Tag: literature

Book Briefs: “Inside the Reformation” compiled by Mark Sengele

~ Bob Hayton ~ 4 Comments

Having just concluded a ten week adult SS series on the Reformation, I was excited to get my hands on a new book that introduces children to the world of the Reformation. Inside the Reformation, compiled by Mark Sengele, is a beautifully produced, coffee-table quality book for kids. The pictures and illustrations are top-notch and will captivate young readers.

The book covers such topics as the Holy Roman Empire, world exploration, music, food and medicine in the middle ages, travel, art, architecture and more. Martin Luther is the focus of this work produced by Concordia Publishing House. Some space is devoted to Luther’s wife and other reformers such as Philip Melanchthon, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli. Important Reformation events such as Luther’s 95 Theses and the Diet of Worms, as well as significant documents, like the Augsburg Confession and the Book of Concord are also surveyed.

The book is a montage of assorted pictures and information, and no attempt is made to tell the full story of the Reformation, directly. Even so, the collection of engaging images and intriguing facts will spur readers to research further and inquire into the history of the Reformation for themselves. The detail and intricacy of some of the concepts covered in this book make it more suited for children in middle school and above.

This book would make a great resource for the child studying Reformation-era history. It would also serve as a useful addition to a homeschool curriculum covering Church history. I was quite impressed with the quality of the book and am very thankful that such high-quality resources are being made available for our children.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Christianbook.com, Amazon or direct from Concordia Publishing House.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Concordia Publishing House. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.

Book Briefs: “Bible Detective: A Puzzle Search Book” by Peter Martin

~ Bob Hayton

Where’s Waldo? Many a child has spent countless hours poring over a large picture book searching in vain for a funny man in a stocking cap, and his companions. Not much was learned in the process, however, and so Peter Martin has set out to change that. Working with illustrator Peter Kent, Martin has created Bible Detective: A Puzzle Search Book, a book that rivals Waldo for fun, but also offers an education in the world of the Bible.

This colorful picture book includes seventeen puzzles with a variety of objects to search for. Women fighting over a well of water, nine yellow frogs, the Tabernacle furniture and Solomon’s baboons–the variety of items to find is incredible. Bible scenes covered include David and Goliath, the census of Bethlehem, the siege of Lachish and Peter in Cornelius’ house. The pictures are engrossing, the artwork detailed and engaging, and the material is true to the biblical period being explored.

Exploring is just the right term to describe how a young reader will feel as he or she peruses through this bright book. And for those who are quick to give up, there is an answer key in the back with all the scenes mapped out. The quality of this book is superb, and Bible references and dates are provided to allow the puzzle being studied to be properly placed in its specific context.

There are a variety of puzzle books that are available for young readers. But there are not many Christian puzzle books produced with this level of attention to detail and quality of workmanship. This book will compete with secular products well, and should enjoy a long press run. For Christian parents seeking to equip their children with any Bible-themed resource available, this book is a must-have. It will appeal to elementary and middle school-aged children, with the older ones more able to appreciate the manners and customs explained. Come to think of it, even high-schoolers could enjoy paging through this book with their younger siblings.

This excerpt from Kregel illustrates the genius of this book. I encourage parents and grandparents to consider adding this book to their Christmas list this year. It is sure to please.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Christianbook.com, Amazon, or direct from Lion Books (Kregel).

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Lion Books (Kregel Publications). I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.

The Battle of Jericho & the Christian Life: All They Had to Do Was Trust and Obey

~ Bob Hayton ~ 4 Comments

I have often found encouragement in the account of the battle of Jericho. The Hebrew people were faced with an obstacle to their possession of God’s promised good land. A fortress city stood in their way. What were they to do? All they had to do was trust and obey God’s direction. It wasn’t by their effort that they would inherit the promised land, it was a matter of God’s grace.

Similarly, in our Christian life, we walk by faith and depend on God’s promise and His action on our behalf. We take Him at His word. We trust and obey. The promised land of sanctification and God’s blessing in our life, comes through His effort not ours. I made this case previously in a post called “Thoughts on the Battle of Jericho.”

