Category Archives: Book Reviews

Review: Tiyo Soga

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Ferdie Mulder and Ivette Coetsee, IRSA, 207 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Tiyo Soga and his Mentors (English)Last year my four oldest children memorized the Westminster Shorter Catechism. I grew up in a Christian home where, by God’s grace, my parents forced my sister and me to memorize hundreds of verses. I use “forced” on purpose because that’s really what they did and you won’t hear a peep of complaint from me. I only wish they would have pressed us to learn more.

But catechisms, sadly, were absent in our spiritual formation. Fast forward to today. As my wife and I catechized our children, we were learning right along with them. Question 64 struck me: “What is required in the fifth commandment?” Answer: “The fifth commandment requires preserving the honor…belonging to…superiors.” Often, this means honoring parents, but not always. “Superiors” also include Christian heroes, like the character of this biography, Tiyo Soga.

Overview

Ferdie Mulder and Ivette Coetsee pen the life story of Tiyo Soga (1829-1871) to help Christians obey the fifth commandment. I had never heard of Soga before but for those who have, you may only remember him as a leader of black nationalism in South Africa. But this mischaracterizes the man. He was first a Christian, family man, pastor, translator, missionary, theologian, and hymn writer. Continue reading →

The Best of Between Two Cultures: 2024

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Based on traffic, here are the most popular articles from 2024. 

  1. When Are Two People Really Married?
  2. Review: Engenas Lekganyane and the Early ZCC
  3. What Bill Gates, Spurgeon, and Muslims Teach Us About Bible Memory
  4. Am I Gay?
  5. How Long Was the Ark of the Covenant at Abinidab’s House?
  6. A Dozen Practical Ways to Evangelize
  7. Seven Ways a Husband Should Protect His Wife
  8. The Christian and the Bride Price (1): What is Lobola?
  9. Kenya’s Eco-Tax Revolt: A Christian Response
  10. Ancestor Worship in the Church

Review: The Missionary Theologian

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E.D. Burns, Christian Focus, 263 pages, 3 of 5 stars

E.D. Burns wrote Missionary Theologian to show that missions must coexist with sound theology to be effective. If you previously viewed missionaries as good ‘ole boys who love talkn’ bout Jesus but don’t know the difference between a hypochondriac and the Hypostatic Union, Burns wrote this book for you.

For years, Burns has served as a foreign missionary in East Asia and beyond. As a veteran missionary myself for nearly two decades, I enjoyed hearing a cross-cultural evangelist laud the importance of biblical theology and healthy ministry methods.

Indeed, missionaries won’t succeed if they don’t know and love the Word. Churches should block the runway if ignorant missionaries try boarding the plane to a foreign land. As Spurgeon said, “We cannot send men of third and tenth-class abilities, we must send the highest and the best.” Continue reading →

Review: Father of Faith Missions

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Robert Dann, Authentic Media, 606 pages, 5 of 5 stars | Full Summary HERE.

Father of Faith Missions is the story of Anthony Norris Groves and his life as missionary in Persia and India.

What makes the book so spectacular is the way Dann unpacks dozens of themes around the life of Groves: suffering, apologetics, the life of George Muller, child raising, money, church planting, language study, Islam and so forth.

Groves was a man ahead of his time. He never served under a church denomination, never was promised a salary and never received a formal theological education. He lacked much. What he did have, as he liked to say, was the promises of God.

Groves was born in 1795 in the south of England. He married at age twenty-one and soon opened a surgery as a qualified dentist. Converted just before age 30, Groves wrote a little 28-page booklet just one year later. Christian Devotedness would prove to be one of the most influential Christian books of the 19th century. Continue reading →

Review: Engenas Lekganyane and the Early ZCC

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Barry Morton, Booksmango, 242 pages, 3 of 5 stars

The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) is the African and ecclesiastical version of the Freemasons—shrouded in mystery and secret rituals. What’s so special about the tea they’re brewing? Why is the water they splash on faces so magical? What makes their uniforms blessed? The answers are difficult to find.

Despite its twelve million members and place as southern Africa’s largest African Initiated Church, the ZCC is nearly empty of any historical or theological literature.

