J.W. Wartick
Religious Pluralism- A case study from “Ben Hur” by Lew Wallace- Series Introduction
Ben Hur is one of the most influential novels of all time, selling millions in the 19th and 20th centuries and noted as admired by several U.S. Presidents, among others. Reactions to the novel are varied–an interesting thing to examine of itself (some critics saying that it would only appeal to the “unlettered” person, while the general and broad appeal of the novel speaks against that same notion). Its enduring popularity can be attested to by the fact that it continues to be adapted to film.
I’m going to write a series of posts exploring religious pluralism through the lens of the novel, Ben Hur.
Method
The opening scene of the book describes the wise men–those who would later visit Christ–meeting up in the desert. In this scene, each wise man–from a different part of the ancient world–shares his own story of how he became a believer.
Each post will start with a selection from this scene. Then, I will analyze what was said therein from a theological and apologetic viewpoint. The goal will be to examine what is said therein to see its value for Christians today in interfaith dialogue.
Links
What About Those Who Haven’t Heard? – Part 1 of a case study on religious pluralism from Lew Wallace’s “Ben Hur”– I examine two of the most popular answers to the question about those who have not heard about Jesus (and their eternal fate) from the book.
Links for the series will be posted here. This post will serve as the home page for the series.
Book Review: “Modern Orthodox Thinkers” by Andrew Louth
Modern Orthodox Thinkers presents a survey of recent Orthodox thinkers that goes beyond what a word like “survey” may imply. Andrew Louth manages to bring readers into an experiential awareness of Orthodoxy lived.
After an introductory chapter about the Philokalia, a collection of texts by Orthodox thinkers that emphasis a spiritual dimension to faith, twenty chapters present a number of Orthodox believers–from members of the church hierarchy to lay theologians–to readers. Each chapter provides a brief overview of the life of the thinker(s), a survey of their writings, and a focused look at selected aspects of their thought.
There is something here for almost any reader who is looking to glean from Orthodox thought. Whether it is Vladimir Solov’ev’s reflection on Sophia or Mother Thekla (Sharf)’s insight into Shakespeare, Keats, and others, Modern Orthodox Thinkers is a grab-bag of topics that will interest anyone. What’s more, the book presents these thinkers in such a way as to seemingly bring them into conversation with the reader. There is a sense of intimacy in the way that Louth presents the theology of each one that makes it go beyond a mere presentation of thought and towards an experiential awareness of the way theology is done.
Another strength of Louth’s work is that he brings women’s voices into the conversation as well. Too often, surveys of theological writers skip over the contributions women have made throughout history. Not so in this book, in which women thinkers are some of the most interesting people presented. For example, St Maria of Paris (Mother Maria Skobtsova)’s life was perhaps the most moving of all those presented. After the loss of a child, she pursued a life of helping others, taking the place of a Jew to go into a concentration camp, only to be executed in a gas chamber, again having taken the place of someone else (116). Her theology was that of lived theology, and it challenges readers to pursue the same lived faith for their own lives.
One difficulty with the book is that it will, at times, be completely impenetrable for the uninitiated (including the current reviewer). Although a brief introduction to the Philokalia is given, there is never a clear sense of exactly what it is supposed to be or how it is supposed to influence the thinkers presented. Other things are referenced in an offhand manner which gives little ground for readers to understand what is being discussed. For example, the “hesychast controversy” is presented with only the barest historical background of what it is supposed to be, despite the fact that it features prominently in several thinkers’ chapters. Although this was likely done due to space limitations and/or to keep the focus on the thinkers rather than on side issues, deeper discussion in the footnotes or even an extra paragraph would help those who are unfamiliar with Orthodoxy to understand more of the individual chapters.
Modern Orthodox Thinkers will challenge readers on a number of levels. First, it brings into focus the notion of a Christian life lived, whether by someone in the church or as someone who seeks to live as a Christian. Second, it will spur readers to a deeper understanding and exploration of Orthodox thought. Third, the breadth of topics will open readers to new avenues to explore. The book comes recommended.
The Good
+Impressive mix of topics and authors
+Includes women’s voices
+Experiential feeling to the writing
+Very broad scope
The Bad
-At times impenetrable for the uninitiated
Source
Andrew Louth, Modern Orthodox Thinkers (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2015).
Disclaimer: I was provided with the book for review by the publisher. I was not required to provide any sort of feedback whatsoever.
Links
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Book Reviews– There are plenty more book reviews to read! Read like crazy! (Scroll down for more, and click at bottom for even more!)
Eclectic Theist– Check out my other blog for my writings on science fiction, history, fantasy movies, and more!
SDG.
——
The preceding post is the property of J.W. Wartick (apart from quotations, which are the property of their respective owners, and works of art as credited; images are often freely available to the public and J.W. Wartick makes no claims of owning rights to the images unless he makes that explicit) and should not be reproduced in part or in whole without the expressed consent of the author. All content on this site is the property of J.W. Wartick and is made available for individual and personal usage. If you cite from these documents, whether for personal or professional purposes, please give appropriate citation with both the name of the author (J.W. Wartick) and a link to the original URL. If you’d like to repost a post, you may do so, provided you show less than half of the original post on your own site and link to the original post for the rest. You must also appropriately cite the post as noted above. This blog is protected by Creative Commons licensing. By viewing any part of this site, you are agreeing to this usage policy.
Brandon Sanderson’s “Calamity” – The Reckoning of Humanity
Brandon Sanderson is one of the most gifted authors I know currently writing. Each book he writes, it seems, consistently has stunning twists, great action, and an interesting world. Here, we’ll take a look at the conclusion to his “The Reckoners” series, Calamity. We will be exploring it from a worldview perspective. There will be SPOILERS below for the whole series.
Face Your Fears
A theme that continues throughout the entire series is the notion of facing your fears. In Calamity, this is shown to be the way for Epics to gain control of their powers without going dark. Yet what does it mean to face our fears? For some epics, it is a literal sense, such as Firefight simply plunging an arm into fire–her weakness. For others, facing fear is facing failure, or a different kind of weakness.
As Calamity continues, however, we discover that these weaknesses are from Calamity himself–the things that Calamity is afraid of. Part of me wonders whether this cheapens the impact of this theme, for it makes the weaknesses of the Epics something that is imported to them rather than something intrinsic in themselves. Another part of me sees this as somewhat consistent–for as humans we are social, and we can all too easily take on the fears of others and turn them into something far greater than they are in fact.
