2014 – Justin Daniel

This is a list of the books I read in 2014. All the reviews were written in 2014 and are archived on this site in (roughly) the order I read them in.

Book Reviews 2014

Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity, Nancy Pearcey

September 25, 20192014 / Book ReviewsFirst of all, this is a fantastic book. Pearcey asks the question, can a Christian be a politician, businessman, or even a hard working American and still make an impact in our culture as a Christian? Or does one have to be a minister, pastor, or missionary to make a dent in the cultural war? She advocates the adoption of a Christian worldview that is necessary for all Christians. A worldview, she explains, is something that is innate within us. It’s something that we all possess and it contains how we perceive the world. She says, “But the purpose of a worldview is to explain the data of experience-not to deny it. Any philosophical system that fails to offer a plausible account of our sense of personal selfhood should be rejected as inadequate… Only Christianity, with its teaching of a personal Creator, provides an adequate metaphysical explanation of our irreducible experience of personhood. It alone accounts for the raw material of experience within a comprehensive worldview. In the modern world, with its large, impersonal institutions where people are treated as ciphers in the machine, the Christian message is good news indeed.” She teaches that a person who has adopted an evolutionary worldview see’s the world as a dog-eat-dog environment: the process of natural selection has told us that we need to do whatever we can to get ahead even if it means we are morally reprehensible. She says, “The historic Christian conception of morality rests on a cognitive claim about human nature. Its says humans were designed for a purpose – to be conformed to spiritual ideals of holiness and perfection, so that we may live in love with God and our fellow creatures. Moral rules are simply the instructions telling us how to fulfill those ideals… In the Fall we went off the track, but in salvation God puts us back on course and empowers us to resume the journey to developing our full humanity… Under the Darwinian regime, however, the very concept of purpose or teleology has come under attack. For if the world itself was not designed, then there can be no design or purpose for human life either. Morality is reduced to a product of biology- an expression of our subjective desires and impulse, programmed into us by natural selection.” She also dedicates a chapter to discussing what has gone wrong with the Church: her finds correlate with my book review on David F. Wells’ book, “The Courage to be Protestant”. I perhaps have some disagreements with Pearcey here. In almost an afterthought, she says that part of the problem with evangelicalism is rooted in the dismissal of men in the home. In earlier times, men worked out of the home but since the industrial revolution, they go off for many hours to factories and office spaces to work. This has left a gap in the family that has caused a feminization of Evangelicalism. This, combined with the preaching styles of such famous men as George Whitefield, has reduced Christianity to an emotional outpouring instead of a balanced approach of emotion that is under the reign of intellectualism. She says some strange things, almost critical, of men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. But Edwards tried to defend against excessive emotionalism so this argument is confusing. I would recommend Wells’ book in order to understand this dynamic more. Don’t let that chase you away from “Total Truth.” I would say this is almost an essential book for Christians everywhere. [...]

Level Zero Heroes: The Story of U.S. Marine Special Operations in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan, Michael Golembesky and John Bruning

September 25, 20192014 / Book ReviewsMichael Golembesky promised the men in his MARSOC (Marine Corps Special Forces) team that if he lived through their experience in Afghanistan, he would write a book about it. And write he did (with help from John Bruning). Heroes follows Golembesky as he becomes part of MARSOC team 8222 and their exploits in Afghanistan, particularly in Bala Murghab. This book was pretty much exactly like the rest of the books I’ve read of this genre: guy is in a special ops team, makes up dialogue that he can’t possibly have remembered verbatim, kills some bad guys (although this guy’s job is to call in air strikes, so there is a lot more of jargon that deals with the equipment he uses and more use of aerial support in ground combat), plans an elaborate scheme to outthink the enemy, and wins at the end of the day. Don’t get me wrong: these guys definitely are heroes. I’m just a little worn down on how similar all these books seem to be. What is worse is it seems like these guys come back and can’t wait to sign a book deal, as if all their accomplishments weren’t enough. Sometimes war stories should be carried with a person and shared only in the intimacy of those who would understand. The public doesn’t understand war and doesn’t need to be spoon fed the next best “war story” that seems so trivialized by corporate profits in the literary industry. But, that’s just my opinion. Of the three books in this genre I have read, this is the weakest by far. It is overshadowed by the most deadly sniper in US Military History and the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden: tough players in the arena as far as stories are concerned. Still, if you are interested in learning more about what MARSOC Marines do, this is the book for you. [...]

