfavorable view of religion (in particular, Christianity), assuming that everyone operates with the same definition and negative experience with religion. This is a dangerous assumption at best, failing to realize that religion is not a manmade construct, but rather certain unalterable truths that God has communicated to man about himself.

Where James excels, however, is in his ability to put things in laymen’s terms for people. While each argument he makes is hampered by intermittent breaks for anecdotes, he still does well in his ability to bring out the context and the history of the situation(s) in which the reader of scripture finds Jesus. As many people tend to read the Bible with a thoroughly postmodern set of lenses, James helps many people realize that Jesus was a living, breathing human being who had to deal with things like time, space, culture, family, enemies, etc. He provides the whole story of Jesus in a relatable format for seekers and new believers.

While Jesus Without Religion is touted by Intervarsity Press a great tool for evangelism, it should be stressed that it is not going to work for everyone, nor is it exhaustive in nature. This book is more like “Apologetics 101,” suitable for high schoolers and young college co-eds.

To see more like this visit http://thechristianmanifesto.wordpress.com/

Review by: C. E. Moore - Justice in the Burbs by Will and Lisa Samson

Will and Lisa Samson’s Justice in the Burbs (Baker Books, 2007) made me extremely uncomfortable. And rightly so.

If I am honest—really honest—I have to admit that I am not a big fan of this thing called “Emergent theology.” I believe that it undermines orthodox Christian teaching and treats theology as if it were a child’s play thing rather than the living, breathing manifestation of God’s way in the world. However, what is undeniable is that those of an emergent bent do one thing better than everyone else—justice. In all my years of church-going and pew-sitting, I have never heard the plight of the poor articulated better than it is articulated by people from this group.

Truth be told, I rarely heard about issues of justice—feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned—when I went to church. We worried about potlucks and building campaigns. To say that issues of justice were the last on our mind would be a lie. It wasn’t on our mind at all. It is not on the mind of many in the American church. That late night infomercial for Feed the Children is on so late at night for a reason. Even still, I tend to change the channel rather than change myself. After all, how am I going to afford Applebee’s after church on Wednesday night if I try to save the world? Isn’t the fact that the appetizers are half price proof that I am a good steward of the resources God has blessed me with?

Co-authors Will and Lisa Samson have crafted a message about serving marginalized people without trying to hard to make the reader feel overly shamed. Instead, they hope to move people to action.

One of the greatest tools at their disposal is their use of narrative. Each chapter starts with the story of two fictional characters, Matt and Christine Marshall, and chronicles their journey from happy, oblivious suburbanites to individuals aware of their duty to affect justice in the situation they find themselves in, whether urban or suburban. Rather than simply letting people of faith know what they are doing wrong and giving pointers of how to “right the ship”, we are able to watch the story of the Marshalls unfold, giving flesh-and-blood to a difficult process. One is hard-pressed not to think that the Marshalls are actually the Samsons. Whether or not they are, the genius of the approach is that Matt and Christine are representative of most people.

After narrative comes discourse. The Samsons don’t attempt to attempt to provide a “how-to” manual. Instead, they give the reader reasons to live justly, provide a few principles, and leave it to the reader to move towards actively doing what they know to be right. Above all, the authors do an excellent job of presenting the idea that justice can be done anywhere. The very title of the book Justice in the Burbs is tongue-in-cheek attacking the notion that upwardly mobile suburbanites have experienced justice in its fullest sense but does not let them off the hook for taking justice to those who experience less justice than they have.

Finally, each chapter ends with serious meditations by popular voices within the Emergent community.

Will and Lisa Samson do a good job of talking about this important subject without becoming too political or marrying all of Jesus’ theology to the matter. In my experience, those of an Emergent bent tend to speak in extremes, especially on the topic of justice. But, Justice in the Burbs is surprisingly devoid of the rhetoric that might turn people off.

Still, the book is a tough sell. People enjoy their comfortable suburban lifestyles. This is no secret. Some have even developed entire theologies to justify their comfort. Thus, some of the ideas in Justice in the Burbs will have a difficult time breaking through the tough exterior of privilege and indifference. What is even more likely is this book will mainly appeal to those who agree with its outlook (in both word and deed). Hopefully, churches and small groups will purpose to go through this text and question what changes they can make in their own lifestyles, neighborhoods, and surrounding communities.

of talking about this important subject without becoming too political or marrying all of Jesus’ theology to the matter. In my experience, those of an Emergent bent tend to speak in extremes, especially on the topic of justice. But, Justice in the Burbs is surprisingly devoid of the rhetoric that might turn people off.

