Here’s a review of my reading material during 2024. I got through 30 books altogether, plus the Bible, and I mostly enjoyed what I read. No one-star or two-stars to be seen.
Absolutely outstanding *****
Very good ****
A decent read ***
Hmm, OK **
Don't bother *
Chasing the Moon: How America Beat Russia in the Space Race - Robert Stone and Alan Andres ****
By the beginning of the 1960s, the Soviet Union had put a satellite, a dog and a man into Earth orbit, and had successfully landed a probe on the Moon before the USA had as much as put anyone in space for even 15 minutes. How NASA turned that round to achieve the first crewed lunar circumnavigation and lunar landing is the fascinating drama related in this book. It’s truly prodigious that NASA did it using a guidance computer weighing 32 kilos, with just 36 kilobytes of memory and using less power than a 60-watt lightbulb! The book understandably focuses much more on the American story than the Soviet one as information, even in post-Soviet Russia, is so much harder to come by. The authors have a weird preoccupation with Arthur C. Clarke that I found a bit of a distracting sidebar but, apart from that slight annoyance, this is a well-written account of the 1960's race to be the first to set foot on another world.
Straight to the Heart of Matthew: 60 Bite-Size Insights - Phil Moore ****
This is one of the few in the Straight to the Heart series that curiously does not cover every verse of the book(s) it is commenting on, which is a bit of a pity. I would love to know for example what Phil says about the many holy people who were raised from the dead and walked around the streets of Jerusalem at the moment Jesus died, a verse that has always puzzled me and that is unique to Matthew. That said, this is a really good book, based on the theme that Matthew wrote about a world-shaking revolution which began with the coming of Jesus. Once again, a mine of fascinating detail is confined to the footnotes, and you lose half the benefit of reading the book if you skip over them. A readable and helpful little guide to the Gospel of Matthew.
The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World - Jonathan Freedland *****
Only five Jews successfully escaped from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and this book is the story of the man who was joint first, Rudolph Vrba, who audaciously broke out in April 1944. Jonathan Freedland brilliantly describes how they did it, how close they came to being caught on several occasions while on the run, and why they did it - to sound the alarm as Jews in their thousands were lining up to be deported from Hungary to their deaths. The book shows how ruthlessly efficient the Holocaust’s industrial slaughter was; most of those who arrived at Auschwitz were dead after a few hours, all totally unsuspecting, such was the meticulous deception of the Nazi machine. The chapters chronicling Vrba’s internment are predictably hard to read, but his indomitable spirit is truly astonishing. That he survived even a few months there is almost more remarkable than his escape. Amazing and baffling that Rudolph Vrba and fellow escapee Fred Wetzler are not better known.
Straight to the Heart of 1 & 2 Corinthians: 60 Bite-Size Insights - Phil Moore ***
I love Phil Moore’s comment that God preserved these two letters in the New Testament to show us how bad the early Church could be. The first community of Christians in Corinth was a mess - and yet it was still loved by God. It’s the ideal place to start for those who romanticise the New Testament Church and also for anyone today who moans about their local church and/or stays away because they’ve been hurt by it, or find it boring, or complain that it is failing to meet all their needs, or who say it was better with the last vicar, or whatever. This book is also very helpful on what is, for me, one of the most obscure passages in the New Testament (the bit about head coverings in chapter 11). Well worth a read, but not one of the best in this series for me.
Jesus through Middle-Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels - Kenneth E. Bailey ***
It is always good to glean insights into the historical context of the Bible and I was attracted to this because so much Bible scholarship available to me is from Westerners who inevitably read Scripture through their own cultural lens. So reflections on Jesus’ birth, teaching (especially parables) and interactions (especially with women) from someone who spent 40 years living and teaching in the Middle East are bound to be of interest. In truth, this is very good in parts and a little bit boring in others. At 425 pages it’s a bit too long, there's too much for example about the literary structure of the passages he examines, and I think would be a much better read if the material covered was edited down to about 70% of its published size. I’d also be interested to hear about how the substitutionary atonement is seen in the non-Western world but unfortunately this book does not cover the cross and resurrection at all.
Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church & What the Bible Has to Say - Preston Sprinkle ****
Preston Sprinkle (PhD) is President of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender. As such he has plenty of learning and experience in this field. I slightly braced myself for the worst when the book began with a series of tales from people’s subjective feelings. As a confirmed transceptic, that for me is like starting a book about space with claims of UFO sightings from recluses living in trailers in Colorado. But the book goes on to present findings from research (with a spectrum of conclusions), take biblical perspectives seriously, and explore pastoral approaches with care and wisdom. Few will agree with every sentence of this book given that it covers one of the most explosive and polarising issues of our times but it’s hard to argue that Dr. Sprinkle has written a carefully argued popular-level book that will be a help to many bewildered Christians and gender-confused individuals.
God Has a Name - John Mark Comer ****
I don't care for the style; ultra informal, hundreds of one-sentence paragraphs, Helvetica font, pointless scribbled drawings between the chapters and published in an unusual squarer format with a slice of the cover missing; it felt very west-coast USA, self-consciously trendy, looking to appeal to a younger, audience. Strike me down if it wasn't written on a MacBook in a Portland Oregon Starbucks. But if you can get past all that, (and I like to think I am mature enough to rise above it all), this is a really good book on the character of Yahweh, working slowly through Exodus 34.4-7 line by line. It's all very well thought through and clearly explained, but chapter 6 (Maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation) is especially excellent.
Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Turn to Christ? - Brother Andrew with Al Janssen ****
Founder of Open Doors Brother Andrew made his name smuggling Bibles behind the iron curtain but, after the ignominious collapse of communism in Europe, he found himself increasingly drawn to the underground Church in the Muslim world which is fast growing, despite having to operate in the shadows and in the face of unrelenting persecution. False accusations of blasphemy routinely lead to kidnappings, forced marriages, threats to blow up church buildings, torture, murders, government indifference and police collusion or inaction. It is all documented in this book, but what shines through most is the joy and courage of Christian converts from Islam across the Middle East and Asia, who are often ready to lay down their lives for Christ. The book ends with a challenge to Christians in the West to respond to the challenge of Islam with love, forgiveness, prayer and holy living.
Straight to the Heart of Hebrews and James: 60 Bite-Size Insights - Phil Moore ****
James and Hebrews are the only two letters in the New Testament addressed principally to Jewish believers in Jesus, but there is plenty here to take on board for Gentiles too. I really liked this book. It contrasts classic synagogue preaching with James' new covenant message and is very helpful on the so-called warning passages in Hebrews. I have always been struck by how strong a theme the superiority of Christ is in Hebrews but this book helped me see that it is an important factor in James as well.
The Exchange - John Grisham ***
John Grisham reprises Mitch and Abby McDeere, last heard of in the legal thriller that made him famous, The Firm. Here they are, 15 years on, now living in New York City, where Abby publishes niche cookbooks and Mitch is a partner in a large multinational law firm. Assigned a case for his client, a Turkish construction company disputing a huge unpaid bill by Colonel Gadhafi's Libya, a female colleague gets kidnapped by murderous thugs demanding a $100 million ransom with a 10-day deadline. Somehow, Abby gets roped into helping arrange her release, which is problematic because the terrorists are disinclined to negotiate and the good guys are struggling to round up enough cash. I was hoping for a few more twists and turns, but this is nonetheless a pretty decent cliff-hanger.
Elders: Developing Elders and Revitalising Teams - P.J. Smyth *****
A very readable and comprehensive survey of eldership; the qualities required, how you select, train and appoint, team dynamics, roles and much more. All of it was worth reading and I can’t think of much else you could add. The questions for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter make it a very useful tool for working through the material. The big question it begs is how usable this resource is, given the author’s very public standing down from church leadership following his alleged dishonesty during an investigation into historic abuse by his late father. (In mitigation, Andrew Graystone, who authored a book on serial abuser John Smyth, says PJ was his first and most damaged victim). I don’t know what to think. Does Moses’ murder of an Egyptian invalidate Moses' ministry and tarnish the first five books of the Bible? Does David's adultery and plot to kill Uriah render half of the Psalms unusable? Clearly not. I just know this is a really good book and it’s sad, though understandable, that its withdrawal from sale means it probably won’t ever have the impact its content deserves.
The Partner - John Grisham ****
A lawyer fakes his own death in a burned-out car wreck, steals $90 million from his legal firm’s bank account and disappears off to Brazil. He is a wanted man, hunted down as a suspect for theft and murder but things are not always as they seem, and a series of unexpected twists steers the story in a direction few would expect. It seems this lawyer is always one step ahead of the game. Or is he? Right up to the last page of the final chapter, you never quite know what might happen next.