The Nature of Humanity
In the climactic encounter between David and Calamity, Calamity is brought to a different, alternate reality in which he left the humans he’d gifted to their own devices. There, those with the powers are effectively superheroes, having had no darkness to face down, nothing from the outside to impinge upon their own reality. David challenges Calamity:
“Do you fear that?” I asked him softly. “That we aren’t what you’ve thought? Does it terrify you to know that deep down, men are not monsters? That we are, instead, inherently good?” (411)
Such a viewpoint is quite popular in our world. Humans are inherently good, right? Well, it seems that such a viewpoint is not the biblical one, which argues that humans are sinful from birth–even from conception (Psalm 51:5); that no one is good, not even one (Romans 3:10) and the like. There is some debate over this in Christian circles, but it seems quite difficult to square these (and other statements) with the notion that humans are inherently good.
Indeed, although this climactic challenge from David ultimately defeats Calamity, once Calamity is gone, not everyone suddenly turns good. Obliteration, for example, continues to seek the extermination of humanity (possibly?). The open-endedness of this makes it difficult to pin down where Sanderson was going with it, but it seems that even alleged “inherent goodness” does not guarantee goodness.
Conclusion
Calamity is one of those rare books that combines intense plot with serious discussion of worldview. Sanderson continues to weave these tales which force us to look at humanity and contemplate what it is that we are.
Links
Be sure to check out the page for this site on Facebook and Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies and more!
The “Mistborn Trilogy” by Brandon Sanderson- Religion(s), Intrigue, and a Messiah– I look at another trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, the wildly creative “Mistborn Trilogy.”
Popular Books– Read through my other posts on popular books–science fiction, fantasy, and more! (Scroll down for more.)
Source
Brandon Sanderson, Calamity (New York: Delacorte Press, 2016).
SDG.
——
The preceding post is the property of J.W. Wartick (apart from quotations, which are the property of their respective owners, and works of art as credited; images are often freely available to the public and J.W. Wartick makes no claims of owning rights to the images unless he makes that explicit) and should not be reproduced in part or in whole without the expressed consent of the author. All content on this site is the property of J.W. Wartick and is made available for individual and personal usage. If you cite from these documents, whether for personal or professional purposes, please give appropriate citation with both the name of the author (J.W. Wartick) and a link to the original URL. If you’d like to repost a post, you may do so, provided you show less than half of the original post on your own site and link to the original post for the rest. You must also appropriately cite the post as noted above. This blog is protected by Creative Commons licensing. By viewing any part of this site, you are agreeing to this usage policy.
Book Review: “Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side” by Natasha Crain
As a Christian parent, one of the things most important to me is bringing my son up in faith in Christ. As a man with an MA in Christian Apologetics, I know that my child will face many challenges going forward, and that the Christian faith has the answers. The problem, it seems, is figuring out how to unite these two–apologetics and child-rearing–in a way that can be understood by children, without being domineering or scary. Natasha Crain’s book, Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side, is an answer to prayers about this important topic.
The book features 40 “conversations” that can be had with children centered around topics from why we believe the Bible and textual criticism to the existence of God to questions about science and Christianity. Each of these chapters provides an introduction to the topic at hand. Crain utilizes stories of her own children quite well to demonstrate how these conversations might play out–or how they might get started.
The most helpful aspect of the book is that it provides a kind of all-in-one reference for common questions and apologetic topics that can be used to start children on the right path towards defending their faith and the calling of 1 Peter 3:15-16. Each of the 40 conversations is one that is worth having, and is often accompanied with quotes from prominent atheist thinkers to show the objections often raised to the faith.
Crain also does a good job of presenting multiple sides of controversial topics without specifying a side. For example, in the chapter on hell, she presents historical Christian positions (a literal view, a figurative view with eternal punishment, and the conditionalist view). The one place there is a bit of a slip on this regard is when it comes to the creation and evolution debate. She adequately presents both young and old earth creationism, but only gives a view like theistic evolution a passing mention, despite having seemingly increasing support among evangelicals.
A downside to the variety of topics that Crain presents is that she is only ever able to scratch the surface on each. The type of book it is basically makes this a necessity, and Crain does provide resources for further reading. Parents should note that they will need to utilize these resources for continuing conversations.
Keeping your Kids on God’s Side is a phenomenal work. It is the kind of book that parents will come back to time and time again. Not only that, but it has broad enough appeal that it serves as an excellent general apologetic work. It will energize parents to start these conversations with their children and give them the tools to keep them going. I highly recommend this work.
The Good
+Broad-minded approach that doesn’t tell readers what to think on controversial topics
+Clear tone and presentation
+Astounding number of topics introduced with valuable information
+Offers several key points to help discuss topics with children
The Bad
-Very brief on several points
-Doesn’t address full breadth of views on creation/evolution
Disclaimer: I received the book for review from the author. I was not obligated to provide any specific kind of feedback whatsoever.
Source
Natasha Crain, Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side (Eugene, OR: Bethany House Publishers, 2016).
Links
Be sure to check out the page for this site on Facebook and Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies and more!
Book Reviews– There are plenty more book reviews to read! Read like crazy! (Scroll down for more, and click at bottom for even more!)
Eclectic Theist– Check out my other blog for my writings on science fiction, history, fantasy movies, and more!
SDG.
——
The preceding post is the property of J.W. Wartick (apart from quotations, which are the property of their respective owners, and works of art as credited; images are often freely available to the public and J.W. Wartick makes no claims of owning rights to the images unless he makes that explicit) and should not be reproduced in part or in whole without the expressed consent of the author. All content on this site is the property of J.W. Wartick and is made available for individual and personal usage. If you cite from these documents, whether for personal or professional purposes, please give appropriate citation with both the name of the author (J.W. Wartick) and a link to the original URL. If you’d like to repost a post, you may do so, provided you show less than half of the original post on your own site and link to the original post for the rest. You must also appropriately cite the post as noted above. This blog is protected by Creative Commons licensing. By viewing any part of this site, you are agreeing to this usage policy.
Book Review: “Edwards on the Christian Life” by Dane C. Ortlund
Jonathan Edwards is perhaps the most famous of all American theologians. Edwards on the Christian Life draws from his enormous body of work to provide insight into Christian life.
The book is organized around chapters which each focus on one aspect of the Christian life, according to Edwards. Chapters include Joy, Beauty, Heaven, Satan, and more. Each of these is oriented around showing how the chapter’s title relates to Edwards’ view of the Christian life. The chapter on beauty provides a feel for the rest of the book, as Ortlund argues that Edwards’ view of God as beauty/beautiful impacts most of the rest of his theology. The chapter on heaven was particularly excellent. On heaven, Edwards’ vision of the beauty that believers would experience and the way they would interact is brought forth by Ortlund in breathtaking fashion. It is rare to find myself filled with emotion while reading a theology book, but Ortlund’s work in this chapter had me just overcome with awe at the beauty of how Edwards described it.
