Author: jimmyreagan

Pearl Harbor by Craig Nelson

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This book is a great read. Besides being a great retelling of a pivotal event in the history of our nation, this volume succeeds in putting Pearl Harbor in its proper context.  It clarified what I knew and taught me much that I did not. 

Nelson divides his book into three main parts. Part 1 discusses the roads to war in five informative chapters. Since you know what is coming, bad judgments jump off the page. Still, it makes for fascinating reading. That the politicians and military brass could be taken that by surprise is shocking and would be unforgivable were it not for the incredible war effort put together every day after December 7, 1941 until victory.

The heart of the book is in Part 2 that describes December 7th itself. I loved his taking a chapter for the attack from the air against everything except the ships.  It was gripping and you could so visualize the events. When he turned to the battleships it only became more intense and powerful. What many sailors faced is simply beyond description. I loved too how he explained the fear that raged for days after the attack. I felt I got inside the minds of those who lived it on these pages.

The last part cherry picked history from the rest of the war and beyond flawlessly to conclude the story of Pearl Harbor. It was the perfect length to make sense of a senseless event.

This book is a winner for anyone who loves reading history in a style worthy of a novel with careful reconstruction of events. I imagine you’ll love it. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

New Testament Theology by Donald Guthrie

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Here is a paperback reprint of a classic. It’s been held in high regard for several years and has not yet been superseded. As I have delved into it, I am most amazed by its depth and scope. Some have found it too detailed, and I suspect we might want to use it more as a reference tool than for fireside reading, but it still holds great value as you track down theological themes in the New Testament.

When we say detailed, we mean 1000 pages. It actually takes through page 74 to describe how he thinks NT theology should be approached! He covers every topic thoroughly. You will know pretty much all that the New Testament has to say on the subject when you are done. I once read a criticism of this work that it doesn’t do too well in pointing out specific contributions to the whole each section makes. For example, you might not easily find what Paul added to the discussion. The truth is, there are many such volumes that explain those distinctions, but very few that give this comprehensive viewpoint. For that reason, this book remains indispensable to the theology section of your library.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures by Georges and Baker

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This book is profound on many levels. For me personally, I can’t remember when I last read a book that made me feel like I didn’t know a thing about the subject before I read it as was the case here. It’s not that I hadn’t traveled or been in mission work in other cultures, but that I didn’t know specifically why those other cultures even seemed to think differently than my own. My culture, as is so well described in this volume, is based on guilt whereas many other cultures think more with an honor-shame mindset. Even more surprising, my Western culture is by far in the minority in our world.

The authors, Jayson Georges and Mark Baker, are well qualified to write on this subject and I particularly appreciated how they shared their own trial and error while serving in other parts of the world to gain some of their knowledge the hard way. 

Though they tackled three distinct areas–deep analysis of what the honor-shame culture is, a careful explanation of how it fits in with biblical theology, and how to take this understanding and practically minister to those who view the world through an honor-shame lens–they amazingly prove themselves adept in all three disciplines.

In the first area they really helped you get into the mind of someone who thinks in terms of honor-shame and see why it makes as much sense to them as our more legal outlook does to us. In the second, while there is a forgiveness/legal/guilt outlook in Scripture, there is clear honor/shame outlooks as well. We may have been overlooking key theology here. Finally, the practical side is amazing. The chapter on evangelism is worth the price of the whole book.

This book should be required reading for every missionary or persons working with different cultures. It might make the difference in effectiveness more than you realize. For that matter, every Christian should read it both for its theology and ministry training. This book is home run all the way!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Telling God’s Story by Preben Vang and Terry Carter (2nd Edition)

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Here is an attractive, helpful book that will be a great boon to students of the Scriptures. While you will find some similar material to an introductory-level Survey of the Old and New Testaments, this book has the unique approach among such works of making us see the Bible as one story. Since so many lose sight of the unity of the Bible, this approach is especially valuable.

Authors Preben Vang and Terry Carter, both professors who teach this material, evaluated exactly how the first edition had succeeded and failed in presenting the Biblical narrative and strengthened this Second Edition with that evaluation.

This book’s value is even more enhanced by the great maps, fine charts, and overall visually appealing design of the book. My teenage son walked by, picked up the book, and said it looked so interesting that he wanted to read it.  I can hardly think of a more ringing endorsement of the book’s worth.

The writing is good as is the deftness in choosing what material is best suited to teach the narrative of the Bible. My recommendation would be to secure this volume in addition to a more traditional survey. You won’t be disappointed. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue by J. A. Myhre 

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Here’s a children’s book that will be loved in any Christian home. The plot is set in Africa and has the unique thrills of that continent. The author, J. A. Myhre, is a doctor in Africa. Her 20 years in Africa makes her able to visualize accurately situations there. The stories here began as stories for her own children and it’s a blessing that they are available for children everywhere.

The story transports us to the life of an amazing girl named Kiisa. She is dropped by her father at a school where she feels out of place and has to take a stand to do right and suffers for it. A little bird befriends her and encourages her. Later, the story becomes riveting when the school is attacked. What Kiisa does makes the story ( I don’t want to give away the plot!).

