Saturday, July 25, 2015

Nonfiction Review: Passing Through by Jeremy Walker

It will be easy for many a reader to dislike what Jeremy Walker has to say in "Passing Through." I'm included in that. Walker does not hesitate in calling Christians to live a Christian life under the headship of Christ, in the world but not of the world. That does not come easy to me because I'm not a big talker. The written word is more my thing, and I'm no missionary. But the topic appealed to me because Walker talks from the perspective that we are pilgrims. He uses a great deal of Scripture to support his points, and encourages readers to fight the Devil, pursue the Great Commission, and so on. I appreciated his extensive use of Scripture and his thought-provoking points, but found that Walker tended to repeat himself and that many of his points overlapped. Although there were certain chapters that interested me more than others, such as the chapter on respecting authorities, the book really needed more specific examples: How does Satan appear in our lives? Where do we draw a line? How do we confront the issues of our modern culture?

*Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Nonfiction Review: Mormonism 101

"Mormonism 101" presents a detailed, document-supported record of Mormon history and belief. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson contrast common Mormon perceptions and beliefs with Christian Old and New Testament Scriptures, quoting most from the Mormon-approved King James Version. Coming from a Christian perspective, the authors do aim to point out faults and inconsistencies in the Church of Latter Day Saints. However, they write with respect and mostly use actual Mormon sources for their proofs. The book is long and comes in small print, organized by topic (rituals, salvation, pretty much everything), but is very much so worth a read.

*I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.