Hello! Today I am breaking my trend and I am not reviewing a fiction book! (and it's not girly either :-) ) I do take my poll results and email suggestions seriously, and here is a response to my readers who want something not so girly and one email suggested I do more theology or missionary biographies. Here's the first in more "serious" books to come. :-)
Title: Culture Shift: Engaging Current Issues with Timeless Truth
Author: Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Al Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he lives in Louisville, Kentucky. He has contributed in other books, although this is the first time I've read anything written by him. You can learn more about him by visiting his website and blog at: http://www.albertmohler.com/
Published: Multnomah, copyright 2008
Background Information: I first heard about this book at the New Attitude conference I attended in May. (it was my first exposure to Na and I attended with several other youth from our church) During the conference they advertised this book, my interest was peaked, unfortunately by the time I got to the bookstore, they had sold out of the books and I wasn't able to look at it.
Happily though, my Pastor has a copy and let me borrow it. :-) My first response the book when I saw it was..."It's small!" I was expecting a thick book and was surprised that it only had 160 pages. Anyway, despite my initial reaction, the book is a good read. :-)
One other note: I will not be reviewing this in the same way I review fiction books--hope you enjoy the change!
Culture Shift...
The book deals with many of the current issues of our day. John Piper, C. J. Mahaney, and others offer their recommendations for the book.
Some of the chapters deal with: Christian morality in public law, the culture of offendedness, terrorism, an exit strategy from the public schools, science, the question of "are we raising a nation of wimps?" abortion, and more. The book has a total of 20 chapters and even though it is small it deals with each issue in a "heavier" way than the average book I read. The book is for the "older reader" and so I wouldn't really recommend it for children, however I think teens/youth could read it. It's a great book to learn more about the issues of our day.
I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half. Specifically his section on public schools and the need for Christian parents to develop an "exit strategy" to leave the public school system. I also appreciated the chapters where he dealt with abortion. It was interesting to learn some debates going on in the "left side" concerning abortion. And finally, I enjoyed his section on tsunamis, and the Christian response to them.
He also talks about St. Augustine and goes into some detail about the "City of God and the City of Man." (whatever I knew about Augustine and his teachings on this I forgot, so it was interesting to be reminded/learn something new)
Here are some quotes/points that I liked and thought I'd include for your review.
"We love our neighbor because we first love God. In his sovereignty, our Creator has put within this cultural context in order that we may display His glory by preaching the gospel, confronting persons with God's truth, and serving as agents of salt and light in a dark and fallen world. In other words, love of God leads us to love our neighbor, and love of neighbor requires our participation in the culture and in the political process" (emphasis added p. 2).
In his chapter on offendedness he writes about how the definition of the word "offend" has changed. He says:
"Today, desperate straits are no longer required in order for an individual or group to claim the emotional status of offendedness. All that is required is often the vaguest notion of emotional distaste at what another has said, done, proposed, or presented. This shift in the meaning of the word and in its cultural usage is subtle but extremely significant. It also leads to inevitable conflict" (p. 31, emphasis added). He goes on to talk more about Christians and their response to offenses and the cultures response to offenses. He concludes his chapter by saying: "There simply is no right not to be offended, and we should be offended by the very notion that such a right could exist" (p. 36, emphasis added).
In his chapter on tsunamis and the Christian response he concludes by saying:
"Finally, Christians must respond to a crisis like this by weeping with those who weep, praying with fervent faithfulness, offering concrete assistance in Christ's name, and most importantly, by bearing bold witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ--the only way to bring life out of death" (p. 127 emphasis added).
I hope this has given you a small "taste" of the book! I know it's different than what I've done previously, let me know if you like the detailed summaries or just the overview. Or if you like a mixture!
Also, if you've read the book, feel free to start some discussions. I'd love to hear your thoughts, favorite part or quote of the book, what you agree or disagree with, or... anything! Have a great day!
Title: Culture Shift: Engaging Current Issues with Timeless Truth
Author: Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Al Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he lives in Louisville, Kentucky. He has contributed in other books, although this is the first time I've read anything written by him. You can learn more about him by visiting his website and blog at: http://www.albertmohler.com/
Published: Multnomah, copyright 2008
Background Information: I first heard about this book at the New Attitude conference I attended in May. (it was my first exposure to Na and I attended with several other youth from our church) During the conference they advertised this book, my interest was peaked, unfortunately by the time I got to the bookstore, they had sold out of the books and I wasn't able to look at it.
Happily though, my Pastor has a copy and let me borrow it. :-) My first response the book when I saw it was..."It's small!" I was expecting a thick book and was surprised that it only had 160 pages. Anyway, despite my initial reaction, the book is a good read. :-)
One other note: I will not be reviewing this in the same way I review fiction books--hope you enjoy the change!
Culture Shift...
The book deals with many of the current issues of our day. John Piper, C. J. Mahaney, and others offer their recommendations for the book.
Some of the chapters deal with: Christian morality in public law, the culture of offendedness, terrorism, an exit strategy from the public schools, science, the question of "are we raising a nation of wimps?" abortion, and more. The book has a total of 20 chapters and even though it is small it deals with each issue in a "heavier" way than the average book I read. The book is for the "older reader" and so I wouldn't really recommend it for children, however I think teens/youth could read it. It's a great book to learn more about the issues of our day.
I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half. Specifically his section on public schools and the need for Christian parents to develop an "exit strategy" to leave the public school system. I also appreciated the chapters where he dealt with abortion. It was interesting to learn some debates going on in the "left side" concerning abortion. And finally, I enjoyed his section on tsunamis, and the Christian response to them.
He also talks about St. Augustine and goes into some detail about the "City of God and the City of Man." (whatever I knew about Augustine and his teachings on this I forgot, so it was interesting to be reminded/learn something new)
Here are some quotes/points that I liked and thought I'd include for your review.
"We love our neighbor because we first love God. In his sovereignty, our Creator has put within this cultural context in order that we may display His glory by preaching the gospel, confronting persons with God's truth, and serving as agents of salt and light in a dark and fallen world. In other words, love of God leads us to love our neighbor, and love of neighbor requires our participation in the culture and in the political process" (emphasis added p. 2).
In his chapter on offendedness he writes about how the definition of the word "offend" has changed. He says:
"Today, desperate straits are no longer required in order for an individual or group to claim the emotional status of offendedness. All that is required is often the vaguest notion of emotional distaste at what another has said, done, proposed, or presented. This shift in the meaning of the word and in its cultural usage is subtle but extremely significant. It also leads to inevitable conflict" (p. 31, emphasis added). He goes on to talk more about Christians and their response to offenses and the cultures response to offenses. He concludes his chapter by saying: "There simply is no right not to be offended, and we should be offended by the very notion that such a right could exist" (p. 36, emphasis added).
In his chapter on tsunamis and the Christian response he concludes by saying:
"Finally, Christians must respond to a crisis like this by weeping with those who weep, praying with fervent faithfulness, offering concrete assistance in Christ's name, and most importantly, by bearing bold witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ--the only way to bring life out of death" (p. 127 emphasis added).
I hope this has given you a small "taste" of the book! I know it's different than what I've done previously, let me know if you like the detailed summaries or just the overview. Or if you like a mixture!
Also, if you've read the book, feel free to start some discussions. I'd love to hear your thoughts, favorite part or quote of the book, what you agree or disagree with, or... anything! Have a great day!
One more thing, you can read more about "Culture Shifts" at the following place:
