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May 23
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Jason
gave
to:
The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God (A Theology of Lordship)
by John M. Frame
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read in July, 2007
Jason said:
"How do we know, that we know? Or better put, how do we begin to have any comprehension of the world that we know? For John Frame, a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, all knowledge, of ourselves, of the world around us and anything beyond, t...more
How do we know, that we know? Or better put, how do we begin to have any comprehension of the world that we know? For John Frame, a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, all knowledge, of ourselves, of the world around us and anything beyond, the starting point begins and ends with knowledge of God. As such, revelation, knowledge gained from outside our own perspective, given directly to us, must come, or most of what our attempts at knowledge are mere stabs in the dark.
This book is the result of years of teaching, and in fact, the book itself, written about twenty years ago, came about from a class on the Christian Mind. This is a deep and complex book. Many have said, including its author (!), that a great many of its readers will find use of it as primarily a reference book. But there are great truths to think and dwell upon, and yes, wrestle with, if the reader digs deeper.
A key concept expounded in this book is the concept of three perspectives - the rational, the situational and the experiential; with the idea that all forms of knowledge, that is that knowledge of the world, ourselves and God relates in an inter related triangle that are identical and interdependent. In other words they all rely on each other. In other words, while different, all ways that we know, rely on each other. It would be strange to many Christians to think that it is not first the Bible, or revealed revelation that rules knowledge. But Frame, really arguing from a very traditional Reformed stance, says that what you bring to understanding the Scriptures, your reason, your world that you live in and your personal contact with God that determines the way that Scripture rules in the lives of believers. Because Frame writes of a sovereign God, who reveals himself through people, and through nature, that man is in God's image and that nature declares God, that he cites a three way understanding for how we know, beginning with how God reveals himself to us.
Due to the first way of knowledge, God revealing himself to man, Frame cites the uses and abilities of tools of knowing: logic, language, history, science and philosophy, in service to a ruling and revealing God. He strongly believes that every man is a theologian and as a result wrestles with these questions every day, in every part of his life. Again, this is a deep book, but in many ways, it is just an introductory book for dealing with the idea of how do we know what we know, beginning with how God has revealed and continues to reveal himself to man.
If the reader is looking for a long term read dealing with aspects of God's rule over every area of his life, including the religious portion, this would be a fine place to start. ...less
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Jason
gave
to:
Can We Trust the Gospels?: Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Paperback)
by Mark D. Roberts
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read in March, 2008
Jason said:
"The Christian faith really rests, on an individual level, what is a person to make of Christ. Is the witness provided by others reliable that it changes everything, or is the witness nothing more than the exaggerated telling of a mystic teacher in Ro...more
The Christian faith really rests, on an individual level, what is a person to make of Christ. Is the witness provided by others reliable that it changes everything, or is the witness nothing more than the exaggerated telling of a mystic teacher in Roman Palestine 2,000 years ago. Mark Roberts, a Harvard educated, PC-USA minister has made available to as probably a broad a modern lay audience as possible, a most unusual apologetic for the trustworthiness for the gospels of the New Testament.
What makes this book unusual is that Roberts was trained in the higher critical schools that doubt the veracity of the gospels, and he uses those methods to show how the four NT gospels are an acceptable and trustworthy account for the life of Jesus. There has been a great divide between higher critical Biblical scholars and traditional, orthodox ones, to the point where they do not interact with each other at all. Roberts, in using the language of the higher critical world that he studied in, is able to at least dialogue with a general population, who knows little of the back and forth debates and has picked up the information in a second hand matter. This book started as a blog series for Roberts, so in its 200 pages, its writing style takes on the familiar `jotty', FAQ style that is common online, yet it is informed by Roberts years of study in ancient history, manuscripts and theology.
This book is primarily for people who have doubts about the trustworthiness of the gospels. Roberts apologetic, is to attempt to remove obstacles to faith, in this case doubts about the historical validity of the four gospels. What permeates his writing is a sense of reasonableness, that what he presents is based on the best sort of reason. He cannot, for no person can, make the case of absolute certainty. You cannot do that with history. But as a believer and in this case most importantly, a pastor, he wants to remove objections to faith, so that individuals can come to faith with one less objection.
