The Divine Conspiracy

Author: Dallas Willard
ISBN: 0-06-069333-9
Publisher: Harper

Review:
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This book won the Christian Book of the Year award (1999) and it is not hard to tell why. Starting with the upside-down-ness of this present world, Willard goes on to systematically dissect the Sermon on the Mount revealing the sheer brilliance of perhaps the most famous discourse of Jesus. He shows that what appears to be a disconnected string of moral utterances is in reality a successively pieced together framework of how life in the kingdom of God ought to be. The Sermon progressively deals with the core issues which prevent the heart from experiencing the fullness and nearness of God's present kingdom on earth. Please note that this is not a book to be lightly picked up and skimmed. This book should be read slowly in order to understand the full import of each progressive step. Challenging, exceptional, and well written this book is a must read.

The Abolition Of Man

Author: C.S. Lewis
ISBN: 0-06-065294-2
Publisher:

Review:
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As one of Lewis' more controversial books The Abolition of Man attacks the premise that values such as courage, honour, and appreciation of objects for their intrinsic merit are rooted in the subjective. He argues for the existence of the Tao, or that set of ingrained values by which society exists. He attempts to show the fruitlessness of attacking this somewhat vague, somewhat definite moral code.

Those who argue for Intellect as opposed to Sentimentality find themselves chiefly under the barrage of Lewis' wit. Lewis argues that it is through the conditioned emotion that Intellect governs the body, and Intellect alone cannot suffice. As Lewis says of Intellectual individuals, "It is not excess of thought but defect of fertile and generous emotion that marks them out. Their heads are no bigger than the ordinary; it is the atrophy of the chest beneath that makes them seem so." Over the course of the book, he deftly shows the slight of hand that must exist in order to support this philosophy. Take it to its logical conclusion and the results are disturbing.

Lewis also comments on the phrase, "Man is conquering nature". He very shrewdly deduces that what this really means is that "Each new power won by man is a power over man as well." We in the West would do well to keep this in mind, although recent events, i.e. Asian Tsunami, would tell us that we are a long way from conquering Nature.

Lewis ends his argument with the conclusion "A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery." Indeed, those embark on a subjective journey will find themselves lost on a sea of possibilities in which their subjectivity will objectively drown.

Whether you agree with Lewis or not, you must be prepared to address his concerns if you are seriously doubtful about objective value, unless of course your doubt is just an excuse to do as you please, which is a most common ailment in the human species.

Dawkins' God

Author: McGrath, Alister
ISBN: 1-4051-2538-1
Publisher: Blackwell

Review:
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Having only heard of Richard Dawkins indirectly, and never having read any of his books, I am not qualified to offer an informed review of this book (but then again, am I ever?). However, I will comment on a few things.

First of all, McGrath is very thorough (as far as I can tell) in his critique of Dawkins' work and does not isolate his argument to a single book but rather spans Dawkins' oeuvre. Not only that, but McGrath draws from a wide spectrum of sources against which to compare Dawkins' theories and make excellent use of theological authors as well as scientific authors.
Secondly, McGrath does not mount an all out offensive, rather, as he himself declares, he has merely "opened up some questions for further discussion". Thus, he has limited himself to drawing our attention to some of the problems and assumptions contained in Dawkins' writings. There are many profound and varied concerns at play in these discussions and a single book cannot attempt to answer them all. The "Meaning of Life" after all cannot be limited to a pithy phrase. I believe that McGrath shows considerable and respectable restraint.

McGrath does not, however, pull any punches. I especially love the following quote, "Dawkins atheism seems to be tacked onto his evolutionary biology with intellectual velcro". He tries to be respectful, but his incredulousness at some of Dawkins' blatant hypocrisy is very apparent and he uses Dawkins' own words at times to roast him on his own skewer. For instance, he quotes Dawkins when Dawkins "lambasted philosopher Mary Midgley for criticizing his 'selfish gene' hypothesis without any awareness of how scientists used language." See some of their discussions here in the "Issues in Darwinism" section. Dawkins goes on about her ignorance of biology and how his ignorance would be just as obvious if he were to critique her area of expertise. McGrath is astounded because this is the same Dawkins who "...knowing nothing about Christian theology, rushes headlong into the field, and tells theologians what they really mean when they use their own language...". I can almost see McGrath shaking his head in disbelief.

In this book McGrath is exposing the ridiculous transition that Dawkins has made between evolutionary biology the notion that there is no God. Essentially, McGrath makes a long (but needful) argument to show that Dawkins' belief in atheism is not supported by science and in fact, is supported mainly by his rhetoric and polemicizing. The one maxim that most scientists seem to adhere to (apparently apart from Dawkins and his neophytes) is that science cannot prove nor disprove the existence of God. As Stephen Jay Gould, a noted proponent of evolution, writes about the existence of God, "We neither affirm nor deny it; we simply can't comment on it as scientists."

The exciting thing I found in this book, which may appear to be a stumbling block to some readers, is the detailed technical knowledge that McGrath demonstrates. Quiz question, what does DNA stand for? With a PhD in molecular biophysics and as a professional theologian, he is eminently suited to tackle the mess that Dawkins has created (no doubt about my bias here). He dives right into the technical foundation (written for lay readers though) upon which Dawkins has constructed his worldview and can meet Dawkins at just about every point. In fact he is more suited to discuss the theological aspects of Dawkins' writings than Dawkins' himself.

This book is not for everyone, indeed, only those with an interest in the relationship between science and religion should attempt to read it, otherwise, you'll probably read about five pages and quit. There are some excellent gems of argumentative logic and some priceless examples of Dawkins' work which exposes just how important it is that you confirm your sources. The only problem that some inclined readers will have with this book is the apparent assumed validity of evolutionary biology. McGrath did not use this book to attack evolution, and in fact, appears to concede it in order to attack those precise points where Dawkins leaves himself defenceless. At times it is necessary to concede certain points, albiet temporarily, in order to argue other points. Not knowing McGrath's view of evolution it is impossible to assess whether he has conceded this point temporarily or permanently.

I found this book to be stimulating and very well organized in the presentation of the subject matter. McGrath is a very lucid writer and is quickly becoming, in my case, a preferred author.

Bringing Up Boys

Author: Dr. James Dobson
ISBN: 0-8423-5266-X
Publisher: Tyndale

Review
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Bringing up Boys is written in the style of a good friend offering advice in a casual setting. The flow of the book is somewhat random, each chapter presenting a different perspective or challenge related to the transforming of "immature and flighty youngsters into honest, caring men who will be respectful of women, loyal and faithful in marriage, keepers of commitments, strong and decisive leaders, good workers, and men who are secure in their masculinity." As Dr. Dobson points out, this is a huge task that can only be fulfilled with the wisdom and grace of God.

I don't think Dobson needs to nor does he try to prove that there is an attack on the masculine psyche by the media, the feminist movement, the homosexual agenda, and countless other entities. He cites numerous studies, makes observations of culture, and quotes many individuals to demonstrate the obvious agenda of the current culture to tear down and destroy the age-old concepts of what men are and how they are to live. This policy is pervasive and it is all too apparent the confusion and turmoil that results. Kindergarten aged boys are being suspended for showing affection to their classmates in harmless ways. Male stereotypes in the media are grotesque caricatures and our culture is noticeably devoid of any positive male role models. Instead of culture supporting and affirming parents in the developing of their boys, parents are having to fight current culture to raise them appropriately.

This is not to say that little boys' biggest problem is culture. In reality it is probably themselves. Parents of little boys have to spend a great deal of energy just to ensure they don't harm themselves beyond repair. As Dobson quotes Plato "more than 2,300 years ago, Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable." How true that is. Dobson emphasizes that boys are different than girls (no kidding), and that we need to help them channel all that energy into productive and beneficial avenues. Boys live in their own little world and it is our job as parents to help them expand that world, but also to call them out of it now and again to show them that they need to be concerned with the world of others as well.

