A Bounty of Books

How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in A Divided Age by Jonathan Leeman examines how Christians should engage in the public square in today's extremely divisive political culture.

Leeman uses various groups in today's society such as the local church, Bible, and government to talk about how Christians should handle politics in America. Each chapter focuses on one of those aspects and defines both what that particular group or thing is and is not responsible for. The church has a different God ordained function than the government does. In the same way, a pastor has a specific focus when it comes to leading his/her church than he/she does in his/her personal life. There are things that all Christians should fight for or against and others that we should be willing to peacefully disagree with other believers about.

How the Nations Rage is helpful in that doesn't tell the reader exactly how to think about any particular political issue. Instead, it provides a framework of realms of responsibility both corporately and individually that serves as a helpful guide. Anyone interested in how Christians can thoughtfully engage in American politics today would benefit from this book.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. 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 255R

All Together Different: Upholding the Church's Unity While Honoring Our Individual Identities by J. Brian Tucker and John Koessler is a treatise on how numerous people with sometimes conflicting identities can come together as one body in the local church. This book identifies and examines personal and group identities using spiritual, social, and psychological parameters.

This book is somewhat of a tough read. There is a lot of good information, but it is densely packed which prevents an easy sort of flow from developing. It probably would be easier to read in chunks rather than several chapters all together. However, once one knows this, there is a lot of helpful information in here for church leaders in various contexts.

The main point of this book is that the overarching and most important identity of an individual in a church is that of a follower of Christ. All other identities are important and some must be addressed, but only that of a follower of Christ should be considered ultimate. This is how so many differing identities can become one - by uniting in that of a Christian.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Moody Publishers Blogger Review Program. 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, See Part 255

Jesus Calling Adult Coloring Book: Creative Coloring & Hand Lettering by Sarah Young is a beautiful collection of coloring pages centered around scriptures and quotes from Sarah Young's popular devotional, Jesus Calling.

Most of the designs include pictures of nature. Insects, plants, and birds are the most common elements. There is an even balance between the number of pages centered around Bible verses and those centered around quotes from Jesus Calling.

Scattered throughout the book are hand lettering pages that have quotes on which one can practice doing different kinds of lettering. There is also a practice page in the very back with the entire alphabet of one particular design of letters. It would be easy to make copies of this in order to practice until one felt comfortable enough to design quotes on one's own.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. 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 Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God: Spirituality for the Rest of Us by Larry Osborne is the book every American Christian should read though few would think to look for. Osborne goes against conventional wisdom with this book that helps those who may feel they don't fit in the American church find a home.

Most Christian living books advocate for some kind of program to follow, or steps to take to strengthen one's faith. Osborne takes the opposite approach. He points out that since people are so different in wiring, strengths, and likes, it would be silly for God to expect everyone to relate to Him in the exact same way. A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God gives the reader permission to pursue God in ways that are most effective for the individual.

This book was previously published under the title Spirituality for the Rest of Us. This is an updated version with a few new chapters. It is easy to read and accessible for any reader. A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God is full of practical advice that should benefit anyone who chooses to engage the content.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. 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

Wounds Are Where Light Enters: Stories of God's Intrusive Grace by Walter Wangerin Jr. is a collection of short stories that illustrate the various facets of grace and how it is expressed in human beings. From the mundane to the extraordinary, the youngest child to the oldest man, the miracle of birth and the sorrow of death and everything in between, when one is looking, one can see grace anywhere.

A Force So Swift: Mao, Truman, and the Birth of Modern China, 1949 by Kevin Peraino is an in-depth look at how American foreign policy in 1949 allowed Mao and the communists to defeat Chiang Kai Shek and the nationalists in the Chinese civil war that followed the end of WWII. Using many first person interviews and recently declassified American government documents, Peraino takes a look at both the personalities and the policies that shaped the world during this time.

It is astonishing how small the world was after WWII and how one nation's support or lack thereof can shape the destiny of another nation. The steep toll paid by China during WWII created a kind of vacuum that Mao was able to exploit. America's support for the nationalists, which had been strong during Truman's first term, was quickly withdrawn during his second under the direction of Secretary of State Dean Acheson. While there were many other factors that played into Mao's victory, this was a significant one. The subsequent policy of containing communism in the rest of Asia led to American involvement in two more significant conflicts.

Peraino does a good job of delving into these policies and the people behind them without getting bogged down in minutiae. A Force So Swift is easy to read and flows well. The balance between policy and personality is such that one doesn't get trapped in either. It is informative and somewhat entertaining.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. 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 Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence by Thabiti Anyabwile is a primer from an ex-Muslim on tips for effectively sharing the gospel with Muslims. The book is broken into two sections, one about the gospel and one called "As You Witness." Each of the eleven chapters are short and comprised mainly of practical tips, though there are some personal stories from Anyabwile.

While there are good practical tips, there is nothing new or super unique about this book, except for Anyabwile's personal experiences. The main components of sharing the gospel with anyone regardless of religious background, is knowing the truth and sharing it and depending on Holy Spirit to do the actual work in a person's heart. Almost all of the advice given in this book could be applied to sharing the gospel with anyone.

Overall, The Gospel for Muslims is a good resource, but not a great one. It is short and easy to read if one is pressed for time, or needs a quick boost of confidence.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Moody Publishers Blogger Review Program. 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, See Part 255