This book is so helpful because it pulls back the curtain on this Christian cult that dots the south of Africa. A main reason I strongly recommend Barry Morton’s book on the ZCC is that there is no other work like it. There’s simply not a lot of literature from which to choose. Continue reading →

Review: R.C. Sproul – A Life

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Stephen Nichols, Crossway, 371 pages, 4 of 5 stars

I was in college when my parents received a flyer from Ligonier Ministries. The first teaching series I ordered was on the Five Solas. I was hooked. I’ve loved Sproul ever since.

It was with great excitement that I read Sproul’s bio written by Stephen Nichols. The book is balanced, inciteful, warm, and loaded with doctrine and humorous stories. For a full summary of the biography, look HERE.

I thought I knew the man well. But did you know that Sproul…?

  1. Said he was the only person in church history to be converted by reading Ecclesiastes 11:3.
  2. Earned a doctorate from the Free University of Amsterdam, even though he never wrote a dissertation.
  3. Would speak Dutch to Cornelius Van Til as they sat on the man’s porch outside Philadelphia.
  4. Married Tim and Kathy Keller, who were also students at the Ligonier Valley Study Center.
  5. Wrote all through the night the 19 affirmations and denials of the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy, after the person assigned to the task failed to produce them.
  6. Had 18,000 students and 800 resident students pass through his study center in 1977, only the sixth year of the school.
  7. Was aboard the deadliest crash in Amtrak history, where 42 of the 202 passengers were killed.
  8. Described the Evangelicals and Catholics Together affair as the most difficult time in his life.
  9. Wrote vows for the board members and faculty of Reformation Bible College, to be recited annually, which included the Apostles’ and Chalcedonian creeds, the five solas and the consensus of the Reformed confession.
  10. Within a few days after his death, had over 17,000 responses from around the world respond to the prompt from Crossway: “I am grateful for R.C. Sproul because….”

Continue reading →

Review: A Guide to Prayer

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Isaac Watts, Banner of Truth, 186 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Isaac Watts, the Father of English Hymnody, has written my favorite book on prayer. The previous first choice had been Carson’s A Call to Spiritual Reformation. Watts is even better. For a full summary of the book, go HERE.

Four reasons this is my favorite book on prayer

First, it’s practical, surprisingly so. Watts argues that prayer has rules just like other skills. If medicine has rules for healing, then Christians must learn the rules for praying. Watts talks about everything relating to prayer, from the Spirit’s work, to the kinds prayer, the voice, the gestures, the motivations, the grace and the gifts of prayer.

Second, it’s short, under 200 pages. It’s also clear. Watts once wrote a famous book on logic, still in print. Short and clear is a great combo.

Third, it’s old. Watts was born in England in 1674. The book was first published in 1715. If the choice is between the latest best-selling book on prayer over at Amazon, or a prayer manual three centuries old, choose the latter.

Fourth, it’s written by a pastor. No other occupation on earth lists praying as it’s central job description. If you want to learn how to pray, find a godly pastor. They have experience and Bible verses for support. At age 28 Watts became the pastor of Mark Lane Chapel in London. He was an able pastor, his church growing from 74 to five hundred during his lengthy ministry.

A few tips for parents

Fathers and mothers could uses Watt’s book to teach their kids how to pray. Consider the following ways: Continue reading →

Review: Masculine Christianity

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Zachary Garris, Reformation Zion Publishing, 312 pages, 5 of 5 stars

I purchased this book on a whim. I was buying It’s Good to Be A Man on Amazon when I noticed Masculine Christianity. It’s by an author I’d not heard of and by a publisher I’d not heard of.

I first listened to the book on audio while driving with my wife and eight children through the U.S. Then I bought the paperback and read it through again. With skill and clarity, Garris confirmed most of my biblical convictions. I learned a whole lot too. See my full 16-page summary HERE.

Overview

Garris shows from Scripture that husbands hold authority over their wives. He argues that only men should preach and be pastors. Men only should act as soldiers and civil leaders. He contends that “patriarchy” is a better and more biblical word than “complementarianism”, the latter term built on shaky ground and since lost its way. Continue reading →

Review: 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You

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Tony Reinke, Crossway, 224 pages, 4 of 5 stars

I read this book slowly because I hate how often I check my smartphone (SP). I had held out with my dumb phone as long as I could. I’ve never used Facebook, X, or Instagram. But I see how my SP serves as both a tool of good and bad. This book helped me. See the full summary HERE.

