Ben Zornes

Living and Dying to Show the Preciousness of Christ

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Book Review: “In Praise of Folly” by Erasmus

Book Review: “In Praise of Folly” by Erasmus

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Praise of FollyPraise of Folly by Erasmus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Erasmus is a really intriguing figure of the 16th century. In many ways, he paved the way for the Protestant Reformation, while firmly insisting on taking no alliance with it. His book, In Praise of Folly, is a wonderful instance of his rhetorical powers of wit. The “hook” of this work is the Lady Folly writing to Erasmus’ friend Thomas More. The irony of it all is that we learn great wisdom from the mouth of folly. A really enjoyable read, from a colossal intellect.

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Some Quotes:

Do but observe our grim philosophers that are perpetually beating their brains on knotty subjects, and for the most part you’ll find them grown old before they are scarcely young.
What man is that would submit his neck to the noose of wedlock, if, as wise men should, he did but first truly weigh the inconvenience of the thing? Or what woman is there would ever go to it did she seriously consider either the peril of child-bearing or the trouble of bringing them up?
What greater thing do [women] wish in their whole lives than that they may please the men? For to what other purpose are all those dresses, washes, baths, curlings, slops, perfumes, and those several little tricks of setting their faces, painting their eyebrows, and smoothing their skins?
If there can be any great entertainment without a woman at it, let others look to it.
Wisdom is a great obstacle to the true management of business
Few there are that rightly understand of what great advantage it is to blush at nothing and attempt everything.
For truth carries with it a certain peculiar power of pleasing, if no accident fall in to give occasion of offense; which faculty the gods have given only to fools.
I scarce know anyone in all mankind that is wise at all hours.
Nay, further, whereas the Church of Christ was founded in blood, confirmed by blood, and augmented by blood, now, as if Christ, who after his wonted manner defends his people, were lost, they govern all by the sword.
Fortune loves those that have least wit and most confidence.
Wisdom makes men bashful, which is the reason that those wise men have so little to do, unless it be with poverty, hunger, and chimney corners; that they live such neglected, unknown, and hated lives: whereas fools abound in money, have the chief commands in the commonwealth, and in a word, flourish every way.
Book Review: “Happily Ever After” by Desiring God

Book Review: “Happily Ever After” by Desiring God

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Happily Ever After: Finding Grace in the Messes of MarriageHappily Ever After: Finding Grace in the Messes of Marriage by John Piper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Being a collection of short devotionals for couples, with various authors, giving a review is a mixed bag. Occasionally you reach in and grab your favorite candy bar. Next time, you reach in and find a Werthers Original from 1993 that’s spent the last several decades under the back seat of Uncle Lester’s car. In other words, some of these are really helpful insightful and useful for helping couples think biblically about marriage (i.e. husbands loving their wives sacrificially, wives submitting to their husbands, etc.). I’m biased towards John Piper’s and Douglas Wilson’s contributions. Other entries were just not a nice flavor, sort of like the aforementioned half-melted caramel. In other words, either not enough depth to make it worth the while, or some advice that leans a little bit too much in the direction of our egalitarian culture at large.

However, for a mature Christian couple the good chapters provide some helpful fodder for conversation and marital “weeding”. The “less good” chapters gave us something to enjoy mutual disgust, sort of like when you both have to choke down an unpleasant meal while at a dinner party…not fun in the moment, fun to reminisce about later. Fortunately, most of the devotionals are well-written, helpful, wise, and just the right length for a busy couple.

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Book Review: “Paradise Lost” by John Milton

Book Review: “Paradise Lost” by John Milton

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Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost by John Milton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Glad to check this off of my “classics-I-probably-should-have–already-read” list. Milton’s classic poem about the creation of the world, Satan’s rebellion, Adam and Eve’s fall, and the promise of the Messiah was just delightful.

The poem is wonderfully picturesque. While it is obviously based on biblical events, Milton’s imagination doesn’t run too wild, but rather fills the Genesis narrative in with details that seem profoundly likely. Those folks who say Protestants can’t create great works of art must conveniently overlook Paradise Lost. One qualifier is that Milton was apparently heterodox on the Trinity, which is somewhat noticeable in this tome (i.e. very little of the Holy Ghost, and a subordinationist view of the Son, etc.). However, it was quite an enjoyable piece of literature, and it is clear why it is such an enduring work.

I especially enjoyed the description of Adam and Eve’s marriage before the fall, and it would certainly put egalitarian panties in a bunch and probably perplex overbearing patriarchalists. Satan’s deception of Eve is quite a marvelous and insightful portion as well. The final section is the archangel Michael revealing to Adam how history will play out, and shows him that the promised redeemer would be “slaine for bringing Life.” That portion, while certainly imaginative and not authoritative, was just the bees knees. I’ve included a few selections from that section:

Of Abraham

Not wandring poor, but trusting all his wealth
With God, who call’d him, in a land unknown.