The Confession - John Grisham ***
A little darker than usual for John Grisham, this legal thriller centres around an innocent man on death row, a few days from his execution, and the man who is actually guilty of the crime coming out of the shadows, ready to confess all. The death penalty in Texas is portrayed as being in the hands of a polarised and politicised judicial system, a Governor with one eye on the opinion polls and a sensationalist media always eager to stoke the fires for higher ratings. In this book, *spoiler alert* that potent cocktail sends an innocent young man to his death on the flimsy evidence of a forced confession and one fabricated eyewitness testimony. Like watching a slow-motion train crash, this book just left me feeling a bit sick.
I love Rebecca McLaughlin's writing and I was not disappointed by this short book on how women in the four Gospels see and experience Jesus' life. From the maternal intimacy of his mother Mary and relative Elizabeth, to sinful women, to broken and chronically sick women, to generous women who financed his mission, there is much to explore - from Jesus' conception and birth all the way to the cross and the empty tomb. Full of inspirational observations, and amply illustrated with touching anecdotes, mostly from Rebecca’s own family life, this is just a very enjoyable and edifying read.
The Good Shepherd: A Thousand-Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament - Kenneth E. Bailey ****
This book is a real gem. Using Psalm 23 as a launchpad, and working through passages in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Matthew, Luke, John, 1 Peter and, particularly outstanding, Mark, Kenneth E. Bailey shows how scripture repeats and develops this key theme. Bailey likes to dwell on rhetoric (the patterned structure of the original Hebrew and Greek) which I find a bit boring to be honest, but his commentary on the passages selected, informed by the testimonies and observations of real Middle Eastern shepherds, is a delight. For those of us living in the West, detached from rural life, there is much to open the eyes here on what must be, apart from 'Father', the Bible's most important metaphor of God's character.
Straight to the Heart of 1 Thessalonians to Titus: 60 Bite-Size Insights - Phil Moore ****
It is quite a feat to find a unifying theme between Paul's Thessalonica letters and those to Timothy and Titus. The former were among his earliest letters and the latter among his last, including his very last (2 Timothy). Phil Moore goes for 'turning scrap metal into gold', the work of sanctification, seen worked out as true converts, true warriors, truly fruitful, truly mature and truly ready. With his customary abundance of interesting illustrations and helpful historical notes, Phil deals with the controversial and (to some modern minds) offensive passages in 1 Timothy 1, 2 and 3 very straightforwardly. He understands them in their most natural sense, rather than ingeniously dovetailing them with the morals and politics of 21st Century Western culture, as some are inclined to do. That won't win him any friends. But (and this is a trustworthy saying worthy of full acceptance) it does make this devotional commentary feel reassuringly honest.
Born Again this Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith and What Comes Next - Rachel Gilson *****
Rachel Gilson is a same-sex attracted woman from an atheist background who surprised herself - and everyone who knew her - by becoming a Christian while an undergraduate at Yale University. This book describes the journey she took from her openly lesbian lifestyle to getting married to a man she grew to love and becoming a mother via her shock conversion to Christ. This is an intelligent and articulate exploration of the paths that same-sex attracted Christians must navigate, and what support they need, if they choose to be obedient to Jesus and say no to our Christ-rejecting culture. Full of surprises, I found this book to be realistic about the difficulties of celibacy and the cost of discipleship, but also inspirational about the all-sufficiency of Christ. There is so much of value here both for singles, whether same-sex attracted or not, and married couples.
Born to Be a Footballer: My Autobiography - Liam Brady ***
Liam Brady was an Irish footballer who made his name at Arsenal in the 1970s before playing in Italy for four different clubs and ending his career at West Ham United. He was a big star at Highbury, but his playing days there coincided with an era when I was less interested in football, partly because that team (Liam excepted) was pretty mediocre, and partly because I was more interested in music than sport at that age. Liam’s autobiography gives the inside story of his glittering playing days, including for his country (cursed as the Republic of Ireland was by a long series of inexplicable and terrible refereeing decisions) as well as management, which went badly, sitting on TV panels and running the Academy at Arsenal. His story gives some interesting angles on Irish geopolitics, moving to foreign countries, and internal football club politics. Oh, and it turns out he is a very big Bob Dylan fan. Good lad…
Straight to the Heart of Joshua, Judges and Ruth: 60 Bite-Size Insights - Phil Moore ***
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