Other chapters were quite helpful as well, such as the chapters on pilgrimage, obedience, and Satan, set all in a row, which outlined the Christian life, sanctification, and spiritual warfare and temptation respectively. The insights to be drawn from this book on Christian living ought not be understated. Ortlund did a great job bringing forward many of these insights.
Ortlund admirably steers clear of the primary pitfall of some books in the series–getting so caught up in discussing the theology of the person being examined that the book loses focus on “the Christian Life.” This is not to say any of the books in the series are bad–indeed, I have read many and enjoyed them all–but it is good to have the focus on the topic at hand. Each aspect of Edwards’ theology that is examined here is brought to bear on the Christian life in meaningful ways.
The one criticism I have is, ironically, of the criticisms offered. The final chapter (apart from the conclusion) offers four criticisms of Edwards’ theology, such as an overly introspective view. Although I think Ortlund’s criticisms of Edwards are on point, they could have been better dealt with in individual chapters. It’s a minor criticism for a phenomenal book.
Edwards on the Christian Life is yet another excellent entry in the “Theologians on the Christian Life” series. Ortlund introduces readers to a fantastic range of Edwards’ thought, all while remaining focused on how that thought applies to the Christian life. Indeed, it made me want to read more of Edwards myself. I recommend it highly.
The Good
+Amazing chapter on heaven
+Practical examples of Christian living
+Focused and concise
+Excellent format
The Bad
-Criticisms could have been better placed
Source
Dan C. Ortlund, Edwards on the Christian Life (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014).
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher. I was not required to give any specific feedback whatsoever.
Links
Be sure to check out the page for this site on Facebook and Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies and more!
Book Reviews– There are plenty more book reviews to read! Read like crazy! (Scroll down for more, and click at bottom for even more!)
Eclectic Theist– Check out my other blog for my writings on science fiction, history, fantasy movies, and more!
SDG.
——
The preceding post is the property of J.W. Wartick (apart from quotations, which are the property of their respective owners, and works of art as credited; images are often freely available to the public and J.W. Wartick makes no claims of owning rights to the images unless he makes that explicit) and should not be reproduced in part or in whole without the expressed consent of the author. All content on this site is the property of J.W. Wartick and is made available for individual and personal usage. If you cite from these documents, whether for personal or professional purposes, please give appropriate citation with both the name of the author (J.W. Wartick) and a link to the original URL. If you’d like to repost a post, you may do so, provided you show less than half of the original post on your own site and link to the original post for the rest. You must also appropriately cite the post as noted above. This blog is protected by Creative Commons licensing. By viewing any part of this site, you are agreeing to this usage policy.
Women in Combat? “Sending” women, women pastors, and feminism- a response to Issues Etc. on Women in Combat and Selective Service
Image is public domain and accessible here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Women_in_Combat_130125-F-DM566-016.jpg
As a Lutheran, a podcast I frequently enjoy is “Issues, Etc.” It continually offers a Lutheran perspective on current events, theological issues, and more. However, there are times where its approach to theology or current events reflects less a Lutheran understanding than a specific brand of theological conservatism. The recent podcast (2/11/16) featured Pastor Hans Fiene discussing “Women in Combat and Selective Service.” I found it to be deeply mistaken on a number of issues, and would like to address just a few of those here.
“Sending” your daughter or wife?
One comment made in the episode labeled any man who would “send” his wife or daughter to investigate a noise downstairs to see if it might be a burglar as a “coward.” There are a number of problems with this statement. First, anyone who “sends” anyone else into a potentially dangerous situation because they don’t want to go themselves might be labeled as cowardly. The way the phrase was said already begs the question. If the situation were reversed, would Fiene say that the wife is “sending” her husband to investigate, or is the husband simply investigating?
Second, suppose that a man is married to a woman who has extensive martial arts training, is a weapons specialist, sleeps with a pistol under her pillow, and immediately leaps into action to investigate such a noise, while the man works a desk job, is of average build and has never used a weapon before. Is it really reasonable to think that the man is cowardly if he allows his wife to investigate the noise? Well, absurdly, others who share Fiene’s view argue that yes, that man has shirked his duty, is cowardly, and probably a wimp. In other words, men are to be shamed and emasculated if a woman is stronger or better at fighting than they are.
The absurdity of such a position knows no bounds. Men are stripped of their manhood if women are perceived as better at things we arbitrarily label “manly.” It gets curiouser and curiouser, as assertions are made that a man ought to intentionally die even if a woman could save him. A reductio ad absurdum is not even required for this kind of position: it demonstrates for itself that it flies in the face of reason.
Women Pastors?
Fiene could not resist the urge to take a jab at those who are for women in the ministry in this discussion, either. He drew a comparison between woeful ignorance of the horrors of war and ignorance of the spiritual warfare that pastors must engage in. In a stunning non sequitor, he stated that “If we lived in a world where pastors were routinely murdered by Pagans who were storming into churches and putting them to death or… where pastors were having to stay behind while everyone was getting the Plague and dying while everyone who was healthy fled… I don’t really think we’d be having an argument over whether or not women should be pastors.”
It is hard to take this kind of statement seriously, and the statement itself is clearly condescension. Fiene assumes that he knows more about his opponents’ sincerity of believe than they do. After all, if only those silly egalitarians really knew what war was like or really believed in spiritual warfare, then they’d clearly change their minds. This leaves no room for sincerity of belief on the part of the egalitarian, and that is extremely problematic. Frankly, I don’t know of anyone who calls themselves an egalitarian who would recant their stance if women pastors were being killed by Pagans or had to deal with Plague. No one wants women to have those things happen to them; indeed, I hope no one wants men to have them happen to them either! The same applies to combat–no one wants soldiers to have to go kill people, I hope. But if difficult spiritual warfare, even death, is what pastors are to endure, and someone genuinely believes women ought to be allowed to be in the ministry, then those are the types of risks that must be taken. And to assume that egalitarians didn’t even think about that possibility or are too timid to even consider it is offensive, to say the least. The only way Fiene can make such a statement is by assuming without any argument that his opponents are insincere.
As an aside, does Fiene completely discount the work of women like Mother Theresa, or Mother Maria Skobtsova (who was murdered by the Nazis), or the countless other women who have done exactly what he thinks egalitarians are silly to think women can do? A lack of integrating church history into an overall worldview might be shown here.
Feminism?