Of Egypt

Thus with ten wounds
This River-dragon tam’d at length submits

Of the Law

And therefore was Law given them to evince
Thir natural pravitie, by stirring up
Sin against Law to fight; that when they see
Law can discover sin, but not remove,
Save by those shadowie expiations weak,
The bloud of Bulls and Goats, they may conclude
Some bloud more precious must be paid for Man,
Just for unjust, that in such righteousness
To them by Faith imputed, they may finde
Justification towards God, and peace
Of Conscience, which the Law by Ceremonies
Cannot appease, nor Man the moral part
Perform, and not performing cannot live.

Of the Covenant of Grace

From shadowie Types to Truth, from Flesh to Spirit,
From imposition of strict Laws, to free
Acceptance of large Grace, from servil fear
To filial, works of Law to works of Faith.

The Cross

But to the Cross he nailes thy Enemies,
The Law that is against thee, and the sins
Of all mankinde, with him there crucifi’d.

Of Death

Or theirs whom he redeems, a death like sleep,
A gentle wafting to immortal Life.

Adam’s Praise for Jesus

O goodness infinite, goodness immense!
That all this good of evil shall produce,
And evil turn to good; more wonderful
Then that which by creation first brought forth
Light out of darkness! full of doubt I stand,
Whether I should repent me now of sin
By mee done and occasiond, or rejoyce
Much more, that much more good thereof shall spring,
To God more glory, more good will to Men
From God, and over wrauth grace shall abound.

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Book Review: “Apologetics” by John Frame

Book Review: “Apologetics” by John Frame

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Apologetics: A Justification of Christian BeliefApologetics: A Justification of Christian Belief by John M. Frame
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

John Frame provides a useful gateway into the world of presuppositional apologetics. Building on such Christian thinkers like Van Til, he endeavors to show why Christian apologetics needs to operate with certain assumptions in place. In essence, we must avoid the temptation to think of reason as able to “stand on its own.” All arguments for, or against, Christianity must of course use reason and logic some arguments being stronger or more compelling than others; but the Christian apologist must not lean upon logic alone to “get us there.” Rather, Frame builds on Van Til and endeavors to show that it is impossible to stand in “neutral territory.” The very moment we reach for rational arguments for (or against) we are reaching for something which God made and intended to be used in knowing and trusting Him.

In essence, we must avoid the temptation to cede to godless wordlviews the idea that man is autonomous or that there is a “blank slate” from which to start from. In fact, for the presuppositionalist, man is not able to somehow start from scratch; all men know there is a God, but unbelieving man has suppressed this knowledge. That knowledge is there nonetheless and is an inescapable reality.

This would be a helpful introduction to thinking about apologetics in a presuppositional vein, and overall the book was very accessible, but of course takes some dedicated brain energy to follow extended arguments. What I’m saying is, this isn’t the sort of book to read right before bed…

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Book Review: “Postmodern Times” by Gene Edward Veith

Book Review: “Postmodern Times” by Gene Edward Veith

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Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and CulturePostmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture by Gene Edward Veith Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tremendously helpful book in sifting through the worldview that has taken root in our present culture. This book was at times prophetic, and at other times outdated. Where Veith was prophetic, he was profoundly “ahead of the times;” he identified trends and ways of thinking that are now daily displayed in the comments section of every news article. However, it was also “outdated” in one sense because he could not envision the role which the internet and then social media would have on the “postmodern mind.” This was published in 1994, and thus, obviously composed sometime before that, and we all know how much has changed since then. As I read, I kept thinking that a follow up edition would be quite apropos.

Veith was quite gracious and pastoral in his interaction with postmodernism. He acknowledged that some of what is happening in the transition from “modernism” to “postmodernism” is a return to the true importance of our emotions and feelings (or as Jonathan Edwards may have put it, our affections). And the role which they have in human experience, reason, and belief. Modernism held a cold, unfeeling, machine-like view of the cosmos, humans were merely widgets which the universe churned out. Postmodernism has placed a greater importance on experience and feelings, which Christians should not be afraid of. However, we have seen where unbridled pursuit of experience and the supremacy of feelings as a guide for truth has brought us…we don’t know the difference between boys and girls. Veith reminds us of the importance of biblical thinking, while showing that Christians share certain portions of postmodernist thought; we must use these “overlaps” to reach the postmodernist culture. However, postmodernism, like all other “isms,” is fraught with sin and Veith shows how the Bible roundly condemns the sinful thinking behind much of postmodernism’s worldview.

This was a very easy book to read, and all Christians would benefit from this thorough study of our culture.

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Book Review: “Theonomy” by Greg Bahnsen

Book Review: “Theonomy” by Greg Bahnsen

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Theonomy in Christian EthicsTheonomy in Christian Ethics by Greg L. Bahnsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Theonomy was an enormously helpful enormous book; the sort that takes a while to work through, but is replete with a great wealth of insights into the application of the Old Testament laws in the New Testament era. While this thinking is not new to me, this book is the most thorough and helpful exposition on how the Old Testament pertains to and is binding upon believers of both testaments. As I read through this I was grateful for such a well studied and well written defense of why Christians can and should believe the whole Bible. Bahnsen threads the needle of why God’s law must be the standard for sin and righteousness, but the law is not to be the means whereby salvation is earned. Further, this is not advocating “judaizing” NT Christians. Some Christians I know have begun observing OT laws, ceremonies and festivals thinking they are recovering God’s law. They are in fact missing some of the key distinctions which Jesus and the Apostles made as it regarded how we should understand and obey God’s law as revealed unto Moses. Highly recommend this for people who, you know, want to obey the whole Bible.

