Most toddlers don’t read lengthy books, let alone the Bible. However, there are plenty of colorful, picturesque “Bibles” that are designed for toddlers and other children. As parents of three children (aged 5 years, 3 years, and 10 months), we have quite a few of these “children’s Bibles” in our home. We spend part of every day reading these to our children, and they often spend time looking at the bright and beautiful pictures while laying in their beds at night or during rest time.

Disclaimer:  These thoughts stem from my work in writing a children’s Bible curriculum that will be accompanied by visuals. I serve as the curriculum author, not the artist. 

“Assessing children’s Bibles is not child’s play,” writes David Shaw in a Themelios article. This statement is a good one, since Shaw goes on to call for careful and critical assessment of children’s Bibles. Shaw’s analysis is far more lengthy and thorough than my simple thoughts below, but I want to point out a few reflections I have about children’s Bibles, and offer some thoughts.

Concerns with Illustrated Bible Story Books

• Children, or anyone really, profit from visual stimuli for learning. Often the visual stimuli in Bible story books, the pictures, constitute the Bible’s message. We’ve read through several children’s Bibles together several times, and usually my daughters make remarks about the pictures:  “The bunny is crying, too.” “Abraham has a pet kitty cat!” Visual details are not necessarily a problem, but we must remain aware that kids will long remember these images and associate them inextricably with the message in words.
• Bible picture storybooks often add details, dialogue, and filler material that is either not in the Bible or distracts from the real point the Bible is making. For example, one popular Bible storybook recounts the creation narrative with God speaking, “Hello stars, hello moon.” Even among the loosest Bible renderings (translations) I surveyed, there is no record of God saying these specific words. It is enough for us to know that he spoke. What he actually said is undisclosed. I  wonder if the “hello” addition may be unnecessary at best, and at worst, misleading. While there may be nothing wrong with adding explanation and even creating some dialogue, it must be done with care and precision.
• Bible storybooks picture most characters as caucasians. Perhaps this is a minor point, but it still bothers me. Adam, Abraham, and Jesus were not caucasian men. They most likely did not have blonde hair or red hair. Nonetheless, many of the storybooks portray all Bible characters with ethnicity. This may subtly cause us to think of the Bible as a book for us — people of our skin color and race. Perhaps it’s petty, but I sometimes wish that most picture Bibles were more accurate in this regard.
• Many storybooks picture strange-looking people. Some Bible storybooks overcome the ethnicity concern by depicting garish cartoon figures. Although the racial depiction concern is gone, we have a new problem:  goofy-looking Bible characters. These Bible characters often look so outlandishly weird that it distracts my children from the point of the story.

Using Bible Story Books

There will be shortcomings in whatever storybook we use. Although we read Scripture to our children (not just in storybooks), we’ve found the Bible story books to be helpful in many regards. Here are a few things we’ve tried:

• Make a distinction between Bible storybooks and the Bible itself. I’ve sometimes made the mistake of saying, “Okay, we’re going to read the Bible now,” as I pull the children’s Bible storybook off the shelf. However, the children’s Bible storybook is not the Bible. Children should have some level of understanding about the distinction between the Bible and its colorful, picture-filled spinoff.
• Use a variety of storybook Bibles. We have somewhere around seven or eight Bible story book versions. (Yes, I know; quite a few. I received several for review purposes.) Using a variety has, hopefully, allowed my children to see that there are several perspectives on what things may have looked like. In other words, I don’t want them to have a fixed image of the Garden of Eden or what Samson looked like, based off of one book. I want them to understand that we don’t really know what exactly things looked like. All we have is an artist’s rendition.
• Read and explain Scripture. This final point is simply another way of applying Deuteronomy 6:6–9. Teach children God’s Word. We cannot rely upon the storybook Bibles to give all the biblical training that our children need. Our children need to see the Bible modelled by us and hear it explained by us. By explaining Scripture and how it applies to their life, we can cultivate a respect for its authority, a love for its beauty, and an appreciation of its wisdom. Most importantly, we can teach them about the God whom the Bible describes.

I applaud the efforts and work of many Bible storybook writers and illustrators. I’m thankful for the positive impact that they have had upon me and my children. I recognize that no author or artist presumes to fully represent the entire Bible — in all its grand and glorious complexity and simplicity —for children. However, we can use these tools with wisdom, discretion, and explanation for greater profit.