He assumes the reader is not at all deeply familiar with much, other than there are four gospels in the Bible that they have doubts over. As such, his writing on historical, archeological, and cultural evidences for the veracity of the gospels is strong. His explanation of strength of the oral tradition is particularly strong in relating to our non oral culture just how different and effective the transmission of teaching by word of mouth was in that culture.
This is a most effective, and accessible presentation of the facts for the historical reliability of the gospels. In an era buffeted by the popular fiction like the da Vinci Code, popular news stories and the unbending world of modern academia, this little book could be a welcome relief for those concerned and troubled with doubts of the gospels. ...less
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Jason
gave
to:
The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in the Carolinas (Paperback)
by John Buchanan
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read in June, 2004
Jason said:
"This is a well-written, thorough book about the Revolutionary War in the Southern colonies, primarily from 1779 - 1781. John Buchanan, a former archivist and popular historian, is able to write with depth about the conflict in the Carolinas and Georg...more
This is a well-written, thorough book about the Revolutionary War in the Southern colonies, primarily from 1779 - 1781. John Buchanan, a former archivist and popular historian, is able to write with depth about the conflict in the Carolinas and Georgia, but never loses sight of the changing strategies of the rebellion and the British military. In many ways, this is a story of civil war, as the book is narrowly focused on the conflict in the South.
The war in the southern American colonies is probably the least known or understood part of the American founding. The military action involved naval bombardment, amphibious assaults, and militia insurgency, traditional set piece warfare on battlefields, and strategic offensives and withdrawals. Virtually every type of 18th century warfare and some that became increasingly popular in the years to come is present.
The leaders of the opposing sides, General Greene for the Americans and General Cornwallis for the British, are the two pegs on which either side rises or falls. The American setbacks in Savannah and Charleston, leading to the surrender of the southern army, are told in brutal efficiency. The rise of Greene, and the back country insurgency, led by militia leaders like Marion, Pickens, and Sumter is told by showing how seemingly random encounters affected the grand strategy for both sides.
This is a military history, with good, plentiful maps, excellent uses of letters and primary sources and solid explanations for why armies and military conflicts happened they way they did in the Carolina back country. The highlight of the book is the description of the strategic retreat of Greene from Charlotte to the Virginia border, in the winter of 1781, and the furious chase of Cornwallis's stripped down British army. Though the book perhaps could have been slimmed down some, it is a good, solid comprehensive account of the military operations in the South. ...less
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Jason
gave
to:
National Audubon Society Regional Guide to the Southeastern States: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South ... Field Guide to the Southeastern States) (Turtleback)
by NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
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read in February, 2008
Jason said:
"Due to its climate and varied terrain, the southeastern United States may have the most varied natural life in the nation. And while it may now be the most populous quarter of the lower 48, the natural world is never far away. The National Audubon Fi...more
Due to its climate and varied terrain, the southeastern United States may have the most varied natural life in the nation. And while it may now be the most populous quarter of the lower 48, the natural world is never far away. The National Audubon Field Guide is an excellent resource to keep close by for those who living and exploring in the southeast.
The book is divided into three main sections. The first covers an overview of the climate, the geography, the habitats and ecology of the south. The second covers the plant and animal life. And the third introduces some of the more significant parks and natural areas of the southeast.
The first great reason this book is valuable is the extensive color photographs and drawings of the different major types of native animal and plant species. The second great reason this book is valuable is its portability. The weekend hiker or boater, and the home gardener will equally appreciate the relative size of this book, as it can be easily thrown into a backpack for easy reference.
The book could do a better job of showing some of the non native plants and animals. Also, the plants and the animals are not indexed, which can make referencing them slower. The final section, which just introduces major parks in the southeast, could have been better with some introductory maps of major hiking and boating areas. That said, this is a fine guidebook that should be useful to anyone in the southeast who enjoys the outdoors. ...less
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Jason
gave
to:
The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life (Paperback)
by Os Guinness
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read in June, 2005
Jason said:
"It is not uncommon to hear Christians refer to their vocational calling, or to hear of things like a Biblical work ethic, but surprisingly little has been written about what work individuals are called to in their lives. Os Guinness, an Irish social ...more
It is not uncommon to hear Christians refer to their vocational calling, or to hear of things like a Biblical work ethic, but surprisingly little has been written about what work individuals are called to in their lives. Os Guinness, an Irish social critic and Christian writer, who lives in northern Virginia, has written a wonderful book, more than accessible to general audiences, that explores meaning in life. In this case, meaning for Guinness is not something self-directed, but something one is called to from God, as a maker directs and leads his created beings.
