Genre: Devotional/History/Christian Life

Highly Recommended

I don’t usually enjoy devotionals, but was drawn to this one because of its unique historical focus on Jonathan Edwards, who was a pivotal minister in the First Great Awakening, most famous for his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

The devotional is dated from January 1 through December 31, each about a page long, beginning with a snippet from Jonathan Edwards’ writing, a meaty commentary, and a concluding verse.

I am impressed by the depth and quality of Strachan’s writing. It is culturally relevant, spiritually stirring, theologically insightful, historically illuminating, and personally motivating. Reflecting through the material has given me a better understanding of Jonathan Edwards, of God, and of myself in relationship with the Lord.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale.

Genre: Ancient History Curriculum/Christian Worldview

Highly Recommended!

I love everything about this curriculum. The student book is filled with photos, illustrations, and maps that are as stunning as they are helpful and informative. The lessons are engaging, without being overwhelming. And the material of the Student Book is written in an accessible narrative form that could easily be used with multiple age groups or a full-family study. I also love the narration breaks and connection points within the text, which provide helpful markers for the parent-teacher (or independently working student) to pause and reflect before moving onward.

While many textbooks covering ancient civilization include a focus on mythology, this one is awesomely biblical-centric. It more-or-less follows the biblical timeline from Creation through the Roman Empire, with an emphasis on the Hebrew people and their neighbors (Sumer, Babylon, Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome, and others in between). I love the addition of apologetics and archaeology, and the emphasis on a relational/Hebraic worldview of Scripture. Every chapter goes back to Scripture in some way—even ancient cultures that are not directly tied to biblical accounts (like China, the Celts, and tribes in the Americas) have a mission-focus, and/or demonstrate humanity’s need for God in a direct manner. I really appreciate this perspective, and the way faith and Scripture are woven throughout the lessons.

My kids are going to have so much fun with this. I can’t wait for volumes 2 and 3 to be released!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Master Books.

PS: Those interested in using this as a homeschool curriculum should consider purchasing with the corresponding Teacher’s Guide, which includes a suggested 180 day schedule, assignments (aimed at 5th-8th grade), and supplementary ideas.

You don’t have to homeschool to enjoy this! Read the Student Guide alone as an engaging devotional resource on ancient history from a biblical perspective.

Explore Master Books website here.

Genre: History/Holocaust

Recommended.

It’s Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), and I just finished reading this comprehensive and unique history of the Holocaust.

This book caused me to consider the Holocaust and anti-Semitism in a new way, even if I did not always agree with Snyder’s interpretations.

Snyder begins with addressing Hitler’s political and sociological motivations, especially in terms of Lebensraum (living space)—the idea that the higher race deserves a higher standard of living including more space, and decadence. He argues along these lines that Hitler’s motivations went beyond traditional anti-Semitism with a more personal and political aim, only later leading to his Final Solution to exterminate the Jews.

Snyder also describes the overall political atmosphere and relationships between the countries involved in WWII, with special concentration on Germany, the Soviet Union, and Poland; and in consideration of the weight of double occupancy, the myth of Judeo-Bolshevism (blaming Jews for communism), and the influences of the destruction of state power. Multiple individual accounts are shared to demonstrate those political tensions from a personal perspective. I also appreciate that Snyder extends beyond Auschwitz to the deeper horrors occurring in the multitude of states around Europe.

However, I expected a stronger and more grounded focus on the Holocaust as a warning. While the history is comprehensive, the warning appears only in the final chapter and is weakly focused on the Green Revolution, and climate change. While I agree with Snyder in the importance of caring for the earth and living sustainably, I adamantly disagree with his conclusions in linking this and state power with preventing a next holocaust.

Snyder’s perspective is interesting—I was not aware of all of these variables, and am interested to do further research and draw my own conclusions. I recommend the book due to its solid research, and presentation of ideas, rather than for its interpretations and conclusions.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tim Duggan Books.

