Church Outside the Walls: A Review

In Church Outside the Walls, Raj Samuel seeks to help the reader to break free from what could be considered the traditional conception of church within the evangelical circle.  That being that the church exists to be the center of our world and the end of our identity as Christians.  Instead Samuel is making the case that Christians are called to be faithful in all aspects of our lives and not just when we show up on Sunday and/or Wednesday.  I found this book to be a very easy read as it is, I believe, targeted towards the regular Joe and Sally in the church pew.  The concepts are not academic in nature but he does build his ecclesiology in a sound way.  By that I mean that he uses Scriptural support as well as early church context and thinking in his formulation.  Because of this his conception of church is more in line with a pre-Christendom view than what most churches exemplify in todays world, especially in the West.  One that does not put an emphasis on things such as a building or formal structures in organization.  Instead to a member of the church is to have your identity found in God's kingdom which extends to all areas of one's life.

I thought this was a pretty good book.  I did not learn anything new or find anything that I have not previously read before, but I think that Samuel would be a little more accessible than some other authors who write about the church in similar ways.

Decision Points: A Review

I have recently finished George W. Bush's book, "Decision Points."  I was very intrigued to read this book and find out a little more about this very controversial, love him or hate him figure from recent American politics.  Instead of this being a day by by or month by month journal or memoir of his presidency, this book follows some of the main decisions that he had to make during his time in office.  The format that follows is to present the problem or situation that arose and how Bush and his team came to their decision and ultimately how it played out after the decision was made.  I found this to be a very candid look at how Bush came to make many of the decisions that he was both praised and persecuted for making.  While I don't agree with every decision that he made, I would have to say that my admiration for anyone who is elected president grew through reading this book.  One cannot fully imagine the full scope of what it means to be the president until you are in those shoes, although you could argue that this Bush would have a good idea since his father was also president.  Be it resolve or just plain stubbornness, Bush was definitely willing to stay that course of his decisions no matter what political fallout was sure to come.

I felt the book was well written and it captured my attention all the way through.  I enjoyed the candid look at his presidency that covered both the good and bad decisions that he made, in his own words even. It will be interesting to see how history will remember George W in the long term.  One can definitely say that he endured some tough decisions throughout his 8 years in office and I personally do not envy the responsibility that comes with making such decisions.  I would definitely recommend this book.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Expanded Bible NKJV: A Review

I just received an ebook copy of "The Expanded Bible" from the BookSneeze bloggers program and I will admit that I am fairly impressed.  I was intrigued to find out how they would incorporate some of the alternate translations and more in depth notes differently than a normal study Bible, which is ultimately what sets this Bible apart.  As you probably know, most study Bibles will put those things in a footnote where you have the option to glance down if you choose.  The difference with "The Expanded Bible" is that those notes are embedded in the text.  The translation team has come up with a few ways to denote the differences between what they are embedding.  It is fairly confusing at first, but the more I read the more I got used to it.  I would recommend reading the introduction to find out more about this.

I do not foresee The Expanded Bible as being my main Bible to read, instead I think this will be a study reference.  While the embedded information is very helpful, it is a little too cumbersome for simply doing a reading and not a study.  The main translation that is used is NKJV which I do not use regularly, but I appreciate the alternative translations listed.  I would recommend The Expanded Bible for those looking to do a more in depth look at scripture, especially in the area of how words are translated.

Kissing Fish: A Review

Have you heard of the new movement within Christianity that is seeking to break free from the chains of modernity?  No, I'm not talking about the emergent/-ing church, but instead I'm speaking of Progressive Christianity.  If you are unfamiliar with this movement I would recommend "Kissing Fish" by Roger Wolsey as a starting point.  In this book Wolsey lays out the view of Progressive Christianity vs that of Traditional Christianity.  It is written in a very non-condescending style and should be easily accessible.  The biggest hang up I think that readers would have with this book depends on their view of traditional Christianity and how open they are to new ways of thinking.  Wolsey uses some of his own personal life experiences from growing up, being in school and in ministry to show how each phase has led to the shaping of his theology.  Progressive Christianity takes seriously postmodern thinking and therefore calls into question many of the widely held beliefs of Traditional Christianity.  I enjoyed this book very much even though I did not agree with the author on every point.  Make sure that you come to this book with an open mind and if you do I think that you will be challenged to think about Christianity in new ways.

Thanks to the Speak Easy bloggers group for a copy to review.  Keep 'em coming guys.