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Book Review: “The Holy War” by Bunyan

Book Review: “The Holy War” by Bunyan

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The Holy WarThe Holy War by John Bunyan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bunyan is marvelous. Pilgrim’s Progress is of course his most famous work, but The Holy War is in much the same vein. However, whereas Pilgrim’s Progress is much more of an allegory for a Christian’s sojourn from earth unto heaven, The Holy War is more of an allegory about the internal war which takes place in a man. Bunyan presents us with a town called Mansoul, and describes how it was lost to Satan, and how Shaddai and His Son Emmanuel regained it. Bunyan does allegory like none other, and while many have tried and done quite shabbily, Bunyan knows what notes to hit, and throughout are gems of wisdom, insight and edifying truths. One statement that struck me was this one, which Bunyan put in the mouth of Diabolus (the Devil):

Their looseness of life is a sign that there is not much heart in what they do, and without the heart things are little worth.

Truly, the Devil knows, often more than Saints do, that true religion must be from the heart and engage the whole man, body, soul and spirit.

One of the most insightful (and edifying) points was when Mansoul had fallen into a state of backsliding and indifference, it is the character Mr. Prywell whom Bunyan selects to be the means of grace whereby God (Shaddai) awakens the town of Mansoul. This was one of the more useful tidbits from the book. I’ve discipled folks who are so introspective, and have all the self-evaluation of the Puritans without any of their Gospel freedom. We must often reflect on our spiritual state, but we ought to “prywell.” It doesn’t do any good to simply find all your faults, fears, and doubts, and then fail to ring the warning bells of the town. True introspection and pious self-reflection ought to be done with the goal of awakening grace within us to fight.

This was my first time through this classic. There was only one thing that felt “off” to me and it was that the allegory’s portrayal of God lacked trinitarian robustness. The Father was presented as “Shaddai,” and His son, the Prince Emmanuel; however, the Holy Ghost didn’t quite play as integral a part as I think would be more Biblically accurate. Perhaps I missed it, but the character the Lord-Secretary, I believe was presented as being the Spirit, but Bunyan didn’t seem to quite give Him the right sort of attention. That could have been by design, for the Spirit moves mysteriously. That would be my only quibble, and perhaps on a subsequent tour through Mansoul, I might be made to change my mind.

Finally, in the final chapter, Prince Emmanuel gives a message of comfort to the inhabitants of Mansoul, and it is quite moving. I’ll leave you with the first paragraph of His speech:

You, my Mansoul, and the beloved of mine heart, many and great are the privileges that I have bestowed upon you; I have singled you out from others, and have chosen you to myself, not for your worthiness, but for mine own sake. I have also redeemed you, not only from the dread of my Father’s law, but from the hand of Diabolus. This I have done because I loved you, and because I have set my heart upon you to do you good. I have also, that all things that might hinder thy way to the pleasures of Paradise might be taken out of the way, laid down for thee for thy soul a plenary satisfaction, and have bought thee to myself; a price not of corruptible things, as of silver and gold, but a price of blood, mine own blood, which I have freely spilled upon the ground to make thee mine. So I have reconciled thee, O my Mansoul, to my Father, and entrusted thee in the mansion-houses that are with my Father in the royal city, where things are, O my Mansoul, that eye hath not seen, nor hath entered into the heart of man to conceive.

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Book Review: “Thoughts On Religious Experience” by Archibald Alexander

Book Review: “Thoughts On Religious Experience” by Archibald Alexander

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Thoughts on Religious ExperienceThoughts on Religious Experience by Archibald Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by Archibald Alexander, the American theologian who served as Princeton Theological Seminary’s first principal. This was wonderful. It carries the scent of the American frontier’s optimism and hope, and the Puritan instinct for true, devout religion of the heart. The main thrust is that true religion must affect the heart. Think of this book as a “Reader’s Digest” version of Jonathan Edwards’ “Religious Affections.” Christianity cannot be mere intellect, but must get “into” a man. Of course, this can only be the result of the Holy Spirit’s work.

Those Christians, therefore, who are most diligent in attending upon the Word in public & private, will be most likely to make progress in piety. –A. AlexanderAlexander ranges over the topography of the Christian life and shows how the Holy Spirit works in various ways to win souls to Christ, and thus we should be careful of laying down “schemes” for how conversion happens. It is not some formulaic recipe. God brings men to conversion in a multitude of ways, but the fruit and experience of it will always become evident.

He touches on various other ordeals the saint must face, and pastorally guides how we should approach sickness, health, wealth, poverty, and death. All in all, very helpful. You can also read it for free over at GraceGems.

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Here are some pull quotes to enjoy:

Our Various Trials

 

Ben Zornes