Genre: Christian Life/Missions/Intercession/Devotional

This devotional style prayer guide has 41 chapters dedicated to countries, and 11 chapters focused on either influential people or other issues (e.g. The Pope, Prison Ministries, or Caring for the Vulnerable). Each chapter is about five pages long—an ideal length for prayer and reflection, and maybe even to be supplemented with additional research (I know I was drawn to look up more facts on my own as I slowly made my way through it!).

The chapters begin with a small map or picture and quick facts of the topic at hand, elaborate into the author’s personal encounters within the country/subject or historical detail of the region, and conclude with a Bible verse, bullet point list of items for prayer, and a single paragraph ready-made prayer.

Stiller has a lot of interesting stories that make for enjoyable reading while providing a feel for the lifestyle in different regions of the world. But as a prayer guide, the focus on personal stories was sometimes too limiting to recognize the prayer needs of the country at large. For this reason, I thought some of the chapters were very well done, while others were only okay. The “Items for Prayer” list in each chapter was the strongest part, so I would have liked those sections to have been a longer, more substantial, part of the content.

I also wonder at how well the material reflects present needs as many of Stiller’s stories come from decades earlier. It is plausible that Stiller still holds inside connections to the places and people he has visited, but this is not directly mentioned. The overall feeling of the book is of becoming familiar with the history of each country and praying over general themes, rather than interceding over the immediate needs of each population.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House.

Genre: General Christian/Biblical History

Recommended.

This is an interesting book in that it is based on the NBC show A.D. The Bible Continues (which I have not seen). It reads like a devotional commentary on the book of Acts (prefaced by a quick introduction of the Old Testament, and two chapters on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus to set the scene). Each chapter highlights stories that capture the human element of the Christian revolution along with commentary that connects to the contemporary audience.

I think this could be a helpful and interesting source for new/young believers to visualize the historical context of scripture (or anyone who is unfamiliar). There is basic theology included here and there, which I felt was well balanced for a multi-denominational Protestant audience. And the devotional feel and personal insight into the disciples’ stories presents a very relatable and readable perspective. I also like the scattering of side-notes, which address interesting topics.

Overall, this is a pretty good overview of select moments from Acts, and I recommend it to those new to biblical history—especially teenage believers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers.

Genre: History/Politics/Church Growth/Christian Life

Recommended.

This book details the rapid rise of Christianity in Iran, particularly showing the spiritual hunger and growth of the house church movement with identity-protected stories of courageous converts from Islam, persecution, and other aspects of the Iranian house church experience. There is also a great deal of history of Iran’s Islamic political and religious atmosphere, and how this environment has ironically influenced many to look toward Christianity.

This book is well researched and extremely informative, while also being easy and enjoyable to read. The author writes from a balanced perspective that is consistent with the other Middle Eastern Christian voices that I have heard over the years. He reveals how the citizens of Iran have responded to the actions of their country, and why they have the spiritual desire and courage to risk everything to leave the religion of their heritage and join the dangerous movement of house-church Christianity. How is it that the church grows the most under some of the severest persecution?

I was encouraged to read of the amazing things going on among Iran’s new Christians, and hope this book will inspire many in the western world to pursue radical faith as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.

Genre: Autobiography/Historical

Highly Recommended!

Dietrich von Hildebrand was a German Catholic philosopher, professor, and writer who recognized the dangers of National Socialism and Nazism from the start. He fled Germany in 1933 because he felt he could not remain under such a regime, and when his professorship at the University of Munich was threatened, he proudly chose to submit himself as a “non-aryan” even though he did not consider himself Jewish.

This book is a collection of pieces from his personal memoirs (which he wrote for his second wife, who was much younger and wanted to share in his experiences), followed by several short essays expounding on his beliefs. Interspersed throughout the memoirs, and as a preface to each essay are helpful notes by the translator/editor to set the scene and bring cohesion.

The writings themselves are like reading the diary of a giant in the faith, and I appreciate the editors’ choices of which of his vast writings to include. There are slower parts as Hildebrand reflects on day-to-day issues, touching personal reflections of his mistakes and the depth of his faith, exciting insights of historical moments, and brilliant commentary and philosophizing of important social issues and evils.

