Executing God by Sharon Baker

This is a fabulous read!

I love it when theology professors explain multiple theories and viewpoints and then provide the strengths and weaknesses of each view before clearly providing an alternate option. My theology professor lectured this way and I thrived in his classes!

Baker tackles another controversial idea (previously, she debated hell) with the theological theory of atonement.

Now before you move on to another review, please understand that this book does not read at all like a college lecture. Everything about this book is about getting the information/ideas to you quickly and easily. Baker does a great job using everyday language. It almost feels like a conversation you'd have at your coffee table...almost because, come on, she's talking about Atonement!

Some of her theories may cause a few Christians to squirm - "did God send Jesus to die?" "if God forgives, why did Jesus have to die a brutal death? What does that say about forgiveness?" She asks these questions and so many more that kept me reading with joy! I love to be challenged in my long-held beliefs. Just because I may not agree with everything she writes doesn't mean I can't thoroughly enjoy her writing.

The basic premise for this book is Baker's faith in Jesus as the best representation of God. And if Jesus is the best representation of God, then how do we reconcile the God of compassion, love, and forgiveness we find in Jesus and the God who demands payment(death) in order to extend his forgiveness?

Proponents of substitutionary atonement theories will not enjoy this book. They may even deem Baker a heretic. But you have to give this book a shot. It would do any Bible scholar as well as general seeker good to explore the ideas presented here.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Westminster John Knox Press.

The War on Christmas edited by Bodie Hodge

A collection of 23 essays that speak on the battles in faith, tradition, and religious expression.

The topics range from: Isn't Christmas a pagan holiday? to The X stands for Christ to What was the Christmas Star? to Worshiping Jesus or Santa Claus.

There are plenty more to read in this book that is compiled of really thick paper. It's almost like they took articles from magazines and created this book. The essays are well thought-out. The illustrations/images add just enough to keep it from becoming too boring. But honestly, this is a collection of magazine articles in book form.

While Christians will tear into the writings, I'm not sure if anyone else would be interested. You might want to use this as a jumping pad for your holiday controversial discussions but outside of this time of year, I don't see this book getting much use.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by New Leaf Publishing.

Strangers at My Door by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

What would happen if you opened your house to every person who stopped by?

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove provides a collection of personal stories when he does exactly what Jesus calls: taking care of the fatherless, the widowed, the hungry and the homeless.

With a tendency to feel like Blue Like Jazz, this book is a group of stories tied into a narrative whole. You will be glued to the pages as you read about how crazy Jesus-like hospitality can be.

There is no doubt you will be challenged as you read. You may find yourself thinking, "There is no way I would raise a family in this type of situation". When we hear horror stories about the human condition - it seems evil is on the rampage, This book unveils how beautiful human beings can be to one another.

The stories, the people involved and the indirect challenge from Wilson-Hartgrove will ferment in your brain long after you've passed this book on to your friends.

If nothing else, hopefully it will cause you to treat that neighbor a little bit better.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Crown Publishing Group.

Messiah: Origin by Matt Dorff and Kai Carpenter

A graphic novel that combines the gospels into one story. What could be bad?

For me, it was quite a bit. Actually, the illustrations are fantastic. The book looks great! Carpenter has the skill. The issue for me was the writing - there is no dialogue. This is a graphic novel with no text bubbles.

They take the text from Scripture and insert it into the picture.

Now if that's okay for you, then you'll love this series. I, on the other hand, enjoy the dialogue bubbles.

Even in the preface translator Mark Arey writes about how our culture is media-driven especially with TV or movies. You would think they would tap in to the graphic novel craze and make a graphic novel. Am I missing something?

All I could imagine was the teenagers and twenty-somethings picking this book up, flip through it and toss it back because it doesn't read like a typical graphic novel.

So this book, and series, won't be read by me. I'll look for the graphic novel with the dialogue bubbles.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Zondervan Publishing.

Star Trek After Darkness

It's fun to see how they are re-imagining the original series.

With After Darkness, we see our new Spock dealing with his Vulcan urges. Unlike the television episode, the crew of the Enterprise cannot deliver Spock to Vulcan as it was destroyed in the first film. Thus, they travel to New Vulcan but there is a new twist at New Vulcan and one that encompasses our Spock.