The Japanese and Christianity: Why is Christianity not widely believed in Japan?, Samuel Lee

September 25, 20192014 / Book ReviewsI was introduced to some startling statistics while I was in Japan. Here is one for you: there are about 500,000-1,000,000 Protestant Christians in Japan. In the greater Tokyo-Metropolitan area, there are over 13 million people. This is shocking to me. I quickly learned that Japan is the most secular nation that is open to Christianity in the world. So the question we must ask is why? What is it about Japanese culture that does not allow Christianity to thrive as it is in the East in places like South Korea and China? That is the question Samuel Lee asks in his book, “The Japanese and Christianity.” The are a plethora of reasons why, maybe too many to answer here, but I will highlight a few. In Japan, there is something called the “wa.” The “wa” is the harmony of everything around you but in this case, it is the harmony of social dynamics. In this way, the idea is to not let ripples interrupt the harmony of social relationships by introducing tension or nonconformity. This poses a huge problem to the spread of Christianity because Jesus talks very frequently about the truth being divisive and the division it will cause within your family and friends. The Japanese are also incredibly tolerant of spiritual ideas but less thrilled about organized religion or commitment. It seems that what is attractive is an amalgamation of several different religious ideas combined into a unique melting pot instead of a verified pronunciation of one particular belief. For example, it is said that the Japanese have Shinto births, Christian weddings, and Buddhist deaths. One of the sharpest points of contention to the author in the book is about ancestor worship. The Japanese have a very high view of their ancestors and in some cases worship them. When Christian missionaries (as the author explains) have come to Japan and told the people about Christianity, they are sometimes willing to change their ways… until they mention they must give up the worship of their ancestors. The author brings up an interesting (although perhaps misguided) point about cultural Christianity. Cultural Christianity reflects that in any system of Christianity, it inherently and unapologetically adopts certain qualities of the culture. For example, Americans are very materialistic and our churches reflect that materialism: flat screen TV’s line our churches which are enormous buildings that would dwarf the humble churches in African or South America while our coffee bar could probably support two missionaries for a year. In the same way, many Americans would become defensive at such accusations much like the Japanese would become defensive about their ancestors. The question the author poses is, is it right for us to be critical about cultural Christianity? I may not have an answer for that at the moment, but this book provides an interesting dialogue on why Christianity has not become popular in Japan. There are many other reasons but if you are interested in the others, I would encourage you to buy the book! [...]

Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship, John MacArthur

September 15, 20192014 / Book ReviewsFamed Pentecostal and televangelist Benny Hinn seems innocent enough. He’s a little coo-key in the way he approaches Christianity: namely by “slaying” people in the Spirit, speaking in tongues, and professing to perform miracles by way of healing’s in his multi-million dollar ministry; but he’s not doing any harm in Christianity is he? Dr. John MacArthur of Grace Church in his book, “Strange Fire,” (released in October 2013) would disagree. Not only would he disagree, but he would argue that the entire Charismatic movement is the single greatest threat to Christianity in the 21st Century. He speaks about false prophets like Tod Bently, who, during the Lake-Land Revivals, was “told” by the Holy Spirit to physically injure his attendee’s in order to heal them. He actually punched an elderly woman in the face; he punched a man with colon cancer so hard he nearly died from his ruptured colon. Some would say these are “fringe” Charismatics. However, Dr. MacArthur powerfully and expertly exposes the Charismatic movement for what it is: blatant blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. During the great awakening of Jonathan Edward’s time, many were focused on the experiential phenomena of the Holy Spirit’s workings. He therefore wrote a sermon entitled, “The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God.” In it, he explains that “the legitimacy of a revival could not be determined on the basis of emotional responses.” He uses 1 John 1:4 to urge his listeners to “test the Spirits,” to say that not all that seems to be Godly is from God. Dr. MacArthur uses this blueprint to ask the question, “Does the modern Charismatic movement represent a true work of the Holy Spirit?” This represents Part I of his book: Part II is about the various doctrines Charismatics are clearly confused on, including: speaking in tongues, miracles and healings, the office of Apostle and Prophets, and prophecies. Part III then shows the true work of the Holy Spirit. Most interestingly, the appendix of the book has a series of quotes from highly regarded Church Fathers such as John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin and others that deny the continuation of the Apostolic gifts. This book is fascinating and I highly recommend it: it contains a mini systematic theology course on pneumatology and soteriology, it exposes the fallacies in the Charismatic movement by using scripture, and it answers tough questions like the exposition of 1 Corinthians 13 (what is the perfect, teleion?). Most shockingly, Dr. MacArthur ends the book with a plea to the “Calvinist Charismatics” (Check out this sermon to see how Calvin denied the continuation of the Apostolic sign gifts and therefore it is rather hypocritical to be a “Charismatic Calvinist” http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/TM13-4/calvins-critique-of-charismatic-calvinists-steve-lawson) and influential Continuists like John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, and Wayne Grudem to stop giving theological backing to men like Benny Hinn and Tod Bently, but to use their blessed ministries and position to call out false prophets and teachers that are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This is a sobering book and if you have questions on the legitimacy of the sign gifts or are confused on the Continuist/Cessationist position, I urge you to read it. [...]