Overview

Humans check their phones about every 4 minutes. And the vast majority of Christians Reinke surveyed check their phone within minutes of waking up. More phone time often means more depression, anxiety and less sleep. It means more porn, worse vocabulary, less meditation, increased pride, and extra loneliness. The SP yields both the bewitching power to waste our time and the enormous benefit of making our lives more productive. Continue reading →

My Top Twelve Books on Missions

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D72B3AB0-DFD3-4144-898B-907A3CD5C73D_4_5005_cYou’ll notice that 8 of the 12 best books on missions are biographies. Books only on missions theory are like a one-wheel bike. They only inform. Good missionary biographies are like a two-wheel bike. They inform and inspire.

1. Father of Faith Missions: The Life and Times of Anthony Norris Groves (Robert Dann, Autentic Media, 2004, 606 pp)

This book inspires as a good biography should. It also teaches like good missiology should. It touches on parenting, child rearing, support raising, Muslim apologetics, friendship, team ministry, church planting, language learning and much more. The book is out of print and difficult to find, but not impossible. Sometimes you must sell all you have to obtain a great treasure.

2. William Carey (S. Pearce Carey, Wakeman Trust, 2008, 437 pp)

William Carey may be the greatest missionary since the Apostle Paul. Ironically, he wasn’t a church planter. He didn’t even arrive on the field until his early 30’s. I’ve read this volume from cover to cover twice. His teammates were just as great of missionaries as he was.

3. Paul the Missionary: Realities, Strategies, and Methods (Eckhard Schnabel, IVP, 2010, 519 pages)

This is my go-to book for a biblical perspective on missions. Schnabel argues for the right missionary methods by ransacking the relevant New Testament texts. Churches should used this volume when crafting their missions philosophy. I wrote a review of it here and a summary here.

4. John G. Paton Autobiography (Banner of Truth, 2013, 538 pages)

This could be the most thrilling, fast-paced and adventurous book on missions ever written. Paton was a missionary to the cannibals of the South Seas in the 19th century. He lost his wife, child and many friends, but he never quit. It is a missionary classic. I wrote a review of it here.

5. Hudson Taylor, Two Volume (Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, OMF, 1996)

If you want a shorter version than the two volume, read Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret. But the two volumes of Growth of a Soul and Growth of the Work of God are far superior. I’m shocked at how cheap both hardback volumes are. A missionary to Ghana and close friend gifted this biography to me in my early twenties. The Lord used it to strengthen my calling to missions. Continue reading →

Review: An Enquiry

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William Carey, 1792, 85 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Every Christian interested in missions should read William Carey’s An Enquiry. The word “enquiry” means investigation. In this book, Carey examines missions in a way never done before. The full name of the book is An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens.

The book has five sections. Section One is the Argument, where he answers over a dozen objections to cross-cultural missions. Section Two is the Review, where he surveys the history of missions up to that point. Not a whole lot there. Section Three is the Statistical Survey. Map-making was a hobby of Carey’s. At the time of writing, the world population was just north of 700 million. Today it is 7.8 billion. Section Four is the Challenge, the part of the book I enjoyed the most. Section Five is the Program, where Carey gives practical ways the church can move forward in missions.

Four Reasons to Read the Book

First, William Carey is the GOAT. Many agree Carey is the greatest missionary of all time. He’s the father of modern missions. He kicked off the greatest missions movement the world has ever seen. God used this book to stir missionary zeal among pastors and parishioners. Carey has more ethos than any other missionary author. Loving missions but never having read An Enquiry is like being a student of the violin but having never heard Itzhak Perlman play. Continue reading →

Review: Missions

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You’d be surprised how many books on missions never get around to actually defining “missions” or “missionary”.
 
John Piper’s acclaimed book on missions, Let the Nations Be Glad, waits until the second to last page to give a somewhat nebulous definition of a missionary: “A missionary is someone who goes out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.” David Doran’s definition of missionary in For the Sake of His Name wasn’t too specific either: “One who is sent on a mission.” 
 
So I was happy to see that Johnson clearly defines both missionary and missions, and he did it by Chapter Two. Missionary: “Someone identified and sent out by local churches to make the gospel known and to gather, serve, and strengthen local churches across ethnic, linguistic, or geographic divides” (p. 36). Missions: “Evangelism that takes the gospel across ethnic, linguistic, and geographic boundaries, that gathers churches, and teaches them to obey everything Jesus commended” (p. 35). 
 