• Title:  Operation Screwtape:  The Art of Spiritual War
• Author:  Andrew Farley
• Publisher:  Baker Books
• Date: January 15, 2013
• Length:  192 pages / 3.25 hours
• Narration:  David Cochran Heath

Note on the audio version:  David Cochran Heath is an excellent narrator. I think he was especially good in Screwtape, because of his sinister demonic laughing. Seriously, he punctuated the narration with bouts of devilish snickering. Juvenile? Meh, maybe. Engaging and effective? Pretty much. 

Overview

Farley, who specializes in the shock factor, writes the book as if it were a training manual for demons. Like Screwtape Letters, in which a senior demon instructs a younger demon on how best to tempt his subject, this book follows the same model. Since the techniques of the original Screwtape Letters are outdated, according to the introductory matter of Operation Screwtape, this is a demon’s training book for a new age. The training provides demonic neophytes a way to mess up the spiritual lives of those who are already Christians.

Thoughts

There is a chilling warmth about the book. On the one hand, it is chilling because you’re reading the calculated, aggressive, and conspiratorial advances of the enemy. On the other hand, it is warm and encouraging, because you are reminded of the power of the gospel as it combats the advances of the devil. The book contains plenty of theology, albeit coming from a demon. These sections serve to remind us that the gospel is sufficient, that we are safe in Christ, that we are dead to sin, and that we will ultimately triumph.

Reading a book from the enemy’s perspective is fascinating. It takes some getting used to. Most Christians are accustomed to reading praiseworthy things about God, and not-so-praiseworthy things about the Devil. This book contains precisely the opposite, and appropriately so. When reading the book, you begin to experience “aha” moments when you finally “figure out” how demons are tricking you, and the sinister techniques they’re using to trip you up. But for all its fascination, we’ve got to remember that we’re not really reading a Demon’s Training Manual. This stuff wasn’t actually written by a demon.

What you’re reading is speculation, constructed from bits of Scripture, a bit of deduction, and a lot of personal experience. It’s helpful to get a look at us — the good guys — from the perspective of the bad guys. But the book isn’t some cosmic wikileaks. Everything is a product of some speculation, and therefore discernment is advised, just as with any book. 

Writing an entire book from the perspective of a demon has another shortcoming. When we start blaming everything on demons and devils, we fail to see the depths of depravity that has pervaded our own hearts. “The devil made me do it,” is a supicious exoneration of guilt. The Bible, however, describes the condition of our hearts as “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), and paints a deplorable picture of what we’re capable of without the help of demons (Romans 1:18–32).

Perhaps the  most valuable aspect of Farley’s book is that it reminds us of the presence and cunning of the evil one. Ephesians 6 provides an appropriate impetus for reading the book:  “We…wrestle against…the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evi in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The “schemes of the devil” are something to take seriously, and to stand against faithfully.

Amazon | Audible | Christianaudio

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this review copy for free as part of the Christianaudio Reviewers Program of christianaudio.com. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review of Making All Things New

• Title:  Making All Things New:  God’s Dream for Social Justice
• Author:  R. York Moore
• Audiobook Narrator:  R. York Moore
• Pub­lisher:  IVP Books
• Date:  December 1, 2012
• Length:  170 pages
• Audio Length:  4.5 hours

Overview of Making All Things New

The ways in which Making All Things New differs from other social justice books is apparent. In the first place, the author introduces the biblical metaphor of marriage by which to view God’s love for his bride, and his subsequent effort to make her clean. In York’s view, such cleansing entails justice for the enslaved and abused of the world.

Second, Moore employs the theme of judgment to argue for the importance of justice. From the book of Revelation, he demonstrates how God’s judgment of the world is part of the overarching framework of God’s pursuit of justice. The author doesn’t shy away from a true, biblical portrayal of God — God’s anger, warrior status, and the intensity of his judgment. Moore eloquently describes the paradox in this way:

When the great eschatological realities of the Christian faith are ignored or allegorized, we lose the ability to provide a cohesive, comprehensive worldview. As a result, the Christian message itself is compromised. We can’t have the great love of God without the great wrath of God.” (Page 50)

Moore traces the arc of God’s “dream” for justice from Eden to the New Jerusalem. He sees this dream for justice as an inextricable part of God’s global mission to make disciples from all nations (Matthew 28:19–20). Along the way, he insists upon the centrality of gospel proclamation joined with meeting physical needs.