His life and words are a powerful and timely message for today as he urges the church not to compromise by making ungodly alliances, or by participating in social injustice by remaining apathetic. His bold warnings against anti-semitism and what he calls an “unfortunate peace” with Hitler (and thus, the spirit of the anti-Christ) are powerful, especially with the rise of anti-semitism today.

I particularly liked Hildebrand’s distinction of patriotism versus social nationalism, and his similar discussion on the value of a community in bringing out the individual, as opposed to the mass of people, which strips all individuality and diversity in order to create an enthusiastic wave of unity. Hildebrand was a significant voice in his time, even making it to the top of the Nazi’s hit list; and he is one worth taking the time to listen to today.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Image Books.

Genre: Biography/History

Hannah More is one of the most incredible historical people I had never known about or studied. She was dedicated to educating women and the poor, was a recognized writer, fought to abolish slavery, and rubbed shoulders with many prominent men including David Garrick, Samuel Johnson, William Wilberforce, and Horace Walpole. Her influence is particularly astonishing considering her standing as an unmarried British women in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; and she was motivated by her great faith for God and His work of social justice.

As interesting as I found this book, I would have like it to have been more story-oriented and less “text-book” style. I did not enjoy reading it so much as I afterward appreciated the facts I learned through the reading process. The cover-art captivated and drew me to choose this book; but the writing itself (while strong and well researched) was a bit of a let down: dry, uninteresting, and hard to get through, with some unnecessary repetition due to its non-linear structure. I feel as if I learned the facts about Hannah More, without that personal insight into her person, faith, and the chronology of what moved and influenced her into dramatic action.

I would recommend this as a resource for one studying Hannah More, but not as a fun-read for those who enjoy a captivating biography.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Memoir

Recommended!

There is a reason this is a best-selling book right now: it’s a good one! It is also a brave book. The author expresses his experience as the son of one of Hamas’ core leaders, his work as a spy for the Shin Bet, and his conversion to Christianity. His vulnerability for the sake of his message is outstanding and demonstrative of his love (God’s love through him) for all people.

I was captivated by the spy aspect of the narrative, fascinated by his detailed recap of the groups and events within the Middle Eastern conflict, and especially touched as he presented the gradual transition of his heart from hatred toward the Jews to working with Israeli intelligence, then toward the Creator God and Christian faith. It is interesting to see God speaking through him and guiding him even before he dedicated his life to Him.

It is also amazing to hear the testimony of the difference in his experience of worshipping God compared to Allah. Is “God/Allah’s” personhood defined by His name or His attributes? Yousef shows that Allah and the Christian God are distinct in their characteristics, thus are not the same. His experience with each are deeply felt by the attentive reader.

I appreciate this story, and am excited to hear that there is also a documentary (The Green Prince) based on this story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers.

Genre: History/Worship/Devotional

Recommended.

Those who love or are interested in Christian hymns will really enjoy this book, which shares many of the most popular hymns (their lyrics and cords) along with a brief, one-page, commentary of the history or interesting trivia surrounding each one. There are also periodic (two-page) histories scattered throughout that highlight instrumental composers, translators, and hymn writers. Moreover, the book can be searched by the detailed Table of Contents, by the Index of First Lines, by Author, or by Source (e.g. “African American Spiritual”).

I am not too familiar with hymns, and decided to read this to learn more, since I am very interested in church history and in understanding the rich traditions of the Christian faith. I really enjoyed reading through these histories, and searching for audio versions of each hymn to supplement the written commentary. I appreciate that each hymn/person was discussed concisely and in an engaging way, and did in fact learn quite a bit through these readings. I personally read this as a devotional book (a couple hymns at a time), but it could also be used for reference due to its great structure/organization.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers.

Genre: Contemporary Issues/Israel

Recommended.