This is one of those “see the forest, not the trees” little books that gives a nice overview of missions. Andy Johnson is a pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church and has experience with international churches. Let’s overview some of the pros and cons.

Continue reading →

Review: Mission Affirmed

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a54b0f71-0f29-432a-868e-ff620d578f53_4_5005_cI’d much rather eat a cheesecake baked by a great cook than a Black Forest gateau baked by PhD-holder in cuisine. And I’d much rather read a missions book by a missionary than a missions book by a missiologist. Missiologists are often armchair missionaries. They write from a comfortable desk in their homeland.
I want the book to smell of dusty pathways and busy marketplaces, to sound like foreign voices, to taste of danger, sadness and joy. This is why great missionary biographies are the best books on missions. They’ve been there and done it.
There are exceptions, sure. Some great books on missions were not written by life-long missionaries (e.g. Paul the Missionary by Schnabel; Missionary Methods by Allen). But a main reason Clark’s work takes flight is because he’s labored on the mission field himself.

Continue reading →

What I Read in 2020

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Better late than never. In 2020 I read five, 5-star books and eighteen 4-star books, which doesn’t mean much to you, but a lot to me. You can find the whole list here.

My book of the year was Life Under Compulsion by Anthony Esolen. My missionary teammate loaned it to me and even let me mark it up, else I wouldn’t have read it at all. Esolen writes with punch, making sure to hit the bad guys (pop culture, feminism) and applaud the good guys (children, stay-at-home moms etc.).

My surprise book of the year was The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Gregory. I first heard about it when Doug Wilson said all the teachers read it at his classical Christian school. It was published in 1886. You can buy it for $.99 on Kindle. It’s good for pastors too.

The worst book I read in 2020 was a biography on Herman Bavinck. It was about 300 pages too long. I didn’t find a quotable line in a book on a quotable man.

Honorable mention include Calvin and Commerce, a book on Reformed economics, Fortunes of Africa, a huge paperback on African history, Mathematics: Is God Silent?, more of a philosophy book than one on math, Same-sex Mirage, a sassy book on marriage and William Carey, perhaps the best missionary biography ever written.

Review: The Price of Panic

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Axe, Briggs and Richards, Regnery, Oct. 2020, 287 pages, 4 of 5 stars

This post could also be called Fourteen Reasons Not to Fear Covid, or, RIP (Read if Panicked). The media wants you to think RIP will be on your tombstone this year if you don’t separate and scrub daily. The three authors of this timely and superb book on Covid are here to tell you there is no reason to panic. 

There are fourteen chapters. To help my readers, I broke them down into fourteen reasons not to panic. The authors didn’t state these items exactly this way, but out of the goodness of my heart, I’m here to make your life easier. If you should be limited with time, read chapter ten. It’s the best in the book.

This list is for pastors who think their churches should cancel services. It is for the driver that wears a mask while alone in the car. It is for those that think lockdowns and ubiquitous masks are a good idea. It is for the fearful and the desperate.

1. We’ll always live in a dangerous world.

In the US alone, 1,700 people die of heart disease every day. In 1968 the Hong Kong flu killed one million people globally, far more than Covid. In 2009 the swine flu may have killed a half million. In neither was their panic or a global lockdown. What is spreading the quickest is not Covid but panic. Nothing spreads like fear. In reality, Covid is a really bad flu strain that can be dangerous especially for the elderly because it leads to pneumonia which then leads to respiratory failure. 

Continue reading →

Review: The Faith of Christopher Hitchens: The Restless Soul of the World’s Most Notorious Atheist

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Larry Alex Taunton, Thomas Nelson, 2016, 212 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Summary Sentence:

A compassionate but uncompromising account of the friendship between a Christian author and Christopher Hitchens—one of the world’s most notorious atheists.

Summary Conclusion:

A surprisingly good read by Taunton. This kind of book isn’t easy to write. It could appear the author is trying to capitalize on the wickedness and death of an outspoken atheist. I was expecting Taunton to go soft on Hitchens. He’d grovel before him like so many others. Taunton didn’t. He struck a perfect balance. It’s the kind of book you could give to an atheist friend as an evangelistic tool: lots of biography, several Scriptures, a warm but firm style.