Everyone's circumstances are different, and many families with single-parents do just fine, but Dobson is very clear that the chances of bringing up healthy, God-fearing boys are greatly increased with the presence of both a Dad and a Mom. If the family dynamics are healthy, the boys (and girls) get to see in living color how a healthy relationship between a man and a woman is supposed to work. However, most children these days learn these lessons from prime-time television because either Mom or Dad or both are not home. It is imperative that we as Dads, GrandDads, male teachers, etc. offer to our boys examples of proper masculine behaviour upon which they can model their own. Unless these examples are visible and consistent, boys will be thoroughly confused. As Dobson writes, "more than ever, boys are experiencing a crisis of confidence."

Obviously, some people won't like Dr. Dobson's Christian perspective, or his "archaic" view on masculinity. They may take exception to his patriarchal tendency and his critique of fashionable parenting techniques. However, to those people I offer a very sincere and hearty dose of reality. Children are being pushed by you to the brink of despair, and very soon will be lost forever meanwhile you will go to your grave thinking you have done them a service. Shame on you and thanks to Dr. Dobson for being "man" enough to buck the trend and expose these destructive policies.

This book contains many great words of advice for parents of both boys and girls even though it is tailored to raising boys. It is an excellent candidate to be read not just by parents, but by grand-parents, teachers and pastors. As many have stated, it takes a village to raise healthy children.

A Life God Rewards

Author: Bruce Wilkinson
ISBN: 1-57673-976-7
Publisher: MultNomah

Review
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A Life God Rewards is a small book dealing with a big subject, namely, the relationship between what we do today and the reward or lack thereof in eternity. Specifically, Wilkinson deals with the six main events of life, as he has defined them: Life, Death, Destination, Resurrection, Repayment, and Eternity.

The first point I will make is that it is a good balance for the Prayer of Jabez which was also written by Wilkinson. It handles the subject of rewards most appropriately and argues that although God may reward us here on earth, it is not guaranteed and we must wait until eternity to see the true reward.

I do like how he brings out Heb 11:6, where he that comes to God must believe that he is AND that He is a rewarder. God wants to bless us spiritually now and in unimaginable ways in eternity. It is imperative that we believe this, otherwise we may miss out. The other point I took away from this concerns the story of the minas. God does have an expectation of the results we can achieve if we fully utilize our abilities, and if we fail to fully utilize those abilities, we can short-change ourselves of the size of the reward we might have received. But thankfully that expectation is not the same for everyone, rather, it is in proportion to our abilities. In everything, God is just and fair.

Overall, this is a quick read but has many important things to say.

How the News Makes Us Dumb

Author: C. John Sommerville
ISBN: 0-8308-2203-8
Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Review
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This book is an argument against the news media as we currently understand it including its dailiness, its productization, and its deconstruction of context. He does not offer constructive criticism as it is his diagnosis that the media cannot be fixed, only removed like some sort of disease.

Even though the author has recommended against reviewing his book, i.e. one cannot reduce a prolonged argument to a few short phrases, I will offer my opinion of his argument.

First, the author seems to weigh very heavily towards the opinion that journalism in any state is ill-conceived and essentially flawed and although he offers a few conciliatory sops, he is obviously contemptuous of it. I believe that investigative journalism is a privilege of a free society and perhaps even a necessity. So I don't fully agree with him that we need to completely trash the news. He does offer investigative reporting in book form as a beneficial activity which I certainly agree with, but sometimes a book may not be the proper venue.

Having said that, I fully agree with the main thrust of his thesis that daily news is essentially irrelevant and most likely harmful. I especially liked the quote from Thomas Jefferson, "..the man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed that he who reads them; inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors." I equate partaking of news media with eating junk food. After you have eaten you are full, but you are still empty nutritionally. From political pandering to scientific superstition-mongering to historical irrelevancy the news offers us nothing but vanity. And what about those polls and statistics, well to paraphrase Mark Twain there are "lies, damnable lies, and statistics." I also liked the various examples that Sommerville gives of the incredible variation in interpretation of the "facts" by newspapers on the same day. Truly our reflection, our gathering of wisdom, even our understanding of our generation is horribly skewed if our sole information source is the news.

I just wonder what the author thinks of the Internet, and even of blogging. He doesn't mention the WWW, yet it appears that he has dedicated his book to it. Very odd.