Derek Prince (1915-2003) provides a layman’s guide to understanding Israel as the central foundation of the Bible. As he emphasizes, the Bible was written by Jewish authors (both Old and New Testament), takes place primarily in Israel (including all the events within the gospels save the brief flight to Egypt), and both historically and thematically is focused on the people of Israel, even into the future city described in Revelation (16-19). Prince describes the history of Israel, God’s plan in scattering and regathering the people, the Christians’ role in the midst of this, and also shares from his own experiences as a Briton who lived for a time in Israel.

This was previously published twice before under different titles, and has been updated by the staff of Derek Prince Ministries. I am not familiar with either of the earlier editions, but do like this one. The writing is conversational, and tends toward only the basics; but even so, I did learn a few things (and this is a topic I have read quite a bit about).

Most interesting to me was Prince’s view on “the times of the gentiles”. I have read differing scholarly opinions on whether the “times of the gentiles” have been fulfilled—some saying that the Six-Day War marked the fulfillment of this prophecy, and others insisting (or simply assuming) it has not. Prince describes that the Six-Day War “marked the beginning of the end of those times” (101), which is to say that the fulfillment is a gradual process. This is intriguing, and something I will want to explore in more depth.

I also loved Prince’s note that Jeremiah 31:10 reads: “He who scattered Israel will regather them in kibbutzim” (125), which—as he describes in more detail—is just what we are seeing today!

This book is thought-provoking throughout without being too much for readers who are completely new to exploring how an Israel-centric view of Scripture can transform the Word and bring richness and cohesiveness to the Bible as a whole. In fact, those who know little about Israel will glean the most from reading this. There is also a “Chronology of Events in Israel”—a thorough and beneficial list of events between 1947-2012.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Chosen Books.

Genre: Christian Life/Politics

Recommended.

Implosion is a timely call to examine the current social, economic, and spiritual conditions of the United States, especially in the context of end time biblical prophecy, and to take action through prayer and personal revival. I’m often turned off by political books, but found this one to be clearly and respectfully written, with a balanced presentation of the facts at hand—especially in regard to the nation’s political and economic situation.

Rosenberg first presents both optimistic and pessimistic perspectives of where our nation stands (based largely on the statements of politicians from both major parties, economic advisers, and the media), then compares both scenarios to scripture to analyze whether or not the United States is mentioned as a key component in end time prophecy, and the implications of these findings. He also presents some of the basics of eschatology from a premillennial pre-tribulation perspective, spending thorough energy on the signs of the times and a chapter on the rapture. I do not agree with the pre-tribulation/silent rapture scenario, but it is the majority view of the church, and it did not prevent me from engaging with some of the other details of the book.

The second half of the book focuses on the First and Second Great Awakenings in order that the patterns of history may give us clues to whether the U.S. may experience a Third Great Awakening, and what, if anything, we can do to usher in that revival. I’ve studied a lot of church/revival history and appreciated Rosenberg’s outline of a few most noted revivalists. It especially caught my attention that the Wesley brothers were not born again until a certain point within their ministries, and that as soon as they personally received salvation on a heart level their ministries supernaturally expanded. Rosenberg makes a good case that revival of our hearts and spirits individually is necessary before the revival and transforming of a people group or nation, and his examples and exhortations are encouraging along those lines.

This is a book that can stir hearts to see the dire position we are in as a country and to have hope in God that if we individually start changing our personal spiritual atmospheres, it may just be enough to impact our communities and nation.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Tyndale Blog Network.

Genre: Juvenile/Christian Life/History & Politics

Not Recommended.

This is a book for young adults—specifically Christian homeschoolers—to encourage them to take on adult responsibilities and fight for their faith and our country. I really like the premise of this book because I’m a homeschool parent with very similar views as the author. I’m hoping to have as many children as the Lord will bless us with and want them to be strong and mature in their faiths and involved in their communities. I’m also just young enough that I have often been included in prayers and encouragement for the upcoming younger generation myself, so I read this with a view as to both how it encouraged me as well as how well it would encourage my favorite teenagers.

