Recovery Reading

Now that I've got time on my hands, here's what I'm reading as I recover. I figure if I'm going to be reading it, I might as well let you know if I think it's worth your time.

To Live with Christ: Daily Devotions by Bo Giertz
by Bo Giertz (Translated from Swedish by Richard Wood and Bror Erickson)
Concordia Publishing House, 2008

     This book was given to me by CPH when I graduated from the seminary. To be honest, it sat on my shelf until just before my surgery. I was looking for a good devotion our elders could share with shut-ins while I was recovering. I found excellent devotions for them to use. I thought they were so good, I would take the book with me to the hospital. Julia and I started reading the day before my surgery and we have read it each day since.

    The title does not disappoint. For each day Giertz give you a short reading, often summed up in one verse. The devotions are about a page and a half long reflection on the text. They always point you to Christ and His means of grace. Then comes the prayer. This is where the meat of the personal application lies. Giertz has a wonderful way of bringing you into God's Word. You can almost feel the excitement of a new Christian who has just discovered the Gospel. (Giertz himself made the journey from atheism to Christianity). I wholeheartedly recommend this book for personal, family or group devotions.

Find it here at cph.org!

 Luther Discovers the Gospel: New Light upon Luther's Way from Medieval Catholicism to Evangelical Faith
by Uuras Saarnivaara
Concordia Publishing House, 2005 (originally published in Finnish in 1947)

     My Uncle, Herb Mueller, gave me this book when I was ordained and highly recommended it. Now I see why. Saarnivaara wrote in the middle of the Twentieth Century, a time when most Luther research was focused on the "early Luther", that is the reformer's writings before he posted the 95 Theses in 1517. The author has two goals, first to show that Luther in his early years did not quite have the same understanding of the gospel, justification, or the "righteousness of God" as he would in later years (beginning in 1518). Second, he clearly shows how justification and the "righteousness of God" are to be understood. They are gifts from Christ Himself. Clearly understood they help us see the forgiveness of sins won for us on the cross.

     Saarinivaara traces Luther's thought development through his reading of Augustine, advice from Staupitz, lecturing on theology and scripture. Two passages come up again and again: Romans 1:17 "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"and Psalm 31:1 "In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!"

    Luther's understanding of these passages was key to his development as he began to understand that God's righteousness was not His condemnation but His grace won by Christ for us.

    I recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of Luther or why the Lutheran church presents the Gospel the way we do. There is a bit of heavy lifting to be done here. If you haven't studied Augustine, Medieval Church History, or Luther's life then Wikipedia will quickly become your friend. At 126 pages it is a quick read, but will take a little longer to digest.  

Find it here at cph.org!


Whose Religion is Christianity? The Gospel beyond the West
by Lamin Sanneh
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003

     This book got picked up back at the seminary from the discount room at the seminary book store. The original sticker said $13, the discounted price--$1. How could I refuse? Christianity throughout the world is a subject that I'm interested in, of course.

     Lamin Sanneh is from the tiny African nation of Gambia. He's a Christian who has taught at both Harvard and Yale but is one of the few in Ivy League academia who is seriously studying the growth of Christianity--especially in Africa. The book is an interview between Sanneh and a skeptical secular person who can't understand why Christianity is growing.

    Unfortunately the discussion in the first chapter centers around mostly sociological, economic, philosophical and other human explanations about the growth of the church. The questions of the skeptic drive home what Christians have always known: God's work in the world does not make sense in the minds of people without faith. (Although Sanneh doesn't point this out.) There are times when the skeptic asks questions that are so unbelievably insulting to new African Christians that I'm surprised Sanneh didn't punch him/her in the face! Sanneh keeps his cool. His goal is to have a civilized discussion to assure his peers in the Ivy League that Christian growth is okay, because He doesn't think they will come over here.

    The whole argument is a major over simplification: the West is "post-Christian" and completely secular while Africa is eating this up. The truth is less black and white. There are still a lot of Christians in the West. Even in places where Christianity is growing, churches face huge challenges in every area. Sanneh undoubtedly knows about partnerships between churches in the West and Africa but chooses not to talk about them. For me, this is the most exciting thing about the Christian Church. To answer Sanneh's question, the church neither belongs to me nor to Africans. Instead we all belong to Christ. This alone unites us and allows us to serve and challenge one another. I look forward to being challenged by the African church and working with them in Christ.

     The second chapter is an excellent defense of Bible translation. The church has been translating its message into languages people can understand since Pentecost. Sanneh points out that the church has done far more to add value to people groups throughout the world and throughout history with the byproducts of Bible translation; alphabets, dictionaries, and grammars. What began with the peoples of Eastern Europe hundreds of years ago, has continued with Native American languages and the languages of Africa and other places today. (It was so cool to see this in action when I visited Botswana in 2008.) Even when people do not become Christians, their culture is validated and often the identity of their people can continue.

    I would recommend this book to people who need to see the benefit of Bible translation. It might even be good for the atheist who is appalled by the growth of the church in Africa.  

The Problem of Pain
by C. S. Lewis
HarperCollins 2001 (Originally published in 1940)

it came in the mail today,
I look forward to reading this one a lot!