Stuck in the Present

BOOKS OF THE YEAR, 2024 EDITION

Since history books dominated my reading this year (sorry to all fiction lovers!), I am going to share my favorite books that appear only in that category, with a few cheats.

My top two can be found at the end of this post.

In no particular order…

Who is an Evangelical? by Thomas Kidd

A short, but helpful history that makes a good case that a much-debated word is still worth using.

Who Is an Evangelical?: The History of a Movement in Crisis: Kidd, Thomas S.: 9780300241419: Amazon.com: Books

Moral Vision by Marvin Olasky

Amazon.com: Moral Vision: Leadership from George Washington to Joe Biden eBook : Olasky, Marvin: Kindle Store

My interview with Marvin can be found here:

Our Ancient Faith by Allen C. Guelzo

Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment: Guelzo, Allen C.: 9780593534441: Amazon.com: Books

Allen Guelzo is one of my favorite historians. I recently reread his Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction. It brilliantly captures the sights and sounds of The Civil War.

A productive scholar, Professor Guelzo has a new book. Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment is only 171 pages long, but I made over 150 marginal notes.

When I started reviewing and interviewing authors I came up with “Moore’s Law of Worthwhile Reading.” It goes like this: Take the total number of pages in a book and divide by two. If my marginal notes exceed that number, then it was a worthwhile read. You can see by that calculus that Professor Guelzo’s more than made that cut.

If you were to ask whether I find Professor Guelzo’s writing optimistic or pessimistic, I would answer, “Neither.”

In Our Ancient Faith he certainly offers sober reflections on the fragility of the democratic experiment. His characteristically judicious treatment of Lincoln has all kinds of inherent warnings for us today.

However, I find Professor Guelzo, after reading four of his books, both realistic and genuinely hopeful. His hope is certainly a tough earned one. It is tethered to his Christian convictions, but not in the irresponsible way where the past is ransacked for talking points that fit one’s preconceived bias.

The flow of history also informs Professor Guelzo’s hope. He doesn’t sugarcoat the bad actors, nor does he gloss over the weaknesses and error of those like Lincoln whom he clearly respects. In a word, Professor Guelzo does not traffic in either hagiography or cynicism. Again, you get “thick realism with hope.” (HT: Will Willimon)

If you are looking for wise and beautiful reflections to make better sense of our own tumultuous time, I highly recommend Our Ancient Faith. And if you are not looking to make better sense of the present, then read Our Ancient Faith to see why you should!

The Spirit of Early Christian Thought by Robert Wilken

The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God: Wilken, Robert Louis: 9780300105988: Amazon.com: Books

A beautiful and penetrating study of important themes during the ancient period of Christianity. I have studied church history for many years. It is hard to imagine a better place to learn about the early church than this wonderful book.

In Hoffa’s Shadow by Jack Goldsmith

In Hoffa’s Shadow: A Stepfather, a Disappearance in Detroit, and My Search for the Truth: Goldsmith, Jack: 9780374175658: Amazon.com: Books

In Hoffa’s Shadow details the riveting story of Jimmy Hoffa’s mysterious disappearance. It is amply supplied with roller-coaster drama and elegant writing.

The author is the stepson of Charles “Chuckie” O’Brien, the loyal and longtime assistant to Jimmy Hoffa. (I should add that the author is a professor at Harvard law school and a wonderful mentor to our youngest son.)

I well remember the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. My young assessment was that his Teamster job was really a front to make lots of money from his mobster connections. The reality, like many true things, is more complicated and compelling than the simple narrative I believed in high school.

Goldsmith artfully tells the story of his stepfather’s quest to gain his innocence. I am convinced that Chuckie had nothing to do with the disappearance and death of Hoffa. The story is told with judicious detail and an appropriate pathos that one would expect from a loving stepson.

But don’t be mistaken. This is not a hagiographical account. Goldsmith is quick to admit the many faults and foibles of his stepfather. Perhaps you noticed that Goldsmith did not keep his stepfather’s surname. I won’t go into why, but it underscores that this book is not some cheap, laudatory account. On the other end of the spectrum, it is equally not remotely in the Mommie Dearest genre.

If you are looking for an engaging book full of twists and turns, I highly recommend In Hoffa’s Shadow. I should add the subtitle: A Stepfather, a Disappearance in Detroit, and My Search for the Truth.

Edmund Burke by Jesse Norman

Edmund Burke: The First Conservative: Norman, Jesse: 9780465062935: Amazon.com: Books

One of the books I took with me to England this past summer.

