The book consists of five parts with three chapters within each part.

Part 1: The Need to Equip Family Shepherds
The first part of the book speaks of the crisis which exists in many churches today: there is a radical age segregation that splits up families on the Lord’s Day. Teens are taught and “pastored” by a young, hip youth pastor, who many parents see as the person responsible for their children’s spiritual growth, and children are taken out of the service and placed in children’s church. Baucham gives a very brief look at a couple of passages in both the OT and NT, emphasizing the familial corporate nature of worship and discipleship both in the church and in the home.

Part 2: Family Discipleship and Evangelism
The second part of the book emphasizes three areas in which parents are to function as prophets and priests in their home: proclaiming the Gospel to their children, catechizing, and conducting family worship (reading the Scriptures, praying, and singing). The chapter on proclaiming the Gospel is very good, and while the topics on catechism and family worship are incredibly important, they seemed too brief.

Part 3: Marriage Enrichment
The third part is a good section on marriage. In this part, Baucham focuses on the purposes of marriage, the nature of marriage, and the need for male leadership in the marriage. Voddie makes a good case for complementarianism,  critiquing some of the proponents of egalitarianism.

Part 4: The Training and Discipline of Children
This is perhaps the best section in the book. In this part Baucham draws on the wisdom of Cotton Mather concerning the formative and corrective discipline of children. Baucham helpfully shows that there is a continuum/gradations of how one ought to discipline one’s child.

Part 5: Lifestyle Evaluation
In this concluding section, Baucham emphasizes the importance of church membership, honoring the Lord’s Day, and living as citizens of God’s kingdom while we live here on earth.

Family Shepherds is an alright book. In some ways the flow of the book seems disjointed. The book in some sense seemed more of an anthology on the family, composed of brief vignette-like chapters, too short to really develop his argument or provide fathers with many practical examples. Perhaps what I appreciated most was his drawing from the wisdom of men like George Whitefield (concerning catechism) and Cotton Mather (concerning discipline), which whet my appetite to go read them. The reader will glean many good things from this book but the book would not be my first choice concerning these important topics on male leadership in the home (e.g. excellent work has been written by many of the Puritans).

*Review copy provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers

Obama commenting on celebrating the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade:

And as we remember this historic  anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our  daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons  to fulfill their dreams.

Ah, yes. The rights, freedoms, and opportunities at any cost, no matter what, even at the cost of murdering your own child. Just a further confirmation that abortion remains the sacrament of feminism.

Unfortunately, Obama never stops to consider the rights, freedoms, and opportunities denied to the tens of millions babies who are violentally destroyed and snuffed out by abortion…

K. Scott Oliphint, God With Us. Crossway, 2011, 302pp, paperback.

Some of the first creeds of the early Christian church confess the belief in “God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” And while these words express one of the most fundamental bedrock truths of the Christian faith, its truth has perplexed thinkers over the centuries because of its many theological and philosophical conundrums. For, example how can a God who is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable interact with a world which is the very opposite?

It is questions such as these that K. Scott Oliphint addresses in his new book God With Us: Divine Condescension and the Attributes of God in order that we may think biblically about who God is (9).

The introduction lays the groundwork for the rest of the book. In the introduction Oliphint discusses what one means by the attributes of God, especially as understood historically within the Reformed tradition. He also briefly interacts with recent attempts to undermine the classical understanding of the character of God by looking at the works of Clark Pinnock and Peter Enns. The end of the chapter details a nice discussion of the Trinity and Oliphint’s main reason for writing the book. In all of these discussions and theological conundrums, the “problem” is with creation (40). Oliphint proposes that while there are certain attributes that are essential to God, the attribute of “Creator” cannot be essential because the creation of the cosmos was not necessary, because there was a “time” (my own words, but it obviously has problems when speaking of “time” “before” creation) when God was not the Creator. Thus, he introduces “covenantal properties” that God has, given creation. He also points forward to the promise of answers to these questions that can be found in looking at the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

I Am
Chapter one is a nice introduction to the attributes and character of God as Oliphint takes his cues from the revealing of Yahweh’s name to Moses from the burning bush in Exodus three. Oliphint provides a detailed exegesis of the passage noting the significance of this chapter both within the redemptive history and for our understanding of who Yahweh is. Some of the essential characteristics that Oliphint describes in this chapter are his simplicity, infinity (with respect to eternity and immensity), immutability, and impassibility. In this chapter he also interacts with and critiques other Christian philosophers such as Alvin Plantinga, Eleonore Stump, and William Lane Craig concerning their views on God’s nature and how he interacts in/with time. As a brief aside, one of the curious things I noted in this chapter is that Oliphint mentions that abstract objects (such as numbers) were created and are not eternal, Platonic properties (72). While I applaud Oliphint for seeking to uphold the absolute, independence of God, it  left me with this unanswered question: if numbers and the number system were created, how does that make sense if for all eternity there existed three persons in one God? And what about theistic, conceptual realism, where such abstract objects do not exist ad extra but ad intra as ideas in God’s mind?

