Book Reviews

Book Review: “Belichick” by Ian O’Conner

July 14, 2020 By Ben Zornes Leave a Comment

Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time by Ian O’Connor
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ok, ok…I got curious. I am decidedly not a Pats fan. But success is intriguing, and I wanted to see what sort of leader the most successful coach in NFL history was.
In short, there aren’t a lot of takeaways in this book, as Belichick notoriously holds his cards close. This biography is largely what others have to say about him. He is ruthlessly focused. He is surprisingly generous. He is shameless in gaming the rules. He is great at taking responsibility for team failures. He is willing to listen to any idea which legitimately gives his team an edge.
In other words, he knows what his job is, and he has devoted himself to getting that job done and setting an example to his team to be that devoted. The most interesting tidbit is when O’Conner makes a clear case that Belichick was ready to move on from Brady quite a while ago…so the 2020 season will be a wish come true for ol’ Bill.
The writing style was a bit too scattered/disorganized for enjoyable reading. The “episodes” often felt out of order, or told in a clunky way. But fans of football will quite enjoy a more “inside” look at the most hated (or if you’re from Boston, beloved) coach of all time, largely because he is the most victorious football coach of all time. I guess the main thing to takeaway is that it ain’t easy being the best.

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Book Review: “The Discarded Image” by C.S. Lewis

September 12, 2017 By Ben Zornes Leave a Comment

The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has been too long since I read C.S. Lewis, and this was one I hadn’t read yet. For those interested in understanding the medieval view of the cosmos, and who wouldn’t, this is such a helpful and colorful presentation of what that cosmology entailed.

When the ancients looked into the night sky, they had the perception that they were looking upward and inward into a vast dance of life. We humans were in a world full of variation and change, but the heavens were full of song, light, and life. Modern scientism has convinced us to view the universe as a cold expanse, where life is a rare exception to the rule of inorganic prevalence.

There is much beauty in the medieval model, and we would do well to remember that their explanation for the heavens was not as far fetched and “fairy tale-ish” as we might think. After all, we try to explain the universe in terms of mathematical equations, but this doesn’t get us any closer to actually understanding what the universe is. Lewis is wonderful in all of his writings, no less so here. He is the master writer that all of us other writers aim to mimic. I’d also recommend reading Michael Wards “Planet Narnia” after this. It will change your whole view of Narnia, for the better.

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Book Review: “Given for You” by Keith Mathison

May 16, 2017 By Ben Zornes Leave a Comment

Given for You: Reclaiming Calvin’s Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper by Keith A. Mathison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For the most part, a very useful book. Mathison has done a lot of spade work to produce a faithful presentation of Calvin’s view of the Lord’s Supper. The first half is dedicated to how the ebb and flow of Protestants’ view of the Lord’s Supper for the last 500 years. The second half looks at the Biblical foundations for Calvin’s view in the Old and New Testaments, followed by critiques of Roman Catholic and Lutheran views. He ends by surveying some of the “sticky issues” associated (i.e. grape juice vs. wine, paedo-communion, and frequency). Helpful as a historical overview of the associated debates and views, and very useful in tackling how to properly frame and understand the sacrament.

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Book Review: “Calvin’s Preaching” by T.H.L. Parker

October 14, 2016 By Ben Zornes Leave a Comment

Calvin’s Preaching by Thomas Henry Louis Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This cursory look at Calvin as a preacher is thorough, insightful, and offers sound assistance & encouragement to preachers especially, and believers in general. The historical context surrounding Calvin as preacher is very useful in understanding the man. Also, there are a few remarkable lessons learned; Calvin preached with either a Hebrew or Greek Bible and “translated on the fly” as he preached on his selected text; also, he was not afraid of preaching “politics” or of addressing sin.

Wonderful to see that his habit was to almost exclusively preach to “us” and “we” rather than “you guys”. He included himself in his exhortations. Further, whereas in his theological writings (i.e. Institutes) you see the sharp, orderly, and cogent logic, in his preaching he is free (as Lloyd-Jones often exhorted preachers). It is in this that we are reminded that thorough systematic theology and Gospel preaching ought to serve each other, but also ought to give way to the other depending on the task at hand (defending the faith vs. proclaiming the faith).

Calvin was a immensely gifted man, and though trained as a lawyer, Parker shows that in his preaching he often leaves the lawyer behind and clearly wears the mantle of the prophetic/apostolic. Parker strings together wonderful quotes, primarily from Calvin’s sermons, and demonstrates (as much as is possible) how Calvin prepared his sermons, his primary method, and his clear habits and patterns. A very helpful companion to Institutes, and I think would be a very useful read for folks who love Christian history, or to help shape one’s understanding and approach to preaching. I would heartily recommend this make it on to your reading list.

