A Brief History of Sunday by Justo L. Gonzalez

A Brief History of Sunday by Justo L. Gonzalez ISBN-13: 9780802874719 Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company Released: May 31, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
Noted Christian historian Justo González tells the story of how and why Christians have worshiped on Sunday from the earliest days of the church to the present.

After discussing the views and practices relating to Sunday in the ancient church, González turns to Constantine and how his policies affected Sunday observances. He then recounts the long process, beginning in the Middle Ages and culminating with Puritanism, whereby Christians came to think of and strictly observe Sunday as the Sabbath. Finally, González looks at the current state of things, exploring especially how the explosive growth of the church in the Majority World has affected the observance of Sunday worldwide.

Readers of this book will rediscover the joy and excitement of Sunday as the early church celebrated it and will find inspiration in an age of increasing indifference and hostility to Christianity.


My Review:
A Brief History of Sunday is a history of how Christians have viewed Sundays, from the early church to modern times. It's not a history of the Sabbath except in how Christians initially accepted then rejected the Sabbath and eventually came to view Sunday as a Christian sabbath. The author looked at (and quoted) documents from each time period to understand why Christians met on Sunday and what they did together when they met. He talked about the changing attitudes toward Sunday, including beliefs about how one should celebrate or honor the day.

Understandably, there wasn't much documentation for the earlier periods, but there's enough to know how early Christian's viewed Sundays and what they did when together. I found it interesting how much things have changed from the earliest meetings and how Constantine's policies started the shift in how the day was viewed. I enjoy learning about how things got to the way they are today, and I found this to be a very interesting and informative book. I'd highly recommend it to those who are interested in this topic.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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Comment about BookLook

A few months ago, BookLook--a book blogger site for requesting books--sent me a survey asking how they were doing. At that time, I said their site was one of the easiest book blogger sites I used and, on the rare occasion I needed help, their e-mail help promptly and helpfully responded. After that, I requested a book on April 5...which was never sent, so I can't turn in a review. I've contacted their e-mail help 4 times now, and only received an automated response saying that my request for help has been received. No one has responded and no action has been taken to fix this problem. The only way to free up my account to request another book is to turn in a review, so...hey, this is my review! Sorry to all my readers that you got this as well.

Worship by Jeff Kinley

Worship by Jeff Kinley ISBN-13: 9781943852451 Trade Paperback: 180 pages Publisher: True Potential Released: 2017

Source: Checked out from church library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Unfortunately, the image of God present in many Christians’ minds today resembles more of a caricature than an accurate portrait. Like a cartoonist’s sketch, some entertain a distorted picture of who God is and what He is like, with many relating to Him as a distant Deity or even as a faceless Force. Others see Him merely as a compassionate, caring, and convenient God. Worse, false teachers have also infiltrated the Church. Many deny core truths, reimagining God to fit their preferences. This flawed, idolatrous understanding reduces Him into a deity that exists to serve us and our needs.

But the God of Scripture exists independent of our thoughts, feelings and ideas of Him. He is not as we imagine Him to be, but rather who He declares Himself to be in Scripture. This biblical knowledge is the very basis and beginning of authentic worship. It is through this heavenly understanding that we come face to face with the real God, discovering and experiencing what worship was meant to be!

With author, speaker, and veteran Bible teacher Jeff Kinley as your guide, journey deep into God’s Word, where you will encounter not only a refreshing simplicity, but also a renewed level of intimacy with your God and Savior!


My Review:
Worship is a Bible Study about worship. It's not about music styles or other "worship service" debates but about what the Bible says. Starting in Genesis, the author talked about how worship was easy and automatic before the Fall. That's no longer true, yet we're hardwired to worship, so where do we start? "Your view of God will determine your worship of Him. The more you know of God's greatness, the greater your capacity to declare His praise."

So the author explored what God is like and why He is worthy of worship. He also looked at examples of "extreme worship" in the Bible, like when David got to dancing or the widow in the New Testament gave "all she had" when she gave her two coins at the Temple. He talked about sacrificial praise, given when circumstances aren't so great...but our God still is.

The book was easy to read and to follow. The author made excellent points. I appreciate that he dug into the Bible to look for answers. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Forensic Faith by J. Warner Wallace

Forensic Faith by J. Warner Wallace ISBN-13: 9781434709882 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: David C Cook Released: May 1, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Forensic Faith will help readers: understand why they have a duty to defend the truth, develop a training strategy to master the evidence for Christianity, learn how to employ the techniques of a detective to discover new insights from God’s Word, and become better communicators by learning the skills of professional case makers.