The book ends with a well-grounded appeal for all Christians to become part of God’s dream — a dream that he will surely bring to pass. The final chapter, “Joining God in Making All Things New,” is a clarion call to engage in God’s grand program for justice and righteousness in the present as we look towards the future.

Thoughts on Making All Things New

Making All Things New blends motivation with argumentation. The book is full of anecdotes that provide a high-definition look at injustices around the world. These accounts are plaintive and poignant. They are themselves a form of motivation. Although there is this emotional tug, there is also theological and eschatological revelation. Moore demonstrates how justice is rooted in the character and plan of God, and why, therefore, Christians should be involved.

Throughout the book, Moore uses the term “dream” to describe God’s plan and passion for justice (e.g., page 12). Without setting forth a solid definition of “dream,” such terminology may seem a bit nebulous, especially at the opening of the book.

As a whole, Making All Things New provides solid footing for the pursuit of social justice in the evangelical church today. Yes, we must acknowledge the need for gospel proclamation together with acts of mercy, but we cannot neglect one for the other. The book will help you to construct a biblical framework for justice, and compel you to engage in the essential ministry of making all things new.

See the book on Amazon.

Also available on Audible and Christianaudio.

Note on the audio edition:  R. York Moore narrates the audio edition of the book. I appreciate it when the author reads their own work, since they usually bring into their reading a pathos that professional readers may lack. Moore, as an experienced public speaker, is a capable narrator.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this review copy for free as part of the christianaudio Reviewers Program of christianaudio.com. 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: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review of The Omnivore’s Dilemma

• Title:  The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
• Author:  Michael Pollan
• Pub­lisher:  Penguin
• Date:  August 28, 2007
• Length:  450 pages

The Big Idea of The Omnivore’s Dilemma

Humans are omnivores. We must choose what we eat. And, oh, what a complicated blessing this is! In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan unleashes a torrent of research into the food we omnivores have chosen, and discusses the many ramifications  — moral, ethical, physical, emotional — our choices have had had. The result is a scathing reproach of the industrialization of food, a survey of some refreshing alternatives, and a compelling amount of science to back it all up.

Overview of The Omnivore’s Dilemma

The subtitle of the book is “A Natural History of Four Meals,” but it’s really about a whole lot more. Pollan writes about chicken urine, zea mays domestication, herding cattle, hippies, Joel Salatin, “mob stocking herbivorous solar conversion lignified carbon sequestration fertilization,” and a whole lot more. Yet all of these things are merely a framework upon which Pollan develops further insights. He discusses human motivation, the psychology of greed, the ethics (or lack thereof) of eating animals, and economic impact. He exposes where our food choices have brought us in terms of environmental damage, fiscal irresponsibility, ever-growing waistlines, healthcare turmoil, and, yes, even the menu at McDonald’s.

Pollan’s book is organized around four meals:

1. Eats lunch at McDonalds.
2. Prepares chicken dinner purchased at Whole Foods
3. Prepares another chicken dinner, the bird courtesy of Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farms.
4. Prepares a final dinner from a wild California pig and other items he personally foraged.

Pollan spends less time describing how he prepared the meals, than he does explaining where they came from. The results are disturbing, shocking, and extraordinarily revealing. The provenance of the McNuggets takes him to a remote Iowa farm, where he rides shotgun on an International Harvester. Exploring his Whole Foods salad draws him into the refrigerated caverns of an organic California megafarm. He’s belly-down and nose-deep in Virginia soil when he investgates the origins of his third meal, and he even decapitates a good number of chickens as part of the research process. The final meal has him risking life and limb in a wetsuit in the San Francisco bay, wandering alone in a snowy wasteland, shooting at wild pigs, and picking cherries from an urban garden.

Thoughts on The Omnivore’s Dilemma

Being a “natural history,” I was expecting plenty of science. There was. What I wasn’t expecting was vast passages of philosophy, ethics, and even faith. His writing is full of rich and nuanced contemplation on the bigger issues surrounding the McNuggets or grass-fed beef. Although Pollan is a self-proclaimed secularist, he has an exquisite sensitivity toward the loftier issues that complement reason, and which affect how and what we eat.

If you read this book, you will be changed. Here’s how

1. At the very least, you will think — long and hard — about what you’re eating
2. More likely, you will probably  begin to change the way you eat, at least to some extent. You will probably not eat at McDonald’s any more.
3. A further step of change is possible:  You will begin searching for small, beyond-organic farms in your area from which to buy your food. You may even visit Joel Salatin.
4. If you are motivated to the maximum extent, you will wage war the industrialized food system, and effect massive change in the way that our world gets its food.

