The Evil that Men Do: Faith, injustice and the church Marcus K Paul, Sacristy Press (2015) two stars
One should not judge a book by its cover (or its title or the summary on the cover!) The cover summary asks three questions, ‘Were the Crusades entirely an excusable religious war? Was the Inquisition the bloody and sadistic “Black Legend” of popular imagination? How can we understand the goodness of God after two brutalising world wars?’ As a military padre and an amateur military historian, my hopes were raised of a book to examine the role the
Church has played in various conflicts. However the book is more of a defence of Christianity for good or ill from its earliest days to the war in Kosovo in the latter days of the twentieth century. The book tries to cover the Crusades, the Conquistadors, the English Civil War, the horrors of the global wars, and also the effects of Victorian missionaries and the effect of Methodism. All this in a book 242 pages long (with 16 pages of 427 references, but no index!). The result is a rather shallow view in both its analysis and the conclusions reached. It tries to cover too much, and relies overly on modern references and contexts in justification of ideas without properly examining the historical and cultural context of the conflicts examined.
It is difficult to be convinced of the rationale of the book, particularly in respect of the views espoused. This review is being written a few days after Pope Francis talked in Mexico about those who build walls instead of bridges not being Christians. Therefore one must question the reason for the comment ‘…and how often do we hear mentioned by Muslim leaders the fact that it was “Christian” countries (America and Britain) who saved Kosovan Muslims from genocide?’ (page 73). While this is a perfectly valid opinion that may be honestly held, it is in the chapter about the Crusades, and patently omits the humanity shown by Muslim leaders like Saladin. The book provides a great deal of insight into the past actions of the Christian Church, but unfortunately modern contextual ideas are interspersed with narrative of historical events, which can easily lead to confusion. The real problem is that too much is being attempted in too small a space. For those only wanting a cursory view of Christianity in conflicts it may suffice, but anyone wishing for a deeper understanding is likely to be disappointed.
Review by Alan Rashleigh
Blended: A call to reimagine our church family Eleanor Bird, BRF (2015) four stars
Blended is a helpful companion on the road to discovering an intergenerational way of doing and being church. The book encourages us as churches to investigate a new way to be God’s family. Bird’s style of writing is conversational and accessible. She provides many practical observations from her experiences about how generations can worship God alongside each other. Blended is split into fairly short and sharp chapters covering the many facets of all-age church. The author’s passion for church really stands out and is contagious; it reminds us what ‘being church’ is really all about. Themes of opportunities, training, growing and developing form the first section of the book, as she explores the effort that is required to form successful inter-generational church. She provides a good argument for all-age worship and suggests a possible framework for those of us in need of some pointers. After developing ideas around building multi-generational church, Bird then sets out to tackle how to go deeper. She offers a biblically-based framework that can be used in any church and will certainly help you develop and draw out ideas for use within your own church. She also writes of the importance of teaching the whole church about how to be blended and does so in an effective and clear way. Bird’s model is replicating what we see in adult worship within the children’s and youth ministries and encouraging participants of all ages to worship together.
If you are currently involved in conversations with regards to all-age church, this book would help you on your journey. For those of us who are involved in children’s and youth ministry, it helps us think more about how we can train our children for intergenerational worship. If you are a church leader, I would also encourage you to read it. It will give you some great hints and tips on how to move things forward so that you do not remain satisfied with an ‘all-age slot’ during services, but find ways of teaching and allowing people of all ages in your church to worship, learn and pray together. For others who have a passion to see children and young people more involved in church, do read! And for those who might need their eyes opened to new ways of doing things, it is also worth your time. This book helps us to see how we can ‘do church’ in a new and fresh way. It will be of great benefit to anyone who wants to see and experience children and adults praising and worshipping God together, regardless of your denomination or tradition.
