Fantasy Fallacy: A Review

I thoroughly enjoy my opportunity as a Booksneeze blogger and pick book that have topics for which I am greatly interested.  Well, Shannon Ethridge’s The Fantasy Fallacy: Exposing Deeper Meaning Behind Sexual Thoughts is not one of those books.  There is a line at the top of the front cover that caught my eye – “A Response to the Fifty Shades of Grey Phenomenon.”  I have not read the book due to the racy content; but I noticed , on a recent business trip, that the 8 women sitting around me were reading it.  With a quick Google search revealing quite a bit of fuss, I decided that the Christian response would be an interested read.

The Fantasy Fallacy hits upon some topics that many in the Puritanical Christian world would never expect to see published by a major company.  Honestly, this book, at times, is hard to read because it does delve into some dark issues that this counselor has faced during her career.  Yet, these topics are discussed in an open and forthright manner that point each individual to God as the source of all comfort and grace.  

There were several strong components of this book:  (1) a clear argument that any sexual sins are not to be blamed upon God or the devil – we are the ones to blame; (2) we all struggle in this battle for our mind and if we try to deny it is just another lie; (3) God, as the Almighty Sovereign of the Universe, has sufficient grace to heal any problems that we may have; (4) intimacy should be interpreted in this way – “in to me see” – meaning that we all seek it whether we acknowledge it or not; and (5) that intimacy is rooted in seeking a spiritual intimacy with God.  We set the bar too low and try to fill that void with just about everything except the One and Only All-Satisfying piece – our Creator, Redeemer, and Friend.

The next to last chapter, “Putting Fantasy in its Place,” was a strong way to end this sometimes complex and psychological/counseling work.  Ethridge summarized her work concisely through a personal example of her own and showcased just what a real loving marriage means (and, conversely, how the world’s offering is so cheap).  The thoughts contained therein are a challenge to any person that encounters small circumstances that may be innocent but could lead to a very troubling end.

While the book does deal with some uncomfortable topics, my greatest discomfort is in the opening and conclusion of Ehtridge’s manuscript.  In those areas, she describes a dream and offers her interpretation of it.  She concludes the work with this statement on page 200:  “God doesn’t just speak to use through sermons or scriptures….He often speaks to us through dreams while we are asleep….The main question is, are we listening?”  While I believe I may know the author’s intent, I am not so certain because of the implication – there is extra-Biblical guidance that God gives to certain and/or all believers.  That line of argument could lead to two problematic issues:  (1) since dreams are personal, we offer their interpretation and remove God from the equation and (2) since the Bible is not our only source of truth, the defense of Scripture can then be pushed aside for more relevant experience.  In our hyper-relativisitic world, undercutting the authority of Scripture can be dangerous.

Due to the concerns noted above, and the lack of another book upon which to compare, I ranked this book as a 3 – solidly in the middle.  This area is not my expertise and I do not know or understand other Christian scholarship upon it.  Absent that knowledge, I cannot give it an outstanding high mark or an astoundingly low one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Lucado on Grace

Max Lucado's recent work entitle Grace was rather disappointing to me.  Lucado has a gift of turning a good phrase and offering simplistic explanations, but those strengths can also become a weakness.  The subtitle of his book is "more than we deserve, greater than we can imagine."  If God's grace is greater than we can imagine, then a book studying it should have more complexity.

To further explain, look at the structure of the book -- it has 11 short chapters and a conclusion that cover approximately 150 pages.  While that may sound like average chapter length, it is not.  Between each chapter, there are 5 "wasted" pages:  a full blank page that ends the previous chapter, a full page with the title of the next chapter, a blank page behind it, a page of quotes and/or Bible verses, and then a blank page behind it.  If you do the math, that approximates to 45-50 wasted pages.  So, in total, Lucado spent about 100 pages to describe what he calls God's greatest gift.  The lack of attention to such a powerful subject leaves me wondering if this book was rushed to publication.

The strongest part of the book is the readers' guide at the end that allows you to dig much deeper.  Why the book did not have more depth but left it to the concluding guide does not make sense to me.  There may have been a greater purpose; and if it was done purposefully, the structure should have been explained somewhere in a preface or the acknowledgments.

Despite my shortcomings, Grace is a quick read that offers some nice quotes.  It does not, however, provide deep exigesis of Biblical passages on grace; so we have a book that offers man's thoughts on grace rather than seeing how this topic permeates all of the New Testament.  In my opinion, this was not Lucado's best effort.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Catchy Title...Shameful Truth

When Bad Christians Happen to Good People by Dave Burchett, as the title says, has a catchy title.  I had seen the book on the Blogging for Books website but avoided it.  After all, such a trite title cannot offer any fulfillment for my faith.  Truth, however, hurts; and this book stings.  I must admit it -- I was wrong.