Complementarian (and other conservative) commentators continue to equivocate on the term “feminism.” Instead of acknowledging that there can be any diversity within the group who self identify as feminists, the label is assumed to mean any number of things that many feminists do not put forward. For example, it was not just implied but implicitly stated that “feminism” demanded equality for women by arguing for abortion rights in order to free women from having to deal with childcare. This, of course, ignores the fact that the feminist movement started as strongly pro-life, not to mention the continued existence of groups like Feminists for Life who are out there making a real difference for the pro-life movement.
The use of the term “feminist” as a clobber-word to induce fear is a straw man of the worst kind. It demonstrates either ignorance–a complete lack of knowledge about the breadth of views held by those who call themselves “feminist”–or intentional deceit. Moreover, to lump egalitarianism–the Christian movement for equality of women in the church and home–with this blanket statement of “feminist” as pro-choice, etc. is to obfuscate the issue even further.
Natural Law
I wanted to add a brief note about natural law as well. Fiene and others continue to just throw out “natural law” in an undefined way as though it unequivocally supports their position. Yet one could just as easily appeal to “natural law” to support women in combat roles, for a natural law might just be a threshold of strength and mental endurance that could be seen as suitable for combat roles, and then anyone who meets that threshold is permitted to do so. I don’t want to delve into the deep waters surrounding natural law theory, but the point is that a bald appeal to “natural law” doesn’t do much to support Fiene’s position.
Conclusion
I believe the discussion here has broader application to the discussion over so-called gender roles as well as the debate between egalitarians and complementarians. Fiene’s arguments are the same kind of arguments that are continually trumpeted by opponents of egalitarianism. But, as we have seen here, those arguments are fallacious, they fail to take the opposition seriously, and they rely on ill-defined terms and obfuscation. There is are no reasons provided by Fiene to support his position. Bare assertions, jabs at opponents, and absurdly irrational statements are put in the place of argument.
Source
Hans Fiene, “Women in Combat and Selective Service,” 2/11/16 available at http://issuesetc.org/2016/02/11/1-women-in-combat-and-selective-service-pr-hans-fiene-21116/ accessed 2/13/16.
Links
Be sure to check out the page for this site on Facebook and Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies and more!
Eclectic Theist– Check out my other blog for posts on Star Trek, science fiction, fantasy, books, sports, food, and more!
SDG.
——
The preceding post is the property of J.W. Wartick (apart from quotations, which are the property of their respective owners, and works of art as credited; images are often freely available to the public and J.W. Wartick makes no claims of owning rights to the images unless he makes that explicit) and should not be reproduced in part or in whole without the expressed consent of the author. All content on this site is the property of J.W. Wartick and is made available for individual and personal usage. If you cite from these documents, whether for personal or professional purposes, please give appropriate citation with both the name of the author (J.W. Wartick) and a link to the original URL. If you’d like to repost a post, you may do so, provided you show less than half of the original post on your own site and link to the original post for the rest. You must also appropriately cite the post as noted above. This blog is protected by Creative Commons licensing. By viewing any part of this site, you are agreeing to this usage policy.
Practical Lutheranism: Luther on the 5th Commandment and Refugees
A Public Domain image of Syrian Refugees. Accessible: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Syrian_refugee_of_the_Syrian_civil_war.jpg
I have been reading through the Book of Concord, which is a collection of the Lutheran Confessions. I think it is vitally important for one who, like me, claiming to be Lutheran to be familiar with these documents. They are, after all, what we believe and confess. I decided to start a series of posts as I’m reading through the Book of Concord to highlight various areas I think are important.
The Fifth Commandment and Refugees
There is much fear in the world today over the question of Syrian Refugees. I’ve been reading through the Book of Concord and I ran into the section on the Fifth Commandment. I was taken back by how lucid Luther’s interpretation is there, and it has some serious application for today:
Therefore it is God’s ultimate purpose that we suffer harm to befall no [hu]man, but show [them] all good and love; and, as we have said, it is specially directed toward those who are our enemies. For to do good to our friends is but an ordinary heathen virtue, as Christ says Matt. 5:46.
One can see these same thoughts echoed in the discussion of the seventh commandment:
…we are commanded to promote and further our neighbors’ interests, and when they suffer any want, we are to help, share, and lend to both friends and foes (251-252)
What is particularly uncomfortable about these words is the word of law that is contained within them: “both friends and foes” are included in these commands. We ought to further their interests, “help, share, and lend to” them “when they suffer any want,” and show them “all good and love.” Luther is abundantly clear on this point: “it is specially directed toward those who are our enemies.”
Could more prophetic words have been written by Luther? Surely, the times in which we fear our enemies and wish to do nothing but avoid them are legion. Today is but one example of human injustice to fellow humans. But the words of the Commandments brook no argument, and Luther’s interpretation makes this abundantly clear: “to do good to our friends is but an ordinary heathen virtue…” and we are given a higher calling.
Those objections that would point to individual instances of violence, those who would alleged terrorists sneaking into our borders, and the like: the word of the law is spoken, and it is a powerful one: Christ’s calling is higher. When they suffer–even when our enemies suffer–we ought help them. If that means letting in the Syrian refugee fleeing from the violence in their homeland, if that means the “illegal immigrant” running from poverty and destitution, then so be it. There is no question here. There is no exception for fear that they will “steal our jobs” or that they speak a different language or have a different skin color or a different religion or anything of the sort. The words Luther writes here are clear: “it is God’s ultimate purpose that we suffer harm to befall no” one.
Source
Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert, eds. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2000).
Links
Be sure to check out the page for this site on Facebook and Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies and more!
Adhering to the Book of Concord “In So Far As” or “Because” it Agrees with Scripture?– I argue that Lutherans must hold the position that we adhere to the Book of Concord In So Far As it Agrees with Scripture.
Eclectic Theist– Check out my other blog for posts on Star Trek, science fiction, fantasy, books, sports, food, and more!
SDG.
——
The preceding post is the property of J.W. Wartick (apart from quotations, which are the property of their respective owners, and works of art as credited; images are often freely available to the public and J.W. Wartick makes no claims of owning rights to the images unless he makes that explicit) and should not be reproduced in part or in whole without the expressed consent of the author. All content on this site is the property of J.W. Wartick and is made available for individual and personal usage. If you cite from these documents, whether for personal or professional purposes, please give appropriate citation with both the name of the author (J.W. Wartick) and a link to the original URL. If you’d like to repost a post, you may do so, provided you show less than half of the original post on your own site and link to the original post for the rest. You must also appropriately cite the post as noted above. This blog is protected by Creative Commons licensing. By viewing any part of this site, you are agreeing to this usage policy.
Which is it? Appearance of Age or Flood Geology?