It’s certainly not a terrible book—Boyer does include a lot of great information, and parts of it, I thought, were really good. I especially liked some of the practical things he suggests regarding how we can take action today. But overall, it seems to be written more for the homeschooling parent than the youth. I didn’t find it fun, inspiring, or motivating, and in many places I found the tone a bit negative. Was it necessary, for instance, to specifically call out Maya Angelou as a bad poet? Or is it necessary to talk so negatively about the public school system (I went to public school and am choosing to homeschool because of my experience, but still…)? It’s one thing to acknowledge how our governmental system has gone wrong, but I felt the book went overboard in focusing on the bad and the ugly versus the positive, God-centered vision of how society should function with the right involvement.

Had I been a non-believer (or even a new believer or public school advocate) who accidentally picked up this book, I would immediately have a strong negative misconception about the Christian homeschooling movement. In fact, my mom (a strong Christian who works in the public school system) started reading this when she was visiting and was so turned off by it, she didn’t make it very far. So many of the constant, small negative statements just weren’t necessary toward the whole of the book’s message and should have been edited out. I just don’t think the execution of this book was as positive as it could have been—perhaps the author is much more effective as a public speaker.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group.

Genre: History/Apologetics

Recommended.

The Jesus Scandals focuses on the scandals surrounding Jesus as a way to validate and better understand Jesus and the gospel accounts. Since the Bible was written by Jesus’ loyal followers, any negative or shocking events, teachings, or actions in scripture involving Jesus should reveal and confirm Jesus’ true opinions and actions that were widely known and, therefore, not something the disciples could easily cover up. About 30 scandalous topics are discussed varying from Jesus’ associations with particular uncouth people, to rumors that He was an alcoholic, to His teachings about Hell, and everything in between.

The book is split into three sections: scandals in Jesus’ life, scandals among Jesus’ friends, and scandals in Jesus’ teaching. Each chapter (scandal) is just a few pages long and can be read independently from the others making this an ideal book for a personal devotional study or a group Bible study.

While the author does have clear opinions throughout the book, I enjoyed that the text included room for personal thought and research. I was able to stay engaged and interested in each topic even in the few cases where my own perspectives did not quite match the bias of the author. In fact, it’s written in a way that even a mixed-faith discussion group could easily use each chapter to delve into friendly discussions or debates.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.

Genre: History/Politics

Not Recommended.

I was really intrigued by the title: The Coming Revolution, but I found the book to be dull and hard to finish, especially in the opening chapters. The strong political bias was overwhelming for me and really turned me off from wanting to read more. I’m tired of the Republican versus Democrat dissensions, and did not enjoy Lee’s negativity toward liberalism (even though I’m somewhat conservative myself).

I did find some of the history kind of interesting—not engagingly interesting, but interesting enough to force myself to finish reading it. I studied at a public school and a very secular university, so the texts and perspectives the author cited were entirely new to me, despite our shared connection with Christianity. I may look further into some of his sources as I continue to develop my own perspective on America’s roots.

I was also disappointed by the lack of evidence and enthusiasm regarding a coming revolution. It seems that Lee is using this book to persuade people to start the revolution he believes is necessary, rather than predicting that a revolution is actually underway—and to me, his case wasn’t very enthralling.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogging Program through booksneeze.com.

Genre: History/United States/20th Century

Highly Recommended!

Lately I’ve been reading and watching historical documentaries as much as possible because I really feel that understanding history is helpful to understanding where we are and what’s to come. This account of American history was especially insightful to me.

Shirley weaves together newspaper reports, human interest stories, and other research to thoroughly portray the mindset, recreation, dress, social and spiritual beliefs, American leaders and celebrities, and day-to-day lifestyle of Americans in the month of the Pearl Harbor attack—really, there is no area he doesn’t touch on. And although the size of the book was a bit intimidating for me (535 pages plus an additional 100 or so of Notes and the Epilogue), Shirley writes in a way that is both accessible and captivating. I love how each chapter reflects one day from December 1941 (especially since it’s so dense with knowledge that readers may not want to read more than a couple days at a time). And by reading this, I really felt a grasp on this time in American history and the generations before me.

This is a great addition to any library, especially for lovers of history.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogging Program through booksneeze.com.