Beyond the gripping nature of the story itself is the description of the unsugarcoated nature of evil in our world and the right kind of courage in its presence. This story challenges our children to be righteously courageous in our world. I recommend it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Old Testament Survey by House and Mitchell

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book survey

This book is ideal for its intended audience–serious beginning students of the Old Testament. Now in its Second Edition, this volume already has a successful reputation. Paul House and Eric Mitchell are both well respected scholars. There’s a helpful section entitled “Beginning the Study” that helps you get off to a good start. 

Part 1 launches into the Pentateuch. The bulk of the volume is given over to discussing individual OT books. Additional information is woven in as you are studying the individual books. The graphs and maps are from the reservoir that B & H Publishing usually draws from and are outstanding. While we might disagree on some little point made, this is a particularly great introduction to surveying the Old Testament.

If you want to maximize your learning experience, be sure to secure “Old Testament Survey: A Student’s Guide–2nd Edition” as well. It is one of the best student guides of its kind that I have seen.

This is a great addition to any Bible study library.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

What Does The Bible Say About Suffering by Brian Han Gregg

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Suffering is one of the most difficult theological concepts to get a handle on. Not only in a world that finds it easy to get angry at God, but even among Christians the pain of suffering leads to many struggles. Mr. Gregg enters this tender territory to try and corral what the Bible says about suffering.

While he focuses on the complexity, or even the mystery of suffering, he reminds us that no simple answers will be found. He seems dedicated to teaching others to not oversimplify to some sort of formula. While you can see what he is trying to say, I was even more amazed at how he extracts from the pages of Scripture all the components of suffering that is revealed to us. He does an extraordinary job at finding in the text what we actually can know about suffering.

I found this volume highly stimulating to meditate on suffering. I’ll remember his warning about oversimplifying, but I’ll also use this book as a starting place when I wrestle with this age-old subject. I warmly recommend this book.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The Message of the Twelve by Fuhr and Yates

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Perhaps you especially enjoy the Minor Prophets as I do, then you are really going to savor this volume by Richard Alan Fuhr, Jr. and Gary E. Yates. The Minor Prophets make up one of the least well-known sections of the Bible, so the help this type of volume can provide is greatly needed.

The authors begin the volume proving the book’s worth immediately with a chapter on the historical background of the tumultuous times of these prophets. Though I might quibble on some details,  the chapter was outstanding at putting these twelve prophets into perspective. The next two chapters discussed what the prophets were accomplishing in their writings and the literary genres and rhetorical devices involved. Finding ten literary subgenres might be stretching it a bit, but that would match modern scholarly opinion. 

Chapter 4 was one of my favorites as it made a case for canonical unity of these twelve Minor Prophets. While they all stand quite well individually, I believe looking at them as a unit also yields tremendous insights.

As you might imagine, chapters  5-16 cover the Twelve individually. I appreciate the way the authors present these individual evaluations. Background, structure, overview, and theological leave you with a good idea of what’s going on in each of these books. Only some comments on Jonah’s historicity were subpar.

A few helpful charts, maps, and pictures round out this useful volume. Still, unlike some modern volumes, this book aims at providing its help by words rather than just a visual presentation.

This book is 5-star all the way.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians Volume 2

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book peter

This volume carries on the same valuable commentary that was found in Volume 1 that covered the Pastoral Epistles and the Epistles of John. In Volume 2 he finishes the letters he feels were especially for Hellenized Christians by giving us this full commentary on I and II Peter. I always marvel at his output as a writer of commentaries and here is another 400+ page commentary.

I must confess that I find myself even in less agreement with him than with Volume 1, and it seems he started in the middle with the Introduction of I Peter. Still, that same good, easy-to-follow writing was present that makes commentary reading more enjoyable.

Conclusions about authorship I found particularly hard to follow, but he continues to present his opinions well and share scholarly thinking up to the present. He continues to see the”household code” just as he did in the Pastorals. His comments on the text still make for lively reading even where one must disagree. Agreement is not essential to gain from a commentary and I’m glad to have this one to use.

All in all, this is a solid commentary.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Praying For Your Pastor by Eddie Byun

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As a pastor, I would love people to read this book and take its recommendations to heart. Mr. Byun is not exaggerating what is going on among pastors in our generation, though it likely will seem that way to readers. To a pastor this will seem like a condensed book of things we need to take seriously, but the target audience is to those we pastor. The subtitle (“How your prayer support is their life support”) suggests exactly what he stayed on subject about throughout. 

As a pastor himself he understands the pitfalls, the glass house our families endure, and the physical and spiritual challenges we face. He strengthens his case with timely statistics in a variety of places in his book and they are in many cases shocking. Though some of his suggestions confess we pastor’s own frailties and failures, I feel he has perfectly found the things we most need prayers for.

He suffered some indignities at the hands of some in his last pastorate, but only occasionally fell into self-justification mode. He situation did actually illustrate his point. He accepts the idea of female pastors, which the more conservative of us cannot agree with, but it did not affect the overall tenor of this fine book. 

Concise enough to encourage wide readership, this volume strikes at a real need. My prayer is that it will accomplish its goals.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.