Weighing in at 450 pages, it’s not a quick read, but it’s a good one. Food is a big deal. It’s an integral component of our humanness — something of utmost importance — and we’ve pretty much made a mess of it. Our world, our bodies, the food-as-fuel mentality, the carelessness, the waste, the damage. Obviously, things need to change.

Picking the “best” books of a big pile of books may be either hubris or haphazard, depending on your point of view. After gazing at their covers (thanks, Goodreads) and reminiscing over some of their content (thanks, failing memory), I have selected what I found to be the best 6% of the 153 books I read in 2012. (This is similar to what I did in 2011.) Arranged in no particular order, here are my top ten books of 2012. 

Eat That Frog, Brian Tracy

No one would call this book a literary masterpiece, but it made an impact on me. Thus, it made the top ten. It’s basically a 21-chapter motivational shtick, but the motivation has stuck. Everyday — even today — I have a “frog” which I am eating. Read it, and you shall understand.

Jesus Made in America, Stephen J. Nichols

This book spawned late-night conversations with Keren, extensive Kindle-marking, and even gifting it to others. It is a tour de force historical survey of the corrupt invention of an American Jesus. Even with my misgivings about his methodology, it’s a great book. Keren reviewed it.

Born to Run, Christopher McDougall

I read this book. After a few months of informal corroborative research on my part, I walked into REI and bought some Vibram Five Fingers. (Read Keren’s review)

Einstein: His Life and Universe, Water Isaacson

Einstein is more than , and this book proves it. I was fascinated by Einstein’s dogged attempts to prove the unprovable, and his humble pursuit of a proper political theory. Isaacson also wrote the biography of another notable inventor, Steve Jobs.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything, Tullian Tchividjian

Some Christian living books you read, and you feel ashamed and burned out. Others, you read, and you feel like you ate a gallon of spiritual frosting. Still others delve into the Bible, and share riches. This book was the latter. (Read my review.)

Simplicity Parenting, Kim John Payne

Of the parenting books I’ve read, this one has some of the most practical and helpful advice. Although it is a secular book, it is refreshingly countercultural. (My review)

The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg

The title says it all, but the content says a whole lot more about habit. This book is, quite literally, habit forming. (Keren’s review)

Sundown Towns, James W. Loewen

It’s hard to read an entire book with your mouth hanging open in shock. Metaphorically, however, that’s what I did when I read this book. The book documents the persistence of legalized, or quasi-legalized segregation on the municipal level, and how it scarred the American landscape well into the 20th century. (My review)

Start Something that Matters, Blake Mycoskie

I’ve never worn a pair of Toms, but I have a great appreciation for Blake Mycoskie, the entrepreneur who created the company. Today, thousands of poverty-stricken children have shoes, thanks to a vision that exceeded the confines of many greedy business-builders. His is an example I want to follow. (Read Keren’s review.)

Quiet,  Susan Cain

Introverts are everywhere. I am one. I live with some. This is a powerful book. It is also one of Keren’s top ten.

Top Ten Books — Runners Up

War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

One cannot read War and Peace and not sing its praises.

When the Rivers Run Dry, Fred Pearce

I can go days without thinking about water, even though I use an average of 80–100 gallons of it each day (if I am an “average American”). This book alerted me to the scarcity, the value, and the incredible world-shaping force that water possesses. (Read my review.)

A History of the World in Six Glasses, Tom Standage

Fascinating. I wish all history books were this interesting. (Read Keren’s review.)

Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow

Speaking of history, I appreciated this monumental biography of an amazing man. That little portrait on a one-dollar bill now holds far more meaning for me.

Keren, in addition to being Amazing, is also an avid reader and reviewer. Thus the plentiful links to her reviews. Check out her Top Ten. Since we both read a lot of the same books, we also picked some of the same Top Tenners.

Too often, we fall into the trap of preaching the gospel to adults and the law to children: “God wants you to be good boys and girls.” It is not that there is no truth in that statement, but without the right context and qualifications it is a recipe for hopelessness. If you were speaking to an adult, to which of them would you simply say, “This is the gospel: God wants you to be a good person”? That is not good news for anyone! Our children need the pure gospel just as much as any others and are no less capable of receiving and believing it.

Here are some of the interesting statistics.