Several friends have heard me gush about this book. What can I say in short compass? It is certainly one of the best biographies I have ever read. I will also add that though there is nothing explicitly about theology in this biography, it did give me much to think about how that discipline is conducted.

On the way home, I ran into Karl Rove in Reagan National Airport/Washington D.C. I asked him what he thought about Norman’s book. He also loved the book and added that he has read all of Norman’s books. I asked Rove if there are any present-day Burkes. He was sanguine that there are. I am not so sure…

Undone by John Donne, translated by Philip Yancey (first non-history cheat)

Undone: A Modern Rendering of John Donne’s Devotions: Yancey, Philip, Donne, John: 9781951872175: Amazon.com: Books

The older I get (66 at the moment), the more I am reading or rereading the books that have stood the test of time: classics in literature, history, and poetry.

I have read several books by Yancey. When I saw that he had put Donne’s essays in modern form, it was a no-brainer to buy the book.

In short, these essays are beautifully rendered by Yancey. Donne’s process of struggling with the horror of death and dying is realistic. He doesn’t sugarcoat the awfulness of it or as Scripture says, that it is the final enemy.

Donne’s coming to peace through realizing that only fearing God made sense of life and death takes time, but journey with Donne as he goes there. It is time very well spent!

Wonder Confronts Certainty: Russian Writers on the Timeless Questions and Why Their Answers Matter by Gary Saul Morson (second non-history cheat)

Amazon.com: Wonder Confronts Certainty: Russian Writers on the Timeless Questions and Why Their Answers Matter: 9780674971806: Morson, Gary Saul: Books

I read and discussed this book with my literate friend, Bill. Both of us found it stunning.

Morson offers an extended account of how the best of Russian writers (those in the wonder category) confront the hardcore ideologues of the former Soviet Union (the certainty fellows; and don’t be misled there were some women who gladly imbibed in torture and other forms of brutality). 

As with the book on Edmund Burke, there was much that made me think about how I go about understanding Christian theology.  

A New History of Redemption by Gerald R. McDermott 

A New History of Redemption: The Work of Jesus the Messiah through the Millennia: Gerald R. McDermott: 9780801098543: Amazon.com: Books

My interview with Gerry can be found here:

Finishing What Jonathan Edwards Started

End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us by Carrie Gress

End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us: Gress, Carrie: 9781684514182: Amazon.com: Books

Wife. Mother of five. Writer. Roman Catholic. PhD in philosophy.

Carrie Gress has the perfect background to write this book. Her training in philosophy and her commitment to womanhood and motherhood are put to great use.

This book is not long (under 200 pages), but the endnotes showcase the serious research that went into the writing.

Gress does a terrific job of describing the origins of modern feminism. It is a truly sordid story.

Since Gress writes as a committed Catholic Christian (I am a small c catholic Christian) her appreciation and explanation of the body’s importance is a real strength. Bible-believing Christians have much to learn about the importance of making arguments from natural law, though there are plenty of Roman Catholics who could also use a refresher course. Remember Clarence Thomas trying to explain natural law to his fellow Roman Catholic, Joe Biden?!

So, Protestants may be surprised to find that there is hardly any Scripture in Gress’s book, but that should not keep them from reading this terrific book.

Highly recommended!

Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians by Chris Armstrong

Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis: Armstrong, Chris R.: 9781587433788: Amazon.com: Books

I read and interviewed Chris when this book was first published. I have recently finished a reread of it with my friend, Warren. It is a terrific introduction to both C.S. Lewis and the medieval frame of mind. Lots to consider and reconsider, especially for us American Christians.

Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians

John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Aitken (third non-history cheat)

John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace: Aitken, Jonathan, Yancey, Philip: 9781433541810: Amazon.com: Books

There is actually some history in this book, but it is not strictly a history book. I also read this when it first came out and recently reread it. It was wonderful discussing it with my friend, Scott. We are still doing so, but it definitely deserves a book of the year spot.

I finish this list off with three, short memoirs: one by a political science scholar, one by a biblical studies scholar and the third by a pastor. Exploring the Paranormal is right below this post, Retractions by Pastor Pat Nemmers is also on this page below, and Garrett Sheldon’s memoir can be found here:

MEMOIR OF A GRATEFUL ACADEMIC | Moore Engaging

MEMOIR OF A GRATEFUL ACADEMIC

My top two are Edmund Burke by Norman and Wonder Confronts Certainty by Morson.

 

 

 

EXPLORING THE PARANORMAL

In the early 1980s I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary.