Young Earth Creationists often counter the multiple, independent evidences for the ancient age of the Earth (here meaning billions of years old) by appealing to the notion of “appearance of age.” Effectively, what this argues is that because God is creating by fiat, the universe may look old and even show evidences of being quite ancient, when in fact it is a recent creation. Among the evidences mustered in support of this is the notion of the creation of Adam and Eve. The first humans, it is asserted, were created as fully grown individuals and so they would appear to us to be adults, despite being created just that day.
One example of this in practice can be found in a statement from Paul Nelson and John Mark Reynolds:
God would have no real motive to ‘actualize’ most of cosmic history… ‘Apparent’ history in the mind of God could not be any different than ‘actual’ history… He would gain a fully functioning universe, but without the ‘waste of time’ needed to actualize the less interesting parts. (Nelson and Reynolds, 52-53, cited below)
Another significant aspect of most Young Earth Creationists’ (hereafter YECs) argument is the notion of “Flood Geology,” which argues:
…substantial amounts of water can have the same geological effect in a short period of time (even laying down rock layers) that hypothesized millions of years of slow water flow would have. (here – see also the many additional Young Earth resources on the flood at this link from Answers in Genesis)
Essentially, the argument is that there is positive evidence for a young earth when we look at the evidence rightly–through the lens of a catastrophic, global flood.
A Dilemma for Young Earth Creationists
The problem for YECs is that these two commonly held positions are in tension. Kenneth Keathley and Mark Rooker note this tension:
[A] consistent application of the mature creation argument will conclude thatthere are no evidences of a young earth. The universe has been coherently, uniformly created with the appearance of age. (Keathley and Rooker, 223, cited below, emphasis theirs)
These authors go on to note how one of the first proponents of the appearance of age argument, Philip Henry Gosse, would have considered the efforts of groups like the Institute for Creation Research and Answers in Genesis “unrealistic at best and detrimental at worst…” (223) because they are embarking on a program of trying to find what is not there. Gosse affirmed a young earth in spite of the evidence because he consistently clung to the notion of the appearance of age:
[T]he acceptance of the principles presented in this volume [that of the appearance of age and affirmation of a young earth]… would not, in the least degree, affect the study of scientific geology… [The evidences for an old earth] would be facts still… [but] the duration was projected in the mind of God, and not really existent. (Gosse, Omphalos, 369, cited below [quoted in Keathley and Rooker and independently checked by me])
The force of what Gosse is saying should not be missed, for he remained consistent in his application of the notion of appearance of age. If the young earth creationist is going to say that the evidences for an apparently ancient earth are explained by divine fiat creation–they were simply made that way because they had to be made fully formed and ready for habitation–then it is a misguided attempt to go back and try to find evidence for a young earth as well.
Consider this in more depth for a moment: if the explanation from geology for the age of the earth from rock strata and independently confirmed with radiometric dating is that these things merely appear old because God created them as such, would it not be strange to turn around and say all these strata were layered down in the last 6000 years by a catastrophic global flood? Which is it? Do the strata merely “appear” to be old when in fact they were created recently, or were they formed through a global flood? YECs can’t have it both ways.
A False Dichotomy?
It may be countered that the YEC could instead hold that some things are due to appearance of age, while others explicitly demonstrate a young earth. That is, something like the rock strata are alleged to point to a recent, catastrophic, global flood, while the light from stars that are millions of light years away can be explained by appearance of age. There are, however, two problems with this counter-argument.
First, it is effectively question begging. If this counter-argument is maintained, then any evidence which cannot allegedly be explained by recent effects can be relegated to appearance of age, for any reason. Thus, if coral reefs can be independently shown by multiple methods to be quite ancient, they can simply be explained away by “appearance of age,” but if we are only looking at something like an ice core, it is alleged that differing temperatures led to different and multiple layers of ice, thus pointing to a young earth. At this point, it is effectively impossible to falsify any portion of the young earth position, for if one were able to demonstrate that an aspect that purports to show evidence for a young earth in fact is evidence for an old earth, the YEC can simply counter that it merely “appears” to be old.
Second, it is intrinsically inconsistent. The YEC who wishes to use both appearance of age and alleged positive evidence for a young earth has an inconsistent method. They must come up with some reasonable method for sorting out the two from each other and maintaining them–often at odds with each other. After all, the one who wants to hold both of these positions must believe on one hand that much evidence demonstrates the universe is billions of old (but only appears to be so, in actuality), while also arguing that the universe has many evidences for being quite recent. God’s creation is thus turned into a chimera–showing an ancient face on one hand, while being a baby in comparison on the other.
Conclusion
Young Earth Creationists cannot have it both ways. They must decide which of the methods of argumentation they want to use to try to maintain a recent creation. Does the universe appear to be old, when it is in fact quite young? Or has all the evidence been misinterpreted and does it all demonstrate a young earth? These two positions cannot be maintained together without significant tension.
Links
Be sure to check out the page for this site on Facebook and Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies and more!
Do Young Earth Creationists Advocate Appearance of Age?– A demonstration that the appearance of age position is very much alive among YECs today.
What options are there in the origins debate? – A Taxonomy of Christian Origins Positions– I clarify the breadth of options available for Christians who want to interact on various levels with models of origins. I think this post is extremely important because it gives readers a chance to see the various positions explained briefly.
Eclectic Theist– Follow my “other interests” blog for discussion of sci fi, fantasy, movies, sports, food, and much, much more.
Sources
Paul Nelson and John Mark Reynolds, “Young Earth Creationism” in Three Views on Creation and Evolution
Kenneth Keathley and Mark Rooker, 40 Questions about Creation and Evolution (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2014).
Philip Henry Gosse, Omphalos: An Attempt to Untie the Geological Knot (now public domain and available here).
“The Flood” – Answers in Genesis – https://answersingenesis.org/the-flood/ (accessed 12/20/15).
SDG.
——
The preceding post is the property of J.W. Wartick (apart from quotations, which are the property of their respective owners, and works of art as credited; images are often freely available to the public and J.W. Wartick makes no claims of owning rights to the images unless he makes that explicit) and should not be reproduced in part or in whole without the expressed consent of the author. All content on this site is the property of J.W. Wartick and is made available for individual and personal usage. If you cite from these documents, whether for personal or professional purposes, please give appropriate citation with both the name of the author (J.W. Wartick) and a link to the original URL. If you’d like to repost a post, you may do so, provided you show less than half of the original post on your own site and link to the original post for the rest. You must also appropriately cite the post as noted above. This blog is protected by Creative Commons licensing. By viewing any part of this site, you are agreeing to this usage policy.