• Women are 50% more likely to finish a book than men.
• The most popular genre that men read is historical.
• 30% of people will have stopped reading by page 50. Yes. I have.
• Only 35% of people will finish a book that is over 700 pages long. Reminds me that I need to get back to that George Washington biography. I think I left off at page 162 out of 928.

I was in for a surprise.

Book Review of Disability and the Gospel

• Title: Disability and the Gospel: How God Uses Our Brokenness to Display His Grace
• Author: Michael S. Beates
• Audiobook narrator:  Arthur Morey
• Publisher: Crossway and Christianaudio (audio version)
• Date: June 2012
• Length: 192 pages, 6.43 hours

The Big Idea of Disability and the Gospel

This book is a theology of disability. The author discusses biblical texts dealing with the topic, surveys disability from a historical perspective, and provides practical advice for dealing with disability in church and life. Beates does not answer every question about disability, but he does provide a discussion that is challenging, biblical, and, I believe, necessary.

Thoughts on Disability and the Gospel

• This is an important issue. The author does a helpful job of explaining how the disabled are marginalized and excluded from many Christian and evangelical congregations. Obviously, few churches would actively resist the attendance of disabled people, but the lack of proactive outreach to these people is a testament to their exclusion. If, as Beates asserts, 10% of the population has a physical or mental disability, then why do our churches not reflect this percentage?
• The treatment is thoughtful, biblical, and well-informed. Beates did his homework. This book is a helpful resource because of its excellent research. Not only does Beates deal with the biblical passages in a thorough way, but he also takes the reader on a historical journey through church history to see how Christian thinkers and writers throughout the ages have understood the topic of disability. Although thorough, the book is also very accessible for any layperson.
• We are all weak, broken, and, in a sense, disabled. I was born with a congenital heart disorder that was, by God’s grace, corrected in two procedures when I was ten and eleven. Apart from a few bumps and bangs (and a really painful splinter a few weeks ago) I’ve never been “disabled,” in the conventional sense. But what does it mean to be “disabled?” Michael Beates makes a case for the fact that we’re all disabled, in one sense or another. We may not have a debilitating physical condition, but we all have weaknesses. Rather than resist our weakness, we ought to embrace it (2 Corinthians 11:30). Our weakness is an opportunity to display God’s power and grace (2 Corinthians 12:9).

This is not a specialist book, only intended for those who are disabled or who have a disabled loved one. It is a book for every Christian. The challenge to humility, to bold engagement with the marginalized, and to more intentional service is a call that each believer would do well hear.

See the book on Amazon.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this review copy for free as part of the christianaudio Reviewers Program of christianaudio.com. I was not required to write a positive review, even though I did…this time. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review of Love Does

• Title:  Love Does:  Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World 
• Author:  Bob Goff
• Pub­lisher:  Thomas Nelson
• Date:  May 1, 2012
• Length:  240 pages

Thoughts on Love Does

Love Does is a fun book. It’s a fun book because it’s very human, and you get to hear all the crazy things that humans do. In fact, the whole book is a series of anecdotes about one human — author Bob Goff. He recounts the usually hilarious, often unorthodox, and frequently shocking events of his life, and extrapolates spiritual life lessons therefrom. The book’s power lies in its quotable one-liners, heart-tugging tales of love, and poignant insights into human nature. I found myself laughing out loud several times. I also wrote down a few good ideas that I’d like to incorporate into my life.

Because of Goff’s ability as a writer, and his striking observations on life, the book has the power to encourage and inspire. Note, however, that this is not a theology book. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find one Scripture passage. Mostly Bob ruminates on spiritual issues with expressions like, “it seems to me,” and “I like to think of it as…” The book is bereft of solid theological spadework, but is chock full of human interest stories. You will come away from it remembering:  “Bob is a lawyer. He had tons of fun. And there was that funny story about how got fired for passing gas.”

On the book’s cover is a picture of colorful balloons. Like the balloons, the book is fun, colorful, and enjoyable. However, you  may find out that there’s not much on the inside.

See the book  on Amazon. 

Also available on Audible.

The ears of our generation have been made so delicate by the senseless multitude of flatterers that as soon as we perceive that anything of ours is not approved of, we cry out that we are being bitterly assailed; and when we can repel the truth by no other pretence, we escape by attributing bitterness, impatience, and intemperance to our adversaries.

Martin Luther, in a letter to Pope Leo X