I well remember hearing a radio show called “Streett Meetings,” hosted by Professor Alan Streett. Professor Streett clearly knew his material. What still stays with me even today is the evident joy of Professor Streett. He was confident about the truthfulness of the Christian faith, but there was nothing stodgy about his teaching. As of late, the word “winsome” has come under scrutiny, but I gladly use winsome to describe Professor Streett’s manner on the airwaves.

Years later, I did two interviews with Professor Streett over two of his books. You can find those interviews in the links below.

Alan recently sent me a copy of his latest book. To say the least, I was surprised when I saw the title: Exploring the Paranormal: Miracles, Magic, and the Mysterious. What is a conservative scholar doing writing a book on this subject? As I thought a bit more about the book, it made perfect sense. Professor Streett demonstrated a keen interest about other religions and apologetics on his radio show.

This book is a twofer of sorts: It is about the paranormal, but it is also a spiritual memoir of sorts. Streett traces his own pilgrimage through life as he comes into contact with various paranormal experiences. As I finished one chapter, my curiosity was piqued to find out what might be forthcoming in the next chapter.

Exploring the Paranormal is a thorough introduction that competently covers the waterfront. That said, it is not long (under 200 pages) and is happily written in a lucid style.

Streett doesn’t offer easy answers, but his balanced treatment provides the reader with material that spawns greater discernment.

Alan Streett: Heaven on Earth

Caesar and Sacrament

 

 

THE END OF WOMAN

Wife. Mother of five. Writer. Roman Catholic. PhD in philosophy.

Carrie Gress has the perfect background to write this book. Her training in philosophy and her commitment to womanhood and motherhood are put to great use.

This book is not long (under 200 pages), but the endnotes showcase the serious research that went into the writing.

Gress does a terrific job of describing the origins of modern feminism. It is a truly sordid story.

Since Gress writes as a committed Catholic Christian (I am a small c catholic Christian) her appreciation and explanation of the body’s importance is a real strength. Bible-believing Christians have much to learn about the importance of making arguments from natural law, though there are plenty of Roman Catholics who could also use a refresher course. Remember Clarence Thomas trying to explain natural law to his fellow Roman Catholic, Joe Biden?!

So, Protestants may be surprised to find that there is hardly any Scripture in Gress’s book, but that should not keep them from reading this terrific book.

Highly recommended!

WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? HAS ITS LIMITS!

It is easy to proclaim the “goodness of God” when circumstances are generally pleasant, and suffering is minimal. It is much more challenging to believe that God is truly committed to our well-being when acute suffering, the kind that is not going away anytime soon, abruptly enters our life.

Like C.S. Lewis after losing his wife Joy to cancer, we may feel that God is absent. And it can be an absence that mocks our trust in a God who is supposed to care. Many Christians don’t like to acknowledge the silence of God, but Lewis provides the candid and raw reflections of a person who suffers not only the loss of a spouse, but also wonders whether God is now AWOL:

When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him…you will be—or so it feels—welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that silence.

God could change our circumstances. At the very least, He could tone down the intensity of our suffering. But many times He doesn’t, and so we are left with a bewildering list of questions, nagging doubts, and the temptation to abandon our confidence in God altogether.

Learning to trust God in the midst of intense suffering is a process which usually contains many twists and turns. That certainly was the case for C.S. Lewis who wrote two books on the subject of suffering. The first one, The Problem of Pain, sought to address some of the typical questions about suffering. Rather predictably, Lewis underscored things like human freedom. The Problem of Pain has some helpful insights, but it is what I like to call a “rather neat and tidy book.” Suffering is presented in such a way that the reader is invited to conclude, “Oh yes, I see, this suffering of mine makes sense after all.” Lewis was a bachelor when he wrote The Problem of Pain.

On the other end of the spectrum is A Grief Observed. It is like reading the dark and desperate reflections of a friend’s private journal. This second book on suffering was written as Lewis tried to “make sense” of his wife’s death. The ache Lewis felt was too raw for neat and tidy, philosophical truths, no matter how true they happened to be.

Suffering has many causes. Furthermore, everyone processes their suffering differently. Different Christians tend to emphasize different things about God, so what it means to trust God during times of suffering is no simple matter.

The idea of imitating Jesus to ascertain the right choice in any given situation is a popular one. Various iterations of it have appeared throughout the church, but certainly In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? by Charles Sheldon, greatly influenced many of us modern Christians. It certainly did for me.

Years ago, I vividly remember our young sons playing with a favorite train set. Well, our oldest son was playing with it while his younger brother was trying to join in. David was typically good at sharing, but not on this occasion. Spying out an opportunity to wow our sons with some godly wisdom, I asked, “Hey David, what do you think Jesus would do?” I was hoping David would respond, “Jesus would share the train.” Instead, David briefly looked my way and nonchalantly declared, “Jesus would make another train.”