Burchett's revised edition is not one for the modern Pharisee because he cuts to the heart like a surgeon.  This book hits you hard with a deeply personal experience that almost led his family away from church forever.  Why?  They, in their time of need, were not shown love, compassion, and grace.  As you read Burchett's offerings, the conclusion focuses on that final word -- grace.  We have become all-too-familiar with it and believe we understand it.  Unfortunately for those within and outside the church, we do not understand it; and even worse, we certainly do not live it.

God offers us a direct command in Matthew 5:16 to live a life so that others can see the graceful God who changed our lives.  Instead, we focus upon selfish wants and needs rather than demonstrating God's love to others.  In doing so, our testimony of Jesus Christ's redemptive work is cheapened.  If we live like the devil but claim to be children of God, then others will not have any interest in Christ.  In other words, our poor adherence to the principles of Scripture drives others further from God.

I am not the type of reader that likes books lacking deep exegetical analysis; however, in this case, I have made an exception.  Burchett struck a nerve.  As I was reading the book, I experienced the title from graceless believers and loved hearing his hard-hitting analysis of their actions.  Then, in an about face, he hit me hard because my joy in their reproof revealed that I also fit the title.  I was not being gracious and forgiving, which is the expectation of a Christian.

Your place in life does not matter, because this book will give you something.  We've all crossed "bad Christians," the challenge now is to not become (or continue to be) one of them.  

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Small Nuggets but Not a Large Bar of Gold

In Wisdom Meets Passion, authors Dan Miller and his son Jared Angaza offer an interesting generational analysis that encourages the merger of wisdom and passion.  If you read that first sentence, you are probably wondering about the different last names, but I am not spoiling that discovery for yourself – read the book.  They contrast how “baby boomers” relied upon wisdom for living life and attaining goals while the current generation focuses more upon passion.  The best way to attain goals, in the thesis of the authors, is to merge the two by allowing wisdom and passion to flourish together.

The thought of converging wisdom and passion is rather interesting.  I was thrilled to see many of the quotes scattered throughout the book.  These seemed to be appropriately placed and always right on the money.  Despite my misgivings of this book (which will be further explained below), these nuggets justified the opportunity to read and review Wisdom Meets Passion.

The format of the book is interesting and, at times, detracted from the overall mission.  Dan, the father, would write the main text while Jared, the son, would add his thoughts in a dark orange font.  The son’s comments at times were in no way related to the flow of the book.  For instance, on pages 8-12, whereas Dan discussed how many of the rich and famous started in humble jobs but never gave up, Jared’s comments blasted those who criticize celebrity philanthropy.  The diatribe was unnecessary and disrupted the flow of the chapter’s intent.

Other comments were made and then not provided any detailed explanation – “time, money, and dogmatic religion as coping mechanisms created by man” (page 7).  What?  This statement is placed in a section where Dan has suggested flipping Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in that some people want to feel a connection more than accumulating stuff.  I could list other examples but Jared’s contributions in this book were less related to the content and more about the chance to put forth personal feelings on a wide variety of topics. 

Yes, Jared does exemplify the passion-focused individual who lived in a wisdom-oriented fashion; so he does offer contribution to the overall thesis.  His story is inspiring in that he stepped out and wisely made his passion into a reality.  It was these unhindered thoughts or less-than applicable comments that diminished the effectiveness of what he could offer to the overall book.

 This book seemed to be more of a self-help book without must focus on God.   The premise started with the belief of God-given talents but then shifted into what WE do with them – not how HE can use us for His plan.  Instead of a focus on God’s power and control over all, the manuscript became a “you can do it yourself” handbook.  It was not what I expected it to be and, in my opinion, I would not classify it as a “Christian book.”  

While there are some impressive endorsements from folks (i.e. Dave Ramsey), I was not a big proponent of it.  There are nuggets of wisdom within its covers, but I was hopeful for a book filled with them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Unlikely but that's God's Way

Twelve Unlikely Heroes by John MacArthur is the third installment in his "Twelve Series" (my term not his).  It builds upon his previous works Twelve Ordinary Men (about the disciples chosen by Christ) and Twelve Extraordinary Women (an analysis of several prominent women in Scripture).  These descriptions of people go to show how that God uses the unlikely of the world to spread His gospel and, thus, bring glory to his matchless name!

Although a big MacArthur fan, I was somewhat disappointed with Twelve Unlikely Heroes.  This book did not have the depth and detailed analysis of his definitive disciples study (which I consider to be the best out there).  Granted, I have not read the second book in this name-sake series, so I am uncertain as to that book's standard; however, the third surely pales in comparison to the first.  For instance, the first book discusses the good, the bad, and the ugly of each disciple; but this third book seems to miss much of the bad and ugly for characters.  Obviously, nothing bad could be said of Enoch but the story of Esther was glossed over as a "cinderella" happen-stance that she stole the king's heart.  Historically, it was much more sinister than that glitz and glamor offering that could have truly matched the thesis of the book.

