Book Review: Conscience: What it is, How to Train it, and Loving Those Who Differ

Posted by on September 24, 2019 · Leave a Comment 

Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who DifferConscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ by Andrew David Naselli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read a few books on conscience and they all have their strengths. The strengths of this book are that it is brief, not academic, a good mix of doctrinal and practical, and includes some cross-cultural missions perspective. The authors address the relevant texts and use some surprisingly concrete examples. The authors are not asking readers to agree with all their convictions, but they were open about specific examples that helps readers work through the issues. The book focuses on training, or calibrating, the conscience and gives a good bit of space to dealing with conflicts of conscience. It’s a book that can benefit every Christian.

View all my reviews

Filed under Reviews · Tagged with , , ,

Book Review: How Can I Develop A Christian Conscience?

Posted by on July 13, 2019 · Leave a Comment 

How Can I Develop a Christian Conscience? (Crucial Questions)How Can I Develop a Christian Conscience? by R.C. Sproul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a brief, but helpful book on the conscience. Sproul wrote in a practical, engaging, and accessible style. This is not a deep-dive textual study, but more of a practical discussion of the concepts involved with the conscience. It is a good introduction to the subject.

View all my reviews

Filed under Reviews · Tagged with , , ,

Book Review: Your Mind Matters: The Place of the Mind in the Christian Life

Posted by on March 16, 2019 · Leave a Comment 

Your Mind Matters: The Place of the Mind in the Christian LifeYour Mind Matters: The Place of the Mind in the Christian Life by John R.W. Stott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an excellent little book on the place of the mind in the Christian life. Far too many professing Christians have followed a charismatic, mystical emphasis on experience and focused on head/heart distinctions to the point we have lost our minds (no pun at all intended). Stott does an excellent job considering scriptural teaching and practical application. Sure, you will find some points of disagreement here and there, but I highly recommend it.

View all my reviews

Filed under Reviews · Tagged with , , ,

Book Review: Gospel and Wisdom: Israel’s Wisdom Literature in the Christian Life

Posted by on March 16, 2019 · Leave a Comment 

Gospel and Wisdom: Israel's Wisdom Literature in the Christian LifeGospel and Wisdom: Israel’s Wisdom Literature in the Christian Life by Graeme Goldsworthy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fine book in many ways. Goldsworthy helps us understand the relation of wisdom books to one another and to the Gospel. He asserts we cannot read wisdom literature in the Old Testament as if Jesus doesn’t exist, wasn’t made flesh, didn’t live, didn’t die, wasn’t resurrected, and hasn’t ascended to Heaven. There were a few bumps along the way relative to statements about the kingdom and some hints at over-realized eschatology.

View all my reviews

Filed under Reviews · Tagged with , , ,

Book Review: How to be a Christian: Reflections and Essays

Posted by on February 9, 2019 · Leave a Comment 

How to Be a Christian: Reflections and EssaysHow to Be a Christian: Reflections and Essays by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a collection of Lewis’ essays from various works. The publisher has selected essays around the general theme of practical Christianity. So, this book is not what Lewis would have produced if he had set about the task of writing a book on the practical Christian life. Setting that disappointment aside, we find here a great collection of essays Lewis did write and a transcribed interview of what Lewis did say. So, maybe the next best thing.

Lewis was a great thinker and writer. He had a knack for putting things well. He had a way of taking something very familiar, changing the familiar perspective, and putting it across improvingly. Any mention of Lewis sends certain ones of the population running to fetch their aluminum foil caps to prevent any of Lewis’ alien waves from entering their brains. Lewis had his theological problems. He could write a brilliant and beautiful passage and sometimes follow it with a brilliantly ugly passage. Only advertising his shortcomings is to whip a straw horse.

Spurgeon had many critics in his day. They often complained about his girth, the hair on his face, and at least one old lady nearly fainted when she heard something akin to humor in one of his sermons. Those journalists and church marms could always have exercised their personal rights of locomotion and declined to attend Spurgeon’s preaching.

View all my reviews

Filed under Reviews · Tagged with , ,

Next Page »