Adam Shields

Short review: An unique devotional written by a wide variety of authors focusing on how the bible and/or Christianity can be disquieting. The quality of the writing is pretty good and for a book written by nearly 40 authors, it is pretty even. Topically it is all over the place. Amy Julia Becker (blogger at CT and author) talks about how we all cherry pick verses. Karen Swallow Prior (English Professor and author) writes about how our modern translations tend to leave out or obscure all of the sh*t in scripture. Caryn Rivadeneira (church staff and author) talks about the scandal of being made in God's image. But the general idea is that scripture and Christianity in general isn't designed to make us feel good and there are lots of time when it pricks us.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/disquiet-time/

Short Review: Finding spiritual practices for those that have become dead to spiritual practices. Fans of Ann Lamont will like this. There were very good sections, but there are number of other books that are similar and only 5 years after it was published, this feels dated already.

I noticed that many others that have not liked it, did not like it because of its particularity. It is written to people that are middle/upper-middle class, fairly well educated and primarily mental workers (professors, pastors, office workers.) It talks a lot about poverty, and does it well, but talks about poverty to people that are not poor. It talks about the benefits of physical labor to people that do not do physical labor. So the poor and the physical laborers will not likely not see physical labor and poverty as spiritually beneficial. Barbara Brown Taylor says that in the book and acknowledges that part of the spiritual benefit of deprivation or labor is that it is unusual and in some ways chosen and different. If you are always poor or always do labor then other practices will be beneficial.

We can't have a world where speaking to the particular is somehow wrong. There are of course, good and bad ways to speak to the particular. And I think this is mostly one of the books that does a good job of speaking to the particular.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/altar-world-geography-faith-barbara-brown-taylor/

Short Review: I enjoyed this book, it had some good humor, the plotting worked and I was engaged. But it is basically the same storyline as Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

My full review: http://bookwi.se/mercury-falls/

Book Review: Know the Heretics by Justin Holcomb - a short look at beliefs of the historic heretical movements. Two points that I think are very helpful from the book: 1) Hersey usually started trying to simplify or ‘fix' confusing doctrines. 2) Flippant use of the word heresy can ruin the actual meaning to the point of making the concept useless. Kindle book is only $3.79 right now. There is also a companion book, Know the Creeds that I have picked up and will probably read fairly soon. I do think this would be a good book for a small group discussion, there are discussion questions and the chapters (and whole book) are short enough to make it easy to read and discuss.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/heretics/

Short Review: I am not particularly sure how to review this book in a short format. Through out most of it I was frustrated with the focus on excellence and activity (even if it was more about a redefinition of those terms.) Peterson used Jeremiah (both the book and the person) as his jumping off point and skips along through the book in the way that he does. I am not really complaining about Peterson's exegesis, he is good as normal. But instead my complaint is that it seems that he asked by his editor to write something that might be marketed to the Christian leadership market.

At the end though, after being frustrated throughout the book, I went back and looked at my highlights (I have a number of quotes in my main blog review) and realized that while I didn't really enjoy the book, I did highlight an awful lot of a book that I didn't particularly think spoke to me. So maybe I got a lot more out of it than I thought I did initially. But that leaves me still unsure how to give it a number rating or whether to recommend it or not.

For the most part I think I would recommend Peterson's Practice Resurrection instead. I think it is a better book, covers a lot of similar material, feels less dated with Christian leadership jargon and it more corporate church focused and less individual Christian focused.

But I don't want to suggest that this is not worth reading. I think that if you like leadership books, this might be more up your alley.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/run-horses-quest-life-best-eugene-peterson/

Short review: One of the better of the Very Short Introduction series. It has very good concept. The author looks at three questions and how Philosophy has answered them. This discussion is about half of the book and does give a good overview of the concept of how philosophy works. The last half of the book is a bit of odds and ends, but it does round out the ideas of philosophy. Certainly an introduction of this length can't do everything, but this does a good job.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/philosophy-2/

This was interested but I did not have a lot of background on either Barth or von Balthasar and so it was dense. It was not helped by 60 to 70 page chapters which meant that I almost never had enough time to sit down and read through a full chapter all at one.

I would like to read it again later, but I want to get a ‘very short introduction to...' or something on each so I can get a better handle on them before I restart it.

I got right about half way through (which was about 60% of the main text) but I stalled and never picked it up again.