I Am . . . Your God
Chapter two contains discussion on what Oliphint calls the “Eimi/Eikon” distinction (he has discussed this distinction elsewhere). While Christians typically speak of the “Creator/creature distinction,” Oliphint correctly argues that this is not quite correct, because God has creator is not essential to Him, because the fact of creation was not necessary to have occurred. Oliphint instead argues for the Eimi/Eikon distinction to underscore the nature of God has argued in the previous chapter. This chapter also contains discussion about God’s “condescension” (WCF 7) and interaction with His creation.

Before Abraham Was . . . / (The Son of) God With Us
Chapters three and four contain a rich discussion about the Son of God and how His incarnation should be what guides and drives all of the discussion concerning how God interacts with His creation. Because so much has been thought about in the field of Christology, especially as found in the Chalcedonian creed, Oliphint believes these distinctions help us with similar questions in theology proper.

Things Secret and Revealed
In the final chapter, Oliphint focuses on some of the philosophical questions that are paradoxical, such as God’s determining decrees and foreknowledge and the “free” choices of creatures. While Oliphint does not believe these can be resolved in their entirety, he seeks to use the Christological paradigm to help further the discussion without compromising God’s character (which often happens at the expense of some philosophical views).

The reader will not necessarily agree with all of Oliphint’s proposals, and Oliphint himself has said that this is by no means the final word but the hope of furthering discussion along more theologically/biblically driven lines. But this is a very stimulating work that the reader will find fruitful as we continue to learn more about who God is and how He has revealed Himself.

In previous books written for children, Sproul has communicated great truths such as the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, Christ propitiating God’s wrath, the Biblical story of redemption, and the holiness of God, in the form of short stories and allegories to capture the imagination of children. The Barber Who Wanted to Pray is the latest addition to the children’s books written by R.C. Sproul where he seeks to introduce the theology and praxis of prayer told through the story of Martin Luther teaching his barber how to pray.

Summary of Book and Contents

The book begins with a family sitting around the table engaged in daily family worship. One of the children asks her dad if he can teach her to pray like he does. The father proceeds to tell them a story of Martin Luther and Luther’s barber, Master Peter, to teach his children how to pray the way Luther taught Master Peter. The rest of the story briefly recounts Luther’s interaction with his barber wherein the barber asks Luther to pray, Luther writing a small booklet, and Luther returning to Peter to teach him to pray through the ten commandments, the Lord’s prayer, and the Apostles’ Creed. Sproul takes a brief sample from each to communicate how one prays through each of these three. The story then ends with the children around the table delighted in what they have just heard, and they request to extend family worship so they can practice this new way of prayer.

At the back of the book is included the ten commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Apostles’ Creed for reference and memory for parents and children.

Evaluation

To evaluate children’s books, I find it best to be guided by the wisdom of C.S. Lewis who once wrote, “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” So how does The Barber Who Wanted to Pray measure up? While the book communicates a great and helpful truth on how to pray, I do not think it matches the creativity, imagination, and story line that one will find in other children’s books written by Sproul. The storyline seems too rushed, the characters underdeveloped, and the illustrations too dark and drab. I am not convinced that this book will capture a child’s imagination like some of the other books written by Sproul. That is not to say that the book is all bad, I just found it disappointing in comparison to his previous children’s books.

A Few Words of Caution

I do want to briefly mention a few words of caution concerning the contents of the book. First, the book does contain one illustration of Jesus praying with his disciples, which for some parent’s, depending on their view of the scope of the second commandment, may be a put off. Second, there was one part of the story that I wondered whether it was too graphic and unnecessary, especially since the book is written for children. As Peter begins to give Luther a shave, Sproul writes the following: “Peter’s razor was pressed very gently against the outlaw’s neck. All Peter had to do was to press hard on the razor and he would cut the man’s throat, killing him instantly. Then Peter could go to the emperor and say that he had taken care of the outlaw, and he could claim the reward, which would make him rich” (12). I question Sproul’s wisdom and discernment here in giving children the visual picture of cutting someone’s throat with a razor in order to kill them.

Conclusion

While the book is helpful in teaching children how to pray, I do not think the storyline, plot, and illustrations help communicate these great truths and make them “come alive” in children’s imaginations, which is a shame.

*Review copy provided by Crossway

What does Mt. Sinai have to do with me becoming a better reading?

According to Tony Reinke: everything.

In this fascinating book, Tony Reinke weds theology and praxis concerning the reading of books, both Biblical and non-Biblical.

