Posts about books that I’ve read.
The author is a former Cambridge professor of mathematical physics and a Fellow of the Royal Society, as well as an ordained priest and member of the General Synod of the Church of England. The book is pretty dense in spots, and he does not believe that Scripture is inerrant (8, 119), but it’s worthwhile. … [Read more…]
The author is a journalist (U.S. News & World Report, PBS) and a Christian (apparently Protestant, see page 3). The book has a 1999 copyright and no index. The only part of the book I just skimmed was part V, “The Bible Code and Prophecy,” since of course that is silly (I wonder if the … [Read more…]
This book takes the usual Lee Strobel approach — which I find very persuasive — of him interviewing a series of experts, in this case to refute the various, most prominent objections to Christianity lately, namely that it was copied from pagan religions, that the early church tampered with texts or rejected texts that were … [Read more…]
This is a nicely written distillation of the Roman mindset, drawing on a variety of classical works by the author of The Greek Way (which I think is more famous). The “Roman way” versus the “Greek way” is pretty much what you would expect: the brilliant but sleazy Greeks versus the solid but unimaginative Romans. There’s … [Read more…]
This was an unusual book for me: It was not about apologetics or history or theology or prayer, but about how to evangelize directly to people. Something related that occurred to me as I read the book is that my own faith story is unusual in that it is almost entirely book, rather than person, … [Read more…]
I’ve noted elsewhere on this site other books by this author, all very good including this one. He’s conservative and traditional but not a believer in inerrancy. The book is a summary and critique of the “Third Search,” which includes mostly (but not exclusively) the Jesus Seminar. The author is always evenhanded and fair, but … [Read more…]
This is a very good book by a well-known and acclaimed Christian author today, the first of his I think I’ve read. The first part talks about how life and the universe itself is miraculous (the narrow range of conditions essential, etc.), and the second part is series of modern-day miracles attested to by people … [Read more…]
I read this book in one day, demonstrating that it is both well-written and short (133 small pages). And, while I like Pastor Keller and have read much by him, I have also have to say that this particular book was largely disappointing. Central to the book is a tendentious reading of the parable of … [Read more…]
This book is partly a historical survey of kinds of prayer and ways to pray, and partly a how-to guide on what the author, a Presbyterian pastor in Manhattan and one of the best current Christian apologists and writers, recommends. I would grade it a “B” on both. There’s lots of Luther and Calvin (and … [Read more…]
As the title advertises, this biography focuses on C.S. Lewis’s spiritual life; its method is largely to quote from Lewis’s own words and letters, and there is not a lot of authorial speculation. So the book is straightforward and reliable, but there’s not much to surprise anyone already familiar with Lewis’s life and works. Still … [Read more…]