Short Review: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Meditations on Psalms edited by Edwin Robertson–A collection of sermons, letters, devotional writing, etc on the psalms with helpful biographical introductions to Bonhoeffer and context on the sermon, letter, etc. I semi-devotionally read this over a couple weeks and we glad to read Bonhoeffer more directly.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/dietrich-bonhoeffers-meditations-psalms-edited-edwin-robertson/

Short Review: Book Review: Bonhoeffer, Christ and Culture (2012 Wheaton Theology Conference Book) - Several very good papers. Four in particular I really liked. Tim Larsen's on why we read Bonhoeffer and how that came to be. Jim Belcher's very personal paper on the liturgy and how Bonhoeffer's work at the Finkenwalde Seminary was instrumental in spiritual development. Joel Larson's chapter on using Bonhoeffer to construct a theology of the church based on others I thought was a very helpful look at how Bonhoeffer's ecclesiology would fit into a modern Evangelical context. Similarly, Lori Brandt Hale's chapter on how her college used Bonhoeffer's theology of vocation as part of their all school curriculum was also quite useful as a model of how to use historic theologian for modern theological practice.

As with any conference book there are essays that are perfectly fine, but less connected with why you are interested in the subject. But overall a very good conference book.


Click through to my blog for a full review and links to videos from the Wheaton Theology Conference http://bookwi.se/bonhoeffer-christ-and-culture/

Short Review: Continue to be impressed with Butler's writing and so far, very different settings for her books. This is a story of two immortals (reason for their immortality is never given) that meet in 17th century Africa. One has been alive for nearly 4000 years, the other only a few hundred years. The story is set over about 200 years as they come together as lovers, friends, and enemies.

Butler just doesn't have light themes. This book is about eugenics, racism, sexism, violence, slavery and more. It is rough and took me a while to get through just because it was so draining to read. But at the same time it is very good writing and a compelling story.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/wild-seed-octavia-butler/

Short Review: This is a memoir of 25 year old. And although a generation later, it is hard not to favorably compare it to Blue Like Jazz. Both are well written and comfortable in their youth. But I think Table in the Wilderness is in a healthier place because he is finding his way back to God through the church (instead of in spite of the church). There is some overly emotive writing, but overall it is certainly worth reading. Preston is yet another in that broader circle of people I am aware of that are becoming Anglican (and in his case being ordained). Seems like someone else I know about once a week is starting a new Anglican church or getting ordained or at least joining the Anglican stream of Christianity.

Click through for full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/table-in-the-wilderness/

Gave up

I really like Steinhauer's Tourist trilogy and I have liked, but not loved, some of his stand alone novels. This is the start of an earlier series but I just didn't get into it. Lots of people that are unlikeable. It also jumped around a bit especially early on and was kind of hard to follow. I probably would have been better of reading instead of listening to this, but I didn't care enough to read it.

Short Review: This is a good followup and I think natural next step after Hill's first book. I think he is largely right that we need deep friendships and that the church should be facilitating and encouraging deep friendships. This is memoir-ish look at friendship because this is largely Hill's own story. Because he is Gay this look at friendship is through the lens of same sex friendship, but I think it is easy to see similar insights with cross gender and same sex (but straight) friendships as well.

This is s a quick read but well worth reading. I started Hill's academic book on Paul and the Trinity but put it down (new parent lack of sleep problems). This encourages me to pick it up sooner rather than later.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/spiritual-friendship/

Short Review: I listened to the abridged audiobook, which I think was probably a good idea because I would have never made time to get through a 1000 page biography. John Paul II is certainly an interesting person, but the I think the abridgment focused too much on the political issues and less on his direction of the Catholic church. Weigel is certainly a fan, and while he had great access to the Pope to write this, I would want another biography to balance him out. This was also written before John Paul II's death, so it does not really have a good overview of his life and legacy that you would have if it were written now nearly a decade later.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/witness-to-hope/

Book Review: The Good News About Marriage: Debunking Discouraging Myths about Marriage and Divorce by Shaunti Feldhahn - a Christian oriented social science book about why most of the common wisdom around marriage (divorce rates, happiness, etc.) are actually wrong and the real numbers are much better than what we think. Good resource and documented research. That being said, I am not sure most people really need to read this. The basic idea would be pretty well documented in a magazine length article and there have been several. I do think this is useful for pastors that deal with marriage, marriage and premarital counselors and anyone that works with marriage enrichment.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/good-news/

Short Review: Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life by Ed Cyzewski - theology is all around us but theology needs to be enculturated (translated and understood for the particular culture you are in.) Coffeehouse Theology in an introduction to thinking about theology with culture in mind, both to critique culture and to understand culture. I think this is really a 3.5 star book because it drags a bit. But the content is important so I rounded up. I also think it is mis-titled. I am not really sure what coffeehouse has to do with theology here (other than a place to discuss it) and the reflecting on God in everyday life, seems to not quite get the focus of the book either. But titles are hard and usually not the author's choice.

