Review: Old Landmarkism: What Is It?
Old Landmarkism: What Is It? by J. R. Graves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Mostly good though a little heavy-handed. Graves is not a dazzling writer, but he is clear and passionate. This book is mostly a polemic against alien baptism, open communion, or inter-communion, and pulpit affiliations. Graves makes his case in a very logical argument. He draws from Scripture and history to support his assertions.
He deals here with issues of church polity that we rarely hear about today. It is not that the issues don’t exist today, but few seem to be troubled at all by these questions. Ours is an age where it is not acceptable to scrutinize nor criticize another’s views. Everyone is supposed to sit around the table equally. Of course that was not the approach of Jesus nor His apostles, and it shouldn’t be ours.
This book was written in the heat of the day and you may or may not be familiar with the men, churches, and situations he refers to. I recommend reading it carefully and thoughtfully. Graves has been maligned over the years and many things attributed to him that he would be surprised to learn about. Read him yourself and find out what he actually wrote and believed.
Review: Regeneration
Regeneration by Arthur W. Pink
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very good. Very plain and practical writing from Pink. He deals with different figures for regeneration, including the new birth. In one place, his gap theory view colors his writing. It is one of the things bothersome about him, but in no way negates the value of this brief book.
This book is excellent for presenting a thoroughly biblical view of regeneration. It is much needed today and I highly recommend it.
Review: William Carey: A Biography
William Carey: A Biography by Joseph Belcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very good. Belcher wrote this biography twenty years after Carey’s death. There is much to appreciate in the life of William Carey. Considering his accomplishments amidst the difficulties and in the amount of time he had, leaves us in awe, but lessons are there to be learned.
Carey did not see himself as particularly gifted, though he was quite gifted. Without formal education, he acquired a proficiency in difficult foreign languages that was hardly rivaled. In an ironic twist, he wrote many of the works that would be used as texts for the formal education of others.
He considered himself a plodder and he plodded through translating the whole Bible into 6 different languages and portions of the Bible into 26 different languages. He was a disciplined and hard worker. To read his account of a typical day makes one tired.
I was personally affected at different points in this account and I will ponder those things in my own heart. I recommend this biography to all.
Review: Miracle On The River Kwai
Miracle On The River Kwai by Ernest Gordon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Overall disappointing and interesting. I realize that requires some explanation. There are three ways to look at this book categorically–biography, history, and Christian conversion. Let me deal with each of those in turn.
As a biography and human interest story, Gordon’s account is gripping. He survived the unthinkable and lived to tell the world about the experience. From that perspective, his was a remarkable life and this is a good book.
As a historical account, this book is valuable. Gordon gives an eye-witness account as one who lived through what he is describing. He was no casual observer. The second World War was a dark time in the twentieth century and Gordon has given us a glimpse into the grim reality. From that perspective, this is a rare and honest account of that life in the valley of the Kwai and it is a good book.
As an account of Christian conversion, this book is sorely lacking. Perhaps my expectations were too high coming in, but I had heard this book touted as something of a Christian classic. However, the conversion here seemed more like a philosophical enlightenment than a new birth in Christ. What spread through the camp was more like moralistic deism than biblical Christianity. It was remarkable that the group found solidarity and lived above their circumstances, but they were not a New Testament church.
I gave two stars because the book was good on two out of three areas. From a historical and human interest standpoint, it is an interesting read. I wouldn’t dissuade from reading it, but I would give this warning first.
Review: The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog
The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog by James W. Sire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A great introduction to worldviews. Sire defines worldview as: “. . . a set of presuppositions (or assumptions)which we hold (consciously or subconsciously) about the basic makeup of our world.” It involves what we think about life, death, the afterlife, morality, ethics, absolute truth, etc. In a Christian worldview, we adopt the presuppositions of the Bible. There are other worldviews and Sire does a good job summarizing them. It’s a good book and I recommend it.