Downton Abbey: The Final Seasion Episodes 3 and 4 – A Christian Perspective
I will be analyzing each episode of the final season of Downton Abbey from a worldview perspective. I will be doing them two at a time to make space for my series on “The Expanse.” There will, of course be SPOILERS for each episode, and I will assume readers know about each previous season and episode’s content as well. It will be assumed that readers are familiar with the characters and circumstances. I will not be summarizing the plot of the episode; I will merely interact with the content from a perspective of worldview. BE COURTEOUS AND DO NOT BRING UP LATER EPISODES THAN THE ONE DISCUSSED HERE IN YOUR COMMENTS.
Episode 3
Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes got married! The celebration and excitement that surrounds this event is a reflection of reality. Marriage is a good, one God has given to us from the beginning. There is something beautiful about seeing two people come together before God, blessing their marriage in the name of the Triune Lord. It was particularly interesting to see how the Trinitarian blessing was included in this episode, rather than being left out.
Episode 4
Lady Painswick’s offhand remark about being able to call Mrs. Carson Mrs. Hughes still is worth reflecting on: “There is a God!” We so often jokingly say things like this, but I wonder whether a more serious perspective is right. Is God not found in the little things in life as well as the big things? Is not every joy from God? This is not to say that God will never allow suffering, but it does mean we ought to thank God for even the tiniest blessings.
I’m starting to get quite worried about Thomas, the underbutler. He continues to reject any attempts to be friendly to him, but then turns around and notes to Baxter how he does feel the sometimes cruel remarks and jabs made in his direction. Part of this, of course, is reaping what he has sown. When has he ever done anything to help someone else? I struggle to think of a single instance in which he did so without an ulterior motive. But again, part of what he needs is grace. Baxter, as I noted in the last recap, has been offering that grace to him, but he continues to reject it.
The theme of rejected grace continues in how he has been treating the interview process. He has high hopes for the other positions he is applying to: but each time he is disappointed. He wants to have a position of highest import, like one in bygone years, but these positions are disappearing rapidly. Again, these opportunities are examples of grace towards him, but his own choice is to continue to reject them. I hope this story doesn’t continue to spiral down, because I could see Thomas doing something drastic.
More!
Be sure to let me know what you thought of the episodes, and what worldview-level issues you saw them raise, in the comments below.
Links
Be sure to check out the page for this site on Facebook and Twitter for discussion of posts, links to other pages of interest, random talk about theology/philosophy/apologetics/movies and more!
Eclectic Theist– Check out my other blog for my writings on science fiction, history, fantasy movies, and more!
SDG.
——
The preceding post is the property of J.W. Wartick (apart from quotations, which are the property of their respective owners, and works of art as credited; images are often freely available to the public and J.W. Wartick makes no claims of owning rights to the images unless he makes that explicit) and should not be reproduced in part or in whole without the expressed consent of the author. All content on this site is the property of J.W. Wartick and is made available for individual and personal usage. If you cite from these documents, whether for personal or professional purposes, please give appropriate citation with both the name of the author (J.W. Wartick) and a link to the original URL. If you’d like to repost a post, you may do so, provided you show less than half of the original post on your own site and link to the original post for the rest. You must also appropriately cite the post as noted above. This blog is protected by Creative Commons licensing. By viewing any part of this site, you are agreeing to this usage policy.
2015: The Year’s Best Books, My Reading, Blogs, and More!
Another year has passed more quickly than I could have ever imagined. I’d like to share with you my reading for the year, as well as my awards for books, movies, and blogs. Please let me know about your own reading, movie-watching, and the like this year. I’d love to read about what you were up to last year and what books moved you or taught you much.
Books
The books of the year are based off my reading this year; not on whether they were actually released this year. The categories for InterVarsity Press (IVP) and Crossway, however, are from this year.
Theology book of the year
Flame of Yahweh by Richard Davidson- This book is a massive wealth of information about sexuality in the Old Testament. Davidson analyzes an enormous number of texts to draw out the teaching on sexuality found therein. Davidson approaches the texts from what I would call a moderate egalitarian viewpoint, but he justifies this view directly from the text, with a particular emphasis on the creation account. Moreover, Davidson’s exposition of Song of Songs in particular is just phenomenal. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Philosophy book of the year
The Shape of the Past by John Warwick Montgomery- this book is a historiography book–it is a study of how we write and study history, and it is phenomenal. John Warwick Montgomery is one of those rare people who can touch on seemingly endless topics from a clearly informed perspective, and draw them together with breathless beauty. The first half of the book offers a major look at various historiographic perspectives of the past. The second half is a collection of essays, each of which as informative and wonderful as the next. The book was published originally in 1975, but it remains as brilliant as it ever was. John Warwick Montgomery is just phenomenal, and this book was heavy, but breathtaking. Here’s a quote from the book.
IVP Book of the Year
Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys by Richard Twiss- A convicting read, Richard Twiss argues that we have failed Native Americans when it comes to spreading the Gospel. The book is full of moving stories and deep insights. It is beautiful and haunting. If you want to know more, read my review.
Crossway Book of the Year
Newton on the Christian Life by Tony Reinke- John Newton is probably best known as the author of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” but Reinke highlights so much more about this amazing pastor in this interesting work. Read my review for more.
Fiction book of the Year
The Once and Future King by T.H. White – I’m embarassed to say this, but I actually owned this book once and got rid of it because I figured I wouldn’t actually enjoy it. Was I ever wrong. I picked it up at the library and was absolutely blown away. This classic novel about King Arthur was everything I expected it to be and so much more. I was particularly impressed by the amount of genuinely hilarious humor found throughout. I did not expect the depth it had, either. It was fantastic. Okay, I did read Ben Hur by means of audiobook this year, but I read that book annually because it is probably my favorite work of fiction ever, so it’s not really fair to put it in competition.
Best non-fiction, non-theology/philosophy
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander- think racism is no longer a problem in America? Think again. This book has an enormous amount of research showing how our allegedly colorblind criminal justice system has perpetuated a system of injustice.
Young Adult Novel of the Year
Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper- A haunting novel about the colonial period in the United States. It is rare that I am as emotionally moved by a novel as I was in this one.
Most Anticipated Book of Next Year
Brandon Sanderson seems to me a well that I will not stop returning to. Ever. I’ve not worked through his whole body of work yet, but everything I’ve read from him is amazing. He consistently nails stunning plot twists in believable ways. Thus, Calamity, the third book of “The Reckoners” is my most anticipated book for next year. I can’t wait to get my hands on it and find out what happens next.
Movie
Best worldview movie of the year
Star Wars: The Force Awakens- No, I’m not just saying this because it is Star Wars (though part of me is saying precisely that). I selected this one because it has so much in it to discuss. I’m not going to spoil anything here, so be sure to head on over to my post on the movie to read more.