Continue reading →

What I Read in 2019

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It is difficult to understate the value of reading books. As someone said, you need grist for your mill. The books are the grain, your mind is the mill, and your imagination bakes the bread. We need to eat the bread, so make sure it is fresh, and make sure there is plenty of honey butter.

So make sure you find the best books, turn off the TV, get up an hour earlier and read, read, read.

I’m thankful for my books. These are some of my best friends. Their truths keep me going.

My 2019 book reviews can be found here. If you want to skip ahead to just the five-star books, you can look here.

A fuller list of some of the books I read in 2019 and beyond can be found here. My Book of the Year was The Father of Faith Missions by Robert Dann. My Surprise Book of the Year was Passions of the Heart by John Street.

Review: Flags Out Front

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Douglas Wilson, Canon Press, 2018, 2016 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Summary: a satirical novel mocking the worst of evangelicalism to show all things rest beneath Christ’s feet

This book brims with current and vital themes in the church: courage under fire; weaponized apologies; strong, chivalrous masculinity; talented, clever femininity; the leprous effects of spineless Christianity; vapid feminism; Islam and her fruit; theological liberalism.

Wilson packages all this in a funny little novel, sprinkles in some romance, rebukes us for our fear and urges us to fight! The Christian flag story is just a platform for Wilson to show that Christ should reign at home, at school, and in the public square.

Pros: Wilson picks the right people to be the heroes. Hollywood loves carrying Jezebel and Ahab away on their shoulders. Not Wilson. I want my sons to be like the college kid Trevor (tough, competitive, and engaged to be married) and my wife to stay like Maria (savvy, beautiful, manager extraordinaire). And I want to be like Dr. Tom: humble and courageous. Wilson knows who the good guys are. These are the ones we’re to imitate (1Cor. 11:1). Continue reading →

Review: The New Pastor’s Handbook

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Jason Helopoulos, 2015, Baker, 208 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Summary: forty-eight brief chapters of warning and encouragement for new pastors

The genius of this book by Helopoulos (current pastor of University Reformed in Michigan) isn’t necessarily the insight or profundity but the short, direct, biblical, and practical chapters. One can imagine a busy pastor having a young pastor-to-be that needs mentoring. What resource could he turn to?

He grabs the Handbook along with the young intern, bows in prayer, reads the Scripture heading, and then studies the 2-4 page chapter together. Once the parson provides the necessary explanations and fillers on calling, leadership, sermon prep, candidating, hospital visits or whatever the topic may be, an hour and a half has flown by and the meeting is over. Continue reading →

Review: Do More Better

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Tim Challies, 2015, Cruciform Press, 120 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Summary: a brief, contemporary, biblical, and practical guide to productivity

A couple years ago I reviewed a book on productivity by Kevin DeYoung. This paperback by Challies is about half the size, more practical and just as good. Tim Challies is a family man and pastor that writes a lot. He posts daily on one of the most well-known Christian blogs in the world. He gets a lot done. He writes here to give some tips.

Overview and Strengths: The book contains twelve concise and helpful chapters. Chapter one lays the foundation by giving the readers a six-question catechism on productivity. For example, “What is productivity? Answer: productivity is effectively stewarding my gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God. I like Challies’ format here. Chapter two describes three productivity thieves. I struggle most with the second.  Continue reading →

Review: Marriage as a Covenant

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Gordon Hugenberger, Baker, 1998, 340 pages, 5 of 5 stars

Summary: Malachi 2:10-16 teaches conclusively that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman.

Years ago I wrote my seminary thesis on polygamy. I thought the most difficult question would be: “What should I do with polygamists wanting to join my church?” I instead walked away from that paper scratching my head and asking: “What exactly is marriage?”

That is, at what moment does it officially begin?  Does marriage start when the bride price is paid, or when there are vows? What if a couple of four decades never exchanged vows? Is marriage an agreement between families, as many today in Africa espouse? What consummates a marriage, the vows or the sexual union? Do answers to these questions differ within various cultures?

