Read with Me? An Update and Review

A number of weeks ago I wrote about the books I was planning on reading this Spring and Summer. Since I've worked through the list I thought I would give you a brief 2-3 sentence review of each of the books I have read. Then I want to update you on where I'm going from now until September since I've changed my mind on what I want to read.

I know that several of you have picked up one or more of the titles on my previous list and have shared your thoughts with me as you have completed them. I love reading together as a church and I always appreciate a good book discussion. It is personally enriching to get other perspectives on what I'm reading and it enhances my knowledge, wisdom, and application of the texts to discuss them with others.

Anyway, on to my brief reviews.

The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters by Tom Nichols

The basic premise of the book is that our societal belief in the democracy of ideas -- that everyone's ideas are equally valid and worthy of consideration -- is a major problem with devastating consequences. This belief has devalued those who have expertise (education, talent, experience, peer acknowledgment) replacing them with anyone in possession of a laptop and access to the internet. The result is that we are getting dumber as a people, more distrusting of knowledge, and therefore the world we live in is becoming both more confusing, hostile and dangerous. I share Nichols fears as I have seen this played out with devastating eternal consequences in the church. I'm particularly concerned by the manosphere wing of Christian culture (Reformed bros with podcasts are a prime example) which thrives in the kind of environment Nichols describes. I'm not sure of the solution, but this book gets you thinking about the problem. And that, I think, is a major part of the solution.

You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble

I like Alan Noble. He has written some stuff I have really enjoyed. His book On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living came to me at the right time and helped me sort out some things I was experiencing at the time. (For my review of this book click here or here for the video) But I was not a huge fan of this book. He sets the cultural context well, and by well I mean, he is honest about how depressing it can be to live in a culture which dehumanizes and isolates us. The problem I have with the book is the payoff, or lack thereof. He doesn't really 'land the plane' so to speak (Thank you to one of my church members for this apt description). His solution to the issues he raises doesn't really go far enough; it doesn't connect to Christ in the kind of meaningful way that, I believe, is the solution to our sitz um leben.

What is Critical Theory: A Concise Christian Analysis by Bradley Green

For those who don't know what Critical Theory is, it is the source of our culture's obsession with identity (among other things). It is the father (Oh no, the patriarchy!) of modern feminism, transgender ideology, race theory, and everything that can be considered woke. Bradley Green's book is a topical discussion of this philosophy in a concise easy to read format. Even then, it could be difficult for some. The people he talks about will be unknown until the book is opened and the philosophy outlined which emanates from each one can be confusing (which is actually a modus operandi of critical theory in all its forms). If this kind of cultural engagement interests you, Green is a great place to start your examination.

Identity and Idolatry: The image of God and its Inversion by Richard Lints

At the heart of our current cultural moment is the question of identity. For example, the now famous mic drop moment question on social media -- what is a woman? -- is fundamentally a question about identity. Lint traces the idea of identity against the backdrop of its evil twin, idolatry. Human identity, he convincingly argues, is rooted in what it reflects. Lints traces the important theological reality of the imago Dei throughout Scripture showing that only a return to a proper understanding of who we are as the image of God will allow us to find the identity we all so desperately are seeking. A word of warning. The book is dense. But the reward for working through the book is immense.

Now an update on August. I had originally planned to read a couple of books on the English Reformation. But I have changed my mind. I love church history, but I love theology just a bit more. I have had a 4-volume systematic theology sitting on my office shelf for a long time. It has been calling to me for many months and I've been ignoring it. But now is the time to answer the call of Wilhelmus A Brakel, The Christian's Reasonable Service. I hope to get at least the first 2 volumes completed in August. The rest of it? Who knows.

Anyway, if you have read any of the above works I would love to hear your thoughts on them. Did I miss something about any of them? Should I reconsider my comments? Let me know.

Soli Deo Gloria