Tiny but Tall in Orthodoxy

Humble Orthodoxy by Joshua Harris is worthy of the little time it will take a reader to go through its pages.  Although the book says 83 pages, it is not even that long – really only 61 pages.  That figure is even deceptive because the pages of the book are 16mm tall and 11mm wide (I did not utilize inches because my children have placed stickers over the inch denominations).  Quite honestly, I expected more information from someone that wanted to explain how to hold “the truth without putting people down.”  In our modern age, this topic needs significantly more consideration that want was put forward.  Further, paying $10 for such a small book may detract some from the message that we need to hear.

The forward is a wonderful introduction for the rest of the book.  Often, a forward or a preface is little more than a personal recommendation of the author; however, this preface offered a powerful introduction.  J.D. Greear opens with this devastation salvo:  “Followers of Jesus want to be like our Lord.  And maybe we think we are.  But all too often we’re really more like the group Jesus warned about most frequently:  the Pharisees.”  That’s the problem and the need for humble orthodoxy.  The forward, in using a sport analogy, loaded the basis while Harris stepped up to the plate to take over and determine the fate of those base runners.

In flipping back through the book, I am hard pressed to find a page that does not have something underlined.  The book is a good read and does have salient points that are valid for the modern reader.  Harris correctly says that we need to love theology but we also need to love others too.  We, as Christians, have a tendency to focus on being right instead of being like God.  I am guilty of debating or arguing with others to win that discussion rather than “winning” by drawing that person closer to Christ.  The source of my guilt is simple – it is arrogant theology not humble orthodoxy.

The structure of the book is natural and easy to follow.  First, he sets the stage of our attitude in any type of theological confrontation – we cannot berate others with truth nor should we compromise truth to befriend others.  Second, he turns to our heart and puts the parable of the publican and Pharisee in a modern light.  Third, he reminds us that humble orthodoxy begins in our heart.  We are not special because we are super humans, but we are special to God because He created us and redeemed us.  Finally, he reminds us why we live and why we fight for truth – to showcase a God of love into a world that desperately needs truth that is lovingly applied.

One issue I have (and this is a really “picky” one) is the line underneath the author’s name – “with Eric Stanford.”  I am curious how many other of his books have been writing in such a fashion – his earlier works certainly were not that way (Not Even a Hint or I Kissed Dating Goodbye) and a recent book, Dug Down Deep, is not that way either.   The book did not have the normal Joshua Harris flavor throughout, so that leads me to wonder just how much of the manuscript Harris really wrote.  There are times that you recognize Harris as the author, but other times it is not Harris-esque.  I am not certain as to the need for assistance in writing.  Was it due to the demands on Joshua’s schedule? 

This book is one that any seminary student should get and read – particularly for those philosophy minded students.  If a person is interested in apologetics, or defending the faith, this is a must read.  Also, the book is a solid one for the average Christian to make sure that we know and understand how to respond to those that are not standing on the truth.

An old saying goes that big things come in little packages, and this book fits that bill.  While I would like to have seen more in the book, it is a work that will bestow benefit upon anyone that takes time to read and heed it. 

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  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.

7 Men Begs 7 Questions

7 Men and the Secret of their Greatness by Eric Metaxas is a good read.  It is quite clear that the author has the gift of writing – one of which I wished that I possessed.  He turns great phrases and offers neat connections between the selected cast, their character, the choices they made, and the consequences (whether good or bad) they received.  

Metaxas’ work is 8 simple chapters – an introduction followed by a chapter for his selected group of men:  George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Chuck Colson.  I learned a great deal about Pope John Paul II because, quite frankly, I did not know anything about him.  My knowledge of Jackie Robinson – other than he was a great baseball player – was sorely limited, which makes me wonder how authentic this new movie “42” will be.  Each story has inspiring components that can be utilized as wonderful tools of character or leadership development.  

I found that his middle chapters on Liddell and Bonhoeffer were outstanding, invigorating, attention grabbing (and holding), and packed with truth necessary for our modern times.  Unfortunately, I missed those pieces in the other chapters.   After much thought, I cannot determine a specific reason why these other chapters missed the pizzazz of the others.  Maybe Metaxas tried to do too much by offering a biographical sketch of these men around a limited thesis. 

After having read the book thoroughly, I am left with seven questions which I am listing below:

1. What exactly is the purpose of the book?  
2. Why mention manhood in the opening chapter but then so quickly say that it will not be mentioned anymore in the book?   The opening page of the book says that it hopes to correct some of the confusion related to manhood due to cultural developments in the last two decades.  To do so, Metaxas wants to question what is a man and what makes a man great?  If that is the true purpose, then why abandon it throughout the chapters.  Use them to shatter the modern view of manhood with what it should be.  I do not understand the reluctance there or why the current version of the introduction is written.  There appears to be a tremendous disconnect between the introduction and the rest of the book – this is the book’s greatest weakness.  Maybe a conclusion would have satisfied that struggle for me, but I find that disconnect to be inexcusable for someone with the skill and ability of Metaxas. 
3. Where is the interpretation of the author?  The chapter on Washington was filled with information from the Newburgh Conspiracy.  That’s great but it lacked contextual information that was necessary for those that do not have any knowledge of its importance.  For instance, there is a brief mention that Horatio Gates was involved, but Metaxas overlooked that Gates was an enemy of Washington.  That fact would have given more credence to the author’s statement of the future president’s greatness; however, Metaxas does not appear to want to offer his opinion of why Washington was a true man – unlike much of what we see today. 
4. Why is there an assumption toward faith?  That question arises due to the first chapter on Washington.  Metaxas glibly cites some external sources that Washington was a man of faith and, thus, the case is closed.  The author apparently read Joseph Ellis’ work His Excellency but missed a great deal of it where Ellis questions the religious devotion of Washington.  Yes, our first President believed in “Providence” but seemed to be a deist.  That means Washington believed in “God” but denied revelation or authority of Scriptures.  Was faith a component to be considered by Metaxas as a great man?  If so, a deliberation upon Washington’s faith would be vital for a true picture of this man. 
5. What drove the reliance upon secondary sources for these individuals?  Other than the chapter on Colson, which drew exclusively from his autobiography Born Again, the majority of Metaxas’ sources were secondary.  I understand that some may view this question as “picky,” but I must confess I have a historical background which esteems the value of primary sources for scholarship.  If you are going to judge a person as not a great man, should you not dig deeper to challenge the “assumption filter” that authors often have in writing biography?  Relying upon another’s opinions can be dangerous, especially when you are holding individuals up as examples of greatness. 
6. Who or what is next? 
7. Will there be a companion work entitled 7 Women?  Metaxas did not originally want to author a biography of William Wilberforce, but it became successful.  Then, he wrote one on Dietrich Bonhoeffer that was also a huge success.  Is Eric Liddell or Chuck Colson next?  Is Metaxas going to offer a perspective on great women and the need to challenge the modern notion of womanhood?  If he does, I hope he corrects the issue that I have named in my first two questions above.

Please do not misunderstand me here – I think this is a good read.  I will reluctantly give it 4 stars because it does have some value.  Again, knowing the skill that Metaxas has and the tremendous mind that he possesses, I was sorely disappointed with the lack of coherence between introduction and body of the work, and I view that to be a serious issue with the work. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Desiring God: A Philosophical Delight

John Piper has a reputation of being a deep thinker when it comes to Scripture, and his book Desiring God:  Meditations of a Christian Hedonist is no exception.  The revised edition of his classic adds a study guide (with leadership notes) but takes away parts from the 2003 edition that I greatly enjoyed – namely the 3^rd appendix that is one of the best analyses of a holy God and evil in the world.  Even with these slight changes, the power of Desiring God cannot be understated.  

Piper’s preface lays the foundation upon which the rest of his hedonistic treatise is built – the essence of sin is that we trade our desire for God for anything else.  That idolatry is the root of all problems that exist and the solution is Christian hedonism which can be summarized this way:  “the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever” (18).  If you truly desire God, then all other competitors will pale in comparison to the greatness and goodness of our Sovereign Lord.   Therein is the issue -- our view of God is too low!

Piper’s progression is a strictly logical arrangement that is predictable only in looking back through the book.  A new reader will wonder what marriage has to do with Christian hedonism; yet, that understanding becomes crystal clear after the book has been completed.  Piper begins his book with a personal journey in how he adopted the Christian hedonistic philosophy – largely through the works of Jonathan Edwards and C.S. Lewis.   

That practical experience serves as a natural springboard into the many aspects of Christian hedonism.  He goes on to describe the foundation, creation, labor, power, battle cry, and sacrifice of desiring God as our primary delight.  He covers so many different aspects that merely listing them would produce confusion.  Instead, the best way to understand those components is to get a copy of Piper’s book and spend time going through it slowly.  A reader needs to ponder the words on the page by studying the passages of Scripture cited throughout the text.  That deliberate meditation will soothe the soul.  After all, the psalmist tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good!”

My favorite chapter, without a doubt, is his review of marriage.  I first got a copy of this book as a newly-wed person.  The idea of marriage was still fresh, but notice this statement:  “those of us who are married need to ponder…how mysterious and wonderful it is that God grants us in marriage the privilege to image forth stupendous diving realities infinitely bigger and greater than ourselves” (213).  Piper can turn a phrase and write a complex sentence, yet the intent behind both is revolutionary – marriage is not about me or we.  Marriage is about imitating the relationship that God created for Christ to have with His church.  If more marriages were viewed in that light, the divorce rate in our modern world would cease to exist. 

From my perspective, his detailed footnotes afford the reader an opportunity to go even deeper.  I have tremendous disdain for endnotes because I want to be able to see the additional comment or find the quote’s source immediately.  Many readers may view the footnotes as text that did not survive the editor’s cut; however, they further explain some of the deeper issues Piper is working to examine.  For instance, two-thirds of page 85 is covered by a single footnote where the author further defines the terms feeling, emotion, and affection.  Considering the influence Puritanical preacher Jonathan Edwards has had upon Piper, you will clearly see some of the Edwardian thoughts; however, the connection is always made back to the God of Scripture.

This book, in my opinion, is one of Piper’s strongest and I believe any Christian should add it to their library.  Will you agree with every aspect?  No, but it will cause you to stop and think about your current worldview.  If you want to desire God more, then get a copy of Desiring God.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  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.