My full review is at http://bookwi.se/coffeehouse-theology/

Short Review: This is a series of four holy week lectures that were turned into a book. It is short and I listened to an audiobook (but not the actual recording of the lectures.) Williams does a good job of addressing these four practices at the heart of Christianity without being too cliche or without completely reinterpreting the practices into something they are not. Bible is really about how we hear from God, but it should be read corporately. Baptisms is about how we enter into fellowship with the church and become a part of the body. Eucharist is about how we participate in the ongoing life of the body. And Prayer is about how we come into relationship with God. Nothing earth shatteringly different, but well presented in a short format. Might make a good discussion book. Lots of little nugget of wisdom so I might pick it up and read again in print.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/being-christian/

A friend gave this to us as a baby present for our son. He is too young, but I read/sing this almost every night with my daughter. Love both the book and illustrations and the song. I would love to seen more good songs turned into books like this. (If anyone knows of some let me know.)

This was good, I will return to it eventually

Short Review: King's Letters from a Birmingham Jail as well as the whole Birmingham campaign still have something to say to the modern church. After re-reading Letters from a Birmingham Jail last month I picked up this book that both discusses the letter and gives context to the whole Birmingham campaign. It is hard to overstate how convicting that I find Letter from a Birmingham Jail, while overt racism is much less prevalent than when it was written, the underlying issues that King is addressing in his response to another open letter to the leaders of the Birmingham campaign from generally supportive white pastors seems like it could have been written this year. Whites still want African American leaders to slow down, still are concerned about law and order and misuse of civil disobedience. Gilbreath makes this book personal. He is too young to have lived through the era, but he interviews many who did and spends time reflecting about what has and has not changed and how we should be inspired and challenged. Gilbreath is a journalist and a writer or editor for several Evangelical magazines throughout his career so he speaks well to Evangelicals and addresses some of the mistrust of King by evangelicals.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/birmingham-revolution/

Book Review - The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus by Dallas Willard - a refocusing of apologetic arguments toward Christian growth and apologetic living toward the non-Christian. A good reminder, but not an essential book.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/the-allure-of-gentleness-defending-the-faith-in-the-manner-of-jesus-by-dallas-willard/

Short Review: Holy Ground: Walking With Jesus as a Former Catholic by Chris Castaldo - While there are some good parts of this, I was concerned with the overall tone that treated most Catholics as non-Christian. There was no place that Castaldo specifically said that Catholics can be orthodox Christians. On the positive side he presents a much more positive view of Catholics than many Evangelicals often do and attempts to treat Catholic beliefs fairly. He also had a good section on what evangelism should look like and places where Evangelicals and Catholics often misunderstand one another because of different language or definitions.

My full (nearly 1500 word) review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/holy-ground-walking-jesus-former-catholic-chris-castaldo/

Short Review: The Zimzum of Love: A New Way of Understanding Marriage by Rob and Kristen Bell - it seems most of the negative reviews are about not liking Rob Bell instead of not liking the book. The book is a helpful, short, encouraging book on marriage that is exclusive, holy, and dynamic. I think it is too expensive right now, but that the content is good and it is the right length for small group discussions.

(Note: The kindle version at least keeps going on sale for around $4. At that price it is worth picking up.)

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/zimzum-love-new-way-understanding-marriage-rob-kristen-bell/

I need to write up a real review eventually, but for now, if you are interested in Anglican/Catholic theology as an Evangelical, this is one of the early books that talked about why that move might be attractive. Originally written in 1978 it is surprisingly relevant to what is going on today among many that I know.

Short Review: This is a combination of two unrelated pamphlet length works by Merton. I was interested in the one about Spiritual direction and went ahead and read the one on meditation as well. The spiritual direction one is helpful but not the best I have read. Both the spiritual direction and meditation works are more about why you should do it than how to do them. Both are against some of the myths around the practices as well (spiritual direction is not about being told how to grow spiritually, but having someone to listen to God with you and help you discern a path to growth closer to Christ. or Meditation is not about emptying yourself or thinking great thoughts but about finding God and reflecting on God throughout the day.)

I like reading other streams of Christian literature in part to find different presuppositions and this is the case here. These are clearly oriented toward Catholics and to a lesser extent toward monks. I need to work a bit to related these to me.

My full blog review has some quotes to give you a sense of what the book is like. http://bookwi.se/spiritual-direction-meditiation/