Blog
Blog of the Year
Christians for Biblical Equality– CBE continues to put out excellent articles week in and week out. Every new post is worth the time to read, and they have covered an enormous amount of ground with articles on neuroscience to articles on exegesis. This is a fantastic blog and well worth your time to read and subscribe to.
Reading List for 2015
The list starts at where I left off in 2014, when I first started keeping track.
- Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn – Finished 1/2/15
- 4 Views on Divine Providence edited by Dennis Jowers and Gundry – Finished 1/4/15
- Wind and Shadow by Kathy Tyers – Finished 1/6/15
- Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative – Finished 1/8/15
- Allegiant by Veronica Roth – Finished 1/10/15
- The Civil War as a Theological Crisis by Mark Noll – Finished 1/12/15
- Salvation Applied by the Spirit by Robert Peterson – Finished 1/13/15
- Star Wars: Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn – Finished 1/13/15
- God’s Battalions by Rodney Stark – Finished 1/13/15
- Gender, Religion, and Diversity edited by Ursula King and Tina Beattie – Finished 1/15/15
- Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber – Finished 1/19/15
- Beyond the Control of God? Edited by Paul Gould – Finished 1/22/15
- By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber – Finished 1/24/15
- Religions of Mesoamerica by David Carrasco – Finished 1/25/15
- By Heresies Distressed by David Weber – Finished 1/28/15
- Eternity Falls by Kirk Outerbridge – Finished 2/1/15
- Evolutionary Creation by Denis Lamoureux – Finished 2/1/15
- A Mighty Fortress by David Weber – Finished 2/6/15
- The New Evangelical Subordinationism edited Jowers and House – Finished 2/7/15
- Red Rising by Pierce Brown – Finished 2/9/15
- Creative Church Handbook by J. Scott McElroy – Finished 2/10/15
- Never to Live by Just B. Johnson – Finished 2/14/15
- Sanctification: Explorations in Theology and Practice edited Kelly Kapic- Finished 2/16/15
- Star Wars: The Last Command by Timothy Zahn – Finished 2/17/15
- The Dominant Culture by Martin Murphy – Finished 2/17/15
- Daystar by Kathy Tyers – Finished 2/23/15
- Give Them Grace by Jessica Thompson and Elyse Fitzpatrick – Finished 2/23/15
- Reinventing Jesus by Komoszewski, Sawyer, and Wallace – Finished 2/25/15
- How Firm a Foundation by David Weber – Finished 3/2/15
- Tamar’s Tears edited by Andrew Sloane – Finished 3/2/15
- Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert – Finished 3/4/15
- For the Beauty of the Earth by Steven Bouma-Prediger – Finished 3/6/15
- Star Trek: New Frontier- The Quiet Place by Peter David – Finished 3/6/15
- The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs – Finished 3/7/15
- Three Views on the NT Use of the OT edited Berding and Lunde – Finished 3/10/15
- Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert – Finished 3/11/15
- A Matter of Days by Hugh Ross – Finished 3/12/15
- Midst Toil and Tribulation by David Weber – Finished 3/16/15
- The Lost World of Adam and Eve by John Walton – Finished 3/17/15
- Hunters of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson – Finished 3/19/15
- Martin Luther on the Christian Life by Carl Trueman – Finished 3/21/15
- Golden Sun by Pierce Brown – Finished 3/22/15
- 4 Views on Church Government edited Cowan and Engle – Finished 3/23/15
- Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson – Finished 3/25/15
- Faith, Freedom, and the Spirit by Paul D. Molnar – Finished 3/29/15
- Weaveworld by Clive Barker – Finished 4/1/5
- Presence and Thought by Hans Urs von Balthasar – Finished 4/1/5
- The Soul Hypothesis edited Mark Baker and Stewart Goetz – Finished 4/1/15
- The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander – Finished 4/3/15
- Science and Christianity: Four Views edited by Richard Carlson – Finished 4/7/15
- Like a Mighty Army by David Weber – Finished 4/9/15
- No Other Name by John Sanders – Finished 4/10/15
- The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien – Finished 4/11/15
- Dune: House Atreides by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson – Finished 4/14/15
- The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander – Finished 4/14/15
- Two Views of Hell by Edward Fudge and Robert Peterson – Finished 4/15/15
- Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis – Finished 4/17/15
- Oxygen by John Olson and Randy Ingermanson – Finished 4/18/15
- Bulls, Bears, and Golden Calves by John Stapleford – Finished 4/19/15
- Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz – Finished 4/20/15
- Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom by William Lane Craig – Finished 4/21/15
- Dune: House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson – Finished 4/23/15
- Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer – Finished 4/26/15
- Mapping Apologetics by Brian Morley – Finished 4/28/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: Homeland by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 4/28/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: Exile by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 4/30/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: Sojourn by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 5/2/15
- Interpreting the Prophets by Aaron Chalmers – Finished 5/2/15
- Titan by Ben Bova – Finished 5/5/15
- Forever Odd by Dean Koontz – Finished 5/6/15
- God and Design edited by Neil Manson – Finished 5/11/15
- Dune: House Corrin by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson – Finished 5/12/15
- Bound for the Promised Land by Oren Martin – Finished 5/13/15
- Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery – Finished 5/15/15
- Humans by Robert J. Sawyer – Finished 5/19/15
- Hybrids by Robert J. Sawyer – Finished 5/21/15
- Brother Odd by Dean Koontz – Finished 5/28/15
- Venus by Ben Bova – Finished 5/30/15
- The Bible Story Handbook by John Walton and Kim Walton – Finished 5/31/15
- Cauldron of Ghosts by David Weber and Eric Flint – Finished 6/2/15
- Bismarck by Michael Tamelander and Niklas Zetterling – Finished 6/3/15
- Dune: The Butlerian Jihad by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson – Finished 6/5/15
- Star Wars: The Paradise Snare by A.C. Crispin – Finished 6/6/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 6/11/15
- Renewing Moral Theology by Daniel Westberg – Finished 6/12/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: Streams of Silver by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 6/14/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: The Halfling’s Gem by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 6/17/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: The Legacy by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 6/21/15
- Fool’s Talk by Os Guinness – Finished 6/21/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: Starless Night by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 6/25/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: Siege of Darkness by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 6/25/15
- The Legend of Drizzt: Passage to Dawn by R.A. Salvatore – Finished 6/28/15
- Understanding Gender Dysphoria by Mark Yarhouse – Finished 7/9/15