Animal Farm, George Orwell

September 25, 20192014 / Book ReviewsSo this year I’ve read a lot of books that have to do with communism. For some reason, reading about this subject is really quite fascinating. I have been chugging through a book, “The Russian Revolution” since May, and I’m only half-way through but reading that as a preface to Animal Farm has been beneficial. Animal Farm is not strictly about communism per-sey, but Stalinist Communism in particular. It is a political commentary veiled beneath a story about farm animals about the Russian Revolution, the ensuing take over of Communists like Lenin, and the rise of the Stalinist Communism and critique of his policies. In the story, an old pig named “Old Major” (who represents Karl Marx) gathers the animals to talk about “Animalism” (Communism). After he dies, they chase Mr. Jones, the human caretaker of the animals, off the farm for good. This is symbolic of pre-revolution Russia and Mr. Jones portrays the Tsar, Nicholas, and the concept of democracy. After the revolution, they adopt seven rules of Animalism, the most important is of course, “all animals are equal.” Two pigs (the smartest on the farm) incite the revolution and inherit leadership after Mr. Jones is chased off, Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball represents Leon Trotsky and Napoleon, Stalin. Things go well on the farm in the months proceeding the revolution: Snowball teaches the animals how to read and write, food is plentiful and in general things are run smoothly. Snowball gathers the animals to announce they are going to build a windmill, which angers Napoleon and he uses the dogs to chase Snowball off. After the regime change, many things go awry. Napoleon changes all the rules to benefit the elite status of the pigs. For example, the most important rule in Napoleon’s rule is “all animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” A savage killing spree takes place one meeting to all the animals who have opposed Napoleon (reminiscent of the Red Terror that Stalin enacted that claimed the lives of millions of people). Napoleon decides to funnel all efforts into building the windmill he opposed. Eventually, the pigs start acting like humans, walking on hind legs and drinking alcohol (breaking two of the original seven rules and after changing them to allow the elite pigs the authority to do such things). In the end, the humans and the pigs become indistinguishable. George Orwell was a committed Communist who opposed the Stalinist regime. Understanding that Animal Farm is not a critique of Communism but one of Stalin is essential in the underpinning message. But in my own view, this is simply a commentary on what happens, no matter the ideology, when one is given too much power. Under the auspices of Communism, “all people are created equal.” It is curious, then, to see the social elite in nations like China and the Soviet union twist this notion to “all people are created equal, but some are created more equal.” The rich lifestyles of Communist leaders (see Kim Jong Un) defeats the very nature of what Communism intends to create. It is much like other systems of government that intend one thing but are corrupted by power (see Vladimir Putin and modern day Russia). Regardless of whether you agree with Orwell about Communism, this is a spot on allegory of the events that took place in Soviet Russia. [...]