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: 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: 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.