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Category: Books

  • Bridges: The Science and Art of the World\’s Most Inspiring Structures

    I mixed things up a bit, and instead of reading a book on biblical studies, I chose a subject from the applied sciences.  The book I decided to read (because I already bought it) was entitled Bridges: The Science and Art of the World\’s Most Inspiring Structures, and David Blockley wrote it. I wasn\’t aware when I bought the book. Still, Blockley also wrote Structural Engineering: A Very Short Introduction, a volume in the Very Short Introductions collection by Oxford University Press that I enjoy reading and collecting. Bridges was a worthy book to read, and it has given me more of an awareness of the commonness of bridges.

    As a reader who is not trained as an engineer and has never taken a formal physics class, I know the subject gets extremely technical and detailed. Understandably, I\’m not going to place a bid on the design and construction of a bridge. Bridge types get divided into technical elements, with each aspect not being oversimplified to a level that is hard to appreciate. However, he points out that so much of what we see and do depends on this critical infrastructure. Using the idea of book creation, bridge parts are broken down into \”stories\”. Starting at a rudimentary level of bridges, he builds on the concepts. One that will have fewer technical aspects and break down into it will have fewer fields of movement. He mentions that the acronym BATS is a good piece of summary information that can be applied to other examinations of bridges just by looking at them through life.

  • Sanctification: The Christian\’s Pursuit of God-Given Holiness

    As Christians, a few fundamental doctrines serve as our foundation. One of the most important is sanctification. Without sanctification, where are we left in our Christian lives?

    Sanctification: The Christian\’s Pursuit of God-Given Holiness by Michael Riccardi discusses evangelicals\’ tendency to have an uncomfortable understanding of sanctification, yet there is a natural need to agree on its meaning. John MacArthur wrote the foreword, which sets up the case for the subject. Riccardi works with MacArthur on his church staff, so he is expected to have complementary beliefs with MacArthur. MacArthur writes in his introduction, \”How believers think about sanctification is vitally important.\” As Christians, we have several fundamental doctrines that serve as our foundation, with sanctification being one of the most important. Without sanctification, where would we be in our Christian lives?

    In his book, *Sanctification: The Christian\’s Pursuit of God-Given Holiness*, Michael Riccardi discusses the discomfort many evangelicals feel regarding understanding sanctification. Despite this discomfort, there is a natural need for a shared understanding of its meaning. He uses the example of the debate between Kevin DeYoung and Tullian Tchividjian, which started online and progressed to each man authoring books explaining each position, widely followed by conservative evangelicals (Riccardi, 3). John MacArthur, who wrote the foreword for the book, sets the stage for the discussion on this vital subject. Riccardi works with MacArthur on his church staff and probably shares a similar understanding. MacArthur states in his introduction, \”How believers think about sanctification is vitally important.\” This sentiment resonates with Riccardi as well, and it is one that Riccardi agrees with.

    What is the appropriate role a believer is responsible for in their sanctification? Should the believer be in an active state of pursuit? Instead, do Christians only need to accept a passive role, waiting for holiness to take hold? Riccardi focuses on the biblical texts, which is appreciated. He utilizes Philippians 2:12-13 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, allowing the reader to extract at least three key truths about the method of attaining sanctification. The first point was that sanctification was the growth of the faith that was \”fundamentally internal and supernatural\” (Riccardi, 8), the second was that it was the \”sovereign work of the Spirit of God\” (Riccardi, 12), and thirdly that the \”Holy Spirit employes means in sanctifying the believer\” (Riccardi, 17).

    With the method of pursuit discussed, Riccardi then addresses five means of sanctification. Scripture is the starting point. Prayer, fellowship, providence, and obedience

    Whether the title is to someone comes down to two different questions. How much time does the reader want to spend on the topic? The second question is the level of understanding that the reader has. If the reader does not understand the basics of sanctification and has more than a couple of hours, better titles will be available. It is not that there is anything wrong with the content; the book\’s short length does not provide much space to go into summary detail on the topic. The ideal reader would be a Christian who has been attending church for a while and has a fundamental understanding of the topic, but desires a more organized understanding.

  • Exodus: God, Slavery, and Freedom

    Dennis Prager, perhaps best known for his conservative online platform, PragerU, has written commentaries on the five books of the Torah. I discovered from a November 2024 YouTube video that he is a believing Jewish, not Christian. I mention his faith only to highlight his worldview and the foundational perspective that influences his text analysis. I chose to start with Exodus to gain a new understanding of this pivotal book of the Bible that details the first actions between God and his people as a group.  

    While many Jewish scholars write commentaries on the Old Testament, the ones I\’ve encountered have not focused on the covenant relationship between God and His people as it still applies today. He says the book is written \”for people of every faith, and for people of no faith\” (Prager 2018, xvii). He argues that regardless of a person\’s faith, the moral guidance that the Torah provides to any reader has intrinsic value.

    I appreciate many aspects of Prager and his commentary, including his approach of not trying to impose the concept of the Trinity into Old Testament text and his inclusion of mini-essays on various topics. Prager is able to read the original text and discuss translations into English. When he thinks it\’s applicable, he will explain why he thinks a better translation may be available. The book is a verse-by-verse commentary with the bible verses printed above the commentary text. With the text and the commentary together, a reader could read from start to finish or go directly to the verses of interest. The scriptural text is from the 1985 New JP Translation. Not every verse in Exodus has commentary, but a large part of the first thirty-five books do. Mini-essays are worked into the commentary, addressing related issues in the text throughout the book. The essays have varying lengths of a couple of lines to multiple pages and span a range of topics that often address issues that contemporary readers. Found early in the text is an example of \”Moral Absolutes, Moral Relativism, and Situational Ethics\” (Prager 2018, 14). A lengthy essay later addresses \”False Gods\” (Prager 2018, 227-238).

    However, my main criticism of his commentary is that Prager\’s tone can sometimes be overly apologetic when discussing the biblical text and its characters. As a descendant of the exiles and a recipient of the promise made to Abraham and his lineage, he seems to strive to portray them in the best light possible, which can lead to a less critical analysis of specific issues, such as slavery and murder. Prager is also very aware of social issues and will point out how the Torah is a socially attuned text when it may differ from the cultural customs in favor of social views currently held. An example of the social focus can be found on page 19, addressing the role of women in Moses\’ life.

    With all of the great things, and as much as I like Denis Prager, I would be hesitant to recommend this commentary in multiple scenarios. Most readers of the Bible have not spent much time in the book of Exodus. The extent of additional books that are referenced is likely limited to just one. There are better commentaries to ensure that the critical message from the text is extracted. When multiple commentaries have been consulted, and there is an interest in understanding the text from a non-traditional Christian standpoint, this commentary may shine.

    Prager, Denis. Exodus: God, Slavery, and Freedom. The Rational Bible. Washington: Regnery Faith, 2018.

    05/16/2025 – Updated with the web link to YouTube