With real-life detective stories, fascinating strategies, and biblical insights, Wallace teaches readers cold-case investigative disciplines they can apply to their Christian faith.


My Review:
Forensic Faith explains why Christians need to learn the evidence supporting the Christian faith and teaches some basic apologetics skills. The first part of the book made the case for why it's important not to just have blind faith that Christianity is true but to understand the evidence that confirms it's true and to build your skill at sharing this information.

Many Christian kids are losing their faith due to unanswered questions, yet the answers are out there. We need to train our kids (and adults) with the answers. Training involves practice, and the author described how he's done this with youth groups. I totally agree that kids should be taught the evidence and the skill to share it. I taught myself some of this way back when I first went to college, and it made a huge difference.

The author was a cold-case detective. In the second part of the book, he explained how skills he used as a detective can be applied to spotting evidence for Christianity and using this evidence to make a case for it. A lot of this information was from (and covered in greater detail in) his previous two books. If you've read those books, you're probably already convinced that it's important to learn and share the evidence for Christianity, but you might still be interested in his suggestions on how to train youth groups or on using the evidence to "make a case" when asked why you believe. However, I'd mainly recommend this book to Christians who aren't very familiar with the evidence supporting their faith.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, Vol 5 by Michael L. Brown

Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, Vol 5 by Michael L. Brown ISBN-13: 9781881022862 Paperback: 353 pages Publisher: Purple Pomegranate Productions Released: Nov. 5, 2015

Source: Bought from a store.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the fifth and final volume of his series, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, Dr. Michael Brown refutes the traditional Jewish concept that there is a binding, authoritative Oral Law going back to Moses. While showing great respect for his people's traditions, Brown demonstrates that when there is a conflict between the Bible and tradition, Jews are called to follow the Bible.


My Review:
Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, Vol 5 "refutes the traditional Jewish concept that there is a binding, authoritative Oral Law going back to Moses." The author wrote as if talking directly to a traditional Jew who believes in the Oral Torah. He started each section with a defense commonly given for the Oral Law, then he described why this defense isn't convincing or accurate.

I'm not a Jew and was simply interested in learning what the Oral Torah referred to. Since the author assumed that the reader is well informed about the Oral Torah, my questions weren't directly answered. However, I did get an idea of what it is, how it developed, and what traditional Jews think about it.

The author was very detailed and exhaustive in his responses, looking at example after example. That's good if you're talking with someone who knows all of the counter-arguments, but it's more than I can easily remember if I wanted to argue the case myself. Still, I do remember many of the overall points he made. I suspect it's a good book in terms of doing what the author intended. However, I'm wondering just how many people who are that devoted to the Oral Torah would be open to reading his arguments.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

30 Days in the Land of the Psalms by Charles H. Dyer

30 Days in the Land of the Psalms by Charles H. Dyer ISBN-13: 9780802415691 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Moody Publishers Released: May 2, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
The psalms are among the church’s finest treasures, a collection of writings where many find solace, comfort, and hope. Yet some psalms refer to places and objects modern readers have never seen and can’t picture. Until now. From author and renowned Israel expert Dr. Charles H. Dyer comes a devotional that brings selected psalms to life. Each entry features a beautiful, full-color photo of a Holy Land site, a suggested reading from Scripture, and a reflection that incorporates Dr. Dyer's knowledge of the land.


My Review:
30 Days in the Land of the Psalms is a 30-day devotional on the Psalms. You read the selected psalm in your own Bible, then read Dyer's comments and application. He often started an entry by describing a stop as if we were on a tour of the Holy Land. He described aspects of the psalm that people who haven't visited Israel may have trouble visualizing or might misunderstand. There were full-color pictures of the different places under discussion, though many of these were different views of Jerusalem or the wilderness.

This devotional covered Psalms 1, 11, 18, 20, 22, 23, 30, 42, 43, 46, 48, 56, 84, 90, 91, 96, 100, 102, 118, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 131, 133, 134, 136, 147, and 150. Overall, I'd recommend this devotional, but I felt like I gained more insights from the author's Thirty Days in the Land with Jesus devotional.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.