Pearcey Report

Pearcey Report

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Tantalizing Tale

Judgment Day, Wanda L. Dyson

This was my first Dyson novel and has whet my appetite for more. As the tale unfolds there is sufficient data to permit one to connect the dots, but never enough to complete the connections until near the end. The inclusion of the main character’s jailing with her alter ego, unveiled, was perfect!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Clarifying Times

The Liturgical Year, Joan Chittister

Not a “How To” but a “What and Why” book. I appreciated the author’s explanation of the origins of the Liturgical Year, her definition of “liturgical spirituality” and her pithy observations throughout; such as “ to live life for lesser things is to risk not living at all” and “for life to becomes its own exhilarant, we must learn to live it consciously, beyond the visible to the meaningful”.

This is a book for those oriented toward the abstract vs. the concrete.

Received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Monday, December 20, 2010

Thank You, Judge!

Lies The Government Told You, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Thomans Nelson, 2010

To understand libido dominandi one need only read WE, 1984, Brave New World and then reflect on the past 50 years.

But, to grasp crucial specifics, one needs to read and re-read Lies The Government Told You. For the great majority of us, these Lies were inculcated while we were so supremely moldable, during the very years the same government held us and our parents captive. Our parents via compulsory education laws and us children via government schools.

These lies became such a deeply ingrained part of us they functioned as filters distorting our understanding of what we were seeing! Surely, the government isn’t doing-blank! (Fill in one of the Judge’s seventeen examples.)

Thank you, Judge Napolitano for providing us with such a clear and reasoned guide. Now, every time I hear some employee of government mouth one of these mantras, the reasoning in your chapters will ring loud and clear and my mind and I will think: Sophist, "...a person who reasons adroitly and speciously rather than soundly…”.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers 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."

Good handbook for basic discipleship.

The Walk, Shaun Alexander

Shaun’s basic paradigm for initial discipleship is quite helpful. His use of personal example throughout each segment adds to its value. His admonition that we are to share experience along with information during the process is so key to one’s impact. Shaun’s focus on the value of Order as well as his description of the Fruit of The Spirit in the process adds to the paradigms value, in my opinion. Shaun’s emphasis on the need for grounding in the scriptures and a disciplined progress from rules to principles in the growing disciple’s experience is to be highly valued’
I would suggest one avoid the chapter on The Imparter as well as chapters 18-20 in that they lean toward one particular theological posture. At the same time, in my experience I have tended to abstain from repeating ostensible, subjective miracles, falling back on the rationale of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 where he says he saw things not lawful to utter. What he saw is not necessary for our Christian experience (2 Peter 1:3, 4) nor are, again, in my opinion, such miraculous testimonies, whereas the miracles in the scriptures are divinely attested.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the book review bloggers 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."

Monday, December 13, 2010

A resource for every believer’s shelf

If God Is Good, Randy Alcorn

Alcorn has provided a solid resource dealing with this perennial concern, one suitable to proponents on both sides of the “Divine Sovereignty/Free Will” concern. The inclusion of personal testimony/struggle with the issue of suffering is, in my opinion, especially helpful, prompting one’s identification with the particular question. The development of the question is reflected in the layout of the chapters:
1. Understanding the Problem of Evil & Suffering
2. Understanding Evil: It's Origins, Nature & Consequences
3. Problems for Non-Theists: Moral Standards, Goodness & Extreme Evil
4. Proposed Solutions to the Problem of Evil & Suffering: Limiting God's Attributes
5. Evil & Suffering in the Great Drama of Christ's Redemptive Work
6. Divine Sovereignty & Meaningful Human Choice: Accounting for Evil & Suffering
7. The Two Eternal Solutions to the Problem of Evil: Heaven & Hell
8. God's Allowance & Restraint of Evil & Suffering
9. Evil & Suffering Used for God's Glory
10. Why Does God Allow Suffering?
11. Living Meaningfully in Suffering

The author’s scriptural reflections throughout the narrative are seemingly designed to lead us to the text and wrestle with the issue ourselves.

The centrality of the Cross throughout the presentation is especially helpful, as was the observation of Joni respecting the ministry of suffering when she wrote”…feeling sin’s sting while on the way to heaven…” As I read that, my first thought was, “Yes. Lest I forget”!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

This is a book to recommend.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Timely and Informative

The Next Christians, Gabe Lyons

Very helpful explanation in understanding the next Christian. They could well represent the fourth major shift in the progress of the kingdom. The author’s explanation of their six characteristics and the seven avenues or channels in which they seek to minister was also helpful. As I read, a number of thoughts struck me: 1) the next Christians seek to adapt vs. adopt, 2) the next Christians do not appear to be focused on developing a Christian Approach but rather focus on being Christians Approaching, and finally 3) the next Christians appear to be seeking to live as leaven in the cultural loaf without seeking to determine outcome, i.e. developing a Christian culture. Personally, I haven’t the foggiest idea as to what the ultimate impact of kingdom leaven will look like. The focus, it seems to me, is to live like kingdom leaven. Awesome book and heartily recommended. My only disappointment lay in the absence of pro-life next Christians, credit to the author’s contribution relative to DS babies.

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"