I'm still reeling from the reinvention of Mudd but, for the most part, these semi-new stories are entertaining.

The illustrations are very good. Sometimes the faces of the characters look off-center and a little twisted, but if that's the only downside, this is an excellent graphic novel. Can't wait for more!

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by IDW Publishing.

The Wall Around Your Heart by Mary DeMuth

What do you do when are you hurt by someone? What if that person is part of your family or even in your church? Mary DeMuth has provided an excellent book, based on the Lord's Prayer, to explore some biblical solutions.

While looking at the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, DeMuth unpacks a way for us to forgive others and extend that forgiveness to ourselves.

Like every DeMuth book, this read will cut deep. You will experience the pain DeMuth felt. You will be forced to shine the light on your own hurts. And you will come to the end of this book breathless and new.

Are you brave enough to face your hurts? Are you ready to return to the moment someone shredded your heart? If so, you'll experience the power of God's grace soaking into your very bones.

What once was seen as an old and archaic prayer with little deeper meaning now has exploded with fresh application thanks to DeMuth's writing and insight.

I can't say enough good things about Mary DeMuth and her books. This is another A+ delivery from one of my favorite authors.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst

So I think I made a mistake. I read this all in one shot and I don't think that's how I should have read it.

J.J. Abrams had a clever idea about reading a book and seeing a couple writing to each other in the margins of the book. He turned to Doug Dorst to pen the story within a story.

S. is a story about Jen and Eric reading Ship of Theseus by V.M. Straka. Jen and Eric are trying to figure out who Straka is. (turns out he was a mysterious author with a mysterious past) Ship of Theseus is about a man who can't remember who he is but finds himself in the midst of multiple events of death and (again) mysterious consequences.

I think the best way to read this clever story is to read Ship of Theseus by itself and trying to ignore the writing in the margins. Once you finish Straka's book, go back and check out the margin notes and the plethora of "inserts" that Jen and Eric leave each other.

I think the idea was good but I couldn't really get into either story. There were moments when the mystery man in Ship of Theseus gets into some crazy action and I was glued to the tale. But then he would jump back into the water, get located by the ship and things would die down and become incredibly boring. I understand that Straka's style of writing is of a bygone era but most of that tale was hard to slog through.

Jen and Eric's story (they're interaction with each other) follows a similar growing-excitement-only-to-be-let-down. I was getting geared up for an unseen chase by villains who are setting fires but instead it disappeared. Did I miss something of that plot line?

All in all, I will absolutely read this book again. There are clues and codes spread out. It is a J.J Abrams concoction remember. But I was very disappointed but S. I enjoy a good mystery but I never connected in a way I was expecting.

And even though I didn't like it, I'm hoping for more from these two.

Zealot by Reza Aslan

An Evangelical Christian who converts to Islam writes about Jesus Christ.

If you're adult enough to get past that opening salvo, you might enjoy reading Aslan's book. This book is full of notes (while all at the end of the book and not footnotes) and interesting interpretations of the history of Palestine.

Make no mistake, I enjoyed reading this book. I love reading about the culture of First Century Ancient Israel - the politics and social points. Aslan points out the many men who attempted to claim to be Messiah and how the atmosphere during Jesus' time was just ripe with anticipation of The Anointed One.

He brings up thoughts that ought to be contemplated - Paul vs James, did Jesus view himself as God's Messiah, what really happened between Jesus and Pilot. But here is where I would roll my eyes: Aslan has stuck with a narrow narrative of Jesus of Nazareth. If there is a story or a statement that does not line up with this narrow narrative/agenda then the Christians must have added it into the actually historical truth.

Aslan does what many, if not all, Bible readers do - he picks the Scripture that supports his views while dismissing as "theological additions" to the Scripture that runs counter to his view.

Now this isn't to say his statements are without value. He does bring up some great thoughts on the "agenda" for each of the Gospel writers and for Paul himself. His inclusion of other historical documents add some weight to his book.

But when I read books like this and anything by Marcus Borg, I always find myself wondering, "why can't it be both? Why does it have to be either or?" Luckily N.T. Wright has a few Paul books coming out soon so I'll jump on those to get another view.