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Book Review: “Institutes” by John Calvin

October 10, 2016 By Ben Zornes Leave a Comment

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve read portions of Calvin’s Institutes before, but this was my first go all the way through. Magnificent. As if I could review such a masterpiece, and to think Calvin’s first draft of it was written when he was 26. I’ll keep this review deliberately short, but two observations.

American Evangelicalism (even the “anti-Calvinist” branches of it) is decidedly and profoundly deeply influenced by “Institutes”. Our work ethic, our civil government, our church polity, our firm protestantism, our liturgical practice, all derive largely from this body of work. This is largely true even for the mega-church, and the small country church; we owe a great debt of gratitude for the shaping influence of Calvin.

Perhaps because it is an election year here in the US, but his final chapter on the Civil Magistrate was profound, and is deeply needful for us. I’d highly recommend reading through it as you prepare to vote. I’ll hopefully interact with it before election day…

This is a rich diamond mine of truth; it is stout, and not for the faint of heart, but is often vibrantly encouraging, convicting, and lucid at every turn.

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MORE BOOK REVIEWS

Calvin on Faith & Hope

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Book Review: “The Federal Husband” by Douglas Wilson

June 20, 2016 By Ben Zornes Leave a Comment

Federal Husband by Douglas Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It ought to be fundamentally obvious to all biblically minded Christians that the gravest need we face in the 21st century is that of godly masculinity. Pastor Wilson has, in 100, or so, pages poignantly cast a vision for what it means for a man to be the “head of the home”.

Godly manhood has enemies on either side, but both seek his emasculation. On one side is egalitarianism and feminism in its quest to blur the distinctiveness between male and female. On the other side is legalistic misogyny, which aims to be manly through arbitrary (often unbiblical) rules, strictness, and overbearing bullying. Both errors will render impotent the man who embraces these false ideologies.

The Bible must be the only rule of life for the Christian man. Wilson highlights the fact that the role of a husband is more than titular, it is an office; and an office of representation at that. This is the “federal” part of it; a man represents his family before God, which means he also bears responsibility for the state of his marriage, children and household.

This really is a must read, especially for men. It will make the squeamish pansy of fleshly desire squirm, and it will provoke repentance, correction and encouragement in a man’s walk of faith.

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Book Review: “The Song of songs” by Ariel & Chana Bloch

May 27, 2016 By Ben Zornes Leave a Comment

The Song of Songs: The World’s First Great Love Poem by Ariel Bloch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This new translation of The Song of songs by the Blochs was quite wonderful. It shows adeptness in Hebrew poetry and great and careful skill in translating the poem into the often cumbersome English! The three sections of the book were all very “quick reads”. The first section gave some historical background and insight into the poem, as well as their approach in translating it. The second section was their translation of Song of songs; which again was a very reverent but fresh and helpful rendering of the ancient love song. The third section was all commentary and bordered on tedious; but still helpful to those of us laboring to understand the wonderful world of the Hebrew language!

I take issue with their assertion of a later date to the Song, and not attributing its authorship to Solomon. There is a long debate on such things, but I am not ready to commit to a “side”; however, I lean toward an earlier date and a Solomonic authorship.

What I found most wonderful here, was the glory with which this Divinely inspired song paints the union of a man and woman in the act of love-making. It truly is Edenic in its figures and analogies; and shows how sexual union between a man and a woman is perhaps the clearest picture of heaven and earth united. The Song is clearly erotic, and it makes no sense to try to make it acceptable to our Jane Austin sensibilities; but its eroticism is a discrete and restrained sensuality. Our culture has made sex something bawdy, ribald & naughty. Solomon’s song is at once highly sexual and yet plainly modest and tasteful. This song doesn’t bring sex into the gutter; it lifts us out of the gutter of our sexual perversion and into the heights of God’s intended order for sex.

Finally, most wonderful to me is the theme in the song of the two lovers longing to be together, then separating, then coming together again. It is these “comings and goings” which makes the primary “plot” to the story. Best of all, this song of love ends with the two lovers parting, and it leaves us with a longing to see them reunited. In much the same way, the story we are in is that the Beloved has “gone away”, and though His love is always with us, we long for the warmth of His full presence. The church is the Shullamite, longing, aching, waiting until the return of her Beloved in the flesh. Oh, what a day that will be…

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Book Review: “The Gospel According to John” by Leon Morris

May 27, 2016 By Ben Zornes Leave a Comment

The Gospel According to John by Leon Morris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Morris’ commentary on John’s Gospel was incredibly helpful, insightful and full of poignant, memorable quotes.

He defends the authorship of John, when many scholars contend for a later writing of the Gospel by anonymous authors; Morris shows how these scholars only attempt this because they are trying to organize John’s writing according to our standards and sensibilities.

This volume was very thorough, helpful and it will be often referenced when the Beloved Disciple’s Gospel is studied.

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