MacArthur, in his title, references heroes and then goes on to challenge the modern notion of a hero; yet, at the end, it seems to come back to a normal hero definition.  The overt evidence that made each person examined a hero was not clearly stated.  The tie-in of heroes not running away was missed at the end because both Mark and Onesimus ran -- they came back -- and the power of that restoration rested with God.  This book seemed more to focus on the people rather than the Person of God.

Do not let the title deceive you when you open the table of contents.  Yes, the book only has 10 chapters, but 2 of those chapters depict two individuals.  By far, my favorite chapter (and the strongest of the book) was on Enoch.  I learned so much about this Biblical man and his time period that it was inspirational.  Could God ever say that I existed to be pleasing to God.  If not, which it would not be said, then I have much to change through prayer and meditation upon God's Word.

While disappointed with the work, especially when compared to other MacArthur works, I am no, in any way, saying do not read the book.  You can and will learn, but do not have the expectation of a repetition of the quality of Twelve Ordinary Men.

Is God Your Shepherd?

God is More Than Enough, by Tony Evans, forces each reader to contemplate the question that is the title of this blog -- is God your Shepherd?  The answer determines everything else. 

Far too often, people want the blessings described in the last parts of the psalm but they do not want to admit that they are sheep.  Why?  As Evans says, sheep are dumb, dirty, and defenseless.  If we adopt a mental image that we are just like sheep, that forces us to swallow our pride by admitting that we need Him more than we need ourselves.  We are control freaks that expect the best because we are out front, and we cannot have a Shepherd if we are trying to be in control.

This book is quite thin, which makes it highly accessible for any reader -- deeply trained theologians or new Christians that want to grow in their faith.  I can imagine some deep thinkers viewing this book as too "light" for them but that simply means they have ignored the simple truths of this well-known psalm.  The over-familiarity that we have with Psalm 23 is part of that problem.  Evans has the ability to break this psalm into small, digestible chunks that leave you with a fresh view of it. 

Throughout the book, Evans hammers home his thesis that God is more than enough for everything.  The title is the first part of every chapter heading as he considers our spiritual, emotional, directional, physical and eternal needs. The chapters are peppered with illustrations that make the points real to anyone.

Because I know that God is more than enough, He is my Shepherd.  While easy to say and admit, the hard part is living it out on a daily basis.  So, is He your Shepherd?

The Search is Over

Joseph Loconte's book The Searchers is not a theological examination of Luke's account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  If that type of book is what you want, continue your search.

Quite frankly, when I started reading his book, I skipped the introduction to save time -- something I never do.  Loconte frustrated me by not delving more into an exegetical understanding of the passage.  It was only after completing the read that I perused the introduction and he captured me.  On page xx of the introduction, he shares his personal journey along his "Emmaus road" when he was there as his mom was diagnosed, fought, and succumbed to cancer.  Why did he capture me?  Simply, my own search has begun due to my mom being diagnosed with cancer and she is in the fight for her life.  With this unorthodox read of the book, I get it -- completely.

Loconte does not offer an exegetical analysis because he is not a trained theologian (yet, he reveals his angst in multiple places for Calvinistic beliefs).  He is a history professor - a man after my own heart - that opens up this story in a unique manner.  Clearly, Loconte is well-read and knowledgeable as he cites numerous historical works, movies, modern literature, and mythology to more fully develop the components of the story.  The end result is a refreshing read with some solid thoughts along this road.  My fear rests in a simple statement -- if God's Word is authoritative enough for us to entrust our eternal destiny, then we should be cautious in works about Scripture that do not study Scripture.

His struggle with his mother has certainly helped me as I try to make sense of what is happening with my mother; however, I do have a slight criticism.  My main critique is the somewhat open-ended conclusions at each chapter.  Some of the more modern works used to further his explanation dove-tailed nicely with his analysis of the road to Emmaus story, but others certainly did not.  Chapter 4 - The End of Illusions - is the one that stands out to me as needing a much better tie in to the Emmaus road story. 

At times, he skates on the thin ice of elevating God's love over His righteousness, which some may interpret as a relativistic bent of faith.  I do not perceive it that way and hope that the author was not suggesting a sacrifice of God's truth for man's gain.

A worthy read?  Yes.  Page 177 provides an absolutely delightful and pleasing summary to his entire work.  In less than 3 paragraphs, he draws it all together for you and I as searchers on our own personal roads to Emmaus.  If we look and listen, it may be that we find Jesus right there with us through His Word.  He may be there for purposes of comfort, revitalization, and commission.  The key is to never stop searching.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”