This book, at nearly 250 pages, is probably best read a chapter a day or so; because it is as much a meditation on calling, as it is a directed narrative for the reader to study. The reason for this method becomes obvious, as Guinness wants the reader to join with him and more importantly, with the God who created them, in thinking and working out daily what it means to have meaning and calling in whatever the reader has, is and will do in life. As such, this most definitely is not a self-help book, or a list of things to do. It is a meditation on how to live and what the good life looks like. There is a tension between life as a Christian believer and as someone living in a world with different expectations, and Guinness encourages thought, that as people live with these tensions, that the remember their first calling.
Guinness chapters follow a pattern of a narrative of a historical story, even from his family's Guinness Irish heritage, where he then makes points that build on the story for the sake of the reader to ponder and act on their place in God's world. He is at his strongest when he encourages readers to develop an awareness of the difference between the certainty of a call and the mystery of calling in life; and he carefully evaluates the seeming tight line between a spiritual work and a day to day, secular work. Mystery, gratitude, patience and understanding the reader's place in the world are vital things that Guinness wants the reader to dwell on. If there is a major theme of the book, it is that the reader is to live and work for an audience of one in life, the God who made them; and because of that audience much of the meaning soon will follow.
For Guinness, the path of calling is God to meaning to call to callings, otherwise life is described as mere drudgery work, and empty in its results. As a work of meditation and thinking, the reader should be encouraged and challenged to evaluate their lives and occupations in light of their audience of one. This is not a definitive work on vocational callings, and it has little in the way of direct answers for life in the post modern world. But what it will do, is to encourage the reader to think of the first things of life and dwell in those, for the eventual sake of their individual callings. Fewer things probably occupy people more than what they are about in their work. Guinness calls the reader to consider a higher view of their occupations as callings, given meaning by a creator, who wants us to interact with him in the midst of what he made us for. ...less
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Jason
gave
to:
George Washington: A Life (Hardcover)
by Willard Sterne Randall
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read in January, 1998
Jason said:
"This is an excellent, one volume, scholarly approach to the life of George Washington. Writing about Washington, and even reading about him, has its difficulties. You immediately are confronted with the myth of the man, THE founder, who seemingly ove...more
This is an excellent, one volume, scholarly approach to the life of George Washington. Writing about Washington, and even reading about him, has its difficulties. You immediately are confronted with the myth of the man, THE founder, who seemingly overlooks the shoulder of every leader since then. You are also confronted with the idea that maybe he is not as great as he has been described, that Washington was simply a poor military leader, slave owner, who happened to be at the right place at the right time.
What this 450+ page biography attempts to do is to show why and how Washington became the singular colossus of the United States, while showing him as a complex individual. In this sense, what makes this book different is that Randall has come up with a third way to understand Washington. He shows why some of the early biographers would write of Washington in almost mythological terms, for what he achieved, both personally and professional was so unique. And Randall shows why some of the 20th century's early biographers would have an interest in de-mythologizing Washington.
What Randall pieces together, with a fine, and inviting writing style, is a study of who Washington was, in as close a portrait as possible. He does this by relying heavily on primary sources such as letters, to and from Washington. So the reader will get a fair representation of what Washington was like, put into context of his time, his family, the social expectations on him, and as much as can possibly be ascertained, what Washington's views of himself were. Washington was a very private individual. This made the type of leadership that he wanted to project: quiet, calm, confident and organized; easier to follow and to believe in. Unfortunately, Washington's private personality has made interpreting him much harder for the generations that have passed, hence why he has been mythologized into someone greater than he could be, and at times, debunked by critical scholars. Randall simply, and effectively writes of a man, above his peers, of his time.