Here is a visual depiction of this same important lesson. It comes from an adaptation of The Jesus Storybook Bible, one of our favorite kid’s Bible story books. Tim Keller referred to this book as “a storybook for preachers” and I quite agree. It communicates the heart of the Bible stories powerfully, and highlights the fact that all the stories in the Bible unfold the wonder of Jesus and His love. It has brought tears to my eyes at times, and if you don’t have this book, you really should get it!

Watch the animated story below of the battle of Jericho, and I pray that you and I both will grow in our trust of Jesus Christ, our true Warrior Leader.

For more on The Jesus Storybook Bible visit JesusStorybookBible.com or preview/purchase the book at the following online retailers: Westminster Bookstore, Monergism Books, Christianbook.com, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or direct from Zondervan.

“The Chiveis Trilogy” – Free Audio Download

~ Bob Hayton

This month’s free audiobook download from ChristianAudio.com is The Sword (Chiveis Trilogy, book 1) by Bryan Litfin. I have previously reviewed book 2 of the Chiveis Trilogy, and just received book 3 from Crossway.

The premise of the series is a post-nuclear war holocaust Earth, where Christianity has been almost forgotten, and the Bible’s message is mysterious and hard to come by. An unlikely pair of heroes recover the Old and New Testaments and battle the enemies of Christ in a medieval setting. While the books have an overtly Christian message, and explore characters coming to grips with what it means to serve Jesus Christ, the world of Chiveis is both memorable and enthralling. Bryan Litfin seeks to tell a masterful story but at the same time teach a moral lesson — not easy to do, but very rewarding if done well. I can’t wait to read the conclusion to the series – but I might have to listen to book 1 first.

For more about the Chiveis Trilogy, visit Chiveis.com.

Christian Audio Special:
♦  Free Audio Download of The Sword (Book 1)

Purchase Links:
♦  The Sword (Book 1): Amazon, Christianbook.com, Crossway
♦  The Gift (Book 2): Amazon, Christianbook.com, Crossway
♦  The Kingdom (Book 3): Amazon, Christianbook.com, Crossway

Deal on all 3 books:
♦  Amazon, Christianbook.com, Crossway

(HT: BibleGeekGoneWild.com)

Quotes to Note 33: On Proverbs and Wise Science

~ Bob Hayton

A few months ago I thoroughly enjoyed reading through Old Testament Wisdom Literature: A Theological Introduction by Craig G. Bartholomew and Ryan P. O’Dowd (IVP, 2011). I found several memorable quotes and have highlighted a few already. The selection I’d like to share today focuses on abstract science over and against the everyday wisdom so memorably captured in proverbs.

Proverbs also encapsulate universal truths; “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” is a great example. The difference between such universal truths and scientific abstractions is that they are in a memorable form, available to the ordinary person. Post-Enlightenment science replaces Plato’s philosopher kings with science kings, whereas in the Old Testament, wisdom is democratized and available to all who will attend to her voice. The pithy, poetic form of proverbs makes them memorable, and in cultures like Israel they enabled ordinary folk to store up a reservoir of wisdom to be called on in challenging situations.

This is not to deny for a moment the value of science but to insist that lived, everyday experience is primary and that wise science will deepen our experience of everyday life rather than distrusting it and providing in its place an abstract alternative, which is then declared to be the true truth about the world. As Wolterstorff rightly says of the “ontologist”:

Yet the task of the onotologist is not to postulate new and astonishing entities, not to take us aback with his surmises, not to reveal secrets never suspected. His task is to describe the rich reality in the midst of which we live and act, believe and disbelieve, hope and despair. If he is successful, and if we are at all perceptive, we will not find him describing a terrain which, by his description, is astonishingly different from that in which we thought we lived. We will find him describing that terrain which has all the features of the familiar. [Wolterstorff, On Universals: An Essay in Ontology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970), p. xiii. Italics added]

~from Old Testament Wisdom Literature: A Theological Introduction, pg. 282-283 [emphasis added]

You can read my review of this book here. Consider picking up a copy at any of these fine retailers: Westminster Bookstore, Monergism Books, Christianbook.com, Amazon.com or direct from IVP Academic.