It was a strange year. It will have some very different reads.
Herman Bavinck’s The Wonderful Works of God is a warm systematic theology. His Reformed Dogmatics has been boiled down to the essentials. He represents the height of turn of the 20th century continental Reformed thought. This volume is a bit large, but not overly technical. It is an edifying read. I spent much of the year reading this, trying to invest 20-30 minutes each morning.
Lutheran pastor Harold Senkbeil has done pastors a great service by writing The Care of Souls. It was very popular in 2019-20, just before the world “fell apart”. I think many of us were better prepared to care for others due to this book. I think it is a must read for pastors, and elders since they are shepherds rather than simply decision makers. He draws on his youth on the farm as well as his experiences in ministry. His views are rooted in theology, not simply pragmatism. He covers some important subject like guilt and shame as he reminds us ministry isn’t really about programs, but caring for people.
Devoted to Christ’s Church by Sinclair Ferguson is yet another gem from one of my favorite pastor-theologians. It also seems to be a timely book as many Christians struggle with devotion to Christ’s church in the wake of Covid. I want to turn this into a SS class unless he gets around to doing a video series. He talks about conversion and profession of faith, the church as family, being a disciple, worship, sacraments and more. This is rich in theology but also practical in light of his years a pastor, not simply a professor. If you are wondering how and why to be devoted to Christ’s church, I recommend this book.
Rejoice and Tremble by Michael Reeves is one of the few books on the fear of God. While this was not his best book, he’s becoming one of my favorite authors. This is a very good book, but the bar was high from previous books. He takes the time to distinguish the wrong and right fear of God. Our fear is connected to God as both Creator and Redeemer. Only the redeemed enjoy the proper fear of God. In addition to Scripture, Reeves (as usual) pulls from the dead guys.
Christopher Ash is another author I am developing a liking for. Two of his books show up here. The first is The Heart of Anger written with Steve Midgley who is a pastor and counselor. I’ve read a number of books on this subject, sadly, and this is one of the better ones. It strikes a great balance between the interpretation and application of Scripture, and stories. There are biblical portraits of anger, the reality of God’s anger and defusing our anger.
The other book is Trusting God in the Darkness, a short volume adapted from his lengthy (and excellent) commentary on Job. It isn’t just an edited version. It does capture the heart of the commentary, and Job, in a very accessible fashion. I would highly recommend this to help any wanting to understand this important book of Scripture.
Biographies & History
R.C. Sproul: A Life by Stephen Nichols is a very good biography of one of the bigger influences in my life. At times it seems like hagiography but R.C.’s life is fascinating, and his role in many pivotal events for the church in the 20th century undeniable. You get a bit of a glimpse into his friendship with James Boice, but other friendships aren’t really discussed. That is one weakness. He had friendships, and those can be a window into the soul of a man. But Vesta is a constant in R.C.’s life and this book. I think the only time they weren’t together was when he was at the country club “office” writing. You see that he also evangelized there, and his faith wasn’t an ivy tower faith.
Mission at Nuremburg by Tim Townsend focuses on Chaplain Gerecke and his role in the Nuremburg trials. Along the way there are a number of other biographical sketches, particularly of the Nazi prisoners on trial. This also gives us a fresh look at some of the lesser known atrocities committed by the Nazis. I was unaware of the extent of slavery they engaged in, for instance. This is a compelling story. The weak point would be the author’s understanding of doctrine, but that wasn’t why I read the book.
Cheer Up! The Life and Ministry of Jack Miller by Michael Graham is an honest look at another great figure of the Reformed Church in America during the 20th century. Graham paints us the picture of a flawed man transformed by grace who learned from his mistakes. As he notes in the introduction, Miller is not one of the best known figures of his time, but was a profound influence on many you have heard of. This was a very encouraging read in a very discouraging time.
Politics and Social Issues
I haven’t read many books on the theology of government. David Innes wrote a book for his class at King’s College that is a great introduction to this subject. It is called Christ and the Kingdoms of Men. He draws on Scripture, a variety of theologians, philosophers and statesmen. I’m turning this into a Sunday School class. He gets into the purposes of government, its limitations and the place for submission and resistance as citizens. He refers fairly often to Kuyper’s sphere sovereignty and the two kingdoms views of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. He says very little about R2K. He ends with a chapter on citizens and statesman. This is a good book to think through the subject.
There are a number of books critiquing critical theory these days. Thaddeus Williams does that and more in Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth. He discusses the differences between biblical justice and “social justice” using 12 questions. The book begins with a great forward by John Perkins. Williams refers to numerous original sources. I gave this away to some of our graduates since I found this to be an important and interesting read. If you are going to read one book on the subject, this is the one I’d recommend.
No Flesh Shall Glory: How the Bible Destroys the Foundations of Racism by C. Herbert Oliver is a “blast from the past.” It has been reprinted by P&R with the transcript of a lecture at Westminster Seminary as an appendix. Oliver was raised under the Jim Crow laws before heading north for an education that included Westminster Seminary. He was a Presbyterian pastor and civil rights activist. This focuses on Scripture, and the misinterpretations that furthered racism. He develops the unity of the human race, how Darwin sought to advance white supremacy and the problem of segregation. Sadly we see a push for a new kind of segregation by minority groups. This is a book Christians should read.
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman sounds like a dystopian book. It has a striking resemblance to the society of A Brave New World. This is a very important book to understand how we’ve gotten to this very strange time in history. It is filled with philosophical developments adopted by politics. He covers its effects as well. This should be considered his magnum opus (not to be confused with the penguin). This tome will not be for everyone because it does take time, patience and a dictionary. It is well-worth the effort.
A Year of Dystopian Novels
It is called a fairy tale but George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a classic. It’s been a few decades since I’ve read it. It was as good as I remembered it. I got a graphic novel version for #1 son, and he loved it. Orwell warns of the dangers of communism in a story based loosely on the Russian revolution.
Orwell didn’t only write Animal Farm, he wrote another classic in 1984. There is a more elaborate, political theory here behind this. Though a socialist himself, he feared totalitarianism. He introduces us to Winston and Julia who want to see an end to Big Brother but end up being trapped and tortured until we get to a chilling ending. Orwell likes those. Yes, it can be a bit of a slog when Orwell is explaining Ingsoc. He paints a vivid picture of a dingy society.
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is another dystopian classic. It is a softer form of totalitarianism. You don’t have the dinginess of 1984 and round the clock surveillance. But you do have the restrictions on information, relational disconnection including marriage in name only, frequent abortions, snitching for the state and the TV “family”. Montag has a quest for knowledge, but doesn’t know why. As a fireman whose job it is to burn books, and the buildings they are found in, he begins to keep copies for himself. And so began his troubles.
Cavman Considers 
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