Still, the book is a tough sell. People enjoy their comfortable suburban lifestyles. This is no secret. Some have even developed entire theologies to justify their comfort. Thus, some of the ideas in Justice in the Burbs will have a difficult time breaking through the tough exterior of privilege and indifference. What is even more likely is this book will mainly appeal to those who agree with its outlook (in both word and deed). Hopefully, churches and small groups will purpose to go through this text and question what changes they can make in their own lifestyles, neighborhoods, and surrounding communities.

For more reviews by C.E. Moore visit http://thechristianmanifesto.wordpress.com/

Review by: Vivian Turner - The Shack by William P. Young

WOW!! This is an incredible book! I have read many books but none have impacted me as much as The Shack by William P. Young. The main character of this novel, Mackenzie Allen Philips, has been dealing with a “Great Sadness” ever since his daughter was abducted while on a family camping trip. At the time of her disappearance, evidence that she may have been murdered is found in an old shack. Now, four years after her disappearance, Mackenzie receives a note that appears to be from God. The note invites him to come back to that shack for a weekend. The events of that weekend change Mackenzie’s life forever. Despite the fact that this is fiction, I believe the story of that weekend has changed my life forever also. I hope you will take the time to read this book. I plan to read it again … and again.

Review by: Holly Hebert - Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Relin

Normally I don’t read books about Pakistan or Afghanistan or about mountain climbing, but after reading several reviews I felt compelled to at least give it a try. This book is truly wonderful. Greg Mortenson is a climber who in 1993 became disoriented while attempting to climb K2 and ended up in a village in remote Northern Pakistan called Korphe. He was taken in by the villagers and nursed back to health. Out of gratitude for their kindness he promised to help them build a school. This was the start of the Central Asia Institute which has built over 50 schools in the region since then. The magic of this book, I think, is learning about the people of the region from a personal view and not a political one. There are numerous glimpses of how the people of Korphe and the surrounding villages live and deal with everyday hardships. Not surprisingly, they seem a lot like us. The story of Greg Mortenson is an excellent example of how one person can make a difference in the world.
The official website of the Central Asia Institute can be found at: http://www.ikat.org/

Review By: David Keller - The End of Faith by Sam Harris

One of the most recent books I’ve read is Sam Harris’ The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason. The thesis of The End of Faith is that unless religious people, especially Muslims and Christians, give up truth claims that can be supported only by faith, the world will likely be destroyed through escalating acts of terror in the name of God, faith in whom drives religious sentiments of exclusivity and justifies violence against those who deny the truth of one’s own particular faith claim. I read this book because I have noticed in the last several months that atheists are becoming more aggressive in their published (and best-selling) assault on theism. Rather than merely countering the claims of theists, they are mounting a frontal offensive.
As a believer, I hoped that Harris’ case would not be very compelling, and indeed, I was relieved to find that I felt his position could challenged at many points. His primary weakness is his simplistic understanding of how believers understand and apply scripture (whether the Bible or the Koran). He challenges the character of the Christian’s Jehovah and the Muslim’s Allah by virtue of a cut-and-paste hermeneutic of sacred texts, treating them as if they were the equivalent of zoning codes. Another weakness is his contention that human life can, and should, be directed by rationalistic ethics rather than religious faith, but Harris assumes that his version of utilitarianism (pleasure is good and pain is bad) is the only credible theory of ethics. For the most part, he ignores the weaknesses of utilitarianism and summarily dismisses all other ethical stances.
Despite the weaknesses, the book challenged me to try to articulate for myself a way of understanding scripture that would show the progressive nature of revelation without denying the inspiration of the text. I also had to admit, rather shamefacedly, that my approach to scripture has too often looked much like the kind of context-bending or context-ignoring that Harris is guilty of. Harris also, to his credit, attempts to make a case for spirituality that would encourage people to love their neighbors as much as they love themselves. His spirituality, however, is grounded in meditative practices that have as a goal a self-consciouslessness, not a conscious selflessness based on a response to the gift of salvation offered through the redemptive activities of Christ. Unfortunately, Harris has on his side the evidences of history which include the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Holocaust to serve as examples of the justification of violence against the infidel. The influence of Christians has unfortunately too often been sword-shaped, not cruciform.
Despite the weaknesses of his argument, Harris provides both an intellectual challenge and a life challenge. The intellectual challenge demands that Christians make reasonable their faith. The life challenge demands that we prove ourselves to be a people who overcome evil, not with evil, but with good.