Reviewed by Steve Weston
Generous Justices: how God’s grace makes us just Timothy Keller, Hodder (2012) four stars
I liked this book. I was prepared not to, because I like to think of myself as already ‘doing justice’ in society and so I felt that little needed to be added to my understanding. However, as Timothy Keller points out, many people do not, as they see it as an added ‘extra’ to the gospel which we can take or leave. But he spends a whole book pointing out that it is an intrinsic part of the whole Christian message, and he stresses continuously that ‘justification by faith leads to doing justice, and doing justice can make many seek to be justified by faith’. In fact, he emphasises that relief work or even social reform is part of the gospel of Jesus that runs throughout the Bible. I got a bit annoyed by frequent passages that seemed merely repetitions of previous points, but I was amazed just how many references throughout the Bible and in the teaching of Jesus there are to Christians working for the good of the individuals and the society around them – always to the benefit of the Church and the cause of the gospel. Generally speaking, the book is full of practical examples from his own and others’ experience. When he veered into philosophy, I found it harder going, although I am aware that others may not. In general, it was a good read, albeit challenging at times, and has caused me to look at situations differently, asking myself ‘How can I make a difference here?’ This is a subject that needs to be heard regularly from our pulpits and so I would recommend it for all preachers, and also all Christian leaders and all who feel they know what the gospel is – be prepared to be challenged!
Reviewed by Kathrine Davey
Christ in a Choppie Box Michael Sadgrove, Sacristy Press (2015) five stars
Michael Sadgrove was Dean at Durham Cathedral between 2003 and 2015 and this volume contains some of his best sermons from that time. Sadgrove is very highly regarded by none other than Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and it is easy to see why after sampling these very well-crafted and thought-provoking sermons. For those of you who are wondering, a choppie box refers to the feeding trough of the pit ponies in that part of the North East. In Durham Cathedral the Nativity scene was adorned with just such a choppie box made by a pitman so that the infant Christ’s manger was literally a feeding trough complete with attendant pit pony. A wonderful anecdote that is typical of the author’s approach: witty, memorable and informative. The sermons included in this collection offer a huge range of themes and topics, from digital lambs to the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 to Holocaust Memorial Day. They are all accessible with catchy titles that belie their deep scholarship and theological mastery. The book can equally be read right through from cover to cover or dipped into to sample individual sermons or subjects. It may be that you particularly want to see what Sadgrove has to say about Pentecost or Holy Week and so seek out those particular sermons accordingly. Whilst the book contains no index, its contents page is fairly specific and informative. Apart from the sermons themselves Sadgrove has written an extremely practical and useful chapter on the art of preaching. For those of us who purport to get up into the pulpit and preach to a congregation, this essay offers some fascinating insights into the background and mechanics of preaching. It even includes the ‘ten deadly sins of preaching’ among which are speaking too soon, being too long, jokiness, playing to the gallery, lack of shape and direction and being boring. If any of you own up to being guilty of committing any of these offences then reading this book would be time well spent.
Reviewed by Ray Taylor
The Message of Worship (BST series) John Risbridger, IVP (2015) four stars
This book is part of the thematic series of the BST commentaries. I found it wholesome and warming like a bowl of porridge, with enough sugar sprinkled on to make it enjoyable, too. It takes us on a grand tour of the Bible to answer the question ‘What kind of worshippers is God seeking?’ Three main sections follow a Trinitarian structure, interspersed with Psalms that introduce us to different worship ‘voices’. The author unpacks how worship is a whole-life response to God’s revelation – supremely in Jesus – empowered by the Holy Spirit. The book is helpful for anyone who wants to deeply engage with the theology and practice of biblical worship – whether individuals or small groups (a study guide is included). This is an engaging book that goes beyond the prooftexting of well-known verses or simply restating that worship is not singing songs but all of life. It paints a vivid picture of our awesome God and draws practical conclusions for our life as worshippers. I found the first part especially strong – how a worshipping community always responds to God’s revealed word and His presence among them, and how we can easily fall prey to the twin dangers of idolatry and hypocrisy. Each section follows a basic structure of illustration, explanation and application to life and corporate worship, thus avoiding an unhelpful polarisation.
It takes some dedication to read through the whole book and the thematic nature makes it harder to dip in. While the illustrations are down-to-earth and current, they sometimes seem a tad trite and are in danger of ageing quite quickly. However, this comprehensive tour of the Bible will fuel your love of God and help you to critically review your practice of worship – in singing praise and living your whole life for Christ.
