book review: against all gods

What’s right and wrong about the new #atheism.

I’ve gotta be honest… I was a little surprised by this title (and subtitle) on a Christian book. But Against All Gods presented a refreshingly honest look at what’s important in the debate between the secular atheist and the Biblical Christian world views.

Focused on the controversy around a proposed course at Harvard about ‘faith and reason’, Johnson and Reynolds applaud the New Atheists for bringing discussion about faith in any religion back into the spotlight. While this book is less about the actual apologetic for the Christian faith, it is about how we talk with each other.

Johnson and Reynolds challenge Atheists (and Christians alike) to ask the right questions about what faith in a God really means. They argue that faith is not the opposite of reason, but it’s what allows us to act when we cannot be absolutely certain about what we believe to be true. Ironically, this is the very thing that keeps science moving forward, especially in areas were there is little (or no) actual evidence to immediately prove a hypothesis. In addition, they show how reason is just as important to Christian belief as it is to science. Essentially, the worlds of science and religion are much closer than many choose to realize.

Phillip E. Johnson is often referred to as the father of the intelligent design movement, and has been at the forefront of the public debate over evolution and creation for many years. John Mark Reynolds is the founder and director of the Torrey Honors Institute and professor of philosophy at Biola University. Together these men make a great one-two punch in the discussion between atheism and religion.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the Christian mentality of, “Bible good – atheist bad”. I need a good book like this every once in a while to help me better understand the discussion between these two conflicting world views. Against All Gods not only leveled the playing field, but it also outlined the rules of engagement that both sides of the argument should play by. This book sharpened, encouraged, and outraged me all at the same time. But most of all, I’m more prepared to talk… and ask the right questions.

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Note: This book was part of my summer reading list.

music review: rain’s a comin’ [@children183band]

I feel like I just clipped my jumper cables to my heart and punched the gas! Or maybe it was the nitrous-oxide that I  poured on my Wheaties. Whatever it is, listening to the latest album from Children 18:3 just got me all jacked up…

I know it’s not for everyone, but this is my kind of music! I love a guitar that punches you in the gut, and singing that blasts with unmistakable passion. And I really dig it when male and female voices share center stage to create a really cool and dynamic sound. Children 18:3 comes across to me like a crazy mix between Skillet and They Might Be Giants… a combination that I never would’ve imagined. Technically a ‘punk band’, these guys aren’t all screaming either. Sure, there are tracks that’ll make the dog go run and hide, but there are also some tracks that slow it down and get amazingly reflective.

There’s no doubt that these guys can rock, but what I really appreciate about them is their focus. They have an extreme faith in God, and they put it at the core of their music. It’s kinda cool when a band is driven by something much bigger than themselves…

We want to be instruments of a new wave of transformation that will sweep the land. We arenʼt just playing songs. We see something greater on the horizon and we want to be a part of it.

book review: no stones [women redeemed from sexual addiction]

No Stones: Women Redeemed From Sexual Addiction, by Marnie C. Ferree is a book of Hope, Healing and Full-On Grace for the female struggling with sexually addictive behaviors.

Sexual Addiction is as real and common as any other addiction or condition and believe it or not, effects just as many women as it does men. Men have always been and still are more easily excused and treated for this condition then are women. Because society views woman with this condition as whores, the overwhelming shame and guilt force many to suffer in silence and secrecy for many years before seeking professional help.

As odd as it may sound, Sexual Addiction is not about sex at all. It is actually an Intimacy Disorder. A false intimacy and a false solution for legitimate needs, driven by pain and loneliness, and NOT by physical gratification.  One with this condition is basically on a desperate search for love, affection, acceptance and approval and not simply looking to engage in the act of sex as the name suggests.

The author helps her reader to identify what the problem is, how/why it came about and more importantly, how to fix it. By disclosing her own personal battle with the condition, Marnie does an exceptional job in bringing to the table as well as the altar, this ever-present and ever-growing condition while providing in-depth information, advice, encouragement and resources for those interested in overcoming this addiction.

Up until I read this book, I had no clue that those women who I once saw as whores and home-wreckers were in fact battling with a real condition that more than likely stemmed from a childhood traumatic experience through no fault of their own. Sisters who were trapped in an endless, generational, merry-go-round ride of abuse and trauma, desperately searching for a way out and more importantly for the helping hand of an understanding and supportive sister.

If you or someone you know is struggling with any type of sex/love/intimacy/relationship issue that fits the criteria of one with Sexual Addiction (see Chapter Six), there is no need to suffer in silence or secrecy any longer, Help IS here!!! And not only Help, but Grace, Forgiveness and another shot at Purity, through the Mercy & Compassion of a Loving Father and the Sacrifice of a Faithful Son.

Check out more of Evelyn’s detailed reviews of this book:

• Intro Review
• Part 1 Review
• Part 2 Review
• Part 3 Review
• Extras Review

book review: following jesus through the eye of the needle

What does it mean to follow Jesus? I mean, He was clear about what it meant to follow Him, right? Sure, He promised great reward, but He never said it would be easy. I’ve recently finished reading a great book that’s challenged me like few others. It’s called Following Jesus Through the Eye of the Needle: Living Fully, Loving Dangerously by Kent Annan (InterVarsity Press).

When Jesus talked about how difficult it is for the rich man to get into heaven, He pointed out that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle. Umm… regardless of how you interpret that, it’s obvious that it isn’t a simple feat. In this book Kent talks about how easy it is here in the United States to look around and find someone who has more money than us. That means we can point our fingers at someone else and say, “he’s the rich man that Jesus was talking about.” But as soon as we look outside of the gates of our comfy little world we’ve created, one starts to realize that we are that rich man… no matter how much or little we have.

Throughout the book we hear the stories about Kent’s time living in Haiti. These memoirs are (at times) uncomfortably raw and (always) refreshingly honest. He shares hopes that are birthed in a heart to please God. He shares fears that reveal exactly how scary it can sometimes be to trust God completely in a chaotic world where we don’t have nearly as much control as we like to think we have. But more than anything else he challenges the us to get a little uncomfortable no matter where we’re at.

Kent doesn’t just write this stuff, he lives it. These stories were written (at times by candlelight) while living in circumstances that most of us would have difficulty even imagining. He gave up a comfortable life to try to identify with the people that he felt called to minister to. In the process he lived in tin shacks that hold water about as good as a typical kitchen strainer. If privacy existed at all, it was easily violated. And even bathing takes on new meaning when it’s basically done with a ladle and a bucket of rain water. Kent didn’t just write from his heart, he wrote from this hard-earned experience.

I really wanted to read this book because I’m going to Haiti soon. Written and released before the January 12th earthquake, it seems that this book was very timely as many here in our comfy churches look to get a little uncomfortable to help one of the poorest nations in the world recover from a disaster that reportedly claimed over 200,000 lives. This book has enhanced how I pray for the people of Haiti, those who are doing long-term work down there, and others like myself who are helping through short-term trips. But I’m also challenged to find opportunities to follow Jesus through the eye of the needle even right here in my own community. I thought it was a great read, and it’s definitely one that’s made it onto the short list as one of my favorite books of all time!

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