- War God’s Oath by David Weber – Finished 7/9/15
- No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman – Finished 7/11/15
- Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither edited Halton and Gundry – Finished 7/13/15
- Double Eagle by Dan Abnett – Finished 7/14/15
- [John] Newton on the Christian Life by Tony Reinke – Finished 7/18/15
- 4 Views on the Nature of the Atonement edited Beilby and Eddy – Finished 7/21/15
- We the Underpeople by Cordwainer Smith – Finished 7/22/15
- Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith – Finished 7/22/15
- Odd Hours by Dean Koontz – Finished 7/24/15
- Theology as Retrieval by W. David Buschart and Kent D. Eilers – Finished 7/25/15
- The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket – Finished 7/25/15
- The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket – Finished 7/27/15
- The Just City by Jo Walton – Finished 8/4/15
- The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket – Finished 8/5/15
- Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys by Richard Twiss – Finished 8/6/15
- Packer on the Christian Life by Sam Storms – Finished 8/9/15
- The War God’s Own by David Weber – Finished 8/10/15
- Talking Doctrine: [LDS] & Evngls in Conversation ed. Mouw & Millet- Finished 8/10/15
- Star Trek: New Frontier- Dark Allies by Peter David – Finished 8/11/15
- God’s Crime Scene by J. Warner Wallace – Finished 8/11/15
- Joy in the Journey by Steve & Sharol Hayner – Finished 8/14/15
- Fall of Giants by Ken Follett – Finished 8/17/15
- The Hostile Hotel by Lemony Snicket – Finished 8/18/15
- Hell Under Fire edited Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson – Finished 8/19/15
- How Jesus Passes the Outsider Test by David Marshall – Finished 8/20/15
- Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz – Finished 8/21/15
- Kris Longknife: Mutineer by Mike Shepherd – Finished 8/27/15
- Kris Longknife: Deserter by Mike Shepherd – Finished 8/25/15
- The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket – Finished 8/27/15
- Star Wars: The Hutt Gambit by A.C. Crispin – Finished 8/28/15
- Winter of the World by Ken Follett- Finshed 9/4/15
- The Malestrom by Carolyn Custis Davis – Finished 9/4/15
- The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket – Finished 9/5/15
- Rediscovering Jesus by Capes, Reeves, and Richards – Finished 9/7/15
- Wind Rider’s Oath by David Weber – Finished 9/9/15
- The Philosopher Kings by Jo Walton – Finished 9/11/15
- Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz – Finished 9/13/15
- Bavinck on the Christian Life by John Bolt – Finished 9/14/15
- The Martian by Andy Weir – Finished 9/15/15
- The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket – Finished 9/16/15
- Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb – Finished 9/20/15
- The Love of God by John C. Peckham – Finished 9/22/15
- Saint Odd by Dean Koontz – Finished 9/26/15
- Owen on the Christian Life by Matthew Barrett and Michael Haykin – finished 10/2/15
- Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett – Finished 10/6/15
- Debating Darwin’s Doubt edited by David Klinghoffer – Finished 10/8/15
- Star Wars: Rebel Dawn by A.C. Crispin – Finished 10/9/15
- Aborting Aristotle by Dave Sterrett – Finished 10/9/15
- Who Was Adam? By Fazale Rana with Hugh Ross – Finished 10/12/15
- The Godfather by Mario Puzo – Finished 10/13/15
- Reformation Christianity edited by Peter Matheson – Finished 10/15/15
- War Maid’s Choice by David Weber – Finished 10/19/15
- Scripture and Cosmology by Kyle Greenwood – Finished 10/20/15
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – Finished 10/21/15
- Innocence by Dean Koontz – Finished 10/24/15
- Onward by Russell Moore – Finished 10/25/15
- Reformation Readings of Paul edited Allen and Linebaugh – Finished 10/26/15
- The God Abduction by Ron Londen – Finished 10/26/15
- Hell’s Foundations Quiver by David Weber – Finished 11/1/15
- The Paradoxical Rationality of Soren Kierkegaard by McComb – Finished 11/1/15
- Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig – Finished 11/2/15
- Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper – Finished 11/4/15
- Ben Hur by Lew Wallace (audiobook) – Finished 11/4/15
- The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket – Finished 11/5/15
- Augustine on the Christian Life by Gerald Bray – Finished 11/6/15
- The End by Lemony Snicket – Finished 11/7/15
- The Analogy of Faith by Archie J. Spencer – Finished 11/8/15
- Eve by William Paul Young – Finished 11/9/15
- The Spirit of Hinduism by David Burnett – Finished 11/9/15
- Flame of Yahweh by Richard M. Davidson – Finished 11/11/15
- Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Finished 11/12/15
- The Once and Future King by T.H. White – Finished 11/13/15
- WH40K: Nightbringer by Graham McNeil – Finished 11/14/15
- American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion by John Wilsey – Finished 11/16/15
- A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber – Finished 11/17/15
- History, Law, and Christianity by John Warwick Montgomery – Finished 11/18/15
- The Battle of the Tanks by Lloyd Clark – Finished 11/18/15
- The Husband by Dean Koontz – Finished 11/19/15
- The Myth of Religious Neutrality by Roy Clouser – Finished 11/22/15
- Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld- Finished 11/22/14
- The Olmecs: America’s First Civilization by Richard Diehl – Finished 11/23/15
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle – Finished 11/23/15
- Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld – Finished 11/26/15
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander – Finished 11/28/15
- Goliath by Scott Westerfeld – Finished 11/30/15
- Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson – Finished 12/3/15
- The Incas by Terence D’Altroy – Finished 12/4/15
- Partners in Christ by John G. Stackhouse, Jr. – Finished 12/4/15
- The Aztecs by Richard F. Townsend – Finished 12/6/15
- Firefight by Brandon Sanderson – Finished 12/7/15
- The Great Christ Comet by Colin Nicholl – Finished 12/8/15
- Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein – Finished 12/9/15
- Foxcraft: The Taken by Inbali Iserles – Finished 12/9/15
- Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – Finished 12/12/15
- Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear – Finished 12/14/15
- Expository Apologetics by Voddie Baucham, Jr. – Finished 12/14/15
- Aquinas: A Beginner’s Guide by Edward Feser – Finished 12/15/15
- Of Bone and Thunder by Chris Evans – Finished 12/17/15
- 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke – Finished 12/19/15
- The Shape of the Past by John Warwick Montgomery – Finished 12/22/15
- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey – Finished 12/22/15
- 40 Questions about Creation and Evolution by Keathley and Rooker – Finished 12/22/15
- How Much Does God Foreknow? by Steven C. Roy – Finished 12/23/15
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu – Finished 12/25/15
- The First World War by Martin Gilbert – Finished 12/27/15
- Knowledge and Christian Belief by Alvin Plantinga – Finished 12/28/15
- Death Wave by Ben Bova – Finished 12/28/15
J.W. Wartick - Reconstructing Faith 