So why begin a book on reading with the story of Mt. Sinai? Because on Mt. Sinai, “an author wrote something so earth-shaking that the publishing industry has never recovered. It never will…The day God ran his fingertip over the stone tablets was the day that he forever shaped the world of book publishing” (23, 25). Here in the first chapter, “Paper Pulp and Etched Granite,” Tony takes the well-known story in Exodus and demonstrates why this Biblical story has the most important implication concerning the reading of books: from the day of Mt. Sinai until the end of this age, all books are divided into two genres, Genre A: The Bible and Genre B: All other books.

This truth orients us to the rest of Reinke’s book on reading well.

The book is divided into two main sections, one on the theology of reading and the other on the practice of reading, full of hints, tips, and recommended practices to make one a better reader.

In chapter 2, Reinke briefly sketches the Biblical story of sin and grace and the power of regeneration to give us a new heart and the mind of Christ. Looking to his own story of how the Lord saved him, Reinke calls how this new heart and mind has forever changed the way he sees Christ and reads, especially the Scriptures.

In chapter 3, Reinke addresses the reality that we live in such an image-saturated world that in most cases, the visual trumps the literary. But Reinke lays out several compelling reasons why words interpret, explain, and capture what images cannot. It’s not that images do not have their place. They do. They just cannot do what words can. To attempt to resort to images for everything proves to be reductionistic.

In chapter 4, Reinke sketches the Biblical worldview, Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation, and how this worldview shapes and informs our reading habits. He concludes with a few tips on which books to avoid, such as ones that glorify evil.

I really enjoyed what Tony said in chapter 5 on seven benefits of reading non-Christian books. I think all Christian readers will be immensely helped by this chapter, especially because it can be tempting to reject all non-Christian books because they are just that: non-Christian. But Reinke compellingly demonstrates that we can benefit greatly from the works of non-Christians. To reject these literary gifts is to reject the Giver, God, as Reinke quotes from Calvin’s Institutes.

In chapter 6, Reinke briefly makes a case for the Christian appropriation of imagination when it comes to literature and has a couple of great reminders concerning the implications of the imagination for our lives from what we see in the Book of Revelation.

In part two, Reinke, having laid the theological foundations of reading well, turns to the practical aspect of how we actually do it. This is where I think readers will be greatly helped because this section is full of great tips and hints.

In order to whet the reader’s appetite for reading this book, I will briefly sketch the tips Reinke provides:

• Setting reading priorities (chapter 7)
• 20 tips and tricks for reading non-Christian books (chapter 8)
• The benefits of reading literature (chapter 9)
• Protecting/finding time to read (chapter 10)
• Overcoming distraction (chapter 11)
• Marking up your books with pens and highlighters (chapter 12)
• Building a reading community (chapter 13)
• Instilling the love of reading in your children (chapter 14)
• Marks of a healthy reader (chapter 15)

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially for those who struggle with reading. This book is incredibly readable and unassuming for the uninitiated, and the chapters are short enough for those who read little.

Tolle Lege!

*Review copy provided by Crossway Books

DeYoung, Kevin and Greg Gilbert. What Is the Mission of the Church?. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011, 288pp, pb.*

Everyone will agree that the church needs to be doing what God has called it to do. Good so far. But ask someone what it is that the church needs to be doing, and the answers vary: Evangelism. Discipleship. Community outreach. Ministry programs. Feeding the poor. Building houses. Helping the local school. Engaging the art scene. Entering the political arena. Etc. This is not a “easy” or “light” topic to discuss. Rather, the question (which has been asked for centuries) often generates heated debates, which tend to turn ugly. Perhaps the reason why is that this question appears simple, but it is “deceptively” simple, in that the question concerns not only what the church should be doing, but it opens up “a can of worms” about what the Bible teaches concerning the Gospel, the Kingdom, the Church, mission/missions, etc.

Amidst the fury of cacophony and heated debate, Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert have added an irenic voice with Biblical clarity and sanity in their new book, What Is the Mission of the Church?

The book is divided into three parts: “Understanding Our Mission,” “Understanding Our Categories,” and “Understanding What We Do And Why We Do It,” with part two being the bulk of the book.

Understanding Our Mission
The first section orients the reader to the oft-debated question, “What is the mission of the church?” The authors seek to make a corrective to much of the current thinking about mission, though they are careful to spell out what their corrective entails and what it does not entail. The authors present their thesis at the end of chapter one, stating, “We will argue that the mission of the church is summarized in the Great Commission passages…We believe the church is sent into the world to witness to Jesus by proclaiming the gospel and making disciples of all nations” (26). In chapter two, the authors critique other views that take certain passages as paradigmatic for our understanding of the church’s mission, such as Christopher J.H. Wright’s popular view of Gen. 12:1-3 detailed in his book The Mission of God. While these passages are helpful, they do not say what proponents have argued that they say.