My son was focused on the power of God while I was focused on God’s generosity!

Christians may focus on different things about God, but two things remain constant for every believer going through deep waters: the desire to know God is still on our side and that there is a grand purpose behind (and beyond!) the suffering. To feel abandoned by God and/or believe the suffering “is a waste” is simply too great a burden. It can shatter the confidence of the most resilient saint.

When we are suffering like Lewis did after the death of his wife, we need something in addition to arguments as to why there must be so much pain in the world. We are in need of regaining confidence that God is truly for us (Rom. 8:35-39) and that His will is indeed “good, acceptable, and perfect.” (Rom. 12:1,2)

I’ve certainly seen God’s faithfulness in a myriad of ways throughout my life. Even so, I still carry a substantial trunk loaded with questions. There are, however, many important things we can know that offer confidence and joyful perseverance even when we are deeply hurting.

HUMILITY AFTER HUMILIATION

Pat Nemmers is a pastor of a thriving church in Des Moines, Iowa. That church has planted several other churches that are also doing well. Pat is the father of ten children and thirty-eight grandchildren. No typo there.

Lest you think Pat’s life is one of blessing upon blessing, his wonderfully conceived Retractions: Cultivating Humility after Humiliation will quickly disabuse you of that assumption.

Pat’s book is an honest yet hope-filled book on the life of a pastor, husband, father, and friend. Honest books on the pastoral life are somewhat rare, but I am happy to say that Pat’s book makes a healthy triumvirate alongside Zack Eswine’s The Imperfect Pastor and Eugene Peterson’s The Pastor: A Memoir.

Pat knows joy and he knows deep grief. His first wife died in his arms while still in her thirties. He knows what it is like to have wayward children. More importantly, he knows the importance of submitting his own life all over again to the Lordship of Jesus.

This is an honest, searching, life-giving, and Christ-honoring book that you just might want to give to your pastor.

 

THIS IS THE BOOK

This is the resource I have been wanting to recommend. It is clear, covers the critical issues without getting bogged down, and is the perfect antidote to some popular, but misguided ideas about the Bible.

Doreen and I were invited to a weekend where Bill was the featured speaker. He has the scholarly goods but is strong in making that scholarship compelling and accessible.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: JOHN DONNE’S AMAZING ESSAYS ON DEATH

John Donne

The older I get (66 at the moment), the more I am reading or rereading the books that have stood the test of time: classics in literature, history, and poetry.

I have read several books by Yancey. When I saw that he had put Donne’s essays in modern form, it was a no-brainer to buy the book.

In short, these essays are beautifully rendered by Yancey. Donne’s process of struggling with the horror of death and dying is realistic. He doesn’t sugarcoat the awfulness of it or as Scripture says, that it is the final enemy.

Donne’s coming to peace through realizing that only fearing God made sense of life and death takes time, but journey with Donne as he goes there. It is time very well spent!

THE NEW HISTORY OF POLITICAL THEORY

This is my third book I’ve read by this author. None have been duds.

My interview with the author on his terrific book about Madison’s political philosophy can be found here:

Staying Home on Election Day? What would James Madison Say?

And my review of Garrett Sheldon’s memoir can be found here:

MEMOIR OF A GRATEFUL ACADEMIC

In The New History of Political Theory, Sheldon ably covers the political waterfront with brief, but meaty chapters on twenty key figures from Socrates to John Rawls. These twenty are covered in a little over 200 pages but be assured that the author presses much into this terrific book. I can report that my marginal notes almost equaled the number of pages in this book.

Early on, Sheldon poses this critical question, “Is man naturally social or naturally solitary?” Much hangs on how we answer that question, not only for our own lives, but also for the societies we want to inhabit. If we are social, and my vote is decidedly in the affirmative, then we need to be about the kind of community building that reflects that priority.

I just read Jesse Norman’s terrific, intellectual biography of Edmund Burke. I am happy to say that Sheldon has a chapter on Burke. Burke equally chided both those on the left and right that they had forgotten how important so-called social issues and interactions are in governing well.

Sheldon’s book is more than a primer on political philosophy. It thoughtfully forces us to wrestle with issues of grand significance. What is the nature of humans? Are we naturally good? And much more.

I often say that we Christians are more beholden to John Locke than John Calvin. Let Sheldon clarify why this may be the case. Being instructed by a master teacher and careful scholar will be time well spent.