Reviewed by Christoph Lindner
Creating a Culture of Invitation in Your Church Michael Harvey, Monarch (2015) three stars
The key to church growth is not the welcome that we offer people when they come through the church door (though that is important and we are sometimes pretty good at it) but rather the invitations that we offer to people to come with us. So why don’t we invite them? This book explores head-on the 12 main reasons that Christians do not invite their friends to church. Harvey has done extensive research and shows how fear and apathy have tied our tongues. He tackles fear and rejection with the power of faith and promise of God’s presence and other important biblical truths and examples. Entering into our partnership with God who does the calling and expecting noes (which should be celebrated) are important parts of the journey. Strategic and well-taught churches that embrace Harvey’s ideas could indeed move towards creating an invitation culture. This book would be helpful for church leaders who want to change their culture, recognising that on average only 5 to 20 per cent of their congregation are likely to currently be willing to invite others. The would-be inviter who struggles to invite but knows it is what they should be doing would find encouragement and practical help in this book. This book draws on Harvey’s experience and research with many churches. It is well structured and he uses Scripture extensively. However, it was not a page turner and it took me several attempts to get through it even though the content was solid and readable. For me it was a bit dry; some real-life stories of success would have added more colour. The impact of this book is that my focus is now different; it is no longer about God’s part in my invitations but much more about my part in God’s invitations. Definitely worth a read.
Reviewed by Jan Palmer
The Spirit of Peace: Pentecost and Affliction in the Middle East Mary C Grey, Sacristy Press (2015) four stars
This book is the third of a trilogy relating to the ever-evolving situation in the Middle East. The first two focused on the themes of Advent and resurrection. This work, however, does stand alone and explores the role of the Holy Spirit in inspiring hope for eventual peace with justice. It arises out of the author’s journeys in the region and her personal commitment to the search for solutions to the issues facing its countries. The promise of the Arab Spring, having proved illusory, has resulted in the intensification of conflict across a number of states, notably Syria, with the consequence of mass migrations. Christians have suffered great affliction in a situation which calls for faithful witness. The power of the Holy Spirit inspires the endurance of those who have not joined the exodus. Each chapter concentrates on a specific area and its present situation: Palestine, Jerusalem, Syria, including Damascus, and Egypt. New Testament stories related to these places are reexamined for the light they shed on current circumstances in order to discern the way the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of afflicted Christians. Two further chapters explore the way in which the author perceives the Holy Spirit to be active in bridge-building, reconciliation and dialogue between Jews, Muslims and Christians. The book contains examples of positive developments which we hear little about due to media selectivity. There are mentions of the relevance of liberation and feminist theology. In conclusion there is an appeal for British Christians to remain interested and involved.
The book is well researched with copious notes, numerous references and an extensive bibliography for those who wish to pursue matters further. An additional index of biblical texts would have been useful. The preacher of the gospel will discover in its pages many examples of the Holy Spirit’s outworking in situations for which there is no easy solution. There is a real challenge here for those Western Christians who enjoy their privileged and comfortable lives. The themes of the book could apply to our own society today in which oppression and division have subtler forms. This thought-provoking contribution to our understanding of the Middle East is to be highly commended.
Reviewed by Richard Firth
And God Spoke to Abraham: Preaching from the Old Testament Fleming Rutledge, Eerdmans (2011) four stars
And God Spoke to Abraham is a collection of 55 sermons by Fleming Rutledge, a highly respected American Episcopalian teacher and preacher. The sermons were preached in a variety of settings over a 35-year period from 1975 to 2010 and are all based wholly or mainly on Old Testament texts, ranging all the way from Genesis to Malachi. Rutledge has written a thought-provoking introduction in which she explains her approach to the Old Testament, how she hopes the sermons will be read, and how she understands the roles of preacher (seeking to preach from the biblical heart more than the preacher’s own agenda) and hearer. Rutledge is a passionate and committed believer in the importance of preaching from the Old Testament, not least because she feels that it is vital in order for us to have a complete picture of God. She hopes that this collection will encourage and inspire those readers who are preachers to have a similar commitment. She also envisages the collection being a helpful devotional and educational resource for laypeople.
The sermons themselves are not especially long (typically five to eight pages) and easily read in a single sitting. The style is not expository in a verseby-verse sense, but they are solidly based in the text. Rutledge wears her scholarship lightly, yet you can sense the deep study that lies behind the text. The tone is at the literary, crafted, end of the preaching spectrum and perhaps a little highbrow in its references, which may not be to everyone’s taste. However, what shines through are Rutledge’s wisdom, warmth, imagination and humanity. I found the sermons rich and nourishing, a useful resource for my own preaching and, even more importantly, affirming of faith in the living God, the God who spoke to Abraham.
Reviewed by James Leach