Hugenberger–former longtime prof at Gordon-Conwell and pastor of the historic Park Street Church–has been an invaluable aid in helping me unravel these conundrums, especially in the African culture I reside in where the parameters of marriage are often unclear. Though he writes primarily to Westerners, the insights remain indispensable to my setting. Continue reading →

Review: Friends of Calvin

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Summary: Twenty-four biographical sketches of Calvin’s closest friendships
This wasn’t a page turner but I’d still recommend the book because the chapters are short and the topic of friendship is sparse today in Christian literature. I should say books on godly masculine friendship are rare, not this.
Friends are often best at pointing out another’s weaknesses. Calvin knew he didn’t always have an easy personality. His friends undoubtedly noticed as well. But Calvin also seemed to value friendship more than most because his marriage was short and he had no children. Friends filled in the gaps.
Strengths: There were a number of interesting points about Calvin’s friendships. For example, most of his friends were not from Geneva where he ministered most of his life. Many Genevans were his enemies. His bond with Viret (over four hundred surviving letters between them) was built on trust—Calvin confiding in him some of his most embarrassing sins.

Continue reading →

Review: God, Greed and the (Prosperity) Gospel

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Costi Hinn, Zondervan, 2019, 224 pages, 3 of 5 stars

Summary: an autobiography of Benny Hinn’s nephew and how he finally left the prosperity gospel and found Christ.

You want a history of the prosperity gospel (PG) in America? Read Bowler. A theological treatise against the PG movement? Read Strange Fire. But suppose you have a buddy at work with anointing oil in his cubicle and bumper stickers flashing Isaiah 53:5 (“with his wounds we are healed”). He loves TBN. He reads everything Crefloe Dollar and Joyce Meyer put out. He’ll never pick up a hardcover by Justin Peters or Johnny Mac.

This might be the book to give him. Sometimes stories that put you in the moment (“I carried cash–a lot of cash”, p. 57) can be more convincing than assertions. Benny Hinn is perhaps the world’s most well-known prosperity evangelist. Benny grooming his nephew to be his successor, only for Costi to abandon this teaching and move to orthodox Christianity would be like the brother of the infamous atheist Christopher Hitchens coming to faith in Christ. This happened by the way. God has a sense of humor. Continue reading →

Review: African Christian Theology

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Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, Hippo Books, 2012, 250 pages, 3 of 5 stars

Summary: a simplified and abridged theology covering the major themes of systematics and applied to African life today

Samuel Waje Kunhiyop (SWK) wants to be true to Scripture and writes African Christian Theology (ACT) in an effort to take the African situation seriously. This is a thoughtful yet rare contribution to the African church and deserves to be read carefully.

Strengths: (1) ACT interprets theology contextually. Why an African Theology? SWK is correct that “Scripture is always interpreted within a context” (p. xiii). Thus, John MacArthur’s Biblical Doctrine written in 21st century America gives significant attention to doctrines like cessationism and gender roles when John Calvin’s Institutes does neither because it was written in 16th century France. SWK scratches where the African itches. He doesn’t waste time on proofs for God’s existence since rare is the African atheist. Continue reading →

Review: A Company of Heroes

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Tim Keesee, Crossway, 2019, 288 pages, 4 of 5 stars

Summary: poetic journal entries of known and unknown missionaries and their stories

Below is my endorsement of Tim Keesee’s excellent recent work:

“Peopling that great heavenly choir is among the missionary’s greatest motivations. Tim Keesee compels us to sit at the feet of this great cloud of witnesses by presenting a kaleidoscope of missionary lives. From mosques to Mormons―from first world to third―he urges us to lock shields with the great soldiers and choristers of the past and present. In A Company of Heroes, Keesee writes brilliantly as a reporter and lover of gospel advance.”

Keesee is the founder of Frontline Missions International, an organization which works to spread the gospel to the least reached places in the world. He also produces the missionary documentary series Dispatches from the Front. While traveling around the world, he doesn’t fly at tree top level. He lives and breathes with the people–retelling their stories of trial and triumph.

Keesee is not only a gifted writer but seems to put great value on friendship and building relationships. He esteems what the St. Andrews Seven called “earnest conversation.” Much of what he chronicles are intimate and lively conversations.

Company covers twenty different countries and explores missionaries both time-worn (Georgi Vins, William Carey ) and modern (JD Crowley), well-known (Amy Carmichael) and obscure (Mei Li). I was edified by each chapter, especially chapter 15 “The Broken Sword.” It covers missionaries in Indonesia and explores the nature of risk and the aspect of taking handicapped children to the mission field.