Understanding Our Categories
Section two will prove incredibly helpful for the Christian with the authors’ carefully nuanced discussion of questions like the Gospel, the Kingdom, the grand narrative of Scripture, social justice, shalom, and how all of these fit into our understanding of the church’s mission. Because of the question, “What is the Gospel?” is hotly debated today, with one side being accused of making the Gospel too “narrow” and the other side making the Gospel too “wide,” the reader will find the discussion incredibly balanced and helpful. For, the authors argue (rightly) that the Gospel is both/and, because the Biblical authors can view the Gospel from a “wide angle” and from a “zoom lens.” However, DeYoung and Gilbert are careful to point out that the Cross is at the center of the Gospel and any talk of “Gospel” that ignores the cross, repentance, and faith is not a true Gospel.

The reader will also find the two chapters on social justice, exposition and application, incredibly helpful as DeYoung and Gilbert exegete the main passages typically used to support social justice and then they provide excellent, practical application for how we make sense of categories like “justice.”

Understanding What We Do and Why We Do It
Part three sums up the book as the authors helpfully discuss important distinctions such as duties of individual Christians versus duties of the institutional church (e.g. First Baptist Church). Here is where a lot of progress could be made in the discussion of these important matters if a careful distinction is made between the individual and the corporate church entity.

Summary
This book proves to be a trusted guide and a clear voice, rooted in the Scriptures, in the midst of a confusing discussion about the purpose and mission of the church. Buy it. Read it. Imbibe its message. Live it.

*Review copy provided by Crossway Publishers

It happens that the stage sets collapse. Rising, streetcar, four hours in the office or the factory, meal, streetcar, four hours of work, meal, sleep, and Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday and Saturday according to the same rhythm – this path is easily followed most of the time. But one day the “why” arises and everything begins in that weariness tinged with amazement (Albert Camus, The Myth of  Sisyphus).

The Book of Ecclesiastes has a profound existential dimension to it. It rebukes the slap-happy mindset of American culture and American Christianity for its “Pascalian diversion tactics” (to be explained in a future post). It is a book with a profound existential wrestling concerning the vanity of all things in a broken, sinful, and absurd world.

For some time, I have been slowly plowing through the book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew, reading, re-reading, memorizing, reflecting, etc., as well as through existentialist writers like Camus and Sartre. Of course, the starting point and conclusions radically differ, but their similarity revolves around an existential aching for meaning in a random and absurd world.

In the first section of Ecclesiastes, we see the Qohelet state the thesis of the book (v. 2), which will be explained throughout the course of the book, and then begins to ruminate on the (nauseating) repetition of the natural cycles in the world and human life.

Text and Translation
I have highlighted the key words which employ repetition, many concerning cyclic motion: going, coming, returning, around, and place.

The various words of motion provide the key to interpreting this passage. Notice in verse 4 that Qohelet begins by observing the utter transience of human life: a generation dies off, a generation is born. That generation eventually dies off, another is born, ad nauseam. Everyone eventually dies. No one gets out alive. Tears and cries, grief and pain, broken sobs uttered into the void, echoing throughout creation. But world does not care. The earth keeps spinning (i.e. the sun rises). The wind keeps blowing. Streams keep flowing. Human life and death is wearying in its repetition: birth–joy–death–grief. Rinse, repeat. Much like the natural cycles of the sun, wind, and streams. But there is a peculiar weariness of these cycles. Rather than running its course with joy like a man on the day of his wedding or a strong and youthful man who does all things with life and vigor (Psa. 19:5), the sun “pants” along. Out of breath. Longing for reprieve and rest. Yearning for the day shift to be over. The repetition and weariness leads to nausea: The wind blows…Around…Around…Around…Around…Around…Around. Its dizzying. You feel like you are spinning viciously on an eternal merry-go-round. But it is anything but merry. You want to vomit. The cycles are always moving, always progressing, but always regressing. The streams flow and flow and flow, but never fill the sea. It is like pouring water into a cup with a hole in the bottom. Just as the sea is never filled, neither is the eye and ear filled. Always striving. Always coming up short. There is nothing new. Same old, same old. As you die off, you will be but a faint memory for the succeeding generation, but eventually, you are forgotten in the later generations. Just a name. Just a few scattered facts. Born here at such and such place and time. Died here at such and such place and time. All your achievements, nothing. All your work, nothing. If you leave any sort of contribution to culture and society, it is the contribution that people care about, not you. Human worth is measured by its instrumentality, not by an inherent dignity.

In sum: life is full of endless, weary, nauseating repetition.