This book was written in 1997. Since 1969, the University of Virginia has been editing Washington's papers. As of 2008, most of Washington's post Revolutionary papers, including his two terms as President, have not been edited. Because Randall's book relies heavily on primary sources, the reader will be able to tell a marked difference in the quality of the sections dealing with Washington's early adult hood and as a General, than his later life. So in many ways, this is half a book, a great detailed, one volume account of Washington's early life. But because the biographical community is still years away from having access to much of the primary sources of Washington's later life, the important Presidential years in this book have little to add to a general understanding of his life.
That said, this is a fine, one-volume biography for the general reader who especially wants to understand why Washington's leadership worked so effectively. The reader will come away with a greater understanding of Washington as a driven businessman, military leader, politician, and family man; in many ways ashamed of his lack of formal education compared to his peers; but with unique character and understanding of his age, meshed with his personality, that no one else was capable of putting together on a personal level. The reader will see, probably because of the importance that Washington placed on personal character, why he picked subordinates so poorly at times, either in the military or in politics, for at times Washington valued loyalty over competence or trustworthiness. But Randall also does an effective job of telling why Washington's early life, his development of self control and work to understand and respect so many different types of people made him uniquely qualified to lead the first real Republic in nearly 2000 years. ...less
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April 14
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Jason
gave
to:
The Frozen Water Trade: A True Story (Paperback)
by Gavin Weightman
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read in July, 2006
Jason said:
"Modern life has so many luxuries that we tend to notice them by their absence not by their presence. Comfortable fabrics, ease of transportation, computer scheduling, mass communication and onwards have at times created the assumption that the masses...more
Modern life has so many luxuries that we tend to notice them by their absence not by their presence. Comfortable fabrics, ease of transportation, computer scheduling, mass communication and onwards have at times created the assumption that the masses demand a product, and the smart classes get together, solve the problem and within a few years industry and society are aided and life moves on. What is often given less attention is the creation of a new want, where it did not previously exist, nor was there any expectation that if the problem were not solved, no one particularly notice. Such is the case with consumer ice. Yes, ice in drinks, ice in environment cooling, ice in food preservation and comfort.
The story that Weightman, a British author and filmmaker, tells is even more remarkable considering that when ice was first sold as a commodity, the early 19th century, was in an age when technology did not yet exist to create man made ice in any location. In other words, it took entrepreneurs with ideas and skill, to cut, ship and sell ice from cold locations to warm locations, while preventing the obvious melting.
Anyone whose work requires of them anything more than non-linear, A to B thinking would find this book useful. For when Frederic Tudor, a frequently failed Massachusetts businessman, decided that he could perfect and manage the shipment of river and lake ice to the Caribbean in 1806, he began one of the first technological and marketing success stories of the early American Republic and the Industrial Revolution.
Of course the use of ice for consumer use was nothing new, but the scale of the enterprise that the Tudor created in early America far surpassed anything in world history before, and it was such a success that no one really remembers it today. The basics of creating and adapting new strategies for seemingly new problems, with rapid rates of success / failure observation are all told in their excruciating history for the Tudor saga.
Within a few decades, thousands were employed, lives were change and fortunes were made in ways that resemble the growth of the information technology industry. If someone today sees an image of an New England worker, hacking away at the ice; the thought is you are viewing a bucolic, quaint image. Instead, the viewer is seeing innovation and a diffused hierarchy of adaptation all with the expressed purpose of taking American winter ice to the tropics and even to Europe. Weightman even explains why some markets are closed with the failure to market commercial ice to the British Isles.
The eventual collapse of the ice trade came about as quickly as it sprang up, because of further innovation in creating artificial ice machines, perfected by later New Englanders. The reader can expect a fascinating story about seemingly mundane events over nearly a hundred years that involves business, marketing, adaptation, personal failure and commercial luxury of the most common natural element, water, in this case its frozen form. ...less
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April 12
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Jason
added:
Biblical Theology (Paperback)
by Geerhardus Vos
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my rating:
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Jason
gave
to:
Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach (Paperback)
by Vern Sheridan Poythress
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read in April, 2008
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