Review: The Case for Classical Christian Education

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Douglas Wilson, Crossway, 2003, 253 pages, 5 of 5 stars

Summary: Because all education is religious and incapable of being morally neutral, classical Christian education is the solution.

Wilson has been a head honcho in the classical and home school educational universe for decades. In his view, classical education (CE) is not a luxury but a necessity. Parents have a moral obligation to remove their children from government schools and provide them with a Christian education (Eph. 6:4)—the best option being classical Christian education.

CE is the teaching philosophy that wants to pass on the Western heritage. The goal of CE is rhetoric (a good man speaking well). But one can only reach rhetoric after the first two basic stages of learning: grammar and logic. Thus, the final product of clear thought is clear speech. Continue reading →

Review: How to Get Unstuck

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Matt Perman, Zondervan, 2018, 288 pages, 3 of 5 stars

Summary: it’s not enough to protect your time. You must protect your focus.

“The Preciousness of Time” by Jonathan Edwards is the best teaching I’ve read on time management because of its theological rigor. From a productivity standpoint, however, Unstuck was more profitable. Matt Perman, a Christian that blogs at Whats Best Next, provides ten principles for maximum productivity. But his greatest contribution is the importance of focus–no easy thing in our preoccupied world.

The secret to effectiveness is concentration, which is focusing on one priority for an extended time.

Concentration gets more done better. The goal is “deep work”, a state of high concentration. It is a kind of super power that most people cannot perform because it has so many obstacles. The formula is: time spent x intensity of focus = high quality of work produced. Effective people are able to concentrate (doing one thing at a time) for long periods on the most important things. This takes a lot of practice.

Pros: Perman has spent decades crafting excellent habits of time management. I didn’t want to forget his advice, so I consolidated his book into my own mnemonic device: F-O-C-U-S. (1) Fight distractions. These are the biggest obstacles to deep work because it kills flow. It’s crucial to finish one job at a time because incomplete tasks dominate our attention (“I still have to get this done”) and depletes energy (“I’m so stressed”). Personally, eliminating distractions during deep work includes seclusion, having no access to my phone, closing email and Evernote, doing online reading after the work day, no “work” post 5:30 pm, and no phone checks until after breakfast.

(2) Order the day according to priorities. There’s a difference between responsibilities (duties) and priorities (chief duties). It is vital to give our best, longest and most skilled time to priorities.  It’s not a priority if it doesn’t take high concentration. (3) Complete the task. Start and complete one job at a time. Bach and Handel composed one major work at a time. Rare freaks like Mozart that could do multiple works simultaneously are not the model.

(4) Use large chunks of time to accomplish deep work. Two small chunks of 2 hours are must less effective than one chunk of 4 hours. (5) Stop work when the day is over. End your day at a specific time so you can recharge. You’ll be less effective during the day if you tell yourself you can get tasks done late at night.

Cons: Perman is a Christian and Southern Seminary grad (MDiv in two years) that used to serve on staff at Desiring God. I wish he had used more Scripture in the book. Unstuck has a little too much business/CEO feel for my taste. But I never read books from that genre, so it probably was good for me.

Conclusion: Perman succeeds in convincing the reader to habitually prioritize his day and focus on important tasks for long periods of time. Read chapter 13 if you only have time for one. Chapters 1, 11-12, and 16 were helpful too.

Excerpts:

  1. “The more distracted we are, the more shallow our reflections; the shorter our reflections, the more trivial they are likely to be.”
  2. “If there is a ‘secret’ of effectiveness, it is concentration. Effective [people] do first things first and they do one thing at a time.” – Peter Drucker
  3. “Only the confidence that you’re done with work until the next day can convince your brain to downshift to the level where it can begin to recharge for the next day.”
  4. “The ability to concentrate intensely is a skill that must be trained.” Cal Newport

Review: The Heart of the Bible

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John MacArthur, Thomas Nelson, 2005, 143 pages, 3 of 5 stars

Summary: a list and explanation of fifty-two key passages every Christian should memorize

John MacArthur wanted to encourage his congregation to memorize more Scripture. He chose 52 passages that reflected ten main themes–the heart of the Bible. The 2-3 page explanations on each passage are theologically rich and easy to understand.

Pros: (1) This is a great book to give new Christians at their baptism. As they begin their Christian walk, these pages will encourage them to memorize and understand the Bible’s foundational passages.

(2) The book fits well into a one-year course. Our little African church is memorizing one passage for each week of the year.

Review: Blessed

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Kate Bowler, Oxford, 2013, 337 pages, 5 of 5 stars

Summary: a lucid, concise and superbly researched historical account of the prosperity gospel—the best in print.

Bowler took years visiting health and wealth churches around the US in research for this book. Ironically, incurable colon cancer struck this young Duke professor as the book was going to print.

She argues the prosperity gospel (PG) centers on four themes: faith (a power turning words into reality), wealth (faith in the pocketbook), health (faith in the body), and victory (faith’s final goal). These topics became four of the five chapters.

The book’s subtitle (‘a history of the American prosperity gospel’) could just as well remove the word “American” since much of the PG round the world pulls from the US anyway.

Pros: (1) She names name by the hundreds. In this regard, she’s Paul-like (1Tm. 1:20). They called Puritan Richard Sibbes the sweet-dropper. Bowler is the name-dropper. She’s coming after you if you’ve influenced American prosperity over the past 100 years (e.g. Jakes, Cho, Lake, Bakker, Roberts, Meyer, Peale). Her favorite target is Joel Osteen. (2) Her tone isn’t polemical. She writes as an objective researcher. I consider this a plus because good arguments don’t need white knuckles and red faces to terrify the reader. (3) The lengthy bibliography on PG/Word of Faith works is invaluable.

(4) She must have researched a million pages of PG literature (cruel and unusual punishment) and then gives the reader the choicest dreck. For example, “Plant the seed of faith and put away the Washington’s” or this gem from Creflo: Dollar “I own two Rolls-Royces and didn’t pay a dime for them. Why? Because while I’m pursuing the Lord those cars are pursuing me” (p. 134). (5) Bowler excels at showing how earlier metaphysical mind-power repackaged itself into positive thinking (‘picturize, prayerize, actualize’) which repackaged itself into the modern prosperity message.

Cons: Besides the occasional Scripture reference, Bowler rarely interacts with the Bible. True, this is a history, but I expected more from a professor of religion.

Conclusion: Most missionaries and pastors should read this because most missionaries and pastors do battle royal against the PG in their ministry. This book gives the historical underpinnings of the deadliest poison within Protestant churches. The daily Christian should consider this hardback as well since “soft prosperity” (think Osteen) is more pervasive in the church and home than they know.

Quotes:

“[Speaking in tongues] became the gateway drug for other gifts of the spirit” (70).

“At Paula White’s Without Walls church, a feminine aesthetic pervaded the sanctuary and encouraged giving through the provision of floppy pink envelopes which tithers were encouraged to wave during the service” (129).

“John G. Lake and his ‘God-men’ theology pumped confidence into the veins of faith believers who called each other ‘overcomers,’ ‘dominators,’ and ‘little gods’” (179).

Review: What’s Your Worldview?

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James Anderson, Crossway, 2014, 112 pages, 3 of 5 stars

Summary: an interactive storyline designed to help the reader identify and clarify their worldview and its implications.

Don’t read this little paperback from cover to cover. Follow the “Choose Your Own Adventure” plot to help you discover the consequences to your worldview (e.g. atheism, polytheism, pantheism, etc.) and other big questions (“Does God exist?” “Is there more than one true religion?”).

Pros: (1) Creative. The book is short. But it must have taken considerable thought to piece it together. (2) This is a nice, little title to give the unbeliever in the cubicle next to you. The size won’t intimidate him and it will make him think. (3) This is a good refresher on apologetic terms like Nihilism (what does that word mean again?) and Deism (“a halfway house on the road from Theism to Atheism”). (4) This is a good refresher on apologetic arguments, like why the problem of evil is harder for the atheist than the Christian. (5) His six-page intro on worldviews was excellent.

Cons: (1) Anderson tries to be unbiased but is sometimes timid (“some worldviews…walk with a pronounced limp”) or feeble (“the Christian worldview has a lot going for it”). Actually, all other worldviews are dead wrong! (2) The “end of the trail” on the Christian worldview was weak. If I traveled this far, at least give me a taste of Whitefield.

Quotables: “Worldviews are like [brains]: everyone has one and we can’t live without them, but not everyone knows that he has one.” (12)